US08351344B2
Provided are a system and a method for measurement voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) quality of experience (QoE), and a compensation method, a method for measuring QoE for a VoIP telephone service in real time, and claiming after-treatment on the basis of the measurement quality. The present invention measures subjective or objective quality for an actually generated call, and allows the subjective or objective quality to be linked with after-treatment such as compensation.
US08351342B2
A roaming emulator provides a tool for emulating system determination for monitoring the operation of a wireless communication device (WCD) during system determination. A signal monitoring program and service selection protocol are stored, and a signal emulation module provides a signal emulation output in accordance with a predetermined set of data. A processing module performs a simulation of a service selection procedure based on the service selection protocol and performed in accordance with the signal monitoring program and the signal emulation output. A result of the service selection is provided by an output module. The emulator can provide emulated system scanning based on geographical or market location, and can emulate scenarios when channels from neighboring systems or markets “bleed” into the RF environment of the WCD.
US08351337B2
A diagnostic tool is provided for calculating the availability of multi-segment pseudowires within an internet protocol (IP)-based mobile backhaul network. A control message is transmitted from an originating node towards a destination node within the IP-based mobile backhaul network over a primary multi-segment pseudowire and a secondary multi-segment pseudowire. From the response messages received from intermediate nodes positioned between the network node and the destination node along the primary multi-segment pseudowire and the secondary multi-segment psuedowire, the originating node determines the identities of each of the intermediate nodes, and calculates a respective individual availability of the primary multi-segment pseudowire and the secondary multi-segment pseudowire.
US08351334B2
The present invention relates to quality-based scheduling of data in wireless networks. In this scheduling, quality information representing the degree of decodability of previously transmitted but not correctly received and not successfully decoded data packets is estimated in receiving communications nodes. This quality information is reported back to the node that transmitted the packet. The quality information will be used by the transmitting node when scheduling subsequent data transmissions. In this scheduling process, at least one of selection of: i) receiving node(s), to which a second data packet is to be forwarded; ii) a type of the data in the second packet; and/or iii) a data flow, to which the second packet belongs, is performed based on the quality information.
US08351325B2
An International Standards Organization (“OSI”) Layer-2 (“Ethernet”) Pseudo-wire (“OSI Layer-1 type service”) appliance, method, system and hub service is disclosed. The method and system facilitate the rapid deployment of Layer-2 Pseudo-wires over unknown and untrusted Internet Protocol (“IP”) networks. The method and system facilitate the fluid edge of corporate networks and any situation where the Layer-3 network addresses cannot be changed.
US08351324B2
Methods, computer-readable media and computing systems are provided for analyzing service impacts on one or more VPNs on a computer network. A topology of each VPN may be identified. A protocol failure may be detected between routers of the computer network. It may then be determined how the VPN is affected by the protocol failure based on the identified topology and VRF information obtained from routers of the computer network.
US08351323B2
The present invention provides a method for transmitting/receiving a continuous pilot code in a multi-carrier system. The method for transmitting comprises: performing a time-frequency domain two dimensional encoding on an information bit stream to be transmitted; mapping the encoded bit stream to obtain a continuous pilot carrying encoding information; multiplexing a load, a discrete pilot and the mapped continuous pilot carrying the encoding information based on distribution of the load, the discrete pilot and the continuous pilot on a sub-carrier, to generate a frequency domain signal; and performing a frequency-time domain transforming on the generated frequency domain signal, to obtain a time domain sample. The method for receiving comprises: extracting the continuous pilot from an active carrier of a multi-carrier signal; and performing a time-frequency domain decoding on the extracted continuous pilots to obtain the decision of transmitted information bits. The invention ensures reliable transmission of the information without using additional bandwidth resource by carrying information in the continuous pilots using an encoding scheme.
US08351315B2
A recording medium, such as a high-density and/or read-only recording medium including a data area including at least two data sections and a linking area to link neighboring data sections, the linking area including at least two frame sync signals, where values of the at least two frame sync signals maintain uniqueness, and to methods and apparatuses for forming, recording, and reproducing the recording medium.
US08351313B2
An information carrier for holding user information includes access information for accessing the user information, the access information being stored in a pre-determined first region on the information carrier. The information carrier further includes at least one further region different from the first region, the further region comprising dummy information.
US08351310B2
A method for determining an optimal combination of focus bias and spherical aberration compensating value (SA value) in an optical disc drive is provided. Firstly, a first focus bias is set, the SA values are adjusted and the corresponding tracking error signal values are measured. Second-order-approximation is performed to obtain a first maximum value of tracking error signal. Secondly, a second focus bias is set, the SA values are adjusted and the corresponding tracking error signal values are measured. Second-order-approximation is performed to obtain a second maximum value of tracking error signal. Thirdly, a third focus bias is set, the SA values are adjusted and the corresponding tracking error signal values are measured. Second-order-approximation is performed to obtain a third maximum value of the tracking error signal. The three maximum values are compared to obtain the optimal combination of focus bias and SA compensating value in the optical disc drive.
US08351293B2
A method for communicating between marine vessels includes the steps of connecting a communication hub and a first marine vessel via a cable; transmitting an electronic signal via the cable between the communication hub and the first marine vessel; and transmitting the electronic signal wirelessly between the communication hub and a second marine vessel. The cable may be a seismic cable such as, and without limitation to, a streamer and an ocean bottom cable. The seismic cable may include one or more seismic sensors such as hydrophones and geophones.
US08351283B2
The present invention is directed to realize high-speed operation and low latency of a semiconductor storage device employing the QDR method. A memory cell array, a first buffer, a second buffer, a first circuit, a second circuit, a first DLL circuit, and a second DLL circuit are provided. The first DLL circuit generates a first internal clock signal so as to reduce a phase difference between a first clock signal fetched via the first buffer and the first internal clock signal transmitted to the first circuit. The second DLL circuit generates the second internal clock signal so as to reduce a phase difference between the second clock signal fetched via the second buffer and the second internal clock signal transmitted to the second circuit. With the configuration, input setup and hold time can be shortened, and the frequency of the clock signal can be further increased.
US08351278B2
A jam latch device for a data node includes a feed forward inverter having an input coupled to the data node; a feedback inverter having an input connected to an output of the feed forward inverter with an output of the feedback inverter connected to the data node; an isolation device that selectively decouples the feedback inverter from a power supply rail, the isolation device controlled by a clock signal of a reset device that resets the data node to a first logic state such that decoupling of the feedback inverter from the power supply rail coincides with resetting the data node to the first logic state; and a margin test device that selectively increases pull down strength of the feedback inverter.
US08351271B2
A semiconductor storage apparatus has a control circuit. The control circuit deactivates the first and second amplifier circuits, turns off the first, second, fourth and fifth switch circuits, and turns on the third and sixth switch circuits in response to an external signal based on reduction of current dissipation of a power supply which supplies the power supply voltage.
US08351260B2
The disclosure relates to an integrated circuit electrically powered by a supply voltage and comprising a memory electrically erasable and/or programmable by means of a second voltage greater than the supply voltage. The integrated circuit comprises means for receiving the second voltage by the intermediary of a reception terminal of the supply voltage or by the intermediary of a reception or emission terminal of a data or clock signal. Applicable in particular to electronic tags comprising a reduced number of interconnection terminals.
US08351254B2
The performance of a semiconductor device including a nonvolatile memory is enhanced. Each of nonvolatile memory cells arranged over a silicon substrate includes: a first n-well; a second n-well formed in a place different from the place thereof; a selection transistor formed in the first n-well; and an electric charge storage portion having a floating gate electrode and a storage portion p-well. The floating gate electrode is so placed that it overlaps with part of the first n-well and the second n-well. The storage portion p-well is placed in the first n-well so that it partly overlaps with the floating gate electrode. In this nonvolatile memory cell, memory information is erased by applying positive voltage to the second n-well to discharge electrons in the floating gate electrode to the second n-well.
US08351252B2
The data read circuit includes a variable current generation circuit and a data sensing circuit. The variable current generation circuit is configured to generate a variable current that varies in response to an external temperature. The data sensing circuit is configured to sense and amplify data on a bit line connected to a non-volatile memory cell according to the variable current and to configured to output the sensed and amplified data. The data sensing circuit controls a margin for sensing the data according to the variable current.
US08351249B2
A magnetic random access memory according to the present invention is provided with: a magnetic recording layer including a magnetization free region having a reversible magnetization, wherein a write current is flown through the magnetic recording layer in an in-plane direction; a magnetization fixed layer having a fixed magnetization; a non-magnetic layer provided between the magnetization free region and the magnetization fixed layer; and a heat sink structure provided to be opposed to the magnetic recording layer and having a function of receiving and radiating heat generated in the magnetic recording layer. The magnetic random access memory thus-structured radiates heat generated in the magnetic recording layer by using the heat sink structure, suppressing the temperature increase caused by the write current flown in the in-plane direction.
US08351248B1
A memory cell in an integrated circuit has a first PMOS transistor formed in N-type semiconductor material and a first NMOS transistor formed in P-type semiconductor material. A well bias line coupled to the N-type semiconductor material or to the P-type semiconductor material provides a well bias voltage not equal to the PMOS bias voltage or to the NMOS bias voltage to reverse body-bias the PMOS transistor or to forward body-bias the NMOS transistor.
US08351247B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate; a memory cell array including a plurality of memory cells formed on the semiconductor substrate and arranged in a matrix in a first direction and a second direction on the surface of the semiconductor substrate; a plurality of sense amplifiers formed on the semiconductor substrate and including a first sense amplifier and a second sense amplifier; and a plurality of bit lines extending along the first direction above the memory cell array, and arranged side by side in the second direction, wherein the plurality of bit lines include a first bit line pair formed in a first wiring layer and a second bit line pair formed in a second wiring layer located above the first wiring layer.
US08351237B2
Certain embodiments provide a ferroelectric random access memory comprising a first buffer, a second buffer, a third buffer, a first controlling unit, a second controlling unit, a memory cell array, a sense amplifier circuit, and a third controlling unit. The first buffer outputs a first signal changed from a first value to a second value based on notification of power-down. The second buffer stops supply of inner clock signal with the change of the first signal from the first value to the second value. The third buffer receives an address signal corresponding to data to be read or written. The first controlling unit receives a command signal. The second controlling unit generates a basic signal that has a third value when the command signal indicates a bank active command and has a fourth value when the command signal indicates a precharge command and the first signal has the second value. The sense amplifier circuit reads data via a pair of bit lines from the memory cell corresponding to the address signal. The third controlling unit controls write back to the memory cell from which the data are read so as to be performed after an elapse of a predetermined time from the time the basic signal has the third value and when the basic signal has the fourth value.
US08351235B2
A feedback circuit by which an output of a memory device for storing level-shifted data can be fed back to the input side includes inverters, resistors, and transistors. The resistance value of combined resistance for pulling up or down first and second switching devices is varied in accordance with the output of the memory device by the feedback circuit, so that malfunction caused by dv/dt noise can be dealt with out generating any through current. In this manner, it is possible to provide a level shift circuit which can deal with malfunction causing dv/dt noise regardless of an on or off state of a high-potential-side switching device, while generation of a through current can be suppressed.
US08351231B2
The present invention aims to provide a power converter with an arm including switching devices connected in parallel, realizing long lifespans of switching devices. An inverter includes an upper and a lower arm, and gate drive circuits each driving the corresponding arm according to a gate control signal Gup_s indicating ON/OFF periods. Each arm includes switching devices connected in parallel. Each gate drive circuit includes: a switching gate control circuit 230u bringing a switching device 210u into conduction at the beginning of the ON period and bringing the same out of conduction within the ON period; and a conduction gate control circuit 231u bringing switching devices 211u and 212u within a period from when the switching device 210u is brought into conduction until the same is brought out of conduction, wherein the switching device 210u has a lower parasitic capacitance than the switching devices 211u and the 212u.
US08351205B2
A heat dissipation device is used to dissipate heat generated by a number of memory chips of a motherboard. The heat dissipation device includes two brackets attached to the motherboard and at opposite sides of the memory chips, are a support, and a fan. The support includes a fixing plate and two clamping plates extending from opposite ends of the fixing plate. The clamping plates are rotatably mounted to the brackets, and are positioned above the memory chips. The fan is sandwiched between the clamping plates or mounted to the fixing plate.
US08351193B2
A coupling mechanism includes a pivot assembly and a lifting assembly. The pivot assembly includes a first bracket, a pivot pin, a second bracket, and a cam piece. The second bracket is rotatably mounted to the first bracket via the pivot pin and has a valley portion recessed from one surface thereof. The cam piece is mounted to the pivot pin for holding the second bracket at any angle. The cam piece has a peak portion formed on one surface thereof and received in the valley portion of the second bracket at a closed position. The lifting assembly is adjustably assembled to the second bracket such that the lifting assembly is pivotally assembled with the first bracket.
US08351186B2
An electrode foil for capacitor includes a substrate made of a valve metal foil, a first rough surface layer made of a valve metal formed on the first surface of the substrate by vapor deposition, and a second rough surface layer made of a valve metal formed on the second surface of the substrate by vapor deposition. The mode of diameters of pores of the first and second rough surface layers ranges from 0.02 μm to 0.10 μm. The thickness of the first rough surface layer is larger than the thickness of the second rough surface layer. The electrode foil has the rough surface layers formed by vapor deposition fabricated stably so that a solid electrolytic capacitor with high capacitance can be obtained using the foil.
US08351181B1
There is provided a chip type laminated capacitor including: a ceramic body formed by laminating a dielectric layer having a thickness equal to 10 or more times an average particle diameter of a grain included therein and being 3 μm or less; first and second outer electrodes; a first inner electrode having one end forming a first margin together with one end surface of the ceramic body at which the second outer electrode is formed and the other end leading to the first outer electrode; and a second inner electrode having one end forming a second margin together with the other end surface of the ceramic body at which the first outer electrode is formed and the other end leading to the second outer electrode, wherein the first and second margins have different widths under a condition that they are 200 μm or less.
US08351178B2
A first electronic device includes an electromagnetic component embedded in its connecting port and controlled to be activated during data transmission between the first electronic device and a second electronic device to which the first electronic device is connecting, or during memory accessing of the first electronic device. As the electromagnetic component is activated, an attraction force exists between the two connecting ports of the first and the second electronic devices such that a user of the first electronic device will feel a resistance when he/she tries to disconnect the first electronic device from the second electronic device.
US08351175B2
A protective device for a load circuit that instantly cuts off the load circuit when a dead short-circuit has occurred in the load circuit. The protective device includes a first detection circuit which detects a counter-electromotive force E1 induced in a common wiring line for connecting a plurality of load circuits and a power source, and a second detection circuit which detects a counter-electromotive force E2 induced at part of a load connection wiring line for connecting the individual load circuits. The load circuit is cut off when the first detection circuit detects that the counter-electromotive force E1 induced in the common wiring line has exceeded a predetermined value, and the second detection circuit detects that the counter-electromotive force E2 that has the same direction as that of E1 has been generated in the load connection wiring line.
US08351169B2
The present invention relates to a system and method for preventing, protecting OLTC from fire and/or preventing, protecting and/or detecting explosion and/or resulting fire of electrical transformer (30) in advance before decomposition of combustible coolant fluid (11)/dielectric oil.
US08351165B2
A current-perpendicular-to-the-plane spin-valve (CPP-SV) magnetoresistive sensor has a ferromagnetic alloy comprising Co, Fe and Ge in the sensor's free layer and/or pinned layer and a spacer layer of Ag, Cu or a AgCu alloy between the free and pinned layers. The sensor may be a simple pinned structure, in which case the pinned layer may be formed of the CoFeGe ferromagnetic alloy. Alternatively, the sensor may have an AP-pinned layer structure, in which case the AP2layer may be formed of the CoFeGe ferromagnetic alloy. The Ge-containing alloy comprises Co, Fe and Ge, wherein Ge is present in the alloy in an amount between about 20 and 40 atomic percent, and wherein the ratio of Co to Fe in the alloy is between about 0.8 and 1.2.
US08351164B2
An example magnetoresistive element includes a first magnetic layer whose magnetization direction is substantially pinned toward one direction; a second magnetic layer whose magnetization direction is changed in response to an external magnetic field; and a spacer layer. At least one of the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer includes a magnetic compound layer including a magnetic compound that is expressed by M1aM2bOc (where 5≦a≦68, 10≦b≦73, and 22≦c≦85). M1 is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Co, Fe, and Ni. M2 is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ti, V, and Cr.
US08351161B2
The present invention provides a magnetic head suspension, wherein a supporting portion such as an arm or base plate includes a pair of supporting pieces extending from its opposite sides in the widthwise direction to a tip-end side of the suspension, and a concave portion which is defined by the pair of supporting pieces and is opened toward the tip-end side of the suspension, there is provided an elastically-deformable elastic plate which is connected to the pair of supporting pieces at a first end and a second end in the widthwise direction of the magnetic head suspension, the member forming the load beam portion is connected to the elastic plate, and the elastic plate forms the load bending portion.
US08351151B2
A thermally assisted magnetic write head having a near-field transducer, a magnetic lip and a diffusion barrier layer between the near-field transducer and the magnetic lip. The near-field transducer includes a transparent aperture constructed of a material such as SiO2 and an opaque metallic antenna constructed of a metal such as Au formed at a first edge of the aperture. A magnetic lip, connected with the write pole is formed near a second edge of the aperture with a diffusion barrier layer being disposed between the magnetic lip and the aperture. The diffusion barrier layer prevents migration of atomic between the aperture and the magnetic lip, thereby ensuring robust performance at localized high temperatures generated by the near-field transducer.
US08351139B2
An optical element module is provided. The optical module includes an optical element unit that includes an optical element and a support structure that supports the optical element unit. The support structure includes a support device and a contact device mounted to the support device. The contact device exerts a force on the optical element unit in a first direction via a first contact surface of the contact device. The first contact surface contacts a second contact surface of the optical element unit. The contact device includes a first linking section and a second linking section extending along a second direction running transverse to the first direction and arranged kinematically in series between the first contact surface and the support device. The first linking section and the second linking section are elastically deformed in response to a bending moment resulting from the force. The first linking section and the second linking section are arranged on opposite sides of a reference plane. The reference plane includes the force and runs transverse to the second direction.
US08351137B2
A micro-lens module including a plurality of lens groups is provided. The lens groups are disposed between an object side and an image side, wherein at least one lens group in the lens groups is composed by a complex lens. The complex lens includes a plurality of lenses, the lenses are adhered to each other, and an index of at least one lens in the lenses is different from indexes of the other lens in the lenses. The provided micro-lens module has an improved imaging quality and a miniaturized size while considering a manufacturing convenience.
US08351126B2
In a particular embodiment, a meta-material slab is formed from multiple layers of at least two different compositions. The meta-material slab is adapted to propagate an evanescent wave in a direction parallel to an axis to form a cone-shaped wave along the axis.
US08351125B2
A directional light distributing optical element includes a light incident surface and a light emission curved surface. The light incident surface receives a light emitted by a light source. The light emission curved surface and a first plane are intersected to form a first curve. The first curve has a plurality of first curve segments, and each first curve segment includes at least three first tangent points. After passing each first tangent point along a connecting line of the light source and each first tangent point, the light exits along a first axis, and an included angle formed between the first axis and an optic axis is greater than −15° and smaller than 15°. Thus, the light after passing the directional light distributing optical element forms a one-dimensional directional light.
US08351122B2
An illumination arrangement for a projection system is proposed including a light source device and a light collecting, integrating and redirecting device. The light source device comprises at least one solid state light source device. The light collecting, integrating and redirecting device comprises at least one light integrating device, which is adapted to directly receive and to integrate at least a part of primary illumination light generated by and emitted from at least one associated of at least one sold state light source device.
US08351121B2
The present invention provides an interferometer apparatus comprising a matter-wave guide enclosing an area, wherein a flux of particles may be guided in the matter-wave guide in at least two opposite paths, the matter-wave guide is rotatable relative to an inertial frame of reference; a first beam splitter to split the first beam to at least second and third beams, each of the second and third beams is to be guided in another path of the two opposite paths; and a second beam splitter allowing particles of the second and third beams to exit the matter-wave guide in a first probability and to stay in the matter-wave guide in a second probability.
US08351118B2
A polarization splitting device includes a polarization beam splitter having a polarization splitting surface and allows P-polarized light to transmit therethrough and reflects S-polarized light. A subwavelength structure grating is formed on the polarization splitting surface with a grating pitch smaller than wavelength of incident light. The polarization splitting device also includes a polarizer that is arranged on an optical path of light reflected from the polarization beam splitter and has a transmission axis that is parallel to a polarization direction of the S-polarized light.
US08351112B2
An optical amplifier includes a first amplification medium to receive light obtained by combining signal light input into an input port and the excitation light generated by a light source; a second amplification medium disposed between the first amplification medium and an output port; a loss medium to receive the signal light separated from light output from the first amplification medium; a variable optical attenuator that is disposed on a path that bypasses the loss medium, and to receive the excitation light separated from the light output from the first amplification medium; a first photodetector to detect power of light separated from the signal light transmitted from the second amplification medium; and a controller to control the amount of attenuation for the variable optical attenuator or output power of the light source so that signal light power per wavelength of the signal light becomes closer to a target value.
US08351107B2
The present invention provides an image projection system implemented with a spatial light modulator (SLM) to modulate an illumination light projected from a light source wherein said SLM comprising a first conductive layer to wire and function as a bit line; a second conductive layer to wire and function as a word line; and a first conductive and second conductive capacitor layers functioning as a capacitor wherein the bit line is wired along a direction crossing the word line and the capacitor is disposed in parallel with the bit line.
US08351106B2
An optical micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) structure is provided. The structure includes an elastomer membrane, a plurality of polymer fibers attached to the elastomer membrane, an array of detectors operatively connected to the plurality of polymer fibers at a first end of the plurality of polymer fibers, and a microlens array operatively connected to the plurality of polymer fibers at a second end of the plurality of polymer fibers. A method of manufacturing an optical MEMS structure is provided. The method includes forming a hollow PDMS chamber in which PDMS fibers extend from top to bottom using a lost wax molding process.
US08351102B2
An image-processing device includes: an integration unit that, if connection information has been assigned to predetermined corresponding end points of both a first image component and a second image component from among image components, integrates the adjacent image components; a calculation unit that calculates the sum of values, the values being assigned corresponding to the connection information assigned to each end point of the image components in an integrated image component that is composed of a plural image components integrated by the integration unit; and a tabular region extraction unit that, if the value calculated by the calculation unit is equal to or greater than a threshold value corresponding to the number of image components included in the integrated image component, extracts a region of the integrated image component as a tabular region.
US08351094B2
An image reading apparatus includes a transparent plate for mounting a sheet, a sheet cover having a light reflecting plate for reflecting light passing through the transparent plate, a storage unit for storing first profile information involving plural darkness data of reflection light from the light reflecting plate detected by an image sensor in advance when a speed of closing the sheet cover is changed variously without the sheet mounted on the transparent plate, and for storing second profile information involving plural darkness data of reflection light detected by the image sensor when the sheet is mounted on the transparent plate and the sheet cover is closed, and a control unit for comparing the first profile information with the second profile information stored in the storage unit, and for determining that a sheet is mounted on the transparent plate when there is a predetermined difference therebetween.
US08351091B2
An image processing system includes an information processing device configured to externally receive image data and display thereon an image based on the image data, and an image scanner connected with the image processing device. The image scanner includes a scanning unit configured to scan an image on a document set thereon and to create image data of the scanned image, a detector configured to detect whether the document is removed from the scanning unit, and a controller configured to, in response to the detector detecting that the document is removed from the scanning unit after the image on the document is scanned by the scanning unit, transmit the image data created by the scanning unit to the information processing device.
US08351090B2
An image processing apparatus determines a direction of document placement relative to a scanning direction based on a direction of a shadow region in an input image when a line sensor having a light receiving element performs a scan and an image read from a book document by a reading apparatus is input. When the direction of the binding portion of the document is determined to be along a longitudinal direction of the line sensor, an image of a region read by the light receiving element of the line sensor from reflected light undergoing specular reflection from the document is detected based on the amount of variation in luminance between adjacent pixels in the read image of the book document. Luminance of the image corresponding to the region is corrected.
US08351080B2
A method, system, and computer program product for estimating a banding profile in an image printing system is disclosed. The method includes obtaining image data across multiple measurement intervals by one or more sensors; combining the image data with timing information into a coherent signal by a processor; estimating periodic and aperiodic components of the coherent signal using least squares estimation by the processor, wherein the periodic component represents a banding profile; and wherein at least the periodic component is used to generate an output.
US08351078B2
There is provided an image forming apparatus and a control method for the same in which the reading size for an original is controlled according to various executing conditions while troublesome operations for a user are reduced. To accomplish this, at the time of reading an original, the image forming apparatus confirms a pre-registered executing condition and sets the reading size for the original according to the executing condition. Specifically, if an appropriate original size is pre-registered, that original size is set as the reading size for the original. Even if the original size is not pre-registered by the user, an original size entered with minimum user operations required of the user is set as the reading size.
US08351069B2
An image processing device acquires image data of set document sheets in a single acquiring operation, extracts from the image data document images respectively based on the document sheets, specifies a position of each document image defined on the image data, provides each document image with a first identification based on the specified positions of the document images, inputs data for creating ancillary images, provides each ancillary image based on the input data with a second identification, identifies an ancillary images as being associated with one of the document images, based on the first and second identifications, generates one or more pages of composite data, each page of the composite data containing one or more combinations each of which includes one of the document images and an ancillary image identified as being associated with the one of the document images, and outputs each page of the composite data.
US08351068B2
The apparatus transmits first image data indicating form contents and setting information associated with the print sheet on which the form contents are printed in advance to a server managing data associated with the overlay-print process, for registration by the server. When an execution instruction of the overlay-print process is received, and the apparatus generates second image data of the image to be overlaid and printed on the print sheet used in the overlay-print process, generates associated information indicating association between a print attribute designated for the overlay-print process that uses the second image data, and transmits the second image data and the associated information to the server.
US08351067B2
A device and method of editing documents created in different application programs and stored in a storage unit of a printer to create a new document according to a minimum unit.
US08351063B2
Print jobs received at a printer are assigned a reference which is incorporated as a representation of the reference in the printed print job. When the user recovers the printjob, the part of said print job incorporating said representation of said reference. is scanned back into the printer, which is then able to read the representation. By monitoring the time intervening between the printing of the print job and the scanning of the part of the print job incorporating the representation, the system is able to monitor the delay, and in a case where this exceeds a threshold to notify the user accordingly.
US08351062B2
Systems, apparatuses, and methods for selecting bits from a defined print image in memory of a handheld imaging translation device are described herein. The bits may be selected by determining a location of a print nozzle, mapping the location to a memory location, and selecting a bit from the memory location. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US08351060B2
A method and an apparatus to print an image file store in an image providing device by connecting the image providing device to an image printing device include determining a universal interface class supported by the image providing device, determining a connection mode between the image providing device and the image printing device according to the determined universal interface class, and printing an image file transmitted from the image providing device to the image printing device according to the determined connection mode.
US08351058B2
A printing apparatus, including: an identification information storing section that stores identification information for other printing apparatus; a restriction information storing section that groups the stored identification information, and stores restriction information that gives a restriction for using a function provided by a printing apparatus belonging to the same group; an information sharing section that mutually shares the stored identification information stored and the stored restriction information with printing apparatuses in the same group; an information controller that, upon update of the stored restriction information, controls to send the restriction information to other printing apparatus in the same group, based on the identification information mutually shared by the information sharing section; and a usage restriction section that restricts use of the function, based on the restriction information sent from the information controller to other printing apparatus.
US08351055B2
Disclosed herein is a display apparatus including an input/output section for displaying an image as well as detecting a light beam representing an input received from an external source and is capable of handling inputs received from the external source as inputs destined for a plurality of points on a display screen. The apparatus further includes a target generation section configured to generate information on a target located on the display screen to represent a series of inputs received from the external source on the basis of a timewise or spatial relation between input portions located on the display screen as portions receiving inputs from the external source. The apparatus still further includes an event generation section configured to recognize an event representing a change of a state of the target on the basis of the information on the target and generate information on the event.
US08351049B2
An interferometric device for position measurement of an element moveable in a plane is disclosed. A laser light source measures the position of the moveable element and emits the required measuring light. A beam splitter splits the measuring light into a first partial beam path and a second partial beam path, which each impinge on a reflecting surface of the moveable element via an interferometer. Herein, at least the beam splitter, which splits the measuring light into a first partial beam path and a second partial beam path, and the beam splitter, which directs the third partial beam path onto an etalon via an interferometer, have a respective beam trap associated with them, which traps the light returning from the respective interferometers.
US08351041B2
The present invention relates to a method of observing biological tissue, the method comprising: collecting through a first end of a bundle of optical fibers light from a surface of the tissue; observing at least one image of the tissue at a second end of the bundle, while injecting light into the second end of the bundle to illuminate the surface of the tissue.
US08351039B2
A spectroscopy method, includes guiding pulse laser light to an optical fiber, which mutually reacts with a sample to be measured of a light absorptance characteristic, outputting ring down pulse light obtained through light absorption of the sample, measuring an absorptance characteristic of the sample based on an attenuation characteristic of the ring down pulse light, and setting the pulse laser light as wide-spectrum laser light, setting the optical fiber as a strong dispersive optical fiber, and increasing a pulse width of the ring down pulse light to measure a wavelength absorptance characteristic based on a ring down attenuation constant of a pulse train with respect to a time sequence corresponding to a wavelength.
US08351034B2
The present invention provides a method for detecting the widths of a plurality of laminar layers formed in a channel includes performing at least the steps of: detecting optical information generated from a reference substance contained in a laminar flow; and calculating the width of the laminar flow, based on the optical information detected in the optical information detecting step.
US08351033B2
A tunable filter including: a polarization splitter that splits input light into two linearly polarized light rays of mutually orthogonal vibration directions; a wavelength dispersion spectroscopic element that splits the two linearly polarized light rays into two spectral images having spatial spread in one direction; and a reflective spatial modulator device that modulates and reflects linearly polarized light in each wavelength region for the two spectral images independently from each other. Modulated light reflected at the reflective spatial modulator device reenters the wavelength dispersion spectroscopic element and the polarization splitter, thereby splitting and outputting the modulated light, as output light in a wavelength region modulated by the reflective spatial modulator device and output light in a wavelength region not modulated, and input light and reentered light to the polarization splitter and input light and reentered light to the wavelength dispersion spectroscopic element are parallel light fluxes.
