US07653944B2
The subject invention provides a unique system and method that facilitates creating HIP challenges (HIPs) that can be readily segmented and solved by human users but that are too difficult for non-human users. More specifically, the system and method utilize a variety of unique alteration techniques that are segmentation-based. For example, the system and method employ thicker arcs or occlusions that do not intersect characters already placed in the HIP. The thickness of the arc can be measured or determined by the thickness of the characters in the HIP. In addition to increasing the thickness, the arcs can be lengthened because longer arcs tend to resemble pieces of characters and may be harder to erode. Usability maps can be generated and used to selectively place clutter or occlusions and to selectively warp characters or the character sequence to facilitate human recognition of the characters.
US07653937B2
An arrangement for effective updating of video game terminals uses a security key device which is capable of operating next major generation software that at the time of sale or distribution of the security device is not available. Once this software is available, the security key with this forward compatibility to the next major generation of software, allows the owner to update any terminal having the security device. Therefore, existing product, both terminals and/or software upgrades can be sold with the capability for the purchaser to upgrade without return of the security key device. Software can be made generally freely available as it requires a security key device to function. This system is convenient and effective, and allows continued sale of product up to the release of the next major generation of software. The purchaser is buying a next generation key and as such, is buying product that is not about to be replaced.
US07653936B2
A distributed access control technique assigns permission to a user without permission explosion, thereby facilitating the system administration of user access to a piece of content represented by a Web service. Permissions are granted to pieces of content through expressions rather than explicitly coupled between a piece of content and a user. Each expression defines an access scope for either a user or a piece of content. An expression defining the access scope for a user can be created and maintained independently of an expression defining the access scope to a piece of content, hence simplifying management information system implementation and administration.
US07653926B2
A system including a remote control device. The remote control device includes a processor, a remote control receiver in communication with the processor, an input device in communication with the processor, and an output device in communication with the processor. The system also includes an electronic device. The electronic device includes a receiver for receiving signals from the remote control device, a telephonic device, and a transmitter in communication with the telephonic device, the transmitter for transmitting data from the telephonic device to the remote control device.
US07653920B2
A television program ratings method and system includes transferring information associated with households from a cable provider to a ratings provider such that the ratings provider has access to information associated with sampled households and lacks access to information associated with non-sampled households. To this end, identity information and usage information associated with the households are respectively anonymized and encrypted. Knowledge of the identities of the sampled households enables the anonymized identity information and the encrypted usage information for the sampled households to be respectively de-anonymized and decrypted. The ratings provider knows which households are sampled households. As such, the ratings provider de-anonymizes and decrypts the information associated with the sampled households and then uses the de-anonymized and decrypted information to determine television program ratings. The cable provider anonymizes and encrypts the information for all households as the cable provider does not know which households are sampled households.
US07653918B2
The present invention discloses an optical disk drive comprising a traverse, a traverse frame, a chassis and a stopper. The traverse frame is disposed on the chassis. And one end of the traverse is disposed on the chassis and the other end is disposed on the traverse frame. The stopper includes a protruded arm and an extended arm extended from the protruded arm. The protruded arm is integrated with the traverse by sheet metal forming and the extended arm is disposed above the traverse frame. The extended arm of the stopper is interfered with the traverse frame when a heavy shock is applied to the optical disk drive. Therefore, the optical disk drive including the stopper can prevent the separation between the traverse and the traverse frame without screws when a sudden hit is applied thereto.
US07653915B1
According to some embodiments, a technique for storing data comprises providing an application-specific module, wherein the application-specific module communicates with an application; providing a storage-specific module, wherein the storage-specific module communicates with a storage; and providing a common interface, wherein the common interface communicates with the application-specific module and the storage-specific module.
US07653913B2
A template creator creates a template class that stores at least one template parameter. The template creator also specifies at least one additional object to be created when an instance of the template class is created. A template user initiates the creation of a new instance of the template class. If an error occurs during the creation of the new instance of the template class, the template user receives a report identifying the error.
US07653907B2
A method and structure for determining a listing of host processors on a network to perform a parallel application, including determining a listing of all possible hosts on the network for performing the parallel application, determining for each of the possible hosts a current capacity and a current utilization, calculating for each of the possible hosts a difference between the current capacity and the current utilization, and selecting from the listing of all possible hosts a listing of hosts based on sorting the calculated differences.
US07653897B2
A computer system includes a processing unit that processes data in response to instructions read from memory. Before being ready for a user to make use of a loaded application, the system initially loads executable instructions from permanent storage (such as a magnetic disc drive) during a loading process. In order to make better use of this time, operation related data (that is data for assisting a user to operate the system) is displayed during the loading process. The operation related data is stored in a user accessible file. Furthermore, the application itself facilitates the user re-configuration of the user accessible file under the control of the processing unit when the processing unit is executing the instructions; it not being necessary to use a third party text editor and navigate through the file structure. Then, during a subsequent instruction loading process, the user re-configured data is read.
US07653893B2
In one embodiment, a method and apparatus for automatically evaluating compliance of at least one source code file against at least one checkin policy. In a further embodiment, providing information about the compliance or non-compliance of the at least one source code file with the at least one checkin policy. In another embodiment, providing an option to override a policy failure and submit the at least one source code file to a source code repository. In one embodiment, in response to an override of a policy failure, providing a notification about the override of the policy failure. In some embodiments, an extensible framework enabling the installation of at least one checkin policy plugin, and providing a notification that at least one checkin policy plugin is not installed. In further embodiments, providing and using a work item association policy plugin, a unit tests policy plugin, and a static analysis policy plugin.
US07653885B2
A method is provided to select circuit cells for use in optimization of an integrated circuit design from among a plurality of circuit cells within a cell library, the method comprising: obtaining a value for each cell of the plurality that is indicative of both the cell's power dissipation and the cell's rate of output voltage change; ordering the cells of the plurality based upon the values; identifying a difference between values of cells that are proximate each other within the ordering of the cells that meets a threshold; and designating a cut point within the ordering of the cells based upon the identified difference.
US07653881B2
Various technologies and techniques are disclosed that improve failure handling and debugging in message driven environments. A diagramming tool allows a user to graphically nest one or more functional components of the data flow diagram to create a fault handler. The fault handler is associated with a failure component to be called when a failure occurs within any one or more of the nested functional components. One or more application executables are synthesized from the data flow diagram. When the nested component is created at runtime, a causality is created for the nested component. The causality has an exception port for receiving fault messages that are unhandled within the nested data flow associated with the nested component. The causality also has a coordination port to allow any messages in the causality context and/or other applications to access the error history and the message coordination history.
US07653879B1
A contextually sensitive user interface for defining an e-mail message handling rule is provided. The user interface includes one or more user interface objects for specifying conditions for the rule and one or more user interface objects for defining the actions to be performed if the specified conditions are met. The conditions that are displayed within the user interface for selection are chosen, at least in part, based upon the context in which a request to create the e-mail handling rule is received. The displayed conditions may be based, in part, upon the contexts of reading an e-mail message, creating an e-mail message, creating an alert subscription, or selecting a user name.
US07653877B2
Disclosed is an information processing apparatus for controlling an application object moving autonomously in shared virtual space in which avatars representing users of other information processing apparatuses are active. The apparatus comprises a distribution examining element for examining distribution of the active avatars in the shared virtual space, a coordinate controlling element for controlling coordinates of the application object in accordance with results of the examination by the distribution examining element and a display controlling element for controlling display of information by the application object controlled in coordinates by the coordinate controlling element.
US07653875B2
Systems and methods directed at providing browser sensitive web content are provided. A web server is configured to receiving a request from a client and to identify a browser in the client from which the request was initiated. A browser specific cascading style sheet (CSS) corresponding to the identified browser is determined. The browser specific CSS includes instructions that enable the browser to handle elements that are provided by a certain version of a CSS standard. The web server incorporates the browser specific CSS into web content and provides the web content with the browser specific CSS to the client in response to the request.
US07653871B2
Systems and methods for automatically decomposing table-structured electronic documents are described. The systems and methods of this invention generally comprise utilizing mathematical relationships, together with textual and positional clues to the mathematical relationships, in a collaborative manner, to derive a mathematical construct of the table-structured document. Embodiments of this invention automatically process a multitude of table-structured documents, thereby eliminating the need for human interaction with such documents in many cases and lowering the costs associated with processing such documents.
US07653864B2
Embodiments to perform improved error control using packet fragments are described. The apparatus may include a padding module to add a pad byte to uneven packet fragments of a packet, a partial checksum generator module to generate a partial error control value for each packet fragment, a pseudo-header generator module to generate a pseudo header for the packet, and a partial checksum combiner module to combine the partial error control values into an error control value. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US07653862B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide techniques for detecting and correcting encoded data. In one embodiment, a system for detecting and correcting errors in a plurality of data bits comprises a static memory configured to store a plurality of data bits; a systematic encoder configured to convert the plurality of data bits into a codeword; a systematic parity check encoder configured to convert the codeword into a syndrome; and a syndrome decoder configured to evaluate the syndrome based on preset criteria used to determine whether the syndrome corresponds to an uncorrectable error. A binary [16, 8, 5] code is used to encode the plurality of data bits.
US07653853B1
A test circuit in an integrated circuit and method of testing therewith are described. A test pattern generator provides a test pattern. A reference circuit includes a first sequential circuit coupled in series with a second sequential circuit. A circuit under test is coupled between a source sequential circuit and a destination sequential circuit to form a series. The source sequential circuit and the first sequential circuit are coupled to the test pattern generator to receive the test pattern. A comparison circuit is coupled to receive a first output from the destination sequential circuit and a second output from the second sequential circuit. The comparison circuit is configured to compare the first output with the second output to provide a signature output.
US07653851B2
A method is disclosed for the automated synthesis of phase shifters—circuits used to remove effects of structural dependencies featured by pseudo-random test pattern generators driving parallel scan chains. Using a concept of duality, the method relates the logical states of linear feedback shift registers (LFSRs) and circuits spacing their inputs to each of the output channels. The method generates a phase shifter network balancing the loads of successive stages of LFSRs and satisfying criteria of reduced linear dependency, channel separation and circuit complexity.
US07653846B2
For one embodiment, an apparatus may include a memory cell to store a bit value, wherein the memory cell may lose the bit value in response to a memory access operation. The apparatus may also include first circuitry to detect whether the memory cell loses the bit value in response to the memory access operation and second circuitry to restore the bit value in the memory cell in response to detection that the memory cell loses the bit value. Other embodiments include other apparatuses, methods, and systems.
US07653844B2
In a communication system based on OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) Reference Model, a pattern body generation circuit of a transmitting device generates and outputs a jitter test pattern body for jitter test. A selector selects an output (frame data) of a transmitting-end upper circuit during normal communication and selects an output (pattern body) of the pattern body generation circuit during jitter test. A transmitting-end MAC circuit performs transmitting-end processing of a MAC layer on the data selected by the selector to thereby obtain a MAC frame. A receiving-end MAC circuit performs receiving-end processing of a MAC layer on a received frame in MAC frame format to thereby obtain a payload. A pattern body verification circuit verifies a pattern body that is a payload obtained by the receiving-end MAC circuit during jitter test against a corresponding pattern body before transmission.
US07653838B2
Method, system and computer program product for reporting and recovering from uncorrectable data errors in a data processing system using the Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) or the Serial ATA (SATA) protocol. The invention utilizes the data scrubbing functionality of SCSI hard drives to provide a higher level of data integrity in an operating system implemented RAID environment. If an uncorrectable data error is found on a hard drive during a background data scrubbing operation, information concerning the data error is logged in a S.M.A.R.T. (Self Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology) error data structure. When the host operating system identifies the uncorrectable data error during normal operation, a Host Array Manager issues a Write Command to write the data from a redundant drive after the defective Logical Block Address (LBA) has been reassigned.
US07653835B2
A client computer system is provided with two operating systems, one of which is a user operating system (UOS) and the other of which is a service operating system (SOS), and a hypervisor. In the event of a hang in the first operating system, the second operating system remains active, out of the awareness of the user of the system, and has reporting and command response capabilities beyond those of prior technology.
US07653831B2
Proposed is a storage system and a data guarantee method capable of guaranteeing and verifying the reliability of data in a short period of time even with the heavy usage of inexpensive hard disk drives. This storage system having a storage apparatus that provides a storage extent for reading and writing data from and in a host system, and a storage controller for controlling the storage apparatus includes a first generation unit for generating a guarantee number in data from a host system to be stored in the storage apparatus showing the guarantee of the data, a second generation unit for generating a guarantee number showing the guarantee of parity data corresponding to data from the host system, and a verification unit for verifying the guarantee number showing the guarantee of data from the host system and the guarantee number showing the guarantee of the parity data.
US07653823B2
A power adaptor for a computer discovers the power environment when it is plugged into a socket and sends a signal to the computer along the power line indicating the environment, so that the computer can configure operations accordingly.
US07653819B2
A method, computer program, and system for paging platform configuration registers in and out of a trusted platform module. In a trusted computing platform, an unlimited number of platform configuration registers can be obtained through paging. The trust platform module encrypts and decrypts platform configuration registers for storage outside the trusted platform module.
US07653817B2
Methods and systems are provided for generating and verifying signatures of digital messages communicated between signers and verifiers. Using bilinear mappings, such as Weil or Tate pairings, these methods and systems enable generation and verification of efficient multisignatures, identity-based ring signatures, hierarchical proxy signatures, and hierarchical online/offline signatures.
US07653814B2
Systems and methods and computer programs for verifying the authenticity and integrity of hyperlink addresses and files that are accessible by means of these hyperlink addresses. A system and a method are disclosed for authenticating a file such as an HTML document hyperlinked to a graphic object such as a digital image or to a graphic icon. The hyperlink network address (e.g., the URL of the hyperlink on the Internet) is encoded on a first portion of the graphic object. Checking information such as a MAC digital signature and the hyperlinked file are encoded into a second portion of the same graphic object. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a system and a method are disclosed for verifying the authenticity and integrity of a hyperlink and a file when this hyperlink is activated.
US07653805B2
A semiconductor device for performing data processing by performing a plurality of computations in cycles includes a pipeline formed by connecting a plurality of computing units in series, each of the computing units including: a data line for receiving data; a control line for receiving a rule signal; a circuit information control unit configured to store, before data processing, several circuit information items, and to output a first one of the several circuit information items according to the rule signal received via the control line in a first cycle of the data processing; a processing element configured to construct an execution circuit according to the first circuit information item, to perform a computation using data from the data line, and to output a computation result; a data register for storing the computation result, and for outputting the computation result in a second cycle; and a control register for storing the rule signal and for outputting the rule signal in the second cycle. The semiconductor further includes a controller configured to control output timing of the rule signal to the control line of a first-stage one of the computing units in the pipeline and to control output timing of the data to the data line of the first-stage computing unit in the first cycle, so that the plurality of computing units are operated as a pipeline.
US07653801B2
A method, computer program product, and distributed data processing system that allows a single physical I/O adapter, such as a PCI, PCI-X, or PCI-E adapter, to track performance and reliability statistics per virtual upstream and downstream port, thereby allowing a system and network management to be performed at finer granularity than what is possible using conventional physical port statistics, is provided. Particularly, a mechanism of managing per-virtual port performance metrics in a logically partitioned data processing system including allocating a subset of resources of a physical adapter to a virtual adapter of a plurality of virtual adapters is provided. The subset of resources includes a virtual port having an identifier assigned thereto. The identifier of the virtual port is associated with an address of a physical port. A metric table is associated with the virtual port, wherein the metric table includes metrics of operations that target the virtual port.
US07653800B2
A method for continuous data protection in a storage system, including receiving a first write command to write first data to a partition of a logical volume and then generating a first partition descriptor record (PDR) having a first timestamp. The method further includes storing the first data at a first location, associating the first PDR with the first location, and receiving a second write command, subsequent to the first command, to update the first data with second data. Responsively to the second command, a second PDR having a second timestamp is generated. The second data is stored at a second location, and the second PDR is associated with the second location. The method includes generating a pointer between the first PDR and the second PDR, and accessing the first PDR using the pointer in response to a read command indicating a time prior to the second timestamp.
US07653793B1
An incremental collector can include memory pages, preferably virtual memory (VM) pages containing objects. A bit or byte map is created with one entry corresponding to each VM page. The VM page being collected is first write-protected and then the reachable objects are copied or relocated. Application induced changes to objects that have already been relocated are flagged in the map. Later the collector will suspend the application, scan the map and update the relocated objects that were changed and update the references to these objects. In one embodiment aimed at concurrent collecting, the map is copied to a second map, and the second map is scanned for changes that are propagated as before. The application may be suspended on the last pass through the map for the updating of remaining relocated objects by scanning the first map. The incremental collector can be a Train algorithm.
US07653789B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that reduces coherence traffic in a multiprocessor system by supporting both coherent memory accesses and non-coherent memory accesses. During operation, the system receives a request to perform a memory access. Next, the system obtains a page table entry (PTE) associated with the memory access. The system then determines if the memory access is coherent or non-coherent by examining an indicator in the PTE. If the memory access is coherent, the system performs the memory access using a coherence protocol. On the other hand, if the memory access is non-coherent, the system performs the memory access without generating coherence traffic.
US07653784B2
This management computer for managing a plurality of storage apparatuses having a volume storing data sent from a host computer has a schedule information acquisition unit for acquiring schedule information as a schedule of a time frame in which the host computer accesses the volume of the plurality of storage apparatuses, and a power supply control command unit for sending to a corresponding storage apparatus a power supply control command for turning off a main power supply of the storage apparatus of a time frame in which the volume is not accessed based on a referral result of the schedule information acquired with the schedule acquisition unit.
US07653782B2
A system for a host-based RAID solution in a shared storage environment is provided in which the compute blades of a system are coupled to one or multiple concentrators. The concentrators serve as a switch or expander to couple each of the compute blades to a shared storage resource. Within the shared storage resource, a set of drives is configured in a RAID array. The shared disk drives are partitioned so that each partition is dedicated to one of the compute blades of the system. Multiple sets of drives may be used so that the collective set of drives can be configured as part of a RAID volume that includes mirroring between at least two of the drives of the RAID volume, such as RAID 1 or RAID 0+1, in which each set of drives is a mirror of the other set of drives and the content associated with each of the compute blades is striped across multiple drives in each of the two sets of drives.
US07653781B2
A method, information handling system, and software are disclosed for creating a RAID set from a plurality of hard disks. A performance profile for the plurality of hard disks is determined. The performance profile associated with each of the hard disks is stored at a location on the hard disk. The performance profiles on one or more of the hard disks are read. A RAID set is created. The RAID set includes a subset of the hard disks. The disks in the RAID set have similar performance profiles.
US07653780B2
A semiconductor memory device that does not delay read/write access due to a refresh and can be interface compatible with a high-speed SRAM such as a QDR SRAM, comprises a plurality of subarrays each having a plurality of dynamic memory cells; at least one cache memory for the plurality of subarrays; a circuit to check whether data read from the subarray selected by a read address is present in the cache memory or not; and a circuit performing control so that the check result indicates that the data is present in the cache memory, the data is read from the cache memory and refreshing of the subarray is performed concurrently with a read cycle.
US07653779B1
Data is stored in a flash or other memory using a look-up table, which includes a plurality of data elements, to encode and decode the data. An amount of charge to be stored in each memory cell is calibrated to correspond to one of the data elements in the look-up table. Data is retrieved from the memory by decoding using the look-up table. The amount of charge in the memory cells is determined, for example, by reading a voltage level from the cell. The charge or voltage level is matched to a corresponding one of the data elements in the look-up table.
US07653777B2
A portable data storage device includes a USB controller, a master control unit and a NAND flash memory device. The master control unit receives data to be written to logical addresses, and instructions to read data from logical addresses. It uses a memory address mapping table to associate the logical addresses with the physical addresses in the memory device, and writes data to or reads data from the physical address corresponding to the logical address. The mapping is changed at intervals, so that different ones of the physical address regions are associated at different times with the logical addresses. This increases the speed of the device, and also means that no physical addresses are rapidly worn out by being permanently associated with logical addresses to which data is written relatively often.
US07653775B2
Methods and apparatus to enhance performance of Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) disk drives in Serial-Attached Small Computer System Interface (SAS) domains are described. In one embodiment, a data packets and/or commands communicated in accordance with SAS protocol may be converted into SATA protocol. Other embodiments are also described.
US07653765B2
An apparatus and method for communicating information within a network having one or more communication buses (5, 6, 7, 8), consisting of one or more elements (20, 30, 40) to maximise throughput and minimise CPU involvement by executing the following. Compare incoming message identifiers (14) against a set of predetermined identifiers (22). Transpose data sets (12) within the incoming message data frame and where necessary, save and/or transmit new frames as defined by operations dependent upon the incoming identifier. By utilising an optimal set of operands the memory requirement is satisfied by a minimal size of standard type.
US07653741B2
Method and apparatus for processing system management messages are described herein. In one embodiment, a throttling policy associated with a network node is determined for throttling system management messages to be sent to a system management server over a network. The system management messages are then sent to the system management server according to the throttling policy, where the system management server is configured to manage multiple network nodes over the network. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.
US07653739B1
A method for controlling transfer of data is provided. The method includes accessing data at a first device and accessing a time attribute associated with the data at the first device. The method further includes comparing the time attribute to a data transfer time threshold and in response to the time attribute associated with the data at the first device is less than the data transfer time threshold, the method further includes restricting access of the data at a second device.
US07653729B2
This invention enables an operation checker to easily select a specific one of a plurality of servers on a load distribution system and cause the selected server to respond to a request for a server test or operation monitoring. To accomplish this, a Web service system (1) includes Web servers (10, 20, 30) in which service applications to respond to a request transmitted from a client (2) are installed, and a general-purpose load distribution apparatus (40) which transfers the request from the client (2). Each of the Web servers (10, 20, 30) acquires, from the request received from the client (2), server designation information to designate a Web server that should respond to the request from the client (2). The Web server transmits, to the client (2), cookie information of the client (2) together with the server designation information.
US07653725B2
To solve a problem in that reliable detection of a performance problem caused by a configuration change needs detailed performance information, which is costly to keep and analyze, a management computer which manages a computer system having a host computer and a storage system is provided. The management computer is configured to: store performance information obtained from resources that belong to paths at first time intervals until a predetermined length of time elapses since the detection of an addition or removal of the resources to the paths; store performance information obtained from the resources that belong to the paths at second time intervals, which are longer than the first time intervals, without storing performance information obtained from the resources that belong to the paths at the first time intervals after the predetermined length of time elapses since the detection of the addition or removal of the resources to the paths.
US07653724B2
The invention can enable monitoring of the display of content by a computer system. Moreover, the invention can enable monitoring of the displayed content to produce monitoring information from which conclusions may be deduced regarding the observation of the displayed content by an observer. The invention can also enable monitoring of the display at a content display site of content that is provided by a content provider site over a network to the content display site. Additionally, the invention can enable the expeditious provision of updated and/or tailored content over a network from a content provider site to a content display site so that the content provider's current and appropriately tailored content is always displayed at the content display site. Aspects of the invention related to transfer of content over a network are generally applicable to any type of network. However, it is contemplated that the invention can be particularly useful with a computer network, including private computer networks (e.g., America Online™) and public computer networks (e.g., the Internet). In particular, the invention can be advantageously used with computer networks or portions of computer networks over which video and/or audio content are transferred from one network site to another network site for observation, such as the World Wide Web portion of the Internet.
US07653720B1
A system and method to propagate data over a network such as the Internet. The system and method determine a first set of addresses and perform a function such as a primitive element exponentiation upon those addresses to map to a second address space. The second address space could be a pseudo random ordering of addresses in the first address space such that each address in the first address space maps to an address in the second address space. The second address space is traversed to deliver data to receptive elements on the network. Each receptive element on the network is enlisted to continue propagating the data across the network resulting in a one-to-one, pseudo-random, exponential propagation.
US07653716B2
Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for determining a bisection bandwidth for a multi-node data communications network that include: partitioning nodes in the network into a first sub-network and a second sub-network in dependence upon a topology of the network; sending, by each node in the first sub-network to a destination node in the second sub-network, a first message having a predetermined message size; receiving, by each node in the first sub-network from a source node in the second sub-network, a second message; measuring, by each node in the first sub-network, the elapsed communications time between the sending of the first message and the receiving of the second message; selecting the longest elapsed communications time; and calculating the bisection bandwidth for the network in dependence upon the number of the nodes in the first sub-network, the predetermined message size of the first test message, and the longest elapsed communications time.
US07653710B2
A hardware task manager for managing operations in an adaptive computing system. The task manager indicates when input and output buffer resources are sufficient to allow a task to execute. The task can require an arbitrary number of input values from one or more other (or the same) tasks. Likewise, a number of output buffers must also be available before the task can start to execute and store results in the output buffers. The hardware task manager maintains a counter in association with each input and output buffer. For input buffers, a negative value for the counter means that there is no data in the buffer and, hence, the respective input buffer is not ready or available. Thus, the associated task can not run. Predetermined numbers of bytes, or “units,” are stored into the input buffer and an associated counter is incremented. When the counter value transitions from a negative value to a zero the high-order bit of the counter is cleared, thereby indicating the input buffer has sufficient data and is available to be processed by a task.
US07653704B2
A search system (10) employing a scheme of meta-folders (14) in which conventional objects (18) and search objects (20) may be stored in an intermingling manner. Upon opening a meta-folder (14) the search objects (20) are resolved into conventional static pointers, and thus into conventional objects (18). Optionally, an unresolved meta-folder (14a) may very fleetingly appear while this occurs. A resolved meta-folder (14a) then results, presenting only conventional objects (18). In particular, the search objects (20) may be search criteria which the process of resolving causes to produce only such searched out conventional objects (18) which are currently available. Users (80) of the search system (10) my employ it in large network environments (82), including the Internet (96).
US07653700B1
Presented is a system and a method for load balancing multiple globally-dispersed servers based on client-centric performance criteria. The infrastructure of the system includes load balancing domain name servers (DNS-LBs) deployed in close physical proximity to the Internet service providers' points of presence. The DNS-LBs are then able to monitor the performance of the servers from a location close to the clients, which allows the DNS-LBs to select a server that will yield the best performance from that location for the client. A second level of the infrastructure utilizes domain name servers (DNS-Bs) that are deployed on the Internet backbones and regional provides. The authoritative domain name servers (DNS-As) for the servers to be load balanced refer all name queries to these DNS-Bs. The DNS-Bs then refer the queries to one of the DNS-LBs based on a mapping of the DNS-ISP address to its physically proximate DNS-LB. The DNS-LB then returns the IP address of the server that will provide the best performance from that location.
US07653699B1
A method and system are provided for partitioning a file system. The system may include one or more server computer systems and a plurality of physical file systems. The physical file systems may be hosted by the one or more server computer systems. The physical file systems may be accessible to clients through a virtual file system having a single namespace. The virtual file system may include metadata which are partitioned across the plurality of physical file systems. The server computer systems may be configured to independently perform file system consistency checks on each of the physical file systems, in order to independently validate each partition of the metadata.
US07653693B2
Managing instant messages may include receiving instant messages created by or on behalf of one or more message sources for delivery to an intended recipient. From among the received instant messages, qualifying instant messages may be identified that satisfy a capture rule, and two or more of the qualifying instant messages may be captured. The intended recipient may be informed of the captured instant messages unobtrusively, and also may be enabled to manage the captured instant messages.
US07653691B2
A communication system comprises a communication device configured to receive a data message, such as a text message, and to generate and send a voice reply to the data message using a simple transmit action. The data message comprises an identifier that can be used to determine a reply path related to the data message. Thus, when a user receives the data message, they can read the message initiate the simple transmit action, and reply to the data message by speaking an appropriate reply into the communication device. The spoken response is stored as a voice message and attached to a data message that is sent using the reply path identified by the identifier.
US07653688B2
A method includes storing a plurality of role data entries on a storage device coupled to a computer system, each role data entry corresponding to an assigned role of at least one of a plurality of individuals, each role corresponding to an enterprise with which the individual is associated and corresponding to a set of resources accessible through the computer system, receiving at the computer a resource request from one of the individuals, determining whether the requested resource is included in the set of accessible resources corresponding to the assigned role of the requesting individual, and selectively permitting access to the requested resource if the resource is determined to be in the set of resources corresponding to the assigned role of the requesting individual.
US07653687B2
A method for controlling a user station configured for communications with a multiplicity of independently-operated data sources via a non-proprietary network includes steps for providing a user interface to enable a user at the user station to select multiple ones of the multiplicity of independently-operated data object sources to be polled; automatically polling each of the selected data object sources in order to determine availability of desired data at each of the selected data object sources; and automatically transporting desired data determined to be available from each of the selected data object sources to the user station. Software and a user station for implementing the method are also described.
US07653686B2
Disclosed is a content reproducing device and a content reproducing method capable of quickly starting reproduction by making a pause state before starting the reproduction. The present invention provides a content reproducing device which requests content data of a desired content from a server storing content data and reproduces the content while receiving the content data requested, which includes a communication section which requests desired content data from the server and receives the content data, a receive buffer which buffers the content data received by the communication section, a reproducing section which reads the content data buffered in the receive buffer and reproduces the content, and a control section which controls reproduction of the content, wherein when a stop state in which reproduction of a content is stopped is switched to a pause state in which the reproduction of the content is paused, the control section lets the communication section request the content data from the server to receive the content data, lets the receive buffer a constant volume of the content data, and also lets the reproducing section stop reading the content data from the receive buffer.
US07653678B2
A direct digital synthesis circuit (108) includes a plurality of current sources (210, 211, 212), an output circuit (200), and a logical multiplier circuit (202). The output circuit (200) provides a synthesized waveform (164) output and includes a first (206) and second branch (208). The logical multiplier circuit (202) is operatively coupled to the plurality of current sources (210, 211, 212) and to the output circuit (200). The logical multiplier circuit (202) is operative to receive a plurality of signals. The logical multiplier circuit is also operative to selectively increase a first current flow through the first branch (206) by a determined magnitude and decrease a second current flow through the second branch (208) by the determined magnitude based on the plurality of signals. The synthesized waveform (164) is based on the first and second currents.
US07653670B2
An architecture and method for data storage and retrieval which also addresses a number of key problems associated with systems employing hash-based techniques. The architecture and method employs a collision-free hashing scheme called Bloomier filter while eliminates its false positives in a storage efficient way. Wildcard support is added through the use of a scheme called prefix collapsing, while introducing only a small additional storage requirement and reduced hardware complexity. Real update traces indicate that both fast and incremental updates are provided—features generally not available in prior-art collision-free hashing schemes.
US07653669B2
The present invention relates to methods and systems of snapshot management of a file system in a data storage system. To represent the snapshots, the invention maintains pointers to the root block pointer of each snapshot. When the active file system is modified, this invention avoids overwriting any blocks used by previous snapshots by allocating new blocks for the modified blocks. When the invention needs to put an established block in a new location, it must update a parent block to point to the new location. The update to the parent block may then require allocating a new block for the new parent block and so forth. Parts of the file system not modified since a snapshot remain in place. The amount of space required to represent snapshots scales with the fraction of the file system that users modify. To maintain snapshot integrity, this invention keeps track of the first and last snapshots that use each block in space map blocks spread throughout the file system data space. When users delete snapshots, this invention may use a background process to find blocks no longer used by any snapshot and makes them available for future use.
US07653656B2
In the DVR or Blu-ray application format, a clip consists of a clip information file, through which it can be accessed from playlists, and an audio-visual data stream file. The data stream includes data units, which in turn include multiple source packets. When such stream shall be split between source packets into two substreams, and the splitting position is within such a data unit, the employed file system may not allow splitting single data units. According to the invention, the smallest possible data unit that includes the intended splitting position is declared as a separate tile, having separate clip information and data stream files. The first and second substreams are accessible via one or more RealPlaylists and/or VirtualPlaylists. The first substream comprises data from the first and second clips, and the second substream comprises data from the second and third clips.
US07653655B2
In general, those who are right in front of each other can share actual world events that are generated in the same working space. For example, when an audio or a light of a wave form pattern is generated, by recognizing such an actual world event, both communication apparatuses share the actual world event. Also, a shock wave generated when one communication apparatus is hit with the other is shared by both. One of the communication partners searches a network for a communication partner who is right in front with the actual world event as a clue. Thus, it is possible to perform data communications with a communication partner whose location in the actual world is clear, such as being right in front, but whose identification information in the communication medium is unknown.
