US07657944B2
A data distribution apparatus installed in a data center transmits data to a data acquisition apparatus installed in a store via a communication network. The data acquisition apparatus receives authentication information, such as the fingerprint, ID card or the like of a user, for user authentication, and the data distribution apparatus authenticates the user according to the authentication method selected from among multiple authentication methods and corresponding to the authentication information received by the data acquisition apparatus. The data distribution apparatus transmits data changed in format according to the authentication method used to the data acquisition apparatus. In the case of an authentication method being high in security, data is made changeable, and in the case of an authentication method being lower in security, data is changed so as to have an unchangeable format, whereby the unauthorized use of data is prevented.
US07657935B2
A system and methods of detecting an occurrence of a violation of an email security policy of a computer system. A model relating to the transmission of prior emails through the computer system is defined which is derived from statistics relating to the prior emails. For selected emails to be analyzed, statistics concerning the selected email are gathered. Such statistics may refer to the behavior or other features of the selected emails, attachments to emails, or email accounts. The determination of whether a violation of an email security policy has occurred is performed by applying the model of prior email transmission to the statistics relating to the selected email. The model may be statistical or probabilistic. A model of prior email transmission may include grouping email recipients into cliques. A determination of a violation of a security policy may occur if email recipients for a particular email are in more than one clique.
US07657932B2
A message handling computing system that provides security across even transport-independent communication mechanisms, and which allows for convenient extension of security to different security token types, and may provide end-to-end security across different transport protocols. The message handling computing system includes a message handling component configured to send and receive network messages having security tokens. The message handling component interfaces with an expandable and contractible set of security token managers through a standardized application program interface. Each security manager is capable of providing security services for messages that correspond to security tokens of a particular type. A security token plug-in component registers new security token managers with the message handling component.
US07657928B2
There is provided a configuration enabling prevention in advance of leakage and outflow of secret information in the local network, such as private data and content whose copyright and use right is restricted. A plurality of identification information of a communication destination device are acquired at different data processing levels. Identification information acquired by data processing at a level of a physical layer or a data link layer of the OSI reference model and identification information acquired by data processing at a layer level of a network layer or higher are received and these identification information are matched.
US07657925B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates managing security policies for databases in a distributed system. During operation, the system creates multiple label security policies. The system stores these security policies in a directory and automatically propagates them from the directory to each database within the distributed system. In doing so, the system allows for applying policies to individual tables and schema in any database in the distributed system. The system facilitates centralized administration of security policies and removes the need for replicating policies, since the policy information is available in the directory.
US07657915B1
A system and method for splitting and combining signal in a Cable Modem Terminal Station (CMTS). This system uses a hierarchal approach to connect RF modules to PHY modules. A first splitter and combiner connects each N input in a module to each of N outputs. Each of Nth output is then connected to a Nth second splitter/combiner which in turn connects each input to each output.
US07657909B1
An information receiving apparatus for receiving the EPG data related to broadcast program has a memory in which user preference information is stored in advance. The EPG data is regularly transmitted from predetermined broadcast station to update the EPG data stored in the information receiving apparatus. When the information receiving apparatus detects the reception of updated EPG data, the information receiving apparatus starts to search the updated EPG data in order to find out the EPG data coincided with the user preference information among updated EPG data. Thereby an user is able to know favorite broadcast programs with out re-entering user preference information when the EPG data is updated. If necessary, thus searched favorite broadcast program is recorded on a recording medium by automatically setting a recording timer of the information receiving apparatus.
US07657905B2
An EPG object of a program A to be broadcast from 19:00 to 20:49 is copied to generate a first clone EPG object and a second clone EPG object. 00 minute is set as the relative start time of the first clone EPG object, and 59 minutes is set as the relative end time. 00 minutes is set as the relative start time of the second clone EPG object, and 49 minutes is set as the relative end time. With reference to the relative times, the clone EPG object is allocated to each time zone with a range of one hour. The first clone EPG object of the program A is allocated to a time zone of 19:00 to 19:59, and the second clone EPG object is allocated to a time zone of 20:00 to 20:59. Retrieval is carried out for each time zone. Thus, a program of a predetermined broadcast time can be quickly retrieved.
US07657899B2
A technique is described that allows a software client to create at run-time a software object that appears to extend or alter the functionality of an existing software class definition. For example, a decorator factory generates a proxy object that dynamically implements a set of interfaces specified by the software client at runtime. From the perspective of the client, the proxy object is logically a child object of the original existing base object. The child object appears to be enhanced by the methods and attributes defined by the set of interfaces and the methods implemented by the delegate object. However, the proxy object does not have actual parent classes. Instead, an invocation transparently intercepts method invocations from the client to the proxy object and invokes the appropriate method, regardless of whether the method is implemented in the base object, the delegate object, or within the proxy object itself.
US07657897B2
The present application discloses a method for communicating between at least two different levels of software components. The method includes establishing a command set common to the at least two different levels of software components. Additionally, the method includes providing a command decoder operable by both of the at least two levels of software components, the command decoder configured to decode the command set. By providing a common command set between different levels of software components, such as a software driver and a BIOS, where the commands within the command table are interpreted and executed by an identical command decoder that interprets and executes the same command tables, this ensures that the same features or functions are implemented or executed in the same way across different levels of the software components. Accordingly, redundant implementation of the same functions by different software components is eliminated. Additionally, when modification of the BIOS, for example, is performed, this modification only needs to be done in one place (i.e., the command table) rather than in each software component.
US07657895B2
The invention relates to a real time-capable control system essentially consisting of a software-implemented SPS application that exchanges the output data and input data by means of a field bus connecting module. The SPS application runs on a computer under the control of a non-real time-capable operating system, whereby the full functionality of the non-real-time-capable operating system is maintained. The real time capability makes the field bus connecting module ready for use, and the data are exchanged between the field bus connecting module and the SPS application via the host interface located inside the computer.
US07657892B2
A system and method for application server with self-tuned threading model. A server queue is used as a priority scheme, including a number of entries therein associated with received requests, and which allows the entries to have expressed priorities or share values, instead of simply the number of threads. Flexibility is retained to express the threads in raw numbers whenever this might be desired, or to express constraints on the number of threads to be made available.
US07657890B2
A real-time processing system that executes a plurality of threads, each of the threads being a unit of execution of a real-time operation, comprises a plurality of processors, a unit which selects a tightly coupled thread group from among the threads based on coupling attribute information indicative of a coupling attribute between the threads, the tightly coupled thread group including a set of tightly coupled threads running in cooperation with each other, and a unit which performs a scheduling operation of dispatching the tightly coupled threads to several of the processors that are equal to the tightly coupled threads to simultaneously execute the tightly coupled threads by the several of the processors.
US07657887B2
A system for transactionally deploying content across multiple machines in a network environment automates and synchronizes secure and reliable distribution of digital assets to multiple network locations, allowing controlled provisioning and synchronization of code and content updates to live applications. A distributed architecture includes at least one receiver—a secure listener configured to process incoming distribution jobs—and at least one base server—a sender that may also act as a receiver. An administration interface allows administrative and reporting services and deployment management. Using the administrative interface, users are enabled to launch, simulate, schedule and monitor activities for any network location at any time. The system provides fan-out and multi-tiered deployment topologies expandable to hundreds of servers. Each deployment is fully transactional, permitting rollback of the system to it “last known good” state in the case of failure.
US07657882B2
A dataflow instruction set architecture and execution model, referred to as WaveScalar, which is designed for scalable, low-complexity/high-performance processors, while efficiently providing traditional memory semantics through a mechanism called wave-ordered memory. Wave-ordered memory enables “real-world” programs, written in any language, to be run on the WaveScalar architecture, as well as any out-of-order execution unit. Because it is software-controlled, wave-ordered memory can be disabled to obtain greater parallelism. Wavescalar also includes a software-controlled tag management system.
US07657881B2
A method to automatically replace computationally intensive functions with optimized functions in managed code is disclosed. If the underlying processor has associated optimized functions, managed application code is disassembled and parsed to find computationally intensive functions. The computationally intensive functions are then replaced with optimized functions, and the application code is re-compiled if necessary.
US07657878B2
A compiler includes: a syntax analyzer analyzing whether or not an operation described in a source program conforms to grammatical rules, and analyzing whether or not a combination of the operations defines an intrinsic function and details of processing operations of the intrinsic function; an intrinsic function definition database storing a definition of the intrinsic function and the details of the processing operations of the intrinsic function, as analyzed by the syntax analyzer; a code generator generating machine instructions from the source program based on a result of the processing of the syntax analyzer; and a code optimizer optimizing the machine instructions to machine instructions corresponding to the details of the processing operations of the intrinsic function, if a string of the machine instructions generated by the code generator are in agreement with the details of the processing operations of the intrinsic function stored in the intrinsic function definition database.
US07657871B2
A method of managing configuration profiles for a plurality of network elements after the network elements have been deployed in a network. The method including retrieving configuration profiles from the network elements after the network elements have been deployed in the network; storing the retrieved configuration profiles in a database; and distributing one or more of the stored configuration profiles to one or more network elements experiencing fault conditions to facilitate the correction thereof.
US07657864B2
A method of selecting a plurality of lithography process parameters for patterning a layout on a wafer includes simulating how the layout will print on the wafer for a plurality of resolution enhancement techniques (RETs), where each RET corresponds to a plurality of lithography process parameters. For each RET, the edges of structures within the simulated layout can be classified based on manufacturability. RETs that provide optimal manufacturability can be selected. In this manner, the simulation tool can be used to determine the optimal combination of scanner setup and reticle type for minimizing the variation in wafer critical dimension (CD).
US07657862B2
Embodiments of early enabling synchronous elastic designs, devices and methods are presented herein.
US07657853B2
According to the present invention, in a CAD apparatus, circuit data for a circuit diagram created through circuit design processing is stored in a circuit database. Based on the circuit data stored in the circuit database, the respective logic types of components are discriminated and set for the component in the circuit data. Moreover, by adding logically transparent nets to the circuit data stored in the circuit database, DRC data dedicated to a DRC is created and stored in a DRC database. A DRC execution unit performs the DRC, by utilizing the DRC data stored in the DRC database.
US07657846B2
The present invention is directed to a method and system for use in a computing environment for representing files stored in stacks. The method includes providing a set of stack icons, each icon in the set having a stack height representing a range of stack sizes. The method additionally includes determining a stack size for a selected stack and selecting and displaying an appropriate stack icon from the set of stack icons based on the determined stack size. The selected stack may be stored within one of multiple libraries. Accordingly a distinct set of icons relevant to each library may be stored for each library. The icons may visibly convey information pertaining to the relevant library. Accordingly, the method may include representing a selected stack by determining an appropriate library and an appropriate stack height and displaying a corresponding icon. The system may additionally include an empty stack icon, a generic stack icon, property based icons, and custom thumbnail icons.
US07657845B2
The present invention provides a unique system and method for facilitating browsing, sorting, clustering, and filtering any number of media objects grouped together in a quick and easy manner. In particular, the invention involves annotating the media objects, which have been clustered, sorted, and/or filtered en masse rather than individually, with metadata. The media objects may be selected by a user and annotated with a plurality of metadata as desired by a user in order to optimize utilization of the media objects. The media objects may also be combined and/or mixed in any number of ways to create new media objects. Media objects may include an audio component, a visual component, a portion thereof, and/or any combination thereof.
US07657842B2
The present invention relates to a system and method for displaying information on a display such that access to applications or dynamic information through independent user interfaces may be attained in a designated area on a display and may be easily and conveniently moved from the designated area on the display to any other location in the display. Further, the applications or independent user interfaces may be arranged automatically such that the independent user interfaces may be substantially evenly spaced.
US07657841B2
A display device for a construction machine has a display switching means, output control means, operation detecting means, and display prohibiting means. The display switching means switches information displayed on a monitor placed in an operation cabin, where the switching is made to prevent display of unnecessary information on the monitor while the construction machine is performing work. The output control means selects display information recorded in information recording means and outputs the selected information to the monitor. The operation detecting means detects whether or not the construction machine is in a working state. When the operation detecting means detects that the construction machine is in the working state, display switching operation of the monitor is performed by the display switching means, and the display prohibiting means prohibits the display of specific information.
US07657832B1
Computer-implemented methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implement techniques for validating and correcting structured electronic documents. The techniques include identifying a structural aspect of a structured electronic document that fails to conform to rules of a markup language format. One or more changes are suggested that would correct the identified structural aspect. User input is received selecting a change of the suggested changes. The selected change is applied to the structured electronic document. The rules are associated with the structured electronic document.
US07657831B2
An apparatus and method is provided for deconstructing or “reverse engineering” one or more documents into a workflow process by identifying various phases, steps, and questions that arise from the document. Using an editing tool, a user selects text portions of a document and specifies one or more workflow parameters associated with the text, such as a question that will be generated to elicit information corresponding to the selected text. The document is tagged and used to generate a data structure used to execute the workflow process at a later time. The data structure can be modified to change the workflow structure.
US07657826B2
A method of estimating life of a head that reads information recorded in a recording medium includes detecting magnitude of an impact due to a contact between the head and the recording medium; and estimating the life of the head based on the magnitude of the impact detected.
US07657811B2
Plural scan test paths (401) are provided to reduce power consumed during testing such as combinational logic (101). A state machine (408) operates according to plural shift states (500) to control each scan path in capturing data from response outputs of the combinational logic and then shifting one bit at a time to reduce the capacitive and constant state power consumed by shifting the scan paths.
US07657806B2
Scan distributor, collector, and controller circuitry connect to the functional inputs and outputs of core circuitry on integrated circuits to provide testing through those functional inputs and outputs. Multiplexer and demultiplexer circuits select between the scan circuitry and the functional inputs and outputs. The core circuitry can also be provided with built-in scan distributor, collector, and controller circuitry to avoid having to add it external of the core circuitry. With appropriately placed built-in scan distributor and collector circuits, connecting together the functional inputs and outputs of the core circuitry also connects together the scan distributor and collector circuitry in each core. This can provide a hierarchy of scan circuitry and reduce the need for separate test interconnects and multiplexers.