US08351032B2
A radiation generation device for generating resulting electromagnetic radiation having an adjustable spectral composition includes: a multitude of radiation elements (configured to generate a radiation element specific electromagnetic radiation, respectively, upon being activated, a first radiation element of the multitude of radiation elements being activatable independently of a second radiation element of the multitude of radiation elements; a dispersive optical element; and an optical opening; the dispersive optical element being configured to deflect the radiation element specific electromagnetic radiations, in dependence on their wavelength and on a position of the radiation element generating the respective radiation element specific electromagnetic radiation, such that a particular spectral range of each of the radiation element specific electromagnetic radiations may exit through the optical opening, so that the spectral composition of the resulting electromagnetic radiation exiting through the optical opening is adjustable by selectively activating the multitude of radiation elements.
US08351027B2
A new metric applicable to the characterization and design of multimode fiber (MMF) is described. The metric is derived from a Differential Mode Delay (DMD) measurement and when used in combination with industry-standard metrics such as Effective Modal Bandwidth (EMB) and DMD, yields a more accurate prediction of MMF channel link performance as measured by Bit Error Rate (BER) testing. The metric can also be used in the design of MMF for improved bandwidth performance. When implemented as a test algorithm in production, it can be used to select, sort, or verify fiber performance. This process can yield a multimode fiber design with a greater performance margin for a given length, and/or a greater length for a given performance margin.
US08351024B2
A level sensor configured to determine a height level of a substrate is disclosed. The level sensor includes a projection unit to project a measurement beam having a substantially periodic radiation intensity on the substrate; a detection unit to receive the measurement beam after reflection on the substrate, the detection unit having a detection grating arranged to receive the reflected measurement beam, the detection grating comprising at least one array of three or more segments together having a length substantially equal to a length of a period of the measurement beam projected on the detection grating, and configured to split the reflected measurement beam in three or more reflected measurement beam parts, and three or more detectors each arranged to receive one of the three or more measurement beam parts; and a processing unit to calculate a height level on the basis of the measurement beam parts.
US08351014B2
A cooling assembly for a dual electronic image assembly having an open and closed gaseous loop. A closed gaseous loop allows circulating gas to travel across the front surface of a pair of electronic image assemblies and through a heat exchanger. An open loop allows ambient gas to pass through the heat exchanger and extract heat from the circulating gas. An optional additional open loop may be used to cool the back portion of the electronic image assembly (optionally a backlight). The cooling assembly can be used with any type of electronic assembly for producing an image. Some embodiments use cross-flow heat exchangers comprised of corrugated plastic.
US08351007B2
A liquid crystal display device with enhanced brightness through improving a partial structure for applying potential to a pixel electrode is provided. The liquid crystal display device includes: a pixel electrode with a plurality of openings; an opposite electrode disposed to face the pixel electrode with an insulating layer in between; a liquid crystal layer disposed on an opposite side of the pixel electrode from the opposite electrode; a selection line utilized to select a pixel; a thin film transistor disposed on the opposite side of the opposite electrode from the pixel electrode as to drive the pixel and utilizing a part of the selection line as a gate thereof; and an interlayer conductor connecting between the thin film transistor and the pixel electrode. The opposite electrode has an opposite electrode hole which allows the interlayer conductor to pass therethrough, and the opposite electrode hole partly overlaps the selection line.
US08351004B2
A lens includes a first substrate, a second substrate and a medium layer. The first substrate includes a first electrode layer, an insulation layer, a second electrode layer and a first alignment layer. The first electrode layer includes first electrodes, and the second electrode layer includes second electrodes formed on the insulation layer. The second electrodes separately overlap the first electrodes, and one of the second electrodes shifts relatively to the corresponding first electrode toward a first direction. The first alignment layer is formed on the second electrode layer and has a first rubbing direction opposite to the first direction. The liquid crystal layer is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. A three-dimensional display is also disclosed herein.
US08351000B2
An optical film comprising a thermoplastic resin, which is such that the slow axis direction in the film plane differs from the film tilt direction and the birefringence of a sliced section of the film that contains the tilt direction and the thickness direction in the plane varies in the thickness direction of the film.
US08350999B2
The invention relates to a liquid-crystal display device comprising a front-side polarizing element, a rear-side polarizing element, a liquid-crystal cell, a front-side retardation region, and a rear-side retardation region composed of one or more retardation layers disposed between the rear-side polarizing element and the liquid-crystal cell wherein retardation along the thickness direction of the front-side retardation region and the rear-side retardation region, Rthfront (λ), and Rthrear (λ), and the internal haze of the front-side retardation region and the rear-side retardation region, Hzfron and Hzrear, satisfy the following formula (1) or (2): Rthfront (λ)>Rthrear(λ), and Hzfront
US08350992B2
A polarization element includes: a substrate; a plurality of thin metal wires provided to the substrate in a striped manner; and a plurality of protruding sections made of metal provided to each of the thin metal wires, and arranged in a longitudinal direction of the thin metal wire at a pitch shorter than a wavelength of incident light.
US08350983B2
In one aspect of the present invention, an LCD includes a front frame having a flange and a rear cover having a flange defining a housing therebetween, a liquid crystal (LC) panel placed in the housing, a backlight positioned between the LC panel and the rear cover, and a backlight frame having a first engaging structure configured to receive the flanges of the front frame and the rear cover, and a second engaging structure configured to retain the backlight and the LC panel in the housing.
US08350979B2
An organic light emitting display device includes an organic light emitting display panel; a bezel frame comprising a lower surface and side walls and receiving the display panel; a bezel receiving the bezel frame; and a connecting system connecting the bezel frame and the bezel.
US08350966B2
Two consecutive interlaced video pictures of the same polarity or two consecutive progressive video pictures are read by a video processing system. The video pictures may comprise a current picture and a noise reduced reference picture. Motion and/or motion vectors may be estimated between the current and reference pictures by a motion compensated noise detector and/or a motion compensated temporal filter. A noise level sample may be determined for a pixel in the current picture based on a window of pixel data from the current picture and a window of motion compensated pixel data from the reference picture. One or more of a moving edge gradient value, a moving content value and a determined range of noise level values may be utilized to determine a valid noise sample. Noise level samples may be accumulated and a noise level may be determined for the current picture.
US08350961B2
A scaling engine, blending mechanism, memory controller, frame buffer and video driver are included within a semiconductor, such as a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), to provide broadcasting of signals at a high resolution format by combining two or more low resolution video signals to create a high resolution signal in real-time High Definition format, such as 1080p. The high resolution signals can be concurrently displayed as one or more image areas on a display device in any contemplated size, number and arrangement.
US08350960B2
The prompting device has a frame, a plurality of reflective panes, and support members and may be used on a desktop by a home or small business user to read a script in a natural manner while speaking to a camera or other video capturing device. In the preferred embodiment, the frame has a user side and a camera side, and is lightweight and readily collapsible such that it may be easily stored when not in use. A collecting pane reflects an image onto a viewing pane, so as to create a displayed image which may be viewed by a user. The viewing pane is generally transparent allowing a user to be recorded or photographed through the viewing pane. In another embodiment the prompting device has an opaque cover. The support assemblies are adjustable in height and the panes have an adjustable angle. In another embodiment the support assemblies are hangers. In another embodiment the image is an image reflected from a computer monitor and may be scrolling text.
US08350958B2
An imaging apparatus includes: plurality of control units configured to control an imaging function; a requesting unit configured to request execution of start-up processing of a plurality of the control units; a detecting unit configured to detect movement to be applied to a device main unit; and a start-up control unit configured to cause, upon the detecting unit detecting particular movement in a power-off state wherein the movement of the device main unit externally appears to be stopped, each of a plurality of the control units to start the start-up processing still in the power-off state, and upon execution of the start-up processing being requested from the requesting unit, cause a plurality of the control units to start reception of an imaging command according to the states of the start-up processing of a plurality of the control units.
US08350946B2
A technique includes receiving one or more captured shared image representations at a displaying shared image device from one or more shared image devices. At least one of the displaying shared image device and the one or more shared image devices configurable to capture one or more image representations. The technique further includes displaying a view-finder-based shared image representation over a viewfinder at the displaying shared image device.
US08350940B2
Image sensors and color filter arrays for in-pixel charge summing and interlaced readout modes may be provided. An image sensor that supports charge summing and interlaced readout modes may include an array of pixels with pairs of adjacent green, red, and blue light-sensitive pixels. An image sensor may implement an in-pixel charge summing readout mode in which charges from pairs of pixels are summed onto a common node and then read out from the common node. An image sensor may implement an interlaced readout mode in which image data is read out from alternating rows of the image sensor. An image sensor may use a shared readout scheme in which a group of four pixels is formed from two pairs of commonly-colored pixels. The four pixels may share circuitry such as a reset transistor, a buffer transistor, and a row select transistor and may connect to a single readout line.
US08350936B2
The recording of successive frames of raw sensor data depicting a moving scene is provided. The raw sensor data comprises pixel data for an image sensor having pixels arranged in correspondence to a mosaic of plural different colors in a color filter array. A first sampling mosaic pattern for sampling the pixel data at a first resolution is designated. A second sampling mosaic pattern for sampling the pixel data at a second resolution which is lower than the first resolution is designated. One of the first or the second sampling mosaic patterns is selected for a frame by applying a predetermined rule. Pixel data of the frame is sampled using the selected sampling mosaic pattern. The sampled pixel data for the frame is recorded onto a recording medium.
US08350933B2
A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for recovering a haze-free image given a single input image. The method may include receiving a single input image I, wherein the input image is made up of a plurality of pixels. A surface radiance vector J of the input image I may be modeled as a product of a surface albedo coefficient R and a shading factor l. The method may further include determining, for each of the plurality of pixels, a value of a transmission t of the pixel, such that a covariance CΩ between the transmission t and the shading factor l is minimized, and recovering the surface radiance vector J based at least in part on the determined value of the transmission t for each pixel.
US08350897B2
The position and orientation of the viewpoint of the observer are acquired (2030), the moving amount of a movable part is acquired (2032), a movable part of a virtual object is moved based on the moving amount of the movable part of a physical object, and an image which is observed from the viewpoint of the observer is generated (2040).
US08350892B2
An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup unit configured to convert an image input through a lens system into image data, a stitching unit configured to generate a panoramic image from a plurality of the image data items of images captured during a time period from when a panoramic image capture is started to when the panoramic image capture is ended, an imaging direction detecting unit configured to detect an imaging direction during the time period from when a panoramic image capture is started to when the panoramic image capture is ended, a clock unit configured to detect image capture time information regarding image capture times of the panoramic image, and a recording unit configured to record, in association with the panoramic image generated by the stitching unit, the image capture time information detected by the clock unit and the imaging direction detected by the imaging direction detecting unit.
US08350891B2
Determining a videoconference layout based on numbers of participants. Videoconference data may be received from a plurality of videoconferencing endpoints. The videoconference data may include audio and video. Information may be stored which identifies a number of participants at each videoconferencing endpoint. Video from each of the videoconferencing endpoints may be combined to form composite video. The composite video may include portions corresponding to each of the plurality of videoconferencing endpoints. A respective size of each of the portions may be based on the information identifying the number of participants at each videoconferencing endpoint. The composite video may be provided to videoconferencing endpoint(s) over a network.
US08350886B2
A vehicle-mounted video communication system is equipped with first to fourth image pickup devices, mounted on a vehicle, for transmitting video data obtained by picking up an image; first to fourth video processing devices for processing the video data; and a vehicle-mounted video relay device having connection sections connected to the first to fourth image pickup devices and the first to fourth video processing devices via communication cables and configured to transmit the video data transmitted from the first to fourth image pickup devices selectively or in a multiplexed state to the first to fourth video processing devices.
US08350876B2
An image forming apparatus is provided. An exposure component is equipped with a plurality of light emitting elements arrayed along a first direction. An output component is equipped with output ends corresponding to each of the light emitting elements and the output component, when correcting an amount of misalignment in the first direction, outputs drive signals of one line corresponding to a line on a most upstream side of drive signals of plural lines from the output ends that have been shifted by a number corresponding to the amount of misalignment in the first direction. A plurality of connecting wires interconnect each of the output ends and each of the light emitting elements. A judging component is connected to each of the connecting wires, and judges whether or not the drive signals are being normally transmitted through the connecting wire that the judging component has selected.
US08350874B2
A mobile terminal and method of controlling a display device are provided. The present invention includes a display unit displaying information and a control unit controlling the display of the information according to whether luminescence conversion is performed, the luminescence conversion converting a plane luminescence of the display unit to a plurality of dot luminescences. A user can be provided with a substantially analog type information display as well as a digital type information display by loading the luminescence converting unit, such as a plate having a plurality of holes and a semitransparent film, on a display unit of a mobile terminal or by displaying an image having a configuration of the plate.
US08350872B2
A method for generating a presentation of a region-of-interest in an original image for display on a display screen, comprising: establishing a lens for the region-of-interest, the lens having a magnified focal region for the region-of-interest at least partially surrounded by a shoulder region having diminishing magnification, the focal region having a perimeter defined by a radius r from a line segment; receiving one or more signals to adjust at least one of the radius r and a length len of the line segment to thereby adjust the perimeter; and, applying the lens to the original image to produce the presentation.
US08350866B2
The invention relates to a programming method for a display driver, and the display driver and a display using the same. The programming method includes: providing programming data; providing a display buffer, which is used for pre-storing display data in a display period, in the display driver; providing a non-volatile memory, which is coupled to the display buffer through a data bus; and proceeding a programming procedure, which includes the steps of: inputting the programming data to the display buffer; and programming the programming data from the display buffer to the non-volatile memory through the data bus.
US08350858B1
Systems and methods for synchronizing the playing of animation objects are presented. An animation object map may assign an animation object to each region of multiple regions of a viewing area. A synchronization shading map may assign a shade to each of the regions, where at least two of the shades assigned to regions differ in intensity. Playing each animation object may involve determining a start time for each of the regions. The start time for each particular region depends upon an intensity of a shade assigned to the particular region by the synchronization shading map, and ones of the regions having different shades differ in their respective start times based on a difference in intensities of shades assigned to those regions by the synchronization shading map. Playing of the animation object within a region begins at the start time determined for the region according to the synchronization map.
US08350855B2
The disclosed embodiments provide systems and methods for reducing anti-aliasing in a procedural texture. One method includes creating a procedural reduction map describing the texture as applied to an object, and querying the map for radiance of a pixel in the object. One system includes memory and a processor. The processor is programmed, by the code stored in the memory, to create a procedural reduction map describing the texture as applied to an object, and query the map for radiance of a pixel in the object. One system includes means for creating a procedural reduction map describing the texture as applied to an object, and means for querying the map for radiance of a pixel in the object. The map includes a basis functions and a hierarchy of texels. Each texel includes basis weights and a surface normal distribution. Each basis weight corresponds to one of the basis functions.
US08350839B2
A display device includes a display panel having a display area in which a plurality of display pixels are two-dimensionally arranged, to display image information, a power supply driving section applying, to each of the display pixels in the display area, one of a first power supply voltage having a voltage value at which the display pixel is set to a non-display-operation state and a second power supply voltage having a voltage value at which the display pixel is set to a display operation state, and a control section controlling the power supply driving section to set a area-ratio of an first area in the display area in which the display pixels to which the first power supply voltage is applied are arranged to an second area in which the display pixels to which the second power supply voltage is applied are arranged.
US08350828B2
An exemplary touch screen apparatus comprises a display screen, a first reflector, a first infrared light source, and an infrared light receiving unit. The display screen includes a display area. The first reflector is disposed outside said display screen and surrounds the display area. The first reflector has a first focal point, and the first infrared light source is disposed on the first focal point. The infrared light receiving unit is capable of receiving the infrared light from the display screen.
US08350818B2
A method includes detecting a continuous touch on a touch-sensitive display. A position of one or more boundaries is updated when the continuous touch crosses a first boundary of the one or more boundaries. Feedback is provided when the continuous touch crosses the first boundary.
US08350813B2
A digitizer includes a case having an input portion; at least three first projected portions fixed to the case, the first projected portions coming into contact with a placement surface so as to support the case on the placement surface; and a second projected portion arranged inside of an area defined by connecting the points at which the first projected portions are fixed to the case. The second projected portion is configured such that, when a force substantially parallel to the placement surface is applied to the case, the first projected portions slide against the placement surface so that the case rotates relative to the placement surface with the second projected portion as a rotation axis.
US08350812B2
In an embodiment, a method of tracking movement relative to a surface involves comparing at least some data elements of a first array with at least some of data elements of a second array if it is determined, from an examination of the first array of data elements, that a characteristic condition does not exist in the first array of data elements, wherein the characteristic condition is related to the uniformity of at least a majority of the data elements of the first array.
US08350807B2
A scrolling method, which includes displaying at least one scroll icon on a screen of a touch device, sensing an operation in which one of the displayed scroll icons is touched and dragged, and scrolling the screen displayed on the touch device in a direction in which the touched scroll icon is dragged when the sensing step senses the scroll icon is touched and dragged.
US08350805B2
In a game system 1 of the present invention, an image capturing device 2 captures a controller 20. The controller 20 includes a plurality of LEDs which express controller numbers assigned to the controller 20 in a game application to be executed, and periodically repeats the turning on and off of an LED in a flashing pattern defined in accordance with the controller number assigned. A cycle of the flashing is set so that the flashing appears to be continuous to a user, on the other hand, so that a continuous turning-off state and a continuous turning-on state are captured alternately in succession by the image capturing device 2. The game device 10 determines if the controller 20 is located in the image capturing space of the mage capturing device 2 based on the captured images which are captured continuously at a predetermined capturing speed by the image capturing device 2.
US08350797B2
A buffer amplifier includes an input stage and an output stage. The input stage has input high and low power voltages applied thereon for generating at least one transmission signal from an input signal. The output stage has output high and low power voltages applied thereon for generating an output signal from the at least one transmission signal. A first difference between the output high and low power voltages is less than a second difference between the input high and low power voltages for reducing the dynamic power consumption of the output stage.
US08350789B2
A 2D image display apparatus using a laser light source. By controlling the timing of a scan by a beam scan portion in response to the characteristic of a laser light source and by setting a light emitting time of the laser light source to an integral multiple of a scan cycle of the beam scan portion, it is possible to illuminate a spatial light modulator homogeneously with a laser beam. It is thus possible to display an image at high accuracy without causing a bright line, irregularities in brightness, and contrast deterioration.
US08350787B2
An illumination controller determines a target brightness setting value from a illuminance value measured by a illumination sensor, determines a brightness correction start time in response to a target brightness setting value and a current brightness setting value and a calculation information that are stored in a memory, calculates an amount of brightness setting change per specified time from the current brightness setting value stored in the memory and the target brightness setting value at a brightness correction start time, and outputs an output brightness setting value in response to the amount of brightness setting change that is calculated. The brightness controller adjusts brightness of the display unit in response to the output brightness setting value output from the illumination controller.
US08350770B1
In one embodiment, the present invention provides a configurable ground plane for a matched antenna so that by configuring or changing the ground plane shape in a controlled manner, a change in the radiation pattern can be achieved such that the main beam of the antenna is steered in a particular direction, and a null in another direction. According to one aspect of the present invention, antennas such as monopole or patch antennas with a configurable ground plane of the present invention with a plurality of configurable sectors can be made to change in shape, size and conductivity. Such ground plane modifications can be used to select the direction of maximum gain away from a direction of interference, such in the case of tactical jamming. Likewise, the ground plane modifications can be used to steer the maximum directivity of an antenna in a desired direction for increased signal integrity.
US08350766B2
The present invention provides an antenna-embedded laminated glass including glass sheets affixed together through an intermediate film to embed an antenna element between the glass sheets, the intermediate film containing a resin; and the antenna element being configured to have such a shape as to have an intersection where a plurality of antenna-forming strips intersect, and the antenna element comprising a conductor strip stamped in such a shape from a sheet-like conductor.
US08350765B2
The present invention, as typically embodied, implements an energy source, a transmitting antenna, a receiving antenna, a resonant cavity, and an electricity meter (e.g., voltmeter, ammeter, or power meter) to calibrate an electronic device. Firstly, the receiving antenna is calibrated based on measurement of power that has been generated and transmitted in known quantity, propagated through air, and received by the receiving antenna. Secondly, the resonant cavity is connectively situated between the transmitting antenna and the receiving antenna; the resonant cavity is calibrated based on measurement of power that has been generated and transmitted in the same quantity, propagated through the resonant cavity, and received by the receiving antenna. Thirdly, an electronic device is substituted for the receiving antenna; the electronic device is calibrated based on measurement of power that has been generated and transmitted in the same quantity, propagated through the resonant cavity, and received by the electronic device.
US08350760B2
There are provided an antenna using a buildup structure and a method of manufacturing the same. In the antenna, a tag chip is positioned within a dielectric and is connected to a radiator through a connection line or a via-hole, thereby being strong against external environments, decreasing a defective rate and enabling to be used for the special purpose of being positioned within a metal or liquid.
US08350756B2
A method implemented by an assisted Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) server determines a position of a GNSS receiver. The method includes sending a request for measurement information to the GNSS receiver at a first time and receiving the measurement information from the GNSS receiver in response to the request at a second time, where the measurement information includes position measurement data and a corresponding measured time based on satellite signals received by the GNSS receiver. The measured time is determined to be erroneous when it is outside an accurate time range determined based on at least one of the first time and the second time. A substitute time is identified and the position of the GNSS receiver is determined based on the substitute time when the measured time is erroneous.
US08350753B2
Systems and methods are provided for displaying information on a display device associated with an aircraft. A method comprises rendering a synthetic perspective view of terrain on the display device, wherein the synthetic perspective view of terrain is based on a set of terrain data corresponding to a region proximate the aircraft. The method further comprises obtaining location data for a first object, wherein the location data is based at least in part on a beacon signal associated with the first object, and rendering a graphical representation of the first object on the display device. The graphical representation of the first object overlies the synthetic perspective view of terrain and is positioned in accordance with the location data.
US08350751B2
A radar level gauge for determining the filling level of a product in a tank, comprising a transceiver for transmitting and receiving microwaves, processing circuitry connected to the transceiver and adapted to determine the filling level, an antenna connected to said transceiver and arranged to emit and receive microwaves through an opening of the tank, and a microwave transmissive sealing member adapted to cover said opening and to provide pressure sealing of the tank. The sealing member comprises a metal grid layer providing structural strength, which metal grid layer has sealed openings formed to allow transmission of microwaves.The tank opening is thus divided into a number of smaller openings by the metal grid, thereby improving the mechanical strength of the sealing member. At the same time, the sealing member is designed to maintain its pressure sealing properties, e.g. by suitable dielectric filling of the openings.
US08350749B1
A method for testing and/or validating the suitability of a multi-radar signature database to be used on radar systems having automatic target recognition. The database may include measured field data and/or modeled synthetic data. The technique allows field data to be compared to the synthetic data using modal mutual information.
US08350748B2
A process and a device for automatically determining meteorological conditions in the vicinity of an aircraft is disclosed. The device (1) comprises a meteorological radar (2), able to determine the meteorological information associated with a primary geographical area ahead of an aircraft, and means (3, 4A, 4B) for automatically determining the meteorological conditions associated with a geographical area being extended with respect to the primary geographical area.
US08350741B2
A device for driving a switch in a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) includes first and second latches, and a logic gate. The first latch is configured to store a digital input data signal according to a clock signal, and to output a first latch signal corresponding to the stored digital input data signal. The second latch is configured to store the first latch signal output by the first latch according to a logical inverse of the clock signal, and to output a second latch signal corresponding to the stored first latch signal. The logic gate is configured to perform an OR logic operation on the first latch signal and the second latch signal, the logic gate outputting a drive signal for driving a switch in the DAC connected to a current source.
US08350735B2
The disclosure relates to variable length encoding and decoding. A symbol is variable length encoded by selecting a variable length code word table from a set of variable length code word tables based on a value of a variable; selecting a code word from the selected variable length code word table on the basis of said symbol; and updating the value of said variable by comparing the correspondence between said symbol and said variable. If the comparison indicates that the value of the variable is smaller than the symbol, the value of said variable is incremented; else if the comparison indicates that the value of the variable is greater than the symbol, the value of said variable is decremented; else the value of the variable is not amended.
US08350733B2
Methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for scanning a keyboard are disclosed. Actuation of each of the keys electrically couples one of a plurality of first lines and one of a plurality of second lines. A first signal is applied to a plurality of first lines. A second signal is applied to a plurality of second lines. Upon identifying at least one of the second lines as presenting a signal different from the second signal, a scan signal is applied to the identified second line. At least one first line is identified as presenting a signal indicating the at least one first line is contact with the identified second line applying the scan signal. At least one of the keys is identified as causing the identified second line and the least one identified first line to be coupled.
US08350721B2
A mobile device is associated with navigational information of a client vehicle and provides the navigational information of the client vehicle to an emergency vehicle notification service. The mobile also receives an emergency vehicle message from the emergency vehicle notification service, where the emergency vehicle message includes navigational information of an emergency responder vehicle. The mobile device determines updated navigational information of the client vehicle, and identifies a projected intersection between a path of the emergency responder vehicle and a path of the client vehicle based on the emergency vehicle message and the updated navigational information of the client vehicle. The mobile device generates an alert signal to a user of the mobile device based on the identification of the projected intersection.
US08350718B2
Disclosed are methodology and apparatus for providing communications with an Automatic Meter Reading/Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMR/AMI) collector device. The collector is provided with a WiFi radio that is enabled for operation from an AMR/AMI head end and turned on in response to a transmission coming from a physical device via the AMR/AMI RF LAN. A user device is granted access to the collector data only upon validation by the collector of multiple credentials that are separately presented to the collector. The credentials come from the physical device in the form of device type and device identification, and from the user device in the form of a valid security certificate and username/password combination.
US08350707B2
A system, apparatus and method for automated emergency assistance with manual cancellation that is responsive to physiological, environmental and/or input sensors associated with an individual. In embodiments, the invention enables a sensor system or device to be biased toward what would be false alarms, which may be avoided by the individual informing the device that he or she does not need assistance. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08350702B2
A security tag including independent EAS and RFID components disposed in a housing configured for geometric placement of the RFID and EAS components for optimum RFID performance. The EAS component is situated in a first compartment and the RFID component is situated in a second compartment. The RFID component includes a hybrid antenna RFID inlay and an IC chip. The tag housing includes a key structure that minimizes the de-tuning of both the EAS and RFID components by positioning the IC chip such that the IC chip is closer to a first side of the second compartment than the second side of the second compartment when the antenna inlay is inserted within the housing. The housing further includes one or more pins that raise the RFID inlay above the magnetic resonator of the EAS component to further insure optimal RFID read performance.
US08350700B2
A system monitors parameters (e.g., speed, position, threshold boundaries) of mobile items attached to beacons and produces signals indicating these parameters. The system also monitors non-mobile parameters (e.g., battery life, door locks, windows) in the items. Different technologies (e.g., wireless) are provided for communicating between the beacons and a beacon controller interface. Different technologies are provided for locating and indicating item positions. The beacons and the interface provide for new beacons to be added to the system with different characteristics than the existing beacons for monitoring the operation of new beacons without affecting the operation of existing beacons. The system includes resellers, retailers, users and subscribers in a flexible relationship to enhance the ease in the system operation. Beacons can perform more than one function (e.g. tracking, threshold monitoring) simultaneously. Scenarios for the beacons can be created and monitored. Recovery personnel can intervene to resolve crises.
US08350698B2
A security system comprises one or more sensor devices configured to detect conditions at one or more sites; one or more checkpoints at each of said one or more sites configured to receive signals from the one or more sensor devices; and a central headquarters processor configured to receive signals indicative of the conditions detected at said one or more sites from the one or more checkpoints. The central headquarters processor is configured to process the signals to determine if an event has occurred.
US08350697B2
Techniques are described for providing remote device (e.g., thermostat, lighting, appliance, etc.) control and/or energy monitoring. A system monitors sensor data captured by one or more sensors that sense attributes relevant to user presence at one or more monitored properties and status of one or more energy consuming devices associated with the one or more monitored properties. The system analyzes the monitored sensor data and the monitored device status with respect to a set of one or more rules and performs an operation related to controlling the one or more energy consuming devices based on the analysis of the monitored sensor data and the monitored device status with respect to the set of one or more rules.
US08350693B2
A system includes a fire extinguisher station having a number of sensors to detect various predetermined conditions that can be communicated in alarms to a central station. The central station receives alarms from the fire extinguisher and determines whether to contact emergency personnel and/or building maintenance personnel. Other items of emergency equipment can be included in the system for improved detection and response to emergency conditions.
US08350685B2
A collision detecting device includes a chamber member providing a chamber, a pressure sensor connected to the chamber member, and a bumper absorber absorbing an impact generated by collision of an object with the vehicle. The bumper absorber has a region, which has a thickness in a front-rear direction of the vehicle. The thickness of the region is equal to or smaller than a predetermined thickness. The region is in contact with at least a portion of the chamber member. The collision is detected based on the pressure of the chamber detected by the pressure sensor. Hereby, a collision detecting device in which the bumper absorber has sufficient rigidity, and the chamber has sufficient deformability in case of collision can be obtained.
US08350678B1
A power line communication system transmits a dimming level to an electronic ballast to regulate the power consumed by a lamp. The power line controller has a notch generation circuit that generates notches on an AC power signal with a time duration in accordance with the dimming level of the lamp. A dimming interface associated with the electronic ballast detects the notches on the AC power signal. The dimming interface generates a ballast dimming level signal with a signal level related to the time duration of these notches.
US08350672B2
Method for wirelessly transmitting control commands for a controller for lifting gear, wherein a wireless operating part has an unmistakeable address and a receiving part of the lifting gear has a selectable identifier, wherein the operating part is unambiguously assigned to a receiving part of lifting gear, said method comprising the following steps for assigning the operating part to the receiving part: (i) an address feature is formed from the address of the operating part and the identifier of the receiving part; (ii) the address feature is emitted in an allocation message; (iii) the emitted allocation message is received in the receiving part and (iv) the operating part is allocated to the receiving part, if the receiving part has not been allocated, by storing the address feature as a valid address feature in the receiving part, and corresponding system.
US08350669B2
A system for providing secured access to and/or control of a vehicle is provided. The system includes a vehicle network such as a CAN. A remote communications device is used for sending a signal for controlling functions associated with the vehicle. There is a receiver operatively connected to the vehicle network and adapted to receive the signal from the remote communications device. At least one access module is adapted to provide control of functions of the vehicle by a user from outside of the vehicle, the access module is electrically connected to the vehicle network. There is at least one user input device associated with the access module and there are a plurality of outputs associated with the access module wherein the access module is adapted to directly control access to the vehicle through control of the plurality of outputs.
US08350668B2
Techniques for protecting communication between a card reader and a contactless smartcard are disclosed. In one embodiment, a protocol transmitter includes a transmit circuit and a processor. The transmit circuit is configured to generate a blocking signal having a frequency used by the card reader to communicate with the contactless smartcard. The processor is coupled to the transmit circuit and configured to modulate the blocking signal according to a communication protocol of the contactless smartcard. A first antenna of the protocol transmitter is disposed a predetermined distance from the card reader and is coupled to the transmit circuit to radiate the blocking signal. Optionally, the processor modulates the blocking signal so as to simulate a data exchange between the card reader and the contactless smartcard.