US07653651B1
One embodiment of the invention employs “transparent object persistence” techniques in which persistent data objects (i.e., the objects that represent persistent data from a database) are separated from business processing objects (i.e., the objects that handle the requests, process specific business operations, manipulate the persistent data and respond to clients). Within a Java 2 Enterprise Edition (“J2EE”) environment, the business processing objects are entity beans managed by an Enterprise Java Bean (“EJB”) container. A persistence manager manages the persistent data objects, which provide an in-memory representation of a set of database data. The entity beans manipulate the persistent data by invoking get/set accessor methods on the persistent data objects. In one embodiment, the persistence manager associates a state with each of the persistent data objects which indicates an operation to be performed within tables of a relational database when the modifications to the persistent data objects are committed to the relational database.
US07653648B2
Permissions using a namespace is described. In an embodiment, a namespace system includes a network resource that has a resource permission, and includes a namespace that has one or more members associated with the namespace. The namespace system also includes a namespace permission to permission the network resource to one or more of the members of the namespace.
US07653642B2
Method and system for establishing and maintaining quotas. An auto quota is defined and applied to a directory. Input and output is monitored to detect a successful operation that involves a subdirectory of the directory. A determination is made as to whether to apply a quota associated with the auto quota to the subdirectory. If the determination is that the quota is to be applied to the subdirectory, it is automatically applied.
US07653634B2
Systems and methods for reconciling healthcare data between multiple distributed computing nodes that enable an individual node, a topic object, or an intelligent agent to determine synchronization with other nodes, comprising sending source node data to a payload generator, the source node data including difference data, an encapsulated topic object, or intelligent agent communications, generating a payload including the source node data and destination attributes, and sending the payload to a destination node, topic object, or destination intelligent agent, and using the source node data to update destination node data according to destination node, topic object, or destination intelligent agent requirements.
US07653631B1
The present invention includes a method for synchronizing information between and among multiple electronic case management systems. The method includes sending an updated data packet from one case management system to another case management system. The data from the packet is used to update status data.
US07653629B2
A locking arrangement for data structures is provided that prevents deadlocks, but still allows different threads to simultaneously obtain locks on different nodes of a data structure for both read and write operations. The locking system differentiates locks based on a priority hierarchy. The locking system will fail a request to lock one or more resources in a data structure if access to those resources has already been restricted by a conflicting lock of an equal or higher priority. The locking system may also employ preemptable and non-preemptable locks such that, if a preemptable lock with a lower priority has restricted access to resources, then the locking system will preempt the lower priority lock in favor of a conflicting higher priority lock. Alternately, if a non-preemptable lock with a lower priority has restricted access to resources, then the locking system will wait until the lower priority lock is removed before implementing a requested conflicting higher priority lock. This locking arrangement allows high priority operations that require higher performance and efficiency to receive preferential access to a data structure without preventing lower priority operations from accessing the data structure, while preventing deadlocks between different operations.
US07653628B2
A method is described for managing an application's cached persistent data with different isolation levels. The different isolation levels include: 1) requesting a lock for a first item of database data in response to the first item of database data not being cached and not yet having been used by the application; 2) requesting a lock for a second item of cached database data in response to the second item of database data being updated for a first time by the application; and, 3) requesting a lock for a third item of cached database data in response to it being confirmed that the third item of database data will need to be updated in its database.
US07653621B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method of determining the similarity of two strings. The method comprises calculating a Levenshtein matrix of a first string and a second string. A Levenshtein distance is determined from the Levenshtein matrix. A largest common substring is also determined from the Levenshtein matrix. The method may farther comprise determining a numerical score as a function of the Levenshtein distance and the largest common substring.
US07653617B2
A method of analyzing documents or relationships between documents includes receiving a notification of an available metadata document containing information about one or more network-accessible documents, obtaining a document format indicator associated with the metadata document, selecting a document crawler using the document format indicator, and crawling at least some of the network-accessible documents using the selected document crawler.
US07653614B2
A method, system, signal, user interface, and software for searching information across different media types and sources is disclosed. The method includes identifying a search criteria and subsequently searching for information across one or more media types or sources based upon the search criteria. The search may also be conducted giving regard to user interaction information such as most recently viewed, most frequently viewed, preferences, etc. The media information may be stored locally or remotely and is presented to a user using a single user interface.
US07653612B1
A shallow file is adapted for intensive read-only access to data of a primary file. The primary file resides in another file system or file server. The shallow file includes the data block mapping metadata of the primary file and a link to the primary file. To open the shallow file, the file system manager of the shallow file obtains a read lock on the primary file from the file system manager of the primary file. Then the file system manager of the shallow file may use the data block mapping in the shallow file to access the file data from the primary file in storage without participation of the file system manager of the primary file. This permits offloading of data protection services for secure and efficient storage of a backup copy of the file data.
US07653602B2
A central transaction server in electronic commerce card authorization system enables the electronic commerce card association to manage and monitor the authentication system. The central transaction server acts as an intermediary for all communications between the access control server used for authentication. If any portion of the authentication system fails, the central transaction server compensates by providing appropriate responses to other portions of the system. The centralized transaction server translates all incoming traffic into a format compatible with the intended recipient, enabling portions of the system to be upgraded without breaking compatibility with the non-upgraded portions. The centralized transaction server also enables the integration of formally separate portions of the authentication system into a single unit. The directory and the authentication history servers can be integrated into the central transaction server, and the central transaction server can initiate charges to the electronic commerce card automatically, bypassing the card acquirer.
US07653599B2
Methods and systems for exchanging various forms of value, including coins, currency, credit, debit, and/or bank account funds, for prepaid cash cards, credit cards, phone cards, and the like. In one embodiment, a value exchange machine includes a coin input region, a coin sorting/counting apparatus, a card reader, and a communications facility configured to communicate with a remote computer network. In another embodiment, a value exchange system includes one or more of the value exchange machines connected to one or more remote computers via a communications link. A user wishing to purchase, for example, a prepaid cash card can visit one of the value exchange machines, select the desired transaction, and pay for the card with coins, currency, a credit card, a debit card, and/or bank account funds. After confirming payment, the value exchange machine dispenses the card to the user.
US07653594B2
A system and method for anticipating consumer behavior and determining transaction incentives for influencing consumer behavior comprises a computer system and associated database for determining cross time correlations between transaction behavior, for applying the function derived from the correlations to consumer records to predict future consumer behavior, and for deciding on transaction incentives to offer the consumers based upon their predicted behavior.
US07653592B1
A computer-implemented mortgage loan application data processing system comprises user interface logic and a workflow engine. The user interface logic is configured to receive mortgage loan application data for a mortgage loan application from a borrower. The workflow engine has stored therein a list representing tasks that need to be performed in connection with the mortgage loan application, including tasks for fulfillment of underwriting conditions. The workflow engine is configured to cooperate with the user interface logic to prompt the borrower to perform the tasks. The system is configured to provide the borrower with a fully-verified approval for the mortgage loan application. The fully-verified approval indicates that the mortgage loan application data received from the borrower has already been verified as accurate using information from trusted sources. The mortgage loan application may then be provided to different lenders with the different lenders being able to authenticate the fully-verified approval status.
US07653591B1
A method and apparatus are disclosed (a) which maintain credit card account and billing data including (i) data correlating credit card numbers, cardholders, and payment information such as mailing addresses or American Banking Association (ABA) routing numbers of the payee or his representative; (ii) data from which a payment due date can be determined; and (iii) means for estimating, receiving, or calculating a payment amount equal to or greater than a minimum payment amount due during a credit card's billing cycle; (b) which provide a mechanism for automatic funding of said payment amount payable during a billing cycle; and (c) which provide a mechanism for automatically issuing said payment amount to a designated payee or his representative whereby “late fees” are avoided.
US07653590B1
A risk assessment system and method that calculates the risk of approving certain financial transactions, such as payment by check, and provides an indication as to whether to accept or decline the check. The system and method further include a process for calculating the risk of overturning the original decision whereby indications of whether to overturn a particular original transaction decline can be provided to a customer service agent such that the overturn decision is based upon the calculation of overturn risk using one or more overturn scoring modules.
US07653587B2
Computer-implemented methods are executed by a software application that allows users to create or edit account statements designated or queued for batch printing runs. This application also allows a test generation of a statement for confirmation of report formats assigned to the statement prior to the month-end statement generation. Finally, the application allows statements to be selected and grouped for generation based upon various account or corporate criteria. Once statements have been selected and generated, they may be sent to a quality review management program for final approval prior to batch printing.
US07653583B1
A method and apparatus for filtering and/or sorting responses to electronic requests for quotes for a product or products offered for sale includes comparing first data of each of a plurality electronic quotes to first data of an electronic request for quote. Each of the plurality of electronic quotes is classified as either a matching quote or a non-matching quote. After the quotes are classified, each classified quote is ranked, for example, by the total price of the product or products offered for sale. Classification into distinct categories is used to apply techniques to make quotes comparable. Inexact matches can be adjusted to allow comparison between exact matching quotes and the adjusted inexact matching quotes.
US07653571B2
A fuel rewards program wherein awards received from the purchase of discount-triggering items at a first transaction are redeemed for a price-per-unit (PPU) discount on fuel. A scanner scans product codes and inputs the information to a POS system through a comparator such that a product may be determined to be a discount-triggering item. Information regarding the discount-triggering item is first stored in a potential buffer. A rewards process processes the information in the potential buffer and stores that information in a filtered potential buffer. A potential file accumulates basic information about one or more transactions. A purchase buffer stores all of the information, which is ultimately printed on a cash register receipt. The receipt may be scanned at a fuel dispenser to begin the redemption of the PPU discount on the fuel.
US07653569B1
A system for retrieving information about an advertisement that was viewed or heard by an individual. The system includes an advertisement content server having at least one file containing information about the advertisement and a device for accessing the information via a communications network. The content server enables the individual, using the device, to retrieve a subset of the information based on a limited knowledge of the individual concerning the advertisement.
US07653565B2
An initial contractor (5) that receives a request from an ordering customer (3) to manufacture a product performs a process edition conference via an outsourcing service using a computer (11) of the initial contractor. The initial contractor (5) receives a request from an ordering customer (3) to manufacture a sheet metal product. For manufacturing the product, the initial contractor (5) performs a processing edition conference to decide the method for processing the product and to estimate the price required and the delivery schedule. In the performance of the processing edition conference, the initial contractor (5) requests the services of an outsourcing service center (7). A CAD/CAM operator of the outsourcing service center (7) logs in to a computer (11) of the initial contractor from a computer (13) of the outsourcing service center, such that the operator participates in the processing edition conference while operating the computer (11) of the initial contractor, so that the processing method, price estimate and delivery schedule are decided by work performed on the computer (11) of the initial contractor.
US07653559B2
Methods and systems are provided for estimating liability in an accident. In an embodiment, a liability estimate may include an upper bound of liability and a lower bound of liability. In one embodiment, liability estimation in a vehicle accident may be based on a plurality of characteristics that describe the accident. These characteristics may include: the configuration of the roadway, the type of accident, right of way, and impact points of each vehicle. The characteristics from an actual accident may be compared to those in a past or theoretical accident. Liability may be estimated from a preassigned liability associated with a nearest matching past or theoretical accident. The liability estimate may include a base liability and one or more adjustments due to various factors.
US07653555B2
A method of appraising the value of a property based on obtaining a credit score of an owner of a property and assigning an ownership responsibility indicator to the property. The ownership responsibility indicator provides insight into the condition of the property without performing a complete inspection. A more accurate value of the property can then be determined.
US07653553B2
A system and method for unassisted enterprise-level unassisted customer shipping is described providing for payment of shipping and item costs in a single transaction. In one configuration, a customer utilizes a kiosk to process a shipping bill of materials for presentment at a point of sale terminal.
US07653552B2
A method and system for providing a digital file marketplace is disclosed, where the digital marketplace includes a plurality of digital files for access by consumers over a network. The method and system include allowing a content owner to post a file on the marketplace for access by users by, providing information about the file, setting a retail price that users will be charged for downloading the file, and setting a reseller commission for the file. A first user may then search for files posted on the digital marketplace for one to resell on a third party website. A second user may further search the files posted on the digital marketplace for one to download. If the second user selects a particular file to download, then the user is charged the retail price set for the file. If the second user downloads the particular file from the third party website, then the first user is paid the reseller commission set for the file. In addition, the content owner is provided with a payment based on the retail price minus the reseller commission.
US07653550B2
A timeline-based approach for selecting and manipulating audio tracks is presented. This is accomplished via a graphical user interface that provides users with a series of visual cues and enhancements when selecting a particular area of an audio track depicted within the interface. These visual cues are rendered as a display region having multiple other display areas, components or interface components that provide the user with a location for initiating actions upon the file. User input provided to the timeline component generates a selection overlay that indicates a selected area of the audio file. The user can perform numerous actions with that audio file, such as copying and pasting. The user can do this more quickly and efficiently because the user is not required to switch tools. Everything is accomplished “modelessly.” Multiple instances of the selection overlay applied, for example, across multiple audio tracks may achieve even more powerful results.
US07653544B2
The present invention is a server-side method and apparatus that enables visually-impaired users to navigate websites and hear high-quality streaming audio of narration and descriptions of each website. The system involves creating an audible website corresponding to an original website by utilizing voice talent to read and describe web content and create audio files for each section within an original website, then assigning a hierarchy and navigation system based on the original website design. To implement the system, a small program is installed on the home page of an original website which plays a tone upon a user's visit indicating that the website is accessible with the present invention. Upon hearing the tone, a user presses a key on the keyboard to exit the original website and enter the audible website. Audible narration is played through the user's computer, reading text and describing non-text information. The narration includes menus for navigating the site which have a hierarchy substantially similar to that of the original website. Users navigate the website menus and move from website to website by making keystroke commands.
US07653541B2
A speech processing device and a speech processing method, a storage medium, and a program decreases deletion errors and increases a speech recognition rate. A network of words and syllables is generated, and the network has two kinds of paths: paths that do not contain a particular syllable and paths that contain the syllable at a position corresponding to a boundary between words. Thus, an optimal sub-word sequence on the network is selected for an input utterance.
US07653534B2
An apparatus for determining a type of chord has a means for providing a reference vector for the type of chord, a means for providing a reference vector from a test signal, and a means for comparing the reference vector with the test signal vector. The means for providing a reference vector is configured to provide, for the type of chord, a reference vector from a plurality of different reference vectors. In addition, the means for providing a test signal vector from the test signal is configured to provide the test signal vector having a plurality of test signal vector elements. In addition, the means for comparing the reference vector with the test signal vector is configured to compare the reference vector and the test vector or versions of the test signal vector which are cyclically shifted by different shift values, in order to obtain various comparison results which are allocated to the test signal vector or shift values, so as to determine the type of chord on the basis of an extreme comparison result and the shift value associated with same.
US07653526B1
A method and system for emulating an Ethernet link over a Sonet path to provide link integrity is disclosed. The method generally includes receiving an error code at a local Ethernet port upon detection of a link failure at a remote Ethernet port. The error code is received over a Sonet path in a Sonet path overhead. If the error code is still present after a specified period of time, the local Ethernet port is disabled. Methods for providing link stability and link availability are also disclosed.
US07653525B2
An Enterprise Service Delivery Technical Architecture includes a Technical Model, and a Technical Delivery Framework, and is designed to facilitate the development of complete enterprise service management solutions. The use of the Enterprise Service Delivery Technical Architecture as the framework for an enterprise systems management technical solution results in solution designs created to be independent of the technology platform being managed with a view that meets the overall business requirements that span the technology platforms within a business environment. An information technology infrastructure already in place for a customer is analyzed and broken down to its very lowest level building blocks. Then the building blocks within the model of the technical architecture are mapped with the building blocks of the customer's information technology infrastructure to determine which of the building blocks of the model are to be used for the customer's information technology operation.
US07653517B2
A design data generating apparatus for generating new design data of an article by performing a shape transformation process with respect to design data of the article which has been already generated comprises an input device which receives transformation instructions from an operator and an operation device which performs an operation of the design data in accordance with the input transformation instructions. The input device receives input of allocation of article shape attribute between an attribute of a transformation region which is to be transformed and an attribute of a maintaining region which maintains its shape, and input of a transformation instruction vector defined by a direction and an amount of transformation with respect to the article. The operation device performs a transformation process with respect to a node which defines an article shape of the transformation region in accordance with the transformation instruction vector. Specifically, the operation device fixes a node located at a boundary between the transformation region and the maintaining region, and transforms a node not located at the boundary. Thus, a new three-dimensional shape which the operator expects can be efficiently designed.
US07653514B2
A method for improving bandwidth of an oscilloscope involves, in preferred embodiments, the use of frequency up-conversion and down-conversion techniques. In an illustrative embodiment the technique involves separating an input signal into a high frequency content and a low frequency content, down-converting the high frequency content in the analog domain so that it may be processed by the oscilloscope's analog front end, digitizing the low frequency content and the down-converted high frequency content, and forming a digital representation of the received analog signal from the digitized low frequency content and high frequency content.
US07653512B2
According to the present invention, the most challenging issues in this work have been to find systematic ways of enabling maintenance engineers to decide an adequate time for the replacement of vacuum pumps on the basis of their current performance assessment result. Further, the comparison of the currently evaluated diagnostics analysis results and the initial (or reference) data set is shown to enable maintenance engineers to decide the replacement of the considered vacuum pump according to the evaluated pump performance indicators. This quantitative diagnostic analysis result is expected not only to enable maintenance engineers to decide an adequate time for the replacement of vacuum pumps on the basis of their current performance assessment results but also to improve the reliability and confidence of the predictive maintenance of low vacuum pumps.
US07653508B1
A method for monitoring human activity using an inertial sensor includes continuously determining an orientation of the inertial sensor, assigning a dominant axis, updating the dominant axis as the orientation of the inertial sensor changes, and counting periodic human motions by monitoring accelerations relative to the dominant axis.
US07653503B2
A temperature compensating fluid flow sensing system is provided that comprises a resistance-based sensor element that is included in a constant voltage anemometer circuit configured to establish and maintain a command voltage across the first sensor element and to provide a constant voltage anemometer (CVA) output voltage corresponding to the resistance change in the first sensor element due to heat transfer between the first sensor element and the fluid. A controller is configured to establish the command voltage based on a desired overheat across the sensor and an actual overheat across the first sensor element. A power dissipation (PDR) module is configured to determine at least one fluid flow parameter and an actual overheat value based at least in part on the CVA output voltage and to transmit to the controller the actual overheat for use by the controller in updating the command voltage.
US07653500B2
A method and apparatus for correcting for deterministic jitter in a sequential sampling timebase. The value of a fine analog delay is held at a substantially constant nominal rate during a duration of a counting of a digital clock. A time difference between a trigger at which a fine analog delay starts measuring time and the occurrence of a digital pulse of a stable clock used to count a coarse delay is measured. An input waveform is sampled at a sample time having a nominal delay time. After sampling, a desired compensation time is provided for the sample of the input waveform in accordance with combinations of three independent variables defining a calibration table. The waveform is reconstructed by shifting a delay time of a sampled value of the input waveform from its nominal delay time in accordance with a value defined by the calibration table.
US07653494B2
The present invention is designed to efficiently calculate isotopic distribution in order to simulate mass spectra data for any chemical compound of interest. The simulated spectra considers the various isotopes of the compound based upon a probability calculation that takes into consideration the natural abundance of each isotope of individual elements of the compound. The probability calculation generates a relative probability associated with each isotope species of the subject compound. The simulated spectra are displayed on an x-y coordinate illustrating the calculated formula weight on the abscissa (x-axis) and the intensity of the specific species on the ordinate (y-axis). This theoretical data is then compared to experimental data taken from a mass spectrometer in order to identify the chemical compound at issue.
US07653493B1
Analysis of a group of proteomic samples is facilitated. According to an example embodiment of the present invention, ion mass spectrometry data is collected for a group of samples. For each sample, at least one grouping of ions is identified and used to generate another estimated grouping of ions relating to the sample. Using these groupings, characteristics of the sample are detected.
US07653492B2
This invention describes a method of reducing the effect of interfering compounds in a bodily fluid when measuring an analyte using an electrochemical sensor. In particular, the present method is applicable to electrochemical sensors where the sensor includes a substrate, first and second working electrodes, and a reference electrode and either the first and second or only the second working electrode include regions which are bare of reagent. In this invention, an algorithm is described with mathematically corrects for the interference effect using the test strip embodiments of the present invention.
US07653490B2
The invention provides a method for obtaining a binding compound for a protein family, wherein the members of the protein family bind a common ligand. The method includes the steps of (a) providing a sample containing a protein from the protein family, a first ligand and a second ligand under conditions wherein the first ligand, the second ligand and the protein form a bound complex; (b) detecting magnetization transfer between the first ligand and the second ligand in the bound complex, thereby determining that the two ligands are proximal in the bound complex; and (c) obtaining a candidate binding compound including the first ligand, or a fragment thereof linked to the second ligand, or a homolog thereof, whereby the population contains binding compounds that bind to members of the protein family.
US07653481B2
A system, method, and article for in-transit communication and exchange of routing data between a service provider and a vehicle's onboard computer, facilitating the exchange and updating of information on a positioning device, such as a global positioning satellite positioning device.
US07653478B2
A method of controlling an engine stop position in a hybrid electric vehicle having a motor capable of controlling engine speed is provided. The method includes: a) reducing the engine speed according to an first engine speed reduction rate using the motor in a state where fuel supplied to the engine is cut off; b) after the engine speed is reduced to first reference speed, adjusting an actual engine speed reduction rate according to second engine speed reduction rate using the motor, and monitoring a current crank position to count the number of times when the current crank position coincides with a given target engine stop position; and c) if the number of times is more than a predetermined number and if the actual engine speed is equal to or below second reference speed, stopping the engine using the motor when the current crank position coincides with the target engine stop position.
US07653477B2
Method and device for control ignition timing through knock control in an internal combustion engine
An engine ECU executes a program including: determining whether or not a condition for stopping knocking determination is satisfied; setting a flag of stopping correction of a determination value to “ON”; calculating a knock determination level based on the extracted magnitude value; and when the correction stop flag is not “ON”, decreasing or increasing the determination value in accordance with a knock proportion KC that is a proportion of magnitude values greater than the knock determination level. The knock determination level is calculated even when the correction stop flag is “ON”.
US07653471B2
A roll control system (16) for an automotive vehicle (10) is used to actively detect if one of the plurality of the driven wheels (12) is lifted. The system generates a pressure request to determine if the wheel has lifted. By comparing the change in wheel speed of a driven wheel to a change in wheel speed threshold the wheel lift status can be determined. The wheel speed change threshold may be dependent upon various vehicle operating conditions such as powertrain torque, braking torque and/or longitudinal force on the vehicle.
US07653470B2
A method to prevent chain jump in a drivetrain of a four-wheel drive vehicle including receiving sensed vehicle parameters from sensors in the four-wheel drive vehicle, generating transfer case chain-jump parameters based on the sensed vehicle parameters and sending a command signal to initiate disengagement of a clutch pack in a transfer case of the drivetrain responsive to the generated transfer case chain-jump parameters.
US07653468B2
Described is a control unit and an acceleration sensor system, the control unit having an electronic safety switch which, as a function of a signal of an acceleration sensor system, releases output stages for actuating passenger protection means independently of a processor and the processor actuates the output stages as a function of the signal. The safety switch analyzes an integrated acceleration signal.
US07653466B2
A control apparatus for a vehicle controls the input power of an AC motor to reduce the difference between a target value and detected value of the system voltage. When a rotation speed of the AC motor increases to be higher than a predetermined value or when a command value of a torque generated by the AC motor increases to be greater than a predetermined value, a current vector is adjusted to a value on a lagging side in order to control the input power of the AC motor. Thus, an input power operation quantity required for stabilizing the system voltage can be realized with a high degree of reliability. When the rotation speed and the command value decrease, the current vector is adjusted to a value on a leading side in order to control the input power of the AC motor.
US07653464B1
A hybrid air-ground vehicle design that cycles through a regenerative energy phase during a ground-based trajectory. The regenerative ground-based trajectory, in turn, produces energy for purposes of implementing another air-based trajectory cycle. The design significantly improves the versatility and endurance of robotic position-adaptive sensor designs. The radar (or electro-optic) sensors on the platform perform surveillance operations during both the ground and air trajectories of the hybrid air/ground vehicle.
US07653442B2
A communication system is provided that includes a controller system (1), a master control (2) and at least one slave control (3). The controller system and the master control (2) are connected via a multipole connection (4). The master control (2) is adapted to receive a multipole signal via the multipole connection (4) and output an addressed signal to at least one slave control (3) via an addressable connection (7, 17). This application also discloses a method of controlling a plurality of fluid flow controls using an output (40) comprising an actuation signal arrangement (41, 41′) and an actuator (42, 42′) associated with each fluid flow control.
US07653432B2
A system for applying a polymer (hydrogel) to the inner surface of a vessel by photopolymerization includes an inner catheter received within an outer catheter and a fluid channeling structure mounted on the catheters with its proximal end attached to the outer catheter and its distal end attached to the inner catheter. The fluid channeling structure includes an elastomeric sleeve sandwiched between an inner elastic coil and an outer light emission coil. Light emission coil loops are interspaced with elastic coil loops. The light emission coil has a smaller diameter than the elastic coil, drawing the elastomeric sleeve down between loops of the elastic coil to form a helical channel. The coils and sleeve are stretched to provide a narrowed crossing profile for delivery, and are contracted at a treatment site to form a helical cavity between the sleeve and the vessel wall within which to perform interfacial photopolymerization.
US07653430B2
A method and system for verifying the integrity of normal sinus rhythm (NSR) templates and updating the NSR template after selected time intervals. At selected time intervals after establishing a NSR template, cardiac complexes are sensed and values for one or more cardiac parameters are measured. The values of the cardiac parameters are compared to predetermined value ranges for NSR cardiac complexes. When the values of the cardiac parameters fall within the predetermined value ranges, values for the differences between the values of the cardiac parameters for the cardiac complexes and the values for the cardiac parameters of the NSR cardiac complexes are calculated. When the values of the differences are greater than one or more threshold values, the NSR template is updated as a function of the sensed cardiac complexes.
US07653426B2
An endoscope-like image taking method includes providing at least one peculiar index, which can be discriminated from other portions on an MR image, at the tip of a catheter, previously inserting a metal guide wire for guiding the catheter into a body cavity of a patient inserting the catheter into the body cavity along the guide wire, executing an MR imaging sequence of a plurality of sliced images intersecting the guide wire, reconstructing three-dimensional image data based upon the nuclear magnetic resonance signals, which are received by the guide wire, and determining the tip position and the inserting direction of the catheter by detecting the peculiar index provided at the tip of the catheter based upon the three-dimensional image data, and reconstructing the center projected image using the three-dimensional image data and setting the tip position and the inserting direction of the catheter as a view point and a line-of-sight direction and displaying the center projected image on a display means.
US07653424B2
An apparatus for measuring ocular and/or blood glucose levels comprises (a) an irradiating means (10) for irradiating light onto the eye (1) of a user from outside the cornea of the eye to excite an ocular glucose sensor in contact with an ocular fluid, said sensor being able to emit a total fluorescence having first and a second wavelength bands; (b) an optical path splitting means (11) for splitting said total fluorescence into a first fluorescence and a second fluorescence, said first fluorescence and said second fluorescence traveling along first and second optical paths; (c) a first detecting means (14) located in the first optical path; (d) a second detecting means (17) located in the second optical path; (e) a calculating means for calculating the intensity ratio of the first fluorescence to the second fluorescence and for determining an ocular glucose concentration in the ocular fluid; and (f) an arithmetic means for converting the ocular glucose concentration into a blood glucose concentration.
US07653415B2
A method and system for increasing data rate in a mobile terminal using spatial multiplexing for digital video broadcasting for handhelds (DVB-H) communication are provided. A reconfigurable orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) chip may be utilized in a mobile terminal to process received spatially multiplexed signals. The mobile terminal may be utilized in a spatially multiplexed multiple-input-multiple-output (SM-MIMO) wireless system. The spatially multiplexed signals may be quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) modulated and may utilize OFDM subcarries. A processor may be utilized to configure the OFDM chip to process signals such as IEEE 802.11 and 802.16, and DVB. The OFDM chip may generate channel weights to be applied to the spatially multiplexed signals received in multiple receive antennas. The weighted signals may be combined to generate multiple RF received signals from which channel estimates may be generated. Subsequent channel weights may be dynamically generated from generated channel estimates.
US07653412B2
A wireless communication device is provided. The device comprises a digital circuit, an analog circuit, and a control circuit. The digital circuit is arranged to perform digital processing in a signal path. The analog circuit is arranged to perform analog processing in the signal path. The control circuit is arranged to receive control signals as input and arranged to provide output control signals for the analog circuit.
US07653397B2
A system for managing the operation of a plurality of radio modules integrated within the same wireless communication device. A control strategy may be employed to manage both more predictable and more spontaneous wireless communication mediums, wherein a local controller may be employed in a radio module utilizing an unscheduled wireless medium, like WLAN, for determining whether adequate time has been allocated to complete a transaction. If the transaction cannot be completed in the allowed time, it may be delayed until adequate time exists, and the delay may be reported so that the time may be reallocated to other radio modules. The radio module may then enter a power-saving mode until the transaction can be completed.
US07653396B2
A method is provided for use in communication involving first and second parties. The method includes determining a first capacity associated with a first channel of a communication link between the first and second parties. The method also includes assigning a second capacity to a second channel of the communication link based on the first capacity and a third capacity associated with at least the first and second channels.
US07653389B2
A mobile telephone network has a function (30) which interacts with the platform (40) or platforms processing a call, event or session to: a) determine the services and/or call handling operations to be applied to the call, event or session; and b) determine if the platform(s) (40) are capable of carrying out the services and/or call handling operations required by the call, event or session. The function may then arrange for the platform (40) to be provided with appropriate data or for the call, event or session to be transferred to another platform. Moreover, a call may have part of its data converted into a standard protocol, and the data in that standard protocol then be used to guarantee a trigger for processing the call at a transfer device.
US07653383B2
A method and apparatus for remote data access in a mobile communication device. A voice call can be initiated between a first voice and data wireless device and a second voice and data wireless device. A data access request can be communicated between the first voice and data wireless device and the second voice and data wireless device. The voice call can be switched to a data call to establish a data access connection. Data can then be transferred between the first voice and data wireless device and the second voice and data wireless device.
US07653380B2
A method includes storing a setting in a profile of a wireless device to cause an automatic message response to incoming calls. When the profile is set as the active profile and an incoming call is received, an automatic response is provided to the incoming call in accordance with the setting.
US07653378B2
A user of a mobile phone photographs himself/herself, and sends a password to an authentication server. After the authentication server authenticates the user, the mobile phone stores the photographed image of the user in a memory accessible only by authentication software. When the authentication software detects a billing apparatus at the time the user makes a purchase, the image is read from the memory and displayed while an indicator is on. A store clerk can confirm whether the person carrying the mobile phone is the legitimate user by judging whether the face image matches the person and whether the indicator is on at the same time.
US07653370B2
A tunable multiple frequency source system employing offset signal phasing includes a first frequency source, a phase delay element, and a second frequency source configured to operate concurrently with the first frequency source. The first frequency source includes an input coupled to receive a reference input signal and an output for providing a first frequency source signal. The phase delay includes an input coupled to receive the input reference signal, and an output, the phase delay element operable to apply a predefined phase delay to the input reference signal to produce a phase-delayed input signal. The second frequency source includes an input coupled to receive the phase-delayed input signal and an output for providing a second frequency source signal.
US07653361B2
A dual band WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) communications technique is provided where a frequency synthesizer unit generates an LO (Local Oscillator) signal at a frequency between both frequency bands and two downconversion units and/or two upconversion units are provided. One of the units performs conversion between the LO signal and an IF (Intermediate Frequency) signal while the other conversion takes place between the IF signal and a zero-IF or low-IF signal. Signal processing is performed on the zero-IF or low-IF signal.