US07657804B2
A method and apparatus for conveying test response data from an integrated circuit to ATE via a plesiochronous interconnect. The integrated circuit includes a core logic unit and a first transmitter coupled thereto by a first data path. In a normal mode, data conveyed from the core logic unit to the transmitter may be transmitted plesiochronously over an interconnect coupled to the transmitter output. The integrated circuit further includes a second data path coupled between the core logic unit and the interconnect. During a test mode, test response data may be conveyed from the core logic unit to ATE via the second data path and the interconnect, wherein the test response data is synchronously transmitted over the interconnect.
US07657797B2
A method of interleaving blocks of indexed data of varying length is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: providing a set of basic Interleavers comprising a family of one or more permutations of the indexed data and having a variable length; selecting one of the basic Interleavers based upon a desired Interleaver length L; and adapting the selected basic Interleaver to produce an Interleaver having the desired Interleaver length L.
US07657795B2
A method and apparatus for writing to a target memory page of a memory has an initial memory page having allocated thereto a marking memory containing information whether a content of the initial memory page is written correctly to the target memory page. The apparatus includes a memory controller for determining whether the target memory page has an error, if the target memory page has an error, for erasing it, if the marking memory indicates that the target memory page is not written correctly, for writing the target memory page based on the initial memory page, if the target memory page is written correctly, for changing the marking memory such that the marking memory indicates that the target memory page is written correctly, and if the marking memory of the initial memory page indicates that the target memory page is written correctly, for erasing the initial memory page.
US07657787B2
An embodiment of a method of restoring a communication state of a process includes creating a new socket for a socket saved as part of a checkpoint of the communication state. The new socket is initialized with an adjusted transmission control protocol state saved as part of the checkpoint. The adjusted transmission control protocol state indicates that a send buffer and a receive buffer are empty. Send data saved as part of the checkpoint is written into the new socket. Receive data saved as part of the checkpoint is written into a restart buffer. While at least a portion of the receive data remains in the restart buffer, a socket read system call for the new socket is redirected to read the receive data that remains in the restart buffer.
US07657780B2
Systems and methods are described for service availability that provides automated recovery of server service in a timely and application intelligent manner, maintaining application consistency and integrity, while preserving server identity. The systems and methods, referred to herein as a Service Preservation System (SPS), manage complete recovery of server data and preserve continuity of server service, reestablishing user access to server(s) after an event or disaster in which in which primary or other server(s) fail. The failures, disasters, and losses referred to herein can be at many levels and include, but are not limited to, accidental deletion of an item, loss of an entire mailbox, loss of an entire disk drive, loss of an entire server, and/or loss of an entire server site.
US07657775B1
Methods, circuits, and apparatus for changing a frequency of a clock signal provided to a graphics memory while reducing any resulting visual glitch or disturbance on a monitor. A specific embodiment provides multiple clock sources that may be multiplexed or selected to provide a memory clock signal to the graphics memory. The multiplexer switches from providing a first clock source signal as the memory clock signal to providing a second clock source signal as the memory clock signal. The first clock source changes its frequency of operation. After the first clock source settles or stabilizes, the multiplexer switches back to providing the first clock source signal as the memory clock signal.
US07657774B1
An integrated circuit is provided that includes an execution engine and a memory controller. The execution engine is clocked at a first rate and the memory controller is clocked at a second rate that is less than the first rate. Pins on the integrated circuit can transfer data to and from the integrated circuit on both the rising and falling edges of a second clock transitioning at the second clock rate. The integrated circuit is preferably packaged using a lead frame and wire bonds extending from pads on the integrated circuit to corresponding leads. The leads are secured to trace conductors on a surface of a printed circuit board. The board contains no more than two conductive layers separated by a dielectric layer. Thus, an overall electronic system is formed having a board with no more than two conductive layers, an execution engine that receives a first clock signal, a memory controller which receives a second clock signal, and a memory device that sends data to and from the memory controller at twice the rate of the second clock signal. Using a throttled second clock signal allows for less expensive packaging and mounting of packaged integrated circuits on a less expensive PCB, while still maintaining use of a DDR DRAM transfer mechanism.
US07657769B2
The invention relates to the use of history information as an aid to synchronization in a peer-to-peer system. In particular, node trees are used to represent portions of files systems designated for synchronization. The nodes in the node tree embody history information regarding associated objects. The history information includes version vectors that are used to simplify synchronization-related comparisons and create job lists that may be used to bring participating peers into synchronization.
US07657766B2
In some embodiments, an apparatus for an energy efficient clustered micro-architecture are disclosed. In one embodiment, the micro-architecture computes an energy delay2 product for each active instruction scheduler and one or more associated function blocks of a current architecture configuration over a predetermined period. Once the energy delay2 product is computed, the computed product is compared against an energy delay2 product calculated for a prior architecture configuration to determine an effectiveness (energy efficiency) of the current architecture configuration. Based on the effectiveness of the current architecture configuration, a number of active instruction schedulers and one or more associated functional blocks within the current architecture configuration is adjusted. In one embodiment, the number of active instruction schedulers and one or more associated functional blocks may be increased or decreased to improve power efficiency of the cluster micro-architecture. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US07657762B2
The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for controlling power consumption of a plug-in card or circuit module. The disclosed method, in particular, controls power to a circuit module and includes implementing a user interface and power manager to automatically control the power state of the circuit module by, among other things, powering the module up or down using a simulated hot unplug of the device. The apparatus further includes use of an I/O interconnect to allow the system BIOS to simulate the hot unplugging of the module.
US07657751B2
Indicating data currentness includes, on any date of a sequence of dates, issuing a proof indicating the currentness status of the data during a particular time interval. The proof may be a digital signature. The time interval may be in the form of a current date and an amount of time. The proof may include a digital signature of the time interval. The proof may include a digital signature of the time interval and the data. The proof may include a digital signature of the time interval and a compact form of the data, such as a hash. Indicating data currentness may also include distributing the proofs to a plurality of unsecure units that respond to requests by users for the proofs. Indicating data currentness may also include gathering a plurality of separate pieces of data and providing a single proof for the separate pieces of data. The data may be electronic documents.
US07657743B2
To enable use of content data recorded in an arbitrary player using a mobile terminal, such as a cellular phone, in response to an inquiry made by a mobile terminal to a player, the player transmits a response to the mobile terminal. When a user performs a predetermined operation on the mobile terminal, the mobile terminal creates a one-time password and transmits the one-time password and operation information concerning the user-performed operation to the player. The player transmits a terminal ID and the like to a service center. Upon reception of the information, the service center creates a one-time password and transmits the one-time password and an operation permission command to the player. The player compares the transmitted password with the password created by the mobile terminal. When the passwords are verified, the user operation instruction is made valid.
US07657741B2
A method and system are provided for secure messaging on mobile computing devices. The method and system provide for an indication of a security trust level associated with a security method used with an electronic message.
US07657739B2
A device that ensures that one device acquires and updates a list used for judging whether the other device in communication is valid or invalid, in a device authentication system. When a list H stored in a personal computer 200 is old, the personal computer 200 acquires a latest version of the list H and a latest version of a list D from outside an internal network, updates the list H stored therein to the latest version, and updates the list D stored therein to the latest version.
US07657737B2
A computer-based method of mapping an encrypted network request packet to its decrypted copy in a secure computer network web server. Method creates a plug-in module on a secure web server and saves at least one network address and port number from a captured encrypted network request packet. Plug-in module obtains a decrypted copy of the network request packet from the secure web server decryption module and returns it with the network address and port number.
US07657736B2
System and method for compressing secure e-mail for exchange with a mobile data communication device
A system and method are provided for pre-processing encrypted and/or signed messages at a host system before the message is transmitted to a wireless mobile communication device. The message is received at the host system from a message sender. There is a determination as to whether any of the message receivers has a corresponding wireless mobile communication device. For each message receiver that has a corresponding wireless mobile communication device: the message is processed so as to modify the message with respect to encryption and/or authentication aspect. The processed message is transmitted to a wireless mobile communication device that corresponds to the first message receiver. The system and method may include post-processing messages sent from a wireless mobile communications device to a remote system. Authentication and/or encryption message processing is performed upon the message. The processed message may then be sent through the remote system to one or more receivers.
US07657732B2
Provided are a method and an apparatus for rebooting a computer system taking both security and user convenience into account. The computer system includes an authentication mode information storage unit storing authentication mode information related to an authentication mode when booting the computer system, a first driver sensing rebooting of the computer system and setting an authentication mode of the authentication mode information, and a second driver, which reads the authentication mode information and if the authentication mode is a first mode, performs rebooting without user authentication and if the authentication mode is a second mode, performs rebooting after user authentication.
US07657711B2
A memory bandwidth control device for improving efficiency of data transfer between an external device and a memory. A memory is used for temporarily storing and outputting data to be communicated with external devices being connected via input/output ports, and an I/O buffer dynamically assigns memory bandwidth to external devices requesting data transfer when receiving the data transfer requests from the external devices to the memory. When compared to assigning fixed memory bandwidth, efficiency of data transfer to the memory can be significantly improved without wasting memory bandwidth.
US07657708B2
Methods for reducing data cache access power in a processor. In an embodiment, a micro tag array is used to store base address or base register data bits, offset data bits, a carry bit, and way selection data bits associated with cache accesses. When a LOAD or a STORE instruction is fetched, at least a portion of the base address and at least a portion of the offset of the instruction are compared to data stored in the micro tag array. If a micro tag array hit occurs, the micro tag array generates a cache dataram enable signal. This signal activates only the cache dataram that stores the needed data.
US07657684B2
A single USB interrupt endpoint is usable by two different active logical devices in a USB device. If a first logical device is to interrupt a USB host, then the first logical device writes a notification into the endpoint. The notification carries a number that identifies a first device object. If, however, a second logical device is to interrupt the host, then the second logical device writes a notification into the endpoint, but the notification carries a number that identifies a second device object. The USB host reads the notification. In one example, if the number and a Device ID indicate that the notification is for the first object, then the first object processes the notification. If the number and Device ID indicate that the notification is for the second object, then the first object notifies the second object so that the second object processes the notification.
US07657683B2
An interrupt controller for a dual thread processor has for a first thread, an interrupt request register accessible to the second thread, an interrupt count accessible to the second thread, and an interrupt acknowledge accessible to the first thread. Additionally, the interrupt controller has, for a second thread, an interrupt request register accessible to the first thread, an interrupt count accessible to the first thread, and an interrupt acknowledge accessible to the second thread. Each interrupt controller separately has a counter for each request which increments upon assertion of a request and decrements upon assertion of an acknowledgement.
US07657679B2
Packet processing system and method embodiments implemented in a peripheral component interconnect-express (PCIE) compliant system are disclosed. One method embodiment, among others, comprises receiving a packet having at least a first type of data and a second type of data over a PCIE connection, and segregating the entire packet into two contiguous groups, a first group comprising the first type of data and a second group comprising the second type of data.
US07657676B2
Some interface signals are selected from among signals of a plurality of different parallel interfaces, then being multiplexed onto a serial connection. A transmitter of a signal transmission system includes an interface-signal selector IFS, and a transfer programmer TP for issuing a control signal to instruct the selection from among the parallel interfaces. The transfer programmer TP implements the multiplexing of the selected interface signals in such a manner that the specification of the parallel interfaces is satisfied. Also, the transfer programmer TP changes, as occasion requires, the control signal to instruct which interfaces to select. This change allows the interface signals to be multiplexed onto the serial connection while dynamically changing the interface signals to be multiplexed.
US07657666B2
A system and method for determining media to be exported out of a media library is described. In some examples, the system determines a media component to be exported, determines the media component is in the media library for a specific process, and exports the media component after the process is completed.
US07657655B2
A system and method to determine the geographic location of a network user based on a plurality of network addresses and a plurality of mapping request information. The method involves receiving a plurality of mapping requests from a plurality of network users identified by a plurality of network addresses. A geographic location of a network user associated with a network address is then derived based on the plurality of network addresses and the plurality of mapping requests. In one embodiment, the network address is an Internet Protocol (IP) address. The method may be implemented, in one embodiment, as part of a system that executes as software on a computer.
US07657645B2
Systems and methods are provided for receiving and transmitting an MPEG2 transport stream (TS) in a real-time protocol (RTP)/user datagram protocol (UDP)/Internet protocol (IP) packet. The receiving method comprises: receiving an IP packet via an IP network, having a variable transmission delay; accessing a timestamp carried in a RTP packet; linking the timestamp with a program clock reference (PCR) MPEG2TS carried in the RTP packet payload; and, using the timestamp to eliminate variable transmission delay jitter, associated with the PCR MPEG2TS. In one aspect of the method, the timestamp has a resolution of greater than 500 nanoseconds (ns), so that the variable transmission delay jitter, associated with the PCR MPEG2TS can be reduced to a jitter of less than 500 ns.
US07657644B1
A method for a cache for providing streaming media data to a client system includes receiving a request from a client system for a media meta file, the media meta file comprising a unicast URL for a stream of media data, retrieving the media meta file, initiating a connection with a media server associated with the unicast URL, selecting a multicast channel for broadcast of the stream of media data, modifying the media meta file to include data associated with the multicast channel to form a modified media meta file, sending the modified media meta file to the client system, receiving the stream of media data from the media server, and providing the stream of media data on the multicast channel. The client system receives the stream of media data on the multicast channel.
US07657643B2
An embodiment of the present invention is a system and method for selecting a mirrored service in a network, such as the Internet, by utilizing a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) attribute. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the BGP attribute, which may be stored in a border router, is accessed for each mirrored service for a prefix associated with the user requesting a host name. The attributes from each mirrored service are compared with each other to determine a “best” attribute which meets a predetermined criteria. The mirrored service associated with the best attribute is then selected as a resolution for the host name.