US08350666B2
A method includes receiving wireless signals from a device at a wireless access point associated with a wireless network. The method also includes estimating a location of the device and determining whether the estimated location is within a specified area. In addition, the method includes allowing the device to communicate over the wireless network in response to determining that the estimated location is within the specified area. Estimating the device's location could include estimating a direction of the device with respect to the wireless access point and/or estimating a distance of the device from the wireless access point. Estimating the direction of the device could include using a direction of arrival of at least one wireless message received at the wireless access point from the device. Estimating the distance of the device could include transmitting multiple messages to the device at different power levels and receiving one or more responses from the device.
US08350663B1
A method for creating and a device for a rotary switchable multi-core element, permanent magnet-based apparatus, for holding or lifting a target, comprised of two or more carrier platters, each containing a plurality of complementary first and second core elements. Each core element comprises permanent magnet(s) with magnetically matched soft steel pole conduits attached to the north and south poles of the magnet(s). Core elements are oriented within adjacent carrier platters such that relative rotation allows for alignment in-phase or out-of-phase of the magnetic north and south fields within the pole conduits. Aligning a first core element “in-phase” with a second core element, that is, north-north/south-south, activates that core element pair, allowing the combined magnetic fields of the pole conduits to be directed into a target. Aligning the core element pair “out-of-phase,” that is, north-south/south-north, deactivates that core element pair by containing opposing fields within the pole conduits.
US08350659B2
A transformer may include a first and a second continuous single piece multi-turn helical winding, one concentrically received by the other. The turns of the windings are electrically insulated from one another and spaced sufficiently close together to permit inductive coupling therebetween. The turns may be formed of a conductor having a rectangular cross-section, which may, or may not, include an electrically insulative sheath. The single piece multi-turn helical windings may have a continuous or smooth radius of curvature, with no discontinuities or singularities between first and second end terminals. The transformer may be formed by wrapping electrical conductor about a winding form. The transformer may be used in various electrical circuits, for example converter circuits.
US08350656B2
A rotary transformer includes a primary core having a primary coil wound thereon, and a secondary core having a secondary coil wound thereon, the cores being mounted for relative rotation about an axis of rotation. The transformer is characterized in that one of the cores includes a plurality of core segments arranged in spaced-apart relation relative to one another in a substantially circular array about the axis, and the other core has a substantially annular configuration. In a particular embodiment, the primary core is fixed and hence remains static during operation, and includes a plurality of spaced apart core segments arranged in a circular array around the axis.
US08350643B2
In a high frequency device, resonators (IDT capacitors) that function as capacitors are included in a lumped constant balun included in a filter or duplexer, and furthermore, the resonance frequency of the IDT capacitors is set higher than the passband frequency of the filter. This improves the capacitor Q value, thus enabling the realization of a low-loss balance filter.
US08350636B2
A modulation arrangement comprises an input (E) for supplying a data signal (DS), a pre-modulator (VMod) that is coupled to the input (E) and features a clock pulse input (TEV) for supplying a pre-clock pulse (VT), a main modulator (HMod) that is coupled to the pre-modulator (VMod) on the input side and comprises a clock pulse input (TEH) for supplying a main clock pulse (HT), as well as an output for providing a modulated control signal (ST), and a switchable current source (Q, S) for providing a current (IS) that is controlled by the modulated control signal (ST) at an output (A) of the modulation arrangement. Furthermore, a method for providing a modulated control signal is disclosed.
US08350629B2
A differential resonant ring oscillator (“DRRO*) circuit using a ring oscillator topology to electronically tune the oscillator over multi-octave bandwidths. The oscillator tuning is substantially linear, because the oscillator frequency is related to the magnetic tuning of a YIG sphere, which has a resonant frequency equal to a fundamental constant multiplied by the DC magnetic field. The simple circuit topology uses half turn or multiple half turn loops magnetic coupling methods connecting a differential pair of amplifiers into a feedback loop configuration having a four port YIG tuned filter, thus creating a closed loop ring oscillator. The oscillator may use SiGe bipolar junction transistor technology and amplifiers employing heterojunction bipolar transistor technology SiGe is the preferred transitor material as it keeps the transistor's 1/f noise to an absolute minimum in order to achieve minimum RF phase noise.
US08350626B2
An amplifier circuit can include a first supply terminal to receive a first reference voltage; a second supply terminal to receive a second reference voltage; a first pair of circuit paths extending between the first and second supply terminals and including a respective output terminal, the first pair of circuit paths including a first pair of transistors, each having a gate connected to a respective one of the input terminals and a source connected to the first supply terminal, and a second pair of transistors, each having a gate connected via a first impedance to a gate of a respective first transistor, and a source coupled to the second supply terminal. The amplifier circuit can also include a second pair of circuit paths extending between the first and second supply terminals, the second pair of circuit paths including a third pair of transistors, each having a gate connected to one of the input terminals, and a source connected to the first supply terminal, and a fourth pair of transistors, each having a source connected to the second supply terminal, and a gate connected via a second impedance to a gate of a second transistor from a respective first circuit path.
US08350625B2
A power amplifier circuit comprising a scalable power amplifier including an input and an output, and a plurality of activated amplifier elements operative to produce an output signal at the output, and operative to dynamically vary a power output level of the output signal. A variable impedance circuit operatively responsive to dynamically load the output of the scalable power amplifier. Wherein the scalable power amplifier further includes an amplifier configuration circuit operatively responsive to selectively activate the selectively activated amplifier elements by at least reducing power to at least one of the selectively activated amplifier elements.
US08350620B2
An integrated circuit power consumption calculating apparatus obtains power consumption of an integrated circuit by outputting circuit component transistor connection information of each of circuit components after setting a group of transistors connected via a source terminal/drain terminal of a transistor within each cell of an integrated circuit, by outputting circuit component logic model information after extracting a logic for each of the circuit components from the circuit component transistor connection information information, by obtaining power information (circuit component power information) of each signal transition state of an input/output terminal for each of the circuit components based on the circuit component transistor connection information information, by generating signal terminal transition information with a logic simulation performed for each of the circuit components of the integrated circuit, and by obtaining power consumption in a signal transition of an input/output terminal of each of the circuit components.
US08350609B2
The present invention provides a semiconductor device in which an adjustable range of a resistance value of a variable resistance circuit is large. The semiconductor device has an output buffer including a plurality of sets of resistance elements and a plurality of sets of transistors, a plurality of replica circuits, and a plurality of sets of operational amplifiers, and drain currents of the plurality of sets of transistors are adjusted so that output impedances of the output buffer become predetermined values. Therefore, even in the case where the resistance values of the resistance elements largely fluctuate due to fluctuations in manufacture process and the like, the output impedances can be set to predetermined values.
US08350603B2
A circuit includes an inverter. The inverter inverts an input signal having an input low voltage level and an input high voltage level to form an output signal having an output high voltage level and an output low voltage level. Compared to the input high voltage level, the output high voltage level is lowered. Alternatively or additionally, compared to the input low voltage level, the output low voltage level is raised.
US08350602B2
A reconfigurable semiconductor device is disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, a first insulating material formed on the substrate, two channels having different polarities, a plurality of terminal electrodes formed on the insulating material and coupled in common with the channels at their opposite ends, a second insulating material formed on the terminal electrodes, and a control gate formed on the second insulating material. The channels have different polarity and a charge storage layer is formed inside the second insulating material. The control gate is applied with a forward bias or a reverse bias and then the bias is cut off. The voltage-current characteristics of the semiconductor device are changed according to an electrical charge created in the charge storage layer.
US08350596B1
A clock loss detection circuit is presented. The clock loss detection has two edge detection circuits and a clock loss detect counter circuit. Each edge detection circuit includes a reset signal circuit that generates a reset signal in response to a transition of a clock signal, and the reset signal circuit is connected to a clock input of the edge detection circuit. Each edge detection circuit also has a multiplexer connected to the reset signal circuit, and another multiplexer connected to the clock input. The clock loss detect counter circuit is connected to the edge detection circuits so that the clock loss detect counter circuit receives the reset signal from the second edge detection circuit and the clock signal from the first edge detection circuit.
US08350595B2
There is a need to ensure operation performance of a circuit region under DVFS control at low costs and highly precisely while a power-supply voltage change is made to the region. A first circuit (FVA) uses a first power-supply voltage (VDDA) for operation. A second circuit (NFVA) uses a second power-supply voltage (VDDB) for operation. A clock delay may be adjusted between paths for transmitting a clock to these circuits. When VDDA equals VDDB, a clock is distributed to FVA through a path that does not contain a delay device for phase adjustment. When the power-supply voltage for the FVA region is reduced, a clock is distributed to the FVA region based on a phase equivalent to one or two cycles of the clock displaced. Synchronization control is provided to synchronize clocks (CKAF and CKBF) and ensures operation so that a phase of two clocks to be compared fits in a range of design values while the power-supply voltage for the first circuit is changed.
US08350591B2
A configurable integrated circuit (“IC”) that includes several configurable tiles, each of which has a set of configurable logic circuits and a set of configurable routing circuits for routing signals between configurable logic circuits. The configurable IC provides a set of associated configurable logic circuits for performing a particular portion of a larger arithmetic operation. The configurable IC provides a carry circuit for generating a carry out signal for the particular portion of the larger arithmetic operation. A configurable storage element is for configurably storing the carry out signal and for providing the stored carry out signal to the carry circuit for performing a subsequent portion of the larger arithmetic operation. The configurable IC provides a configurable interconnect/storage element for configurably routing a carry signal from a first carry chain to a second carry chain and for storing the routed carry signal.
US08350588B2
Integrated circuits and methods of permanently disabling integrated circuits are disclosed. An integrated circuit having an erasable non-volatile memory adapted to store an activation code and logic to disable the integrated circuit when the code in the erasable non-volatile memory has been altered or erased after it has been separated from a substrate, is placed into an electromagnetic field of sufficient power to erase or reprogram the erasable non-volatile memory. The entire integrated circuit is permanently disabled by erasing, altering, or reprogramming the erasable non-volatile memory. In preferred embodiments, the integrated circuit comprises a non-erasable non-volatile memory storing the activation code, and circuitry adapted to permanently disable the integrated circuit when the code in the erasable non-volatile memory does not match the activation code in the non-erasable non-volatile memory. Erasing, altering, or reprogramming the erasable non-volatile memory results in a mismatch of the non-volatile memories, which permanently deactivates the integrated circuit.
US08350575B2
An electrical connection defect detection system to detect whether an electrical connection between an under-test pin of an under-test device and a signal line of a circuit board is normal is provided. The electrical connection defect detection system comprises a signal provider providing a test signal to the under-test pin through the signal line, a detection module, an electrode board and a plurality of grounding paths. The electrode board comprises a detection surface to be adapted to a surface of the under-test device opposite to the under-test pin to make the detection module detect a capacitance value associated with the electrode board, the under-test pin and the signal line larger than a threshold value when their connection is normal. The grounding paths are connected to one of not-under-test pin groups respectively to further connect to the ground potential. An electrical connection defect detection method is disclosed herein as well.
US08350566B2
In a magnetic particle imaging apparatus that forms an image of a distribution of magnetic particles based on changes in a magnetic flux generated by magnetization of the magnetic particles, modulation coils that magnetize magnetic particles present in a field free area by applying a modulation magnetic field to the field free area, and detection coils are disposed such as to suppress an influence caused by a magnetic flux of the modulation magnetic field applied by the modulation coils and included in a detected magnetic flux.
US08350565B2
Provided is a magnetoimpedance (MI) sensor having a high magnetic sensor sensitivity and a wide measurement range. The MI sensor comprises an MI element, an electric current supply unit and a signal processing circuit. The MI element comprises a magnetosensitive wire formed of an amorphous soft magnetic alloy having zero magnetostriction, and a detection coil provided around the magnetosensitive wire with an electric insulator disposed therebetween, thereby detecting voltage generated at the detection coil and corresponding to an external magnetic field upon application of a high frequency electric current to the magnetosensitive wire. The electric current supply unit supplies the high frequency electric current to the MI element. The signal processing circuit processes an output signal from the detection coil. In this MI sensor, the magnetosensitive wire has at least a surface layer in which spins are aligned in a circumferential direction of the wire, and the high frequency electric current has a frequency in the range of 0.3 to 1.0 GHz inclusive.
US08350554B2
A semiconductor device includes: a first reference voltage generator for generating a first reference voltage; a first band gap circuit for dividing a voltage at a second reference voltage output node to produce a first and a second band gap voltages having a property relative to temperature variations; a first comparator for receiving the first reference voltage as a bias input and comparing the first band gap voltage with the second band gap voltage; and a first driver for pull-up driving the second reference voltage output node in response to an output signal of the first comparator.
US08350547B2
A DC to DC converter includes an input terminal, an output terminal, first and second switches, an inductor, a smoothing unit, a first impedance element, a first resistor element, an operational amplifier and a control unit. The first switch is connected to the input terminal. The second switch is connected to the first switch and a ground terminal. The inductor is connected to the first switch and the output terminal. The smoothing unit is connected to the inductor and the ground terminal. The first impedance element is connected to the smoothing unit. The first resistor element is connected in series with the first impedance element. The operational amplifier is connected to the first impedance element. Reference voltage is added to the operational amplifier. The control unit controls the first and second switches according to a control signal outputted from the operational amplifier.
US08350521B2
The invention provides systems and methods for control of power charge/discharge from energy storage system. The invention also provides for power monitoring and management, including power management for a variable generator. An intelligent charge system may include a premise sensor, a variable generator sensor, one or more energy storage units, and a controller, which may receive information about the power demand, power provided by an electricity provider, and charge/discharge information from an energy storage unit. The information received may all be time synchronized in relation to a time based reference. The controller may provide instructions to an energy storage unit at a rapid rate.
US08350518B2
A control apparatus for a series-connected multi-level matrix converter includes each voltage commanding device provided for each of single-phase matrix converters to generate a voltage reference to each of the single-phase matrix converters. The series-connected multi-level matrix converter includes the single-phase matrix converters. Each of the single-phase matrix converters includes a snubber circuit and a DC voltage detecting section configured to detect a DC voltage of the snubber circuit to output a DC voltage detection value. ADC over-voltage detector is configured to output a DC over-voltage signal when the DC voltage detection value exceeds a set voltage value. A voltage modifying device is, when the DC over-voltage signal is outputted, configured to decrease the voltage reference to a corresponding single-phase matrix converter among the single-phase matrix converters based on a deviation between the DC voltage detection value and the set voltage value.
US08350511B2
An actuator includes a motor operated by a controller through a pulse width modulation drive signal applied to a drive circuit that drives the motor. The actuator has an output shaft connected to a coupling structure for manipulating a device such as a variable geometry turbine (VGT) or an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve. The device has a range of motion limited by first and second mechanical stops located at opposing low and high ends of the range. The controller learns the location of the mechanical stops during calibration. An external control unit transmits a desired position to the actuator. A protocol allows the external control unit to implicitly request a positioning mode by virtue of what value range the desired position falls into. The controller is configured to limit the drive signal to a non-harmful level when one of the positioning modes calls for pushing the device against one of the stops.
US08350505B2
An electrically commuted reversible synchronous motor is activated in a calibration journey using an externally forced rotating field, during which an electrical angle of a rotating field and a mechanical angle of the rotor are measured simultaneously at a reference position by an external sensor. These items are stored associated with one another as a measurement series of value pairs. The electrical angle of the rotating field and the mechanical angle of the rotor are also detected simultaneously after direction reversal of the rotating field. These are stored as a second measurement series of value pairs. The angle difference between the electrical angle and the mechanical angle are calculated from value pairs of both measurement series. The correction value for taking the actual incorrect angle into consideration is calculated from the two angle differences by averaging.
US08350500B2
Provided is a solid state lighting apparatus that includes multiple light emitting diodes (LEDs) including at least a first LED and a second LED. The apparatus includes a thermal sensor that is configured to provide a temperature signal corresponding to an operating condition of the solid state lighting apparatus and a control circuit that is configured to receive the temperature signal and to selectively interrupt electrical current to a portion of the plurality of light emitting diodes responsive to the temperature signal including a value that exceeds a high temperature limit.
US08350499B2
A power conditioning circuit in a light bulb efficiently converts an Alternating Current (AC) input voltage into Direct Current (DC) power for operating LEDs in the light bulb. The power conditioning circuit discharges capacitors when a voltage level of the input voltage drops below a given voltage necessary to operate the LEDs. The capacitors are then recharged when the input voltage is high enough to power the LED. The capacitors are configured to operate as voltage dividers while being charged thus reducing a peak voltage level of the output voltage used for powering the LEDs. The reduced output voltage reduces the overall amount of energy used by the light bulb and reduces the amount of heat radiated by the light bulb.
US08350494B2
A dimming controller and system is provided in either discrete or integrated form and includes a single electronic controller device and a dimming ballast for installation in an overhead fluorescent fixture. The system functions to sense power line changes caused by the flicking of a switch between OFF and ON and controls the light dimming accordingly. The power line changes may be either changes in mains frequency or user caused switch toggling.
US08350489B2
A method for driving a discharge lamp that supplies an AC current to a discharge lamp having a first electrode and a second electrode so as to produce discharge and to cause the discharge lamp to emit light includes, during a steady operation in which the AC current is supplied to the discharge lamp, changing a difference between the absolute values of average current values for two polarities during one cycle of the AC current in accordance with a predetermined pattern.
US08350486B2
Illuminated safety helmets are provided. The helmets include a shell having two or more lighted zones mounted therein, which are spaced from each other on the outer surface of the shell. One or more of the lighted zones can be selectively deactivated, allowing a wearer to control which zone or zones not to illuminate, as may be desirable in certain situations. Each zone, when activated, is illuminated in a variable fashion, such that the light illuminated from the zone changes within a brief period of time.
US08350471B2
An EL display panel including an EL substrate and a CF facing each other and resin filling space between the EL substrate and the CF. A common bank having a greater width than banks between first, second, and third areas in each portion of the CF lies between two portions corresponding to a first pixel and an adjacent second pixel. A portion of a CF layer formed with respect to an outermost area among the areas of the first pixel and covering a top surface of a bank closest to the second pixel extends towards the second pixel and has a greater length than a portion of the CF layer formed with respect to the outermost area that covers a top surface of a bank opposing the bank closest to the second pixel.
US08350469B2
When a light emitting element is actuated to allow the light emission, the generation of Joule heat occurs, leading to the decomposition or crystallization of an organic compound to cause the degradation of the light emitting device. Therefore, a light emitting element of the present invention is provided for effecting removing or decreasing the generation of heat. In the present invention, between two electrodes, layers having organic compounds and carbon-based thin films are alternatively laminated one after another for stepping down the driving voltage in the light emitting element using the tunnel effect. In addition, a carbon-based thin film is placed on a film containing an organic compound, so that it prevents the electric field from being locally concentrated and also prevents the generation of short-circuit between the anode and the cathode.
US08350465B2
The invention relates to phosphors having a garnet structure of the formula I (Ya,Lub,Sec,Tbd,The,Irf,Sbg)3−x (Al5−yMgy/2Siy/2)O12:Cex (I), where a+b+c+d+e+f+g+h+i=1 x=0.005 to 0.1 and y=0 to 4.0, and to a process for the preparation of these phosphors and to the use as conversion phosphors for conversion of the blue or near-UV emission from an LED.
US08350457B2
A spark plug includes a housing, a center electrode, a ground electrode, and a pre-chamber cup. The housing is configured to thread into a spark-plug hole in an engine. The center electrode extends axially from a center of the housing. The ground electrode extends radially inward from the housing. The pre-chamber cup is attached to the housing. The housing defines a gas thread cavity that extends radially at least partially through the housing.
US08350454B2
A spark plug comprises a shell having a substantially cylindrical threaded portion for threadable engagement in a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine, an insulator disposed coaxially in the shell, a center electrode disposed coaxially in the insulator, a side ground electrode having a first end coupled to the shell and a second end facing an end of the center electrode to define a spark discharge gap therebetween, and an electrode tip portion secured to either the side ground electrode or the center electrode proximate the spark discharge gap. The tip portion is formed from an alloy comprising from about 60 to about 70 percent by weight iridium, from about 30 to about 35 percent by weight rhodium, from 0 to about 10 percent by weight nickel, from about 3500 to about 4500 parts per million tantalum, and from about 100 to about 200 parts per million zirconium.
US08350450B2
An LED lamp includes a heat sink including a base having a heat-dissipating face, an LED module including a printed circuit board mounted on the base and a plurality of LEDs disposed on the printed circuit board, and a connecter electrically connecting the LED module to a power supply. The heat sink further includes a plurality of spiral fins protruding outwardly from the heat-dissipating face of the base.
US08350446B2
An ultrasonic actuator (2) includes an actuator body (4) which performs a longitudinal vibration and a bending vibration, and a driver element (8a, 8b) which is provided on one of side surfaces of the actuator body (4) which is a mounting surface (40a), and performs an orbital motion in accordance with the vibrations of the actuator body (4) to output a driving force. The driver element (8a, 8b) includes a first driver element (8a) and a second driver element (8b) which are provided on the mounting surface (40a) at different positions in a longitudinal direction of the actuator body (4). The first driver element (8a) and the second driver element (8b) are located at different positions in a thickness direction of the actuator body (4).
US08350440B2
An integrated stator flange assembly is disclosed. In one embodiment, the integrated stator flange assembly may have an outer surface and include: a stator flange; and a flux shield bonded directly to the stator flange, the flux shield forming a portion of the outer surface of the integrated stator flange assembly.
US08350423B2
A cooling system is provided for an electric motor having control circuitry and including a motor housing surrounding the motor. The motor drives at least one radial fan at one end thereof for directing airflow through the motor housing across the motor. A fan housing encloses the cooling fan and defines a diverter chamber radially outboard of the fan that is sized to divert a portion of the airflow away from the electric motor. A control box contains the control circuitry and includes a base having a heat sink for contacting the control circuitry. The base defines a plenum in communication with the diverter chamber and a channel in communication with the plenum and the heat sink to direct the diverted airflow across the heat sink.
US08350417B1
In one embodiment, an improved circuit breaker module is installed in an electrical panel of a customer structure that receives power from a solar cell module and a utility company. The circuit breaker module may include a current sensor for sensing electrical current drawn by the customer structure from the utility company. The circuit breaker module may further include a current processing unit for capturing sensed electrical current values to generate energy consumption data and a data transmitter for transmitting energy consumption data to a remotely located data collection computer. The circuit breaker module may transmit energy consumption data over a wired or wireless data link. The circuit breaker module advantageously allows for relatively low cost and easy installation, encouraging installation of solar cell modules even in existing customer structures.
US08350415B2
The present invention is a switch circuit equipped with a first switch connected between another end of an inductive load having a one end connected to a one end of a DC power supply and another end of the DC power supply, a capacitor connected between the another end of the inductive load and the another end of the DC power supply and connected in parallel with the first switch, a second switch that connects the another end of the inductive load and the capacitor, a third switch that connects a one end of the capacitor on an inductive load side to the one end of the inductive load so as to be parallel to the second switch, and a control circuit that turns ON the second switch before the first switch is turned OFF and turns OFF the second switch before the first switch is turned ON after being turned OFF.
US08350412B2
A technique is provided for automatically controlling configuration of a power grid, which includes one or more stand-alone sub-grids. Each stand-alone sub-grid includes a power generator, and a load is associated with the stand-alone sub-grid(s). The technique includes: monitoring the power grid by monitoring power demand of a load associated with the stand-alone sub-grid(s) and the power generated by the power generator within each stand-alone sub-grid; automatically determining that a grid configuration change is required for the power grid based on the monitoring; and dynamically reconfiguring the power grid by automatically modifying a number of stand-alone sub-grids in the power grid without interrupting power to the load associated with the stand-alone sub-grid(s) of the power grid. In one implementation, the power grid is a mobile power grid, and the power generator of each stand-alone sub-grid is a portable power generator.
US08350410B2
An uninterruptible power supply is able to switch an operation mode between an on-line operation method and an off-line operation method for a wider range of commercial power supplies. An uninterruptible power supply 1 includes; a rectifier 11 for converting AC power supplied from a commercial power source 2 into DC power; a storage battery 12 for storing the DC power converted; an inverter 13 for converting the DC power into AC power; a selecting means (14 to 18) for selecting one of an off-line operation mode and an on-line operation mode according to a detection result of detecting a condition of the AC power supplied from the power source 2; in the off-line operation mode, AC power supplied from the power source 2 is supplied to a load device 3 under normal operating condition, and when any failure happens in relation to the AC power supplied from the power source 2, the uninterruptible power supply supplies a power output generated by the inverter 13 to the load device 3; in the on-line operation method, a power output from the inverter 13 is supplied to the load device 3 all the time including a period of normal operating condition; and a setup means (19) for variably setting criterion values, with which the selecting means (14 to 18) selects an operation mode depending on the condition of the AC power supplied from the power source 2.
US08350407B2
A high voltage power supply apparatus comprising a first circuit disposed on a prepared substrate, and for receiving a first voltage and generating a second voltage that is previously set according to the first voltage, and a second circuit for amplifying and rectifying the second voltage to generate a plurality of high voltage signals, wherein the first circuit and the second circuit are embodied as a single module, wherein at least a portion of the single module is surrounded by an insulator.
US08350406B2
An electrical power distribution system automatically limits the number of substantially similar or identical power cable assemblies that are electrically energizable from a power source. A control unit is connected between the power source and the power cable assemblies, and limits the number of power cable assemblies that can be energized in the system by sensing the voltage in a sensing circuit. An applied voltage in the sensing circuit changes in a predictable manner corresponding to the number of power cable assemblies that are electrically connected in the circuit. Each power cable assembly includes an impedance element that is added to the sensing circuit when the corresponding power cable assembly is coupled to the system, and once the detected voltage is beyond a predetermined threshold value, the control unit will ensure that the power cable assemblies are not energized by the power source.
US08350399B2
A microturbine system provided with a first and a second blade wheel, at least one nozzle for spouting a pressure medium onto the first blade wheel for driving this wheel, wherein the first blade wheel is configured for transferring pressure medium received from the nozzle to the second blade wheel for driving the second blade wheel, the arrangement being such that the first and second blade wheel are rotatable in opposite directions under the influence of the pressure medium, and a first and second electricity generator, respectively, coupled to the first and second blade wheel, respectively. Also included is the method for generating electricity using the microturbine system.
US08350393B2
The present invention relates generally to assembly techniques. According to the present invention, the alignment and probing techniques to improve the accuracy of component placement in assembly are described. More particularly, the invention includes methods and structures to detect and improve the component placement accuracy on a target platform by incorporating alignment marks on component and reference marks on target platform under various probing techniques. A set of sensors grouped in any array to form a multiple-sensor probe can detect the deviation of displaced components in assembly.
US08350387B2
A semiconductor storage device includes a memory cell transistor and a selective transistor formed on a semiconductor substrate, a first interlayer insulating film which is formed on the semiconductor substrate, an insulating layer formed by use of a material higher in dielectric constant than the first interlayer insulating film, a contact plug which penetrates the insulating layer and the first interlayer insulating film and which is electrically connected to a drain of the selective transistor, and a bit line which is in contact with the contact plug. A partial region in the bottom surface of the bit line is located lower than the upper surface of the contact plug, and is in contact with the surface of the insulating layer, and the partial region is also in contact with the side surface of the contact plug.
US08350383B2
An IC chip package, in one embodiment, may include an IC chip including an upper surface including an overhang extending beyond a sidewall of the IC chip, and underfill material about the sidewall and under the overhang. The overhang prevents underfill material from extending over an upper surface of the IC chip. In another embodiment, a ball grid array (BGA) is first mounted to landing pads on a lower of two joined IC chip packages. Since the BGA is formed on the lower IC chip package first, the BGA acts as a dam for the underfill material thereon. The underfill material extends about the respective IC chip and surrounds a bottom portion of a plurality of solder elements of the BGA and at least a portion of respective landing pads thereof.
US08350379B2
A wire bond design integrated circuit with a substrate having a front side and an opposing back side. Circuitry is disposed on the font side. Electrically conductive vias are disposed through the substrate from the front side to the back side, and are electrically connected to the circuitry such that the electrically conductive vias provide power and ground services only for the circuitry. Bonding pads are disposed on the front side, and are electrically connected to the circuitry such that the bonding pads provide signal communication only for the circuitry.
US08350366B2
A power semiconductor component having a pn junction, a body with a first basic conductivity, a well-like region with a second conductivity which is arranged horizontally centrally in the body, has a first two-level doping profile and has a first penetration depth from the first main surface into the body. In addition, this power semiconductor component has an edge structure which is arranged between the well-like region and the edge of the power semiconductor component and which comprises a plurality of field rings with a single-level doping profile, a second conductivity and a second penetration depth, wherein the first penetration depth is no more than about 50% of the second penetration depth.
US08350365B1
A hard implantation mask layer is formed on a semiconductor wafer. An etch mask layer is formed on the hard implantation mask layer and patterned. The hard implantation mask layer is etched to form a well implantation pattern and ions are implanted into the semiconductor wafer to form wells in the semiconductor wafer, in areas where the semiconductor wafer is not covered by the well implantation mask.
US08350351B2
A semiconductor light receiving device includes: a first semiconductor light receiving element that is provided on a semiconductor substrate and has a mesa structure having an upper electrode to be coupled to an electrode wiring of a mounting carrier and a lower electrode; a first mesa that is provided on the semiconductor substrate and has an upper electrode coupled electrically to a lower electrode of the first semiconductor light receiving element with a wiring provided on the semiconductor substrate; and a second mesa that is provided on the semiconductor substrate and has an upper electrode that has a same electrical potential as the upper electrode of the first semiconductor light receiving element when coupled to the electrode wiring on the mounting carrier.
US08350349B2
Provided is a solid-state imaging device including a first photoelectric-conversion-portion selectively receiving a first wavelength light in incident light and performing photoelectric conversion; and a second photoelectric-conversion-portion selectively receiving a second wavelength light which is shorter than the first wavelength, wherein the first photoelectric-conversion-portion is laminated above the second photoelectric-conversion-portion in an imaging area of a substrate so that the second photoelectric-conversion-portion receives the light transmitting the first photoelectric-conversion-portion, wherein a transmitting portion is formed in the first photoelectric-conversion-portion so that the second wavelength light transmits the second photoelectric-conversion-portion more than other portions, and wherein the transmitting portion is formed to include a portion satisfying the following Equation within a width D defined in the direction of the imaging area, a refraction index n of a peripheral portion of the transmitting portion, and the longest wavelength λc of the second wavelength range selectively photoelectrically-converted in the second photoelectric-conversion-portion: λc/n≦2D.