US07653357B2
In some embodiments, a system and method is disclosed for, among other things, reducing interference in a first wireless network from a second wireless network. In some embodiments, the method includes that an Interfered AP, which Interfered AP either itself receives interference or has a station in the Interfered AP's network that receives interference from an Interfering AP or from a station within the Interfering AP's network, selects how to reduce interference from a plurality of interference reduction methods—e.g., including transmit power control (TPC), channel switching (CS) and/or the like.
US07653353B2
A receiver IC provided with a SAW-based oscillator with an external SAW device. The receiver IC comprises an oscillating circuit. The oscillating circuit comprises an inverter stage, a first capacitor, a second capacitor, and a resistor. The inverter stage has input and output terminals respectively coupled to two ends of the external SAW device. The first and second capacitors are respectively coupled between the input/output terminal and a ground. The resistor is coupled between the input and output terminals of the inverter stage.
US07653352B2
A method and apparatus for an electronic device 101 operating in a piconet 100 to assign itself a unique identifier 112 is provided. Once the device 101 assigns itself the unique identifier 112, which may be temporary in nature, the device 101 may use the temporary identifier 112 to identify itself to other devices 102-105 operating within the piconet 100, which may be a Bluetooth local area network. In accordance with one embodiment of the method, a device 101 may first scan the piconet 100 to determine device identifiers 113-116 corresponding to devices 102-105 that are operating within the piconet 100. After scanning the device 101 stores the device identifiers 113-116 in a list and queries the list to determine which identifiers are included in the list. The device 101 then selects the temporary, unique identifier 112 that is not found in the list. The unique identifier 112 may then be used to identify the device 101 to the piconet.
US07653350B2
A wireless terminal includes a Bluetooth module that communicates first information with a remote Bluetooth device, and a processor that selectively encodes the first information based on whether the remote Bluetooth device supports the enhanced communication mode. The wireless terminal can include a cellular transceiver that communicates second information with a cellular network according to a cellular communication protocol. In the enhanced communication mode, the processor may use one or more signal processing operations to encode the first information for transmission to the remote Bluetooth device that are also used to encode the second information for transmission to the cellular network.
US07653349B1
A method and apparatus for adaptively transmitting an uplink signal comprising information from a ground station to a satellite is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of receiving a transmitted downlink signal at a ground station from the satellite; measuring the quality of the transmitted signal; computing a prediction of a degradation of the uplink signal using the quality of the received signal, and transmitting the uplink signal according to the predicted degradation of the uplink signal. The apparatus comprises a tuner for receiving a transmitted downlink signal from the satellite; a signal analyzer, communicatively coupled to the tuner, for measuring a characteristic of the received downlink signal; an uplink degradation estimation module, communicatively coupled to the signal analyzer, for estimating the degradation of the uplink signal from the received downlink signal characteristic; and a controller, communicatively coupled to the uplink degradation module, for controlling the transmission of the uplink signal according to the estimated degradation of the uplink signal.
US07653346B2
A communication terminal device, a communication system, a communication method, and a program which allow efficient communication processing via multicast communication, along with power saving. The communication terminal devices includes a wireless communication unit comprising: a multicast ACK generating unit which makes it possible to transmit packets having an ACK function; a multicast ACK analysis unit which analyzes received packet data for ACK information; wireless transmission and reception units which perform modulation and demodulation processing; and a central control unit and a timing control unit which control these components. The ACK function is thus implemented by multicast packets in multicast communication. This makes it possible to check if its own transmission data is received by other stations (communication terminals).
US07653343B2
A method for managing a digital multimedia broadcasting channel includes receiving a broadcast data frame that includes an occurrence change field, and performing a service update responsive to reconfiguration version data defined within the occurrence change field. Alternatively, the method includes transmitting a broadcast data frame that includes an occurrence change field, and causing a receiving terminal to perform a service update for a new channel responsive to reconfiguration version data defined within the occurrence change field. A digital multimedia broadcast terminal includes a receiver for receiving a broadcast data frame that includes an occurrence change field, and a controller configured to generate a control signal causing a service update responsive to reconfiguration version data defined within the occurrence change field.
US07653342B2
Providing content to a device. Content stored on a device can be examined or searched based on the programming of channels that are available to the device over various networks. The content can be searched using other rules related to user preferences or content characteristics. Based on the results of the examination of the content, playlists are generated. Each playlist includes content from the device that matches or partially matches the content associated with one of the channels. Using the playlists, a user can load content from their device that has a theme consistent with a particular channel. When signal loss is detected for a given channel, the playlist associated with that channel can be loaded and played by the device. The device can resume playing the channel when the signal is again adequately detected.
US07653339B2
A protective agent for forming a protective layer on the surface of an image carrier includes at least a hydrophilic organic compound and an amphiphilic organic compound at a ratio of 1/99 to 20/80. Preferably, the hydrophilic organic compound contains at least one selected from a polysaccharide and a polyether compound, or the amphiphilic organic compound contains a nonionic surfactant.
US07653337B2
An image forming apparatus capable of carrying out color misregistration correction at an appropriate time and providing a high-quality image free from color misregistration. A toner image is formed on the basis of an input image information signal. A width of the toner image is determined on the basis of the input image information signal, before forming the toner image in a predetermined area. The width of the toner image formed in the predetermined area is detected. The detected width of the toner image is compared with the determined width of the toner image. It is judged on the basis of the comparison result whether or not color misregistration is present.
US07653333B2
A paddle includes a plurality of axially divided components that are connected together, each component including axially extending blades, wherein the blades overlap with blades provided on a component adjacent to the corresponding component in the circumferential direction.
US07653331B2
According to aspects of the embodiments, there is provided methods of optimizing contact forces between transfer and photoreceptor belts in image forming devices. The method acquires initial and operational set point data for the photoreceptor and transfer belt at different stages of engagement. Yaw motion is applied to reduce any misalignment between the belts based on the acquired data. A processor is used to determine misalignment between the photoreceptor belt and the transfer belt, and an actuator can be used to apply yaw motion. The yaw motion can return the transfer belt and the photoreceptor belt to their initial set position, or return a steering subsystem actuator to its setting prior to engagement of the belts. Set point data can be from the respective transfer steering subsystem for the photoreceptor and the transfer belts.
US07653330B2
An image forming apparatus includes a display unit which outputs image data in the form of a complete image, a photosensitive medium which forms an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image outputted from the display unit, a developing unit which develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive medium, a transfer unit which transfers the developed image of the photosensitive medium onto a printing medium, and a fixing unit which fixes the transferred developed image in the printing medium.
US07653308B2
A path routing computation method enables reduction of the memory capacity for path routing computation. The method is characterized in that a wavelength convertible subnetwork in which paths are connected in a mesh form; a first and second wavelength inconvertible subnetworks have a starting point node and an end point node, respectively, and include a plurality of nodes and connected via the wavelength convertible subnetwork, and out of the nodes constituting the first and second wavelength inconvertible subnetworks, a node has a port connected to the wavelength convertible subnetwork is defined as a border node, and the method includes the steps of: obtaining, for the first wavelength inconvertible subnetwork, a path from the starting point node to a border node in the first subnetwork; and obtaining, for the second wavelength inconvertible subnetwork, a path from the end point node to a border node in the second wavelength inconvertible subnetwork.
US07653296B2
A camera capable of conducting a wireless communication includes a wireless communication circuit and a wireless communication antenna. The wireless communication antenna, which is disposed at a non-metal movable member that can advance and retreat relative to a camera body, moves relative to the camera body.
US07653294B2
An image blur correction apparatus includes a correction lens, a first guide section, a second guide section, a first driving section, a second driving section, and a position detection section. In the image blur correction apparatus, the first and second driving section has first and second coils, a magnet to apply magnetic force to the first and second coils, and a yoke to support the magnet. The two coils are disposed in an intersecting and overlapping relationship with each other such that the direction of propelling force generated by the first coil and the direction of propelling force generated by the second coil are directed to the first direction and the second direction, respectively. The position detection section detects the magnetic force of the magnet to detect the position of the correction lens.
US07653285B2
A system records an AV stream composed of a plurality of record units (RUs) containing independently reproducible video units (VUs) of at least video or audio and program information (Movie atom) managing the AV stream, onto a recording medium. The program information contains a piece of information (Edit list atom) that manages a point of junction between the record units or between AV streams. In decoding the AV stream, decoding is halted or decoders are switched at the point of junction, based on the management information on the points of junction, for example.
US07653281B2
Waveguide(s) (130) including at least partially buried channels) (120) within substrate(s) (100) having at least one substantially planar surface (110) are disclosed. According to some embodiments at least part of the channel (120) is located beneath at least a portion of the substrate (100). According to some embodiments the waveguide channel (120) includes a substantially transparent core (140) and optional cladding (160) extending through the channel (120). Alternately, an inner surface of the channel (120) is highly reflective. Furthermore, structures for use as waveguides (130) and/or as microchannels for fluid flow are disclosed herein. Also disclosed are production methods for such waveguides and said structures (130) and said structures, and methods of using such waveguides (130).
US07653275B2
An optical device includes: a first optical member having a light-exit end at which light exits the first optical member; a second optical member having a light-entrance end which abuts the light-exit end through a protective medium and from which the light enters the second optical member; and the protective medium which is arranged between the light-exit end and the light-entrance end, and suppresses fixing together of the light-exit end and the light-entrance end. Specifically, the protective medium is transparent and arranged between the light-exit end and the light-entrance end, and is reusable even after the light-exit end and the light-entrance end are pressed together with a pressure of approximately 0.5 or 1 kgf and are then separated from each other.
US07653274B2
An optoelectric subassembly including a receptacle assembly with an optoelectric device mounted therein to define a light axis. The receptacle assembly includes an optical fiber mounting structure defining an opening with an end of an optical fiber received therein. The mounting structure and opening are designed to position the received optical fiber with an end facet substantially perpendicular to the light axis. A first lens is mounted in the receptacle assembly adjacent the optoelectronic device in the light axis and a ball lens is mounted in the receptacle assembly and positioned in the light axis. The ball lens is mounted so as to be in abutting engagement with the facet of an optical fiber inserted into the opening. By forming the ball lens with a diameter equal to the diameter of a mounting ferrule on the end of the fiber and also equal to the diameter of the ferrule receiving opening, the ball lens is self-aligning.
US07653265B2
This document discusses, among other things, systems and methods that track overall time for processing operations such that the processing time can be shared among the resources in an efficient manner. Processing time can be shifted to image processing where the time will provide the most benefit to image quality. Moreover, access time from one process is banked to be used by a subsequent process or on a subsequent group of pixels.This document also discusses, among other things, systems and methods that provide additional processing power on an as needed basis. In an example, a processing stage and its controller are outside the normal pixel processing flow path. When it is determined that additional processing is required, the processing stage and its controller are activated to perform the additional processing.This document further discusses, among other things, systems and methods that provide parallel processing in a processing stage such that the data can flow internal to the controller linked to the processing stage and data can flow globally.
US07653260B2
Disclosed is a system for and a method of registering images captured by a computer-controlled microscope. The imaging system of the present invention includes a computer-controlled microscope electrically connected to a controller having a display device. The microscope further includes a barcode reader, a camera, a serial interface, one or more sensors, one or more motors, a light source, a turret, and a data interface. The method of image registration includes the steps of defining areas of interest on a microscope slide, creating a database of microscopic image locations, commanding a microscope to each location, capturing and storing an image, calculating correlation with neighbors, registering correlation scores and offsets, determining an anchor, and attaching neighbors using correlation scores and offsets.
US07653259B2
A captured image of a scene is modified by detecting an inhibit signal emanating from an inhibitor device carried by an object within the scene. In response to receipt of the inhibit signal, identifying a portion of the image corresponding to the object. The image object of the scene is modified by obscuring the image portion of the object.
US07653253B2
When a quantized DCT coefficient and a quantization parameter are input from an entropy decoder, a controller outputs them to a switch and gives a load detector an instruction to detect system load. The load detector requests system load information from OS. If the system load is light, the load detector controls the switch to execute first inverse quantization of general load by a general processor and obtain a DCT coefficient. If the system load is heavy, the load detector controls the switch to execute second inverse quantization whose processing load is lighter than the first inverse quantization by a specific processor and obtain a DCT coefficient.
US07653251B2
A conversion server and a plurality of clients are connected via a transmission line. The conversion server that receives image coded data from the clients converts the image coding system in accordance with the coding system available to each client, the coding setting, and the status of the transmission line, and transmits the converted image coded data. For a client where the number of images that can be displayed is limited, the conversion server decodes a selected plurality items of image coded data, re-encodes the selected pieces into one composite image, and transmits the re-encoded image. The conversion server also comprises decoding processing units, one for each connected client, for decoding image coded data from each client. In response to a display image switching request from a client, the conversion server intraframe-codes the decoded image data of an image that will be used after the switching and transmits the intraframe-coded data. This enables an image to be switched quickly independently of the intraframe time of received image coded data that will be used after the switching.
US07653245B2
A method of coding a view in a CAD drawing comprises: identifying a feature of the view; extracting properties of the feature from the CAD drawing, the properties including vector properties associated with a graphic entity or group of entities which make up the feature; generating code bits representative of the extracted properties; adding the code bits to a view code for the view; and storing the view code.A CAD drawing is selected for retrieval from a database of drawings by producing a CAD source drawing having a source view, coding the source view to produce a source code as described above, comparing the source code with stored view codes, calculating a similarity index for each stored view code and selecting the drawing for retrieval from the database on the basis of the similarity index.
US07653236B2
Disclosed is a surface inspection device that performs a defect inspection throughout a surface of a wafer. In the defect detection using a defect review SEM, an X-Y coordinate system is set throughout a surface (excluding a round end face) of a product wafer to allow the inspection throughout the surface of the product wafer. Therefore, the defect detection can be performed also in an area other than an effective chip area. Further, the inspection results of the area are stored in relation to the coordinates in a position where the inspection results are acquired. Therefore, the inspection results can be effectively used for an analysis and a defect cause can be investigated with a higher degree of accuracy. As a result, the quality and yield of chips can be improved.
US07653222B2
In a method for use in checking a person's identity, at least part of an image of a fingerprint from the person is transformed so that a representation of a frequency content in said part of the image is obtained. Based on the obtained representation of the frequency content, a frequency code is determined, which contains a predetermined number of frequency code values. A device for carrying out the method is also described.
US07653220B2
A face image creation device 100 for creating a first face image where face parts for creating the first face image are arranged at positions based on a position of a corresponding face part in a second face image, comprises: a position calculation unit for extracting face parts from the input second face image and calculating the position of each face part in the second face image; a face feature storage unit for storing reference positions of the face parts in a reference image; a plot rule storage unit for storing default positions of the face parts for creating the first face image in the first face image; and a facial portrait synthesis unit for determining the positions of the face parts for creating the first face image, based on a comparison result between the calculated position of each of the face parts in the second face image and the reference position of a corresponding face part and a comparison result of a distance between default positions with a distance between reference positions for particular two face parts.
US07653214B2
An accelerometer captures multiple frames of image information and uses the image information to generate acceleration data related to an object. In particular, multiple image frames are used to determine relative movement between a target and an image collection system. The relative movement between the target and the image collection system is tracked over time to generate acceleration data related to the object.
US07653206B2
A digital audio device. According to one aspect of the invention, the device includes a memory and an analog input system configured to record analog audio signals to the memory as digital audio data. The device further includes a digital input configured to download digital audio data to the memory, as well as an analog output system configured to generate analog playback signals decoded from digital audio data stored in the memory. Furthermore, the device includes a digital output configured to upload digital audio data from the memory.
US07653202B2
A system and method which protects a data processing system against encryption key errors by providing redundant encryption keys stored in different locations, and providing the software with the ability to select an alternate redundant key if there is any possibility that the encryption key being used may be corrupted. In the preferred embodiment, a memory control module in the data processing device is configured to accommodate the storage of multiple (for example up to four or more) independent password/key pairs, and the control module duplicates a password key at the time of creation. The redundant passwords and encryption keys are forced into different memory slots for later retrieval if necessary. The probability of redundant keys being corrupted simultaneously is infinitesimal, so the system and method of the invention ensures that there is always an uncorrupted encryption key available.
US07653186B2
A system, method, and apparatus method for receiving one or more communications from a remote terminal, transmitted via a telephone exchange, the communications comprising telemetry data and voice data; selecting a call center from a plurality of call centers to receive a communication from the remote terminal, wherein selecting the call center is based at least in part on the telemetry data; sending a message from the service provider to the call center over a side-channel, the message comprising at least a portion of the telemetry data, and further comprising a request for a communication path to one of a plurality of operator stations connected with the call center; and sending the voice data to the one operator station over a public switched telephone network (PSTN) connection via the communication path requested.
US07653184B2
Whether a facsimile transmission tone is within a call is detected before routing the call from a switch of a telephone network to a first telephone line. When the facsimile transmission tone is detected, whether an incoming facsimile transmission transmitted by the call is permitted to be routed to the first telephone line is determined based at least partially on restriction information. Routing of the call from the switch to the first telephone line is denied when the incoming facsimile transmission is not permitted to be routed to the first telephone line.
US07653181B2
The method of recording and managing audio data transmitted to a user via a phone network includes receiving audio commands from the user to record user selected data relayed to the user from a database, recording the user selected data in a database and storing the data for management by the user. A user may receive an audio or visual readout of the stored data, transmit the data, delete data records, and organize data records.
US07653169B2
In order to provide a timing adjustment circuit capable of transmitting/receiving data without being affected by process unevenness and power voltage/temperature fluctuations even at a high data transfer rate, the phase of data outputted by a data transmitting unit is compared with the phase of a clock for regulating a data receiving timing of a data receiving unit, and the phase of a clock for regulating a data transmitting timing of the data transmitting unit is adjusted according to the comparison result.
US07653166B2
A synchronization device for determining a position of a synchronization signal in a receive signal, the synchronization signal being based on a coarse synchronization signal and a fine synchronization signal, includes a signal processing means configured to determine, based on the coarse synchronization signal, a section of the receive signal in which is located the fine synchronization signal, and to determine in the section of the receive signal, based on the fine synchronization signal, the position of the synchronization signal in the receive signal for a synchronization.
US07653159B2
An Automatic Gain Control (AGC) circuit as used in a digital receiver that utilizes a main loop filter that is of a relatively wide bandwidth. A pre-filter, wideband variance is determined from the input digital signal, and a post-filter, narrowband variance is also determined. The wideband and narrowband variances are then compared to determine if the wideband signal power indicates a variance level that is too great to permit normal loop operation. By reapplying this difference in the power levels to the filter output as needed, such as by a scaling operation, the loss in dynamic range is effectively recovered. In a preferred embodiment, an adjustable gain input amplifier feeds an intermediate frequency (IF) signal to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The digitized IF signal is then down-converted to a baseband frequency and subjected to digital filtering. A narrowband sample variance (PN) of the digitally filtered (narrowband) data is then determined. A wideband sample variance (PW) is also taken from the raw ADC output data over the same period as the time period used for PN. In the presence of out-of-band signal components, PW will be quite different from PN. This difference indicates a desired proportional difference in a control voltage or a gain backoff amount.
US07653158B2
Methods and apparatuses for reducing DC offsets in a communication system are described. In a first aspect, a feedback loop circuit reduces DC offset in a wireless local area network (WLAN) receiver channel. The frequency response of the feedback loop circuit can be variable. In a second aspect, a circuit provides gain control in a WLAN receiver channel. The stored DC offset is subtracted from the receiver channel. First and second automatic gain control (AGC) amplifiers are coupled in respective portions of the receiver channel. In a third aspect, a feedback loop circuit reduces DC offset in a WLAN receiver channel. The feedback loop circuit includes a storage element that samples and stores receiver channel DC offset. The loop is opened, and the DC offset stored in the storage element is subtracted from the receiver channel. Circuits for monitoring DC offset, and for providing control signals for controlling the frequency response of the DC offset reducing circuits are also provided.
US07653150B2
Architecture for processing a record of burst information in a transmission link. A waveform sampler samples a received waveform containing a record of symbols imposed on a carrier signal. Symbol phase of the record symbols is determined utilizing one or more metrics. Any residual carrier error is corrected, and the carrier signal is removed. The phase and time-of-arrival of the burst information associated with a maximum positive correlation value are then determined.
US07653148B2
A method and apparatus for modulating an input signal comprised of an ordered series of samples separated by a substantially constant period T comprising the steps of providing a carrier signal, the carrier signal comprised of a series of samples separated by a substantially constant period T, wherein one of the carrier samples corresponds to each of the input signal samples, selecting a plurality of N successive samples from the series of input signal samples, the series of samples having an input order, for each of the N selected samples in parallel, multiplying the selected sample by the corresponding carrier sample and recombining the N multiplied samples while maintaining the input order.
US07653147B2
An apparatus for transmitter control is disclosed. The apparatus includes an analog circuit designed to operate on at least a portion of a communications signal to be wirelessly transmitted, based at least in part on a control signal. The apparatus includes a lookup table coupled to the analog circuit, with the lookup table designed to output the control signal based at least in part on the communications signal, or one or more measured metrics of the communications signal. Embodiments of the present invention include, but are not limited to, methods encompassing the operations described above, as well as subsystems and systems designed to operate in the above described manner.
US07653145B2
Frequency translation and applications of the same are described herein, including RF modem and wireless local area network (WLAN) applications. In embodiments, the WLAN invention includes an antenna, an LNA/PA module, a receiver, a transmitter, a control signal generator, a demodulation/modulation facilitation module, and a MAC interface. The WLAN receiver includes at least one universal frequency translation module that frequency down-converts a received EM signal. In embodiments, the UFT based receiver is configured in a multi-phase embodiment to reduce or eliminate re-radiation that is caused by DC offset. The WLAN transmitter includes at least one universal frequency translation module that frequency up-converts a baseband signal in preparation for transmission over the wireless LAN. In embodiments, the UFT based transmitter is configured in a differential and multi-phase embodiment to reduce carrier insertion and spectral growth.
US07653143B2
The present invention relates to a Vestigial Side Band (VSB) Digital Television (DTV) in agreement with the DTV standards (A/53) of the Advanced Television System Committee (ATSC), and to a method thereof. More particularly, it provides 4-VSB DTV transceiver that improves reception performance of a receiver by transmitting and receiving dual streams formed of normal data and robust data without increasing average power, regardless of a mixing ratio of the normal and robust data. The 4-VSB DTV transceiver of the present research includes an encoding unit for encoding the robust data to be mapped to one of two groups having 4 levels {−5, −3, 1, 7} and {−7, −1, 3, 5}.
US07653140B2
A solution for radio access in a code division multiple access (CDMA)-based telecommunication system, in which orthogonal spreading codes are used for separating data of a plurality of user entities, is provided. According to the solution, a different pilot symbol sequence is allocated to each user entity, and the pilot symbol sequences of user entities are selected by allocating different frequencies for pilot symbol sequences of different user entities according to a frequency division multiple access (FDMA) technique in order to mitigate the effect of multiple access interference.
US07653139B2
A system and method for a bit-loading algorithm based on an equal error rate principle for each sub-channel (bin) used in a discrete multi-tone modulation (DMT) system. The system and method of the present invention provides a bit-loading algorithm that provides long reach, high data rate and good error performance at a given condition. The bit-loading method and system depends on the Shannon channel capacity formula to allocate bits to different sub-channels. For DMT, the system and method tabulates different SNR GAP for different sub-channels (bins), and constructs a look-up table for the SNR GAP with different bits to achieve a better performance for the DMT system. In addition, Trellis coding across all the sub-channels are optionally supported in DMT, and likewise, the system and method creates another look-up table for variable coding gain provided for the Trellis coding gain in the bit-loading algorithm to further improve the system performance, knowing that the Trellis coding gain is different for different sub-channels with different bit allocation.
US07653137B2
According to the invention, a wave, corresponding to a signal s(t) may be temporally inverted by application of a first transformation to lower the central frequency thereof to produce a first set of transformed signals Ki(t) then a second set of transformed signals K′i(t) is produced representing the temporal inversion signal s(−t) and a third transformation is applied to said second set to generate the temporally-inverted signal s(−t)
US07653133B2
A method, computer program product, and computer system for processing video frames. A current frame is divided into M blocks that include at least two differently sized blocks. M is at least 9. Each block in the current frame is classified as being a motion block or an I-BLOCK. Overlapped block motion compensation (OBMC) is performed on each block of the M blocks according to a predetermined scan order. The block on which OBMC is being performed is denoted as a self block. The OBMC is performed on the self block with respect to its neighbor blocks. The neighbor blocks consist of nearest neighbor blocks of the self block. Performing OBMC on the self block includes generating a weighting window for the self block and for each of its neighbor blocks.
US07653130B2
Method and apparatus for encoding video is described. In one example, average of motion vectors for each of a plurality of blocks is maintained over a threshold number of inter-coded frames in the video. The running average of motion vectors for each of the plurality of blocks is compared to a threshold value. Each of the plurality of blocks the running average of which does not satisfy the threshold value is encoded using a first quantization parameter. Each of the plurality of blocks the running average of which satisfies the threshold value is encoded using a second quantization parameter. The second quantization parameter results in a coarser quantization of transformed coefficients than the first quantization parameter.
US07653128B2
An information processing apparatus for decoding compression-coded video data includes at least one decoder decoding the compression-coded video data, a supply controller controlling the supply of the compression-coded video data to the decoder, and a controller controlling processing executed by the supply controller and the decoder. The controller determines the order of decoding processing performed by the decoder so that, among pictures contained in a decoding processing unit for the decoding processing performed by the decoder, I-pictures and P-pictures are decoded before B-pictures. The controller selects pictures to be output from the decoder from among the pictures contained in the decoding processing unit on the basis of a playback speed instruction provided by a playback speed instruction unit.
US07653119B2
In various embodiments, the present invention includes a method for direct spread modulating data for wireless transmission at a 5 Gigahertz band or other frequency bands via wireless devices. Such wireless transmissions may occur in a wireless network having protection mechanisms to allow such wireless devices to co-exist with other devices not capable of such modulation.
US07653118B1
A surface acoustic wave (SAW) expander based transmitter and correlator based receiver comprises SAW devices that perform expander or correlator functions based on the types of signals inputted to the SAW devices. The SAW devices incorporate chirp with adaptive interference and programmable coding capabilities. The SAW devices and method of operating the devices allow the implementation of very low power radios that overcome problems with temperature drift, lithography constraints and interference and jamming suffered by prior art implementations.
US07653114B2
A multibeam semiconductor laser diode having: an n-type semiconductor substrate; an n-type clad layer, an active layer, a p-type clad layer and a contact layer; a plurality of partitioning grooves extending from one end to the other end of the substrate and formed from the contact layer to a predetermined depth of the p-type clad layer; a stripe-shaped ridge sandwiched between two separation grooves; an insulating layer covering an area from each side wall of the contact layer of each ridge to an end of the partitioning region via the separation groove; a first electrode formed on a second plane of the substrate; and a second electrode formed in each partitioning region covering an area above the ridge, separation grooves and multilayer semiconductor layers outside the separation grooves, the second electrode being constituted of a lower second electrode layer and an upper second plated layer.
US07653110B2
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor laser apparatus including: a laser device including: a semiconductor substrate, first and second resonators formed on the semiconductor substrate, and first and second electrodes that are respectively connected with the first and the second resonators and extend away from each other; and a submount including: third and fourth electrodes respectively adhered with the first and the second electrodes; wherein each of the first and the second electrodes includes: an energizing portion covering the corresponding resonator, an adhering portion being disposed separately from the energizing portion and having a height larger than that of the energizing portion, and a stress-absorbing portion formed in the adhering portion.
US07653109B2
An optical assembly, such as a multiple output diode laser pump source for EDFAs, is formed by pressing an optical array emitter chip against a standoff structure protruding from a submount such that the emitter chip deforms to match the curvature of the standoff structure. An IO chip is also juxtaposed against the standoff structure such that its optical receivers can receive optical energy from the emitter chip. The IO chip can provide various optical functions, and then provide an optical array output for coupling into an optical fiber array. The standoff structure preferably contacts the emitter chip over an aggregate contact area much smaller than the area by which the emitter chip overlaps the submount. The materials used for bonding the emitter chip and the IO chip to the submount are disposed in the recesses between standoffs and not on the contact surfaces of the standoff structure.
US07653105B2
A semiconductor laser using a nitride type Group III-V compound semiconductor includes: an n-side clad layer; an n-side optical waveguide layer over the n-side clad layer; an active layer over the n-side optical waveguide layer; a p-side optical waveguide layer over the active layer; an electron barrier layer over the p-side optical waveguide layer; and a p-side clad layer over the electron barrier layer. A ridge stripe is formed at an upper part of the p-side optical waveguide layer, the electron barrier layer and the p-side clad layer, and the distance between the electron barrier layer and a bottom surface in areas on both sides of the ridge stripe is not less than 10 nm.
US07653104B2
A red laser portion and an infrared laser portion are integrated on an n-type GaAs substrate. A p-type cladding layer made of p-type AlGaInP in the red laser portion and a p-type cladding layer made of p-type AlGaInP in the infrared laser portion have a ridge stripe portion having a light emitting point. A current block layer made of SiNx is formed on both sides of each ridge stripe portion, and a strain relaxing layer made of ZrO2 is selectively formed on an outer side of each ridge stripe region on the current block layer. Provided that Tc is a thermal expansion coefficient of the p-type cladding layers, Tb is a thermal expansion coefficient of the current block layer, and Ts is a thermal expansion coefficient of the strain relaxing layer, the relation of Tb
US07653099B2
A semiconductor laser device according to the present invention includes: a semiconductor laser chip 1 for emitting laser light; a stem 3, 4 for supporting the semiconductor laser chip; a plurality of terminal electrodes, inserted in throughholes provided in the stem 3, 4, for supplying power to the semiconductor laser chip; and a cap 5 having an optical window 6 which transmits laser light and being affixed to the stem 3, 4 so as to cover the semiconductor laser chip 1. Between the stem 3, 4 and the terminal electrodes 7, this device includes insulation glass 8, which does not release silicon fluoride gas when heated to a temperature of no less than 700° C. and no more than 850° C.
US07653088B2
A method and apparatus encode a source data stream via convolutional encoding. Plural encoded data streams are interleaved and transmitted on plural transmission channels. Data groups generated via convolutional encoding are interleaved via time-interleaving functions to disperse selected bits within puncture groups of the data groups, bits in between data groups, and bits in selected sets of data groups to facilitate reconstruction of the source data stream from at least a portion of the interleaved data stream received on at least one transmission channel. The time-interleaving functions are selected to facilitate reconstruction of the source data stream from one transmission channel following continuous blockage. Subsets of bits of puncture groups are selected to allow reconstruction of the source data stream from more than one of the transmission channels using a minimum number of subsets. Multiple combinations of subsets can be received on both transmission channels to reconstruct the source data stream following blockage of one channel. Decoding is performed via a Viterbi decoder.
US07653082B2
An SDH network has a network management system to monitor the functionality of SDH network elements in the SDH network. The SDH network is arranged to transport Ethernet information in SDH format across the SDH network, and is at least partially situated at a host site. An Ethernet network is situated at a user site. An SDH network element converts the SDH format Ethernet information into Ethernet format information for transportation between the host and user sites via a link. An Ethernet network element receives the Ethernet format information. The SDH network element can request the status of the Ethernet network element when the SDH network element is required to update the SDH network management system with status information on the functionality of the SDH network element and the Ethernet network element.
US07653080B2
An allocation determining unit determines a bandwidth allocation for each of a plurality of subscriber devices in each data-collection cycle. A history managing unit takes a history of a request increment from a bandwidth request amount acquired from more than one time of data collections and an allocation amount allocated by the allocation determining unit for the bandwidth request amount, and presents a bandwidth request amount for the allocation determination to the allocation determining unit by dividing the bandwidth request amount into a plurality of request increments indicated by the history.
US07653078B2
A packet transmission control apparatus performs transmission control of packets to a plurality of mobile stations. The packet transmission control apparatus includes a scheduler configured to perform scheduling of the packets in accordance with capabilities of the mobile stations.