US07657639B2
A method is presented for performing an identity provider migration operation with respect to a user within a federated computational environment, wherein the user has a first user account at a first identity provider, a second user account at a second identity provider, and a third user account at a service provider. A request to access a resource is received by the service provider, after which a federated single-sign-on operation for the user is performed between the service provider and the first identity provider. Prior to sending a response to the request to access the protected resource, information in the third user account is modified to indicate that the service provider relies upon the second identity provider to authenticate the user on behalf of the service provider rather than the first identity provider. A response for the request to access the resource is then returned by the service provider.
US07657634B2
A signaling regimen between a mobile station MS, a radio node RN, and a packet data switching node PDSN enables a quality parameter to be applied to packets moving between a mobile and a CDMA2000 network. The MS creates a new flow for packets of a certain data type and sends a related quality parameter for that flow to the BS. The BS determines whether an existing or new service instance will carry the new flow, and obtains authorization for the service instance to meet the quality parameter from the PDSN. The BS or PDSN builds a map between flow and a policy that ensures the quality is met, and the map is used to place different packets into the appropriate flow and service instance. Policies and enforcement may differ on uplink and downlink.
US07657616B1
Automatic discovery of users associated with screen names for rogue protocols. A local server associates screen names with users, updating those associations in response to the protocol. The local server intercepts protocol messages, determines if they relate to unknown users, and obtains information associating screen names with users. Policy rules are applied to all screen names for the same user in an aggregated manner. The local server sends a request to an authorization server coupled to the local network, including the IP address for that screen name. The authorization server interrogates a registry file on the user workstation to obtain a GUID for that user, and from that GUID obtains a unique logon name for that user from the domain controller for a local network.
US07657610B2
An authentication output system including: a network device that performs an output based on output data; and a device utilization apparatus that utilizes the network device, the network device and the device utilization apparatus being communicably connected to each other, and the network device performing the output through authentication.
US07657605B2
In some embodiments, a managed presence online processing system may include one or more of the following features: (a) a memory comprising, (i) presence information submitted from a user, and (ii) a presence online processing program that initiates online processes on the user's computer based upon the presence information of the user, and (b) a processor coupled to the memory that executes the presence online processing program.
US07657603B1
A system for processing e-mail messages receives, from an e-mail repository, a transactional e-mail message comprising message attribute data. The system places the transactional e-mail message in an e-mail thread in response to the message attribute data of the transaction e-mail message. The system determines whether one or more derived e-mail messages are included in the transactional e-mail message. If one or more derived e-mail messages are included, the system determines derived message attribute data of the one or more derived e-mail messages. The system then places the derived e-mail message in the e-mail thread in response to the derived message attribute data of the derived e-mail message.
US07657602B2
A system, computer program and method for reducing communication errors in a messaging system. One embodiment of the invention involves delaying the transmission of a message to a discussion participant for a period of time. If a time countdown expires before activation of a message edit control, the message is transmitted to the discussion participant. If the message edit control is activated, the time countdown is terminated and the message is presented for modification without transmission of the message to the discussion participant. Another embodiment of the invention includes displaying a first user interface for communicating messages with a first person and a second user interface for communicating messages with a second person. An alert is provided when messaging activity has switched from the first user interface to the second user interface.
US07657598B2
Systems and methods for integrating instant messaging (IM) services and email services are described. In one embodiment, the email services and IM services are integrated through an address book database. The address book database correlates email information of a contact with a reference identifier (ID). Additionally, one or more IM addresses of the contact are also correlated to the reference ID, thereby permitting further correlation of a contact's IM information with the contact's email information.
US07657595B2
A method, system, and computer program product, by which portions of the session information that page-content is dependent upon are “pushed” to the client from the origin server in a way such that auxiliary servers, e.g. other application servers and edge-servers, have access to the session information and fragment dependancy data to generate auxiliary-server cache-IDs for the custom pages. This enables distribution of the load away from the origin server, allowing better application distribution and scalability through more effective caching.
US07657588B2
A linear detection method for determining correlation values associated with an estimated Pulse Repetition Interval (PRI) executed by a linear detection module of a correlation mask disposed on a digital signal processor is provided comprising: determining a correlation spread associated with a vector of Times-of-Arrival (TOA) data; determining a delta spread associated with the correlation spread; determining a first/next estimated PRI associated with the vector of TOA data; determining a first/next estimated PRI vector based on the first/next estimated PRI; determining a delta vector based on the first/next estimated PRI vector; determining a correlation weights vector based on the delta vector; determining a first/next correlation value based on the correlation weights vector; and in response to there being no additional PRIs to estimate, searching the correlation values for a highest correlation.
US07657578B1
A system for volume replication in a distributed block virtualization environment includes a first and a second set of one or more physical block devices, a first and a second volume server, one or more volume clients, and a replication manager. The first volume server may be configured to aggregate storage in the first set of one or more physical block devices into one or more logical volumes, and to make the one or more logical volumes accessible to the one or more volume clients. The replication manager may be configured to operate in cooperation with the first and second volume servers and the one or more volume clients to maintain a replica of at least a subset of the one or more logical volumes at the second set of one or more physical block devices.
US07657577B2
Provided are a method, system, and program for maintaining active-only storage pools. A first storage pool includes at least a first aggregate including a plurality of active and inactive files. A second aggregate is generated in a second storage pool. A determination is made of active versions of files in the first aggregate that satisfy at least one criterion. The determined active versions of files are copied from the first aggregate to the second aggregate in the second storage pool, wherein the second aggregate does not include inactive versions of files in the first storage pool.
US07657576B1
A method and software for change data capture are disclosed, in which change data is extracted from a recovery log and stored in a database object. The change data indicates what modification has been performed to a source object on the OLTP system. In some embodiments of the present invention, a database statement may be generated and executed to extract and load the change data, and the recovery log itself may be shipped from an OLTP system to a staging system.
US07657564B2
A method for selecting a ferrite bead for a filter to avoid a peak value in a frequency response curve of the filter is provided. The method includes the steps of: building an equivalent model database including parameters of equivalent models of ferrite beads, the parameters including an inductance and a capacitance of a corresponding equivalent model of each ferrite bead; calculating parameters of a desired ferrite bead in the filter based on parameters of the filter, the parameters of the ferrite bead including an inductance, a capacitance, and a resonant frequency; adjusting parameters of the filter until the calculated resonant frequency equals or approaches a desired resonant frequency, and finding an inductance and a capacitance respectively equaling or approaching the calculated inductance and the calculated capacitance in the database; and selecting a ferrite bead with the appropriate inductance and capacitance as found in the database for the filter.
US07657563B2
A multimedia contents service system transforms original contents based on selected user preferences chosen by a user or automatic preferences generated from accumulated statistics on user's contents consumption. The system transmits the transformed contents to the user and provides services which perform rendering or storing according to user preferences. Therefore, the system provides contents transformed according to user's interests to thereby increase user's convenience (universal multimedia access) and satisfy a variety of user's demands.
US07657546B2
An ontology directory service tool, computer program product and method of automatically discovering ontology file categories. A web search unit searches a network (e.g., the Internet) for semantic data files, e.g., semantic web pages. A preprocessing unit generates an ontology file from the content of each identified semantic data file. A category discovery unit identifies a domain for each ontology file and provides training sets for training ontology file classification. A classification unit trained using the training sets, classifies ontology file instances into inherent ontology categories.
US07657544B2
An apparatus for presenting information of document files, the document files being stored on a document database where the document files are categorized and stored into any of predefined category bins, the apparatus includes: a selecting section that selects at least some of document files stored on the document database and categorized in object category bins as representative document files for each of the object category bins, the object category bins being at least part of the category bins; and a presenting section that presents information relating to the selected representative document files to a user.
US07657541B2
A system and a method for displaying and analyzing a business process based on the document flow of that business process. The graphical user interface may graphically display a set of documents relevant to a business process and the linkages between the set of documents as a document chain on a computer display to facilitate analysis of a business process. The linkages may represent change processes or binary relationships. A subset of documents may be filtered from the group of documents. The filtering may be performed based on a type of linkage. The subset of documents may be all successors of a starting document, all predecessors of the starting document, all successors of a root document of the starting document, or all successors and predecessors of the starting document. The graphical user interface may further graphically display items within documents and the linkages between the items. The graphical user interface may further display details about the selected document.
US07657540B1
Exemplary systems and methods for linking entity references to entities and identifying associations between entities are presented. In particular, a method for delinking one or more entity references linked to a same entity is provided, where the one or more entity references have at least one common data field. The method comprises the steps of evaluating at least one actual measurement of the entity based at least in part on one or more field values of the one or more entity references, determining a difference between the at least one actual measurement and at least one predefined measurement associated with the entity and delinking the one or more entity references based at least in part on a comparison of the difference and a defined threshold.
US07657535B2
A technique for the deployment of data mining algorithms on a web service, such as IBM's WebSphere Application Server, is disclosed. Rather than having to deploy the data mining models with the data, the data can be transported to the web server as part of a message. Models can be cached on the web server and easily changed by operations executed by the client. This allows for efficient administration of the operational environment. Because a web services environment is inherently scalable, servers can be transparently enabled based on demand. Further, with web services communication is via data objects in memory which allows for ease of implementation and operational efficiency.
US07657534B2
An order commitment method and system are described. The method includes the steps of identifying services and data capable of supporting an order commitment, and mapping the services to enable synchronized on-demand queries. The mapping step includes determining relationships among the services and the data and maintaining the relationships, wherein links are established to create fulfillment information. The method also includes using the fulfillment information to generate the order commitment.
US07657532B2
There is provided a password management device, password management method, and password management program to carry out secure logon. The management device includes: a first password storage region; a second password storage region; a password state information storage region that stores each of states of passwords as password state information; a wireless communication section that performs reading from the first password storage region and the second password storage region and performs reading from and writing into the password state information storage region, in accordance with an instruction from a PC via wireless communication with a reader/writer; and a contactless IC card control section that generates a new password if a change of a password registered in the PC to a new password is determined to be necessary, and writes the new password into a storage region different from another storage region of the registered password.
US07657529B2
A method of providing shared objects and node-specific objects in a cluster file system is described and provided. The method includes providing to a particular shared object an attribute, whereas the particular shared object can be a container-type shared object. The attribute indicates any object created in the particular shared object (including its sub-divisions or sub-containers) from this point in time will be designated as node-specific. Furthermore, when a node causes a file system operation that is node-specific to be performed by accessing the particular shared object, the file system operation is performed in an alternate directory corresponding to the node. The alternate directory supports a node-specific object. The shared objects and the node-specific objects can be directories. Additionally, the shared objects and the node-specific objects can be files.
US07657526B2
A method of selecting and presenting content based on detecting an increased level of activity associated with the content is presented. The method includes providing a set of content items with associated descriptive terms. The method includes receiving user search input for identifying desired content items and, in response to the incremental input entered by the user, presenting a subset of content items to the user. The method further includes receiving actions from the user selecting content items from the subset and analyzing the descriptive terms associated with the selected content items to detect an increased level of activity for descriptive terms associated with the content items selected by the users. The method includes, in response to receiving subsequent user search input, selecting and ordering a collection of content items based on promoting the ranking of content items associated with descriptive terms that have an increased level of recent activity.
US07657522B1
A system and method for information navigation and filtration is provided. One or more query terms are received from a user. A preliminary relevance of one or more objects associated with an enterprise system is determined based on the query terms. The preliminary relevance may be propagated between objects. At least one rating is assigned to the one or more objects based on the preliminary relevance. An overall relevance of the one or more objects is established based on the at least one rating. The one or more objects are ranked according to the overall relevance. Data is provided as search results comprised of the one or more objects according to the ranking to the user. The search results may then be filtered based on at least one selected, dynamically generated filter. The filtered search results may be dynamically generated and provided to the user.
US07657510B2
A system for performing data searches on a network includes a computer system forming a node on the network and having a database of electronic documents. Each electronic document is associated with at least one resource description. The computer system is programmed to generate print data representing a search form such that the search form carries information relating to at least one parameter of a search to be carried out and coded data associated with that information and representing a search instruction input field. A printer is connected to the network for receiving the print data from the computer system to print the search form. A sensing device is capable of sensing the coded data and is operatively connected to the printer to write search instructions to the computer system, via the printer and the network. The computer system is programmed to carry out a search on the network, in response to the instructions, based on the, or each parameter and to instruct the printer to print results of the search.
US07657502B2
To provide a multimodal control device and method, wherein existing browsers can be used to achieve synchronization with fine granularity, while making full use of GUI browsability. A multimodal control device comprises input focus managing means for managing input focus items in document data, content generation means for generating content, in accordance with a modality type, from document data within a data input item range including input focus items, and content transmission means for transmitting generated content to the corresponding browser.
US07657498B2
A business-aligned knowledge management system and method for creating the same are disclosed. In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, a knowledge management system includes a knowledge management (KM) framework providing aspects of a knowledge-focused approach to business management; a KM implementation guide having steps for establishing a business-aligned knowledge management system within the KM framework; and a KM execution toolkit having tools for used with the KM implementation guide.
US07657497B2
Online fraud prevention including receiving a rules set to detect fraud, mapping the rules set to a data set, mapping success data to members of the rules set, filtering the members of the rules set, and ordering members of the data set by giving priority to those members of the data set with a greater probability for being fraudulent based upon the success data of each member of the rule set in detecting fraud. Further, a receiver coupled to an application server to receive a rules set to detect fraud, and a server coupled to the application server, to map the rules set to a data set, and to map the success data to each members of the rules set. The server is used to order the various members of the data set by giving priority to those members of the data set with a greatest probability for being fraudulent.
US07657496B2
Associative memories include associative memory cells. A respective cell includes a sensor input, a prior association representation, a next association representation and an associative output. The cells are serially interconnected to form a linear array, such that the sensor inputs, the prior association representations and the next association representations of the serially connected cells are arranged in a sequence from distal to proximal cells based on affinities of associations among the series of sensor inputs. A respective cell also includes processing logic. The processing logic is responsive to the associated sensor input being active, to send a measure of the next association representation to an adjacent proximal cell and/or to send a measure of prior association representation to an adjacent distal cell. The processing logic may be further responsive to the associated sensor input being active, and to receipt of the measure of the next association representation from an adjacent distal cell, to accumulate an associative count in the associative output.