US08350345B2
Some embodiments provide force input control devices for sensing vector forces comprising: a sensor die comprising: a rigid island, an elastic element coupled to the rigid island, die frame coupled to a periphery of the elastic element, one or more stress sensitive components on the elastic element, and signal processing IC, where the sensor die is sensitive to a magnitude and a direction of a force applied to the rigid island within the sensor die, where the sensor die is coupled electrically and mechanically to a substrate, a spring element coupling an external button, where the force is applied, to the rigid island element, wherein the spring element has a flat geometry and located in a plane parallel to a plane of the substrate, where the spring element is configured to translate a deflection of the button into an allowable force applied to the rigid island.
US08350323B2
A semiconductor device may include, but is not limited to: a semiconductor substrate; a bit line; and a contact portion. The semiconductor substrate has a first groove having at least first and second side surfaces facing each other. The bit line is positioned in the first groove. The bit line is insulated from the semiconductor substrate. The contact portion is positioned in the first groove. The contact portion is electrically connected to the bit line. The contact portion contacts the first side surface of the first groove. The contact portion is insulated from the second side surface of the first groove.
US08350321B2
The present invention discloses a transistor having the saddle fin structure. The saddle fin transistor of the present invention has a structure in which a landing plug contact region, particularly, a landing plug contact region on an isolation layer is elevated such that the landing plug contact SAC (Self Aligned Contact) fail can be prevented.
US08350317B2
A method for forming power semiconductor devices having an inter-electrode dielectric (IPD) layer inside a trench includes providing a semiconductor substrate with a trench, lining the sidewalls and bottom of the trench with a first layer of dielectric material, filling the trench with a first layer of conductive material to form a first electrode, recessing the first layer of dielectric material and the first layer of conductive material to a first depth inside the trench, forming a layer of polysilicon material on a top surface of the dielectric material and conductive material inside the trench, oxidizing the layer of polysilicon material, and forming a second electrode inside the trench atop the oxidized layer and isolated from trench sidewalls by a second dielectric layer. The oxidation step can be enhanced by either chemically or physically altering the top portion polysilicon such as by implanting impurities.
US08350315B2
Memory devices include a tunneling insulating layer disposed on a substrate, a charge storage layer disposed on the tunneling insulating layer, a blocking insulating layer disposed on the charge storage layer and a control gate electrode disposed on the blocking insulating layer. The control gate electrode may have an edge portion spaced farther apart from the blocking insulating layer than a central portion of the control gate electrode to concentrate charge density distribution on a central portion of a memory cell.
US08350310B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate; a memory cell array including a plurality of memory cells formed on the semiconductor substrate and arranged in a matrix in a first direction and a second direction on the surface of the semiconductor substrate; a plurality of sense amplifiers formed on the semiconductor substrate and including a first sense amplifier and a second sense amplifier; and a plurality of bit lines extending along the first direction above the memory cell array, and arranged side by side in the second direction, wherein the plurality of bit lines include a first bit line pair formed in a first wiring layer and a second bit line pair formed in a second wiring layer located above the first wiring layer.
US08350303B2
A display device in which an Al alloy film and a conductive oxide film are directly connected without interposition of refractory metal and some or all of Al alloy components deposit or are concentrated at the interface of contact between the Al alloy film and the conductive oxide film. The Al alloy film contains 0.1 to 6 at % of at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ni, Ag, Zn, Cu and Ge, and further contains 1) 0.1 to 2 at % of at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Cr, Mn, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ir, Pt, La, Ce, Pr, Gd, Tb, Sm, Eu, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu and Dy or 2) 0.1 to 1 at % of at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ti, V, Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W, as the alloy components.
US08350301B2
A semiconductor photodiode includes a semiconductor substrate; a first conduction type first semiconductor layer formed above the semiconductor substrate; a high resistance second semiconductor layer formed above the first semiconductor layer; a first conduction type third semiconductor layer formed above the second semiconductor layer; and a second conduction type fourth semiconductor layer buried in the second semiconductor layer, in which the fourth semiconductor layer is separated at a predetermined distance in a direction horizontal to the surface of the semiconductor substrate.
US08350295B1
Methods and apparatuses for forming a device structure including a high-thermal-conductivity substrate are disclosed herein. A method forming such a device structure may comprise forming an active layer over a first substrate in a manner such that a frontside of the active layer faces the first substrate and a backside of the active layer faces away from the first substrate, forming a second substrate over the backside of the active layer, and removing the first substrate to expose the frontside of the active layer. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08350293B2
A p-type nitride compound semiconductor layer is formed on a buffer formed on a substrate. An n-type contact region is formed by ion implantation under a source electrode and a drain electrode. An electric-field reducing layer made of an n-type nitride compound semiconductor is formed on the p-type nitride compound semiconductor layer. A carrier density of the electric-field reducing layer is lower than that of the n-type contact region. A first end portion of the electric-field reducing layer contacts with the n-type contact region, and a second end portion of the electric-field reducing layer overlaps with a gate electrode.
US08350287B2
A heat radiation structure of a light emitting element has leads, each lead having a plurality of leg sections, and a light emitting chip mounted on any one of the leads. The present invention can provide a high-efficiency light emitting element, in which a thermal load is reduced by widening a connecting section through which a lead and a chip seating section of the light emitting element are connected, and the heat generated from a heat source can be more rapidly radiated to the outside. Further, the present invention can also provide a high-efficiency light emitting element, in which heat radiation fins are formed between a stopper and a molding portion of a lead of the light emitting element so that natural convection can occur between the heat radiation fins, and an area in which heat radiation can occur is widened to maximize a heat radiation effect.
US08350284B2
A light emitting element which emits light of a wavelength, includes a substrate which is transparent to the wavelength of emitted light and includes a first surface and a second surface; a semiconductor layer stacked on the first surface; a first electrode which is reflective to the wavelength of emitted light and formed on a surface of the semiconductor layer, wherein electrical resistance of the first electrode in a farthest distance is equal to or smaller than 1Ω; and a second electrode which is reflective to the wavelength of emitted light and formed on the second surface, wherein electrical resistance of the second electrode in a farthest distance is equal to or smaller than 1Ω.
US08350281B2
A display device includes: an optical cavity portion; and a light emitting layer, wherein a peak wavelength of an internal emission spectrum of the light emitting layer is identical to a peak wavelength of a multiple interference filter spectrum of the optical cavity portion, and wherein a color shift Δ uv of white light in the display device at a viewing angle of 60° is less than or equal to 0.015. A method of adjusting a color shift of white light in a display device includes: setting a peak wavelength of a multiple interference filter spectrum obtained by an optical cavity portion in the display device equal to a peak wavelength of an internal emission spectrum of a light emitting layer in the display device; and adjusting a position of the light emitting layer in a thickness direction thereof.
US08350273B2
Some embodiments show a semiconductor structure including a substrate with a {100} crystal surface plane which includes a plurality of adjacent structured regions at a top side of the substrate. The plurality of adjacent structured regions includes adjacent substrate surfaces with {111} crystal planes and a III-V semiconductor material layer above the top side of the substrate. A semiconductor device region includes at least one semiconductor device structure. The semiconductor device region is arranged above the plurality of adjacent structured regions at the top side of the substrate.
US08350272B2
A semiconductor device which is designed based on RDR, suppresses the occurrence of a trouble at the boundary between an active region and a power wire and therearound and is small in size and highly integrated. The semiconductor device includes a first conductive impurity region for functional elements which is formed over the main surface of a semiconductor substrate and a second conductive impurity region for power potential to which power potential is applied in at least one standard cell. It also includes insulating layers which are formed over the main surface of the semiconductor substrate and have throughholes reaching the main surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a conductive layer for contact formed in the throughholes of the insulating layers. The impurity region for functional elements and the impurity region for power potential are electrically coupled to each other through the conductive layer for contact which is formed astride the impurity region for functional elements and the impurity region for power potential.
US08350263B2
A semiconductor package includes a wiring board, a semiconductor device mounted on the wiring board, an electrically-conductive thermal interface material provided on the semiconductor device, a test electrode in contact with a first surface of the thermal interface material to be electrically connected to the thermal interface material, and an electrically-conductive heat spreader in contact with a second surface of the thermal interface material opposite to its first surface.
US08350252B2
A method of providing miniaturized size down to nanoscale electronic materials, which may be easily incorporated into the future ever-scaling down power electronics, microelectronics and nanoelectronics device systems, is disclosed. A linear or nonlinear nanoparticle (nanowire) junction design that allows precise controllability over an electronic device (e.g., a varistor) performance, which is typically difficult for the traditional sintered bulk varistor, is also disclosed. A localized doping and chemical modulation, across junctions allows flexible and tunable design over the nanoscale grain boundary band engineering is further disclosed. Furthermore, a method of operating memory, using electrostatic potential modulated coding and decoding across periodic nanoparticle grain boundary linearly, is also disclosed.
US08350243B2
An optically-induced dielectrophoresis chip including a substrate, a first electrode layer disposed on the substrate, and an interface modification layer disposed on the first electrode layer. A photo-conductive layer is disposed on the interface modification layer and includes an optical absorbent polymeric material. A barrier layer is disposed on the photo-conductive layer, and a compartment forming layer is disposed on the barrier layer defining a compartment. A second electrode layer covers the compartment forming layer.
US08350239B2
Exemplary embodiments provide materials and methods for a pen that can include a writing end for writing an image on an erasable medium and an erasing end for locally erasing an image from the erasable medium.
US08350235B2
A system and method are provided for automatic dose-correction recipe generation, the system including a dose-correction recipe generator, a reticle data unit in signal communication with the recipe generator, a slit data unit in signal communication with the recipe generator, a process data unit in signal communication with the recipe generator, a wafer data unit in signal communication with the recipe generator, a control unit in signal communication with the recipe generator, and an output unit or a storage unit in signal communication with the control unit; and the method including receiving a current reticle data set and a previous reticle data set, receiving a current slit data set and a previous slit data set, receiving a process condition, receiving a wafer condition, automatically generating a dose-correction recipe in accordance with the received reticle, slit, process and wafer information, and controlling a dose in accordance with the generated recipe.
US08350229B2
A quantitative fluorescence image and appropriate brightness is acquired and observed. Provided is a fluorescence observation apparatus including: an illumination section that includes a light source for irradiating an observation target region with illumination light and excitation light; a fluorescence image acquisition section that acquires a fluorescence image from fluorescence produced in the observation target region; a white-light image acquisition section that acquires a reference image from return light returning from the observation target region; an exposure-time adjustment unit that adjusts the exposure time based on the luminance value of the reference image; a diaphragm control section and a semiconductor laser control section that control the intensity of the illumination light and that of the excitation light based on the exposure time; a first normalization section that normalizes the luminance of the reference image and the fluorescence image by the exposure time; a second normalization section that normalizes the luminance of the reference image and the fluorescence image by the light intensity; and an image correction section that corrects the fluorescence image by the reference image, by using at least one of the normalized reference image or fluorescence image.
US08350228B2
The present disclosure relates to adapting a commonly used lighting fixture that is generally specified as the primary lighting source for illuminating a particular area as the apparatus for enclosing an additional UV lighting mechanism. Further, the disclosure relates to a device that can be integrated into a light fixture used with a suspended grid ceiling or a solid ceiling. Also, the present disclosure relates to a germicidal fixture used in association with a light fixture, and to an apparatus for a new germicidal light fixture and for replacing or converting an existing light fixture for efficient germicidal use.
US08350227B2
A processing system includes a particle beam column for generating a particle beam directed to a first processing location; a laser system for generating a laser beam directed to a second processing location located at a distance from the first processing location; and a protector including an actuator and a plate connected to the actuator. The actuator is configured to move the plate between a first position in which it protects a component of the particle beam column from particles released from the object by the laser beam and a second position in which the component of the particle beam column is not protected from particles released from the object by the laser beam.
US08350217B2
Disclosed are a pixel, a pixel array, and an image sensor including the pixel array. The pixel includes a first photo-sensing unit to detect a visible light and an IR, and a second photo-sensing unit provided at one side of the first photo-sensing unit to detect a light in which the IR is blocked.
US08350210B1
In one instance, an optical interconnection is embedded in a structure. The optical interconnection embedded in the structure enables interfacing electrical subsystems and sharing electrical signals across the structure by converting electrical signals into optical and vice a versa by means of the optical data pipe technology. The system of these teachings enables methods for decreasing the weight and size of the system, for decreasing sensitivity to electromagnetic interference and for obtaining data from the interior of a system.
US08350207B2
In a radiation image detection apparatus having a radiation image detector that includes the following stacked in the order listed below: a bias electrode, a photoconductive layer, a substrate side charge transport layer, and an active matrix substrate, the radiation image detector does not include an area adjacent to the interface between the substrate side charge transport layer and photoconductive layer having an oxygen or chlorine element density not less than two times the average density of oxygen or chlorine element in the substrate side charge transport layer.
US08350204B2
A tracking device for automatically following a moving light source that is detectable in the presence of ambient light. A carrier platform including one or more radiant energy conversion devices and a sensor array is mounted to an upright support column with a universal joint. Three linear actuators, each having an associated light sensor, are equally angularly spaced about the support column with an upper end connected to the carrier platform with a universal hinge and a lower end connected to a floating base with a spherical hinge. The floating base is free to move axially but not radially of the support column. The actuator of a light sensor receiving a lesser amount of radiant energy retracts, and extends when receiving a greater amount of radiant energy. Each light sensor is moved in a stepwise manner, with a predetermined, limited number of steps used to define light source acquisition for tracking purposes.
US08350203B1
A method of flattening a deformable mirror (DM) such as a piezoelectric DM to correct for distortion includes inputting an incident light beam into a reference beam optical path while blocking the DM response, recording a flat wavefront (Φn, R) as a reference wavefront from a reference mirror, blocking the reference beam to obtain a DM response, activating a close-loop mode of DM Control Software and computing iterations until a difference between the reference wavefront and the DM response is minimized, recording a wavefront created by the DM (Φn, DM) and the corresponding voltage vector (Vn) applied to the DM; and applying a voltage vector to the DM to thereby flatten the DM and correct for the distortion. The method is useful in an application such as for ground-to-space links at Short Wave Infrared (SWIR) wavelengths.
US08350202B2
A method for adjusting and testing an image sensor module is provided. The method of the present invention includes steps of: (1) calculating longitudinal and transverse deviation values of a center point of a lens relative to a standard reference position specified on a lens barrel, and an angle deviation value of the lens according to position signals of the lens on the image sensor module; (2) compensating the longitudinal and transverse deviation values of the center point of the lens, and the angle deviation value of the lens for exactly positioning the lens; and (3) adjusting focus of the image sensor module. The method of the present invention can compensate the mechanism errors produced in the mounting process of the image sensor module for conveniently and exactly adjusting the focus of the image sensor module. An apparatus for adjusting and testing an image sensor module is also provided.
US08350201B2
The roll orientation of a thrust vector control (TVC) or other missile section is measured and used to compensate the operation of the control surface. A measurement of a roll orientation of the control surface relative to the missile is obtained from a detector, memory or other source. Compensated control commands are determined at least in part based upon the measurement to account for the roll orientation of the control surface relative to the missile, and the compensated control command is provided to thereby actuate the control surface during operation of the missile.
US08350196B2
An improved antenna assembly (66) designed to maintain RF communication between an object (22, 64, 148) to be heated, and a heating assembly (20, 60) such as an induction heater having a hob (34) equipped with an induction work coil (36). The antenna assembly (66) provides substantially continuous RF communication about the entirety of the hob (34), so that the object (22, 64, 148) can be rotated through substantially 360° , or displaced radially, without loss of RF communication. The preferred antenna assembly (66) includes an antenna (67) mounted upon a substrate (68) and presenting a plurality of continuous, conductive antenna loops (70, 72) oriented to cooperatively and substantially surround the hob (34).
US08350191B2
Embodiments of apparatus for thermally conditioning probe cards prior to use in a testing system are provided herein. In some embodiments, a probe card thermal conditioning system may include an enclosure configured to support a probe card and a heat transfer element disposed proximate a bottom of the enclosure for thermally conditioning the probe card prior to installation in a prober. The heat transfer element may be a heating and/or cooling element. A controller may be provided for controlling operation of the heat transfer element, optionally with temperature feedback. Multiple enclosures may be provided for independently conditioning multiple probe cards. The enclosure may be contained in a cart or may be part of shipping container for shipping a probe card. A fan may be provided for circulating air within the enclosure. The fan may facilitate providing a dry purge gas to prevent condensate from forming on the probe card.
US08350184B2
A laser beam welding head for the welding of metal parts and method of use include at least one beam path for a welding beam and means for the optical acquisition of the position of the welding seam at a first measuring position, wherein the means for the optical acquisition of the position of the welding seam allow arrangement of the first measuring position in the welding direction running ahead of the welding position of the welding beam, and, at least as a function of a lateral deviation of the welding seam from a reference position, generate a correction signal for the correction of the welding position of the welding beam, as well as a corresponding use of the laser beam welding head.
US08350179B2
The workpiece-contacting surface of the spot welding electrode may be suitably modified to incorporate a desired shape or form, generally comprising a depressed region outlining a recognizable shape, to form aesthetically-pleasing or functional features in the surface of a workpiece during resistance spot welding. Methods for creating the desired form in the spot welding electrode including abrasion, upsetting, and electrical discharge machining are disclosed. Preferably the electrode face is shaped and subsequently redressed during welding operations at the welding station.
US08350177B2
An electric discharge machining device that performs processing by applying a voltage pulse to space between the processing electrode and the workpiece and suitably switching the polarity of the voltage pulse attains both desired processing accuracy and desired controllability. The electric discharge machining device is provided with the first to fourth switching elements. The controlling unit that controls these switching elements, when setting a period time in which the first switching element is turned on, a period of time in which the fourth switching element is in an on-state in the same period, and, when setting a period time in which the second switching element is turned on, a period of time in which the third switching element is in an on-state in the same period so that a desired voltage pulse is applied to the space between the processing electrode and the workpiece.
US08350173B2
In some example, a computerized method includes sorting mail, wherein sorting mail for a mail piece comprises reading an encoded value located on the mail piece. Sorting the mail also includes decoding the encoded value to determine an identification of a class of the mail piece and an identification of a service type of the mail piece. Sorting the mail includes performing the following operation in response to determining that the mail piece is undeliverable as addressed: performing final disposition of the mail piece using at least one of the identification of the class of the mail piece or the identification of the service type of the mail piece derived from the encoded value, in response to a determination that the mail piece is an actual undeliverable as addressed mail piece.
US08350171B2
This invention relates to a function switch on handle of motorcycle, in which a light transmissive zone is formed on the housing thereof. A light emitting source is provided at the interior of the function switch which is coupled to the switches for small light and large light. In this manner, when driver turns on small light or large light, the light emitting source can also be energized to radiate light and the light beam emitted from the light emitting source can be projected out through the light transmissive zone of the housing so as to highlight the pattern of the light transmissive zone.
US08350159B2
A base insulating layer is formed on a suspension body, and write wiring traces and read wiring traces are formed on the base insulating layer. The write wiring trace and the read wiring traces are formed on a body region of the base insulating layer, and the write wiring trace is formed on an auxiliary region of the base insulating layer. The base insulating layer is bent along a bend portion. This causes the write wiring trace to be positioned above the write wiring trace.
US08350155B2
A wire connection sleeve includes a pipe-like outer tube (20) and an inner tube (30) inserted inside this outer tube (20). The inner tube (30) is formed by winding a sheet-like metal material (P) formed with projections or recesses into a tubular shape with both ends being open, and a longitudinal middle part of this inner tube (30) serves as an inner-tube small-diameter portion (32) which is so squashed or deformed that the opening size thereof is smaller than those of the opposite longitudinal ends.
US08350151B2
A stud bolt assembly can couple two electrical conductive members to each other with stability and reliability in connection while avoiding breakage and deformation of the members upon coupling them to each other and an electrical junction box equipped with the stud bolt assembly. Electrical conductive member 24a and a connecting terminal 90 are mounted on a shaft portion 44 of a stud bolt 36. The electrical conductive member 24a is secured to the connecting terminal 90 by fastening a nut 96 on the shaft portion 44. The stud bolt 36 is displaced in a bolt cover 38 in an axial direction. The electrical conductive member 24a and connecting terminal 90 mounted on the shaft portion 44 are firmly and directly fastened between the nut 96 and a distal end surface 50 of a proximal end side projection 48 of the stud bolt 36.
US08350146B2
A photovoltaic device may be provided. The photovoltaic device may include a first energy absorbing surface and a second energy absorbing surface being substantially parallel to the first energy absorbing surface. The photovoltaic device may include a third energy absorbing surface being substantially perpendicular to the first energy absorbing surface and the second energy absorbing surface. Each of the first energy absorbing surface, the second energy absorbing surface, and the third energy absorbing surface may be configured to convert energy from photons into electrical energy. The photons may be impinging one or more of the first energy absorbing surface, the second energy absorbing surface, and the third energy absorbing surface. The first, second, and the third energy absorbing surfaces may be oriented in manner to cause the photons to bounce between two or more of the first energy absorbing surface, the second energy absorbing surface, and the third energy absorbing surface.
US08350138B2
Wherein a cajon incorporating a rattle system is attached to the front panel of the cajon, provision is made that the rattle system give off a more desirable musical rattle or buzzing sound then any prior art as the cajon is played by a percussionist. With the rattle system mounted and in place, it's hollow body allows free moving glass beads to be set into motion creating a much desired audible response upon impact of the front face of the cajon. Further, this audible response is a controlled or gated response due to the way the glass beads travel up an incline within the rattle assembly and then return to their relative starting positions leaving no lingering rattle or buzzing sound.
US08350137B1
A novel maize variety designated X8K862 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 X8K862 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X8K862 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X8K862, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X8K862. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X8K862.
US08350136B1
A novel maize variety designated X13A445 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 X13A445 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X13A445 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X13A445, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X13A445. This invention further is relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X13A445.
US08350133B2
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the corn variety designated CV108997. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CV108997, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CV108997 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to corn seeds and plants produced by crossing plants of variety CV108997 with plants of another variety, such as another inbred line. The invention further relates to the inbred and hybrid genetic complements of plants of variety CV108997.
US08350131B1
A novel maize variety designated PHPRF and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PHPRF with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PHPRF through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PHPRF or a locus conversion of PHPRF with another maize variety.
US08350130B2
An inbred corn line, designated AB7, is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of inbred corn line AB7, to the plants and plant parts of inbred corn line AB7 and to methods for producing a corn plant, either inbred or hybrid, by crossing inbred line AB7 with itself or another corn line. The invention further relates to methods for producing a corn plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic plants produced by that method and to methods for producing other inbred corn lines derived from inbred corn line AB7.
US08350129B1
A soybean cultivar designated 06332236 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 06332236, to the plants of soybean cultivar 06332236, to the plant parts of soybean cultivar 06332236, and to methods for producing progeny of soybean cultivar 06332236. 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. The invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 06332236. The invention also relates to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines, or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 06332236, 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 cultivar 06332236 with another soybean cultivar.
US08350112B2
A process for transalkylating aromatic hydrocarbon compounds, the process comprising introducing an aromatic hydrocarbon feed stream and a water source to a transalkylation zone. The feed stream contacts a catalyst in the transalkylation zone in the presence of water, and produces a reaction product stream comprising benzene and xylene. The invention includes methods to control the transalkylation process.
US08350106B2
The selective saturation of unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons (e.g., diolefins) in a hydrogenation feed stream comprising an aromatic compound (e.g., benzene) and one or more nitrogen compounds renders it beneficial when the stream or a portion thereof is subsequently treated (e.g., with a zeolitic adsorbent) to remove nitrogen. In particular, the selective saturation of, for example, olefins and diolefins prolongs the life of the nitrogen guard bed. In a representative embodiment, the selective hydrogenation is applied to a recycle benzene-containing stream recovered in the separation section (e.g., from the benzene/toluene splitter overhead) of a styrene production process, prior to treatment with a nitrogen guard bed adsorbent.
US08350090B1
The present invention provides novel processes of preparing racemic and optically active cyclopentenones of Formula I: The invention also provides novel cyclopentenones of formula I in racemic or optically active form.
US08350085B2
The present disclosure relates to novel cocrystals and novel methods for cocrystallization. In particular, the disclosure includes cocrystals comprising a salt of an active agent, such as a chloride salt of an active pharmaceutical ingredient. The present disclosure also relates to methods of preparing cocrystals and methods for screening for solid state phases.
US08350083B2
The present application is directed to compounds that are TRPV1 antagonists and have formula (I) wherein variables Ar1, L1, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, Y1, Y2, and Y3, are as defined in the description, which are useful for treating disorders caused by or exacerbated by vanilloid receptor activity.
US08350080B2
A method is described for producing acyl glycinate salts of formula (II) in which R1 represents a saturated linear or branched alkyl radical comprising 1 to 21 carbon atoms or a monounsaturated or polyunsaturated linear or branched alkenyl radical comprising 2 to 21 carbon atoms, and B represents a cation, and/or the corresponding protonated acyl glycinic acid. Said method is characterized in that one or more fatty acid monoethanol amides of formula (I) in which R1 has the meaning indicated above is/are oxidized with oxygen in the presence of an optionally supported bimetallic catalyst consisting of gold and a metal from group VIII of the periodic table in the alkaline medium in order to obtain one or more acyl glycinate salts of formula (II). In order to produce the protonated acyl glycinic acids, the acyl glycinate salt/s of formula (II) is/are additionally reacted with an acid.
US08350079B2
There is provided a stable monohydrate form of treprostinil and pharmaceutical formulation comprising the same, method of making and using the same.
US08350077B2
The invention relates to pharmaceutical chemistry notably to new biologically active substances (BAS) and their properties. In particular, the invention relates to Creatine derivatives having a general formula: NH═C(NH2)—N(CH3)—CH2—CO—NH—R*X, wherein R—amino acid residue of aliphatic, aromatic or heteroaromatic L-amino acid or its derivative representing a salts of amino acid, amino acid esters, amino acid amides or peptides; X—lower organic or mineral acid or water. New substances are prepared by interaction of aforesaid amides of sarcosine having a general formula of HN(CH3)—CH2—CO—NH—R*X, wherein: R is amino acid residue or substituted amino acid residue; X is low-molecular-weight organic acid or mineral acid or water, with a guanidinylating agents with the in organic solvents at temperature not exceeding 50° C. New chemical compounds can be used as a remedy possessing a neuroprotective activity.
US08350072B2
The invention provides a method for producing soluble neodymium chloride complex using neodymium chloride aqueous solution as raw material, thereby avoiding the use of anhydrous neodymium chloride, simplifying the synthesis process and reducing the cost for synthesizing neodymium chloride complex. The neodymium chloride complex produced by this method is soluble not only in polar solvent, but also in nonpolar solvent. Such neodymium chloride complex also has good dissolvability in aliphatic hydrocarbon solvent which has relatively weaker solution power, and even in aliphatic hydrocarbon solvent with 6 or less carbon atoms which has even lower solution power. Since neodymium chloride complex is soluble in aliphatic hydrocarbon solvent, its transportation may be conducted, which is convenient for industrial application and contributes to improve the utilization efficiency of rare earth.
US08350068B2
A process is described for the purification of estolides for subsequent use as lubricants. This purification process comprises the removal of free fatty acids present in the estolide by liquid-liquid extraction using an alcohol, preferably ethanol or methanol, as solvent, where the total acid number of the estolide after purification is less than 1 mg KOH/g of sample, which endows it with characteristics of oxidation stability suitable for its use as a lubricant.
US08350067B2
In general, the invention features compounds useful for the synthesis of analogs of halichondrin B, such as eribulin or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, e.g., eribulin mesylate. Exemplary compounds are of formula (I), (II), or (III):
US08350066B2
The present invention provides a process for the extraction and isolation of bioactive lignans with high yield and purity from Sesame oil by sequential extraction, crystallization, and saponification. The present invention provides a process for the production of highly pure bioactive lignan crystal, lignan enriched formulations with lignan content varying from 50 to 95% and with product flexibility and also at the same time preserve the starting raw material i.e. sesame oil.
US08350065B2
A method of preparation of 5,6-dimethylxanthone-4-acetic acid (DMXAA) and derivatives thereof. The derivatives are represented by formula (I), wherein R represents totally 1 to 2 substitutes at 1, 2, 3, 7, and 8 position selected from a lower alkyl, halogen, CF3, CN, NO2, NH2, CH2COOH, OR2, OH, NHSO2R2, SR2, CH2CONHR2 or NHR2, and R2 represents a lower alkyl, or a lower alkyl having OH, NH2, or OCH3. The invention further provides a pharmaceutical composition having such derivatives used as excellent antitumor and antibacterial agents.
US08350062B2
The present invention provides bistramide analogs useful for treating various types of cancer.
US08350056B2
This invention relates to compounds useful as ionic liquids that are based on an N-substituted pyrrolidinone and incorporate a pendant ammonium cation that is spaced from the pyrrolidone ring by a variable length linker.
US08350049B2
The present invention provides novel antimicrobial immobilized 1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one/zinc oxide (BIT/ZnO) complexes useful as antimicrobial agents because of their resistance to being leached from the substrate to which they are attached. The present invention is also directed to methods for preparing the BIT/ZnO complexes, to BIT/ZnO complexes prepared by the novel methods, to methods for using the BIT/ZnO complexes to inhibit microbial growth or reduce the level of bacteria on the surface of a substrate, and to substrates protected to from microbial attack by being treated with the BIT/ZnO complexes. The present invention is further directed to compositions comprising 1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one which has been immobilized with zinc oxide.
US08350039B2
The present invention is directed to substituted isoquinoline derivatives, pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, and tautomers of such compounds or salts, that inhibit β-site amyloid precursor protein-cleaving enzyme (BACE) and that may be useful in the treatment of diseases in which BACE is involved, such as Alzheimer's disease. The invention is also directed to pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds and the use of these compounds and compositions in the treatment of such diseases in which BACE is involved.
US08350036B2
The present invention relates to chemical compounds with anti-cancer and anti-parasite activity. The invention relates, above all, to novel bisnaphthalimidopropyl derivatives with specific cytotoxic activity towards human cancer cells and protozoan cells capable of causing parasitic diseases in humans. The invention further relates to chemical compounds to be administered especially to humans and in particular for therapeutic use.
US08350032B2
The present invention discloses a number of photoactive compounds designed to bind and inhibit serine proteases. Compounds disclosed herein may be utilized in a number of appropriate medical diagnostic and/or therapeutic procedures such as the monitoring of hemostasis, imaging and/or treatment of vulnerable plaques, and/or tumor imaging and/or treatment.