US07653073B2
In accordance with the method, a request for a broadband service is provided to a service portal via a communication session established therewith. Configuration data associated with the requested broadband service is received from the service portal via the communication session. The configuration data is then provided to a broadband content server, and the requested broadband service is received via a second communication session, established with the broadband content server. Also, there is provided customer premises equipment, which comprises a first apparatus operative to support a first logical connection for data communications and a second apparatus operative to support a second logical connection for video communications. The present invention allows prioritization of video relative to data, as well as increased security from the perspective of the video content owner and increased simplicity from the perspective of the user.
US07653068B2
A method and apparatus for providing call admission control in a packet network such as an internet protocol (IP) network are provided. More particularly, a terminating endpoint of a logical connection on a packet network, e.g. an IP network, is provided with the ability to make a decision on whether to accept or reject an incoming call based on quality of service (QoS) indicator based on QoS metrics. These metrics indicate quality of service levels for specific logical connections and are accumulated over specified time periods.
US07653067B2
A block-based seeking method for Windows Media Audio (WMA) stream can be implemented in a portable electronic device with a first processor and a second processor. The first processor initially reads a WMA stream from a block-based storage device. Next, the WMA stream is transmitted to a memory of a second processor block by block. The first processor generates and transmits a block number before it transmits a block of data. Next, the second processor decodes the WMA stream packet by packet. If a discontinuous block number occurs, a desired position of the WMA stream is sought according to the discontinuous block number. Next, the second processor outputs decoded samples of the WMA stream.
US07653048B2
A method of providing VoIP call routing in a virtual private network is disclosed. A first gatekeeper issues an information request to a gateway. The first gatekeeper receives from the gateway information organized in a string and based on the information in this string recommends to a second gatekeeper a transmission route through a virtual private network. The second gatekeeper then uses this recommendation to select the transmission route for a VoIP call through the virtual private network.
US07653047B2
A method for guaranteeing Quality of Service (QoS) using bandwidth reservation in a switch includes: establishing a MAC table including MAC addresses of terminals connected to each port of the switch and an identifier indicating whether or not the corresponding terminal is a VoIP terminal; calculating a VoIP bandwidth necessary for each port based on information of the MAC table, calculating a ratio of an entire bandwidth to a bandwidth equal to the entire bandwidth minus the VoIP bandwidth, and setting the ratio as a port ratio of the switch; determining whether or not the corresponding packet is a VoIP packet by filtering the MAC address of the corresponding packet upon an arbitrary packet of the switch being input; and passing the corresponding packet upon a determination that the corresponding packet is a VoIP packet, and passing the corresponding packet only when the bandwidth of the corresponding packet is within a permissible limit of the set port ratio by performing port ratio control upon a determination that the corresponding packet is not a VoIP packet.
US07653041B2
This invention provides a method for power-efficient transmission supporting integrated service over WLAN. The said invention combines the polling-based and the contention-based mechanisms, named on-demand polling (ODP). In the ODP scheme, a voice station is in the polling list when it is in the active mode. During the idle mode, it is configured to operate in the sleep mode for saving power. Also, it adopts the contention-based mechanism to join the list again while returning from the idle mode. On the other hand, the data station adopts the contention-based mechanism to transmit its packets over WLAN. In addition, to achieve service differentiation, the said invention also employs a prioritized access probability for voice over data services. Simulation results show that the said invention can reduce the power consumption for voice stations and enhance the throughput for data stations.
US07653039B2
A network system for interworking a Wireless Local Area Network (W-LAN) and a 3rd-Generation (3G) mobile communication network through a Radio-over-Fiber(RoF) link and an authentication method in interworking in the network system are provided. The network system includes a 3G mobile communication network and a W-LAN system. The 3G mobile communication network includes a voice signal processing network connected to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) for voice call processing with respect to a predetermined mobile terminal, a packet data network for data communication with the predetermined mobile terminal, and a terminal device for communication with the predetermined mobile terminal. The W-LAN system is connected to the packet data network of the 3G mobile communication network to provide a W-LAN service to the predetermined mobile communication terminal. The W-LAN system is implemented in a plurality of Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs) included in the 3G mobile communication network through the RoF link.
US07653036B2
Aspects of a method and system for automatic registration security are presented, and may comprise registering a client station with an access point without requiring a user to enter configuration information at the access point and at the client station. The method may comprise activating a button at an access point and activating a button at a client station to effectuate the registering. Aspects of a system for enabling communication of information in a secure communications network may comprise an access point that registers a client station without requiring a user to enter configuration information at the access point and at the client station. The system may comprise a button that is activated at an access point, and a button that is activated at a client station.
US07653029B2
Aspects of a method and system for a variable spreading factor Walsh Hadamard Transform engine are presented. Aspects of the system may include a variable spreading factor Fast Walsh Hadamard Transform engine that enables spread spectrum encoding of data from each of a plurality of data sources. A plurality of spreading factors may be utilized wherein at least 2 of the plurality of spreading factors differ. The variable spreading factor Fast Walsh Hadamard Transform engine may enable combination of a plurality of spread spectrum encoded data to form a data vector.
US07653024B2
A method and an apparatus for allocating channels in at least one of a multi-user and a multi-service environment for transmitting real-time traffic data in a wireless packet data network is provided. The method comprises determining a desired transmission rate for a first mobile station to allocate a unique frequency channel from a plurality of frequency channels to an individual user of a plurality of users. The method further comprises mapping a data stream associated with the individual user to the unique frequency channel based on the desired transmission rate for the first mobile station. A transmitter may allocate channels for transmitting real-time traffic data in a wireless communication system. The transmitter may comprise a plurality of encoders to independently encode data streams of each individual mobile station user of a plurality of mobile station users, a first resource allocator coupled to the plurality of encoders to allocate bit and power to the plurality of mobile station users, and a second resource allocator coupled to the plurality of encoders to allocate a unique frequency channel of a plurality of frequency channel to each mobile station user of the plurality of mobile station users based on at least one of channel state information and a desired transmission rate.
US07653010B2
According to an embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed a method of operating a wireless mesh network. The method comprises: seeding the network from a first node; allocating a network address to each member node of the network to form a tree-like structure of the nodes, such that the network address is reversibly derived from the network address of the member node from which it is derived in the tree-like structure; and mapping out cross-branch network connections between nodes that are determined not to be immediate neighbour nodes according to the addresses of the tree-like structure. Further related system embodiments are also disclosed.
US07653000B2
According to the invention, an information output, e.g. a voice output, video information output, or a simultaneous output of video and audio information, which is to be transmitted via a packet-oriented network, is generation by means of pre-coded information output components. Said pre-coded information output components are present in a memory system and are retrieved as part of the processing of a request for the output of information by an information output system. Similarly, generation rules for the information output can be stored in the memory system and accessed by the information output system in order to generate the information output. According to one embodiment, information output components or generation rules are created in an information output configuration system and are subsequently made available in the memory system. The invention optimizes the use of resources for information-output services. The inventive distribution of functions permits the advantageous utilization of the performance of the related components for processing services of this type. The recorded announcement services capability known in TDM (time division multiplexing) networks can thus also be implemented in packet-oriented networks.
US07652997B2
A user interface device for specifying network connection in a straightforward manner between information apparatus is provided. When a user wishes to connect two apparatuses, connection buttons on each apparatus are pressed down at the same time, with pressing then being released at the same time. Packets containing timing of pressing down and release of the connection buttons are then transmitted from each apparatus using multicasting. The times included in the packets are then compared with those recorded within the apparatuses, so as to enable both apparatuses to correctly identify each other. This connection method is scaleable as being able to detect duplicate connection requests. It is therefore possible to establish secure connection by exchanging public keys.
US07652995B2
A wireless network access point is described which provides the resources of a backbone network to wireless clients. The access point is able to detect a degraded condition on the backbone network. Upon detecting the degraded condition, the access point transmits or broadcasts a reassociation request to one or more clients associated with the access point. In addition, the rate at which new associations are made is halted or reduced during the degraded backbone condition. In one embodiment, the association rate is reduced by increasing the interval between beacons transmitted by the access point which identify the access to the backbone network.
US07652992B2
RPR traffic management concepts are extended to individual client flows while adhering to the station level traffic management functions by using a two tiered shaper approach. The first tier manages the client level SLAs and feeds the second tier which provides the aggregate station level traffic management functions. This approach allows sharing of a single RPR station without the compromises and side affects associated with the other techniques. Apparatus for Resilient Packet Ring traffic management comprises a stage queue selection block operable to hold client and control traffic for transmission, a queue level traffic shaper operable to control an add rate of client data add traffic and to provide queue specific send indications to the stage queue selection block, and a ringlet level traffic shaper operable to control traffic flow for a Resilient Packet Ring ringlet and to provide aggregate send indications to the stage queue selection block.
US07652988B2
A hardware-based rate control engine is designed to allow credits to be accumulated over multiple time-slices up to a maximum credit limit. The rate control engine is also allowed to dispatch packets up to a maximum drain rate during each time-slice as long as sufficient credits are available. Allowing credits to accumulate over multiple time slices allows unused bandwidth to be saved during times of little or no traffic and used when the subsequent traffic bursts arrive. Additionally, limiting the maximum drain rate puts a cap on how fast the saved bandwidth can be consumed by subsequent traffic bursts. The rate control settings can be adapted in response to a characteristic, or characteristics, of the traffic flow. For example, one group of settings of a traffic flow can be used for bursty traffic, while a different group of settings can be used for smooth traffic.
US07652987B2
The present invention discloses a method for guaranteeing reliability of end-to-end QoS, including: a. detecting and determining whether there is a failure on a Label Switched Path (LSP); if there isn't, returning to the process of detecting; otherwise, determining whether there is a backup LSP for the failed LSP; if there is, an edge router or a transmit router switching service streams and corresponding resources from the failed LSP to the backup LSP based on a certain policy; otherwise, a resource control function (RCF) entity allocating a new LSP according to network topologies for the service streams born on the failed LSP, and switching the service streams from the failed LSP to the newly allocated LSP, and releasing the path resources formerly occupied by the service streams. The method can guarantee service continuity and reliability of QoS in a bearer network.
US07652980B2
Embodiments are directed to first and second OFDM pilot symbols. The first and second pilot symbols may have first and second sets, respectively, of allowed, forbidden, and active carrier frequencies. The second sets of carrier frequencies may be formed by frequency shifting the respective first sets by a predetermined frequency, such as the frequency difference between adjacent carriers. An embodiment is directed to frequency translating part of a first received pilot symbol by one carrier interval in a first direction, frequency translating part of a second received pilot symbol by one carrier interval in a second direction that is opposite from the first direction, and forming a correlation by multiplying the frequency translated parts of the first and second pilot symbols by complex conjugates of parts of the pilot symbols upon which frequency translation has not been performed, and summing the multiplication results.
US07652964B2
An optical disk device includes a recording and reading means which performs recording of data upon, or reading of data from, an optical disk upon which are stored an ID, number of times information, and recording management information. Furthermore, when recording of data upon the optical disk has been completed, this optical disk device stores the recording management information, the number of times information, and the ID of the optical disk in a storage means in mutual correspondence. And, when the optical disk has been mounted, the recording and reading means decides whether a first situation or a second situation holds, using the ID and the number of times information of the optical disk as a key. And, if the second situation holds, the recording and reading means utilizes the recording management information in the storage means.
US07652963B2
In a circuit for detecting a recorded area of an optical disk, when unnecessary noise is superimposed on the space portion of the digitized signal (RF) of an RF signal from the optical disk, a counter (20) for detecting a space portion detects the noise and resets a counter (81) for detecting a recorded area with an output signal S21 therefrom. This prevents the counter (81) for detecting a recorded area from erroneously outputting a recorded area detection signal (S12) due to the noise. As a result, a counter (80) for detecting an unrecorded area outputs an unrecorded area detection signal (S20) with high accuracy to bring a recorded area signal (RECD) from a flip-flop circuit (82) to the L level. Accordingly, an unrecorded area can be detected as it is inherently with high accuracy without being erroneously recognized as a portion in which a mark portion has been recorded.
US07652958B2
A track locking method for use in an optical disc device comprising a pickup head. The pickup head comprises an actuator equipped with an optical lens controlling a laser focus on the optical disc. The pickup head is moved to a predetermined position. A track error signal in the optical disc device is detected. Whether a flicker frequency of the track error signal is less than a threshold is determined. Based on the determination, the actuator is provided with a braking force to pre-deviate the optical lens, and a track locking signal is delivered to the actuator and control parameters of the pickup head is stored to lock the laser focus on a destination track of the optical disc.
US07652955B2
An audio encoding method and apparatus for electronic shock protection (ESP) function in an audio player. A method of generating a frame structure for an electronic shock protection function of an audio player, includes: encoding original data of a frame and locating the encoded data in a first area that is a start part of the frame structure; and encoding frame length information indicating a size of the encoded data in the frame, and locating the encoded frame length information in a second area that is an end part of the frame structure.
US07652947B2
A novel methodology for the construction and operation of logical circuits and gates that makes use of and contact to a fourth (4th) terminal (substrates/bodies) of MOSFET devices is implemented by the present invention to realize a novel decode personalization. The novel construction and operation of the decode personalization provides for maintaining body-contacted MOSFET devices at a lower threshold voltage (VTh) when actively on (to increase overdrive and performance), and at a higher relative threshold voltage when off (to reduce leakage power). Because the threshold potential of a transistor moves inversely to its body potential, the body of each device is tied to the inverse of the device's drain voltage to achieve such a desirable threshold potential modulation effect for improved device, circuit, gate, decode personalization and logical family operation.
US07652942B2
A sense amplifier includes a reference signal providing unit and an internal sense amplification unit. The reference signal providing unit provides a reference bit line signal in response to a reference control signal. The internal sense amplification unit receives the reference bit line signal and data signals that correspond to the data. The received signals are provided through bit lines connected to the memory cell array. The internal sense amplification unit senses the received reference bit line signal and the data signals and amplifies the sensed signals. The sense amplifier senses data stored in memory cells connected to dummy bit lines of the outmost memory cell array of a semiconductor memory device such that the memory cells that are not used can be used. Accordingly, the design area and cost of the semiconductor memory device can be reduced.
US07652940B2
A column access control apparatus comprises a column signal control unit for controlling a write CAS pulse signal and an internal CAS pulse signal in response to a first signal, and a column decoder for outputting a column decoding signal using an output signal of the column signal control unit and the first signal. The column signal control unit delays the internal CAS pulse signal and the write CAS pulse signal to output delayed signals when the first signal is activated.
US07652933B2
A voltage generating circuit of a semiconductor memory apparatus is provided including a voltage generator that generates a core voltage in response to a voltage generating signal, a voltage drop part that drops a level of the core voltage to a predetermined target level when the level of the core voltage is increased by an overdrive operation, and a voltage generation controller that disables the voltage generating signal when the overdrive operation is performed so as to stop the driving of the voltage generator.
US07652932B2
A memory system circuit and method therefor are included. The circuit is adapted to detect a transition in a data timing signal from an indeterminate logic level to a selected one of a high logic level and a low logic level. The circuit includes a comparator having a first input, a second input and an output. The first and second inputs receive the data timing signal and a reference voltage respectively. The output changes logic levels in response to a change in polarity of a voltage difference between the voltage of the timing signal and the reference voltage. The reference voltage is sufficiently closer to the selected one of the logic levels as compared to the other of the logic levels so as to at least substantially prevent potential false positive detections.
US07652931B2
A nonvolatile memory device comprises a memory cell array wherein a plurality of memory cell transistors are divided into multiple erase blocks. The multiple erase blocks are separated from each other by dummy word lines. During an erase operation of one of the multiple blocks, a dummy word line separating the one of the multiple blocks from other erase blocks is driven with a coupling inhibition voltage.
US07652924B2
The present invention is directed to largely reduce peak current at the time of operation of a boosting circuit provided for an EEPROM. In the erase/write operation, first, a low-frequency clock signal as a selection clock signal is input by a low-frequency clock control signal to a charge pump. After lapse of a certain period (about ⅓ of fall time), a high-frequency clock signal having a frequency higher than that of the low-frequency clock signal is output by a high-frequency clock control signal and is input as the selection clock signal to the charge pump to boost a voltage to a predetermined voltage level. In such a manner, while suppressing the peak of consumption current, the fall time of the boosted voltage can be shortened.
US07652919B2
The claimed subject matter provides systems and/or methods that facilitate programming and reading multi-level, multi-bit memory cells in a memory device. In multi-bit memory cells, programming one element can affect the second element. Certain combinations of elements can cause excessive levels of complementary bit disturb, state dependent non-uniform charge loss, and state dependent program disturb, reducing memory device reliability. Such effects may be pronounced where a high charge level is programmed into a first element while a second element of the same memory cell is unprogrammed. Memory cell elements can be programmed using additional charge levels to mitigate such effects. For example, the sixteen distinct element combinations possible using four charge levels can be mapped to a subset of twenty-five possible element combinations using five charge levels, avoiding element combinations likely to generate excessive complementary bit disturb, state dependent non-uniform charge loss, and state dependent program disturb.
US07652916B2
One of the simplest forms of data storage devices is the diode array storage device. However, a problem with diode array storage devices is that as the size of the array increases, the number of non-addressed diodes connected between a given selected row or column of the array and the non-addressed columns or rows of the array, respectively, also becomes very large. While the leakage current through any one non-addressed diode on the selected row or column will have little impact on the operation of the device, the cumulative leakage through multiple thousands of non-addressed diodes can become significant. This aggregate leakage current can become great enough that the output voltage can be shifted such that the threshold for distinguishing between a one state and a zero state of the addressed diode location can become obscured and can result in a misreading of the addressed diode location. The present invention is a means to manage the leakage currents in a diode array storage device. This is accomplished by actively changing the forward voltage of the diodes in the storage array such that a diode connected to the selected row line but that is not connected to the selected column line is in its high impedance state and a diode connected to the selected column line but that is not connected to the selected row line is in its high impedance state; only a diode that is connected to both the selected row line and the selected column line will switch to its low impedance state. The present invention is an enhancement to all types of arrays of diodes or arrays of other nonlinear conducting elements including: storage devices, programmable logic devices, display arrays, sensor arrays, and many others.
US07652904B2
A semiconductor memory device includes first and second bus regions, a third bus region laid out along a center line, a first cell region laid out between a first side and the first bus region, a second cell region laid out between a second side and the second bus region, third and fourth cell regions laid out between the first and second bus regions and laid out toward a third side and a fourth side respectively seen from the third bus region, and a data input/output pad string laid out along the third bus region.
US07652898B2
A soft start circuit is connected to a pulse width modulation controller including an oscillator, and a functionality of modulating amplitude to a pulse width and a power supply includes the soft start circuit. The soft start circuit includes a frequency controlling unit, a duty ratio establishing unit, and a variable switching unit. The frequency controlling unit generates first and second parameter signals for determining a frequency signal frequency by a power source from the PWM controller and provides them to the PWM controller. The duty ratio establishing unit generates a third parameter for determining amplitude of the frequency signal generated by the PWM controller according to a reference voltage, and provides it to the PWM controller. The variable switching unit determines whether it is a first predetermined time from a start-up state, and controls the first parameter of the frequency controller during the first predetermined time.
US07652885B2
According to one embodiment, an electronic device includes a housing, a heat generating part contained in the housing, and a loop heat pipe contained in the housing. The loop heat pipe includes a heat receiving portion, a heat radiating portion, a vapor flow path and a liquid return flow path. The heat receiving portion includes a first region connected to the liquid return flow path and provided with a wick, and a second region formed to be hollow, connected to the vapor flow path. The heat receiving portion is thermally connected to the heat generating part at a position across the first region and the second region.
US07652875B2
According to one embodiment, a display device includes a housing, a chassis which holds a display panel inside the housing, and an HDD unit which is located behind the display panel. The HDD unit includes a case which has an opening portion opened toward rear of the display panel, a bracket which is provided inside the case, and an HDD which is housed inside the case by the bracket and has a heat-generating portion. The bracket has a heat-radiating portion which is thermally connected to the heat-generating portion. The heat-radiating portion is located on a side of the HDD, which is opposite to a side of the HDD facing the display panel, and exposed to inside of the housing through the opening portion.
US07652871B2
An electrical distribution panel includes a backplane, a circuit breaker comprising a load conductor for transmitting electrical power to a load, and a load sensing assembly comprising a load sensor operatively coupled to the load conductor for detecting an electrical load of the load conductor and generating a load signal proportional to the electrical load. The load sensing assembly is selectively positionable with respect to the load conductor at a plurality of fixedly secured positions on the backplane to facilitate positioning the load sensor with respect to the load conductor.
US07652860B2
An overvoltage protection device is adopted, which is provided with a conductive polymer that runs away thermally when the resistance value becomes V2/P or higher, given that the power consumption when actuated is P and the voltage of the secondary battery cell when fully charged is V.
US07652856B2
A current perpendicular to plane (CPP) magnetoresistive sensor that avoids spin torque noise while having high dr/R performance and small gap. The sensor is a dual magnetoresistive sensor having first and second pinned layers and a free layer disposed between the two pinned layers. One of the pinned layers is pinned by exchange coupling with an AFM layer, while the other pinned layer is self pinned by a shape enhanced magnetic anisotropy without the use of an AFM layer. The self pinned layer extends from the ABS to an extended stripe height distance that is greater than the stripe height distance of the AFM pinned layer and the free layer.
US07652849B2
A positioning structure for a flexible cable having a movable portion is provided. In one embodiment, an FPC cable mounted to a base is received within a slit of a fixing plate. The FPC cable is disposed perpendicularly to a bottom surface of a base. On the fixing plate is provided a positioning reference which is spaced a predetermined distance from the bottom surface of the base. When the FPC cable is received into the slit, a part thereof is pushed against the bottom surface of the base to create an elastic force. An upper portion of a reinforcing plate affixed to the FPC cable for reinforcement comes into abutment against the positioning reference to establish a vertical position of the FPC cable.
US07652835B2
An optical device. A drive moving assembly includes a lens module and a drive coil. The drive coil surrounds the lens module and provides a central axis parallel to an optical axis of the lens module. A drive stator includes a housing, a magnetic member, and a yoke. The lens module is movably disposed in the housing. The magnetic member surrounds the drive coil and includes an opening. The yoke interacts with the magnetic member, generating a magnetic field. The magnetic member, yoke, and drive coil interact to move the drive moving assembly parallel to the optical axis. A brake coil is disposed in the opening. A braking resilient member is connected between the drive stator and the brake coil and disposed in the opening. The brake coil interacts with the magnetic member, yoke, and braking resilient member and detachably abuts the drive moving assembly.
US07652834B2
A lens driving unit includes a housing, a lead screw extending in an optical axis direction to be rotated and driven by a driving source, a nut screwed with the lead screw, a lens frame holding a lens and supported movably in the optical axis direction, a contact portion provided at the lens frame to be brought into contact with the nut from one end side of the optical axis direction, and a spring urging so that the nut and the contact portion are brought into contact with each other. The nut is engaged with a guide slit unrotatably with respect to the housing, and the contact portion and the nut are formed so that they are brought into partial contact with each other in a projected plane of the nut in the optical axis direction.
US07652825B2
A display includes a case and a display source received in the case, and allows a virtual image of an image displayed on the display source projected on a windshield of a vehicle through an opening of the case to be superimposed on a foreground image through the windshield which is visually recognized at an eye point of the vehicle. A cover for the display is configured to prevent foreign particles from entering an inside of the case through the opening, and allows the image projected from the display source to pass therethrough. The cover has substantially a wedge cross section so as to align a substantially straight light path of direct light from an arbitrary point on the display source through the cover without reflection with a reflected light path of reflected light from the arbitrary point and reflected twice on inner surfaces of the cover.
US07652821B2
A semi-conductor based imager includes a microlens array having microlenses with modified focal characteristics. The microlenses are made of a microlens material, the melting properties of which are selectively modified to obtain different shapes after a reflow process. Selected microlenses, or portions of each microlens, are modified, by exposure to ultraviolet light, for example, to control the microlens shape produced by reflow melting. Controlling the microlens shape allows for modification of the focal characteristics of selected microlenses in the microlens array.
US07652820B2
An optical imaging system including an illumination system, a Cartesian PBS, and a prism assembly. The illumination system provides a beam of light, the illumination system having an ƒ/# less than or equal to 2.5. The Cartesian polarizing beam splitter has a first tilt axis, oriented to receive the beam of light. A first polarized beam of light having one polarization direction is folded by the Cartesian polarizing beam splitter and a second polarized beam of light having a second polarization direction is transmitted by the Cartesian polarizing beam splitter. The Cartesian polarizing beam splitter nominally polarizes the beam of light with respect to the Cartesian beam splitter to yield the first polarized beam in the first polarization direction. The color separation and recombination prism is optically aligned to receive the first polarized beam. The prism has a second tilt axis, a plurality of color separating surfaces, and a plurality of exit surfaces. The second tilt axis may be oriented perpendicularly to the first tilt axis of the Cartesian polarizing beam splitter so that the polarized beam is nominally polarization rotated into the second polarization direction with respect to the color separating surfaces and a respective beam of colored light exits through each of the exit surfaces. Each imager is placed at one of the exit surface of the color separating and recombining prism to receive one of the respective beams of colored light, wherein each imager can separately modulate the polarization state of the beam of colored light.
US07652816B2
This invention provides a method for commissioning and upgrading an optical ring network using its internal amplifiers as Automatic Spontaneous Emission sources of light that are used in making measurements. A modular segmented approach is adopted and the network is commissioned segment by segment. A flexible method is used for upgrading a commissioned network by adding or deleting a node or changing the internal configuration of a node. The method uses techniques for the correction of the Optical Signal to Noise Ratio induced error as well as the Spectral Filtering Error during the loss computation required for adjusting the gains of the amplifiers at each network node to an appropriate value. Since the method does not require an external laser source that needs to be moved manually from node to node it greatly reduces the commissioning time. Since it uses only the components of the network itself and does not deploy any additional device it also leads to a significant saving in cost.
US07652811B2
In one embodiment, there is provided a method comprising positioning a light concentrating component, having a body comprising a near end and a far end, an exit pupil at the far end, and an internal reflective surface shaped and dimensioned to concentrate light entering the body at the near end to exit the body at the far end via the exit pupil, to a position relative to an modulating component in which position light exiting the body through the exit pupil impinges on an active area of the modulating component; and securing the light concentrating component relative to the modulating component in said position.
US07652809B2
An apparatus for writing and reading holograms, comprising a spatial light modulator (SLM) operable in phase mode, having a plurality of pixels for generating an object beam that overlaps with a reference beam; a holographic recording medium (HRM) in the path of the object beam; and a first lens element disposed in the path of the object beam between the SLM and the HRM; wherein the HRM is disposed at or near the Fourier transform plane of the first lens element.
US07652808B2
A system and method for gamut mapping includes a luminance compression algorithm for gamut mapping that varies across different parts of the image. In shadow regions, a soft compression function is applied to bring out the detail. In other regions, including areas with high local contrast, a hard clipping function is applied to preserve local contrast. The algorithm adaptively blends between these two functions to ensure that the overall compression function is spatially smooth. The system and method may also use chrominance information to compute “perceived lightness”, to be used as input to the low-pass filter. Also, the blending function α( ) could be a function of chrominance as well as luminance.
US07652795B2
A method for modifying an input digital image having one or more color channels, each color channel having an (x,y) array of image pixel values, to form a modified digital image so that when the modified digital image is used to produce a printed image on an inkjet printer there are reduced ink bleed artifacts.
US07652793B2
An image processing method comprises the steps of: determining dot arrangement in forming an image with dots on a recording medium; and forming the image on the recording medium by means of a dot formation device according to the dot arrangement, wherein dot arrangement data concerning each of dot formation positions on the recording medium is created from input image data, according to a dot model which is established with respect to each of the dot formation positions, the dot model being determined according to at least one of dot formation characteristics of the dot formation device and fixing characteristics of the recording medium, and including information relating to at least one of a dot shape, dot density, a dot position, and presence or absence of a satellite, of each dot formed on the recording medium.
US07652788B2
An apparatus, method, mobile station and computer program product are provided for filtering noise from a digital signal. In particular, a signal-dependent noise model is used that provides the pointwise (or pixelwise) standard deviation of the temporal noise of raw data outputted from a digital imaging sensor as a function of the image intensity. In addition, unlike conventional noise models, the standard deviation of the noise (σ) is a parameterized function, where the parameters are key characteristics of the digital imaging sensor. These parameters may include, for example, the pedestal level (p), the quantum efficiency (q), and the analogue gain (α) associated with the digital imaging sensor.
US07652783B2
This invention is directed to a document processing system and method. The method begins with a user logging onto a document processing system, inputs identification data, and selects one or more documents for document processing by the document processing system. The selected document is then uploaded to the document processing system, which renders the document to determine the number of pages and other document relevant information. The user then selects one of the available service locations. The cost associated with the requested document processing operation is then calculated and displayed to the user, along with available payment options. Once the user has selected the desired payment method, the document, with selected options and preferences, is transmitted to the selected service location for output on a document processing device thereon. The received request is stored in queue until such time as the user releases the request for further processing. When the request is resident in the queue for greater than a predetermined time, it is deleted automatically. To release the queued document for further processing, the user is required to log onto the document processing device, select the document from a list corresponding to the user, and verify payment. The requested document processing operation is then performed.
US07652781B2
In order to facilitate the designation of a destination of data while allowing the data to be delivered in a processing method desired by a user at the destination, an MFP includes a registration portion to register for each user a processing method for processing data, a destination designation portion to display a user registered in the registration portion in such a manner that the user can be designated as a destination, a data designation portion to designate data to be delivered to the destination designated by the destination designation portion, and a data processing portion to process data by the processing method registered in the registration portion for the user if data whose destination is the user registered in the registration portion has been delivered.
US07652771B2
An interferometer has a first reflective surface having a nominal orientation; a second reflective surface having a nominal orientation orthogonal to the nominal orientation of the first reflective surface; a retroreflector facing the first reflective surface; a double polarizing beam splitter (DPBS) between the first reflective surface and the retroreflector; and a respective quarter-wave plate between the DPBS and each of the reflective surfaces. The DPBS has first and second beam-splitting surfaces each having a nominal orientation with respect to the first reflective surface. At least part of at least one of the first reflective surface, the second reflective surface and the beam-splitting surfaces is effectively tilted relative to the respective nominal orientation of such surface, and constitutes a respective tilted surface.
US07652765B1
A hyper-spectral imaging system comprises imaging foreoptics (1020) to focus on a scene or object of interest (1010) and transfer the image of said scene or object (1010) onto the focal plane of a spatial light modulator (1030), a spatial light modulator (1030) placed at a focal plane of said imaging foreoptics (1020), an imaging dispersion device (1040) disposed to receive an output image of the spatial light modulator (1030), and an image collecting device disposed to receive the output of the imaging dispersion device (1040).
US07652754B2
A visual sensor for generating an array of binarized feature signals based on a visual field is provided. The visual sensor comprises an array of photoreceptor circuits capable of generating photoreceptor signals based on the visual field, an array of feature detectors capable of generating feature signals based on the photoreceptor signals, and a reconfigurable binary generator array capable of generating binarized feature signals based on the feature signals.
US07652750B2
A lithography exposure device is provided which includes a mounting device for the layer sensitive to light, an exposure unit with several laser radiation sources, an optical focusing means associated with the laser radiation sources, a movement unit for generating a relative movement between the optical focusing means and the mounting device, and a control for controlling intensity and position of exposure spots so that exposed structures which are as precisely structured as possible can be produced. A laser radiation field propagating in the direction of the light-sensitive layer generates each of the exposure spots from respective focal points and has a power density which leads in the conversion area in the light-sensitive layer to formation of a channel penetrating the light-sensitive layer with an index of refraction increased in relation to its surroundings by the Kerr effect and which guides the laser radiation field in a spatially limited manner.
US07652748B2
An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate through a reticle. The apparatus includes a chamber in which an exposure process is to be carried out, a circulation system configured to circulate a gas through the chamber, a supplying system configured to supply water, supplied from a facility, to a heat source inside the exposure apparatus, and a heat exchanger configured to perform heat exchange between a gas discharged out of the chamber by the circulation system and the water to be supplied to the heat source by the supplying system.