US07657490B1
An electronic settlement system for settling a transaction through a communication network comprises a settlement apparatus which performs the settlement of the transaction; a billing terminal connecting to the settlement apparatus via the communication network; and a paying terminal, connecting to the settlement apparatus via the communication network, wherein the settlement apparatus performs the settlement of a transaction by synchronizing a communication to the billing terminal with a communication to the paying terminal when the settlement apparatus sets up a transaction identifying number which identifies the transaction and when the paying terminal transmits the same transaction identifying number to the settlement apparatus.
US07657489B2
When purchasing an item or service, a user enters a PIN enter their mobile communication device and send the PIN, e.g., via text message to a payment authority. The payment authority authenticates the user using at least the PIN and the mobile communication device identifier associated with the user's mobile communication device. If the user is authenticated, then the payment authority will send a transaction code back to the user, which will be displayed on the user's mobile communication device. The user can then provide the transaction code to the merchant. The merchant can enter the transaction code into the Merchant's point of sale system and complete the transaction.
US07657485B2
A system, method, apparatus, and computer program code for identifying billing discrepancies includes receiving billing data from a billing entity, the billing data including an assessed fee and call details associated with each of a plurality of calls made by a customer, identifying, based at least in part on the call details received from the billing data, rate information associated with the customer, generating an expected fee for each of the plurality of calls, and comparing, for each of the plurality of calls, the expected fee with the assessed fee to identify discrepancies.
US07657478B2
A method for estimating future cash flows of an investment instrument (or portfolio of investment instruments) is performed by simulating past performance (i.e., cash flows) similar instruments based on actual data of past performance, using the simulated past performance to generate a distribution of possible future performance outcomes of the investment instrument, and using the distribution of possible future performance outcomes to make estimates of the expected cash flow from the investment instrument. In one embodiment, cash flow time series of private equity funds (J-curves) are simulated for fully-liquidated vintage years by scaling an aggregate net cash flow time series from a plurality of fully liquidated funds for that vintage year. The time series is scaled by scalar coefficients calculated based on statistics of the four parameters, internal rate of return, money multiple, depth of curve, and speed to depth, of the aggregated vintage fund J-curves.
US07657472B2
A method for processing papers of value in which different groups of papers of value are processed one after the other, such that for each group of papers of value an accounting unit is opened, an identification is inputted or read for each accounting unit and the identification is associated with an accounting unit, for the purpose of opening the accounting unit, only when a prior accounting unit is closed, and a check is made of whether an input for the groups of papers of value is empty.
US07657469B1
A new system for providing agricultural financial services is provided. The system includes crop insurance services, where a proper level of crop insurance is determined necessary to assure income approximately equal to the producer's break even point. In a management accounting or record keeping portion of the invention, estimated expenses and income are replaced with actual amounts on a periodic basis, providing a more accurate measure of expected profits and losses. In a marketing aspect of the present invention, decisions regarding whether to sell agricultural products is based upon the expected profitability of the transaction and the producer's profitability goal.
US07657467B2
A method for arranging items on a pallet is provided. The method comprises the steps of: identifying one or more items for inclusion on the pallet; retrieving the one or more items from a storage location; and arranging the one or more items on the pallet according to a build strategy, where the build strategy includes aisle position information within a store.
US07657462B2
The present invention is a method for providing, in response to a single search multiple product/service item query, search results for multiple products/services that are grouped and ranked by supplier based on which supplier(s) have inventory with respect to the greatest number of the queried products/services. The user can identify which vendor can best fill the entire order, simplifying the buying process. A single query can be entered by a user covering their entire required bill of materials list. The method is preferably implemented via a website server using known methods of Internet communication. The search results can be customized further to categorize suppliers by geographic location, supplier type, pricing or other criteria.
US07657461B2
A method and system for selecting potential bidders or suppliers for a current electronic auction by using quantitative models to create a prioritized list of potential suppliers. A prioritization software analyzes a supplier's bidding participation history and bidding competitiveness history from the bidding data collected for all prior auctions in which the supplier participated or was requested by the auction coordinator to participate. Using the prior bid data, the software generates a participation score and a competitiveness score for the supplier. The participation and competitiveness scores may be combined to generate a combined score. All potential suppliers may be prioritized based on any of these scores individually or a combination of two or more of these scores. The prioritization list generated using quantitative values instead of subjective values minimizes the amount of unnecessary calls to potential suppliers and maximizes the likelihood that a called supplier will place a competitive bid in the current auction, thereby increasing the bidding yield per supplier selected.
US07657458B2
The embodiments of the present system include a review engine that is connected to support modules and databases that receive, store and retrieve reviews, based upon the subject and the users' relationship to the authors of the reviews. The review engine comprises a social network engine, a rate and rank engine, a credentials engine and a privacy engine. These engines allow reviews to be sorted, filtered and ordered in terms of relevance when presented to the user. Numerous methods are also provided by the system that receive, store and retrieve reviews.
US07657455B2
The present invention includes a method and system configured to analyze a plurality of parts, each of the parts having at least one part characteristic. The method includes the steps of establishing at least one repository of the part characteristics, establishing a relationship between at least a portion of the parts and a cost characteristic; and, analyzing the portion of the parts in response to the relationship.
US07657451B2
A method of presenting an analysis of enterprise wide business data. In response to a user request to a web site operable to access enterprise wide business data and to provide statistical analysis, a six sigma enabled BIS transfers an electronic document to the user. The electronic document allows the user to select dimensions to specify which data to analyze for a given performance measure. Then, in response to a request from the user for a statistical analysis, the six sigma enabled BIS performs a statistical analysis of the performance measure and transfers an electronic copy of the statistical analysis to the user. In one embodiment the document comprises a histogram. The histogram has an overlay indicator of the statistical mean, as well as a target limit. In this fashion, the user may view the variance in the data, and see how much data are outside the target range.
US07657445B1
The present invention provides a method and system for managing resources of an enterprise, in particular a healthcare enterprise. One aspect of the present invention provides a method and system for remote access and exchange of information for managing enterprise resources using a distributed computing environment such as the Internet or World Wide Web. The system provides real-time management of healthcare facility resources including clinical hours provided per patient per day.
US07657436B2
A comprehensive electronic business support system comprises three layers: (1) the business layer, including various smart components which unify data and business processes across all customer interactions; (2) the integration layer, including various communications messaging interfaces and enterprise application integration adapters, which provide a flexible, automated, and process driven solution for integrating across business applications and operations support systems; and (3) the presentation layer, including various customer views, which are presented via particular business portals. A smart component server provides the core services and comprehensive business process logic required to successfully conduct business online. The communications messaging interfaces integrate with back-office systems for functions such as billing, provisioning, and interconnection.
US07657434B2
A frame definition for use by dialog system during an interaction with a user, the frame definition includes at least one data field and at least one goal comprising a Boolean function of one or more filled predicates, each of which takes a reference to a field of the frame as its argument. A goal is satisfied during a dialog if the Boolean function evaluates to true. A goal may be used to control the focus of the interaction.
US07657429B2
A coding apparatus includes a fourth layer codebook that shows N number of codes indicating uniquely respective N integers that increment one by one; and first to third layer codebooks that show M number of codes indicating uniquely respective M integers that are a subset of the N integers, and codes a digital signal using any one of the first to fourth layer codebooks. The coding apparatus does not need to do rescaling even when switching one of the first to fourth layer codebooks into another of them.
US07657426B1
A system, method and computer-readable medium are disclosed for using filters signal processing. The system includes a module that calculates a filter for each of a plurality of frequency bands, a module that groups the filters into a plurality of groups, a module that determines a representative filter for each group of the plurality of groups and a module that uses the representative filter of each group for frequency bands of the each group. The filters are temporal noise shaping filters (TNS) filters.
US07657418B2
A modem testing system is provided for testing interoperability of plural items of customer premises equipment (CPEs) (10) and plural central offices (COs) (60). The modem testing system includes a line simulator (50), a switch (40), and a controller (30). The line simulator is connected to the CPEs and COs for simulating various types of lines and noise statuses. The switch is connected to the line simulator, the CPEs, and the COs for switching connections between the CPEs and the COs. The controller is connected to the line simulator, the switch, the CPEs, and the COs for controlling the switch to set up communications between the CPEs and the COs according to a mapping list, and controlling the line simulator to simulate various types of lines and noises statuses. An exemplary modem testing method is also provided.
US07657415B2
Subterranean treatment formation using a model which takes into account the pore level physics by coupling the local pore scale phenomena to the macroscopic variables (Darcy velocity, pressure and reactant cup-mixing concentration) through the structure-property relationships (permeability-porosity, average pore size-porosity and interfacial area-porosity) and the dependence of the fluid-solid mass transfer coefficient and fluid phase dispersion coefficient on the evolving pore scale variables (average pore size, local Reynolds and Schmidt numbers).
US07657407B2
A method and system of planning hydrocarbon extraction from a hydrocarbon formation. The various methods and systems take a holistic approach to producer well placement and completion, injector well placement and completion, and borehole trajectories to reach the various producer wells and injector wells, the placement and completion selections based on parameters such as initial and expected time-varying stress in the formation, stress in overburden formations, and proximity to faults.
US07657402B2
A method of communicating with, and receiving data representative of equipment state and status from, presentation components in theatres is disclosed. The method includes the steps of receiving and storing data representative of equipment status in a central computer storage unit, transmitting data representative of equipment status from each of a plurality of remote computer storage units coupled to the central computer storage unit, receiving data representative of equipment status, providing a job scheduling report, and providing fault data. The data representative of equipment status is received at each remote computer storage unit from a plurality of presentation components associated with a plurality of theatres. The a job scheduling report includes data regarding complete instances of jobs scheduled to play at shows at a first set of the plurality of theatres, and data regarding incomplete instances of jobs scheduled to play at shows at a second set of the plurality of theatres. The fault data identifies a type of fault in connection with each incomplete instance of a job not played at a show in connection with each of the second set of the plurality of theatres. The fault data includes information regarding one of a plurality of types of faults associated with each of the second set of the plurality of theatres.
US07657396B1
A method and a processing device are provided for forecasting whether a record of data for an individual is associated with an outcome. Whether an n-gram associated with one of a group of predictors matches an n-gram included in the record of data is determined. When the n-gram included with the one of the group of predictors matches the n-gram in the record of data, a prediction is made as to whether the record of data is associated with the outcome based on a value assigned to the one of the group of predictors.
US07657394B1
System and method for enabling direct determination of rigid body motion using data collected from a plurality of independent accelerometers are disclosed. A mechanical object that can be theoretically emulated as a rigid body is instrumented with a plurality of accelerometers at different locations. Direct determination of rigid body motion at a location of interest includes following operations at each solution time step: transform local acceleration to global, integrate accelerations to obtain velocities, calculate direction cosine matrix using the angular velocity matrix, form a first set of redundant equations, obtain the angular velocity by solving the first set of equations using either least squares fitting or a selective Gaussian elimination scheme, form a second set of redundant equations and obtain the translational velocity by solving the second set of equations using either the averaged value or a pre-defined rule such as minimizing the contribution from the rotational term.
US07657390B2
Test substrates used to test semiconductor fabrication tools are reclaimed by reading from a database the process steps performed on each test substrate and selecting a reclamation process from a plurality of reclamation processes. The reclamation process can include crystal lattice defect or metallic contaminant reduction treatments for reclaiming each test substrate. Each test substrate is sorted and placed into a group of test substrates having a common defect or contaminant reduction treatment assigned to the test substrates of the group. Additional features are described and claimed.
US07657379B2
The invention relates to methods and systems (e.g., computer systems and computer program products) for determining the biological function of uncharacterized cellular constituents, particularly genes and gene products, by using “response profiles,” i.e., measurements of pluralities of cellular constituents in cells having a modified gene or gene product, as phenotypic markers for the gene or gene product. Methods are provided for clustering such response profiles so that similar or correlated response profiles are organized into the same cluster. The invention also provides databases or “compendiums” of response profiles to which the response profile of an uncharacterized gene or gene product can be compared. In one embodiment, steps of the methods comprise comparing the measured response profiles to response profiles stored in the databases or compendiums, and determining the biological function of the response profiles in the databases that are most similar to the measured response profiles.
US07657376B2
The present invention is directed to methods for an off-site supervisor or well owner to evaluate the rig load data provided by a well service rig at a well site by evaluating charts of sensor data obtained from sensors on or associated with the well service rig. A rig load data chart can be reviewed and activities completed by the rig identified based on the data curves on the rig load data chart. In addition the hook load carried by the service rig can be determined by evaluating the rig load data charts of sensor data. Furthermore, well bore and tubing conditions in the well can be analyzed based on the rig load data in the rig load data charts while tubing and rods are being pulled from the well or well bore.
US07657365B2
A fuel injection control system corrects the amount of fuel injected by fuel injection valves toward an increased side when an acceleration state resulting from operation of a throttle occurs. A control unit includes a detector, an acceleration state determinor, and an acceleration corrector. When an increase in the detected value is a predetermined value or more within a first predetermined time period, the acceleration state determiner determines that a state is an acceleration state and inputs a signal inducing fuel-amount-increase correction to the acceleration corrector. When the state where an amount of change in the detected value reaches a predetermined value or more in an increasing or decreasing direction within a first predetermined time period continuously occurs a predetermined number of times or more before a second predetermined time period expires, determination of the acceleration state is stopped until a third predetermined time period passes.
US07657360B2
Dither frequency analysis systems include a controller for directing a control signal and a dither frequency to an actuation driver. One or more sensors are used for receiving and relaying a signal downstream from an actuation element, which downstream signal includes the dither frequency. A frequency analysis device receives and analyzes the downstream dither frequency and directs the same to a controller that is configured to evaluate the analyzed downstream dither frequency, and evaluate whether the same indicates proper or improper actuation system operation. The downstream dither frequency is analyzed and evaluated at a frequency of less than about one second, and the frequency analysis device analyzes downstream dither frequencies in the range of from about 50 to 500 hertz. The system can include algorithms and test sequences to address and/or further evaluate improper actuation system operation.