US08350031B2
The present invention provides a compound of formula (IV) wherein R is Cl, Br, NO2, OH or OR′, and R′ is alkyl, and its use in the synthesis of levocetirizine, including its use in the synthesis of (−)-1-[(4-chlorophenyl)-phenylmethyl]piperazine, an intermediate useful in the synthesis of levocetirizine. The present invention also provides compounds (II) and (III) which are useful in the synthesis of compound (IV).
US08350025B2
The present invention relates, inter alia, to a process for preparing a compound of formula (I): using a quinuclidine-based catalyst or an optionally 3-substituted N-methyl pryrrolidine-based catalyst.
US08350024B2
A sugar derivative derived from Aphanothece sacrum as a freshwater blue-green alga, having a mean molecular weight of 2,000,000 or more and a repeat structure of a sugar chain unit where a sugar constituent of a hexose structure and a sugar constituent of a pentose structure are conjugated together in a linear chain or a branched chain, containing a lactated, sulfated sugar as a constituent, where 2.7 or more hydroxyl groups per 100 hydroxyl groups are sulfated or sulfur element occupies 1.5% by weight or more of all of the elements, in the sugar chain unit. A sugar derivative with a novel polysaccharide structure as derived from Aphanothece sacrum is provided in such manner.
US08350023B2
The present application provides several crystalline forms of gemcitabine base and methods of making the same.
US08350021B2
Conserved consensus sequences from known hepatitis B virus strains and known hepatitis C virus strains, which are useful in inhibiting the expression of the viruses in mammalian cells, are provided. These sequences are useful to silence the genes of HBV and HCV, thereby providing therapeutic utility against HBV and HCV viral infection in humans.
US08350019B2
Accordingly, the invention provides constructs in which the nucleic acids encoding Plasmodium falciparum MSP4 and MSP5, and the resulting polypeptides, have been modified. More particularly, this invention provides constructs encoding recombinant MSP4 and MSP5 polypeptides, which are expressed as soluble, secreted polypeptides in a baculovirus-insect cell expression system. It was surprisingly found that the recombinant polypeptides contain an EGF-like domain at the C-terminus that is properly folded in the polypeptide.
US08350013B2
The invention relates to methods for isolating a product and/or reducing turbidity and/or impurities from a load fluid comprising the product and one or more impurities by passing the load fluid through a medium, followed by at least one wash solution comprising arginine, and collecting the product using an elution solution. The invention further relates to a product prepared using a method as described herein.
US08350012B2
This invention describes monoclonal antibodies that suppress thyrotropin receptor constitutive activity and methods of using the antibodies to treat thyroid related diseases; particularly hyperthyroidism and thyroid cancer.
US08350011B2
The present invention relates to antibodies including human antibodies and antigen-binding portions thereof that specifically bind to ErbB2, preferably human ErbB2. In another embodiment, the antibodies or antigen-binding portions thereof inhibit ErbB2. The invention also relates to antibodies that are chimeric, bispecific, derivatized, single chain antibodies or portions of fusion proteins. The invention also relates to isolated heavy and light chain immunoglobulins or portions thereof derived from human anti-ErbB2 antibodies and nucleic acid molecules encoding such immunoglobulins. The present invention also relates to methods of using the antibodies and compositions for diagnosis and treatment. The invention also provides gene therapy methods using nucleic acid molecules encoding the heavy and/or light immunoglobulin molecules that comprise the human anti-ErbB2 antibodies. The invention also relates to transgenic animals or plants comprising nucleic acid molecules of the present invention.
US08350008B2
Wnt-1-Induced Secreted Proteins (WISPs) are provided, whose genes are induced at least by Wnt-1. Also provided are nucleic acid molecules encoding those polypeptides, as well as vectors and host cells comprising those nucleic acid sequences, chimeric polypeptide molecules comprising the polypeptides fused to heterologous polypeptide sequences, antibodies which bind to the polypeptides, and methods for producing the polypeptides.
US08350007B2
The present technology relates to the fields of crystallography, biochemistry, and drug design. In particular, methods and compositions for screening, identifying and designing compounds that interact with human mitoNEET.
US08350001B2
A method for removing a carbonization catalyst from a graphene sheet, the method includes contacting the carbonization catalyst with a salt solution, which is capable of oxidizing the carbonization catalyst.
US08349993B2
Hydrolytically and thermo-oxidatively stable sulfonated polyarylenes include the structural element —X—Ar(SO3M)n-Y—. The aromatic ring carrying the sulfonic acid group is substituted exclusively by electron-acceptor bridge groups X and Y and, if applicable, by other non-electron-donor substituents. Their synthesis and application are also included.
US08349988B2
Substrates, particularly low surface energy substrates, can be bonded using certain solvent-free liquid polyurethane adhesives. The adhesive cures through reaction with moisture and/or an active hydrogen-containing curing agent to form a tough, strong, thermoset polymer having excellent chemical and heat resistance. The adhesive is based on a polyurethane prepolymer obtained by reacting a stoichiometric excess of at least one polyfunctional isocyanate having a functionality of less than 2.2 with at least one polyether polyol and at least one polyester polyol containing isophthalic acid moieties but relatively few if any phthalic acid or terephthalic acid moieties.
US08349978B2
The invention provides a block polymer capable of being used as a molecular wire facilitating injection of carriers between itself and an electrode, and a device in which electrodes are bridged by one molecule. The block polymer has a main chain composed of polyacetylene having a spiral structure, and includes a coating insulating block and a conductive block. The coating insulating block has a polyacetylene unit structure having alkyl chains at its side chains through functional groups, the alkyl chains being arranged in a direction parallel to the major axis of the main chain. The conductive block has a polyacetylene unit structure having hydrogen atoms at its side chains through functional groups, the hydrogen atoms being arranged in a direction parallel to the major axis of the main chain. The device has the above-mentioned block polymer, and two or more electrodes.
US08349976B2
Copolymers which are composed of at least 4 monomers, including (meth)acrylate compounds containing perfluoroalkyl groups, are suitable for the treatment of fiber materials. The copolymers are usually used here in the form of aqueous dispersions. The fiber materials are in particular fabrics, for example made of polyolefin. Treatment with the copolymers imparts to them oil- and water-repellent properties and also repellent properties toward low molecular weight alcohols.
US08349974B2
A biaxially oriented polyarylene sulfide film which has an excellent elongation at break and flatness is provided. The biaxially oriented film may be a biaxially oriented polyarylene sulfide film which is substantially composed of a polyarylene sulfide resin (A), wherein one of the elongations at break in the machine direction and in the transverse direction of the film is not lower than 110%; one of the breaking stresses in the machine direction and in the transverse direction of the film of the film is not higher than 200 MPa; and both of the heat shrinkage ratio in the machine direction of the film and that in the transverse direction of the film at 260° C. for 10 minutes are not less than 0% and not more than 10%.
US08349973B2
A thermosetting epoxy resin composition can be cured rapidly at low temperature with an aluminum chelate-based latent curing agent without the use of a cycloaliphatic epoxy compound. The thermosetting epoxy resin composition includes an aluminum chelate-based latent curing agent, a silanol compound of the formula (A), and a glycidyl ether-type epoxy resin: (Ar)mSi(OH)n (A) wherein Ar is an optionally substituted aryl group, and m is 2 or 3, provided that the sum of m and n is 4. Examples of the silanol compound of the formula (A) include triphenylsilanol, diphenylsilanol, and the like.
US08349964B2
The present invention provides a polymer/metal nano-composite. The nano-composite includes at least one copolymer chain having alkenyl monomer units and maleimide monomer units, and a nano-sized metal or inorganic crystal. It also provides a method of producing nano-sized metal/inorganic crystals in pure form. These nano-composites and nano-crystals can be useful as polymer fillers, tire rubber compounds, semiconductors, nano-magnets, catalysts, and quantum dots etc.
US08349963B2
An elastic material for use in an absorbent article is provided. The elastic material contains a crosslinked network formed from a linear block copolymer having a monoalkenyl aromatic midblock positioned between conjugated diene endblocks (e.g., butadiene-styrene-butadiene (“B-S-B”) triblock copolymer). Prior to crosslinking, such linear block copolymers have a relatively low viscosity and thus may be readily formed into a precursor elastic material (e.g., film, strands, web, etc.) that is subsequently crosslinked to achieve the desired elastic and mechanical properties. Crosslinking is typically achieved through the formation of free radicals (unpaired electrons) that link together to form a plurality of carbon-carbon covalent bonds at the conjugated diene endblocks.
US08349957B2
The present invention provides a polyolefin resin composition which is excellent in mechanical properties and dimensional stability and is particularly excellent in heat resistance, a film which is excellent in mechanical properties, dimensional stability and heat resistance because it is obtained from the polyolefin resin composition and which is particularly excellent in meltdown properties, a macroporous membrane which is excellent in permeability and shutdown properties in addition to the above properties, and uses thereof. The polyolefin resin composition of the present invention (C) comprises 85 to 50% by mass of ultrahigh-molecular weight polyethylene (A) having a specific intrinsic viscosity and 15 to 50% by mass of a polymer (B) containing a repeating unit derived from 4-methyl-1-pentene, in 100% by mass of the polyolefin resin composition (C).
US08349948B2
A green approach for the development of nanocomposite materials comprising nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) and appropriate vinyl polymers is conceived. The approach deals with the in-situ graft co-polymerization of hydrophobic vinyl monomers, such as vinyl acetate and methyl methacrylate, onto the NCC surface in an aqueous medium. The resulting material is significantly more hydrophobic and thermally stable than the starting NCC. The nanocomposite material can be suspended in appropriate solvents, dried and molded with other materials using conventional polymer processing techniques to develop yet new materials with new characteristics. These nanocomposites have wide ranging applications from industrial to medical use.
US08349947B2
Process for polymerising, in a loop reactor, at least one olefin monomer in a liquid diluent to produce a slurry comprising solid particulate olefin polymer and said diluent, wherein the ratio between the actual volumetric solids concentration of the slurry and the maximum possible geometric volume solids concentration of the slurry as measured by the bulk density of an unpacked settled bed of particles, SVCR, is V*0.065 or greater, and the ratio of the cumulative settling distance of an average size particle at any point in the reactor in any direction perpendicular to the direction of the flow, to the internal diameter of the loop reactor, is maintained below [0.084*(V−6.62)+(0.69−SVCR)* 1.666], where V is the circulation velocity of the slurry in m/s and “cumulative settling distance” is defined as the cumulative distance, expressed as a fraction of the diameter, travelled by a particle in any direction perpendicular to the direction of the flow since the previous upstream pump.
US08349944B2
The invention concerns a polymer dispersion free of water and volatile organic solvent for preparing a lubricating composition for glass yarns and for finishing glass yarns and assembling glass yarns, in particular for grids and fabrics. The dispersion comprises the product of polymerization of a vinyl monomer in the presence of a free radical initiator in a reactive organic dispersion medium.
US08349934B2
The present invention is directed to a hardening composition comprising silica fine particles (a), a (meth)acrylate (b) having two or more ethylenically unsaturated groups and being free from cyclic structure, a (meth)acrylate (c) having an ethylenically unsaturated group and having an alicyclic structure, a polymerization initiator (d) and black inorganic fine particles (e), wherein the silica fine particles (a) are surface-treated with a silane compound (f) represented by the following general formula (1) and a silane compound (g) represented by the following general formula (2): (in the formula (1), R1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, R2 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms or a phenyl group, R3 represents a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms; q represents an integer of 1 to 6; and r represents an integer of 0 to 2, (in the formula (2), R4 is an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms or a phenyl group which may have a substituent; R5 is a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms; s is an integer of 0 to 6; and t is an integer of 0 to 2.
US08349933B2
A flame retardant composition and method for making flame retardant articles. The flame retardant composition can include a silicone polyetherimide, an fibrillated polytetrafluoroethylene, and a zinc borate. The silicone polyetherimide can be present in an amount of from about 99.6 to about 80.0 percent by weight. The silicone polyetherimide can have from about 5 to about 50 percent by weight dimethyl siloxane units, and less than about 100 ppm amine end groups. The fibrillated polytetrafluoroethylene can be present in an amount of from more than about 1.25 to about 5.0 percent by weight. The fibrillated polytetrafluoroethylene can be encapsulated in a polystyrene, a poly(styrene acrylonitrile), a poly(methyl methacrylate), a polycarbonate, a polyetherimide, a polysulfone, and combinations thereof. The zinc borate can be present in an amount of more than 0 to about 10 percent by weight.
US08349932B2
Disclosed is a polyamide composition including at least one semi-aromatic copolyamide, said semi-aromatic copolyamide consisting essentially of about 25 to about 55 mole percent repeat units of the formula —C(O)(CH2)mC(O)NHCH2ArCH2NH— (I) and about 45 to about 75 mole percent repeat units of the formula —C(O)(CH2)mC(O)NH(CH2)nNH— (II) wherein m is 8, 10, and/or 12, n is 6, 10 and/or 12 and Ar is a meta-substituted benzene ring; and said polyamide has a melting point equal to or less than 225° C.; and 0.25 to 20 weight percent of one or more polyhydroxy polymer(s) having a number average molecular weight of at least 2000 and selected from the group consisting of ethylene/vinyl alcohol copolymer and poly(vinyl alcohol). Also disclosed are molded or extruded articles including the polyamide composition.
US08349929B2
The instant invention provides an aqueous dispersion, a coating composition, coating layers and coated article made therefrom. The coating composition according to the present invention comprises: (1) the inventive aqueous dispersion comprising the melt blending product of: (a) from 50 to 99 percent by weight of one or more first polyesters, based on the total solid content of the dispersion, wherein said one or more first polyesters have an acid number in the range of from less than 15, for example less than 10, or in the alternative less than 5, based on the total solid content of the one or more first polyesters; (b) from 1 to 50 percent by weight of one or more stabilizing agents comprising at least one second polyester, based on the total solid content of the dispersion, wherein said second polyester has a carboxylic acid group and an acid number equal to or greater than 15, for example greater than 20, based on the solid content of the second polyester; (c) one or more neutralizing agents; and (d) from 15 to 90 percent by weight of water, based on the total weight of the dispersion; wherein said dispersion has a solid content of 10 to 85 percent, based on the total weight of the dispersion; and (2) one or more cross-linking agents.
US08349925B2
The present invention relates to a flame-retardant composition that comprises a synergistic flame-retardant mixture, and a method for flame-retarding a polymer by adding the flame-retardant composition. The invention further relates to polymers that contain said flame-retardant composition.
US08349922B2
A yellow water-based pigment dispersion liquid is provided that includes pigment particles dispersed with a significantly small particle size, that has excellent dispersion stability, that causes less precipitation even at low viscosity, and that provides high gloss when the dispersion liquid is used as a main component of inkjet recording ink. In order to produce the water-based pigment dispersion liquid, it is important to add, as a kneading aid, an acetylene glycol surfactant having a specific structure and an HLB value of 8 to 12 to a mixture containing a bis-acetoacetallylide pigment, a styrene-acrylic acid copolymer having an acid value of 145 to 175, a basic compound, and a humectant and then to knead the resultant mixture to obtain a pigment dispersion. By dispersing the pigment dispersion in a water-based medium, a water-based pigment dispersion liquid for inkjet recording having the characteristics above can be produced.
US08349915B2
Provided are an encapsulated colorant, a method of preparing the same, and an ink composition including the encapsulated colorant.
US08349906B2
Methods of making macroporous cation exchange resins are described. The macroporous cation exchange resins are in the form of particles such as beads that contain a hydrophilic, crosslinked, (meth)acrylic-type polymeric material. The macroporous cation exchange resins are prepared using an inverse suspension polymerization process in the presence of a water soluble, organic, aliphatic porogen having at least three hydroxy groups.
US08349904B2
A carbonaceous feedstock to alcohol conversion process in which carbon dioxide is removed from the syngas stream issuing from a feedstock reformer, to yield a carbon dioxide depleted syngas stream including hydrogen, carbon monoxide and methane. This carbon dioxide depleted syngas stream is then passed through a Fischer-Tropsch reactor ultimately yielding a mixed alcohol product which is preferably largely ethanol. The removed carbon dioxide stream is passed through a methane reformer along with methane, which is produced in or has passed through a Fischer-Tropsch reactor, to yield primarily carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The carbon monoxide and hydrogen stream from the methane reformer are passed through the alcohol reactor. Also disclosed are a unique catalyst, a method for controlling the content of the syngas formed in the feedstock reformer, and a feedstock handling system.
US08349895B2
A method and product for improving maternal and child health through nutrition. Omega-6 fatty acid and/or omega-3 fatty acid are provided to a woman and/or child prior to, during and/or after pregnancy to improve the health of the woman and her child. The ratios of the omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids vary during various stages, e.g., pre-pregnancy, pregnancy and post-pregnancy. The omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids can be in a variety of forms, such as at least one of highly purified algal oil comprising 70% by weight or more of the desired HUFA, triglyceride oil combined with phospholipid, phospholipid, protein and phospholipid combination, or dried marine microalgae.
US08349865B2
The instant invention provides for compounds that inhibit the four known mammalian JAK kinases (JAK1, JAK2, JAK3 and TYK2) and PDK1. The invention also provides for compositions comprising such inhibitory compounds and methods of inhibiting the activity of JAK1, JAK2, JAK3 TYK2 and PDK1 by administering the compound to a patient in need of treatment for myeloproliferative disorders or cancer.
US08349855B2
The present invention relates to three novel crystalline forms of Erlotinib hydrochloride and method of preparation thereof. Erlotinib hydrochloride is N-(3-ethynylphenyl)-6,7-bis(2-methoxy ethoxy)-4-quinazolinamine hydrochloride of formula-(I). The present invention provides stable novel crystalline forms of Erlotinib hydrochloride designated as Form-M, Form-N and Form-P, and processes for the preparation of the same. Erlotinib hydrochloride can be used as medicament for the treatment of hyperproliferative disorders, such as cancers, in humans.
US08349850B2
Novel heterocyclic compounds having the formula: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein A, B, D, E, G, K, L, M, Q, T, X, Y and Z are as described in the specification, which exhibit a dopamine receptor (preferably a D4 receptor) agonistic activity, and/or a PDE5 inhibitory activity, are disclosed, as well as processes of preparing same, pharmaceutical compositions containing same and uses thereof in the treatment of sexual disorders such as decreased libido, orgasm disorder and erectile dysfunction.
US08349844B2
The present invention relates to compounds of formula (I) wherein A, E G, J, L, M, R1, R2, and R3 are as defined in the specification and claims. The invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds and methods for preparing the compounds and compositions. The compounds are metabotropic glutamate receptor antagonists and are useful for the treatment of a variety of CNS disorders.
US08349842B2
Piperidine Compounds; compositions comprising a Piperidine Compound; and methods for treating or preventing pain, UI, an ulcer, IBD, IBS, an addictive disorder, Parkinson's disease, parkinsonism, anxiety, epilepsy, stroke, a seizure, a pruritic condition, psychosis, a cognitive disorder, a memory deficit, restricted brain function, Huntington's chorea, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, dementia, retinopathy, a muscle spasm, a migraine, vomiting, dyskinesia, or depression in an animal comprising administering to an animal in need thereof an effective amount of a Piperidine Compound are disclosed. In one embodiment, the Piperidine Compound has the formula: and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein Ar1, Ar2, X, R3, R4, and m are as disclosed herein.
US08349840B2
The present invention provides a heterocyclic compound represented by the general formula (1): The compound of the present invention has a wide treatment spectrum for mental disorders including central nervous system disorders, no side effects and high safety.
US08349834B2
This invention relates to certain unsaturated fatty acid derivatives of therapeutically active 1,3-dioxolane nucleoside analogues and to pharmaceutical formulations containing them. The said derivatives fall within formula (I). Compounds of formula (I) can be used in the treatment of a cancerous disease, including solid tumors and haematological cancers such as leukaemias, lymphomas and multiple myelomas.
US08349827B2
The present invention relates to substituted dipyrido-pyrimido-diazepine compounds, substituted benzo-pyrido-pyrimido-diazepine compounds and methods of synthesizing these compounds. The present invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions containing substituted dipyrido-pyrimido-diazepine compounds, substituted benzo-pyrido-pyrimido-diazepine compounds and methods of treating cell proliferative disorders, such as cancer, by administering these compounds and pharmaceutical compositions to subjects in need thereof.
US08349825B2
The present invention relates to a novel class of substituted spirocyclic compounds. These compounds can inhibit histone deacetylase and are suitable for use in selectively inducing terminal differentiation, and arresting cell growth and/or apoptosis of neoplastic cells, thereby inhibiting proliferation of such cells. Thus, the compounds of the present invention are useful in treating a patient having a tumor characterized by proliferation of neoplastic cells. The compounds of the invention may also be useful in the prevention and treatment of TRX-mediated diseases, such as autoimmune, allergic and inflammatory diseases, and in the prevention and/or treatment of diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), such as neurodegenerative diseases. The present invention further provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds of the instant invention and safe dosing regimens of these pharmaceutical compositions, which are easy to follow, and which result in a therapeutically effective amount of these compounds in vivo.
US08349823B2
Methods are provided of treating renal cancer by administration of certain 3,3′,4,4′-tetrahydroxy-2,2′-bipyridine-N,N′-dioxide compounds, especially 3,3′,4,4′-tetrahydroxy-2,2′-bipyridine-N,N′-dioxide (Orellanine), using particular administration protocols and dosing regimens, as well as pharmaceutical compositions suitable for use in the treatment methods that are provided.
US08349817B2
This invention relates to novel compounds which are derivatives of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor, cilostazol and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. This invention also provides pyrogen-free compositions comprising one or more compounds of the invention and the use of the disclosed compounds and compositions in methods of treating diseases and conditions that are treated by administration of a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, such as cilostazol. The invention also relates to the use of the disclosed compounds and compositions as reagents in analytical studies involving cilostazol.
US08349806B2
The present invention relates to a method for treating non-infectious, inflammatory chronic posterior blepharitis in a subject. The present invention also relates to a method for treating chronic posterior blepharitis in a subject for over two weeks. The method comprises identifying a subject in need thereof, and topically administering to the eye of the subject a pharmaceutical formulation consisting essentially of an effective amount azithromycin. The present invention further relates to a method for treating dry eye secondary to blepharitis in a subject. The method comprises the steps of: identifying a subject suffering from dry eye secondary to posterior blepharitis, and topically administering to the eye of the subject a pharmaceutical formulation comprising an effective amount of azithromycin. The present invention further relates to method for reducing contact lens intolerance of a subject due to blepharitis or dry eye secondary to blepharitis.
US08349800B2
The present invention provides von Willebrand Factor-polymer conjugates and Factor VIII-polymer conjugates, each having a releasable linkage. Methods of making conjugates, methods for administering conjugates, are also provided.
US08349794B2
Compositions useful for reconstitution of concentrated formulations containing protein/peptide pharmaceuticals are provided. The composition generally includes one or more lipids, as well as one or more alcohols that promote and stabilize the formation of (a) lipid molecular assemblies with greater protein encapsulation; (b) protein-lipid complexes and (c) protein and lipid solutions. The reconstitution medium improves the protein-lipid association that in turn alters the pharmaceutical properties.
US08349790B2
Compounds of general formula (I) below: in which R is a hydrogen atom, a methyl group, a CH2OH group, an ester group, preferably COOEt, or a methylene group, and in which not more than one of the four dashed lines represents a carbon-carbon double bond, and also their enantiomers and their diastereoisomers, a process for preparing them, and their use as an odorant agent in perfuming compositions.
US08349782B2
The invention relates to a hydrophobic and particulate soil removal composition and method for removal of hydrophobic and particulate soil from an article. Stubborn hydrophobic greasy or oily soils, including associated organic particulate soils, such as finely divided elemental carbon, are frequently encountered on hard surfaces including vehicle parts. The composition is selected to provide enhanced soil removal, preferably in vehicle cleaning applications.
US08349777B2
Disclosed are lubricating oil compositions comprising a major amount of an oil of lubricating viscosity; and from 0.05 to 10 weight % based upon the total lubricating oil composition of a 1,3-dioxolane-4-methanol compound of the formula I: wherein: R1 and R2 are each independently hydrogen, alkyl or alkenyl, wherein the sum of carbon atoms for R1 and R2 is 6 carbon atoms or less.
US08349774B2
Provided are a mixed nano-lubricating oil and a method for preparing the same. The method for preparing a mixed nano-lubricating oil includes the steps of: (a) preparing a mixed solution by adding and mixing a nanopowder and a dispersant to a solvent and pulverizing the nanopowder to a primary particle level; (b) modifying the surface of the nanopowder; (c) substituting the solvent of the mixed solution to a lubricating oil; and (d) mixing at least two nano-lubricating oils prepared using physically and chemically different nanopowders. According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the wear resistance and the load resistance at the same time by mixing at least two kinds of lubricating oils having excellent wear resistance or load resistance.
US08349772B2
A method of secondary oil recovery is disclosed wherein from 0.1 to 100 000 ppm of a medium soluble aminoalkylene phosphonic acid amine salt are used wherein both the aminoalkylene phosphonic acid moiety and the amine moiety are selected from a specifically defined class of compounds. The substantially medium soluble aminoalkylene amine phosphonates exhibit a significantly improved compatibility with the recovery medium and thus can propagate fairly freely into the medium and consequently cover a largely extended rock surface before being subject to precipitation in the form of a medium insoluble scale inhibitor. The amine compound is represented by combinations of structurally different compounds.
US08349764B2
An aggregate composition and process for making the aggregate composition. The aggregate composition includes an insoluble rare earth-containing compound and a polymer binder. The insoluble rare earth-containing compound can include one or more of cerium, lanthanum, or praseodymium. A suitable insoluble cerium-containing compound can be derived from cerium carbonate or a cerium salt. In a specific embodiment, the aggregate composition consists essentially of one or more cerium oxides, the polymer binder and optionally a flow aid. A process for making the composition includes mixing the insoluble rare earth-containing compound with a polymer binder to form a mixture, and subjecting the mixture to mechanical, chemical and/or thermal treatment to adhere the rare earth compound to the polymer binder. The aggregate composition can be used in a variety of fluid treatment applications to remove one or more chemical and biological contaminants in a fluid.
US08349763B2
A carbon monoxide reduction catalyst for smoking articles includes particles, 90% by volume or more of which have a particle diameter within a range of 1 to 100 μm. Each particle includes a transition metal oxide generated by heating a transition metal salt of an organic acid.
US08349755B2
Zeolite-based honeycomb bodies and methods of manufacturing same. Zeolite-based honeycomb bodies especially suited for engine exhaust treatment applications include a primary phase comprising a zeolite having a SiO2 to Al2O3 molar ratio in the range from 5 to 300. The zeolite-based composites are porous with an open porosity of at least 25% and a median pore diameter of at least 1 micron. The zeolite-based honeycomb bodies can be manufactured by an extrusion method.
US08349748B2
The present invention provides a fabric having soil resistance and no oil stains after wiping and a manufacturing method thereof. The fabric of the present invention comprises an underlayer and a soil-resistant protection film, which can effectively prevent oil corrosion, penetration, and permeation of the surface of the fabric, thus resulting in no oil stains after wiping. The manufacturing method of the present invention comprises the steps of dyeing, setting, performing an underlayer surface treatment to form an underlayer on a surface of the fabric, and performing a soil resistance processing treatment to form a soil-resistant protection film on the surface of the underlayer.
US08349747B2
An article useful as an architectural fabric having (a) a plurality of segments of fabric having a first surface and a second surface made of polytetrafluoroethylene fibers; and (b) a fluoropolymer coating disposed on at least the first surface of the fabric, and (c) at least one seam formed by an overlap of two of said segments, said seam having a seam warp strip tensile strength that is substantially equal to said nominal warp strip tensile strength at room temperature.
US08349745B2
A method is provided for fabricating a semiconductor nanoparticle embedded Si insulating film for short wavelength luminescence applications. The method provides a bottom electrode, and deposits a semiconductor nanoparticle embedded Si insulating film, including the element of N, O, or C, overlying the bottom electrode. After annealing, a semiconductor nanoparticle embedded Si insulating film has a peak photoluminescence (PL) at a wavelength in the range of 475 to 750 nanometers.
US08349744B2
Enhanced efficiency of a stress relaxation implantation process may be achieved by depositing a first layer of reduced thickness and relaxing the same at certain device regions, thereby obtaining an enhanced amount of substantially relaxed dielectric material in close proximity to the transistor under consideration, wherein a desired high amount of stressed dielectric material may be obtained above other transistors by performing a further deposition process. Hence, the negative effect of the highly stressed dielectric material for specific transistors, for instance in densely packed device regions, may be significantly reduced by depositing the highly stressed dielectric material in two steps with an intermediate relaxation implantation process.
US08349743B2
Disclosed is a method for fabricating a light emitting device. The method includes forming an oxide including gallium aluminum over a gallium oxide substrate, forming a nitride including gallium aluminum over the oxide including gallium aluminum and forming a light emitting structure over the nitride including gallium aluminum.
US08349742B2
A gallium nitride-based semiconductor device includes a composite substrate and a gallium nitride layer. The composite substrate includes a silicon substrate and a filler. The silicon substrate includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and the first surface defines a number of grooves therein. The filler is filled into the number of grooves on the first surface of the silicon substrate. A thermal expansion coefficient of the filler is bigger than that of the silicon substrate. The gallium nitride layer is formed on the second surface of the silicon substrate.
US08349738B2
Compositions and methods for forming a metal-containing thin film on a substrate. A reactor and at least one substrate in the reactor are provided. A metal-containing bis-β-diketiminate precursor is introduced into the reactor. The reactor is maintained at a set temperature and pressure, and the precursor is contacted with the substrate to form a metal-containing film on the substrate.
US08349717B2
A semiconductor device, such as a LDMOS device, comprising: a semiconductor substrate; a drain region in the semiconductor substrate; a source region in the semiconductor substrate laterally spaced from the drain region; and a drift region in the semiconductor substrate between the drain region and the source region. A gate is operatively coupled to the source region and is located offset from the drain region on a side of the source region opposite from the drain region. When the device is in an on state, current tends to flow deeper into the drift region to the offset gate, rather than near the device surface. The drift region preferably includes at least first and second stacked JFETs. The first and second stacked JFETs include first, second and third layers of a first conductivity type, a fourth layer intermediate the first and second layers including alternating pillars of the first conductivity type and of a second conductivity type extending between the source and drain regions; and a fifth layer intermediate the second and third layers, including alternating pillars of the first and second conductivity types extending between the source and drain regions.
US08349697B2
A field effect transistor (FET) that includes a drain formed in a first plane, a source formed in the first plane, a channel formed in the first plane and between the drain and the source and a gate formed in the first plane. The gate is separated from at least a portion of the body by an air gap. The air gap is also in the first plane.