US07652745B2
A liquid crystal display panel and a fabricating method that forms an insulating film exposing a metal pattern without a photolithography process. The liquid crystal display panel comprises: a metal pattern having first and second surface processing regions having a different reacting property for a specific solution; and an insulating film of a material representing a property identical to that of the second surface processing region, the insulating film being formed on a metal pattern of the second surface processing region in order to expose the first surface processing region of the metal pattern.
US07652744B2
The optical element in accordance with the present invention comprises a substrate having a light transmission ability and a fixed liquid crystal layer formed on the substrate. The fixed liquid crystal layer is composed of liquid crystal phase sections in which a liquid crystalline compound is fixed in a liquid crystal phase state and isotropic phase sections in which a liquid crystalline compound is fixed in an isotropic phase state.The layer thickness of the liquid crystal phase sections is larger than that of the isotropic phase sections, and the liquid crystal phase sections are formed so as to protrude with respect to the isotropic phase sections.
US07652738B2
An array substrate for an in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device includes a substrate, a gate line along a first direction on the substrate, a data line along a second direction and crossing the gate line to define a pixel region, a thin film transistor connected to the gate and data lines, a pixel electrode in the pixel region and connected to the thin film transistor, and a common electrode in the pixel region and arranged in an alternating pattern with the pixel electrode, wherein each of the pixel electrode and the common electrode includes a transparent conductive pattern, and one of the pixel electrode and the common electrode further includes an opaque conductive pattern having a more narrow width than the transparent conductive pattern.
US07652736B2
An infrared light reflecting article is disclosed and includes a visible light transparent substrate including a polymer and an infrared light reflecting cholesteric liquid crystal layer disposed on the substrate. The substrate and infrared light reflecting cholesteric liquid crystal layer have a combined haze value of less than 3%.
US07652724B2
There is provided electronic equipment which includes: a cabinet; an image display apparatus incorporated into the cabinet; and speakers incorporated into the cabinet, in which the image display apparatus is disposed with an image display surface thereof facing a front of the cabinet, the speakers are disposed with sound radiating surfaces thereof inclined as viewed from the front of the cabinet, and a sound reflecting surface for reflecting sounds radiated from the speakers frontward is disposed in the cabinet.
US07652722B2
An apparatus and method for displaying television (TV) video data in a portable terminal having a TV video signal receiving function. The apparatus and method include displaying first video data on a first display unit in a TV mode, displaying a channel list during a channel change, displaying video data for a channel selected from the channel list on a second display unit, and displaying the video data displayed on the second display unit on the first display unit when the video data displayed on the second display unit is selected.
US07652719B2
An electric dust-proof device includes a base seat, a driving mechanism, and a dust-proof cover. The driving mechanism is disposed on the base seat, and includes a power unit, and a drive unit. The drive unit includes a sliding seat driven by the power unit, a pair of first and second pushing portions disposed on the sliding seat and spaced apart from each other, and a guiding assembly for guiding reciprocal movement of the sliding seat along a direction. The dust-proof cover is disposed pivotally on the base seat, and has an engaging portion disposed between the first and second pushing portions, and a cover plate portion connected to the engaging portion. The first and second pushing portions cooperate to move the dust-proof cover between an open position and a close position as a result of the reciprocal movement of the sliding seat.
US07652713B2
In an image pickup apparatus capable of executing image pickup and focus detection using the phase difference scheme by a solid-state image pickup element, accurate and quick focus detection using the phase difference scheme is realized. In addition, an image pickup apparatus capable of obtaining a high-quality image signal even in an image pickup mode is provided. Each pixel unit of an image pickup element includes first and second photoelectric conversion units for photoelectrically converting light components that have passed through different regions in the exit pupil of an image pickup optical system and is arranged such that the first sensitivity distribution by the first photoelectric conversion unit and the second sensitivity distribution by the second photoelectric conversion unit overlap in a region between the photoelectric conversion units.
US07652709B2
An image search method for searching image data includes the steps of searching identifying information for identifying the image data by using search information, informing the image data including the identifying information in correspondence with the search information, and causing a user to select image data to be executed a predetermined processing from the informed image data.
US07652705B2
To achieve high sensitivity in such a manner that photoelectric charges generated by photoelectric conversion films are made to flow into gates of output transistors smoothly to increase a signal voltage relative to signal charges, a solid-state imaging device includes: a semiconductor substrate having signal readout circuits constituted by MOS transistor circuits; photoelectric conversion films stacked on the semiconductor substrate for generating signal charges in accordance with the incident light intensity; connection portions provided on the surface of the semiconductor substrate and connected to wirings leading the signal charges to the surface of the semiconductor substrate; charge paths provided so that the connection portions can be connected to gate portions of output transistors (sources of reset transistors) constituting the signal readout circuits; and potential barrier units provided near the connection portions so as to serve as constant potential barriers relative to charges of the connection portions.
US07652704B2
A pixel cell in which a capacitance is coupled between a storage node and a row select transistor. The pixel cell utilizes a readout timing sequence between operation of a reset transistor and a row select transistor to boost a reset voltage.
US07652703B2
An imager having two panels of pixels (i.e., the imager's rows of pixels are split into two panels) that are controllable by separate row decoders. The dual panel architecture allows pipelining of pixel readout and column readout operations to improve the imager's frame rate. The dual panel architecture may use a standard pixel configuration, a shared column and/or a shared row and column configuration.
US07652700B2
To achieve more appropriate interpolation of a missing pixel, an image is input to a processing section for interpolation. The interpolation is applied utilizing image data of pixels located around the pixel to be interpolated. Specifically, correlations between the image data of the pixels to be interpolated, and pixel data in a horizontal direction, vertical direction, and diagonal direction, are compared to one another; pixel data having stronger correlation is used for the interpolation. Correlation between the image data of the pixels to be interpolated and which direction is strong is determined, so that different weighting for interpolation is used accordingly.
US07652699B2
An apparatus (20) for recording a color image, comprises an image sensor (22) having a plurality of pixels (24) formed in a monolithic substrate. Each of the plurality of pixels (24) includes three floating gate semiconductor devices (80, 82, 84). A color tunable filter (30) is positioned between a photosensitive semiconductor device (86) and an electromagnetic radiation source. A FET transistor (130) has a drain (134) connected to the cathode (120) of the photodiode (86), and a source (136) connected to the anode (118) of the photodiode (86) and to control gates (94, 104, 114) of each of the three floating gate semiconductor devices (80, 82, 84). The color tunable filter (30) allows all desired combinations of colors to pass while each of the three floating gate semiconductor devices (80, 82, 84) are respectively selected to store the color image.
US07652695B2
The present invention is a system and method which enable users achieve optimal results according to their preferences in digital still pictures. The preferred embodiments of the present invention, which may be installed on any apparatus which captures digital still images, such as digital cameras, cellular phones, PDA, allow users to achieve the still picture according to criteria they determined in advance. Users may define the attributes of the still picture they wish to have in the final photograph and the camera automatically determines the optimal timing to capture the image as users press the shutter button half way down. In addition, the camera may also correct the captured image according to predefined criteria. The system may therefore automatically avoid common flaws regarding the timing of the captured image and solve some of the image deformations caused by the use of the flash such as red-eye and reflections.
US07652691B2
An imaging apparatus includes a control unit which has a first mode in which image signals are read out successively from every predetermined line of a first photoelectric conversion element group arranged in a first region of an imaging plane; and a second mode in which image signals are read out successively from every predetermined line of a second photoelectric conversion element group arranged in a second region which is different from the first region of the imaging plane. In addition, the control unit performs control so as to cause a period from starting readout of the signal of the predetermined line to starting next readout of the signal of the predetermined line in the first mode to be the same as that from starting readout of the signal of the predetermined line to starting next readout of the signal in the second mode.
US07652689B2
In a digital still camera, the amount of blur when a picture is taken is calculated from a first picture captured with a high-speed electronic shutter and a second picture captured with a normal shutter speed (5), and the blur in the picture captured with the normal shutter speed, which is degraded by the blur, is corrected through digital signal processing, by applying a picture restoration algorithm (6). Blur can be corrected by a simple device, without requiring an angular velocity sensor or a circuit to process its output in order to reduce the effect of camera shake.
US07652685B2
An iris image capture device includes an optical arrangement that utilizes Wavefront Coding phase modifications to produce an optical image of a user iris and a detector for detecting the optical iris image and for converting the optical iris image into an electronic data signal. The iris image capture device also includes an image processor configured for processing the electronic data signal from the detector to reverse the Wavefront Coding phase modifications and to produce an electronic iris image of the user iris.
US07652682B2
In an image forming apparatus that outputs a reference clock, divides the outputted reference clock based on a set multiple, and generates an image clock based on the division, a width of a synchronization signal that indicates dynamic deviation characteristics is detected, and the multiple is set in accordance with the detected width of the synchronization signal.
US07652674B2
A method of interdigitation for display of an autostereoscopic source image to a screen comprising a plurality of pixels having sub-pixels and sub-pixel components and apparatus for interdigitation is provided. The method comprises generating a texture memory coordinate at each pixel location on the screen of the source image, calculating screen pixel location based on the texture memory coordinate of each pixel, computing view numbers based on screen pixel location, wherein view numbers comprise one value for each sub-pixel component, mapping proportional pixel locations in tiles from multiple tile perspective views of the autostereoscopic image to a resultant image using the view numbers, and extracting one subpixel component from each proportional pixel location to represent color for the pixel in the resultant image.
US07652670B2
An alternative to cloth simulation in which a plurality of different poses for a material are established, and then each component of each vertex position of the material is encoded into a polynomial by using corresponding vertices in the plurality of different poses for the material. The vertices are encoded relative to a neutral bind pose. The polynomial coefficients are calculated offline and then stored. At runtime, the poses are interpolated by using key variables which are input into the polynomials as different states, for example the turning speed of the player wearing the material, which may comprise a cloth jersey. The bind pose vertices are transformed into world space using the character skeleton. A smooth interpolation is achieved, and the polynomials can encode a large number of pose-meshes in a few constants, which reduces the amount of data that must be stored.
US07652667B2
A digital storage oscilloscope having a display screen to display a waveform, and a mask defining compliant and non-compliant regions. A method of operating the oscilloscope includes receiving a signal, processing the signal, and displaying the signal on the screen. Portions of signals occupying the non-compliant region are displayed with a flashing illumination. The flashing illumination may be manually invoked to reveal small and inconspicuous violations.
US07652659B2
An information input device and an information input method are provided which can provide portability to thereby improve manipulation flexibility and has a high manipulation resolving power. The device includes two relatively slidable plate-shaped input members held between fingertips or parts of fingers of a hand to slide relative to each other, and an information producing portion for producing input information in accordance with at least a relative position or a relative movement of the plate-shaped input members.
US07652657B2
The present application describes a system and method for determining characteristics (e.g., exact band location, orientation and height and the spot shape and size of a single wavelength and the like) of an optical signal projected on a spatial light modulator. In an embodiment, images with sharper edges (i.e. clear boundary between ‘on’ pixels and ‘off’ pixels) on the spatial light modulator are used to obtain spectral information from a referenced broadband source. The spectral information can be used to determine the desired characteristics of optical signals projected on the spatial light modulator.
US07652653B2
The present invention relates to a display device, and more particularly to a display device which includes a drive circuit having a CMOS shift register which is constituted of a CMOS circuit. The display device includes: a plurality of pixels; and a drive circuit, wherein the drive circuit includes a shift register that includes n(n≧2) basic circuits connected vertically in multiple rows, the basic circuit includes a first transistor having a first electrode to which a clock is applied, and a second transistor of a second conductive type which is different from the first transistor of the first conductive type in a conductive type and has a second electrode thereof connected to a second electrode of the first transistor and has a second power source voltage applied to a first electrode thereof, an input signal is applied to a control electrode of the first transistor and a control electrode of the second transistor, and the second electrode of the first transistor is connected to a scanning circuit output terminal.
US07652647B2
Improvement is to be achieved against poor image quality attributable to voltage drops on wirings, and the image quality especially of large image display devices is to be ameliorated. The circuit configuration comprises a scanning circuit for controlling a plurality of pixel circuits; a plurality of scanning wirings for conveying the signals of the scanning circuit to the pixel circuits; a plurality of first and second wirings for supplying image signals and power to the pixel circuits, arranged in parallel to each other and crossing said scanning wirings; and a drive circuit for supplying image signals and power to the first and second wirings; all disposed over a glass substrate, wherein the drive circuit supplies power to both first and second wirings when the light-emitting devices emit light in response to image signals.
US07652646B2
Systems for displaying images are provided. A representative system incorporates a display device that includes a data line operative to provide display signals and sweep signals; a scan line operative to provide scan reset signals; a first capacitor having a first end coupled to the data line for storing charges from the signal line; a first inversion unit having an input end coupled to a second end of the first capacitor, a first supply end coupled to a first voltage source, a second supply end coupled to a second voltage source larger than the first voltage, and an output end; a first reset switch having a first end coupled between the second end of the first capacitor and the input end of the first inversion unit, a second end coupled to the output end of the first inversion unit, and a control end coupled to the scan line; a driving TFT having a control end coupled to the output end of the first inversion unit; and an illuminating unit coupled between a first end of the driving TFT and a third voltage source larger than or equal to the first voltage source.
US07652639B2
An operation of reducing a voltage at a scan electrode by as much as a predetermined voltage and floating the scan electrode is repeatedly performed in a reset period of a plasma display panel. When the voltage at the scan electrode is reduced and a discharge is generated, a discharge extinction is generated when the scan electrode is floated, and the voltage at the scan electrode increases. At this time, the voltage increase of the scan electrode is applied and the voltage at the scan electrode is greatly reduced when the voltage at the scan electrode is subsequently reduced.
US07652635B2
In a method and system for identifying an antenna, an antenna identifier is coupled to the antenna. The antenna identifier is a memory device that stores at least one attribute to identify the antenna. The antenna includes an electromagnetic radiation element coupled to a signal port and a coupling device coupled in-between the signal port and the antenna identifier. A data signal received at the signal port is isolated by the coupling device and provided to the antenna identifier. The data signal is provided by a radio device and/or an information handling system (IHS) coupled to the antenna via the signal port. The radio device and/or the IHS is operable to read one or more values for the at least one attribute stored in the antenna identifier.
US07652628B2
An electronic device includes a dielectric plate oriented parallel to a first direction. A conductive trace may be on a surface of the dielectric plate and forms a meander pattern on the surface of the dielectric plate. The conductive trace forms a loop antenna element including an RF feed point at a first end of the trace and a ground point at a second end of the conductive trace. A meandered printed circuit board (PCB) extends from the dielectric plate on a side of the dielectric plate opposite the conductive trace. The meandered PCB includes a plurality of primary portions extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the plurality of primary portions include electronic components mounted thereon.
US07652625B2
A positioning system that includes a plurality of chronologically synchronized Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) Positioning-Unit Devices and a position receiver incorporating a TDMA Adaptive Directional Antenna Array is disclosed. The plurality of chronologically synchronized Positioning-Unit Devices, positioned at known locations, transmit positioning signals in a predetermined Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) sequence, such that each Positioning-Unit Device has a unique transmission time slot. The TDMA Adaptive Directional Antenna Array is configured to consecutively steer a directional receive antenna in spatial synchronization with the plurality of Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) Positioning-Unit Device transmissions, such that the directional receive antenna is oriented toward the currently transmitting Positioning-Unit Device, or the directional receive antenna is oriented toward the origin of the currently received positioning signal. The TDMA Adaptive Directional Antenna Array is controlled by a deterministic algorithm based on the knowledge of the Positioning-Unit Device locations, TDMA Adaptive Directional Antenna Array location, TDMA Adaptive Directional Antenna Array attitude, network Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) transmission sequencing, Positioning-Unit Device positioning signal propagation delays, and network time.
US07652624B2
Embodiments of millimeter-wave communication stations with directional antennas and methods for fast link recovery are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. In some embodiments, a transmitting station retransmits a packet in an adjacent direction when an acknowledgement is not received from a receiving station after a number of retransmission attempts. In other embodiments, a receiving station changes its reception to an adjacent direction when a packet is not received from a transmitting station after a number of missed reservations.
US07652616B2
A time needed until measurement values are obtained in a two-frequency continuous wave radar systems is reduced.An object detection system that emits transmission signals, as transmission waves, whose frequencies have been modulated successively into a plurality of stepped frequencies, and receives echoes of the transmission waves reflected from target objects, thereby calculating relative velocities of the target objects by frequency-analyzing reception signals obtained from the received echoes. The target object detection system includes: a frequency modulation component that repeatedly executes frequency-modulation processes to successively modulate the transmission signals into those of the stepped frequencies, within a minimum measurement time in which a desired velocity resolution is achieved; and a frequency-analysis component that frequency-analyzes throughout the repeated frequency-modulation processes the reception signals processed by the frequency-modulation component.
US07652612B2
Some embodiments include apparatus and methods having a first module with a capacitor network configured to receive a sample of an analog input signal and an amplifier configured to couple to the capacitor network in a plurality of arrangements to successively generate a plurality of residue signals at an amplifier output node of the amplifier without resetting the amplifier between generation of least two of the plurality of residue signals, and a second module configured to generate a digital signal based on a plurality of intermediate codes generated from the sample signal and the plurality of residue signals, the digital signal including a digital value of the sample.
US07652611B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a pipeline ADC front-end sampling structure that provides a continuous time input signal to a flash comparator for sampling. By providing a continuous time input signal to the flash comparator, no delay is introduced from the need to transfer a DC charge representing the sampled input to the flash comparator. Matching sampling networks in the residual generator and the flash comparator are avoided due to the high bandwidth response requirements of the residual generator and the flash comparator when operating on high frequency input signals.
US07652603B2
A ΔΣ-type AD converter includes a subtractor which receives an analogue input signal and a feedback signal and which outputs a signal pertaining to a difference between the signals, an integrator which integrates a signal output from the subtractor, a comparator which binarizes a signal output from the integrator by comparing with a predetermined threshold value, a counter which measures respective pulse widths of a signal output from the comparator, and a PWM circuit which outputs a pulse signal of a predetermined period having a duty cycle responsive to a count value output from the counter and which feeds back the pulse signal as the feedback signal to the subtractor. The counter measures the respective pulse widths in each PWM frame period in synchronism with the PWM circuit, and the PWM circuit feeds back to the subtractor a pulse signal whose duty cycle is set in accordance with a value of the measured pulse width in a next PWM frame. A count value output from the counter is extracted as a converted digital output value.
US07652600B2
The present invention discloses an analogue-to-digital converter comprising at least two voltage comparator devices. Each of the voltage comparator devices comprises a differential structure of transistors and is arranged for being fed with a same input signal and for generating an own internal voltage reference by means of an imbalance in the differential structure, said two internal voltage references being different. Each voltage comparator is arranged for generating an output signal indicative of a bit position of a digital approximation of the input signal.
US07652590B2
A thin indication and warning device includes one or more self-powered indicator units 1 adapted to assemble together by means of a connector 2. The indicator unit 1 includes a channel member 11 including a recessed base 111 and a cover 112 including openings 115; light indicators 12 each including a housing 121 aligned with the opening 115, and a light-emitting member 122 mounted under the housing 121; a control circuit 14; and a rechargeable power supply 13. In response to power outage an abnormal voltage detection circuit 126 detects same and sends an activation signal to the power supply 13, the enabled power supply 13 supplies power to an alarm circuit 143 and each light indicator 12 respectively, the enabled alarm circuit 143 makes a warning sound, and each light indicator 12 emits light for indication.
US07652579B2
A wireless IC tag mounted on a low magnetic permeability material is mounted on a holding part which has first and second surfaces and is made of a high magnetic permeability material. The holding part has a penetrating part which penetrates the first and second surfaces, and a notch which penetrates a part of the first and second surfaces at a periphery. A discontinuous region is formed on the holding part due to the notch, and at least on the penetrating part, the wireless IC tag is tightly held together with the low magnetic permeability material. An axis of reverse direction magnetic flux generated by an eddy current that flows in the periphery of the penetrating part and the notch is shifted from an axis of the magnetic flux produced by electromagnetic waves directed toward the wireless IC tag on the first and second surfaces.
US07652578B2
A near-field communication circuit (100), such as a radio frequency identification circuit, includes a communication coil (104) and a communication circuit (108) configured to transmit data (109) through the communication coil (104). When the communication circuit (108) is in an idle mode, probing circuitry (124) is configured to detect the presence of a magnetically conductive object within close proximity of a communication coil (104). In one embodiment, a control circuit (110) selectively couples a capacitance (125) in parallel with the communication coil (104). The control circuit (110) then applies a probing signal (116) to the communication coil (104). A comparator (118) monitors a secondary parameter of the communication coil (104), such as inductance or impedance. When a magnetically conductive object is detected, the communication circuit (108) transitions to a communication state and attempts to communicate with the object.
US07652577B1
Systems and methods for beamforming in radio frequency identification (RFID) applications are disclosed. A beamforming system uses a distributed architecture and techniques for antenna beamforming using a feedback control loop to direct radio frequency (RF) energy onto a specific region, referred to as an interrogation zone, which includes a calibration node where one or more RFID tags may be located. The distributed architecture of the beamforming system is resistant to fading and shadowing effects, providing accurate RFID reader operation even in environments with multi-path reflections or environmental changes, such as people moving around or changes in the location of equipment.
US07652575B2
An aspect of the present invention is a method of monitoring a package. The method includes mounting a transponder on the package, the transponder having at least two signal transmission devices and emitting a first output signal configuration on the signal transmission devices when the integrity of the package is intact and emitting a second output signal configuration on the signal transmission devices if the integrity of the package has been compromised.
US07652572B2
Methods for detecting and locating ferromagnetic objects in a security screening system. One method includes a step of acquiring magnetic data that includes magnetic field gradients detected during a period of time. Another step includes representing the magnetic data as a function of the period of time. Another step includes converting the magnetic data to being represented as a function of frequency. Another method includes a step of sensing a magnetic field for a period of time. Another step includes detecting a gradient within the magnetic field during the period of time. Another step includes identifying a peak value of the gradient detected during the period of time. Another step includes identifying a portion of time within the period of time that represents when the peak value occurs. Another step includes configuring the portion of time over the period of time to represent a ratio.
US07652560B2
A radar device is configured to transmit an electric wave and receives a reflected wave that is generated by a reflection of the electric wave on an object, and to recognize the object is a potential obstacle that is to be hit by the vehicle when a received intensity of the reflected wave thereby is a specified threshold or more. And, the specified threshold has a plurality of preset values. Accordingly, a determination as to whether or not the obstacle detected by the radar device is the potential obstacle to be hit by the vehicle can be accurately made.
US07652553B2
A thermally activated electrical interrupt device incorporates a thermally activated portion (110) engaging with an electrical interrupt portion (120). The thermally activated material (114) expands when heated, causing an interrupt control rod (140, 180) to open an electrical contact (123, 125, 126/132, 134). When the interrupt device is placed into an interrupt state, a reset mechanism maintains the interrupt control rod (140) in the interrupt state until specifically reset.
US07652550B2
A high-voltage generating transformer for a discharge lamp lighting apparatus according to the present invention includes a rodlike core; a secondary winding bobbin that is divided into a plurality of sections, and where the core is disposed in the central portion thereof; a secondary winding part wound on the secondary winding bobbin, divided between the plurality of sections of the bobbin; a primary winding bobbin disposed around the outer periphery of the secondary winding part; and a primary winding part wound on the primary winding bobbin; wherein the primary winding bobbin is changed in thickness every section or every plurality of sections of the second winding part such that the bobbin has a thickened thickness on the side where the potential difference between the primary winding part and the secondary winding part is high, and the bobbin has a thinned thickness on the side where the potential difference is low.
US07652549B2
A magnetic latch includes a stator having first and second permanent magnets disposed on either side of a center portion. Each of the first and second permanent magnets has at least two associated poles. A rotor has at least one magnetic region. The rotor is configured for rotation about an axis of the stator between a first latched position and a second latched position.
US07652542B2
A signal generator generates a first internal signal including frequency f1, a second internal signal including frequency f2, and a third internal signal including frequency f3 twice as high as frequency f2, and selects and delivers one from among a first output signal including frequency f1, a second output signal including frequency f1+f2, and a third output signal including frequency f1+f3, using the first, second, and third internal signals.
US07652540B2
A digital phase locked loop apparatus includes an input signal time detecting device that detects a phase of an input signal with prescribed time resolution obtained by dividing a cycle of an operation clock generated by a clock generator at a prescribed time. An output clock generating device outputs output clock time data per the one cycle in accordance with frequency control data. The output clock time data has a value corresponding to a phase of a virtual output clock generated by dividing the operation clock in accordance with the time resolution. A phase difference detecting device detects a difference between phases of the input signal and the virtual output clock, and outputs a phase difference signal in accordance with the detection result. The frequency control device changes the frequency control data in accordance with the phase difference signal.
US07652539B2
Provided herein are multi-stage broadband amplifier configured to achieve a high gain-bandwidth product in a non-distributed architecture and methods for designing the same. The broadband amplifier can include an input stage having a broadband matching unit and an input buffer unit, a gain stage having an RLC network and a amplifier unit and an output stage having a common collector amplifier and an RC compensation unit.
US07652537B2
One embodiment of the invention includes an amplifier system. The amplifier system comprises an amplifier stage configured to receive an input signal at an amplifier input and to provide an amplified output signal. The amplifier system also comprises a programmable input impedance stage comprising a plurality of transconductance stages. At least one of the plurality of transconductance stages can be selectively activated based on a selection signal, the at least one of the activated transconductance stages providing current through the amplifier input that adjusts an impedance associated with the amplifier input based on the amplified output signal.
US07652533B2
An OP amplifier including an input stage and an output stage for improving a slew rate is provided. The input stage receives one of input voltages, and generates an internal voltage according to the received input voltage. The output stage receives and gains the internal voltage, and outputs an output voltage. The output stage includes a first transistor, a plurality of first capacitors and a first switching unit. The first transistor includes a first source/drain terminal coupled to a first voltage, a gate terminal controlled by the internal voltage. The output stage outputs the output voltage according to a voltage at a second source/drain terminal of the first transistor. First terminals of the first capacitors are coupled to the second source/drain terminal of the first transistor. The first switching unit selectively transmits the internal voltage to the second terminal of a corresponding one of the first capacitors.
US07652528B2
Methods and systems for implementing an analog switch controller to improve linearity of analog switches are described.
US07652525B2
A current mirror circuit has a first MOS transistor to which an input current is supplied. The first MOS transistor has a gate formed of polysilicon. A second MOS transistor has a gate formed of polysilicon and connected directly to the gate of the first MOS transistor via a polysilicon layer for producing an output current whose magnitude is a magnitude of the input current multiplied by a current mirror ratio. A fuse has one terminal connected to a gate portion between the gate of the first MOS transistor and the gate of the second MOS transistor and another terminal that is grounded.
US07652523B2
A current mirror circuit includes a reference current source that generates a reference current, a reference transistor, a mirror transistor and a ratioed body bias feedback unit. The reference transistor has a first node that is coupled to the output of the reference current source, a gate that is coupled to the first node and a second node coupled to a common voltage. The mirror transistor has a gate coupled to the first node. The ratioed body bias feedback unit generates a body bias voltage coupled to the body of the reference transistor and the body of the mirror transistor. The ratioed body bias feedback unit is configured to adjust the body bias voltage in relationship to the common voltage so that the reference transistor and the mirror transistor each have a threshold voltage within a predefined range.
US07652513B2
In a method and apparatus for data retention, a first latch latches a data input and a second latch that is coupled to the first latch retains the data input while the first latch is inoperative in a standby power mode. The second latch includes a second latch inverter having an inverter input and an inverter output. A switching circuit, which may be implemented as a tristate inverter, is coupled to the inverter output, the inverter input, and a retention signal. The switching circuit is operable in the standby power mode to assert a logic state at the inverter input responsive to the retention signal. The logic state is in accordance with the data input retained in the standby power mode. A standby power source is operable to provide power in the standby power mode to the second latch inverter, the switching circuit and the retention input.
US07652505B2
In a level conversion circuit, two P channel MOS transistors form a current mirror circuit. When an input signal rises from the “L” level to the “H” level, an N channel MOS transistor connected to a drain of one P channel MOS transistor is brought out of conduction to prevent a leak current from flowing through two P channel MOS transistors, which decreases a power consumption. In addition, when the input signal rises from the “L” level to the “H” level, a P channel MOS transistor connected to a drain of the other P channel MOS transistor is brought into conduction to fix a potential of a node of the drain of the other P channel MOS transistor to the “H” level, which prevents the potential of the node from becoming unstable.
US07652499B2
Some embodiments of the invention provide a configurable IC that includes several configurable computational tiles and several memory tiles. Each computational tile has a set of configurable logic circuits for configurably performing a plurality of computations and a set of configurable routing circuits. The routing circuits of the tiles configurably route signals between configurable logic circuits. Each memory tiles includes a set of routing circuits and a memory array for storing data on which the logic circuit perform computation. In this IC, at least a first memory tile has the same set of configurable routing circuits as at least a second computational tile.
US07652495B2
Pusher assemblies for use in microelectronic device testing systems and methods for using such pusher assemblies are disclosed herein. One particular embodiment of such a pusher assembly comprises a plate having a first side and a second side opposite the first side. An engagement assembly is removably coupled to the second side of the plate and positioned to contact a microfeature device being tested. The pusher assembly can include an urging member proximate the first side of the plate and configured to move the engagement assembly toward the device being tested. The pusher assembly can also include a heat transfer unit carried by the first side of the plate. In several embodiments, the pusher assembly can further include a plurality of pins carried by the engagement assembly such that the pins extend through the plate and engage the urging member to restrict axial movement of the urging member toward the device being tested.
US07652492B2
An integrated compound nano probe card is disclosed to include a substrate layer having a front side and a back side, and compound probe pins arranged in the substrate layer. Each compound probe pin has a bundle of aligned parallel nanotubes/nanorods and a bonding material bonded to the bundle of aligned parallel nanotubes/nanorods and filled in gaps in the nanotubes/nanorods. Each compound probe pin has a base end exposed on the back side of the substrate layer and a distal end spaced above the front side of the substrate layer.
US07652491B2
A probe support for holding probes which serve for electrical contacting of test substrates in a prober for testing purposes comprises a probe card holder, a probe card, and a probe card adapter, The probe card and probe card adapter are electrically connected to one another as well as to a shield of electrically conductive material and are disposed such that the probe card lies in a passageway of a shield. The shield is disposed between the test substrates and the probe card holder and is electrically insulated from the holder. For testing test substrates their positioning with respect to the probes held in this manner is done by angular alignment of the contact surfaces of the test substrates to the sensor tips and the movement of the test substrates along a path which starts from a first reference position and is composed up to the first, and each additional, contact position of an x-component and a y-component.
US07652485B2
Intensities of electric and magnetic field components of an electromagnetic field are measured by measuring conductors and a reference conductor in the electromagnetic field. The measuring and reference conductors simultaneously derive plural output currents that are measured in different directions relative to the electromagnetic field. The magnitudes of the measuring conductor output currents and phase differences between the measuring conductor output currents and the reference conductor output current cause calculation of an electric field component current generated in the measuring conductor by an electric field included in each output current and a magnetic field component current generated in the measuring conductor by a magnetic field included in each output current. Based on the magnitudes of the calculated electric and magnetic field component currents, the electric and magnetic field intensities are determined.
US07652482B2
The error of a measurement system can be corrected even if the frequency of an input signal of a device under test is different from that of the output signal. A signal output acquiring section acquires the power of the input signal by a power meter not shown in the drawing. Thus, errors due to frequency tracking can be separated depending on the direction in a signal flow graph. Since a receiver measures the parameter concerning the received signal when a signal source is directly connected to a receiver, the measurement system error factor of the receiver can be acquired. The parameter of a device under test can be measured while the error is corrected when the results of measurement, concerning the device under test of receivers are combined.
US07652477B2
An electronic metal detector having a transmit coil (1) adapted to transmit an alternating magnetic field associated with a reactive transmit voltage, wherein the transmit voltage signal is selected such that the reactive transmit voltage is approximately constant for at least a time period during which a magnetic field signal to be processed is received by the detector for processing.
US07652457B2
A switching regulator circuit includes a switching circuit that may be configured to alternately apply a supply voltage and a reference voltage to an inductor coupled between a first node and an output node. The switching regulator circuit also includes a switch such as a transistor, for example, that is coupled across the inductor. The switch may shunt the inductor when the current in the inductor reaches a predetermined current level.