US07657359B2
Work done by an engine can be accurately calculated regardless of the part in an observation section where the cylinder internal pressure signal is detected. The apparatus for calculating the work done by an engine establishes in advance correlation of phase between the cylinder internal pressure of the engine and a reference signal composed of a predetermined frequency component as a reference phase relation. A means for detecting the cylinder internal pressure of the engine for a predetermined observation section is provided. A reference signal corresponding to the detected cylinder internal pressure of the engine is calculated so that the reference phase relation is satisfied. A correlation coefficient of the detected cylinder internal pressure of the engine and the calculated reference signal is calculated for the observation section and the work done by the engine is calculated in accordance with the correlation coefficient.
US07657356B2
An acceleration detection unit for detecting acceleration is mounted on a driven body. When a previous block is a positioning command, the system waits till the detected value of acceleration detected by the acceleration detection unit becomes equal to or less than a set value αs after the distribution of the movement command of the positioning command is ended. If the detected value of acceleration becomes equal to or less than the set value αs, the distribution of the movement command of the next block is started. Because the cutting feed, etc., is started after the detected value of acceleration has become equal to or less than the set value αs and the vibrations stopped, machining can be conducted with high accuracy.
US07657348B2
A system for computing car switching solutions in a railway switch yard. The system is computer based and has an input for receiving data conveying information about one or more arrival trains arriving at the switch yard and data conveying information about departure trains to depart the switch yard. A processing entity processes the data and computes car switching solutions for the railcars.
US07657347B2
Monitoring method and system are provided for dynamically determining flow rate of a first fluid and a second fluid through a heat exchanger. The method includes: pre-characterizing the heat exchanger to generate pre-characterized correlation data correlating effectiveness of the heat exchanger to various flow rates of the first and second fluids through the heat exchanger; sensing inlet and outlet temperatures of the first and second fluids through the heat exchanger, when operational; automatically determining flow rates of the first and second fluids through the heat exchanger using the sensed inlet and outlet temperatures of the first and second fluids and the pre-characterized correlation data; and outputting the determined flow rates of the first and second fluids. The automatically determining employs the determined effectiveness of the heat exchanger in interpolating from the pre-characterized correlation data the flow rates of the first and second fluids.
US07657345B2
The motion of the movable sections of the robot is taken for a periodic motion so that the attitude of the robot can be stably controlled in a broad sense of the word by regulating the transfer of the movable sections. More specifically, one or more than one phase generators are used for the robot system and one of the plurality of controllers is selected depending on the generated phase. Then, the controller controls the drive of the movable sections according to continuous phase information. Additionally, the actual phase is estimated from the physical system and the frequency and the phase of the phase generator are regulated by using the estimated value, while the physical phase and the phase generator of the robot system are subjected to mutual entrainment so that consequently, it is possible to control the motion of the robot by effectively using the dynamics of the robot.
US07657329B1
A system for utilization with a logic controller comprises an interface component that receives a request to embed human-machine interface (HMI) logic into control logic. Thereafter, an embedder component executes the request and embeds the HMI logic into the control logic. In an example, the control logic can be ladder logic, and the logic controller can be a combined controller/HMI device.
US07657315B2
An implantable medical device includes a control circuit for controlling the operation of the device and for obtaining physiological data from a patient in which the medical device is implanted. The implanted device also includes a communication circuit for transmitting the physiological data to an external device. A first power source is coupled to the control circuit and provides power to the control circuit. A second power source is coupled to the communication circuit and provides power to the communication circuit.
US07657304B2
A radiotherapy clinical treatment machine is described having a rotatable gantry and an imaging device with articulating robotic arms to provide variable positioning and clearance for radiation treatment applications. According to one aspect of the invention, a first and a second robotic arms are pivotally coupled to the rotatable gantry, allowing the robotic arms to maneuver independently from the rotatable gantry.
US07657302B2
A system and method for accurately locating and tracking the position of a target, such as a tumor or the like, within a body. In one embodiment, the system is a target locating and monitoring system usable with a radiation delivery source that delivers selected doses of radiation to a target in a body. The system includes one or more excitable markers positionable in or near the target, an external excitation source that remotely excites the markers to produce an identifiable signal, and a plurality of sensors spaced apart in a known geometry relative to each other. A computer is coupled to the sensors and configured to use the marker measurements to identify a target isocenter within the target. The computer compares the position of the target isocenter with the location of the machine isocenter. The computer also controls movement of the patient and a patient support device so the target isocenter is coincident with the machine isocenter before and during radiation therapy.
US07657301B2
A system and method for accurately locating and tracking the position of a target, such as a tumor or the like, within a body. In one embodiment, the system is a target locating and monitoring system usable with a radiation delivery source that delivers selected doses of radiation to a target in a body. The system includes one or more excitable markers positionable in or near the target, an external excitation source that remotely excites the markers to produce an identifiable signal, and a plurality of sensors spaced apart in a known geometry relative to each other. A computer is coupled to the sensors and configured to use the marker measurements to identify a target isocenter within the target. The computer compares the position of the target isocenter with the location of the machine isocenter. The computer also controls movement of the patient and a patient support device so the target isocenter is coincident with the machine isocenter before and during radiation therapy.
US07657295B2
A unitary sensor is provided that includes a frame upon which electrical and optical components may be disposed and a coating, such as an overmolded coating provided about the frame. The unitary sensor includes a spring, such as a flat spring or torsion spring, provided on the frame that provides a closing force for the sensor. The sensor may be placed on a patient's finger, toe, ear, and so forth to obtain pulse oximetry or other physiological measurements.
US07657284B1
A wireless communications system that provides communication for a plurality of communication devices. The wireless communications system includes an interface including a local exchange carrier (LEC) connection port, a subscriber connection port and a wireless connection port. The wireless communications system includes a wireless terminal connected to the interface that provides wireless data and voice connectivity over a wireless network.
US07657276B2
In order to allow each of communication stations to execute impartial control of accesses to communication media by setting executable-communication ranges of their own independently of each other in a communication environment based on a CSMA method, the present invention provides a radio communication system in which each communication station is capable of checking the occupation state of communication media and setting such an executable-communication range of its own in accordance with the occupation state of the communication media that the number of communication stations coexisting in the executable-communication range is brought to a value within a predetermined range. For example, a specific communication station sets an executable-communication range of its own in order to limit the number of other communication stations capable of communicating with the specific communication station. In addition, a communication station sets an executable-transmission range suitable for an executable-reception range set by itself in order to reduce the degree of non-uniformity of the access control and to minimize the impact of interferences on other communication stations.
US07657274B2
A power controlling apparatus and method in a mobile communication system. A receiver in a mobile station multiplexes the frame reception result indicator bits for at least two traffic channels received from a transmitter in a base station, inserts the multiplexed frame reception result indicator bits in a pilot signal bit by bit, and transmits the reverse frame. Then, the transmitter extracts the pilot signal from the reverse frame, demultiplexes the frame reception result indicator bits, and performs a power control on the traffic channels based on the values of the frame reception result indicator bits.
US07657273B2
A method and apparatus for managing traffic in a network to and from a remote communications device with limited power supply resources. A controller determines the existing power level of the device and uses the determination to control data transmission to and from the device. Data may be transmitted and received by the device by determining the power required to complete a transmission or reception. The controller then determines whether to send the data, redirect the data, cancel the data transmission, or transmit only a portion of the data. The decision is made as to which option to choose based on the amount of power available to complete the data transmission.
US07657269B2
A location services controller (104) for locating multimode communication devices (MCDs) (102) has a communication element (302) for communicating with two or more communication networks (106) and MCDs coupled thereto, a memory (304), and a processor (306) for controlling operations thereof. The processor is programmed to request (402) location information of an MCD from at least two sources selected among a group that can include the MCD and one or more communication networks coupled to the MCD, and determine (426) from the sources of location information the location of the MCD.
US07657250B2
Notifying users of mobile communication devices, which may include providing options for response to notifications. A component of a communication service provider system receives an indication of a notification for a user of a mobile communication device. The notification may be received from a source internal or external to the communication service provider system. A component of the mobile communication service provider formats the notification so that it is compatible with the mobile communication device of the user and sends the notification to the mobile communication device of the user. The notification may include one or more options to respond to the notification using the mobile communication device. The notification may, for example, pertain to minutes-of-use in a mobile communication service plan, or to other information, including notifications from outside service providers such as airlines, banks, restaurants, hotels, libraries, credit card companies, etc.
US07657244B2
An antenna selection technique (transmitter/receiver antenna selection) that reduces the cost of the MIMO system while maintaining high performance. A combined selection algorithm for MIMO-OFDM is provided which offers the best tradeoff between spatial correlation and instantaneous SNR. In one case, antenna selection is based on instant channel information. In another case antenna is based on statistical channel state information. In another case, antenna selection is based on a hybrid of instant channel state information and statistical channel state information.
US07657242B2
A voltage-controlled capacitor and methods for forming the same are described. A mechanical conductor membrane of the voltage-controlled capacitor is movable to and from a first position and a second position. An amount of capacitance can vary with the movement of the mechanical conductor membrane. A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) voltage-controlled capacitor can be used in a variety of applications, such as, but not limited to, RF switches and RF attenuators.
US07657235B2
A communication network includes a plurality of devices and a control unit for generating control signals to control the operation of the devices. Each device includes: a device operating circuit, a communication interface for receiving command signals for controlling operation of the devices, a control circuit coupled between the device operating circuit and the communication interface for controlling the operation of the device operating circuit part in dependency of said command signals, and a master integral to the device for receiving the control signals, for generating the command signals in response to the received control signals, and for transferring the command signals to the communication interfaces of the plurality of devices. The communication network activates one of the masters as an active master, and in case the active master fails, then it activates another master to take over as the active master.
US07657227B2
A method and system for providing enhanced display capability for mobile phones and handheld devices, such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), when such devices are within range of external display devices equipped with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags and display data receivers. The mobile phone searches for RFID tag-equipped external display devices, and upon locating such a device sends a request to the external device for connection and configuration information. Once the connection and configuration information from the external display device is received by the mobile phone or handheld device, a process of automatic synchronization between the mobile phone and the external display device occurs. The output images of the mobile phone are then transmitted to the external display device, which includes the functionality or mechanisms to receive and regenerate the output images.
US07657225B2
The present invention provides a method of hierarchically modulating first and second digital data streams in a broadcast system such as an SDAR system that is compatible with legacy receivers. The second digital data stream, but not the first, is provided with a non-binary pseudo-random encoding. A carrier is first modulated, e.g. QPSK, by the first digital data stream; and a second modulation is performed with the encoded second digital data stream. The encoding includes a multiplication of a matrix formed of 2, 3 or 4 consecutive bits of the secondary data stream by a matrix, e.g. a Hadamard matrix to form a product matrix having non-binary values that are used to modify consecutive symbols of the first modulation. The second modulation appears as Gaussian noise to legacy receivers over time.
US07657212B2
A developer container includes a cylindrical container main body, a supporting member, a sheet-like developer guiding member, and an adhesion eliminating portion. The container main body has a concavity forming a storage space, has a discharge hole, and conveys the stored developer toward the discharge hole by rotating about its axial line. The supporting member covers a portion including the concavity and the discharge hole over circumferences thereof to support the container main body so as to be rotatable about the axial line, and has a leading through hole for leading the developer discharged from the discharge hole of the container main body to the outside. The developer guiding member guides the developer discharged from the discharge hole of the container main body to the leading through hole. The adhesion eliminating portion eliminates developer adhering to the developer guiding member through rotation of the container main body.
US07657211B2
An image forming device includes a device main body having a developer receiving port, and a developer discharge unit having a developer discharge port. When the developer discharge unit is attached to the device main body, the developer receiving port and the developer discharge port overlap each other. As the developer discharge unit is attached to the device main body, a shutter opens in a direction that is different from an attaching direction of the developer discharge unit. The developer discharge port of the developer discharge unit is opened accompanying an opening movement of the shutter, and an opening portion of the developer discharge port and an opening portion of the developer receiving port overlap each other at all times.
US07657207B2
An image forming apparatus includes a developing unit which develops toner to form an image, a transfer unit which transfers the image onto a printing medium, and a fusing unit to fuse the image transferred onto the printing medium, wherein the transfer unit includes a belt, a plurality of rollers which rotatably supports the belt, and a belt tension applying unit which moves a first roller of the plurality of rollers between a belt tension release position at which a tension of the belt releases and a belt tension applying position at which the tension of the belt applies by the interlocking motion between the belt tension applying unit and a second roller of the plurality of rollers.
US07657194B2
A digital color copier includes: a toner concentration storage which stores a detected toner concentration of each developer block of multiple developer blocks across an image forming width; a toner consumption predictor for predicting a first predicted toner consumption of toner consumed from developer of every developer block during a first circulation; a toner concentration estimator for estimating, for every developer block, a toner supply point estimate as the toner concentration at a point where toner is supplied, by subtracting the first predicted toner consumption from the associated detected toner concentration and setting up a toner supply target value of the toner to be supplied from a toner supply device to a developing device in accordance with the predicted toner consumption during a second circulation of the developer inside the developing device that follows the first circulation.
US07657191B2
A bandwidth adjustable transimpedance amplifier. The bandwidth adjustable transimpedance amplifier includes a feedback path with a selectable resistance. The bandwidth adjustable transimpedance amplifier is preferably implemented with a photodiode in a five pin package for an optical transceiver system, with a single pin providing a monitor out function and a rate select input.
US07657189B2
A system having a first optical modulator operates in a non-linear region thereof and fed by: an input radio frequency signal; and, a first optical frequency signal having a wavelength λ2. A second optical modulator operates in a linear region thereof and fed by: a fractional portion of the input radio frequency signal phase shifted relative to the input radio frequency signal by nπ radians where n is an odd integer; and a second different optical frequency signal wavelength λ1. A first photodiode is fed by an output of the first optical modulator. A second photodiode is fed by an output of the second optical modulator and a fractional portion of an output of the first optical modulator. An amplifier is fed by the second photodiode. A subtractor is fed by the amplifier and the first photodiode.