US08349695B2
In sophisticated manufacturing techniques, the work function and thus the threshold voltage of transistor elements may be adjusted in an early manufacturing stage by providing a work function adjusting species within the high-k dielectric material with substantially the same spatial distribution in the gate dielectric materials of different thickness. After the incorporation of the work function adjusting species, the final thickness of the gate dielectric materials may be adjusted by selectively forming an additional dielectric layer so that the further patterning of the gate electrode structures may be accomplished with a high degree of compatibility to conventional manufacturing techniques. Consequently, extremely complicated processes for re-adjusting the threshold voltages of transistors having a different thickness gate dielectric material may be avoided.
US08349694B2
When forming the strain-inducing semiconductor alloy in one type of transistor of a sophisticated semiconductor device, superior thickness uniformity of a dielectric cap material of the gate electrode structures may be achieved by forming encapsulating spacer elements on each gate electrode structure and providing an additional hard mask material. Consequently, in particular, in sophisticated replacement gate approaches, the dielectric cap material may be efficiently removed in a later manufacturing stage, thereby avoiding any irregularities upon replacing the semiconductor material by an electrode metal.
US08349693B2
A semiconductor device includes a silicon substrate having a (110)-oriented surface, a PN column layer disposed on the (110)-oriented surface, a channel-forming layer disposed on the PN column layer, a plurality of source regions disposed at a surface portion of the channel-forming layer, and gate electrodes penetrate through the channel-forming layer. The PN column layer includes first columns having a first conductivity type and second columns having a second conductivity type which are alternately arranged in such a manner that the first columns contact the second columns on (111)-oriented surfaces, respectively. The gate electrodes are adjacent to the source regions, respectively, and each of the gate electrodes has side surfaces that cross the contact surfaces of the first columns and the second columns in a plane of the silicon substrate.
US08349691B2
A method of forming a power MOSFET is described. An epitaxial layer of first conductivity type is formed on a substrate of first conductivity type. A body layer of second conductivity type is formed in the epitaxial layer. A plurality of mask patterns are formed on the substrate. A plurality of trenches are formed in the body layer and the epitaxial layer between the mask patterns. An oxide layer is formed on surfaces of the trenches. A conductive layer is formed in the trenches. A trimming process is performed to the mask patterns to reduce the line width of each mask pattern. Two source regions of first conductivity type are formed in the body layer beside each trench by using the trimmed mask patterns as a mask. A plurality of dielectric patterns are formed on the conductive layer and between the trimmed mask patterns. The trimmed mask patterns are removed.
US08349685B2
A method and manufacture for memory device fabrication is provided. In one embodiment, at least one oxide-nitride spacer is formed as follows. An oxide layer is deposited over a flash memory device such that the deposited oxide layer is at least 250 Angstroms thick. The flash memory device includes a substrate and dense array of word line gates with gaps between each of the word lines gate in the dense array. Also, the deposited oxide layer is deposited such that it completely gap-fills the gaps between the word line gates of the dense array of word line gates. Next, a nitride layer is depositing over the oxide layer. Then, the nitride layer is etched until the at least a portion of the oxide layer is exposed. Next, the oxide layer is etched until at least a portion of the substrate is exposed.
US08349677B2
A semiconductor device is fabricated by forming a semiconductor substrate as a convex shape to increase a effective channel of a transistor and by stacking a first silicon germanium layer and a first silicon layer on the semiconductor substrate to form a first layer and stacking a second silicon germanium layer and a second silicon layer on the first layer to form a second layer such that the current reduced due to the increased effective channel is ensured, thereby being capable of high speed performance.
US08349676B2
Apparatus, systems, and methods may include managing electrostatic discharge events by using a semiconductor device having a non-aligned gate to implement a snap-back voltage protection mechanism. Such devices may be formed by doping a semiconductor substrate to form a first conductive region as a well, forming one of a source region and a drain region in the well, depositing a layer of polysilicon on the substrate to establish a gating area that does not overlap the one of the source region and the drain region, and forming an integrated circuit supported by the substrate to couple to the one of the source region and the drain region to provide snap-back voltage operation at a node between the integrated circuit and the source or drain region. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US08349658B2
A semiconductor device has a prefabricated multi-die leadframe with a base and integrated raised die paddle and a plurality of bodies extending from the base. A thermal interface layer is formed over a back surface of a semiconductor die or top surface of the raised die paddle. The semiconductor die is mounted over the raised die paddle between the bodies of the leadframe with the TIM disposed between the die and raised die paddle. An encapsulant is deposited over the leadframe and semiconductor die. Vias can be formed in the encapsulant. An interconnect structure is formed over the leadframe, semiconductor die, and encapsulant, including into the vias. The base is removed to separate the bodies from the raised die paddle. The raised die paddle provides heat dissipation for the semiconductor die. The bodies are electrically connected to the interconnect structure. The bodies operate as conductive posts for electrical interconnect.
US08349657B2
A semiconductor wafer contains a plurality of semiconductor die each having a peripheral area around the die. A first insulating layer is formed over the die. A recessed region with angled sidewall is formed in the peripheral area. A first conductive layer is formed over the first insulating layer outside the recessed region and further into the recessed region. A conductive pillar is formed over the first conductive layer within the recessed region. A second insulating layer is formed over the first insulating layer, conductive pillar, and first conductive layer such that the conductive pillar is exposed from the second insulating layer. A dicing channel partially through the peripheral area. The semiconductor wafer undergoes backgrinding to the dicing channel to singulate the semiconductor wafer and separate the semiconductor die. The semiconductor die can be disposed in a semiconductor package with other components and electrically interconnected through the conductive pillar.
US08349653B2
An assembly process properly positions and align a plurality of first die within a carrier substrate. The first die are positioned within cavities formed in the carrier substrate. The carrier substrate is then aligned with a second substrate having a plurality of second die fabricated therein. The first die and the second die are fabricated using different technologies. Aligning the carrier substrate and the second substrate aligns the first die with the second die. One or more first die can be aligned with each second die. Once aligned, a wafer bonding process is performed to bond the first die to the second die. In some cases, the carrier substrate is removed, leaving behind the first die bonded to the second die of the second substrate. In other cases, the carrier substrate is left in place as a cap. The second substrate is then cut to form die stacks.
US08349642B2
The invention relates to a method for treating a metal oxide layer deposited on a substrate. The method comprises the step of applying a substantially atmospheric plasma process at a relatively low temperature. Preferably, the temperature during the plasma process is lower than approximately 180° C. Further, the atmospheric plasma process can be applied in a plasma chamber comprising H2 gas and He gas.
US08349640B2
A method of manufacturing an image sensor having a plurality of pixels, each pixel having a photoelectric converter including an accumulation region, and a transfer gate, the accumulation region extending under a corresponding transfer gate, the plurality of pixels including a plurality of pixel groups, each pixel group including N adjacent pixels, and the channels of the N adjacent pixels, in each pixel group, being configured to transfer the charges of the N adjacent pixels away from each other, the method comprising a step of forming a resist pattern having one opening corresponding to each pixel group, and a step of forming a charge accumulation region for each of the N adjacent pixels by implanting ions into a substrate through the one opening of the resist pattern along N ion implantation directions so as to implant the ions under the transfer gate of each of the N adjacent pixels.
US08349639B2
A method for manufacturing an image sensor includes forming circuitry including a metal line over a semiconductor substrate, forming a photodiode over the metal line, and forming a contact plug in the photodiode such that the contact plug is connected to the metal line. The forming of the contact plug includes performing a first etch process to etch a portion of the photodiode, and performing a second etch process to expose a portion of the metal line by using a byproduct generated in etching, to form a via hole for the contact plug in the photodiode.
US08349638B2
To provide a solid-state imaging device able to improve light transmittance of a transparent insulation film in a light incident side of a substrate, suppress the dark current, and prevent a quantum efficiently loss, wherein a pixel circuit is formed in a first surface of the substrate and light is received from a second surface, and having: a light receiving unit formed in the substrate and for generating a signal charge corresponding to an amount of incidence light and storing it; a transparent first insulation film formed on the second surface; and a transparent second insulation film formed on the first insulation film and for retaining a charge having the same polarity as the signal charge in an interface of the first insulation film or in inside, thicknesses of the first and second insulation film being determined to obtain a transmittance higher than when using only the first insulation film.
US08349636B2
A method of manufacturing a phase change memory device is provided. A first insulating layer having a plurality of metal word lines spaced apart at a constant distance is formed on a semiconductor substrate. A plurality of line structures having a barrier metal layer, a polysilicon layer and a hard mask layer are formed to be overlaid on the plurality of metal word lines. A second insulating layer is formed between the line structures. Cross patterns are formed by etching the hard mask layers and the polysilicon layers of the line structures using mask patterns crossed with the metal word lines. A third insulating layer is buried within spaces between the cross patterns. Self-aligned phase change contact holes are formed and at the same time, diode patterns formed of remnant polysilicon layers are formed by selectively removing the hard mask layers constituting the cross patterns.
US08349634B2
A semiconductor device includes: a first substrate made of semiconductor and having first regions, which are insulated from each other and disposed in the first substrate; and a second substrate having electric conductivity and having second regions and insulation trenches. Each insulation trench penetrates the second substrate so that the second regions are insulated from each other. The first substrate provides a base substrate, and the second substrate provides a cap substrate. The second substrate is bonded to the first substrate so that a sealed space is provided between a predetermined surface region of the first substrate and the second substrate. The second regions include an extraction conductive region, which is coupled with a corresponding first region.
US08349629B2
A semiconductor light-emitting element includes a first semiconductor layer having a first conduction type, a second semiconductor layer having a second conduction type, an active layer provided between the first and second semiconductor layers, a polarity inversion layer provided on the second semiconductor layer, and a third semiconductor layer having the second conduction type provided on the polarity inversion layer. Crystal orientations of the first through third semiconductor layers are inverted, with the polarity inversion layer serving as a boundary. The first and third semiconductor layers have uppermost surfaces made from polar faces having common constitutional elements. Hexagonal conical protrusions arising from a crystal structure are formed at outermost surfaces of the first and third semiconductor layers. The first through third semiconductor layers are made from a wurtzite-structure group III nitride semiconductor, and are layered along a C-axis direction of the crystal structure.
US08349623B2
A method for manufacturing a thin film photoelectric conversion module comprising the steps of: (A) forming a plurality of divided strings by dividing a string, in which thin film photoelectric conversion elements provided by sequentially laminating a first electrode layer, a photoelectric conversion layer and a second electrode layer on the surface of an insulating substrate are electrically connected in series, into a plurality of strings by dividing grooves, electrically insulating and separating the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer one from the other and extending in a serial connection direction; and (B) performing reverse biasing by applying a reverse bias voltage to each of thin film photoelectric conversion elements of the divided string.
US08349620B2
A homogeneous immunoassay method and system for quantitative determination of total immunoglobulin E and specific antibody levels to a plurality of allergens, in which a relatively small sampling of blood is required. The method utilizes relatively small microparticles in aqueous suspension. The immunoassay procedure is an immunometric sandwich procedure preferably utilizing biotin-streptavidin signal amplification techniques and R-phycoerytherin fluorescent labels.
US08349615B2
The invention relates to a method of finding suitable parameters for the chromatographic purification of biomolecules. The method consists of equilibration, charging, washing and eluting steps, this sequence of steps being carried out by the partial batch method. The parameters determined in small, preferably numerous parallel test batches provide conclusions as to the chromatography conditions under which a given biomolecule can be purified optimally by column chromatography, optionally even on a larger scale.
US08349612B2
A guided structured testing kit which may include a test strip container, a test strip meter, a testing protocol advisor, and at least one of diagnostic test strip is presented. The diagnostic test strip includes a support element, a glucose reagent provided on the support element, and a glycemic context code provided on the support element. The glycemic context code can be machine-readable. The glycemic context code signals a glycemic context to a test strip meter, either upon insertion of the diagnostic test strip or by a user manually inputting the glycemic context into the test strip meter. A method for performing a guided structured test is also provided.
US08349607B2
Methods are disclosed for screening for the occurrence of gene silencing (e.g., post transcriptional gene silencing) in an organism. Also provided are methods for isolating silencing agents so identified.
US08349599B2
Described are multimeric oxidoreductase complexes which function in the enzymatic conversion of a carbon substrate. The complexes having a dehydrogenase subunit and a cytochrome C subunit. Also described are polynucleotides coding for the multimeric complexes and methods of use thereof.
US08349592B2
The invention relates to a process of fermenting plant material in a fermentation medium into a fermentation product using a fermenting organism, wherein one or more aldehyde dehydrogenases are present in the fermentation medium.
US08349591B2
Provided is a method of producing alcohol or sugar in a commercial-scale bioreactor using a reformulated commercial enzyme preparation. Also provided is a bioreactor modified to practice the method.
US08349590B2
The present invention relates to zFGF5 compositions and methods of using the compositions to proliferate chondrocytes and their progenitors, and to induce deposition of cartilage. zFGF5 compositions are disclosed for treating disorders associated with chondrocytes, such as cartilage injuries and defects. In addition, methods for treating neurological disorders, such as stroke, are disclosed, and methods for using zFGF5 compositions to stimulate growth of cells associated with neurological injury and disease are disclosed.
US08349587B2
The present disclosure identifies pathways, mechanisms, systems and methods to confer chemoautotrophic production of carbon-based products of interest, such as sugars, alcohols, chemicals, amino acids, polymers, fatty acids and their derivatives, hydrocarbons, isoprenoids, and intermediates thereof, in organisms such that these organisms efficiently convert inorganic carbon to organic carbon-based products of interest using inorganic energy, such as formate, and in particular the use of organisms for the commercial production of various carbon-based products of interest.
US08349575B2
The present invention provides a method and composition for raising an immune response in an animal. The method comprising administering to the animal a composition comprising a carrier and an antigen bound to a targeting moiety. The targeting moiety binds to at least one receptor that is upregulated on lymphocytes that home to MAdCAM+ mucosal lymphoid tissues.
US08349573B2
The present invention relates generally to detection of occult blood. In particular, the present invention provides a device and methods for the simultaneous detection of hemoglobin and transferrin in fecal samples, which permit a more sensitive diagnosis of occult blood in fecal sample and a differential diagnosis of bleeding of the upper GI tract versus the lower GI tract.
US08349572B2
A stable eukaryotic cell line that expresses hERG and exhibits a stable current under electrophysiological test conditions is provided.
US08349571B2
A high content screening (HCS) assay for rapidly screening one or more compounds to determine functional response or pharmacological properties thereof, comprising: i) priming a cell or cell material with a sensor for a biological response; ii) contacting the compound(s) to be tested with the primed cell or cell material or contacting a cell or cell material which has been contacted with the compound(s) with the primed cell or cell material; iii) simultaneously or subsequently contacting with a fluorescent agonist or a fluorescent neutral antagonist wherein the binding of the fluorescent agonist or antagonist and its associated biological response are detected or monitored in the same cell and are distinct allowing separate readout.
US08349570B2
Provided herein are methods for detecting gram negative bacteria or lipopolysaccharide in a sample. Kits for detecting gram negative bacteria or lipopolysaccharide in a sample are provided.
US08349563B2
The present disclosure relates to the amplification of target nucleic acid sequences for various sequencing and/or identification techniques. This can be accomplished via the use of target primers. The use of these target primers, as described herein, allows for the reduction in the amplification of undesired hybridization events (such as primer dimerization) while allowing for the amplification of the target nucleic acid sequences.
US08349561B2
Disclosed are compositions and methods for reducing the proliferation of ALL cancer cells through targeted interactions with ALL1 fusion proteins.
US08349559B2
The present invention relates to the generation of a population of Epo-responsive marrow derived cells that express Epo-responsive genes and gene products. The present invention also relates to the detection of Epo-responsive genes and gene products as well as to the detection of the administration of Epo, Epo-derivatives and Epo-mimetics in subjects.
US08349558B2
The present invention relates to a method for identifying the preferential target antigens of antitumoural T-cells of a tumour patient, comprising: a) providing T-cells from the blood of at least one tumour patient, b) providing dendritic cell (DCs) and/or B-lymphocytes (BLCs) that are autologous for said tumour patient, wherein said DCs and BLCs were transfected beforehand with a selection of mRNAs encoding for T-cell-immunogenic tumour-associated antigens (TAA), and express these, c) contacting said T-cells with the DCs and/or BLCs, d) identifying of those T-cells that recognize antigens of the DCs and/or BLCs, and e) identifying of the preferential target antigens of antitumoural T-cells of the at least one tumour patient on the basis of the T-cells that recognize antigens of the DCs and/or BLCs. The method can furthermore comprise the expansion of the T-cells that recognize the antigens of the DCs and/or BLCs. The present invention furthermore relates to a method for producing an individualized tumour vaccine or individualized tumour therapeutic, as well as corresponding methods for treating a tumourous disease using the individualised tumour vaccine or individualised tumour therapeutic.
US08349544B2
In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a protection film can be formed using a double exposure technology to increase a developer resistance of the protection film without increasing the thickness of the protection film for realizing fine patterning. The method comprises forming a protection film on a first resist pattern formed on a substrate; and forming a second resist pattern on the protection film between parts of the first resist pattern. The protection film is formed in at least two layers by using different methods.
US08349541B2
The semiconductor device manufacturing method comprises the step of transferring patterns formed on a reticle to a semiconductor substrate by an exposure with oblique incidence illumination. In the step of making the exposure with oblique incidence illumination, the exposure is made with an aperture stop 16 including a first ring-shaped aperture 22, and a plurality of second apertures 24a1-24a4 formed around the first ring-shaped aperture 22. The exposure is made with an aperture stop 16 having the first ring-shaped aperture 22 which can transfer patterns arranged at a medium pitch to a relatively large pitch with a relatively high resolution and the second aperture 24a1-24a4 which can transfer patterns arranged at a relatively small pitch with a relatively high resolution, whereby even when the patterns are arranged at various pitch values, the DOF can be surely sufficient, and the patterns can be stably transferred.
US08349540B2
The semiconductor device manufacturing method comprises the step of transferring patterns formed on a reticle to a semiconductor substrate by an exposure with oblique incidence illumination. In the step of making the exposure with oblique incidence illumination, the exposure is made with an aperture stop 16 including a first ring-shaped aperture 22, and a plurality of second apertures 24a1-24a4 formed around the first ring-shaped aperture 22. The exposure is made with an aperture stop 16 having the first ring-shaped aperture 22 which can transfer patterns arranged at a medium pitch to a relatively large pitch with a relatively high resolution and the second aperture 24a1-24a4 which can transfer patterns arranged at a relatively small pitch with a relatively high resolution, whereby even when the patterns are arranged at various pitch values, the DOF can be surely sufficient, and the patterns can be stably transferred.
US08349536B2
A dithiane derivative, having a structure expressed by the following general formula 1: where R1 is —H, or —CH3, a polymer containing a monomer unit containing the dithiane derivative, a resist composition containing the polymer, and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device using the resist composition.
US08349532B2
Provided is a toner for an electrostatic charge image development having toner particles which contain: a binder resin; a colorant; and a compound represented by Formula (1) in an amount of 0.1 to 65 ppm based on the total weight of the toner particles: wherein R1 and R2 each respectively represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or an aryl group.
US08349531B2
Compounds and methods of forming compounds useful as a toner or toner precursor are disclosed. The compounds may include an aqueous dispersion, the dispersion including: (A) at least one thermoplastic resin; and (B) 0 to 5 weight percent of a stabilizing agent, based on the total weight of (A) and (B). The dispersion may have an average volume diameter particle size from about 0.05 to about 10 microns. A combined amount of the thermoplastic resin and the stabilizing agent may have an acid number of less than 25 mg KOH/g.
US08349528B2
Semiconductor devices and methods of manufacturing thereof are disclosed. A plurality of features is formed on a workpiece, the plurality of features being located in a first region and a second region of the workpiece. Features in the first region have a first lateral dimension, and features in the second region have a second lateral dimension, wherein the second lateral dimension is greater than the first lateral dimension. The first region is masked, and the second lateral dimension of features in the second region is reduced.
US08349517B2
A method of coating a surface of a fuel cell plate is disclosed herein, and involves forming a sol gel mixture by mixing a weak acid and a composition including at least two metal oxide precursors. One of the metal oxide precursors is configured to be hydrolyzed by the weak acid to form a mixed metal oxide framework with an other of the metal oxide precursors having at least one organic functional group that is not hydrolyzed by the weak acid. The mixture is applied to the surface, and is condensed by exposure to air at least one predetermined temperature and for a predetermined time. The sol gel mixture is immersed in water at a predetermined temperature and for a predetermined time to form a porous, hydrophilic, and conductive film on the surface.
US08349515B2
A crosslinked object of a polybenzoxazine-based compound formed of a polymerized resultant of a first monofunctional benzoxazine-based monomer or a second multifunctional benzoxazine-based monomer with a crosslinkable compound, an electrolyte membrane including the crosslinked object, a method of preparing the electrolyte membrane, and a fuel cell employing the electrolyte membrane including the crosslinked object.
US08349513B2
A polymer electrolyte membrane comprising as a main ingredient a block copolymer which comprises, as its constituents, a polymer block (A) having as a main unit an aromatic vinyl compound unit and a polymer block (B) forming a flexible phase, and has ion-conducting groups on the polymer block (A), said aromatic vinyl compound unit being such that the hydrogen atom bonded to the α-carbon atom is non-replaced or replaced with an alkyl group or an aryl group optionally having substituent(s), and at least one of hydrogen atoms directly bonded to the aromatic ring is replaced with an alkyl group; and a membrane electrode assembly and a polymer electrolyte fuel cell both of which uses it. The polymer block (A) can have a restraining phase, and/or can be cross-linked. The electrolyte membrane is mild to the environment, has a high ion conductivity and good bonding properties to electrodes, is excellent in moldability, and is not easily influenced by methanol; and displays excellent performance in polymer electrolyte fuel cells, particularly direct methanol fuel cells.
US08349495B2
A nonaqueous electrolyte battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode containing a lithium-titanium composite oxide and a lithium-absorbing material in a weight ratio falling within the range defined in formula (1) given below, and a nonaqueous electrolyte. The lithium-absorbing material has a lithium absorption potential nobler than a lithium absorption potential of the lithium-titanium composite oxide. 3≦(A/B)≦100 (1) Where A denotes the weight (parts by weight) of the lithium-titanium composite oxide, and B denotes the weight (parts by weight) of the lithium-absorbing material.
US08349489B2
The invention provides a cathode active material that includes: a particle containing a cathode material capable of absorbing and releasing an electrode reactive material; and a film that is disposed at least partially to the particle and contains a metal salt represented by a formula (1). (R1 represents a (a1+b1+c1) valent group and M1 represents a metallic element. a1, d1, e1 and n each represent an integer of 1 or more and b1 and c1 each represent an integer of 0 or more. However, b1 and c1 satisfy (b1+c1)≧1.), a cathode therewith and a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery.
US08349485B2
A modular battery includes a housing, a first planar battery cell having a first planar electrode surface, a second planar battery cell having a second planar electrode surface, and an interconnector disposed between the first planar surface and the second planar surface and electrically connecting the first and second planar electrode surfaces, side peripheries of the interconnector, the first and second planar battery cells being electrically insulated from the housing. A method is also provided.
US08349477B2
A leak detection sensor for detecting a leakage of an electrolyte solution in a flow battery system is provided. The sensor includes a sensor housing, the sensor housing being at least partially surrounded by a fluid and having mounted therein at least one light source. The device also includes at least one light detector, wherein light emitted from at least one light source is incident on a portion of the housing in contact with a fluid and is at least partially refracted by an amount which is dependent on a refractive index of the refractor lens and the surrounding fluid, such that the amount of refraction at the refractor lens and the surrounding fluid causes a loss in a power of light detected by the at least one light detector, the light detector determines the intensity of the detected light, determines the composition of fluid surrounding the device housing based on the based on the difference between the measured light intensity and the intensity of light produced by the light source, and determines a leak if the composition of fluid is determined to be an electrolyte solution.
US08349471B2
A high-strength cold-rolled steel sheet with improved TS-EL balance, springback value, workability and shape freezing properties having: a steel content including 0.10-0.20 mass % C, 0.5-2.5 mass % Si, 0.5-2.25 mass % Mn, and 0.01-0.10 mass % Al; a structure comprising (A) a mother phase structure of ferrite and (B) a second phase structure of retained austenite optionally including martensite; and satisfying the following expressions (1) and (2): (Vf×Vγ×Cγ×dis)/dia≧300 (1), dis≧1.0 μm (2); where Vf (%) is the volume fraction of the ferrite, Vγ (%) is the volume fraction of the retained austenite, Cγ (mass %) is the carbon content in the retained austenite, dis (μm) is the shortest distance between the second phase structures, and dia (μm) is the average grain size of the second phase structures.
US08349468B2
A Ni alloy layer is formed on a surface of a steel base on the side to be in direct contact with a molten aluminum alloy, and titanium carbide (TiC) is bonded in a particulate state to the surface of the Ni alloy layer. This makes it possible to provide a metal material having materially enhanced melting loss resistance without resorting to conventional techniques, such as the provision of a ceramic coating by PVD or CVD.
US08349461B2
A photo-curing polysiloxane composition includes a polysiloxane, an o-naphthoquinonediazidesulfonate compound, and a solvent. The polysiloxane contains less than 30 wt % of a polysiloxane fraction having a molecular weight above 8,000, and 35 wt % to 60 wt % of a polysiloxane fraction having a molecular weight ranging from 500 to 2,000 when calculated from an integral molecular weight distribution curve obtained by plotting cumulative weight percentage versus molecular weight falling within a range between 500 and 50,000 measured by gel permeation chromatography. A protective film formed from the photo-curing polysiloxane composition and an element containing the protective film are also disclosed.
US08349458B2
The present invention includes interlayers and multiple layer glazing panels comprising those interlayers, wherein the interlayers comprise poly(vinyl butyral) and a glycerol based plasticizer. The addition of the glycerol based plasticizer surprisingly results in a plasticized poly(vinyl butyral) layer that is suitable for use in a wide range of multiple layer glazing applications.
US08349457B2
Perfluoroisopropyl-substituted perfluorophtalocyanines, including zinc (II), copper (II) and oxo-vanadium (IV) complexes of 29H,31H,1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-octakis-fluoro-2,3,9,10,16,17,23,24-octakis-perfluoro(isopropyl)phthalocyanine (F64Pc), may be sublimed under high vacuum conditions. The compounds/molecules produce advantageous thin films (20-100 nm) on glass substrates by physical vapor deposition. Many potential applications of the disclosed compounds/molecules are disclosed, e.g., as semiconductor materials. In situ electrical conduction and optical transmission measurements during the deposition process reveal the formation of conducting pathways and potential microscopic intermolecular electronic couplings.
US08349448B2
The present invention relates to a pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet including: a laminated structure in which a light-shielding layer, a white or silver layer, and a colored layer are laminated in this order; and at least one pressure-sensitive adhesive layer as at least one surface layer, in which at least one surface of the pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet has L* of 30 or more and C* of 3 or more, L* representing a luminosity and C* representing a chromaticness, and in which the pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet as a whole has a transmittance of a light having a wavelength of 550 nm of 0.3% or less. The pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet of the invention is excellent in light-shielding property irrespective of the thinness thereof as well as in decorativity due to the surface thereof that is colored with a bright color.
US08349447B2
An inorganic fine particle layer containing inorganic fine particles and a binder component is formed on a surface of a substrate by chemical bonding. The inorganic fine particles are coated with silane monomer each having an unsaturated bond. The content of the binder component is in the range of 0.1% by mass to 40% by mass to the content of the inorganic fine particles.
US08349434B2
A fluoropolymer coating composition that may be applied over a primer and/or at least one midcoat in a non-stick coating system. The coating composition may be prepared and applied in the form of a liquid dispersion, and includes at least one fluoropolymer base component, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and, in particular, at least one high molecular weight PTFE (HPTFE). The coating composition additionally includes a blended fluoropolymer composition. The blended fluoropolymer composition is a blend of at least one low molecular weight PTFE (LPTFE) and at least one melt-processible fluoropolymer. After application directly to a substrate or over an underlying coating, the coating demonstrates improved abrasion and scratch resistance, as well as improved release characteristics, as compared to known coatings that include only HPTFE or HPTFE with a small amount of melt processible fluoropolymer.
US08349433B2
A multi-layer plate member bonding structure includes a first plate member having a binding unit protruded from the top surface thereof, a second plate member having one open chamber cut through opposing outer face and bonding face thereof corresponding to the binding unit of the first plate member, and an adhesive filled up the open chamber and cured to form a first stop portion in the relatively greater upper part of the open chamber and a second stop portion in the relatively smaller lower part of the open chamber to secure the first plate member and the second plate member firmly together.
US08349430B2
A padding system for protecting an outer surface of an appliance. The padding system includes a securing device that is attached to opposed first and second ends of a pad. The securing device consists of a first securing member that is releasably attachable to a second securing member when the pad is secured around the outer surface of the appliance. The padding system additionally includes a hand strap that is attached to the first end of the pad. A slit is formed in the pad adjacent to the second end of the pad. The hand strap is passable through the slit to provide a hand grip when the pad is secured around the outer surface of the appliance.
US08349422B2
The invention relates to a Flexible Intermediate Bulk Container (FIBC) having a body made of flexible woven fabric, and integral handling devices, wherein the fabric is woven from opaque oriented polyethylene terephthalate (PET) strips having a density of from 500 to 1300 kg/m3 and a tensile strength of at least 250 MPa.Advantages of said FIBC include directly printability with the usual type of inks, giving excellent contrast and good adhesion, without pre-treatment like a corona- or flame-treatment. The FIBC based on the PET fabric also shows higher gloss; better UV resistance; better mechanical properties, like high tensile strength and creep resistance; favorable abrasion resistance; and higher temperature resistance than a conventional big bag based on polypropylene strips.The invention further relates to such a FIBC based on stress-whitened PET tapes obtained by a special drawing process.
US08349409B2
A liquid droplet of a first liquid and a liquid droplet of a second liquid are mixed upon landing on a substrate, and then the reaction is initiated between the first and second liquid droplets. Accordingly, it is possible to avoid the problem which would have been caused when the two liquids are mixed in advance before the usage that the reaction between the two liquids is advanced before the liquids are actually coated. Further, since the ink-jet system is employed, it is possible to precisely control the liquid-droplet amount and the landing position, thereby landing the first and second liquids on a same position with high precision. Accordingly, a highly integrated pattern can be formed. Furthermore, since the mixing ratio of the first and second liquids can be precisely controlled, the film quality can be stabilized.
US08349407B2
The present disclosure is directed to a coating composition that is capable of producing coatings being sag-free at high coating thicknesses, having excellent adhesion to substrates, and good appearance. This disclosure is further directed to a coating composition comprising components derived from renewable resources.