US07652451B2
A primary cell and a secondary cell are distinguished from each other. A microcomputer of a digital camera determines a first cell (a primary cell) and a second cell (a secondary cell) as a built-in cell. When a dedicated charging device is connected to a digital camera, a microcomputer activates transistor switches to thus detect a terminal voltage of the second cell. When the terminal voltage shows a finite value, the second cell is determined to be incorporated. When the terminal voltage shows a value of essentially zero, the transistor switch is activated to thus apply a predetermined voltage. When a voltage drop attributable to a resistor has arisen, the second cell is determined to be overcharged. When both a terminal of the second cell and a terminal of the first cell show finite values, a short circuit is determined to have arisen.
US07652440B2
A low cost switching system for an electrical motor, which is speed sensitive, direction of rotation insensitive, load insensitive and voltage fluctuation insensitive. The switch contains a power supply, a control circuit, a zero cross detector circuit, a triggering circuit and an electronic switch to provide the switching action. A time delay hysteresis inducement circuit is provided in the switching system to energized and deenergized the capacitor at a predetermined synchronous speed of the motor. The switching system first checks the speed of the motor before reenergizing the start capacitor, which increases the life of the motor. The switching system operates in high temperature range and regardless the value of the capacitor used.
US07652439B2
A change-over device of pull cord control and wireless remote control for a DC brushless-motor ceiling fan is to have a driver installed in a ceiling fan basic body, and the driver has a detecting unit for detecting whether or not a connector positioned in a hanging bell is connected with a wireless control switch unit so as to control the blades of the DC brushless-motor ceiling fan to rotate by pull cord control or by wireless remote control. Further, the connector is installed inside the hanging bell; therefore, when the DC brushless-motor ceiling fan is to be additionally provided with a wireless control switch unit, it is convenient and safe in installation.
US07652437B2
A drive circuit for driving a fluorescent tube lamp comprises a variable frequency oscillator generating a lamp drive frequency, a resonant drive circuit driving the lamp with the lamp drive frequency, and a control unit for driving the variable frequency of the latter under control of a synchronization signal. When a pre-heating frequency is generated by the variable frequency oscillator, the lamp is pre-heated while when an illumination drive frequency is generated, the lamp ignites and operates in its illuminated state. The control unit comprises a transition controller for at an ignition of the lamp limiting the drive frequency to an ultimate ignition frequency, and only enabling transition from the ultimate ignition frequency to the illumination drive frequency after an ignition delay time.
US07652436B2
Methods and systems for generating one or more scents in conjunction with light. Light of various colors, including dynamic lighting effects, may be generated such that at least one characteristic of the light may be based at least in part on one or more characteristics of a scent or scents, and/or proximate environmental conditions. In one example, one or more LED-based light sources are employed together with a scent-producing facility in a conventional household product (e.g., an integrated air-freshener/LED night light, an LED-simulated candle with scent, etc.).
US07652432B2
An organic electro-luminescence (EL) device including at least an emission layer between an anode and a cathode that are opposed to each other, including an anode buffer layer that is composed of an electrically conductive material and is provided between the anode and the emission layer, a cathode buffer layer that is composed of an electrically conductive material and is provided between the cathode and the emission layer, and a drive unit that applies a forward bias voltage and a reverse bias voltage that have opposite polarities to the anode and the cathode with setting application time periods of the forward bias voltage and the reverse bias voltage according to a luminance ratio of an image to be displayed.
US07652427B2
A plasma display panel is disclosed. The plasma display panel includes a front substrate on which first and second electrodes are formed in parallel to each other, a rear substrate on which a third electrode is formed to intersect the first and second electrodes, and a barrier rib, formed between the front and rear substrates. At least one of the first electrode or the second electrode is formed in the form of a single layer. At least one of the first electrode or the second electrode has a portion with the curvature.
US07652425B2
A transmission type photocathode includes a light absorption layer 1 formed of diamond or a material containing diamond as a main component, a supporting frame 21 for reinforcing the mechanical strength of the light absorption layer 1, a first electrode 31 provided at the plane of incidence of the light absorption layer 1, and a second electrode 32 provided at the plane of emission of the light absorption layer 1. A voltage is applied between the plane of incidence and plane of emission of the light absorption layer 1 to form an electric field in the light absorption layer 1. When light to be detected is made incident and photoelectrons occur in the light absorption layer 1, the photoelectrons are accelerated to the plane of emission by the electric field formed in the light absorption layer 1, and emitted to the outside of the transmission type photocathode.
US07652418B2
An electron emission device which can uniformly emit electrons and can be simply manufactured at a reduced cost, and a display apparatus having improved uniform brightness of pixels by using the electron emission device. In addition, a simple method of manufacturing the electron emission device. The electron emission device includes: a first substrate; a cathode electrode and an electron emission unit disposed on the first substrate; a gate electrode electrically insulated from the cathode electrode; an insulating layer disposed between the cathode electrode and the gate electrode to insulate the cathode electrode from the gate electrode; and an electron emission source including carbon nanotubes (CNTs) that contact the cathode electrode, wherein distances between the gate electrode and the tips of the CNTs are uniform.
US07652408B2
A process for producing a piezoelectric device constituted by a first electrode, at least one second electrode, and a piezoelectric film sandwiched between the first electrode and the at least one second electrode so that an electric field can be applied to the piezoelectric film. First, a seed layer of a material containing at least one element is formed on a substrate, and then the first electrode is formed on the seed layer. Next, the at least one element is diffused through the first electrode so that the at least one element precipitates on a surface of the first electrode on the opposite side to the seed layer, and then the piezoelectric film is formed on the first electrode.
US07652406B2
A radial core type double rotor brushless direct-current motor is provided in which a double rotor structure is employed with inner and outer rotors which are doubly disposed and thus a stator core is completely divided. The motor includes a rotational shaft which is rotatably mounted on a housing of an apparatus, cylindrical inner and outer yokes which are rotatably mounted on the center of the housing, inner and outer rotors including a number of magnets which are mounted with the opposing polarities on the outer surface of the inner yoke and the inner surface of the outer yoke, and a number of cores assemblies which are installed between the inner and outer rotors in which a number of coils are wound around a number of division type cores, respectively.
US07652392B2
The present invention includes: a transformer; a primary source for supplying an alternating voltage of at least two frequencies to a primary winding of the transformer; and a filter circuit connected to a secondary winding of the transformer and having an attenuation that varies according to the frequency of the alternating voltage, where the frequency of the alternating voltage supplied to the primary winding of the transformer is controlled so that a desired alternating voltage is outputted from the filter circuit connected to the secondary winding of the transformer.
US07652377B2
A seal ring (102) is formed in a manner to surround each ferroelectric capacitor (101). Additionally, a seal ring (103) is formed in a manner to surround a plurality of ferroelectric capacitors (101). Further, a seal ring (104) is formed in a manner to surround all of the ferroelectric capacitors (101) and along a dicing line (110) inside the dicing line (110).
US07652372B2
A microchannel cooling system used to cool integrated circuits may include a number of microchannels which may be subject to bubble blockage. When bubble formation or nucleation occurs due to heating, the bubbles may become trapped within the microchannels. A valve within the microchannel may automatically operate, at least partially, to close off the microchannel, allowing the bubble to be freed and to be flushed from the channel in some embodiments.
US07652369B1
An integrated circuit package is disclosed. The integrated circuit package comprises an integrated circuit die having a plurality of solder bumps; and a substrate comprising a first plurality of contact pads on a first surface and a second plurality of contact pads on a second surface. The plurality of solder bumps on the integrated circuit die is coupled to the first plurality of contact pads on the first surface of the substrate, wherein at least one edge of the substrate is formed after the integrated circuit die is attached to the substrate. According to one embodiment of the invention, the at least one edge of the substrate is formed after excess substrate material is detached at designated areas. According to another aspect of the invention, an assembly fixture is disclosed. An apparatus and method for assembling an integrated circuit package are also disclosed.
US07652361B1
A semiconductor device has a substrate. A semiconductor die is coupled to a first surface of the substrate. An encapsulate is placed over the semiconductor die. A first plurality of lands is formed on the first surface of the substrate around the encapsulate. A second plurality of lands is formed on a second surface of the substrate. A first group of the second plurality of lands has a pitch and a second group of the second plurality of lands has a pitch of a different length.
US07652350B2
A semiconductor device including a horizontal unit semiconductor element, the horizontal unit semiconductor element including: a) a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type; b) a semiconductor region of a second conductivity type formed on the semiconductor substrate; c) a collector layer of the first conductivity type formed within the semiconductor region; d) a base layer of the first conductivity type having an endless shape and formed within the semiconductor region such that the base layer is off the collector layer but surrounds the collector layer; and e) a first emitter layer of the second conductivity type formed in the base layer, the horizontal unit semiconductor element controlling, within a channel region formed in the base layer, movement of carriers between the first emitter layer and the collector layer, wherein the first emitter layer is formed by plural unit emitter layers which are formed along the base layer.
US07652342B2
Nanotube transfer devices controllably form a nanotube-based electrically conductive channel between a first node and a second node under the control of a control structure. A control structure induces a nanotube channel element to deflect so as to form and unform the conductive channel between the nodes. The nanotube channel element is not in permanent electrical contact with either the first node or the second node. The nanotube channel element may have a floating potential in certain states of the device. Each output node may be connected to an arbitrary network of electrical components. The nanotube transfer device may be volatile or non-volatile. In preferred embodiments, the nanotube transfer device is a three-terminal device or a four-terminal device. Electrical circuits are provided that ensure proper switching of nanotube transfer devices interconnected with arbitrary circuits. The circuits may overdrive the control structure to induce the desired state of channel formation.
US07652338B2
An integrated circuit comprises first and second drain regions have a generally rectangular shape. First, second and third source regions have a generally rectangular shape, wherein the first source region is arranged between first sides of the first and second drain regions and the second and third source regions are arranged adjacent to second sides of the first and second drain regions. Fourth and fifth source regions, wherein the fourth source region is arranged adjacent to third sides of the first and second drain regions and wherein the fifth source region is arranged adjacent to fourth sides of the first and second drain regions. A gate region is arranged between the first, second, third, fourth and fifth source regions and the first and second drain regions. First and second drain contacts that are arranged in the first and second drain regions.
US07652337B2
Nanotube-based switching elements and logic circuits. Under one aspect, a switching element includes an input node; an output node; a nanotube channel element comprising a ribbon of nanotube fabric; and a control electrode disposed in relation to the nanotube channel element to form an electrically conductive channel between the input node and the output node, wherein the electrically conductive channel at least includes the nanotube channel element. Under another aspect, a switching element includes an input node; an output node; a nanotube channel element comprising at least one electrically conductive nanotube, the nanotube being clamped at both ends by a clamping structure; and a control electrode disposed in relation to the nanotube channel element to form an electrically conductive channel between the input node and the output node, wherein the electrically conductive channel at least includes the nanotube channel element.
US07652310B2
There is provided a 3-terminal negative differential resistance field effect element having a high output and high frequency characteristic, requiring low power consumption, and preferably having a high PVCR. The field effect element uses a compound hetero structure and forms a dual channel layer by connecting a high-transfer degree quantum well layer (13) to a low-transfer degree quantum dot layer (15) via a barrier layer (14) on a substrate (11). Under existence of an electric field obtained by voltage application to a gate electrode (17), the negative resistance field effect element (10) changes a carrier accelerated by a drain voltage applied to a drain electrode (19) from a high-transfer degree channel to a low-transfer degree channel by the tunnel effect or over the barrier layer, thereby exhibiting negative differential resistance for the drain current and changing the negative resistance inclination by the gate voltage.
US07652300B2
The present invention provides an apparatus for forming an asymmetric illumination beam pattern that can be advantageous when illuminating channel letters in addition to enabling the creation of cove lighting, as well as other applications benefiting from asymmetric illumination patterns. The apparatus comprises one or more light-emitting elements for creating the illumination. A first optical element is operatively associated with each of the light-emitting elements and provides a means for manipulating the illumination in a first direction. A second optical element is operatively associated with predetermined light-emitting elements and provides a means for manipulating the illumination in a second direction. Upon the interaction of the illumination with both the first and second optical elements, the illumination being created can have an asymmetric beam pattern.
US07652298B2
A flip chip type LED lighting device manufacturing method includes the step of providing a strip, the step of providing a submount, the step of forming a metal bonding layer on the strip or submount, the step of bonding the submount to the strip, and the step of cutting the structure thus obtained into individual flip chip type LED lighting devices.
US07652296B2
An exemplary solid-state light emitting device includes a substrate, a light emitting structure, a first electrode and a second electrode have opposite polarities with each other. The light emitting structure is formed on the substrate and includes a first-type semiconductor layer and a second-type semiconductor layer. The first electrode is electrically connected with the first-type semiconductor layer. The second electrode includes a transparent conductive layer formed on the second-type semiconductor layer and a metallic conductive layer formed on a region of the transparent conductive layer and in electrical contact therewith. Any point on the region is no more than 300 micrometers from a nearest part of the metallic conductive layer, and an exposed portion uncovered by the metallic conductive layer of the region has an area of at least 80% of a total area of the transparent conductive layer.
US07652288B2
A method and apparatus for depositing single crystal, epitaxial films of silicon carbon and silicon germanium carbon on a plurality of substrates in a hot wall, isothermal UHV-CVD system is described. In particular, a multiple wafer low temperature growth technique in the range from 350° C. to 750° C. is described for incorporating carbon epitaxially in Si and SiGe films with very abrupt and well defined junctions, but without any associated oxygen background contamination. Preferably, these epitaxial SiC and SiGeC films are in-situ doped p- or n-type and with the presence of low concentration of carbon <1020 cm−3, the as-grown p- or n-type dopant profile can withstand furnace anneals to temperatures of 850° C. and rapid thermal anneal temperatures to 1000° C.
US07652280B2
A device comprising a light transmissive element, a nano-wire light-emitting device, and a light transmissive controller communicating with the nano-wire light-emitting device. The nano-wire light-emitting device, and the light transmissive controller, are supported by the light transmissive element. An article includes two or more of the devices.
US07652279B2
A switching circuit configured for controlling static power consumption in integrated circuits includes a plurality of three-terminal, phase change material (PCM) switching devices connected between a voltage supply terminal and a corresponding sub-block of integrated circuit logic. Each of the PCM switching devices further includes a PCM disposed in contact between a first terminal and a second terminal, a heating device disposed in contact between the second terminal and a third terminal, the heating device positioned proximate the PCM, and configured to switch the conductivity of a transformable portion of the PCM between a lower resistance crystalline state and a higher resistance amorphous state; and an insulating layer configured to electrically isolate the heater from said PCM material, and the heater from the first terminal. The third terminal of a first of the PCM switching devices is coupled to a set/reset switch, and the third terminal of the remaining PCM switching devices is coupled to the second terminal of an adjacent PCM switching device in a cascade configuration.
US07652278B2
A programmable via structure is provided as well as a method of fabricating the same. The inventive programmable via a semiconductor substrate. An oxide layer such as a thermal oxide is located on a surface of the semiconductor substrate. A patterned heating material is located on a surface of the oxide layer. The inventive structure also includes a patterned dielectric material having a least one via filled with a phase change material (PCM). The patterned dielectric material including the PCM filled via is located on a surface of the patterned heating material. A patterned diffusion barrier is located on an exposed surface of said at least one via filled with the phase change material. The inventive structure also includes contact vias that extend through the patterned dielectric material. The contact vias are filled with a conductive material which also extends onto the upper surface of the patterned dielectric material. A conductive material which serves as the input of the device is located atop the patterned diffusion barrier that is located directly above the via that is filled with the phase change material.
US07652274B2
An optical device for use with an imaging device for taking photographic images of an object includes a light emitting element capable of emitting light, and a lens arranged so as to direct light from the light emitting element to illuminate the object. The light emitting element may include at least two light emitting zones arranged so that light from the light emitting zones can be directed from the lens in respective corresponding spatial angles, and that the light emitting zones can be individually and selectively controlled to emit a controllable intensity of light.
US07652272B2
A light source chamber in an Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography system may include a secondary plasma to ionize debris particles created by the light source and a foil trap to trap the ionize particles to avoid contamination of the collector optics in the chamber.
US07652271B2
A charged-particle beam pattern writing apparatus includes an electric field intensity calculator unit which operates to calculate an electric field intensity of another region different from a specified region of a workpiece due to electrical charge to be electrified by irradiation of a charged particle beam to the specified region, a correction amount calculator unit which calculates based on the electric field intensity a correction amount for correcting an irradiation position upon irradiation of the charged particle beam to the above-noted another region, and a pattern writing unit which irradiates based on the correction amount the charged particle beam to the another region to thereby write or “draw” a pattern therein.
US07652270B2
Techniques for ion beam current measurement using a scanning beam current transformer are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as an apparatus for ion beam current measurement using a transformer. The apparatus may comprise a measurement device positioned adjacent a wafer and an ion dose control module coupled to the measurement device. The measurement device may comprise a transformer through which an ion beam passes onto the wafer. The ion dose control module may calculate ion beam current passing through the transformer and adjust dose based at least in part upon the calculated ion beam current.
US07652261B1
A device for detecting radiation includes a substantially transparent substrate with one or more substantially transparent scintillating films patterned onto the surface and with one or more integrated waveguides such that radiation of differing species may be detected by an optical light detector and such that the composition of the radiation may be analyzed. A scintillating material for detecting individual species of radiation and including one or more groups of nanoparticles mixed with a fast electron scintillating material and extruded into a transparent film such that a light pulse is emitted when said transparent film is exposed to the species of radiation targeted by the nanoparticle groups.
US07652257B2
A solid-state photomultiplier (SSPM) includes an optical isolation structure therein. The SSPM includes a substrate and an epitaxial diode layer positioned on the substrate. A plurality of avalanche photodiodes (APDs) are fabricated on the epitaxial diode layer and the optical isolation structure is positioned about the plurality of APDs to separate each of the plurality of APDs from adjacent APDs. The optical isolation structure contains at least one of a light absorbing material and a light reflecting material deposited therein to reduce optical crosstalk and dark count rate in the SSPM.
US07652252B1
Electronically tunable and reconfigurable hyperspectral IR detectors and methods for making the same are presented. In one embodiment, a reconfigurable hyperspectral sensor (or detector) detects radiation from about 0.4 μm to about 2 μm and beyond. This sensor is configured to be compact, and lightweight and offers hyperspectral imaging capability while providing wavelength agility and tunability at the chip-level. That is, the sensor is used to rapidly image across diverse terrain to identify man-made objects and other anomalies in cluttered environments.
US07652246B2
A laser emitting device (9) includes a light emitting portion (4) that emits light of a wavelength λ1 (approximately 405 nm), a light emitting portion (5) that emits light of a wavelength λ2 (approximately 650 nm), and a light emitting portion (6) that emits light of a wavelength λ1 (approximately 780 nm). The light emitting position of the light emitting portion (4) and the light emitting position of the light emitting portion (6) are approximately on the same position as seen in the direction of an optical axis of emitted light of the laser emitting device (9). An optical axis adjusting element (18) is provided for adjusting an optical axis of return light of at least one of the wavelengths among return lights of the wavelengths λ1, λ2 and λ3 so that respective return lights emitted by the light emitting portions (4, 5 and 6) of the laser emitting device (9) and reflected by an optical recording medium (16) are received by a common light detector (20).
US07652232B2
Coffee maker and microwave oven, in which a microwave function and a coffee maker function can be performed in succession; and a method for controlling the same. The coffee maker and microwave oven includes a coffee maker unit, a microwave oven unit, an input unit for applying a coffee extraction order for the coffee maker unit and a cooking order for the microwave oven unit, and a control unit for carrying out coffee extraction and cooking in succession according to an order of reception of the orders.
US07652230B2
An operating device for a cooktop has a cover with a control panel with a plurality of operating areas. Below the panel, several FSR sensors are positioned. When a control panel is pushed down by a process of operation, the FSR sensor changes its electrical resistance resulting in change of a signals that can be detected and interpreted as operation of the appliance by a user.
US07652227B2
A thin plate thermally coupled to a cooling tube is positioned between a heating plate and a substrate and is adapted to serve as a heating plate or a cooling plate for the substrate. The thin plate and heating plate may be positioned in a load lock for the expeditious heating and cooling of large-area substrates. The cooling tube may include a first conduit, a second conduit disposed inside the first conduit having substantially no contact with the first conduit and containing a working fluid, and an isolation region disposed between the first conduit and the second conduit. The working fluid may be thermally decoupled from the thin plate by evacuating the isolation region and thermally coupled to the thin plate by filling the isolation region with a heat-conducting gas.
US07652217B2
A rotary type pulse switch includes a movable electrode 57 having a plurality of contacting portions 57A formed in positions of the same radius from its rotation center, and a fixed electrode 50 disposed face to face with the movable electrode 57 and having a plurality of contacted portions 60 arranged in form of stepping stones on the same circumference as a rotation locus T of the contacting portions 57A. The fixed electrode 50 includes a first fixed electrode pattern 52A, a second fixed electrode pattern 52B and a common fixed electrode pattern 51, each of the fixed electrode patterns 51, 52A, 52B being in a mutually nonconductive state. The contacted portions 60 are arranged in such a positional relationship that a full insulation state occurs during rotation of the movable electrode 57 in which none of the contacting portions 57A contact the first fixed electrode pattern 52A, second fixed electrode pattern 52B or common fixed electrode pattern 51.
US07652213B2
A multilayer substrate includes an internal conductor connection structure having first and second via conductors adjacent to each other in the multilayer substrate and a first line conductor disposed in the multilayer substrate. The first via conductor includes a first continuous via conductor arranged to extend in a direction away from the second via conductor, and the first via conductor is connected to the first line conductor through the first continuous via conductor.
US07652211B2
The present invention relates to jacketed cable especially useful for plenum enclosures of buildings, the jacket of the cable comprising perfluoropolymer, such as tetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene copolymer, and inorganic char-forming agent, and preferably an additional ingredient, hydrocarbon polymer, the cable passing the NFPA-255 burn test.
US07652207B2
A key structure which is capable of giving a woody appearance to the key, and increasing the freedom of mounting at least one functional part formed as a separate part from the key structure, while maintaining excellent machinability. An upper plate has an increased width part corresponding to an end of a white key toward a player. In the key structure, a wood part is secured to the lower surface of at least the increased width part of the upper plate, and has an increased width part having substantially the same width as the increased width part of the upper plate. The key structure is mountable in a keyboard apparatus, for functioning as a white key pivotally moved by key-depressing operation. A recess is formed in a part of the wood part including the increased width part, which opens downward and has a width (W0) not less than 50% and not more than 80% of the width (B0) of the increased width part of the wood part.
US07652205B2
A string instrument comprising a neck extension primary member, having a neck extension securement end and a tuning assembly support head end, an extension top and a length extending between the ends, is disclosed. The neck extension primary member defines a neck extension cutaway volume configured to receive a hinge butt. The neck extension cutaway volume extends to be open at the neck extension securement end and open at the top of the neck extension primary member. A neck base primary member has a neck base securement end, a base top and an opposite end. The neck base primary member is made to define a neck base cutaway volume configured to receive a hinge butt. The neck base cutaway volume extends to be open at the neck base securement end and open at the top of the neck base primary member. A hinge has a first hinge butt positioned in the neck extension cutaway volume and a second hinge butt positioned in the neck base cutaway volume. A neck fretboard portion is secured over the open top of the neck extension cutaway volume and bears against the first hinge butt. A base cover is secured over the open top of the neck base cutaway volume and bears against the second hinge butt. A string instrument main body is secured to the neck base primary member.
US07652192B2
The invention is directed in part to totipotent cells that have one or more artificial chromosomes; processes for producing such cells; processes for using such cells (e.g., nuclear transfer); transgenic embryos and transgenic animals cloned from such cells; and processes for producing such embryos and animals.
US07652184B2
A process for alkylation of an alkylatable aromatic compound to produce a monoalkylated aromatic compound, comprising the steps of: (a) providing at least one reaction zone having a water content with at least one alkylation catalyst having an activity and a selectivity for said monoalkylated benzene, said alkylation catalyst comprising a porous crystalline molecular sieve of a MCM-22 family material, said MCM-22 family material is characterized by having an X-ray diffraction pattern including d-spacing maxima at 12.4±0.25, 3.57±0.07 and 3.42±0.07 Angstroms; (b) supplying the reaction zone with at least one alkylatable aromatic compound and at least one alkylating agent; (c) operating the reaction zone under suitable alkylation or transalkylation conditions, to produce at least one effluent which comprises a monoalkylated aromatic compound and a polyalkylated aromatic compound(s); (d) monitoring the amount of the monoalkylated aromatic compound or the amount of the polyalkylated aromatic compound(s) in the effluent; (e) adjusting the water content in the reaction zone to secure a desired amount of the monalkylated aromatic compound or the polyalkylated aromatic compound(s) in the effluent, the water content in the reaction zone being in a range from about 1 wppm to about 900 wppm; and wherein the polyalkylated aromatic compound(s) produced is reduced as compared to the reaction zone having a water content of about 0 wppm when the reaction zone is operated under equivalent conditions.
US07652183B2
In a process for the preparation of alkylaromatic compounds by reacting C3-30-olefins, or alcohols from which C3-30-olefins are formed under the reaction conditions, with an aromatic hydrocarbon in the presence of an alkylation catalyst, the reaction is carried out in a reactor cascade of at least two reactors, where each of the reactors comprises the alkylation catalyst, at least 80% of the aromatic hydrocarbon are fed into the first reactor of the reactor cascade, and at least 40% of the olefins are intermediately fed in after the first reactor.
US07652170B2
Disclosed is a method for producing a primary amine compound represented by the formula (2) below, which is characterized in that a halogen compound represented by the formula (1) below, ammonia and formaldehyde are reacted with each other, and then the thus-obtained reaction product is [1] brought into contact with an aqueous solution of an acid or [2] reacted with a hydroxylamine under acidic conditions. By this method, a primary amine compound can be commercially advantageously produced by using a low-cost ammonia while suppressing production of a secondary amine as a by-product. (1) (In the formula, R1 and R2 independently represent a hydrogen atom, a C1-C5 alkyl group which may be substituted by a halogen atom or the like, a C1-C5 alkoxy group which may be substituted by a halogen atom, a cyano group, a C2-C11 alkenyl group or a phenyl group or the like; R3 represents a hydrogen atom, a linear or branched C1-C5 alkyl group or a cyano group; and X represents a halogen atom.) (2) (In the formula, R1, R2 and R3 are as defined above.)
US07652156B2
A method allowing, from natural fat or oils, vegetable or animal, or from other glyceride mixtures, to obtain in a quasi-quantitative way fatty acid ethyl esters that can be used as gas oil substitutes, comprises the succession of stages as follows: a stage (a) wherein the oil, the fat or the glyceride mixture is transesterified by ethanol using a soluble catalyst or a catalyst that becomes soluble during the reaction, a stage (b) wherein the glycerin formed is decanted and removed, without requiring an excess ethanol evaporation operation, a stage (c) wherein a second transesterification reaction is carried out so as to obtain a product whose ester content is at least 97% by mass, a stage (d) wherein controlled neutralization of the catalyst is carried out, a stage (e) wherein the excess ethanol is removed by distillation, a stage (f) wherein the ester undergoes purification by means of water wash sequences, and a stage (g) wherein the ester mixture is dried under reduced pressure.
US07652153B2
The present invention provides a compound of formula I: wherein the variables are as defined herein. The present invention also provides processes for preparing the compounds of formula I, and intermediates thereof, pharmaceutical compositions comprising those compounds, and methods of using the compounds and compositions.
US07652143B2
The present invention relates to a novel compound of the formula I: and/or all stereoisomeric forms of the compound of the formula I and/or mixtures of these forms in any ratio, and/or a physiologically tolerated salt of the compound of the formula I, in which R1 to R5 and V1, V2 have the meanings stated in the claims and specification. The inventive compounds are suitable as inhibitors of metalloproteases, especially of ADAMTS proteases and TNF-α converting enzyme (TACE), and for the treatment of disorders such as but not limited to osteoarthrosis and rheumatoid arthritis.
US07652138B2
A compound of formula 1 wherein: A is a group selected from X− is an anion with a single negative charge; R1 and R2 are each independently a C1-C4-alkyl optionally substituted with hydroxy or halogen; and R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, and R8 are each independently hydrogen, C1-C4-alkyl, C1-C4-alkyloxy, hydroxy, CF3, CN, NO2, or halogen, with the proviso that at least one of the groups R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, and R8 is not hydrogen, processes for preparing these compounds, pharmaceutical compositions containing these compounds, and their use as pharmaceutical compositions.
US07652136B2
The present invention provides a diarylaminofluorene chromophore compound having the following structure: wherein: M is a metal atom of Ir, Pt; R is H, CH3, OCH3, or F; A is none or six-member carbocyclic aromatic ring system; 0≧m≧3 0≧n≧1. The invention also provides high-efficiency organic light-emitting devices fabricated using these compounds.
US07652133B2
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a glucokinase activator useful as a pharmaceutical agent such as an agent for the prophylaxis or treatment of diabetes, obesity and the like.The present invention provides a glucokinase activator containing a compound represented by the formula (I): wherein R1 is a hydrogen atom or a halogen atom; R2 is a group represented by wherein each symbol is defined in the specification, or a salt thereof or a prodrug thereof.
US07652130B2
A composition, method of preparation1 and use to enhance the cosmetic feel of oil-in-water emulsions based upon the addition to the oil in water emulsion of one or more alkylpolyxylosides represented by formula: R—O—(X)p, wherein p is a decimal number between 1 and 5, wherein X is a xylose residue, and wherein R is a branched alkyl radical represented by the formula: CH(CnH2n+1)(CmH2m+1)—CH2— wherein m is an integer between 6 and 12, n is an integer between 8 and 16, and the sum of m+n is in the range of from about 14 to 26.
US07652128B2
A composition including an initiator and an unsaturated sulfopolyester amine resin, and processes for preparing and using thereof.
US07652119B2
A problem of the present invention is to provide a curable composition which gives good curability by use of a catalyst other than organic tin catalysts. The above problem is solved by a curable composition, comprising: (A) one or more polymers having a silicon-containing group which is crosslinkable by forming siloxane bonds, (B) an amine compound, and (C) a silicon compound having, as substituents on its silicon, at least one electron withdrawing group, and at least one group selected from the group consisting of alkoxy groups, alkenyloxy groups, acyloxy groups, and a hydroxyl group.
US07652103B2
A pre-adhesive composition is described comprising an acid-functional (meth)acrylate copolymer and an aziridine crosslinking agent, which when crosslinked provides a pressure-sensitive adhesive and pressure-sensitive adhesive articles.
US07652102B2
A polymeric composition having improved melt extrusion properties comprising: A) an olefin polymer; B) a catalyst neutralizer comprising a cationic derivative of a poly(oxyalkylene) compound; and C) a processing additive composition comprising a fluoropolymer and optionally, an interfacial agent.
US07652099B2
A process for making coating compositions with adjustable properties by blending two or more coating compositions of distinctly different attributes to achieve custom properties. The coating compositions formed herein are particularly useful in automotive refinish applications where customized properties are desired depending on the needs of the job.
US07652096B2
A rubber composition for a tire tread including 100 parts by weight of a diene-based rubber and 5 to 150 parts by weight of carbon black having a nitrogen adsorption specific area N2SA (m2/g) of 80 to 150 and satisfying a relationship between a TINT (%) and dibutyl phthalate absorption DBPA (ml/100 g) of TINT (%)>1.4 DBPA (ml/100 g) and capable of increasing the frictional force without impairing the hysteresis loss.
US07652094B2
The present invention relates to plasticized polyolefin compositions comprising a polyolefin and a non-functionalized plasticizer; wherein the non-functionalized plasticizer may comprise C6 to C200 paraffins (including branched and normal paraffins) having a pour point of less than −5° C. In one embodiment, the non-functionalized plasticizer is an isoparaffin comprising C6 to C25 isoparaffins. In another embodiment the non-functionalized plasticizer is a polyalphaolefin comprising C10 to C100 n-paraffins. The polyolefin may be a polypropylene homopolymer, copolymer, impact copolymer, or blends thereof, and may include a plastomer. Non-limiting examples of desirable article of manufacture made from compositions of the invention include films, tubes, pipes, sheets, fibers, woven and nonwoven fabrics, automotive components, furniture, sporting equipment, food storage containers, transparent and semi-transparent articles, toys, tubing and pipes, and medical devices.