US07657186B2
A method that enables an optical transceiver to perform consistency checking, such as Cyclic Redundancy Checking (CRC), over internal information stored in the transceiver's memory while the transceiver is in operation. The optical transceiver includes a system memory and a consistency checker component. The consistency checker component determines that consistency checking is to be performed and identifies which portion of the system memory is to be checked. The consistency checker reads the portion of system memory and determines whether or not the portion of system memory is consistent with an expected consistency check value.
US07657183B2
A method and apparatus for steering energy over a wide field of view is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a beam steering system for directing a first beam from an optical source across an image plane and a WFOV optical system having the image plane, the WFOV optical system mapping the directed first beam incident on the image plane with a second beam extending angularly across the field of view. The method comprises the steps of directing a first beam from a optical source onto an image plane, optically mapping the directed first beam incident on the image plane with a second beam extending angularly across a field of view, and steering the first beam across the image plane.
US07657179B2
This invention provides a system that combines a wavelength multiplexer with an FM discriminator for chirp reduction and wavelength locker in a filter to produce a wavelength division multiplexed signal with reduced chirp. A partially frequency modulation laser signal is converted into a substantially amplitude modulation laser signal. This conversion increases the extinction ratio of the input signal and further reduces the chirp. A wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) method is used for transmitting high capacity information through fiber optics systems where digital information is carried on separate wavelengths through the same fiber. Separate transmitters normally generate their respective signals that are transmitted at different wavelengths. These signals are then combined using a wavelength multiplexer to transmit the high capacity information through the fiber optic system. Various technologies can be used to multiplex the signals such as, for example, thin film filters, or arrayed waveguide gratings. In a WDM system, a wavelength locker may also be used that fixes the center wavelength of a transmitter to a reference. Wavelength lockers may include etalons or fiber gratings, either of which provides a reference wavelength. A control circuit typically compares the wavelength of the transmitter to the reference. An error signal adjusts the transmitter format wavelength by varying temperature or by other means to keep it locked to the reference wavelength.
US07657174B2
A digital still camera includes a camera body. A lens unit is retained on the camera body in a removable manner. A protection cover is secured to the camera body, and movable between a closed position and an open position, wherein the protection cover, when in the closed position, closes an exposure opening formed in the camera body, and when in the open position, opens the exposure opening. Cover moving transmission levers set the protection cover in the open position when the lens unit is retained on the camera body, and set the protection cover in the closed position when the lens unit is removed from the camera body. Furthermore, bayonet claw portions engage the lens unit with the camera body. The transmission levers are actuated in response to movement of the bayonet claw portions. A compression coil spring biases the protection cover toward the closed position.
US07657173B2
An optical lens system of a mobile camera is provided. The lens optical system includes: an optical lens in which bilaterally symmetrical off-axis lens systems corresponding to the divided view angles are integrally formed and arranged in parallel on the same plane, the optical beams incident at the divided view angles being transmitted through the respective off-axis lens systems; and an image sensor for receiving the optical beams transmitted through the off-axis lens systems, the image sensor being bisected into a green light receiving region and a mixed light receiving region of red and blue colors. Accordingly, the mega resolution can be achieved using the optical lens having the height of VGA grade. Moreover, as the whole length of the optical lens system in the mega optical system is greatly reduced, the camera optical system can have the slim profile.
US07657171B2
A method and system are described for providing background blurring when capturing an image using an image capture device. According to one aspect, input is received for initiating an image capture process for capturing an image of a subject at an image capture device. A focus value corresponding to a focus distance that is less than a distance between the subject and the image capture device and that keeps the subject within a depth of field corresponding to the focus distance is automatically determined. The image is captured using the determined focus value.
US07657166B2
A method is provided for performing a camera function including a zoom function by which an image of a subject is photographed in zoom steps so that the image is magnified or reduced. The method comprises the steps of detecting a distance between the subject and a camera, if a shutter key for photographing an image of the subject in a mode for photographing the subject in full size of a screen of a display section is input, regulating the magnification of the zoom in a zoom step stored in advance, corresponding to the detected distance, and photographing the image of the subject in a regulated magnification of the zoom. The optimum zoom step is automatically regulated according to the distance between the subject and the camera, and the image of the subject can be photographed in the full size of the screen of the display section without regulating the zoom directly.
US07657165B2
An image taking apparatus has a small light-emitting section capable of easily adjusting a luminous intensity distribution of flash. Two reflection side plates are disposed such that they cover Fresnel lenses disposed on both ends of a protector when a zoom switch is operated to a WIDE side, light emitted sideway from an arc tube is reflected to the two reflection side plates and is guided toward a central side of the protector, and the luminous intensity distribution is adjusted such as to fit the WIDE image taking angle of view. If the zoom switch is operated to a TELE side, the two reflection side plates are inclined, light emitted sideway from the arc tube is guided to the Fresnel lenses, and the luminous intensity distribution is adjusted to fit a TELE image taking angle of view.
US07657158B2
A recording medium having recorded thereon, a plurality of picture information sets, presentation time values each of which is associated with the corresponding one of the picture information sets, picture information record marks each of which is associated with the corresponding one of said presentation time values, clip information specifying what position on the recording medium is associated with each of said presentation time values, and reproducing order specifying information specifying in what order the picture information sets are to be reproduced.
US07657157B2
A still image producing apparatus in which a user selects one piece of information, and production of still images and music associated with the mood in time of the production is provided. A still image producing apparatus 100 comprises: an image feature extraction unit 102 which analyzes image data, so as to extract feature; a music feature extraction unit 106 which extracts a music feature quantity from music data; and a mapping process unit 109 which uses each feature, so as to respectively map image data and music data on each sensitivity map using two axes. The user selects, from the sensitivity map, via a menu input unit 111, a quadrant for music or images desired in a slide show. Thus, the slide show associated with the mood is automatically produced in a slide show generation unit 110.
US07657154B2
The present invention provides an editing apparatus, a reproducing apparatus, and a recording medium for reproducing special effects by full use of the capabilities of the reproducing apparatus. The editing apparatus having original video data and edited data that are a collection of editing codes for performing an editing operation with a desired editing type on a desired portion in the original video data to generate edited video data includes a primary conversion table attaching means for attaching, to the editing video data, a primary conversion table for correlating at least the desired editing type with a standard editing type specified as standard in advance.
US07657150B2
An optical disk apparatus is configured to switch the audio signals to be output to the sound output terminal by means of the slide switch having contact points that activate in association with the state switched by a mechanical manipulation. When the state of the slide switch is switched to the state where the externally-input audio signal is output to the sound output terminal from the state where the audio signal is output to the sound output terminal, a video signal of a composite video on which the OSD image, indicating that the output is switched to the external signal from the internal signal, is kept output to the video output terminal until a time period has passed.
US07657144B2
Provided are an optoelectric printed circuit board (PCB) including an optoelectric transmission metal track and a dielectric layer, an optoelectric transmission method using the optoelectric PCB, and a method of manufacturing the optoelectric PCB. The optoelectric transmission method includes injecting light and electricity to the optoelectric PCB including at least one optoelectric transmission metal track and a dielectric layer contacting the optoelectric transmission metal track. The injected light and electricity are transmitted through the optoelectric PCB. The transmitted light and electricity are emitted from the optoelectric PCB.
US07657138B1
An approach is provided for a free-space optical switch. A command is received to change a connection state of a free-space optical transmission path. A mirror is controlled to change the connection state of the free-space optical transmission path with respect to a particular port of a plurality of ports that interface to respective optical fibers, wherein the ports correspond to holes disposed about a circumferential surface of a port ring.
US07657134B2
An impact-sensing, thermal insulation system includes a light source; an optical detector; and an optically-transmissive insulation optically coupled with the light source and the optical detector, the optically-transmissive insulation being operably associated with an outer surface of a pressure vessel. A missile includes a body; a propulsion system including a pressure vessel having an outer surface; and an impact-sensing, thermal insulation system operably associated with the outer surface of the pressure vessel. The impact-sensing, thermal insulation system includes a light source; an optical detector; and an optically-transmissive insulation optically coupled with the light source and the optical detector, the optically-transmissive insulation being operably associated with the outer surface of the pressure vessel.
US07657132B1
An optoelectronic-RF device has at least one optical modulator/sensor comprising at least two cascaded optical-waveguide gratings and at least one non-grating optical waveguide segment interconnecting the at least two cascaded optical-waveguide gratings, with at least one optical waveguide segment interconnecting the at least two cascaded optical-waveguide gratings via the at least one non-grating optical waveguide segment. An RF waveguide is provided for propagating an RF electric field, the at least one optical modulator/sensor being disposed in and forming a portion of the RF waveguide with light propagating through the cascaded optical-waveguide gratings in a direction that is perpendicular to a direction of propagation of the RF electric field in the RF waveguide.
US07657128B2
A force sensor particularly suited for use in an electronic stylus that senses the contact force on its nib for recording pen strokes and handwriting recognition. The sensor has a housing for a load bearing member for receiving an input force to be sensed and associated circuitry for converting the input force into an output signal indicative of the input force. The bearing member is movably mounted within the elongate body (up to 100 microns). The input force acting on the load bearing member is caused by contact on the nib. The load bearing member is biased against the direction of the input force.The force sensor also has a light source and photo-detector for sensing levels of illumination from the light source. Associated circuitry converts a range of illumination levels sensed by the photo-detector into a range of output signals, so that the illumination level sensed by the photo-detector varies with movement of the load bearing member within the elongate body such that the output signal from the circuitry is indicative of the input force. Using an optical sensor avoids the need to use a delicate piezo-resistive sensor that requires careful tolerancing during production.
US07657123B2
A digital imaging device such as a digital camera is used to obtain multiple digital images of all of a text document segment. The text document segment could be the entire text document so that each digital image would be of the entire text document. The multiple images are obtained while lateral jittering is imparted between the digital imaging device and the text document. The lateral jittering may be in a pair of transverse (e.g., perpendicular) directions. An enhanced resolution representation of the text document is formed from the multiple laterally displaced images and de-blurred as a multi-frame reconstruction.
US07657121B2
A method for simultaneously capturing images of multiple areas is applied to an image processing device. The method includes scanning a document and obtaining a preview image of the document; providing N scan windows for selecting N to-be-scanned areas from the preview image, wherein N is an integer; setting N scan resolutions respectively for the N scan windows; scanning the document; and outputting N scan images corresponding to the N scan windows according to N frequencies of a timing signal corresponding to the N scan resolutions.
US07657112B2
Generation of ringing components during extraction of striped blue components from an image is suppressed, in an image processing apparatus for removing striped blur components from the image. A preprocess is executed on an image data set, which is obtained by detecting light with line sensors that perform scanning in a sub scanning direction. The preprocess reduces drastic changes in pixel values in a first direction, which is perpendicular to the sub scanning direction. A filter process is executed on the preprocessed image data set to extract image data that represents striped blur components that extend in the sub scanning direction. The extracted image data is subtracted from the image data set to remove striped blur components.
US07657101B2
A device for acquiring first and subsequent images of a suspect area on a patient and methods for monitoring or detecting changes of the suspect area over time and providing notification when the changes exceed a threshold. The device may be an imaging device, such as a digital camera, possibly augmented with physical or optical devices for arranging the orientation and/or distance of the imaging device with respect to the suspect area. In addition, methods for identifying, relocating, acquiring a first and/or subsequent image of the suspect area, and performing a comparative analysis of respective images are also described. Results of the comparative analysis can be used to notify and/or assist a medical professional in treating or counseling the patient.
US07657092B2
Methods and systems for detecting the presence of concealed objects.
US07657081B2
Systems and methods for generating and optimizing 3D models of objects. A laser scanner is controlled by a data processing subsystem that controls the scanning and processes the data generated. From an initial model, either a raster scan of the object or an initial scan, the system scans the object multiple times, each time adjusting the laser scanner to maximize a correlation between the data generated and the model. The model is also updated using the scan data and taking into account the adjustments which were applied to the laser scanner. Other adjustments, such as those which would remove the effect of relative motion on the scan data, are also accounted for when incorporating scan data into the model. The model is recursively adjusted and optimized using previous scan data (both pre-recorded and fresh scan data) and previous adjustments. The model may be modified and adjusted using previous scan data and an Iterative Closest Point method. The method and systems may be used in uncontrolled environments where unpredictable motions and vibrations can occur. The invention may be used with scanners mounted on a robotic arm, scaffolding, unstable tripods, at the tips of booms or lifts, or the scanners may be simply held by hand.
US07657069B2
The present invention relates to a method for imaging using an image-generating, endoluminal instrument (1) by means of which a sequence of 2D image data of a hollow channel (2), in particular a vessel, of an object under investigation is recorded, wherein the images are recorded in a known temporal relation to a periodic movement of the object under investigation and spatial coordinates of the image are captured by means of a position sensor during each recording of an image (5) and stored as position data (9, 10) together with the 2D image data of the image (5). The method is characterized in that first position data (10) which does not lie in a predefinable movement phase of the object under investigation is corrected, before or after being stored, by interpolation between second position data (9) which does lie in the specified movement phase and/or by subtraction or addition of predetermined values. By means of the method a movement correction of the data can be performed without the need to reduce the volume of recorded image material.
US07657062B2
Automatic calibration of an eye tracking system involves capturing a plurality of eye measurements, wherein each eye measurement relates to a corresponding eye gaze position of a human eye; determining a set of statistics data from the plurality of eye gaze measurements; comparing the set of statistics of eye gaze measurements with a set of statistics relating to a plurality of pre-measured eye gaze positions of at least one person; and as a result of the comparison, determining a calibration correction factor which, when applied to the statistics of eye gaze measurements, gives an optimum match between the statistics of eye gaze measurements and the statistics of predetermined eye gaze positions.