US08349406B2
A coated abrasive product is disclosed, which includes a substrate and an abrasive layer overlying the substrate. The abrasive layer includes abrasive grains and a binder, the binder being formed from a binder formulation having first and second binder components mixed together uniformly with the abrasive grains, wherein the first binder component is radiation curable and the second binder component comprises a powder and is thermally curable.
US08349405B2
A liquid discharge method is a method for depositing liquid on a plurality of target discharge partitioned areas formed on a substrate as the liquid is selectively discharged from a plurality of discharge nozzles while the substrate and the discharge nozzles are moved relative to each other. The liquid discharge method includes setting an arrangement pattern according to shapes and positions of the target discharge partitioned areas so that a number of the discharge nozzles selected to be used among the discharge nozzles capable of depositing the liquid in the target discharge partitioned areas is the same in each discharge timing.
US08349398B2
An aerosol spray apparatus and a method of forming a film using the aerosol spray apparatus are disclosed. The aerosol spray apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes: a carrier gas injection unit, which forms carrier gas by vaporizing liquefied gas and increases the pressure of the carrier gas; an aerosol forming unit, which forms an aerosol by mixing the carrier gas with powder; and a film forming unit, which sprays the aerosol in a normal pressure environment such that the film is formed on the surface of the board. The apparatus can perform a coating process with no restriction of the type and size of powder, simplify the process because the film can be formed in a normal temperature and pressure environment, and control a wide range of film thickness in a short time.
US08349388B1
A stent mounting device and a method of coating a stent using the device are provided. The mandrel is made from or is coated with a hydrophobic or hydrophilic material, depending on the type of coating composition that is employed.
US08349384B2
A method and apparatus are provided for forming and baking an edible cone-shaped container, the container being of a bread dough provided with a light, flaky texture by the inclusion of solid flaked fat pieces in the dough mixture and the cone formed by an initial forming and cooking step followed by multiple baking steps.
US08349381B2
An edible pet chew that is made of rehydrated hide about an inner fill via a positioning sheath.
US08349380B2
Ultraviolet light stabilized antimicrobial compositions are formed from (A) and (B). (A) is (I) a solid-state microbiocidal compound having at least one bromine atom in the molecule; (II) an aqueous solution or slurry of (I); (III) is a concentrated aqueous antimicrobial composition having a dissolved active bromine content derived from (i) BrCl or BrCl and Br2 and (ii) overbased alkali metal sulfamate and/or sulfamic acid, alkali metal base, and water, (IV) solids made by dewatering a composition of (III). (B) is a ultraviolet light degradation-inhibiting amount of up to one part by weight of ascorbic acid, dehydroascorbic acid and/or an edible water-soluble salt/ester thereof per part by weight of bromine in the selected antimicrobial composition. Preparation and uses of such compositions are described. Methods of controlling contamination of seafood and seafood products by pathogens are also described.
US08349376B1
A novel dietary supplement is featured which can benefit individuals suffering from various conditions such as nutritional deficiencies, vitamin deficiencies, aging, dementia/Alzheimer's disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, coronary artery disease, stroke and mental cognition.
US08349373B1
This invention relates to a dietary supplement for use in a weight loss program, which alleviates insulin resistance in the presence of the metabolic syndrome. The dietary supplement includes, in combination, berberine, banaba leaf extract, and inositol. Also provided is a method of treatment in a weight loss program.
US08349369B2
This invention relates to aqueous solutions of reactive chlorine compounds having the empirical formulae H2Cl2O6 or ClO3H, for example, and the derivatives, anions or salts thereof. The invention further relates to methods for the production of said compounds and the use thereof in the pharmaceutical and particularly in the medical field, in cosmetics, medicinal care and in the domains of food technology and technology.
US08349358B1
A transdermal analgesic applicator configured to provide a visual signal subsequent sufficient absorption of an analgesic compound ensuing the transdermal analgesic applicator being applied to the skin of a patient. The transdermal analgesic applicator includes a first layer that is impermeable and has integrally formed therewith on at least a portion thereof a plurality of microcapsules containing a thermochromic dye mixture. The first layer having the portion of microcapsules presents a first color at ambient room temperature and a second color at temperature greater than the first temperature as a result of being placed on the skin of a patient. A second layer containing an analgesic compound is secured to the first layer. The first layer changes from the first color to the second color subsequent the first layer changing from the first temperature to the second temperature, which the rate of temperature change is approximately equivalent to the absorption rate of the analgesic compound.
US08349352B2
A drug delivery system is disclosed. The drug delivery system includes a recognitive polymeric hydrogel through which a drug is delivered by contacting biological tissue. The recognitive polymeric hydrogel is formed using a bio-template, which is a drug or is structurally similar to the drug, functionalized monomers, preferably having complexing sites, and cross-linking monomers, which are copolymerized using a suitable initiator. The complexing sites of the recognitive polymeric hydrogel that is formed preferably mimic receptor sites of a target biological tissue, biological recognition, or biological mechanism of action. A system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is a contact lens for delivering a drug through contact with an eye. In a particular embodiment of the invention, the drug is an anti-microbial, such as an anti-fungal agent for treatment of large animals, such as horses.
US08349350B2
A polymer coating for medical devices based on a polyolefin derivative. A variety of polymers are described to make coatings for medical devices, particularly, for drug delivery stents. The polymers include homo-, co-, and terpolymers having at least one olefin-derived unit and at least one unit derived from vinyl alcohol, allyl alcohol and derivatives thereof.
US08349345B2
A composition for control of diseases on useful plants or on propagation material thereof caused by phytopathogens, that, in addition to customary inert formulation adjuvants, comprises as active ingredient a mixture of component (A) and a synergistically effective amount of component (B), wherein component (A) is Cyprodinil; and component (B) a compound selected from compounds known for their fungicidal activity, is particularly effective in controlling or preventing fungal diseases of useful plants.
US08349344B2
The present invention is directed to novel insecticidal compositions comprising bifenthrin and enriched cypermethrin, the compositions are physically stable when diluted with water.
US08349336B2
The present invention discloses isolated nucleic acid molecules encoding a hyperimmune serum reactive antigen or a fragment thereof as well as hyperimmune serum reactive antigens or fragments thereof from S. pyogenes, methods for isolating such antigens and specific uses therefor.
US08349330B2
The present invention is directed to antagonists of CS1 that bind to and neutralize at least one biological activity of CS1. The invention also includes a pharmaceutical composition comprising such antibodies or antigen-binding fragments thereof. The present invention also provides for a method of preventing or treating disease states, including autoimmune disorders and cancer, in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering into said subject an effective amount of such antagonists.
US08349319B2
The invention relates to dose escalation enzyme replacement therapy using acid sphingomyelinase (ASM) for the treatment of human subjects having acid sphingomyelinase deficiency (ASMD), and, in particular, patients with non-neurological manifestations of Niemann-Pick Disease (NPD), and in certain embodiments, NPD type B.
US08349315B2
The invention relates to the use of Lactobacillus casei in orally administrable compositions for increasing protection against influenza after the influenza vaccine, by potentiating the humoral response generated by said vaccine.
US08349310B2
1,5-octadien-3-ol is an attractant for biting insects, particularly mosquitoes and may be used alone or with other attractants.
US08349306B2
The present invention relates to an amphiphilic block copolymer of a hydrophilic block and a hydrophobic block with a terminal hydroxyl group wherein the terminal hydroxyl group of the hydrophobic bock is substituted with a tocopherol or cholesterol group. It also relates to polymeric compositions capable of forming stable micelles in an aqueous solution, comprising the amphiphilic block copolymer and a polylactic acid derivative wherein one or more ends of the polylactic acid are covalently bound to at least one carboxyl group.
US08349305B2
The present invention provides methods and compositions for the treatment of ion imbalances. In particular, the invention provides polymeric and pharmaceutical compositions comprising crosslinked amine polymers. Methods of use of the polymeric and pharmaceutical compositions for therapeutic and/or prophylactic benefits are disclosed herein. Examples of these methods include the treatment of renal diseases and hyperphosphatemia.
US08349302B2
Shampoo compositions comprise (a) from about 5% to about 50% of one or more detersive surfactants; (b) a dispersed gel network phase comprising: (i) at least about 0.05% of one or more fatty amphiphiles; (ii) at least about 0.01% of one or more secondary surfactants; and (iii) water; (c) at least about 0.05% of a galactomannan polymer derivative with a net positive charge and having a mannose to galactose ratio of greater than 2:1 on a monomer to monomer basis, wherein the galactomannan polymer derivative has: (i) a molecular weight from about 1,000 to about 10,000,000; and (ii) a cationic charge density from about 0.7 meq/g to about 7 meq/g; and (d) at least about 20% of an aqueous carrier; all by weight of the shampoo composition.
US08349299B2
A method of imparting a shape memory effect to hair may include administrating an effective amount of a hair-conditioning agent to hair. The hair-conditioning agent may include a shape memory polymer selected from the group consisting of a polyurethane, an acrylic acid copolymer, a pyridine-based copolymer, and a pyrrolidone copolymer.
US08349298B2
A dental bleaching composition comprises a dental bleaching agent and a polyvinylpyrrolidone thickening agent. The bleaching composition may include water, flavoring agents, a basic substance and desensitizing agents, as desired. Polyvinylpyrrolidone avoids acid etching and chelation of teeth that were problematic in bleaches using carbomer as a thickener. A delivery system for delivering the bleaching composition comprises the aforementioned dental bleaching composition in combination with a moisture-resistant barrier layer such as a dental tray or a flexible strip of material.
US08349290B2
A multi-fluidized bed water-gas shift reactor wherein a specific syngas containing a high concentration of carbon monoxide produced by gasification of a heavy carbon source such as coal, vacuum residue, glycerin, etc., is in contact with water under a catalyst so as to produce hydrogen and, in addition, a method for production of hydrogen using the foregoing reactor are disclosed. In other words, the disclosure describes a multi-fluidized bed water-gas shift reactor containing low and high temperature catalysts as well as steam and a method for production of hydrogen using the same, wherein 30 to 70% carbon monoxide in the syngas as a gas mixture containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen monoxide, and the like, which are generated through partial oxidation and vapor gasification at 900 to 1,600° C., may be favorably converted into hydrogen without mixing both of the catalysts.
US08349287B2
Positive electrode active material and non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery containing the same
The present invention relates to a positive electrode active material comprising a lithium-containing composite oxide containing nickel with an oxidation state of 2.0 to 2.5 and manganese with an oxidation state of 3.5 to 4.0, the oxidation state determined by the shifts of energy at which absorption maximum is observed in the X-ray absorption near-K-edge structures, and to a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery using the same, the positive electrode active material being characterized in having a high capacity, a long storage life and excellent cycle life.
US08349285B2
The invention relates a pyrolytic carbon black produced from pyrolyzed rubber, the pyrolytic carbon black having an ash content ranging between 9-15%, a toluene discoloration at 425 mu of between 80-90% transmission, an iodine adsorption between 30 and 45 mg/g; and, an n-dibutyl phthalate absorption number of or to 65 cc/100 gm.
US08349276B2
Apparatuses and methods for manipulating droplets on a printed circuit board (PCB) are disclosed. Droplets are actuated upon a printed circuit board substrate surface by the application of electrical potentials to electrodes defined on the PCB. The use of soldermask as an electrode insulator for droplet manipulation as well techniques for adapting other traditional PCB layers and materials for droplet-based microfluidics are also disclosed.
US08349275B2
A microfluidic device with microstructure includes a channel for accommodating an electrolytic solution therein and at least one microstructure formed in the channel. When an alternating-current signal is input to the microfluidic device so that a surface of the microstructure is polarized by a generated electric field, ions having polarity reverse to that of an electrolytic solution will migrate to the surface of the microstructure to form a field-induced electrical double layer to result in electro-osmotic flows at the corners at two sides of the microstructure, which causes formation of relatively fierce circular vortices in the solution. A sensing system and a sensing method using the microfluidic device with microstructure are also disclosed.
US08349272B2
An apparatus for decontaminating articles comprised of: a decontamination chamber; a conveyor for conveying articles to be decontaminated along a first path through the decontamination chamber; a vaporizing unit connected to the decontamination chamber, the vaporizing unit disposed above the decontamination chamber; a blower for conveying a carrier gas through the vaporizing unit and through the decontamination chamber; heating means for heating the carrier gas flowing through the vaporizing unit; a source of liquid hydrogen peroxide fluidly connected to the vaporizing unit; and an injection device for injecting liquid hydrogen peroxide into the vaporizing unit.
US08349265B2
A mounting mat for an exhaust gas treatment device includes first and second major opposite facing surfaces, leading and trailing edges, and opposite lateral edges. At least a portion of one or both of the opposite lateral edges includes an edge protectant that protects the mounting mat against erosion from hot gases encountered during the normal operation of the exhaust gas treatment device. The edge protectant remains flexible after it has been applied to the mounting mat and substantially dried. Also disclosed is an exhaust gas treatment device that includes a housing and a fragile structure mounted within the housing by the mounting mat having the edge protectant deposited thereon. Additionally disclosed are methods of making the mounting mat and an exhaust gas treatment device.
US08349263B2
An improved process for the production of olefins, and in particular for separation of olefins produced by a dehydrogenation process from paraffin feed stocks, is provided. A high pressure product splitter is used to separate olefins produced in a dehydrogenation plant from residual paraffin feed stocks. The use of a high pressure splitter to separate olefin products from paraffin feed stocks allows for recovery of a high purity olefin product with lower energy consumption compared to prior art processes. The process is particularly suited to separation of propylene from propane.
US08349262B2
The present disclosure relates to an apparatus that includes one or more nitric oxide permeable housings.
US08349254B2
A circuit for collecting a blood component includes a blood collection device provided with a blood collection needle through which blood is collected from a blood donor, a blood separator in which the blood collected by the above blood collection device is separated, a blood component collection bag in which a predetermined blood component separated by the above blood separator is collected, a blood line in which the blood collection needle is connected to an inlet of the blood separator, a line for removing an initial blood flow, which branches from a first branching portion formed in the blood line, and in which an initial flow of blood collected from the blood donor is removed, and an anticoagulant-injection line that branches from a second branching portion, formed in the line for removing the initial blood flow, and into which an anticoagulant is injected.
US08349252B2
The present invention relates to a method for preserving biological material comprising the steps of: providing a vitrification solution comprised of the biological material and a vitrification agent where the solution has a temperature in the range from 0.1° C. to 17.9° C.; microwaving the vitrification solution for a first period of time; allowing the vitrification solution to rest for a second period of time; repeating steps b and c until the vitrification solution enters into a glassy state.
US08349245B2
A method of producing a vehicle interior panel having a hollow double-walled structure made of thermoplastic comprising, blow molding with a pair of mold halves including a first mold with a shape transfer surface having a three dimensional pattern, and a second mold, clamping a cover material being formed by at least a double-layer structure arranged between a cavity of said first mold and a parison of thermoplastic such that a resin sheet layer without a through hole and without a three dimensional pattern faces a cavity of said first mold, introducing a pressurized fluid into the parison to press the cover material and the parison against a cavity surface, thereby integrally laminating said cover material to an outer surface of a first wall of the panel having the hollow double-walled structure and transferring said three dimensional pattern of said first mold half to said resin sheet.
US08349229B2
A method for producing tables made of mixtures of a plurality of materials, and a method for producing a sulfurous fertilizer. A method for producing tablets made of mixtures of a plurality of materials, particularly urea mixtures, having the following steps:—producing a liquid melt of a first material,—adding at least one further material in solid or liquid form to the melt for producing a mixture,—output of drops of the mixture onto a steel belt by means of a drop former having a rotating, perforated outer drum,—solidification of the drops of the mixture on the steel belt into tablets, wherein the at least one additional material is mixed into the liquid melt in liquid form immediately before the drop former or into the liquid melt in solid. form upstream of a two-stage heated grinding and mixing unit.
US08349228B2
An optical film characterized by a high degree of flatness that can be used as a phase difference film of a liquid crystal display, and a method for manufacturing this optical film according to melt-casting film forming method. A melt including a cellulose resin is extruded onto a rotary support member 5 (cooling roll) from a flow casting die 4. A rotary pinch member 6 (touch roll) is energized to the rotary support member 5, and a nip is formed between them. When the melt is sandwiched and pressed by the nip, a die line and irregularity in thickness are removed. The linear pressure of the rotary pinch member 6 and the temperature of the melt immediately before the melt is sandwiched and pressed by the nip are set within a predetermined range, whereby effective correction of the film flatness is achieved.
US08349224B2
The present invention relates to flame retardant polymer compositions which comprise melamine phenylphosphonates and mixtures with dihydro-oxa-phosphaphenanthrene derivatives. The compositions are especially useful for the manufacture of flame retardant compounds based on polyfunctional epoxides or polycondensates like polyesters, polyamides and polycarbonates.
US08349217B2
The present invention has features in that a lithium transition metal silicate obtained by sintering a mixture containing a transition metal compound containing at least one transition metal selected from the group consisting of Mn, Fe, Co and Ni; a lithium compound; and a silicon-based polymer compound, is used as a positive electrode material for a secondary battery. The lithium transition metal silicate of the present invention has a high lithium occlusion and release efficiency per unit amount of a transition metal. A secondary battery in which the cost is low, stability and safety are high, and superior charge and discharge characteristics are exhibited can be provided.
US08349213B2
This invention relates to cleaning compositions comprising unsaturated fluorinated hydrocarbons. The invention further relates to use of said cleaning compositions in methods to clean, degrease, deflux, dewater, and deposit fluorolubricant. The invention further relates to novel unsaturated fluorinated hydrocarbons and their use as cleaning compositions and in the methods listed above.
US08349207B2
A chemical mechanical polishing aqueous dispersion includes (A) colloidal silica having an average particle size calculated from the specific surface area determined by the BET method of 10 to 60 nm, (B) an organic acid having two or more carboxyl groups and one or more hydroxyl groups in one molecule, and (C) a quaternary ammonium compound shown by the following general formula (1), wherein R1 to R4 individually represent hydrocarbon groups, and M− represents an anion, the chemical mechanical polishing aqueous dispersion having a pH of 3 to 5.
US08349205B2
Provided is a lubricating oil composition for a refrigerator, the refrigerator using a refrigerant which has a low global warming potential and is applicable to, in particular, current car air conditioning systems or the like, that is, the refrigerant including at least one kind of fluorine-containing organic compounds selected from compounds represented by the following molecular formula (A) or including a combination of the fluorine-containing organic compound and a saturated fluorinated hydrocarbon compound, CpOqFrRs (A) where: R represents Cl, Br, I, or H; p represents an integer of 1 to 6, q represents an integer of 0 to 2, r represents an integer of 1 to 14, and s represents an integer of 0 to 13; and provided that, when q represents 0, p represents 2 to 6 and one or more carbon-carbon unsaturated bonds are included in molecules, in which the composition comprises a base oil including as a main component a polyvinyl ether-based compound having an alkylene glycol unit, or a polyoxyalkylene glycol unit and a vinyl ether unit in a molecule and having a hydroxyl value of 15 mgKOH/g or less.
US08349204B2
A Hydroseed substrate for mixing with other ingredients such as water, seeds, fertilizer, wetting agents and dye, to produce Hydroseeding slurry is disclosed. The substrate includes cellulose materials (e.g. cardboard, paper and/or wood) and an absorbent. The absorbent is a super absorbent polymer such as linear polyacrylamide (—CH2CHCONH2—) or copolymers of acrylamide (C3H5NO) polymers. The super absorbent polymer improves moisture retention, improves viscosity, reduces friction, and improves coverage of the hydroseed mixture.
US08349202B2
Methods for bevel edge etching are provided. One example method is for etching a film on a bevel edge of a substrate in a plasma etching chamber. The method includes providing the substrate on a substrate support in the plasma etching chamber. The plasma etching chamber has a top edge electrode and a bottom edge electrode disposed to surround the substrate support. Then flowing an etching process gas through a plurality of edge gas feeds disposed along a periphery of the gas delivery plate. The periphery of the gas deliver plate is oriented above the substrate support and the bevel edge of the substrate, and the flowing is further directed to a space between the top edge electrode and bottom edge electrode. And, flowing a tuning gas through a center gas feed of the gas delivery plate.
US08349177B2
A solid-liquid separator that separates raw water containing suspended solids into suspended solids (solid) and treated water (liquid) in easy and a short time is provided. A solid-liquid separator includes a separation tub, an inflow pipe configured to rotate raw water which flowed from the outlet of the inflow pipe in the separation tub, a froth discharge pipe configured to discharge the suspended solids surfaced in the separation tub and a treated water discharge pipe configured to discharge treated water by which the suspended solids were removed from raw water from the separation tub.
US08349174B2
A fuel-cell powered medical fluid processing machine or dialysis machine is disclosed. The machine is intended for remote or rural areas where standard household or utility power is not available or is subject to interruption. The fuel cell is powered by hydrogen or other source of protons, or may instead be powered by methanol or ethanol, such as a direct methanol fuel cell. The fuel cell may be operated directly, as in powering a portable, wearable dialysis device, or may be operated indirectly, to generate and store power in an electric power storage device of the medical fluid or dialysis device. The medical fluid processing machine or dialysis machine may include circuitry allowing for use by household or utility power while also including a fuel cell for use when other power is not available. A catalytic heater may be used to warm the dialysis fluid.
US08349168B2
Analytes in a liquid sample are determined by methods utilizing sample volumes of less than about 1.0 μl and test times within about eight seconds. The methods are preferably performed using small test strips including a sample receiving chamber filled with the sample by capillary action.
US08349160B2
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for manipulation and/or position control of particles by means of force fields of electrical nature in electrically conductive solutions, wherein power dissipated by Joule effect, which may cause the death of biological specimens under examination, is advantageously removed. The apparatus comprises a first substrate, upon which lies an array of electrodes, the application of a set of electric voltages to the electrodes generating a force field; a second substrate at a distance from, and parallel to, the first substrate so as to delimit a microchamber within which a liquid containing the particles is inserted; and cooling means for extracting an appropriate amount of heat from the microchamber, the cooling means comprising a second microchamber made in contact with, or by means of, the first or second substrate and through which a flow of cooling liquid or gas is pumped.
US08349157B2
A biosensor is disclosed comprising a support; a conductive layer composed of an electrical conductive material such as a noble metal, for example gold or palladium, and carbon; slits parallel to and perpendicular to the side of the support; working, counter, and detecting electrodes; a spacer which covers the working, counter, and detecting electrodes on the support; a rectangular cutout in the spacer forming a specimen supply path; an inlet to the specimen supply path; a reagent layer formed by applying a reagent containing an enzyme to the working, counter, and detecting electrodes, which are exposed through the cutout in the spacer; and a cover over the spacer. The biosensor can be formed by a simple method, and provides a uniform reagent layer on the electrodes regardless of the reagent composition.
US08349154B2
The invention relates to modified electrodes for ER fluids prepared by adding a rough, wear-resisting, and low conductive modified layer on the surface of metallic electrodes. The material for the modified layer can be at least one from diamond, alumina, titanium dioxide, carborundum, titanium nitride, nylon, polytetrafluoroethylene, adhesive, and adhesive film. Through the addition of the modified layer, the adhesion of the ER fluid to electrodes is increased so that the shear stress measured near the plates is close to the intrinsic value, which makes the ER fluid applicable, while reducing the leakage current and increasing the breakdown voltage of the ER fluid equipment.
US08349150B2
An actuator includes a fixed including a substrate, electrodes disposed on a surface of the substrate, and an insulating layer disposed on the surface of the substrate to cover the electrodes. The actuator includes an electrically conductive, liquid member disposed on and contacting a surface of the insulating layer, a movable body contacting the liquid member, a retaining device configured to adhere the liquid member to the movable body, a device configured to apply potential to each of the electrodes, and a controller configured to control the device. The controller controls the device to change potential applied to each of the electrodes to vary liquid repellency of the insulating layer in response to potential difference applied between each of the electrodes and the liquid member to change at least one of a contact portion between the liquid member and the insulating layer and a contact area of the liquid member contacting on the surface of the insulating layer, to move the movable body relative to the fixed body.
US08349147B2
A method for forming a photocatalytic apatite includes a target production step (S12) for producing a sputtering target that contains photocatalytic apatite, and a sputtering step (S13) for forming a photocatalytic apatite film on a substrate by sputtering using the target. A firing step (S11) for firing the photocatalytic apatite is conducted before the sputtering step so as to increase the crystallinity of the photocatalytic apatite.
US08349143B2
A shadow mask for patterning a substrate during a semiconductor process. In one implementation, a method for performing a Physical vapor deposition (PVD) on a substrate is provided. The method includes placing a substrate on a susceptor disposed below one or more PVD guns and below a plasma shield assembly having an aperture piece comprising a bellows and a shadow mask coupled to a bottom side of the bellows, the aperture piece detachably coupled to the plasma shield assembly, wherein a region defined between sides of the bellows is smaller than a width of the substrate. The method includes lowering the bellows toward the substrate to place the shadow mask in contact with the substrate and depositing a material on an isolated region on the substrate through the shadow mask.
US08349142B2
A graphene production apparatus 100 has a vessel 10 and, attached thereto, an immersion electrode 20 and a non-immersion electrode 30. The immersion electrode has an electrode covering 20c and an electrode main body 20e, and the non-immersion electrode has a covering 30c and an electrode main body 30e. An argon-feeding conduit 40 is disposed so as to inject argon into the vessel 10 around the electrode main body 30e. Ethanol is supplied in such an amount that the liquid surface completely covers the electrode main body 20e of the immersion electrode 20 and does not reach the electrode main body 30e of the non-immersion electrode 30. The electrode main body 20e is formed from, for example, iron, nickel, or cobalt.
US08349137B2
This invention relates to a dewatering device for dewatering a material web (5), particularly a tissue web, in a paper machine where the dewatering device is placed after a forming unit (16) and before a thermal drying device (11). The dewatering device consists of a press roll (1) with a press belt (3) running round it. Here, the material web (5) is carried into the dewatering device either on a water-absorbing belt (4) or on a wire (10). The water-absorbing belt (4) is placed in the dewatering device between the material web (5) and the press belt (3). This invention also relates to a dewatering process performed with the dewatering device.
US08349134B2
The invention relates to a process for producing paper, board and cardboard of high dry strength by separately adding a polymer comprising vinylamine units and a polymeric anionic compound to a paper pulp, dewatering the pulp and drying the paper products, which comprises using as polymeric anionic compound at least one copolymer obtainable by copolymerizing (a) at least one N-vinylcarboxamide of the formula in which R1 and R2 are H or C1- to C6 alkyl, (b) at least one monoethylenically unsaturated monomer comprising acid groups, and/or the alkali metal, alkaline earth metal or ammonium salts thereof, and if appropriate (c) other monoethylenically unsaturated monomers, and if appropriate (d) compounds having at least two ethylenically unsaturated double bonds in their molecule.
US08349118B2
Provided is a manufacturing method for a non-contact communication medium, including: forming in a first region a first structure including an IC chip mounted on the first region, a first adhesive in an uncured state, which is applied on the IC chip, and a first plate member placed on the first adhesive; forming in a second region a second structure including a second adhesive in an uncured state, which is applied on the second region, and a second plate member placed on the second adhesive; sandwiching the first region and the second region by a first partition wall capable of partitioning the first region and accommodating the first structure and a second partition wall capable of partitioning the second region and accommodating the second structure; and heating the first partition wall and the second partition wall, to thereby thermally cure the first adhesive and the second adhesive, respectively.
US08349117B2
An absorbent wearing article including an air permeable and liquid-impervious backsheet and a liquid-retentive absorbent structure placed on the backsheet. An outer sheet has having elastic members is placed on and bonded to a surface of the backsheet opposed to its surface bonded to the absorbent structure. The outer sheet has the elastic members intermittently bonded under tension thereto, and is formed in a region thereof facing the absorbent structure with an opening. The elastic members extend laterally under tension from a peripheral edge of the opening beyond the absorbent structure and the first backsheet is exposed through the opening.
US08349088B1
A method of surface cleaning wherein recovering a soiled cleaning fluid from a surface to be cleaned is subsequent to the application of fluid to the surface as a module moves along different and opposite directions.
US08349078B2
The present method of forming a nitride semiconductor epitaxial layer includes the steps of growing at least one layer of nitride semiconductor epitaxial layer on a nitride semiconductor substrate having a dislocation density lower than or equal to 1×107 cm−2 with a chemical decomposition layer interposed therebetween, the chemical decomposition layer being chemically decomposed at least with either a gas or an electrolytic solution, and decomposing the chemical decomposition layer at least with either the gas or the electrolytic solution at least either during or after the step of growing the nitride semiconductor epitaxial layer, thereby separating the nitride semiconductor epitaxial layer from the nitride semiconductor substrate. A high-quality nitride semiconductor epitaxial layer suffering less damage when separated from the nitride semiconductor substrate is thereby formed.
US08349072B2
Cementitious compositions in which the cementitious properties of fly ash are carefully controlled are described. The cementitious compositions may be substantially free harsh acids and bases such as citric acids (≈pH 2.2) and alkali metal activators including alkali hydroxides (≈pH 12-14) and metal carbonates (≈pH 11.6). The use of these harsh chemicals creates acid base reactions during use of the products. Instead of these harsh chemicals, a lactic acid salt based activator is be used as a reaction accelerator. Boric compounds may be used as a retarder in the compositions.
US08349068B2
A premixed composition is formed from modified polyacrylate polymer, silicone emulsion, and silane, that cures rapidly to form a composition that can be used as a grout or coating. The premixed composition includes a latex resin including an acrylic-based polymer, a silicone emulsion, and a silane, and optionally may include various fillers, pigments, and adjuvants. These components in the proper proportions form a stable viscous suspension that can be floated into tile joints, and cleaned from an adjacent tile surface. The composition rapidly cures to form a hard mass that is resistant to abrasion, in both dry and wet conditions, is color consistent, and is resistant to staining.
US08349063B2
A pencil lead containing flake graphite which has an ab face having a flatness of at least 2 μm or less and in which an aspect ratio of an a axis or a b axis in the ab face to a c axis is 5 or more is provided with a structure in which nanoparticles having a mv value of 0.05 to 2 based on 100 of a volume average diameter (mv value) of the graphite and having a sphericity of 0.1 to 20 nm or nanoparticles having a mv value of 0.05 to 2 based on 100 of a volume average diameter (mv value) of the graphite and having a specific surface area of 200 to 600 m2/g are brought into contact with the ab face of the graphite or a structure in which they are adhered to the ab face of the graphite.