US07652093B2
The present invention relates to plasticized polyolefin compositions comprising a polyolefin and a non-functionalized hydrocarbon plasticizer.
US07652089B2
A nanocomposite including: a sulfonated polysulfone and a nonmodified clay dispersed in the sulfonated polysulfone, the nonmodified clay having a layered structure, and the nonmodified clay being intercalated with the sulfonated polysulfone, or the layers of the layered structure being exfoliated, a nanocomposite electrolyte membrane and a fuel cell using the same. In the nanocomposite, a nanoscale amount of the nonmodified clay, which has a layered structure, is dispersed in sulfonated polysulfone having excellent ionic conductivity. Thus, the nanocomposite has excellent ionic conductivity and mechanical properties. The nanocomposite electrolyte membrane formed using this nanocomposite has an improved ability to suppress permeation of polar organic fuels, such as methanol, while maintaining appropriate ionic conductivity. In addition, the fuel cell with the nanocomposite electrolyte membrane can effectively prevent crossover of methanol used as a fuel, thereby providing improved working efficiency and an extended lifespan.
US07652088B2
An organic-inorganic composite material is disclosed wherein an inorganic compound is finely dispersed in an organic polymer matrix in nanometer order and the inorganic compound content is large. The organic-inorganic composite material has formability and flexibility of organic materials and features of various metal compounds (such as hardness, catalytic power, insulating property, semiconducting property, electronic conductivity, ionic conductivity, large specific surface area, high heat resistance, wear resistance, and dimensional stability to temperature changes or moisture absorption) at the same time.
US07652081B2
A stabilizer mixture containing (I) one low molecular weight alkylated sterically hindered amine compound; and (II) one high molecular weight alkylated sterically hindered amine compound.
US07652080B2
The invention is directed to a crumbly, water-absorbing, soil-like hydrogel. The hydrogel comprises finely comminuted mineral substances, such as igneous rock; water-soluble alkali-silicate; solid and liquid nutrient additives; and ballast, bound in a cross-linked polymer. The hydrogel is structured like a sponge and absorbs water and liquids when in contact with water or aqueous liquids. The mineral substances present in the hydrogel may be present in an amount of at least 30% by weight of the dried hydrogel. Also, the invention encompasses methods of producing acidic and neutral to weakly alkaline hydrogels.
US07652079B2
The present invention provides a polybutylene terephthalate resin composition which has an excellent vibration welding performance, an excellent resistance to heat shock, and is useful for a case, housing and the like of electric/electronic parts. Specifically, it provides a polybutylene terephthalate resin composition for vibration welding comprising (A) 100 parts by weight of a polybutylene terephthalate resin; (B) 20 to 100 parts by weight of a modified polyester copolymer containing 5 to 30% by mole of a comonomer; (C) 5 to 30 parts by weight of an elastomer selected from an acrylic-based copolymer having a glycidyl group and/or an α-olefin.α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid (ester).α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid glycidylester-based ternary polymer; and (D) 60 to 150 parts by weight of a glass fiber.
US07652078B2
High concentrations of dye may be prepared in combination with thermoplastic polymers and used in optical polymers as monomeric and dimeric molecular solutions. The method of preparing high concentration levels allows the control over the aggregation of dye molecules that is required to maintain effective nonlinear operation. The present invention is applicable to many systems and is essential to the successful production of working optical limiting devices and other optically transparent polymeric devices, as well as other photonic applications, such as nonlinear optics.
US07652073B2
An oil-in-water-in-oil emulsion (O/W/O) comprising a first oil-in-water emulsion dispersed in a second oil, and a method of preparing the same. The O/W/O emulsion can be used as a drive fluid in an enhanced oil recovery process. The O/W/O emulsion of this invention may also be used as a lubricant, and has the beneficial property of being resistant to shear forces.
US07652063B2
A compound comprising or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or a prodrug thereof, wherein the dashed line represents the presence or absence of a double bond; J is C═O or CHOH; A is —(CH2)6—, or cis —CH2CH═CH—(CH2)3—, wherein 1 or 2 carbons may be substituted with S or O; B is CO2H, or CO2R, CONR2, CONHCH2CH2OH, CON(CH2CH2OH)2, CH2OR, P(O)(OR)2, CONRSO2R, SONR2, or R is H, C1-6 alkyl; D is —(CH2)n—, —X(CH2)n, or —(CH2)nX—, wherein n is from 0 to 3 and X is S or O; and E is an aromatic or heteroaromatic moiety having from 0 to 4 substituents, said substituents each comprising from 1 to 6 non-hydrogen atoms is disclosed herein. Methods, compositions, and medicaments related thereto, as well as experimental results showing prostaglandin EP4 selective agonist activity for certain compounds disclosed herein, are also disclosed.
US07652058B2
The present invention is directed to certain hydropyranopyrrolidine compounds which are useful as neurokinin-1 (NK-1) receptor antagonists, and inhibitors of tachykinin and in particular substance P. The invention is also concerned with pharmaceutical formations comprising these compounds as active ingredients and the use of the compounds and their formulations in the treatment of certain disorders, including emesis, urinary incontinence, depression, and anxiety.
US07652048B2
Highly concentrated, water-based dispersions of certain lipophilic and/or hydrophobic antimicrobially active materials are stabilized to a surprising degree by a surfactant combination including a nonionic acrylic graft copolymer surfactant and a alkoxylated polyarylphenol phosphate ester surfactant. The active materials may be present in dispersion concentrates of the present invention singly or in useful combinations. The active materials are selected from the group of fungicides and bactericides consisting of 1,2-benzisothiazol-3(2H)-one; 2-octyl-2H-isothiazol-3-one; 5-chloro-2-methyl-2H-isothiazol-3-one; 2-methyl-2H-isothiazol-3-one; pyrithione zinc; 3-iodo-2-propynyl butylcarbamate; 2-methylthio-4-ethylamino-6-tert-butylamino-s-triazine; and 3-(4-isopropylphenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea, and mixtures thereof. The dispersion concentrates may be efficiently shipped and stored, and subsequently diluted with water to produce less concentrated dispersions when desired. Even at relatively high concentrations, the dispersion compositions of the present invention can be stored for months or years without significant loss of stability.
US07652021B2
The present invention relates to the novel compounds of the general formula (I) possessing dipeptidyl peptidase IV enzyme inhibitory activity, pharmaceutical compositions thereof, methods of using said compounds, processes for their preparation and intermediates of the general formulae (II), (IV), (V), (VII), (VIII) and (IX).
US07652012B2
The present invention relates to piperidine derivatives of formula (I) specifically 2-(R)-(4-Fluoro-2-methyl-phenyl)-4-(S)-((8aS)-6-oxo-hexahydro-pyrrolo[1,2-a]-pyrazin-2-yl)-piperidine-1-carboxylic acid [1-(R)-(3,5-bis-trifluoromethyl-phenyl)-ethyl]-methylamide maleate and pharmaceutical compositions thereof, useful in the treatment of conditions mediated by tachykinins.
US07652011B2
The invention relates to 4-[(arylmethyl)aminomethyl]piperidine derivatives of general formula (I) in the form of a base or an addition salt with an acid, and also in the form of a hydrate or solvate, and their preparation process and therapeutic application.
US07652005B2
The invention is directed to delta opioid receptor modulators. More specifically, the invention relates to tricyclic δ-opioid modulators. Pharmaceutical and veterinary compositions and methods of treating mild to severe pain and various diseases using compounds of the invention are also described.
US07652004B2
The invention encompasses compounds of formula I as well as compositions and methods of using the compounds. The compounds have activity against hepatitis C virus (HCV) and are useful in treating those infected with HCV.
US07652001B2
Compounds and compositions are provided for treatment, prevention, or amelioration of a variety of medical disorders associated with viral infections, cell proliferation and bone metabolism. The compounds provided herein are alkyl esters of phosphonates.
US07651990B2
A composition, systems for dispensing the composition and methods for the use of the composition are described. The composition comprises: (A) Monohydric alcohol in an amount sufficient to provide antimicrobial activity; (B) Surfactant comprising a dimethicone surfactant; and (C) Builder, the builder in an amount sufficient to provide stability or to improve the stability of a foam formed from the composition.
US07651985B2
A method for improving the oxidation stability of an ashless hydraulic fluid or an ashless paper machine oil, comprising: a. selecting a base oil having greater than 90 wt % saturates, less than 10 wt % aromatics, a base oil viscosity index greater than 120, less than 0.03 wt % sulfur, a sequential number of carbon atoms, greater than 35 wt % total molecules with cycloparaffinic functionality, and a ratio of molecules with monocycloparaffinic functionality to molecules with multicycloparaffinic functionality greater than 2.1; and b. replacing a portion of an original base oil in the ashless oil with the selected base oil to produce an improved ashless lubricating oil; wherein the improved ashless lubricating oil has a result in the rotary pressure vessel oxidation test that is at least 50 minutes greater than the result in the rotary pressure oxidation test of the ashless hydraulic fluid or ashless paper machine oil.
US07651975B2
The present invention is a thermally sensitive recording medium containing a thermally sensitive color developing layer containing a colorless or pale colored basic leuco dye and a color-developing agent as the main components on a substrate, wherein the thermally sensitive recording layer contains an acrylic polymer obtained by the copolymerization of an alkyl acrylate, alkyl methacrylate and vinylsilane as monomer components and a colloidal. Further, the present invention is a thermally sensitive recording medium, wherein the colloidal silica possesses a chain structure.
US07651972B2
Disclosed herein is a method for manufacturing a high-crush-strength iridium catalyst for hydrazine decomposition for spacecraft and satellite propulsion using bauxite, the method including: an acid treatment step of bringing bauxite into contact with a 0.1-10 M acid solution for 10-14 hr; a filtration step of filtering the acid-treated bauxite as a solid to remove the remaining acid and impurities; a thermal treatment step of bringing the filtered bauxite into contact with hot air at a temperature of 500-700° C. for 2-6 hr; a catalyst loading step of loading an iridium catalyst onto the thermally treated bauxite; and a reduction step of reducing the catalyst of the catalyst-loaded bauxite.
US07651957B2
The invention relates to a structure for a semiconductor arrangement. A resist structure for supporting deposition of a solution containing a semiconductor is directly or through intervening layers coupled to a substrate. The resist structure comprises a depression (301) for depositing of the solution containing the semiconductor (309) and a trough (305) aligning at least part of an edge of the depression (309) and separated from the depression (309) by a protrusion (307). The trough (305) preferably surrounds the depression (309). The trough provides a pinning effect on the solution containing the semiconductor thereby improving the wettability and accordingly allowing for increased volume of semiconductor to be applied to a given area.
US07651955B2
Embodiments of the invention generally provide a method for depositing films or layers using a UV source during a photoexcitation process. The films are deposited on a substrate and usually contain a material, such as silicon (e.g., epitaxy, crystalline, microcrystalline, polysilicon, or amorphous), silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, or other silicon-containing materials. The photoexcitation process may expose the substrate and/or gases to an energy beam or flux prior to, during, or subsequent a deposition process. Therefore, the photoexcitation process may be used to pre-treat or post-treat the substrate or material, to deposit the silicon-containing material, and to enhance chamber cleaning processes. Attributes of the method that are enhanced by the UV photoexcitation process include removing native oxides prior to deposition, removing volatiles from deposited films, increasing surface energy of the deposited films, increasing the excitation energy of precursors, reducing deposition time, and reducing deposition temperature.
US07651947B2
Methods of forming a mask for implanting a substrate and implanting using an implant stopping layer with a photoresist provide lower aspect ratio masks that cause minimal damage to trench isolations in the substrate during removal of the mask. In one embodiment, a method of forming a mask includes: depositing an implant stopping layer over the substrate; depositing a photoresist over the implant stopping layer, the implant stopping layer having a density greater than the photoresist; forming a pattern in the photoresist by removing a portion of the photoresist to expose the implant stopping layer; and transferring the pattern into the implant stopping layer by etching to form the mask. The implant stopping layer may include: hydrogenated germanium carbide, nitrogenated germanium carbide, fluorinated germanium carbide, and/or amorphous germanium carbon hydride (GeHX), where X includes carbon. The methods/mask reduce scattering during implanting because the mask has higher density than conventional masks.
US07651946B2
A method of wet etching produces high-precision microneedle arrays for use in medical applications. The method achieves precise process control over microneedle fabrication, at single wafer or batch-level, using wet etching of silicon with potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution by accurately identifying the etch time endpoint. Hence, microneedles of an exactly required height, shape, sharpness and surface quality are achieved. The outcome is a reliable, reproducible, robust and relatively inexpensive microneedle fabrication process. Microneedles formed by KOH wet etching have extremely smooth surfaces and exhibit superior mechanical and structural robustness to their dry etched counterparts. These properties afford extra reliability to such silicon microneedles, making them ideal for medical applications. The needles can also be hollowed. Wet etched silicon microneedles can then be employed as masters to replicate the improved surface and structural properties in other materials (such as polymers) by moulding.
US07651939B2
An electronic device can include conductive regions. A void can extend between different portions of an insulating layer. Different openings can intersect the void. A liner layer can substantially block the void, substantially preventing subsequently forming an electrical leakage path along the void. In one aspect, a stressor layer can be deposited over the conductive regions prior to forming the insulating layer. The liner layer can be formed over the stressor layer within the different openings through the insulating layer. In another aspect, an etch-stop layer can be formed over a silicide layer prior to forming the insulating layer. After removing a portion of the liner layer, a portion of the etch-stop layer can be removed to expose the silicide layer within the different openings. In yet another aspect, a nitride layer can lie between a substrate and the insulating layer and include a section of the openings.
US07651934B2
Embodiments of the invention provide methods for forming conductive materials within contact features on a substrate by depositing a seed layer within a feature and subsequently filling the feature with a copper-containing material during an electroless deposition process. In one example, a copper electroless deposition solution contains levelers to form convexed or concaved copper surfaces. In another example, a seed layer is selectively deposited on the bottom surface of the aperture while leaving the sidewalls substantially free of the seed material during a collimated PVD process. In another example, the seed layer is conformably deposited by a PVD process and subsequently, a portion of the seed layer and the underlayer are plasma etched to expose an underlying contact surface. In another example, a ruthenium seed layer is formed on an exposed contact surface by an ALD process utilizing the chemical precursor ruthenium tetroxide.
US07651933B2
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes providing a semiconductor substrate in which a gate insulating layer and a pad layer are formed in an active region. A first trench is formed in an isolation region of the substrate. A passivation film is formed to cover the pad layer and fill the first trench. A second trench is formed by patterning the pad layer and removing an exposed semiconductor substrate, the second trench being formed within the first trench. An ion implantation process is performed on the semiconductor substrate exposed through the second trench.
US07651928B2
A method for crystallizing a semiconductor thin film is provided. The method includes continuously irradiating an energy beam on a semiconductor thin film while scanning at a given speed. The energy beam is scanned in parallel lines while keeping pitches of not larger than an irradiation radius of the energy beam to grow band-shaped crystal grains in a direction different from a scanning direction of the energy beam.
US07651923B2
A method for forming a transistor of a semiconductor device, includes forming a trench by etching a semiconductor substrate on which a pad oxide film and a pad nitride film are sequentially formed; forming a isolation oxide film by filling the trench with oxide; removing an upper portion of the isolation oxide film until an upper lateral portion of the semiconductor substrate is exposed; forming a barrier nitride film over the isolation oxide film, the semiconductor substrate, and the pad nitride film; forming a sacrificial oxide film over the barrier nitride film; performing a planarization process until the pad nitride film is exposed; performing a wet etching process until the active region is exposed; forming a photoresist pattern over the active region and the barrier nitride film; and performing a dry etching process by using the photoresist pattern as an etching mask, thereby forming a recessed gate trench.
US07651916B2
An electronic device can include a substrate including a first trench having a first bottom and a first wall. The electrode device can also include a first gate electrode within the first trench and adjacent to the first wall and overlying the first bottom of the first trench, and a second gate electrode within the first trench and adjacent to the first gate electrode and overlying the first bottom of the first trench. The electronic device can further include discontinuous storage elements including a first set of discontinuous storage elements, wherein the first set of the discontinuous storage elements lies between (i) the first gate electrode or the second gate electrode and (ii) the first bottom of the first trench. Processes of forming and using the electronic device are also described.
US07651913B2
An electrical shield is provided in a non-volatile memory (NVM) cell structure to protect the cell's floating gate from any influence resulting from charge redistribution in the vicinity of the floating gate during a programming operation. The shield may be created from the second polysilicon layer or other conductive material covering the floating gate. The shield may be grounded. Alternately, it may be connected to the cell's control gate electrode resulting in better coupling between the floating gate and the control gate. It is not necessary that the shield cover the floating gate completely, the necessary protective effect is achieved if the coupling to the dielectric layers surrounding the floating gate is reduced.
US07651909B2
A method for fabricating a metal-insulator-metal capacitor is described. A first metal layer is formed on a substrate. A plasma treatment is performed on the surface of the first metal layer. Then, a first oxide layer, a nitride layer and a second oxide layer are formed in sequence over the first metal layer. Thereafter, a second metal layer is formed on the second oxide layer. The second metal layer, the second oxide layer, the nitride layer, the first oxide layer and the first metal layer are defined to form the metal-insulator-metal capacitor.
US07651908B2
A method of fabricating an image sensor which reduces fabricating costs through simultaneous formation of capacitor structures and contact structures may be provided. The method may include forming a lower electrode on a substrate, forming an interlayer insulating film on the substrate, the interlayer insulating film may have a capacitor hole to expose a first portion of the lower electrode. The method may further include forming a dielectric film on at least the first portion of the lower electrode, forming a first contact hole in the interlayer insulating film to expose a second portion of the lower electrode, forming a first conductive layer in at least the first contact hole and the capacitor hole, forming a second conductive layer on the first conductive layer to fill and cover the capacitor hole and the first contact hole, and planarizing the second conductive layer to simultaneously form a capacitor plug in the capacitor hole, a first contact plug in the first contact hole, an upper electrode beneath the capacitor plug, and a first contact barrier film beneath the first contact plug.
US07651904B2
Non-volatile memory devices can be fabricated by forming a tunnel dielectric layer on a semiconductor substrate, subjecting the semiconductor substrate having the tunnel dielectric layer to an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process to form nanocrystals on the tunnel dielectric layer, removing the semiconductor substrate having the nanocrystals from an atomic layer deposition chamber, forming a control gate dielectric layer on the semiconductor substrate having the nanocrystal, and forming a control gate electrode on the semiconductor substrate having the control gate dielectric layer.
US07651897B2
A method for manufacturing a chip with a metal heat flow path extending between a terminal of a transistor thereof and bulk semiconductor material of the chip (e.g., from the terminal to a substrate over which the transistor is formed or to the body of a semiconductor device adjacent to the transistor). The chip can be implemented by a semiconductor on insulator (SOI) process and can include at least one bipolar or MOS transistor, an insulator underlying the transistor, a semiconductor substrate underlying the insulator, and a metal heat flow path extending between a terminal of the transistor through the insulator to the substrate. Preferably, the metal heat flow path is a metal interconnect formed by a process step (or steps) of the same type performed to produce other metal interconnects of the chip.
US07651890B2
Disclosed a multi-chip module with solder corrosion prevention including one or more chips connected to a substrate by soldering, the substrate disposed on a printed circuit board. The multi-chip module also includes a quantity of molecular sieve desiccant, and a first cover to contain the one or more chips, the substrate, and the molecular sieve desiccant, the first cover having a seal to the printed circuit board.
US07651887B2
A method of manufacturing an optical semiconductor device (16) sealed in a transparent or semitransparent cured silicone body (50) by placing an unsealed optical semiconductor device (16) into a mold (23, 34) and subjecting a transparent or semitransparent curable silicone composition (50) that fills the spaces between the mold and the unsealed device (70) to compression molding; provides the sealed optical semiconductor device that is free of voids, allows control of the coating layer thickness, protects the bonding wires from breakage and accidental contact, reduces concentration of stress on an optical semiconductor element, has long service life with reducing discoloration and disconnection of the sealing resin from the optical semiconductor element (16), and has excellent reliability.
US07651886B2
A semiconductor device including a circuit structure and a protective layer is provided. The circuit structure has multiple contacts. The protective layer is located on the circuit structure and has multiple openings and multiple protrusions, wherein the contacts are exposed by the openings and the protrusions are located on the contacts.
US07651877B2
The present invention provides a two-dimensional image detecting apparatus including a mold structure which apparatus can be applied to mammography, and a manufacturing method thereof. The manufacturing method includes: a conversion layer formation step of forming a conversion layer (3) on an active matrix substrate (2); a counter substrate formation step of disposing a spacer material (5) and disposing the counter substrate (6) so as to be opposite to the active matrix substrate (2) via the spacer material (5); a mold resin layer formation step of forming a mold structure layer (8) in a space surrounded by the conversion layer (3), the spacer material (5), and the counter substrate (6); and a cutting step of cutting at least the active matrix substrate (2) so that cut surfaces of the constituent members are flush with each other; and a sealing step of securing a sealing material (7) to the cut surface.
US07651870B2
A device for treating an analyte using magnetic beads is provided wherein the surfaces of the magnetic beads are effectively available as a whole. The device comprises a housing having a channel therein, through which channel the analyte is moved; a pair of electromagnets which are oppositely arranged in such a manner that the channel is interposed therebetween; a moving means for moving the pair of electromagnets along the channel while the electromagnets are facing the channel; and a controlling means for controlling magnetic forces generated by the electromagnets. The device is characterized in that the magnetic forces of the electromagnets are alternately generated with time. This will cause the magnetic beads to collide successively with the inner surface of the channel, which in turn gives a more efficient dispersion of the magnetic beads even if they are clustered or agglutinated to each other.
US07651868B2
A system for the rapid characterization of analytes in saliva. In one embodiment, a system for detecting analytes includes a light source, a sensor array, and a detector. The sensor array is formed from a supporting member, in which a plurality of cavities may be formed. A series of chemically sensitive particles, in one embodiment, are positioned within the cavities. The particles may produce a signal when a receptor, coupled to the particle, interacts with the cardiovascular risk factor analyte and the particle-analyte complex is visualized using a visualization reagent. Using pattern recognition techniques, the analytes within a multi-analyte fluid may be characterized. In an embodiment, each cavity of the plurality of cavities is designed to capture and contain a specific size particle. Flexible projections may be positioned over each of the cavities to provide retention of the particles in the cavities.
US07651866B2
A purge and trap concentrator has a sample processing system that includes a network of fluid passageways and fluid control devices. A flow controller couples to a purge gas inlet provides an electrically adjustable purge gas flow rate as a function of an electrical input. A digital controller provides the system cycle and provides the electrical input. The electrical input varies as a function of the system cycle to increase the rate of flow of purge gas during a bake step relative to the rate of flow of purge gas during a purge step in the system cycle.
US07651861B2
There is provided a method of forming a fluorite crystal and an exposure apparatus including this fluorite crystal. A method of manufacturing a device using the exposure apparatus is also provided.
US07651859B2
The present invention provides, as for a method for analyzing the C-terminal amino acid sequence of a peptide by using a reaction for successively releasing the C-terminal amino acids of the peptide, which method can suppress, when successively releasing the C-terminal amino acids of a peptide of long amino acid length, such a undesirable side reaction as cleavage of peptide bond in the intermediate position of the peptide and can carry out the chemical treatment thereof under widely applicable conditions, a following method wherein a dry sample of a peptide with long amino acid length is beforehand subjected to an N-acylation treatment; by using a reaction reagent where an alkanoic acid anhydride is combined with a small amount of a perfluoroalkanoic acid, successive release of C-terminal amino acids is conducted under mild conditions; a hydrolysis treatment is applied; then, selective fragmentization at site of arginine residue is performed by digestion by trypsin; thereafter, decreases in molecular weight are measured for the C-terminal side fragments derived from a series of reaction products by analysis in negative mode of a MALDI-TOF-MS apparatus; thereby, the C-terminal amino acid sequence of the peptide sample is identified.
US07651850B2
A system and method for recognition of images may include the use of alignment markers. The image recognized may be a pattern from an array, a character, a number, a shape, and/or irregular shapes. The pattern may be formed by elements in an array such as an identification marking and/or a sensor array. More particularly, the system and method relate to discriminating between images by accounting for the orientation of the image. The size and/or location of alignment markers may provide information about the orientation of an image. Information about the orientation of an image may reduce false recognitions. The system and method of image recognition may be used with identification markings, biosensors, micro-fluidic arrays, and/or optical character recognition systems.
US07651838B2
The invention concerns a novel non-invasive prenatal diagnostic method implemented with a sample of maternal blood. Said method enables prenatal diagnosis on isolated non-apoptotic epithelial foetal cells of maternal blood after they have been enriched by filtration, morphologically or immunologically and genetically analysed. Said method is advantageous in that it is perfectly harmless for the mother and the foetus and provides a highly sensitive and specific diagnosis. It enables early detection of a genetic or chromosomal abnormality of the foetus, of a genetic or infectious (viral, bacterial or parasitic) pathology of the foetus, of accurate genotype, and in particular of the genetic sex of the foetus.
US07651837B2
Causative microorganisms of infectious diseases are detected and/or identified rapidly and with high sensitivity by taking phagocytes from clinical specimens containing active phagocytes, immobilizing the phagocytes so taken, treating the phagocytes to improve cell membrane permeabilities thereof, further treating the phagocytes to bare DNA in the causative microorganisms which might exist in the phagocytes, and detecting the causative microorganisms with DNA probes which can hybridize with such DNA under stringent conditions.
US07651836B2
The invention describes an in vitro method for detecting a psychiatric disorder occurring with psychosis selected from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in an individual who has suffered a first psychotic episode, or for determining the state or severity of said disorder, or for monitoring the effect of a therapy administered to an individual who suffers said disorder, or for evaluating the predisposition of an individual presenting a prodromal symptom to develop said disorder, based on the use of the brain-derived neutrophic factor (BDNF) as a marker.
US07651830B2
Provided is an article that comprises a substrate comprising an acid-etchable layer, a water-soluble polymer matrix, and a photoacid generator. Also provided is a method for patterning that can provide patterned layers that can be used to form electroactive devices.
US07651828B2
A method for preparing an electrophotographic photoreceptor, includes coating an electroconductive substrate with an undercoat layer containing a blocked isocyanate compound, an oil-free alkyd resin including a hydroxyl group and basic amine; crosslinking the blocked isocyanate compound, oil-free alkyd resin including a hydroxyl group and basic amine; and coating the undercoat layer with a photosensitive layer.
US07651799B2
A system and method for improving air humidification for fuel cell applications includes a fuel cell stack having a cathode inlet and a cathode outlet. The cathode inlet receives an oxidant. A humidifier humidifies the oxidant prior to delivery of the oxidant to the cathode inlet. An injection nozzle is provided, and a volume of water substantially vaporized by the injection nozzle reduces a temperature of the oxidant and increases a water transfer rate of the humidifier. The injection nozzle can be positioned either directly upstream of the humidifier in the oxidant inlet line or in a stack cathode outlet line which is directed into the humidifier.
US07651792B2
A hard film contains [(Nb1−d,Tad)aAl1−a](C1−xNx), [(Nb1−d,Tad)a,Al1−a−b−c,Sib,Bc](C1−xNx), [(Cr,V)p(Nb,Ta)q(Al,Si,B)r](C1−xNx), or [(Ti,Cr,V)p(Nb,Ta)q(Al,Si,B)r](C1−xNx), in which the atomic ratios satisfy the following conditions: 0.4≦a≦0.6, 0
US07651789B2
To provide an organic electroluminescent device which suppresses crystallization of a material to be used in an organic electroluminescent device and which is good in luminous characteristics, device drive durability and storage stability, the organic electroluminescent device has at least one organic layer including a light emitting layer between a pair of electrodes, wherein the light emitting layer contains a compound represented by formula (1) defined in the specification and a light emitting material.
US07651788B2
Disclosed is an organic electroluminescent device including a substrate, a first and second electrode formed on the substrate, and a light-emitting layer formed between the first electrode and the second electrode. The light-emitting layer includes a plurality of materials which is a green luminescent material using a following chemical formula as a dopant. In this case, at least one of A1 and A2 is selected from a substituted or non-substituted aromatic group, a heterocyclic group, an aliphatic group, and hydrogen.
US07651783B2
A surface treated copper foil with improved adhesion to the insulating resin of a copper-clad laminate for higher frequency applications contains a copper foil provided with a heat-resistant layer and an olefin-based silane coupling agent layer sequentially on at least one side thereof. An anticorrosive treatment may be performed after the heat resistance treatment. The copper foil is preferably an electrolytic copper foil, and these layers can be provided on the S side and/or the M side thereof. The copper foil has an adequate adhesive strength, even without the roughening treatment that has been performed in the past. A film of zinc, zinc-tin, zinc-nickel, zinc-cobalt, copper-zinc, copper-nickel-cobalt, or nickel-cobalt can be used favorably as the heat-resistant layer, and a film that has undergone a zinc-chromate or a chromate treatment can be used favorably as the anticorrosive layer.
US07651782B2
The present invention provides a method for producing metallic nanoparticles, which includes reacting a copper compound with a hydrazine reducing agent in an organic solvent in the presence of a precious metal compound, wherein the precious metal compound is a compound containing at least one precious metal selected from the group consisting of platinum, gold, silver, and palladium, and the total number of precious metal atoms in the precious metal compound is in the range of 1 to 10 at. % of the total copper atoms in the copper compound.
US07651744B2
A liquid crystal display. The liquid crystal display includes a color filter substrate and an array substrate, wherein at least one of the color filter substrate and the array substrate comprises polyimide having formula (I): wherein A and A′ are the same or different and comprise cycloaliphatic compounds or aromatic compounds, B and B′ are the same or different and comprise aromatic compounds, and x and y are 10˜10000, wherein at least one of A and A′ is a cycloaliphatic compound.
US07651743B2
A cellulose acylate film that has a crystallization index expressed by expression (A) as defined in the specification of from 0.70 to 1.02 and a modulus of elasticity in every arbitrary direction of an in-plane of the cellulose acylate film of from 3,800 MPa to 6,000 MPa; a manufacturing method of a cellulose acylate film comprising: casting a dope on a support; drying the dope on the support, so as to form a film; peeling the film from the support; and subjecting the film to a stretching treatment, wherein a crystallization index expressed by expression (A) of the film after peeling and before stretching is from 0.70 to 1.00; an optically compensatory sheet comprising the cellulose acylate film; and a polarizing plate and a liquid crystal display device using the optically compensatory sheet.
US07651737B2
An optimized paste composition and green sheet form a dielectric layer of a plasma display panel. A plasma display panel is formed by (a) preparing a green sheet of a film-forming material layer formed by applying a paste composition containing PbO-based powder, a binder resin, a dispersing agent, a plasticizer, and a solvent onto a supporting film; (b) transferring the film-forming material layer of the green sheet onto a substrate with electrodes by using a heating roller; and (c) sintering the film-forming material layer transferred onto the substrate. The result is an excellent dielectric layer formed with minimal processing time, and the dielectric layer has good resistance to high temperature and high pressure.
US07651736B2
The present invention provides a method of producing a structure, which is capable of easily obtaining a structure of the nanometer scale by using an anodic oxidation method. A method of producing a structure with a hole includes: forming first projected structures regularly arranged on a substrate; forming a first anodic oxidating layer on the substrate having the first projected structures, thereby forming first recessed structures at center portions of cells formed by the projected structures on the anodic oxidating layer; removing the first projected structures to form holes; and subjecting the first anodic oxidating layer to anodic oxidation to form holes at positions of the first recessed structures.