US07657061B2
A communication apparatus includes a display device, a camera, a database, and a server. Display information is displayed on the display device. A viewer image of a first viewer, who is watching and listening to the display information, is taken with the camera. The display information is associated with the viewer image that has been taken with the camera. The display information and the viewer image are stored in the database that is connected over a network. The server reproduces the viewer image in association with the display information. A second viewer who has watched and listened to the viewer image of the first viewer is able to know the reaction of the first viewer, and thus new communication resulted from the reaction of the first viewer can be expected.
US07657058B2
Steganographic calibration signals (sometimes termed “orientation signals,” “marker signals,” reference signals,” “grid signals,” etc.) are sometimes included with digital watermarking signals so that subsequent distortion of the object thereby marked (e.g., a digital image file, audio clip, document, etc.) can later be discerned and compensated-for. Digital watermark detection systems sometimes fail if the object encompasses several separately-watermarked components (e.g., a scanned magazine page with several different images, or photocopy data resulting from scanning while several documents are on the photocopier platen). Each component may include its own calibration signal, confusing the detection system. In accordance with certain embodiments, this problem is addressed by a proximity-based approach, and/or a multiple grid-based approach. In accordance with other embodiments, the calibration signal can—itself—convey watermark information, so it serves both a calibration and a payload-conveyance function.
US07657054B2
Foot impression generating apparatus comprising impression platforms including buns of open-cell sponge material bonded to an supporting non-porous skins formed of non-blown sponge material is utilized for making foot impressions by a consumer. The sponge material comprises a blended mixture of elastomeric thermosetting material and low melting temperature thermoplastic material chosen such that the buns and skins are respectively flexible and then become rigid when heated and then cooled above and below the plastic temperature range of the thermoplastic material. The consumer steps into heated impression platforms to form the foot impressions and then they are cooled and “frozen” in place. Next, scanning means are used to create a digital contour map of the foot impressions. Then a digitally controlled milling machine is utilized for forming shoe inserts in conformance with the digital contour map.
US07657051B1
A speaker apparatus includes a generally cylindrically shaped, hollowed case, a drum membrane at a first end of the case; and an electrically powered speaker at a second end of the case. The speaker is preferably positioned to emit sound primarily away from the drum membrane. The drum membrane is preferably tunable, using a plurality of circumferentially positioned drum tuners.
US07657050B2
A platform for attachment to a sound system and wirelessly sending control signals to the sound system, is constructed and arranged to support said sound system, and has a plurality of control buttons exposed outside the sound system when said sound system is attached to the platform. The platform has a wireless transmitter constructed and arranged to illuminate a sensor of the sound system constructed and arranged to receive wireless control signals from a remote control associated with the sound system. The platform has a signal processor intercoupling the wireless transmitter and the control buttons constructed and arranged to respond to actuation of a control button for producing an emission from the wireless transmitter for activating a corresponding control function in the sound system.
US07657049B2
An improved telephone handset for hearing-impaired persons. A passive device, in the form of an inductor wound about a highly magnetostrictive core, is connected with the speaker in the handset. The device has been found to improve intelligibility of speech delivered by the handset, when perceived by persons afflicted with certain types of hearing impairment.
US07657047B2
The emission of information signals for informing a user about specific settings or statuses of a hearing aid should be improved. In addition, it is proposed to offer the user a plurality of different information signals which he can freely assign to different settings and or statuses of the hearing aid. In addition, different information signals are emitted as a function of the currently available hearing situation and/or the currently set hearing program for one and the same setting and/or for one and the same status of the hearing aid. The user is thus able to better identify the information signals.
US07657033B2
In one embodiment, messages are encrypted with encrypted transformations that commute with one another. In another embodiment, a message is divided into message segments, and with each encrypted message segment one or more encrypted keys are sent. The encrypted keys may be used to decrypt a message segment that is sent at another time, such as the next message segment to be sent. In another embodiment, a sender encrypts a message with a first encryption, which may be unknown to the receiver. Then a receiver encrypts the message with a second encryption. Next the sender removes the first encryption, thereby allowing the receiver to reconstitute the original message by removing the second encryption.
US07657030B1
A method of generating a strong DES cryptographic key that doesn't require checking for parity or weak keys in the resulting key. First, all possible hexadecimal values are generated. Next, all possible two-hexadecimal value combinations are generated, where one of the two-hexadecimal values in a combination has odd parity, and the other even parity. Then, eliminate hexadecimal values E0, 01, F1, FE, 1F, 0E, 1E, and 0F from the list of all possible two-hexadecimal value combinations. Next, arrange each remaining two-hexadecimal value combination once in a user-definable order on a user-definable medium, such that the hexadecimal values alternate even and odd parity . Then, select eight unique two-hexadecimal value combinations on the user-definable medium in a user-definable manner. Lastly, use the selected eight two-hexadecimal value combinations as the DES cryptographic key.
US07657028B2
A method for securely classifying private data x of a first party Alice using a classifier H(x) of a second party Bob. The classifier is H ( x ) = sign ( ∑ n = 1 N h n ( x ) ) , where h n ( x ) = { α n x T y n > Θ n β n otherwise , α n , β n and Θn are scalar values and yn is a vector storing parameters of the classifier. Bob generates a set of N random numbers, S1, . . . , SN, such that s = ∑ n = 1 N s n , for each n=1, . . . , N, the following substeps are performed: applying a secure dot product to xTyn to obtain an for Alice and bn for Bob; applying a secure millionaire protocol to determine whether an is larger than Θn−bn, and returning a result of an+Sn, or βn+Sn; accumulating, by Alice, the result in cn. Then, apply the secure millionaire protocol to determine whether c = ∑ n = 1 N c n is larger than s = ∑ n = 1 N s n , and returning a positive sign if true, and a negative sign if false to classify the private data x.
US07657026B2
A sliding mechanism (6) includes a main board (10) and a sliding board (20). The main board has a body (11). A guiding rail (112) is formed at each of two opposite sides of the body. The sliding board has a first portion (21) and a second portion (22). The first portion has a first guiding slot (216) defined in a first end thereof for receiving one guiding rail. A bottom slice extends from a second opposite end of the first portion. The second portion has a second guiding slot (226) defined in a first end thereof for receiving the other guiding rail. A top slice extends from a second opposite end of the second portion. The top slice is located on the bottom slice. Before connecting the first portion and the second portion, a clearance between the guiding rail and the first portion can be adjusted.
US07657025B2
A microphone module. The module comprises a carrier having a first side and an opposing second side and comprising a through hole. A microphone is disposed on the first side of the carrier and corresponding to the through hole. A processing chip is disposed on the first side of the carrier and coupled to the microphone. An encapsulant is disposed on the first side of the carrier to encapsulate the microphone and the processing chip.
US07657024B2
A wireless headset system includes a headset and a programming device. The programming device can be in the headset or in a base that is connectable to the headset. The headset has programmable device and a transceiver. The base has a programming device. The programming device programs the programmable device in the headset to control the transceiver to communicate directly with any cordless telephone base station, allowing hands free use of the telephone.
US07657023B2
Splitter wall plates for digital subscriber line (DSL) communication systems and methods to use the same are disclosed. An example apparatus comprises a splitter to separate a digital subscriber line (DSL) signal from a plain old telephone signal (POTS) signal, and a switch to selectively couple a VoIP signal received via a first jack or the POTS signal to a second jack.
US07657007B2
A system and method for instant voice messaging in a telecommunication system. Users are able to compose, store, retrieve or listen to short messages. The instant voice messaging system provides two operating modes: auto mode and prompt mode. In auto mode, the instant voice message is played on the destination telephone set without user intervention. In prompt mode, the user at the destination telephone set controls playback of the instant voice message. According to another aspect, the instant voice messaging system provides a whisper mode of operation which allows voice messages to be sent and received when the user at the originating set and/or destination set is involved in another call.
US07657006B2
One embodiment of a method for translating a message can be broadly summarized by the following steps: generating an electronic message in an understood language of an originating party; receiving instructions to translate contents of the electronic message to another language; converting the electronic message to the another language in accordance with the instructions; and delivering the converted electronic message to the receiving party. Other methods and devices are also provided.
US07657005B2
A method of processing calls received at an interactive voice response (IVR) server is provided and includes receiving a telephone call at the IVR. Caller identity data that is associated with the telephone call is received and a customer profile that includes a list of individual names associated with the caller identity data is received. Each of the individual names is mapped to a speech recognition grammar pattern. Further, a caller of the telephone call is prompted to speak their name. A spoken name from the caller is received and recorded. Moreover, the spoken name is converted into a speech recognition grammar pattern. Thereafter, the speech recognition grammar pattern associated with the spoken name is compared to each of the speech recognition grammar patterns associated with the individual names retrieved from the customer profile.
US07656987B2
A phase generator includes a phase-shift enable and disable signal generator connected to configuration bits at its first input and connected to a reset signal at its reset input for generating a control signal; the configuration bits corresponding to the phase shift desired. The phase generator includes a logic signal generation device connected at its control input to the output of the phase-shift enable and disable signal generator and connected to a reset signal at its reset input for providing a phase generating signal; and a feedback element connected between the output of the logic signal generation device and control input of the phase-shift enable and disable signal generator for providing controlled clock signal to the phase-shift enable and disable signal generator.
US07656982B2
A bit clock recovery apparatus for digital storage readout employing sync frames, where an oversampled readout signal is stored in memory, sync patterns are located in the signal using DSP means, distances of consecutive sync pattern locations are calculated, and bit clock is recovered from these distances and the knowledge about the data framing structure.
US07656975B2
A method and system is disclosed for providing an automatic gain control in signal processing. After receiving a stream of analog signals, a gain is adjusted on the received analog signals using a first set of gain compensation parameters. Then, the adjusted analog signals are converted to digital signals. A predetermined number of digital signals are collected from the converted digital signals within a predetermined time period. The collected digital signals are delayed from being transferred out for further demodulation processing for a predetermined delay time. At the same time, a second set of gain compensation parameters are estimated based on the collected digital signals. The estimated second set of gain compensation parameters are applied to the delayed digital signals.
US07656972B2
A system and method for detecting a correct transmission format upon encountering a decoding error in a variable-format transmission scheme, wherein the decoding error results from an unsuccessful decoding of a frame. The invention provides for prioritizing the permissible formats, resulting in a prioritized order. The frame data is then decoded according to one or more of the permissible formats in the prioritized order, and if the decoding is successful in accordance with one of the formats, that format is selected as the correct transmission format.
US07656966B2
This invention provides a receiver for use in a SDAR system which includes a receiving unit having satellite signal detection means for detecting a first transmit signal transmitted from a first communication satellite and a second transmit signal transmitted from a second communication satellite, the first transmit signal produced when the transmitter modulates a primary data stream with a secondary data stream on a first carrier wave associated with the first communication satellite and the second transmit signal produced when the transmitter modulates the primary and secondary data streams on a second carrier wave associated with the second communication satellite, and an encoder re-encodes the primary and the secondary data on a third carrier wave, forming a third transmit signal which is re-transmitted to a receiver using a terrestrial repeater. This invention also provides a method of receiving transmitted data.
US07656962B2
The invention relates to a method for transmitting signals in a radio communication system consisting of at least two frequency signal-transmitting channels. At least the first (fcoord) of said frequency channels is used for organizing radio resources, and at least the second (fi) of the frequency channels is used for transmitting signals between the stations of the system where the signal transmission is carried out by the frequency channels from/in a direction of said stations in conformity with a predefined temporal pattern (P1, P2, P3).
US07656961B2
A method of transmitting data signals from at least two transmitting terminals to at least one receiving terminal with a spatial diversity antenna comprises transmitting from the transmitting terminals transformed data signals, being transformed versions of the data signals; receiving on the spatial diversity means received data signals being at least function of at least two of the transformed data signals; subband processing of at least two of the received data signals in the receiving terminal; and determining estimates of the data signals from subband processed received data signals in the receiving terminal.
US07656960B2
In a radio communication system, transmitter and receiver stations share information on a maximum number of bits communicated per symbol. The transmitter station encodes a signal with sufficient error correcting capabilities to create a codeword. The transmitter station allocates the bits from the codeword to each symbol, modulates the symbols using a modulation type which processes symbols each having a number of bits equal to or smaller than the maximum number of bits per symbol, and transmits the modulated symbols. The receiver station demodulates the symbols using a modulation type which processes a larger number of bits per symbol as the transmission path quality is higher from among modulation types which process symbols having a number of bits equal to or smaller than the maximum number of bits per symbol.
US07656959B2
A pipelined decision feedback unit (DFU) is disclosed for use in reduced-state Viterbi detectors with local feedback. The disclosed pipelined decision feedback unit improves the maximum data rate that may be achieved by the reduced state Viterbi detector by the pipelined computation of partial intersymbol interference-based estimates. A pipelined decision feedback unit is thus disclosed that computes a plurality of partial intersymbol interference based estimates, wherein at least one partial intersymbol interference-based estimate is based on a selected partial intersymbol interference-based estimate; and selects the selected partial intersymbol interference-based estimate from among partial intersymbol interference-based estimates for path extensions into a state.
US07656954B1
Embodiments for single-ended tri-level encoding and/or decoding of data are disclosed.
US07656950B2
A method of enhancing picture quality of a video signal is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of generating an interpolated base frame image; receiving a first previously decoded difference picture; receiving a second previously decoded difference picture; generating a combined motion compensated difference surface; and generating a temporally interpolated enhanced picture based upon the interpolated base frame image and the combined motion compensated difference surface. A circuit for enhancing picture quality of a video signal is also disclosed. The circuit comprising a base decoder generating a base image of a standard definition picture; a temporal predictive interpolator coupled to the base decoder and generating an interpolated block; and a summing circuit coupled to the temporal predictive interpolator. The summing circuit preferably adds the interpolated block and a difference block.