US08349062B2
The invention is directed to a composition for simultaneously washing and waxing an automotive exterior surface. More particularly, this invention relates to a wash and wax composition that imparts a detergent-resistant wax to the vehicle surface. The composition comprises water, nano-scale particles of a wax, a surfactant, n-octyltriethoxysilane, diethoxyoctylsilyl trimethylsilyl ester of silicic acid, and an amino-functional siloxane or tetra(trimethylsiloxy) silane, wherein the wax particles, n-octyltriethoxysilane, diethoxyoctylsilyl trimethylsilyl ester of silicic acid, and amino-functional siloxane or tetra(trimethylsiloxy) silane form an emulsion or dispersion in the water.
US08349057B2
Air filters comprising thin-walled textile filter bodies have to be cleaned periodically. According to a method known to this purpose, the filtered material is loosened using pressure pulses in a flushing air flow. According to the invention, for generating the pressure pulses a plurality of small, quick-acting valves are in each case briefly opened, the opening moments being adapted to one another in such a way that partial pulses released thereby arrive simultaneously at the inlet of a flushing line common thereto.
US08349054B2
An adsorption drying apparatus, in particular for drying a compressed gas, includes an adsorption chamber (11) having a plurality of adsorption conduits (101) containing an adsorption material (123), a first feeding line (106) and a first discharging line (109) disposed at a first end (111) of the adsorption chamber (11), and a second feeding line (108) and a second discharging line (107) disposed at a second end (112) of the adsorption chamber (11). The adsorption chamber (11) is rotatable with respect to the feeding and discharging lines (106, 107, 108, 109) so that the adsorption conduits may be fluidically connected in temporal alternation, wherein the gas is dried in a drying sector (102), and the adsorption material (123) is regenerated in the regeneration sector (103). The first feeding line (106) is configured such that the gas stream to be dried may be fed to the regeneration sector (103) as a full flow.
US08349052B2
An electric precipitator prevents dielectric breakdown by ensuring the dielectric distance among a plurality of electrodes. The electric precipitator includes a charging section for charging dust particles in air, and a collecting section for collecting the dust particles charged by the charging section. The collecting section includes a high voltage electrode having a conductive layer coated with a dielectric layer, and a low voltage electrode having at least one protrusion that maintains a gap between the high voltage electrode and the low voltage electrode. The conductive layer includes at least one cutting part formed in an area corresponding to the protrusion.
US08349050B2
The present invention relates to a desulfurizing agent of improved oxidation resistance, ignition resistance and productivity, and a method for manufacturing the desulfurizing agent. The desulfurizing agent may include a plurality of magnesium-aluminum alloy grains with grain boundaries, and a compound of one selected from consisting of magnesium and aluminum and one selected from consisting of alkaline metal and alkaline earth metal, the compound exists in the grain boundaries and is not inside but outside of the magnesium-aluminum alloy grains.
US08349045B2
The present application provides a turbine inlet air filter system for an incoming flow of air. The turbine inlet air filter system may include a gas turbine engine, a chimney, a weather hood positioned on the chimney, and a filter house. The incoming flow of air flows through the weather hood, the chimney, the filter house, and into the gas turbine engine.
US08349041B2
An abrasive article includes an abrasive layer having an array of protrusions. The abrasive layer has a thickness not greater than about 500 mils. The abrasive article is free of a backing layer.
US08349040B2
The present invention relates to polycrystalline ultra hard material cutting elements, and more particularly to a method of forming a polycrystalline ultra hard material cutting element with a thicker ultra hard layer than cutting elements formed by prior art methods. In an exemplary embodiment, such a method includes pre-sintering the ultra hard material powder to form an ultra hard material layer that is partially or fully densified prior to HPHT sintering, so that the ultra hard layer is pre-shrunk. This pre-sintering in an exemplary embodiment is achieved by means of a spark plasma process, or in another exemplary embodiment by a microwave sintering process.
US08349032B2
Fuel oxygenates comprised of fatty acid or fatty acid ester derivatives which have been reacted with ozone; a base; and a lower alkanol (1 to 8 carbon atoms) are described. The oxygenates comprise ester groups at a point of cleavage by the ozone which provide oxygen in the oxygenate.
US08349031B2
The invention provides a battery separator comprising a porous resin film and a crosslinked polymer supported thereon and having iminodiacetic acid groups in side chains of the polymer chains. The iminodiacetic acid group is preferably represented by the formula wherein M1 and M2 are each independently a hydrogen atom, a lithium atom, a potassium atom, a sodium atom, or triethylamine. It is preferred that the layer of the crosslinked polymer is substantially nonporous or solid, and ion conductive, and that the crosslinked polymer has in the molecule oxetanyl groups which are capable of cation polymerization.
US08349029B2
The present invention relates to azo dyes of the formula (1) in which R, M, and Y are defined as stated in claim 1, to dye mixtures comprising them, to processes for preparing them, and to their use.
US08349026B2
Products for dying keratin fibers comprising, in a cosmetically acceptable carrier, at least one oxidation dye precursor and at least one alkanolamine, the product containing at least one zwitterionic surfactant according to formula (I)—
US08349020B2
An artificial muscle (10) comprises a chamber (12) having a flexible wall of plastics material, a device for heating and/or cooling a low-boiling-point fluid contained in, or in communication with, the chamber so that at least some of the fluid changes state between liquid and gaseous so that the force in the chamber on the flexible wall changes and/or the flexible wall moves to change the volume of the chamber, and a tendon (14) which at least partly encircles the chamber over an extent that varies with variations in the chamber volume for transmitting force between the flexible wall and a load. The use of a low-boiling-point fluid operating at around its boiling point enables plastics materials to be used without thermal damage, and the use of plastics materials enables low production costs. The use of a flexible wall to convey an effort to a load avoids the need for sliding parts and can provide advantages such as reduced friction and ease of sealing. The use of a low-boiling-point fluid operating at around its boiling point also enables large changes in pressure to be achieved with relatively small changes in temperature, so that the muscle can operate over a relatively small temperature range. The use of a low-boiling-point fluid operating at around its boiling point also reduces the risk of personal injury. The tendon arrangement provides less of a restriction on the operating range of the muscle than a McKibben type arrangement.
US08349014B2
An expandable interbody fusion device includes superior and inferior endplates that are configured to receive a sequentially inserted stack of interlocking expansion members or wafers. The like-configured wafers include features on their top and bottom surfaces that interlock the wafers in multiple degrees of freedom so that the wafer stack is not disrupted when the fusion device is fully expanded. One of the interlocking features includes a plurality of prongs projecting from an upper surface of the wafers and into a recess defined in the lower surface of an adjacent previously inserted like-configured wafer. The prongs and recesses are configured to prevent retrograde movement of each new wafer in a direction opposite the direction of insertion. Other interlocking features prevent movement in the direction of insertion, transverse to the insertion direction and vertically within the stack.
US08349013B2
A method for stabilizing at least one spinal motion segment includes an expandable spacer in a collapsed state into the interspinous space between superior and inferior vertebrae such that the spacer extends through the sagittal plane defined by the spinous processes of the superior and inferior vertebrae. The spacer has a flexible membrane defining an interior cavity. The method includes expanding the spacer to an expanded state by forcing a fill material in a fluid state into the cavity with the spacer disposed in the interspinous space, and thereafter solidifying the fill material to a solid state in the cavity. The method may be performed through a percutaneous penetration in the patient's skin and may cause the first and second vertebrae to be distracted.
US08349010B2
A graft fixation system for fixing graft material in a bone tunnel includes an expandable fixation member having a graft receiving eyelet disposed proximate its distal end, opposed bone engaging elements disposed about its periphery, and an expansion plug receiving opening defined in its proximal end. The system also includes an expansion plug having a diameter greater than the diameter of the expansion plug receiving opening so that forceble insertion of the expansion plug into the expansion plug receiving opening causes an expansion of the expandable fixation member driving the opposed bone engaging elements apart so as to fix the bone engaging elements, as well as the graft material, in a bone tunnel.
US08349004B2
A set formed of a scleral buckle and an encircling band is provided for use in connection with retinal detachment surgery to enable the implantation of both the scleral buckle and encircling band free of any suture. A self-assembling scleral buckle-encircling band combination is secured in place by surface scleral tunnels operative as belt loops to enable the securing of a scleral buckle and encircling band on the eyeball to exert an intended indentation effect for treatment of retinal detachment.
US08349001B2
A pharmacological delivery implement for use with cardiac repair devices. The pharmacological delivery implement comprises a porous member defining an outer surface, an internal channel configured to selectively house a pharmacological agent, and a plurality of release holes each extending from the outer surface to the internal channel. Following implantation of the pharmacological delivery implement, at least a portion of the pharmacological agent exits the internal channel through the plurality of release holes.
US08348998B2
A quick-connect heart valve prosthesis that can be quickly and easily implanted during a surgical procedure is provided. The heart valve includes a substantially non-expandable, non-compressible prosthetic valve and a plastically-expandable coupling stent, thereby enabling attachment to the annulus without sutures. A small number of guide sutures may be provided for aortic valve orientation. The prosthetic valve may be a commercially available valve with a sewing ring with the coupling stent attached thereto. The coupling stent may expand from a conical deployment shape to a conical expanded shape, and may include web-like struts connected between axially-extending posts. A system and method for deployment includes a hollow two-piece handle through which a balloon catheter passes. A valve holder is stored with the heart valve and the handle easily attaches thereto to improve valve preparation steps.
US08348995B2
A prosthesis is provided for implantation at a native semilunar valve of a native valve complex. The prosthesis includes a distal fixation member, configured to be positioned in a downstream artery, and to apply a first axial force directed toward a ventricle. The prosthesis further includes a proximal fixation member coupled to the distal fixation member, the proximal fixation member configured to be positioned at least partially on a ventricular side of the native valve complex, and to apply a second axial force directed toward the downstream artery, such that application of the first and second forces couples the prosthesis to the native valve complex by axially sandwiching the native valve complex from a downstream side and the ventricular side. A ratio of the first axial force to a radial force applied outwardly by the prosthesis against the native semilunar valve is greater than 1.5:1. Other embodiments are also described.
US08348993B2
Stents having a plurality of serpentine bands including a proximal end portion, a distal end portion, and a middle portion therebetween are herein disclosed. Each of the bands includes peaks and valleys. Serpentine bands of the proximal end portion are connected together in a repeating pattern of connected and unconnected peaks and valleys. Serpentine bands of the distal end portion are connected together in a repeating pattern of connected and unconnected peaks and valleys. The repeating pattern of the proximal end portion is different than the repeating pattern of the distal end portion.
US08348990B2
An implantable expandable medical device in which selected regions of the device are in a martensite phase and selected regions are in an austenite phase. The martensitic regions exhibit pseudoplastic behavior in vivo and may be deformed without recovery under in vivo body conditions. In contrast the austenitic regions exhibit superelastic behavior in vivo and will recover their pre-programmed configuration upon deformation or release of an applied strain.
US08348980B2
A method for joining together a first, a second and a third bone part of a surgical patient includes obtaining a bone plate having a first, a second and a third portion arranged along a longitudinal axis. The first portion contains a first slot for receiving a first compressing screw. The second portion is adjacent to the first portion and contains a second slot for receiving a second compressing screw. The third portion is adjacent to the second portion and contains a threaded hole for receiving a locking screw. The method further includes positioning the first, second and third portions over the first, second and third bone parts. The method further includes inserting the locking screw into the threaded hole and into the third bone part, inserting the second compressing screw into the second slot and into the second bone part, and inserting the first compressing screw into the first slot and into the first bone part, thereby urging the first, second and third bone parts together.
US08348954B2
Systems and methods for positioning a connecting element adjacent an anatomical structure in minimally-invasive surgical procedures, including an electronic guidance system associated with the connecting element and at least one receiving portion of a tissue anchor that receives the connecting element in the patient. The electronic guidance system includes a processor subsystem to receive signals from the guidance system and provide relative positional data between the connecting element and the at least one receiving portion to aid the surgeon in guiding the connecting element to the receiving portion. In one embodiment, the systems and methods are used in association with positioning a connecting element adjacent the spinal column in minimally-invasive spinal stabilization procedures.
US08348942B1
A device and method to cause hair loss or prevent or inhibit hair growth. The invention uses plasma (ionized gas) that is generated by flowing gas in close proximity to an electrode that has a high potential applied to it. The result is a stream of charged gas particles that are directed to the skin that contains hair. The flowing stream of gas is held above the surface of the skin. Additionally, a grounded conductive material is affixed to the skin to dissipate any charge buildup on the skin and focus the plasma.
US08348940B2
Large tissue regions are treated using pairs of electrode arrays. The electrode arrays may be concave and disposed in tissue so that their concave portions are opposed to each other. Axial conductors may be provided extending from the arrays and toward each other in order to increase the heating of tissues lying along the axis between the deployed electrode arrays. By properly spacing the electrode arrays apart and selecting the diameters of the arrays, desired volumes of tissue may be treated, typically with a bipolar, radiofrequency current.
US08348935B2
A system for applying therapy to an eye includes an applicator having a conducting element configured to direct energy from an energy source to an application end of the conducting element, where the application end has at least one eye contact portion. A positioning system positions the at least one eye contact portion in stable engagement with the eye surface. The conducting element is disposed within a housing for the applicator and at least one adjustment system is employed to move the conducting element relative to the housing. The at least one adjustment system enables controlled movement of the conducting element and the at least one eye contact portion against the corneal surface. In particular embodiments, sufficient contact between the applicator and the cornea is determined by causing applanation of the cornea. In other embodiments, at least one measurement device is employed to determine when sufficient contact has been established.
US08348934B2
A method and apparatus include determining a value of a parameter associated with operation of an electrosurgical probe having a particular probe design, and determining whether the value of the parameter is within a range of values that has been predetermined for the particular probe design to indicate that the probe is treating tissue in a desired manner. Power is delivered to the probe according to an algorithm based upon a determination that the value of the parameter is outside the range of values The algorithm delivers power in a pulsed profile including portions of low power and portions of high power. In one embodiment, the tissue treatment is ablation, the parameter is impedance, and the method limits tissue necrosis to less than 200 microns. In another embodiment, the tissue treatment is shrinkage, the parameter is temperature, and the method limits power delivery when the probe is not shrinking tissue.
US08348918B2
A diaper for holding an absorbent article in close bodily contact in the crotch region of the wearer. The diaper includes a front region, a crotch region having a specified Crotch Holding Force, and a rear region. The crotch region of the diaper typically is elastically extensible in both the longitudinal and lateral directions. The diaper provides an upward holding force against the absorbent article in the crotch region to hold the article in close bodily contact. The invention includes a system including the diaper and an absorbent article for use therewith, and a method for holding such an article in close bodily contact by wearing the diaper.
US08348914B2
A cover (100) having one or more openings (106,107) and one or more complementary closure devices (112,113) fits about a fluid drain bag, such as a urinary catheter drain bag (301). The cover (100) can be configured to be both partially transparent and partially opaque. Accordingly, a health services provider (401) can instantly perform rudimentary analyses of the fluid level (401) with a quick glance, yet can perform more in-depth analyses by lifting a front panel (102) at the lower opening (107). The in-depth analysis can be done without removing the cover (100). The cover 100 is also semiopaque, thereby protecting patient dignity by obfuscating the cover's contents.
US08348913B2
An antiseptic applicator device having a reservoir for storing an antiseptic agent, the reservoir being coupled to an applicator pad, and a defeatable membrane being interposed between the reservoir and the applicator pad. Embodiments of the device further include opposing handles, wherein an interior lumen of each handle houses a breakable phial containing a desired solution, and wherein upon moving the handles to a closed position, the phials are broken to release the desired solutions which are then absorbed by the applicator pad.
US08348911B2
Applicators provide heat shields for uncovered skin, in particular the face, hands, and other body parts that may not be clothed such as arms, legs, or torso. In one embodiment, a continuous heat shield is applied the entire face and ears. In another embodiment, a heat shield is applied to portions of the face and neck. In yet another embodiment, a heat shield is applied by multiple applicators. Sets of applicators apply a portion of a contiguous heat shield. Books contain multiple sets of applicators. Camouflage is used for military concealment. Other uses include firefighting, iron working, glass blowing and cooking. Entrained ceramic particles provide heat reflection and insulation.
US08348910B2
An apparatus (1) for cleansing wounds (5) in which irrigant fluid from a reservoir connected to a conformable wound dressing (2) and wound exudate from the dressing are moved by a device (18) (which may be a single pump or two pumps) for moving fluid through a flow path (6, 7, 9, 10) which passes through the dressing with a means for providing simultaneous aspiration and irrigation of the wound, and means for supplying thermal energy to the fluid in the wound. The former provides a desired balance of fluid at a controlled nominal flow rate that removes materials deleterious to wound healing, while distributing materials that are beneficial in promoting wound healing over the wound bed. The latter maintains a temperature at the wound bed under the wound dressing at a level that promotes wound healing.
US08348908B2
A regional anesthesia catheter used with a guide such as for example a needle cannula has a distal portion integrally connected to a main portion of the catheter by a junction portion that has a cross-sectional profile different from the distal and main portions, so as to predispose the distal portion of the catheter to move in a given direction when the distal portion is not guided by or constrained by the needle cannula. The cross-sectional profile of the junction portion may be configured in a particular shape, or be constructed to have a flexibility that predisposes the distal portion to bend, curve or move toward a given direction. Once the predisposed direction to which the distal end of the catheter points is known, a physician can readily orient the catheter relative to the needle cannula so that once the distal end of the catheter exits the distal tip of the needle cannula, with the cannula already placed in a position proximate to the desired location to which the distal end of the catheter is to be placed, the physician can readily place the distal end of the catheter at the desired location within the patient. Instead of only one junction portion, a number of portions of a catheter may be configured to bend at a predefined direction. Further, a catheter may be configured to have a cross sectional profile or a predefined flexibility along its entire length that causes the catheter to bend, curve or move in a predefined direction.
US08348900B2
A safety box for use with an intravenous infusion set is disclosed to include a box body having a locating groove located on each of the front and rear sides thereof for receiving the flexible tube of the intravenous infusion set and a retaining hole located on one lateral side thereof, and a box cover hinged to the box body and having a hook block with two hooked portions selectively engageable into the retaining hole of the box body to temporarily or permanently lock the box cover to the box body.
US08348898B2
A needle assembly adapted for fluid communication with a vial containing a substance to be delivered to a subject, the needle assembly including a needle held in a needle holder, the needle holder confined to move in a housing, and an activation mechanism for activating delivery of the substance through the needle, the activation mechanism including a safety latch that initially impedes movement of the needle holder, wherein when the safety latch is placed on the subject, the safety latch moves to a position that permits moving the needle holder to cause the needle to protrude outwards of the housing to pierce the subject to allow administration of the substance to the subject, characterized by a biasing device arranged to apply a biasing force on the needle to cause the needle to protrude outwards of the housing to pierce the subject, and needle release apparatus including a needle arrestor that initially blocks movement of the biasing device and which releases the biasing device when the safety latch moves to the position that permits moving the needle holder to cause the needle to protrude outwards of the housing.
US08348894B2
A needle assembly is able to collect a sample of biological material in a needle of the assembly. The needle assembly has a safety shield capable of being moved on the needle assembly to cover a sharp end of the needle assembly. The safety shield includes a tubular housing. The shield can be locked in place over the sharp end by a locking mechanism. The assembly further includes a reset member selectively operatively engageable with the locking mechanism for releasing the locking mechanism to permit the tubular housing to be moved away from the sharp end of the needle assembly. The safety shield further includes a resilient membrane including a thin sheet of resilient material the entirety of which extending substantially in a plane extending across the tubular housing.
US08348892B2
Disclosed is an expandable transluminal sheath, for introduction into the body while in a first, low cross-sectional area configuration, and subsequent expansion of at least a part of the distal end of the sheath to a second, enlarged cross-sectional configuration. The distal end of the sheath is maintained in the first, low cross-sectional configuration and expanded using a radial dilatation device. In an exemplary application, the sheath is utilized to provide access for a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure such as ureteroscopy or stone removal.
US08348891B2
To perform treatment by readily introducing a device causing minimal invasion even where approach from the body surface is difficult, a medical device includes a guide that is inserted into a lumen; a first balloon at a distal end of the guide, connected to a first flow path extending to a proximal end of the guide; a second balloon on the guide, separated from the first balloon on the proximal-end side and connected to a second flow path extending to the proximal end of the guide; a third balloon extending along the guide from a point between the first balloon and the second balloon to the proximal end and having a port for supplying or discharging fluid at the proximal end; and a cleansing flow path having a discharge port between the first balloon and the second balloon and extending to the proximal end of the guide.
US08348890B2
A balloon catheter for delivering a therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent to tissue is described including an outer balloon having a wall with an opening therethrough and an inner surface, an inner balloon disposed in the outer balloon, enclosing an inflation chamber and having an outer surface defining a space between the outer surface of the inner balloon and the inner surface of the outer balloon, a catheter having a first lumen in fluid communication with the space between the inner balloon and the outer balloon for supplying the agent thereto, and a second lumen through which fluid is supplied to the inflation chamber for inflating the inner balloon to urge the agent out of the opening in the outer balloon, wherein the outer balloon and/or the inner balloon comprise at least one protrusion for directing the agent.
US08348889B2
A medical device for performing a surgical procedure on a patient including an elongate tubular shaft having an outer surface extending from a proximal end to a distal end and an inner passage in fluid communication with a fluid source during use of the device. The shaft further has a lateral hole in the outer surface in fluid communication with the inner passage for delivering fluid from the device in a lateral direction during surgery. The device further includes a distal balloon having an exterior surface connected to the shaft and a projection extending from the exterior surface. The device also includes a proximal balloon connected to the shaft between the distal end and the proximal end of the shaft and a locating structure connected to the shaft. The hole is positioned in the outer surface between the distal balloon and the proximal balloon.
US08348874B2
A knee orthosis comprises an upper leg attachment and a lower leg attachment. In addition, the knee orthosis includes a hinge joint extending between the upper leg attachment and the lower leg attachment. The hinge joint includes an upper arm having a first end fixed to the upper leg attachment and a second end opposite the first end. The second end including a semi-spherical surface. Further, the hinge joint includes a lower arm having a first end fixed to the lower leg attachment and a second end opposite the first end. The second end including a semi-spherical surface that mates with the semi-spherical surface of the second end of the upper arm.
US08348869B2
An upper limbs rehabilitation device includes a main body, a rail, a movable member and a grip, wherein the main body has a first link and a second link pivotably connected to the first link. The rail is connected to the second link. The user holds the grip that is pivotably connected to the movable member and swings the upper limb to move the movable member along the rail so as to exercise the upper limb in multiple degrees of freedom.
US08348866B2
This device may include two parallel rollers which work the skin and which are mounted in a casing so as to rotate about their respective axis. To reliably and effectively treat skin by aspiration, without using excessive vacuum levels, at least one of the rollers may be hollow and delimit transverse aspiration passages. These passages may have an outer end, which opens out on the periphery of the roller, and an inner end which, when the outer end is directed towards the skin, is connected to a vacuum source via a control means inside the roller. These passages may be distributed about the periphery of the roller such that, for each position of the roller, at least one passage has its outer end directed towards the skin and its inner end in fluidic communication, via the control means, with the inner end of at least one other of the passages.
US08348864B2
A uterine cavity length measuring device includes a first elongate member including a lumen and a plurality of apertures extending between the lumen and an exterior surface of the first elongate member, and a second elongate member including a lumen, and at least one aperture located at a distal end extending from the lumen of the second elongate member to an exterior surface, where the second elongate member is positioned within and is configured to move within the lumen of the first elongate member and where the first elongate member and second elongate member provide a fluid path from a proximal end of the lumen in the second elongate member, through the lumen in the second elongate member to the at least one aperture located at the distal end of the second elongate member and to at least one of the plurality of apertures in the first elongate member.
US08348857B2
The invention relates to a lancing system, comprising test elements, lancing elements, test elements each assigned to a lancing element and a hand-held device comprising a holder, which during a puncture holds a lancing element and a test element assigned to it, a lancing drive, which during a puncture moves the holder out of a starting position into a piercing position and back into the starting position, a light-sensitive sensor for analyzing a body fluid sample taken up by a test element, and a light source for illuminating the test element. According to the invention, the sensor is disposed in a housing, the outside of which the holder touches in the starting position.
US08348848B1
Systems and methods are described to determine a region of interest, determine a first beam steering angle of a first ultrasound beam transmitted from an ultrasound transducer array that results in a maximum representative signal value received from the region of interest, determine a second beam steering angle based on the first beam steering angle, the second beam steering angle being closer to perpendicular with the ultrasound transducer array than the first beam steering angle, and acquire an ultrasound image using a beam transmitted from the ultrasound transducer array at the second beam steering angle.
US08348838B1
A surgical suction instrument having multiple LEDs for selectively providing illumination as light of different wavelengths at the tip thereof. Typically, at least one of the LEDs is chosen to emit polychromatic white light. Individual switches operable by either the surgeon or another member of the surgical team allow any combination of the LEDs to be energized, thereby creating numerous combinations of light wavelength from the novel surgical suction instrument. Control of the intensity of one or more of the LEDs may be provided to further determine the character of the composite light emitted from the multiple LEDs. The LEDs may be powered by self-contained batteries or from an external power source. The device may either be a single use, disposable device or, in alternate embodiments, may be a device intended for multiple uses and capable of withstanding sterilization.
US08348831B2
A device for Computer Simulated Marking Targeting Biopsy (CSMTB) has at least a space locator, and a main control module, including a surface model sub-module, a positioning sub-module, a tracking sub-module, a virtual endoscope sub-module, and a marking targeting biopsy sub-module. The device accurately detects minimal gastric lesions, and reduces pain to patients and thus decreases the workload of a doctor.
US08348827B2
A method and apparatus for use during a surgical procedure sealingly isolates a resected specimen to prevent contamination of surrounding tissue as the specimen is removed from the surgical site. The pouch is disposed at the distal end of an endoscope or trocar, and can be used to debulk and dimensionally alter the specimen for removal through a working channel.
US08348824B2
Devices and methods are disclosed for the direct visualization and localization of a target area within a body lumen through the optically clear walls of a graduated catheter. An elongated catheter has proximal and distal ends, an anchor, graduated markings, and outer and inner surfaces defining a catheter wall. The anchor establishes a secure relationship between the catheter and an anatomical feature. The graduated markings are disposed along a length of the catheter. The outer surface of the catheter wall is configured for contacting a body lumen and the inner surface of the catheter wall defines a main lumen disposed along a length of the elongated catheter. The catheter wall is transparent along a length to provide visualization of the graduated markings via a visualization tool positioned in the main lumen. In one embodiment, a catheter may have a substantially circular cross-section and include an arc-shaped transparent window.
US08348820B2
A machine for transitioning a box cutout from a flat configuration to a collapsed box configuration includes a first drive wheel configured to drive a box cutout towards a plunging area; a plunger configured to apply force to a central portion of a bottom panel of the box cutout so as to fold the box about a lateral bisecting axis and propel at least a portion of the box cutout downward; and opposed second and third drive wheels configured to grab a box cutout propelled downward by the plunger and further draw the box cutout downward into a collapsed box configuration within a collection area. A box cutout transitioned to a collapsed box configuration in this manner may include a bottom panel having plurality of unbroken minor score lines and broken major score lines.
US08348819B1
A machine for transitioning a box cutout from a flat configuration to a collapsed box configuration includes a first drive wheel configured to drive a box cutout towards a plunging area; a plunger configured to apply force to a central portion of a bottom panel of the box cutout so as to fold the box about a lateral bisecting axis and propel at least a portion of the box cutout downward; and opposed second and third drive wheels configured to grab a box cutout propelled downward by the plunger and further draw the box cutout downward into a collapsed box configuration within a collection area. A box cutout transitioned to a collapsed box configuration in this manner may include a bottom panel having plurality of unbroken minor score lines and broken major score lines.
US08348818B2
A machine for producing packaging cushioning generally includes a first feed mechanism for successively feeding sheets of a substrate at a first speed, the first feed mechanism including a motor and a power supply therefor, a second feed mechanism for receiving the sheets from the first feed mechanism and feeding the sheets at a second speed, a control unit for controlling at least one of the first and second speeds to produce a desired degree of overlap between successive sheets, and a sensor to measure the amount of electricity drawn by the motor. The control unit modulates the amount of electricity that the motor draws from a power supply when a signal from the sensor has a value that is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.
US08348813B2
A treadmill roller structure comprises a motor, a gear set and a case. The motor is an out-runner motor. The power output section of the motor rotates about stationary spindle. The rotary power output section is engaged to the gear set, while the gear set is in turn engaged to the case, thus allowing the case to rotate relatively to the spindle of the motor as well. The roller structure does not require a driving belt to transfer power from the motor to the roller, thus reduces the power loss due to frictional force during power transfer through belt driving, which enhances the performance of the motor and offers a space-saving feature. In addition, the instant disclosure also provides a treadmill.
US08348808B2
A method and a corresponding system are provided for automatically turning off an internal-combustion engine in a motor vehicle having an automatic transmission, by use of a start-stop device which automatically turns off the internal-combustion engine when the vehicle is braked to a stopped position and was held in the stopped position for a predefined time interval by operating the brake pedal. Within the predefined time interval after the stopped position was reached, the motor vehicle driver is able to prevent the automatic turning-off of the internal-combustion engine. The turning-off of the internal-combustion engine is prevented when the brake pedal is released by the driver within the predefined time interval.
US08348800B2
A vehicle power transmission device includes: an input shaft; a planetary gear type speed reducer disposed concentrically to the input shaft to reduce and output rotation input to the input shaft; and a differential gear device disposed adjacently to the input shaft in a shaft center direction, the differential gear device being rotationally driven by the speed reducer to transmit a drive force to a pair of axles disposed on the shaft center while allowing a rotational difference between the axles, the speed reducer including a sun gear that is fit with a shaft end portion of the input shaft in a relatively non-rotatable manner, the sun gear being prevented from relatively moving toward the differential gear device by an annular snap ring fit and attached to an annular snap ring groove formed on an outer circumferential surface of the shaft end portion of the input shaft on the differential gear device side of the sun gear, the differential gear device including a differential case having a cylindrical end portion formed on the sun gear side or a member fixed thereto that is extended to the outer circumferential side of the snap ring, the differential case having a radial distance of an annular gap formed between the cylindrical end portion or the member fixed thereto and the snap ring set smaller than a groove depth of the snap ring groove.
US08348798B2
A hub motor for driving a wheel of an electric vehicle and includes a cylindrical casing fixed to the wheel of an electric vehicle and a ring gear and a coil unit are fixed to the casing. A central unit includes co-axial two fixed axles and a shaft. Multiple bearings are located between the casing and the central unit so that the casing is rotatable relative to the central unit. The shaft has a magnet unit and a sun gear fixed thereto, a planet gear frame is connected to the fixed axle by a one-way bearing. Multiple planet gears are connected to the planet gear frame. The planet gears are engaged with the ring gear and the sun gear. The hub motor is simplified structure and easily assembled.