US07651735B2
Methods and a structure. A first film of a first block copolymer is formed inside a trough integrally disposed on an energetically neutral surface layer of a substrate. Line-forming microdomains are assembled of the first block copolymer, and form first self-assembled structures within the first film normal to the sidewalls and parallel to the surface layer. At least one microdomain is removed from the first film such that oriented structures remain in the trough oriented normal to the sidewalls and parallel to the surface layer. A second film of a second block copolymer is formed inside the trough. Line-forming microdomains are assembled of the second block copolymer, and form second self-assembled structures within the second film oriented normal to the oriented structures and parallel to the sidewalls. A second method and a structure are also provided.
US07651734B2
A method of fabricating a micromechanical device. Several of the micromechanical devices are fabricated 20 on a common wafer. After the devices are fabricated, the sacrificial layers are removed 22 leaving open spaces where the sacrificial layers once were. These open spaces allow for movement of the components of the micromechanical device. The devices optionally are passivated 24, which may include the application of a lubricant. After the devices have been passivated, they are tested 26 in wafer form. After testing 26, any surface treatments that are not compatible with the remainder of the processing steps are removed 28. The substrate wafer containing the completed devices receives a conformal overcoat 30. The overcoat layer is thick enough to project the micromechanical structures, but thin and light enough to prevent deforming the underlying micromechanical structures. Once the devices on the wafer are overcoated, the wafer is separated 32, and the known good devices are cleaned 34 to remove debris left by the dicing process. Once the devices are separated and cleaned, the overcoat may be removed, however, the overcoat typically is left in place to protect the device during the initial stages of the packaging process. Typically the devices are mounted 36 in the package substrate, the overcoat removed 38 from the devices, and the package containing the micromechanical device finished by sealing the package to enclose the device.
US07651733B2
A vapor-phase growing unit of this invention includes: a reaction container in which a substrate is arranged, a first gas-introducing part having a first gas-introducing tube in which a gas-spouting port opening in the reaction container is formed, the first gas-introducing part serving to supply into the reaction container a first gas consisting of an organic-metal including gas, and a second gas-introducing part having a second gas-introducing tube in which a gas-spouting port opening in the reaction container is formed, the second gas-introducing part serving to supply into the reaction container a second gas which reacts with the organic-metal including gas and whose density is smaller than that of the organic-metal including gas. The gas-spouting port of the first gas-introducing tube and the gas-spouting port of the second gas-introducing tube are arranged along an outside periphery of the substrate arranged in the reaction container.
US07651729B2
There are provided methods of fabricating a metal silicate layer on a semiconductor substrate using an atomic layer deposition technique. The methods include performing a metal silicate layer formation cycle at least one time in order to form a metal silicate layer having a desired thickness. The metal silicate layer formation cycle includes an operation of repeatedly performing a metal oxide layer formation cycle K times and an operation of repeatedly performing a silicon oxide layer formation cycle Q times. K and Q are integers ranging from 1 to 10 respectively. The metal oxide layer formation cycle includes the steps of supplying a metal source gas to a reactor containing the substrate, exhausting the metal source gas remaining in a reactor to clean the inside of the reactor, and then supplying an oxide gas into the reactor. The silicon oxide layer formation cycle includes supplying a silicon source gas, exhausting the silicon source gas remaining in the reactor to clean the inside of the reactor, and then supplying an oxide gas into the reactor.
US07651725B2
A method and apparatus for depositing a low dielectric constant film by reaction of an organo silane compound and an oxidizing gas. The oxidized organo silane film has excellent barrier properties for use as a liner or cap layer adjacent other dielectric layers. The oxidized organo silane film can also be used as an etch stop or an intermetal dielectric layer for fabricating dual damascene structures. The oxidized organo silane films also provide excellent adhesion between different dielectric layers. A preferred oxidized organo silane film is produced by reaction of methyl silane, CH3SiH3, and N2O.
US07651714B2
A method for processing a high-lactose aqueous fluid (HLAF), such as permeate from ultrafiltration of whey fluid, is provided. The method includes a step of drying the partially crystallized HLAF in an air-lift dryer which has diverging sidewalls to form a product rich in crystalline alpha-lactose monohydrate.
US07651711B2
A method for processing a high-lactose aqueous fluid (HLAF), such as permeate from ultrafiltration of whey fluid, is provided. The process includes introducing highly concentrated high-lactose aqueous fluid into a cooling, concentrating, crystallizing apparatus, exposing the highly concentrated HLAF to a gaseous fluid to create a cooling, concentrating, crystallizing cascade to form a partially crystallized HLAF.
US07651707B2
The present invention relates to a method of treating Metabolic Syndrome and/or the conditions that comprise Metabolic Syndrome by administering to a mammal, including a human, a dietary supplement comprising grape extract. This invention also relates to a method of treating pre-hypertension by administering to a mammal, including a human, a dietary supplement comprising grape extract.
US07651702B2
Materials and methods related to crosslinking hyaluronan and chitosan are described herein. Also described are products of the described methods.
US07651699B2
The present invention discloses the autoinducer compounds, such as acyl homoserine lactones, acyl homocysteine lactone, acyl thiolactones, furanones or signal peptides, and their use in animal feed additives and animal feeds to improve animal performance.
US07651693B2
The present invention relates to improved hair styling compositions and methods of using such compositions. More particularly, the present invention relates to hair styling compositions with improved durability performance of the hair fixative resins, including resistance to high humidity, low tackiness, and good hold.
US07651690B2
Disclosed herein are extracts of blue green algae, such as Aphanizomenon flos aquae, that are enriched for a selectin ligand, such as an L-selectin ligand. Selectin ligands isolated from blue-green algae cells are disclosed herein. Methods are described for isolating these selectin ligands. The purified selectin ligands are of use in inducing stem cell mobilization in a subject. Thus, methods for inducing stem cell isolation that include administering a therapeutically effective amount of the extract enriched form the selectin ligand, or an isolated selectin ligand, are disclosed herein.
US07651685B2
Methods and formulations for the treatment of malignancies. Assessment of the incidence and scope of MC in control and cancer populations provides for the development of cellular therapy approaches to hematologic malignancies that are expected to be well tolerated immunologically. Studies will confirm that parous females who display MC are able to tolerate donor cells from their male offspring immunologically. Studies will explore the use of MC offspring donor cells in cellular therapy for the treatment of hematologic and other malignancies.
US07651662B2
A method for preparing a rubbed substrate structure suitable for use in a liquid crystal assay device, includes reacting a biochemical blocking compound that includes at least one reactive group with an activated modified surface of a support, the activated modified surface of the support having at least one functional group capable of reacting with the reactive group of the biochemical blocking compound, wherein a covalent bond is formed between the biochemical blocking compound and the support producing a support with a surface comprising the biochemical blocking compound. The method also includes rubbing the surface having the biochemical blocking compound to produce a rubbed surface that possesses features that drive uniform anchoring of liquid crystals when the liquid crystals contact the rubbed surface.
US07651660B2
Described is a reactor for irradiating ultraviolet light into a fluid reaction medium (3). The reactor consists of at least one housing (15) which encloses a tubular cavity, with a radiation source (1) for generating ultraviolet light and an inner tube (2) which, together with the housing (15), forms an irradiation chamber (26) which, in particular, is of annular shape, the irradiation chamber (26) being connected at least with an inlet (13) and an outlet (14) for the reaction medium (3) and is perfused by reaction medium (3) in the longitudinal direction of the tube (2), the irradiation chamber (26) being equipped with means (6, 25) for generating an additional radial flow routing of the reaction medium (3).
US07651657B2
A process for making a metal tool having controlled porosity is disclosed. The process includes the step of preparing metal powder by gas atomization. The metal powder is filled into a metal container. The powder-filled container is placed in a metal vessel and surrounded with glass frit. The metal vessel is then heated to a temperature sufficient to melt the glass frit. The metal vessel is then compacted under sufficient pressure to partially consolidate the metal powder so as to retain porosity therein in an amount sufficient to permit air to vent through the metal tool.
US07651656B2
There are provided a melting furnace including a containing space for containing a melt of nonferrous metal, a magnetic field generating device, a magnetic flux therefrom, from outside penetrates the melting furnace for containing the melt to run through the containing space in a direction; and at least one pair of electrode terminals, the electrode terminals facing each other with a predetermined distance in a direction crossing the direction of the magnetic flux at a certain angle, and being capable of connecting to a power supply.
US07651652B1
A print pad for printing on a concave surface is molded to the forward surface of a cylindrical base. The base has a cavity therein and at least one hole extending from the forward surface thereof to the cavity. The print pad is made by filling a female mold with liquid polymer and positioning the forward surface of the base against the rear of the mold. Excess liquid polymer from the mold flows through the hole and into the cavity. As the polymer cures it contracts and draws liquefied polymer out of the cavity so that the cured print pad is not deformed.
US07651642B2
A composition comprises a polyorganosiloxane and an admixed hindered amine light stabilizer (HALS) wherein the polyorganosiloxane is free from alternating cyclic hydrocarbon residues. A method of stabilizing a polyorganosiloxane composition comprises providing a polyorganosiloxane and admixing a HALS with the polyorganosiloxane. A light bulb comprises an enclosure coated with a polyorganosiloxane composition containing a HALS.
US07651639B2
The conductive polymer of the present invention is prepared by means of oxidation polymerization. On the matrix of the conductive polymer, at least one organic sulfonate formed by an anion of an organic sulfonic acid and a cation of other than transition metals is coated. Alternatively, in the matrix of the conductive polymer, at least one organic sulfonate formed by an anion of an organic sulfonic acid and a cation of other than transition metals is included. The conductive polymer of the present invention is excellent in the conductivity, heat resistance and moisture resistance. By using it as a solid electrolyte, a reliable solid electrolytic capacitor can be prepared which is unlikely to decrease the properties when being kept in a hot and humid condition.
US07651632B2
The invention relates to an inorganic scintillator material of formula Lu(2−y)Y(y−z−x)CexMzSi(1−v)M′vO5, in which: M represents a divalent alkaline earth metal and M′ represents a trivalent metal, (z+v) being greater than or equal to 0.0001 and less than or equal to 0.2, z being greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 0.2; v being greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 0.2, x being greater than or equal to 0.0001 and less than 0.1; and y ranging from (x+z) to 1. In particular, this material may equip scintillation detectors for applications in industry, for the medical field (scanners) and/or for detection in oil drilling, The presence of Ca in the crystal reduces the afterglow, while stopping power for high-energy radiation remains high.
US07651630B2
A nematic liquid crystal composition of the present invention includes 10 to 80% by mass of either one or at least two compounds represented by general formula (I) as a first component; and 20 to 70% by mass of either one or at least two compounds represented by general formula (II) as a second component, wherein a dielectric constant anisotropy is negative. The use of this nematic liquid crystal composition can provide a highly reliable liquid crystal display element capable of maintaining a high voltage-holding ratio even in a high temperature region, and achieving quick responsiveness without reducing the cell gap.
US07651605B2
When a heavy fuel oil with a sulfur content of 1 percent by mass or lower is produced from a feedstock consisting of a heavy hydrocarbon oil derived from a heavy crude oil having an API degree of 30 or less and containing sulfur and metal components in amounts larger than those of ordinary crude oil, the conventional processes requires higher reaction temperature and was accompanied with a remarkably enhanced deactivation rate of the catalyst which results in a remarkable shortened lifetime thereof. Therefore, it is regarded as substantially impossible to treat the feedstock. However, the present invention makes it possible to produce a low sulfur heavy fuel oil with a sulfur content of 1 percent by mass or less by hydrotreating a mix oil of 100 parts by volume of a heavy hydrocarbon oil derived from a heavy crude oil with an API degree of 30 or less and 30 to 1000 parts by volume of a heavy hydrocarbon oil derived from a light crude oil with an API degree of 35 or greater, without lowering the degree of demetallization while retarding the deactivation rate of the catalyst.
US07651604B2
Two-stage low pressure catalytic hydrotreatment of heavy petroleum hydrocarbons having a high content of contaminants (metals and asphaltenes), is conducted under operating conditions with low-pressure, in a fixed bed or ebullated bed reactor to limit the formation of sediments and sludge in the product and obtain a hydrotreated hydrocarbon of improved properties, with levels of contaminants, API gravity and distillates within the ranges commonly reported in the feedstocks typical to refining schemes. A hydrotreatment catalyst, whose principal effect is the hydrodemetallization and the hydrocracking of asphaltenes of the heavy hydrocarbons of petroleum is used in the first stage, and the second reaction stage employs a hydrotreatment catalyst for a deeper effect of hydrodesulfurization of the heavy petroleum hydrocarbon whose content of total sulfur is reduced to a level required for its treatment in the conventional refining process or for its sale as a hydrocarbon of petroleum with improved properties.
US07651600B2
The present invention provides a device and methods of use thereof in concentrating a species of interest and/or controlling liquid flow in a device. The methods, inter-alia, make use of a device comprising microchannels, which are linked to nanochannels, whereby induction of an electric field in the nanochannel results in ion depletion in the linkage region between the microchannel and nanochannel, and a space charge layer is formed within the microchannel, which provides an energy barrier for said species of interest which enables its concentration in a region in the microchannel.
US07651596B2
The present invention relates generally to devices for measuring an analyte in a host. More particularly, the present invention relates to devices for measurement of glucose in a host that incorporate a cellulosic-based interference domain.
US07651593B2
Performing data management operations on replicated data in a computer network. Log entries are generated for data management operations of an application executing on a source system. Consistency point entries are used to indicate a time of a known good, or recoverable, state of the application. A destination system is configured to process a copy of the log and consistency point entries to replicate data in a replication volume, the replicated data being a copy of the application data on the source system. When the replicated data represents a known good state of the application, as determined by the consistency point entries, the destination system(s) may perform a storage operation (e.g., snapshot, backup) to copy the replicated data and to logically associate the copied data with a time information (e.g., time stamp) indicative of the source system time when the application was in the known good state.
US07651585B2
An apparatus generating a plasma for removing an edge polymer from a substrate is disclosed. The embodiment includes a powered electrode assembly, including a powered electrode, a first dielectric layer, and a first wire mesh disposed between the powered electrode and the first dielectric layer. The embodiment also includes a grounded electrode assembly disposed opposite the powered electrode assembly so as to form a cavity wherein the plasma is generated, the first wire mesh being shielded from the plasma by the first dielectric layer when the plasma is present in the cavity, the cavity having an outlet at one end for providing the plasma to remove the edge polymer.
US07651581B2
A method of manufacturing a fuel cell membrane electrode assembly comprising forming and compressing a stack having a plurality of layers in a desired orientation. The layers comprise a membrane, a cathode, an anode, and at least one edge protection layer. The method includes providing at least one mechanical reinforcing layer adjacent the anode or cathode layer, and allowing the electrodes to relax under high heat to remove stress prior to lamination.
US07651577B2
An explosive formulation including 2,4,8,10-tetranitro-5H-pyrido[3′,2′:4,5][1,2,3]triazolo[1,2-a]benzotriazol-6-ium, inner salt and a high temperature binder is disclosed together with a process of preparing 2,4,8,10-tetranitro-5H-pyrido[3′,2′:4,5][1,2,3]triazolo[1,2-a]benzotriazol-6-ium, inner salt.
US07651576B2
The method of preventing cold-worked stress corrosion cracking in the iron steels and alloyed steels including stainless steels comprises removing a residual tensile stressed layer, optionally generating residual compression, through the impact of irradiation with the ultra-short femtosecond pulse and kW class high average-power laser, and removing a hardened surface layer extremely susceptible to stress corrosion cracking, whereby this susceptible hardened surface layer with many concentrated dislocation defects and the likes is removed without generating or introducing any of such hardened layer in the process of its removal. The method is free from the risk of damaging other equipment by peening with steel balls or other shaped shots, is almost unlimited in actual environment, effectiveness, work, place and other conditions for application, is inexpensive, and functions continuously for a much longer period than an ordinary nuclear reactor's service lifetimes.
US07651569B2
A pedestal is provided for supporting wafer boats in a process chamber during semiconductor fabrication. The pedestal contains hollow spaces, such as within porous insulating plugs, and gases inside the pedestal may expand during semiconductor processing. The pedestal has an opening for exhausting gases out of its interior and into the process chamber. The opening is provided with a filter, in the form of a sintered ceramic or glass disc sealed within a tube covering the opening, to prevent the passage of particles which may be present inside the pedestal. By filtering the particles, the filter removes a source of contamination, thereby allowing for high quality process results on wafers processed in the process chamber.
US07651558B2
A method for manufacturing a pigmented ink includes the steps of a) preparing a pigment dispersion in a dispersing installation; b) charging the dispersing installation with a washing liquid; c) discharging the washing liquid from the dispersing installation; and d) adding the discharged washing liquid to the pigment dispersion.
US07651555B2
An onsite chemistry air filtration system to remove gaseous contaminants from air is disclosed. The onsite chemistry air filtration system of the present invention comprises: a conventional particulate filtration section, a photochemical filtration section, a static gas phase filtration section and a catalytic filtration section. The conventional particulate filtration section captures solids and condensables. In the photochemical filtration section, UV lamps generate bio-destruction and surface photochemical activity on a semiconductor catalyst material, provide a radiation source to irradiate airborne contaminant molecules and to energize their states to promote reactions and generate airborne ozone and radicals. In the static gas phase filtration section, gas phase filtration media is used to capture contaminants, concentrate them in a relatively confined space and allow airborne generated chemistries to concentrate and react in-situ, thereby creating a regeneration effect on the media. In the catalytic filtration section, catalytic media scavenges and converts airborne radicals and ozone to harmless by-products.
US07651553B2
The present invention provides a ballast circuit and method for fabricating the same for multi-electrode corona discharge arrays. The circuit includes a conductive plastic material and at least one corona electrode protruding from the conductive plastic material. The distance between the plastic material and the corona electrode varies and controls the electrical resistance and determines the voltage breakdown of the circuit. Additionally, a particle collection surface may preferably be located within the conductive plastic material or preferably be separated from the material depending on the circuit design and configuration.
US07651552B2
A gas port assembly is provided for supplying or removing one or more gases to a powered electrode in a plasma processing chamber. The chamber has at least one electrode (11) to which an alternating electrical potential is applied in use, the assembly being electrically insulated from the electrode(s). The assembly comprises, a number of dielectric members (15) and a number of electrically conductive members (16). The members are arranged in a stack of alternating dielectric and electrically conductive members. Each member comprises at least one gas pathway for the passage of the gas(es), such that when stacked, the gas pathways are in communication with each other and the gas(es) are able to pass between an outer side of the stack and a chamber side of the stack. The members act as a capacitive divider to reduce high voltages within the assembly.
US07651539B2
Disclosed herein are compositions for dyeing keratin fibers, for example human keratin fibers such as the hair, comprising 2,3-diamino-6,7-dihydro-1H,5H-pyrazolo[1,2 -a]pyrazol-1-one or an addition salt thereof, at least one oxidation base, at least one coupler, at least one surfactant chosen from oxyalkylenated or glycerolated fatty alcohols, anionic surfactants of sulfate or sulfonate type and amphoteric surfactants of betaine type, and at least one oxidizing agent, the pH of the composition ranging from 5.5 to 7.5. The compositions disclosed herein make it possible to obtain coloration on keratin fibers with tints in red, coppery or mahogany tones that are sufficiently visible on natural or dyed hair and/or uniform from the roots to the ends.
US07651533B2
The present disclosure relates to a dye composition comprising at least one dye, at least one nonionic surfactant, at least one anionic surfactant, at least one fatty alcohol and at least one non-ethoxylated fatty acid ester; the weight ratio of the total amount of fatty alcohols to the total amount of nonionic and anionic surfactants being greater than 0.5 and the water content comprising at least 55% by weight. The disclosure similarly relates to a process for dyeing keratin fibers, for example human keratin fibers, using such a composition, and also to a multi-compartment device comprising the dye composition in the first compartment, and an oxidizing composition in the second compartment.
US07651532B2
A method of laundering a fabric load is disclosed including the steps of processing a fabric load in an aqueous-based working fluid, substantially replacing the aqueous-based working fluid with a non-aqueous working fluid of the type which extracts some of the aqueous-based working fluid from the fabric load.
US07651524B2
A stent to be implanted in an organism includes a plurality of wavy annular members arranged in an axial direction thereof. Each of the wavy annular members has a plurality of one-end side bent portions each having an apex at a one-end side of the stent in the axial direction thereof and a plurality of other-end side bent portions each having an apex at an other-end side of the stent in the axial direction thereof. In the wavy annular members disposed adjacently to each other in the axial direction of the stent the wavy annular members disposed at the one-end side of the stent in the axial direction thereof has a sharing linear portion having a start point at the apex of one of the other-end side bent portions thereof or in the vicinity of the apex and a termination point between the apex of the other-end side bent portion thereof and the apex of one of the one-end side bent portions thereof. The sharing linear portion integrates the adjacent wavy annular members with each other.
US07651511B2
The invention provides devices, systems and methods for clamping arteries which are useful in reducing or abolishing blood flow in an artery, and may be used to control hemorrhage following a caesarian delivery. A clamping device embodying features of the invention includes a pair of clamping members with opposed pressure-applying members having facing pressure-applying surfaces, at least one of which is a yieldable pressure-applying surface. The yieldable pressure-applying surface is preferably resilient. The clamping members are configured to adjust the distance between pressure-applying surfaces, and a blood flow sensor is disposed on at least one of the pressure-applying members to aid in locating the target artery and also to monitor blood flow through the artery. The clamping device is particularly suitable for occluding uterine arteries by compressing the broad ligament which contains the uterine artery and which is connected to the patient's uterus with the arterial clamp.
US07651510B2
Systems for anastomosing a first hollow tissue structure to a second hollow tissue structure are disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, such a system comprises at least one tissue securing member adapted to secure the first and second hollow tissue structures together, and a device for applying the tissue securing member to the tissue structures. The tissue securing member is preferably configured to pass through only one of the tissue structures, and is movable from a first configuration to a second configuration which results in a compressive force being applied to the tissue structures. The systems are particularly useful for performing anastomosis of blood vessels in heart surgery.
US07651499B2
A working channel for spinal surgery includes a body having a distal end, a proximal end and an interior lumen traversing through the elongate body. The elongate body generally has a parallelogram-shaped cross-section. Another working channel for spinal surgery includes a flared upper section having a distal end, a proximal end and an interior lumen traversing through the flared upper section. The proximal end of the flared upper section is wider than the distal end of the flared upper section. The working channel also includes a lower section extending from the distal end of the flared upper section. The lower section has a distal end, a proximal end and an interior lumen traversing through the lower section. The lower section generally has a parallelogram-shaped cross-section.
US07651498B2
There is provided a sternal closure system for re-approximating the left and right halves of a patient's longitudinally incised sternum during a surgical procedure in the thoracic cavity. The system includes a first anchor, disposed inside the left half of the sternum, a second anchor, disposed inside the right half of the sternum, and a fixing element for rigid connection between the first and the second anchors, respectively disposed within the left and right halves of the sternum, facilitating separation of the left and right halves of the sternum closed in this way, in case of post-operative emergency surgical procedures. An apparatus for fixing and removing the anchors is also provided.
US07651496B2
A method for treating the spine. A guidewire is advanced through the skin of a patient along a percutaneous path to a target location of a vertebra. An implant is advanced over the guidewire to the target location of the vertebra. The implant is coupled with the vertebra at the target location. An elongate body having a proximal end and a distal end is advanced until the distal end is adjacent the target location, the elongate body having an inner surface defining a passage extending therethrough. A procedure is performed at the target location.
US07651490B2
A handpiece having a single set of piezoelectric elements polarized to produce longitudinal motion when excited at the relevant resonant frequency. The piezoelectric crystals are connected to an ultrasonic horn to which a cutting tip is attached. The horn and/or the cutting tip contains a plurality of diagonal slits or grooves. The slits or grooves produce optimized torsional movement in the cutting tip when the piezoelectric crystals are excited at a second resonant frequency. Preferably, the two drive frequencies are not coincident, but provided in non-overlapping pulses.
US07651481B2
A self-sealing male connector device for connection with a female Luer connector. The device has an elongated male body configured with lengthwise relatively rigid and flexible wall segments cooperating to allow the body to be radially compressed from an expanded configuration to a contracted configuration. A closure cap formed with a resealable aperture is disposed on the distal end of the male body so as to be responsive to the compression of the male body. The relatively flexible wall segments may be installed within notches in the male body or be formed integral with the relatively rigid wall segments.
US07651479B2
A securement device includes a simply-structured retention mechanism that permits a portion of a catheter hub or a similar medical article to be easily anchored to a patient, without the use of tape or needles and suturing. A unitary retainer desirably includes a base defining a locator mechanism. The locator mechanism interacts with a fitting of the medical device so as to position the medical device relative to the retainer. The locator mechanism also desirably guides the medical device fining into contact with an adhesive member mounted on an outer surface of the retainer. In one form, the locator mechanism includes one or more posts that engage mating holes defined in the medical device fitting. In other forms, the locator mechanism includes a cradle defining an arcuate channel to receive a convex surface of the medical device, or a recess shaped to matingly receive the fitting.
US07651478B2
A trocar is provided with a cannula and a housing and valve assembly disposed in the housing which forms a housing seal, and instrument seal, and in some cases a zero seal. A gel material is included in the valve and provides the valve with superior flotation properties for maintaining the instrument seal even when the instrument is moved off-axis. In order to accommodate movement of the gel material, voids can be formed within the valve housing and even within the gel material.
US07651477B2
A cannula includes an elongate cannula body formed of a translucent polycarbonate plastic having a distal end and the distal end has a sharp edge that frays and weakens sutures that rub against it. A distal tip has a rounded leading end and is disposed in overlying, protective relation to the distal end of the cannula body and the sharp edge. The distal tip is formed of a material that is substantially unbreakable upon contact with bone or other hard material encountered during surgery. The material may be a metal, a thermoplastic urethane or a thermoplastic urethane rubber. An annular recess formed in a lumen of the cannula body at the distal end of the cannula body accommodates the distal tip so that the lumen of the cannular body and the lumen of the distal tip are flush with one another.
US07651474B2
A method and apparatus for red blood collection and filtration is provided wherein a red blood cell collection assembly provides for leukoreduction filtration concurrent with or soon after the red blood cell collection procedure. The procedure preferably involves filtering the separated red blood cells in a high hematocrit (high-crit) state prior to addition of storage solution thereto. Preferably, a storage solution is passed through the leukoreduction filter after the RBCs have been filtered therethrough. The red blood cell collection filtration and storage assembly is preferably preconnected to a blood component separation disposable assembly, including, for example, a centrifuge vessel and a blood removal/return assembly for removing blood from a donor, passing the blood to the centrifuge vessel for separation of the blood into components for collection and providing for filtration of the separated red blood cell component, as described.
US07651472B2
An apparatus for stabilizing movement of an ankle comprises in one embodiment a flexible body member for receiving a foot and a stiffening unit secured to selected portions of the body member such that the stiffening unit minimizes movement of upper portions of the body member with respect to lower portions of the body member, without obstructing forward and rearward movement of the upper portions of the body member with respect to the lower portions of the body member.
US07651456B2
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a rotor for a centrifuge which includes an annular portion having a plurality of storing portions each holding a sample vessel that contains a sample to be separated, the annular portion being provided with an end face portion at which holes of the storing portions are opened so as to be aligned in a circumferential direction thereof. Concave portions are disposed each between a corresponding pair of the adjacent holes on the end face portion.
US07651454B2
Device for printing Braille characters on cardboard blanks travelling in a folder-gluer along a substantially planar path, the device comprising rotary embossing tools carried by two respective parallel shafts rotatably mounted above and below of the plane of said path and operable for printing Braille characters on their blanks during their run through the folder-gluer. The tools are supported on shafts and the tools are adjustable axially and angularly with respect to each other.
US07651448B2
A method for using an adjustable exercise device is described that allows for performing a wide variety of different exercises. In one embodiment the exercise device includes an elongated member with ends for supporting a user by their hands, fingers, feet and/or legs, where the device is movably supportable by a structure. The method includes adjusting the distance between the ends, positioning the device relative to the structure, and exercising. The user may support a portion of their weight on the ground and a portion from the ends of the device, and exercise by moving their body with their body thus supported. In alternative embodiments, the device may be supported by a door, a pole, a tree or some other suitable structure.
US07651433B2
A multi-speed transmission has three planetary gear sets and six torque-transmitting mechanism packaged in various ones of five zones within a transmission cavity. Each planetary gear set has a ring gear member, a sun gear member and a carrier member that rotatably supports a plurality of pinion gears that intermesh with both the sun gear member and the ring gear member. Certain members are continuously connected for common rotation. Specifically, an interconnecting member continuously interconnects for common rotation the carrier member of the first planetary gear set, the sun gear member of the second planetary gear set and the ring gear member of the third planetary gear set. Additionally, the sun gear member of the first planetary gear set is grounded to the transmission casing via a radially-extending structural member.
US07651432B2
A multi-stage automatic transmission comprising a drive shaft (AN), a double planetary front mounted gear set (VS), a main gear set (HS) which is embodied as a coupled planetary gear set comprising at least three non-coupled input elements and an output element, in addition to six switch elements (A to F). Engagement of the six switch elements (A to F) takes place in pairs thereby enabling at least eight forward gears to be shifted. One element of the front mounted gear set (VS) is determined on a housing (GG). The second and the sixth shift element (B, F) form a component which is arranged on the side of the front mounted gear set (VS) which is oriented away from the main gear set (HS) and is arranged in an at least partially axial manner, between the front mounted gear set (VS) and a housing wall (GW), which is secured to the gear housing and which extends in a radial manner.
US07651428B1
A device for actuating a reciprocating recovery apparatus for recovery of underground fluid. The actuating device has a centrally aligned input component, that transversely receives an output component through a central aperture, and is engaged with a driving mechanism. Torque is increased about the central output component as a series of axially aligned, but centrally offset, lobes push a corresponding driver disc around the central output at reduced velocity and increased torque. Each driver disc moves in eccentric fashion, yet remains engaged with a corresponding, centrally aligned take off member, each of which is further in combination with the central output component.
US07651426B2
A first common rotational axis of first and second shafts of a first differential is prevented from being coaxial with a second common rotational axis of first and second rotary members of a second differential so that each of the first and second shafts is prevented from extending through at least one of the first and second rotary members.
US07651421B2
The present specification describes novel arrow inserts and arrow systems that may be used for archery. One aspect of the novel arrow inserts relates to two or more separated contact portions or fit rings. The use of at least two fit rings contacting an inside diameter of an arrow shaft at a spaced interval provides better alignment of the arrow insert, and thus an arrow point, with the arrow shaft. The novel arrow inserts may be formed with a lip to limit insertion into the arrow shaft, or without a lip. Inserts without a lip may allow the insert to be fully inserted into the arrow shaft. The inserts may be sized to fit snugly into any arrow shaft, including reduced diameter hunter arrows described herein. The inserts may also be sized to accommodate standard arrow point assemblies, half-out arrow point assemblies, or smaller diameter arrow point assemblies.
US07651419B2
Handles providing shock absorption are provided. In some embodiments, handles comprise: a handle core having an axis; core permanent magnets mounted to the handle core; a handle sleeve surrounding the handle core; sleeve permanent magnets mounted to the handle sleeve which generate repelling forces radial to the axis from at least some of the core permanent magnets; and an adjustment screw used to control a force longitudinal to the axis.
US07651408B2
A method and apparatus for beneficially controlling the impact between a club head and a golf ball are described. A golf club head (such as on a driver, iron, or putter) has a body and a face mechanically supported thereon, wherein the face and body are elastically tailored to create beneficial face motion and deformation at impact. The tailored clubhead compliance is shown to influence impact properties and resulting ball parameters such as speed, direction and spin rates resulting from the impact event between the face of the club and the golf ball. Several embodiments are presented for controlling ball spin through design of the elastic and dynamic response of the face and body under impact loading.
US07651400B2
An inner ring is configured to simultaneously ensure the strength thereof and the dimensional accuracy of a female spline portion of a shaft hole thereof in the case where the female spline portion is subjected to heat treatment. Also it is configured to suppress the backlash of spline fit with a shaft. The inner ring is mounted in a constant velocity universal joint for transmitting torque while the inner ring is allowed to be angularly displaced relative to an outer ring and is spline-fitted to a shaft inserted into a shaft hole formed through the inner ring. The inner ring has a hardened layer by means of heat treatment which is formed only in an axial central portion of the shaft hole, but is not formed in remaining inner diameter surface other than the axial central portion.