US07656946B2
The invention provides a pulse width modulation amplifier that includes a correction circuit, an envelope detector, a level detector, a PWM carrier generator, an interpolation arithmetic circuit, and a PWM circuit. The envelope detector detects an envelope of digital data to be input. The correction circuit performs distortion correction, frequency characteristic correction, and ΔΣ correction, for the input digital data. The level detector detects levels of the digital data supplied by the envelope detector. The PWM carrier generator gates a carrier signal having a frequency corresponding to the output of the level detector. The interpolation arithmetic circuit generates interpolation data synchronous with the carrier signal from the digital data. The PWM circuit converts the interpolation data into a pulse width modulation signal based on the carrier signal.
US07656940B2
Filtering part 50 performs filtering by converting a received signal sampled using a predetermined number of over-samples to an over-sample number small enough to avoid frequency-domain foldover noise generation. Transmission channel estimation part 60 performs path timing detection by converting the received signal sampled using a predetermined number of over-samples to an over-sample number large enough to obtain sufficient timing resolution, converts transmission channel responses for each path timing to the frequency domain, and calculates transmission channel estimates corresponding to the subcarriers of the received signal in the frequency domain. Weight calculation part 6 receives the frequency-domain channel estimates outputted from transmission channel estimation part 60 and calculates the weights of the equalizing filter used in filtering part 50.
US07656938B2
A feedforward equalizer for equalizing a sequence of signal samples received by a receiver from a remote transmitter. The feedforward equalizer has a gain and is included in the receiver which includes a timing recovery module for setting a sampling phase and a decoder. The feedforward equalizer comprises a non-adaptive filter and a gain stage. The non-adaptive filter receives the signal samples and produces a filtered signal. The gain stage adjusts the gain of the feedforward equalizer by adjusting the amplitude of the filtered signal. The amplitude of the filtered signal is adjusted so that it fits in the operational range of the decoder. The feedforward equalizer does not affect the sampling phase setting of the timing recovery module of the receiver.
US07656934B2
A wireless communication system. The system comprises transmitter circuitry (BST1), the transmitter circuitry comprising encoder circuitry (50) for transmitting a plurality of frames (FR). Each of the plurality of frames comprises a primary synchronization code (PCS) and a secondary synchronization code (SSC). The encoder circuitry comprises of circuitry (501) for providing the primary synchronization code in response to a first sequence (32). The encoder circuitry further comprises circuitry (502) for providing the secondary synchronization code in response to a second sequence (54) and a third sequence (56). The second sequence is selected from a plurality of sequences. Each of the plurality of sequences is orthogonal with respect to all other sequences in the plurality of sequences. The third sequence comprises a subset of bits from the first sequence.
US07656927B2
An optical semiconductor device includes an optical semiconductor element, a metal pattern and at least one thermal conductive material. The optical semiconductor element has a first optical waveguide region and a second optical waveguide region. The second optical waveguide region is optically coupled to the first optical waveguide region and has a heater for changing a refractive index of the second optical waveguide region. The metal pattern is provided on an area to be thermally coupled to a temperature control device. The thermal conductive material couples the metal pattern with an upper face of the first optical waveguide region of the optical semiconductor element. The thermal conductive material is electrically separated from the first optical waveguide region.
US07656920B2
A semiconductor laser device producing light having a TE-polarized component suitable for practical use (i.e., light having TE-polarized light intensity sufficiently high for practical use). A semiconductor laser device includes a GaAsP active layer, InGaP guide layers, and AlGaInP cladding layers. The GaAsP active layer emits light. The GaAsP active layer is interposed between the InGaP guide layers. The InGaP guide layers and GaAsP active layer are interposed between the AlGaInP cladding layers. Polarization ratio, which is a ratio of light intensity of TM-polarized light to light intensity of TE-polarized light, of the light produced by the semiconductor laser device is less than 2.3.
US07656911B2
To facilitate phase adjustment in an external resonator type wavelength-variable laser. An external resonator type wavelength-variable laser (50) includes a semiconductor light amplifier (1), a wavelength selection filter (3) having periodic frequency characteristics, an external resonator (6), and a wavelength-variable filter (4). Δf is divided into one or more regions. The following conditions are satisfied for one Δfi region: mj=(j×Δffs)/ΔfFP where Δffs: a period of the wavelength selection filter, ΔfFP: a Fabry-Perot mode interval dependent on a length of the external resonator, j: an integer not smaller than 1 and not larger than (Δfi/Δffs). A coefficient Mj is an integer obtained by rounding off the first digit after decimal point of the coefficient mj. A coefficient Ni,j is an integer obtained by discarding the first digit after decimal point of Δfi/(j×Δffs). In this regard, a relation of (|Ni,j×2π(Mj−mj)|<π/2) is satisfied for one j.
US07656910B2
The present invention relates to network transmission technologies, and provide a Generic Framing Procedure (GFP)-based add/drop multiplexing (add/drop multiplexing) method, apparatus and system to improve add/drop multiplexing utilization, in which multiple Gigabyte Ethernet (GE) connections among multiple nodes are multiplexed in GFP to a byte synchronous interface for transmission, wherein a bandwidth of the byte synchronous interface is smaller than a sum of peak bandwidths of the group of GE connections borne on the byte synchronous interface; statistical multiplexing is carried out on effective data borne on the multiple GEs by means of buffers, and the effective data are treated by priority in the case of network congestion. The present invention implements statistical add/drop multiplexing for multiple data services in various types, and can be used in implementing a statistical ADM for diverse data services in burst mode, even a statistical ADM for multiple mixed services.
US07656894B2
In one embodiment, to determine what tasks may be offloaded to a peripheral hardware device (e.g., to be performed in hardware on the peripheral device, rather than on the CPU(s) of the host computer), an indication from the at least one peripheral hardware device may be provided, without the peripheral hardware device first being queried to determine the task offload capabilities provided by the peripheral hardware device. In another embodiment, a data packet may be sent to the at least one peripheral device with an indication to the at least one peripheral device to perform at least one task offloading capability on the data packet, without first sending a command to the at least one peripheral device to enable the at least one task offloading capability.
US07656889B2
An IP based voice/video communication system and call pickup/forwarding method and a program storage device, readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform the call pickup/forwarding method enables a subscriber can have voice/video communication irrespective of time or place by forwarding voice/video calls between voice/video communication terminals such as a TV, PDA and home pad, or by picking up a incoming call at a nearby terminal if it is difficult for the subscriber to answer the call at the originally called terminal from his/her location.
US07656888B2
A bi-directional detector which enables a host and a client in a collection terminal is disclosed. The bi-directional detector includes a client detection unit in the host part, for detecting the clients connected to the host part; a client identification unit for identifying types of the clients detected by the client detection unit; a host detection unit in each of the clients for detecting the host part; and a switch unit in each of the clients for determining whether to apply comparison power to the client detection unit and the host detection unit according to whether power is applied to the client. In the bi-directional detector, the client directly detects the host part and manages the connection, thereby reducing the load on the host part, without performing a step by which a host part responds to a connection request of a client.
US07656882B2
A method of providing peak scheduling in a wireless network is provided. The method includes determining a priority for each of a plurality of users in the network based on a throughput window of a finite length and scheduling the users based on the priority.
US07656881B2
In one embodiment, a system comprises a plurality of nodes that are communicatively coupled to one another. Each of the plurality of nodes, in the absence of any faults, is communicatively coupled to at least a first neighbor node and a first neighbor's neighbor node and a second neighbor node and a second neighbor's neighbor node. When at least a first clique and a second clique exist within the plurality of nodes and a first node included in the first clique successfully receives a synchronization message associated with the second clique from the first neighbor node of the first node and the first neighbor's neighbor node of the first node, the first node does the following. The first node defects to the second clique and synchronizes to the synchronization message. The first node also communicates a join message to at least the second neighbor node of the first node and the second neighbor's neighbor node of the first node. The join message indicates that the second neighbor node and the second neighbor's neighbor node should defect to the second clique and listen for a subsequent synchronization message from the second clique to which the second neighbor node and the second neighbor's neighbor node should synchronize.
US07656870B2
An improved system and method are disclosed for peer-to-peer communications. In one example, the method includes retrieving a profile and a routing table from an access server by a first endpoint during an authentication process. The profile identifies at least a second endpoint as an endpoint with which the first endpoint has permission to communicate. The routing table contains address information needed for the first endpoint to communicate directly with the second endpoint. The first endpoint sends a notification message directly to the second endpoint using the address information to inform the second endpoint that the first endpoint is online.
US07656868B2
The invention relates to a method, devices and system for transit of information over packet switched networks, in particular for transit of an end-to-end connection over a plurality of such networks (1′, 1, 1″) using a transit method that is independent on the network technology used in the different networks. An end-to-end service node (21) selects the networks and links an end-to-end connection shall traverse. To each network an incoming transit node (2) and an outgoing transit node (3) are connected. Between these a leg of the end-to-end connection is transited. The outgoing transit node has a list (37) of transit tags used for identification of a packet flow related to the connection. A transit tag is selected from the list and is signalled to the incoming transit node together with the local address of the outgoing transit node. At the incoming transit node incoming packets are analyzed with regard to the presence of a local identifier (e.g. called a link tag). In the incoming transit node packets with the local identifier are subjected to a special treatment. Its payload is put in the payload of a new packet that is formatted according to the network technology used in the network, and as destination of the new packet is the address of the outgoing transit node used. The new packet is marked with the transit tag. Finally the new packet is injected into the network and is routed therein according to that network's routing mechanisms. When the new packet arrives at the outgoing transit node its transit tag is used as incoming identifier.
US07656866B2
Methods of controlling media server resources in a VoIP network are disclosed. In an embodiment, an IP node provides a service request. An application server receives the service request and sends a request for media server resources to a media server resource broker. The media server resource broker determines that the request should be handled by a first media server. The media server resource broker queries the first media server to obtain an IP address and port number for use in establishing a call between the IP node and the first media server. The media server resource broker then provides a signal to the IP Node so that it can establishing the call with the appropriate port on the media server. In an embodiment, the media server resource broker updates a database module that tracks assignment levels of the first media server so as to reflect the most recent request, thus decreasing the number of ports available for the first media server. When the call is complete, the media server resource broker, being in the signal path, can update the assignment level of the first media server.
US07656862B2
A connection is established in a communications network responsive to receiving a Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) signal at a port having an assigned sequence associated therewith. A dialed sequence corresponding to the received DTMF signal is identified. If the dialed sequence is associated with a request for a specified service, first and second fields of a packet-switched signaling protocol message are populated with the assigned sequence associated with the port. The populated packet-switched signaling protocol message is transmitted over a packet-switched network to request the specified service, and a connection is established to provide the specified service through the port. Related systems and devices are also discussed.
US07656857B2
Each network node in a network is configured for calculating a directed acyclic graph that provides at least one path from all the other network nodes toward the one network node. The network node performs a modified shortest path first calculation by identifying next-hop nodes adjacent to the network node, and orienting the link of each next-hop node toward itself (i.e., the origin). The network node also identifies secondary adjacent nodes, adjacent to each of the next hop nodes, and extends paths from next-hop nodes to the associated secondary adjacent nodes while orienting each of the links of the path between adjacent nodes and next-hop nodes toward the next hop nodes. The paths of the nodes form a directed acyclic graph from any other network node toward the origin, enabling distribution of the directed acyclic graph to the other network nodes for optimized reachability to the network node.
US07656856B2
Methods, systems, and apparatuses for transmitting link state packet (LSP) through a network are provided. The method includes dividing the LSP into LSP fragments having respective fragment numbers, transmitting the LSP fragments repetitively through the network, identifying at least one LSP fragment that is updated while the LSP fragments are being transmitted, and retransmitting the identified LSP fragments. The transmitted updated LSP is used for processing the Shortest Path First algorithm to identify accurately the shortest path that can be used to establish communication in the network.
US07656848B2
A routing requesting method to transmit data to a device of a different piconets in a scatternet including at least two piconets which have a master device and at least one slave device controlled by the master device. A source device generates as a single packet an information inquiring a first radio resource used in each device of the piconet and an information requesting the routing. The source device broadcasts the packet to adjacent devices. The adjacent device, which receives the generated packet, sends the packet to a destination device by repeating the above process. The destination device assigns itself the master device, generates a RREP message including a clock information, and sends the generated RREP message to an adjacent device. The source device becomes aware of devices along the route using the information contained in the RREP message.
US07656830B2
The invention relates to communications systems, and particularly to enhancing tolerance to failures in network elements and transmission systems. The fault tolerance is achieved by providing two or more active ATM permanent virtual channel (PVC) connections between a core network element and an access network element, and providing a separate ATM interface unit for each such ATM PVC connection in the core network element. The user and signalling traffic is distributed among these active connections and interface units. In case of a failure in one of the ATM PVC connections or interface units, the communication is maintained over the other connection(s) and interface unit(s). Thus, only part of the transport capacity is lost, and a total block of communication is avoided. Any new communication will be setup over the other connections.
US07656822B1
A resource discovery and description mechanism for decentralized device and service description and discovery in networking environments is described that generates advertisements in a uniform description format to describe resources on a network. The mechanism may translate resource descriptions from other resource description and discovery protocols to generate the advertisements. The advertisements may be used for cross-network discovery and access of the resources. An advertisement may include, but is not limited to, physical endpoints, virtual endpoints, user-extensible metadata, location information, and a universal unique identifier (UUID) for the associated resource. If a resource cannot provide a UUID, the mechanism generates a UUID for the resource. One embodiment may support proxy nodes for generating advertisements for resources that cannot participate directly in the resource discovery and description mechanism. These proxy nodes may also serve as a proxy between local subnetwork discovery and cross-network discovery of the advertisements.
US07656818B1
Methods and systems for providing customizable network device management are disclosed. In one such method, a user-created policy is received and registered on a network device, such as a router. An event identified by the policy is detected at the network device. In response, the policy runs on the network device and an action specified by the policy is performed. The policy can be prepared by a user of a remote computing device, uploaded to the network device, and registered on the network device. In various implementations, the policy can be provided in the form of a script or applet executable by the network device.
US07656816B2
A method and system for logging voice quality issues for a communication connection includes receiving a signal for logging quality information for a voice connection at an endpoint of the voice connection. Voice samples are collected from the voice connection at the endpoint. The voice samples are stored in an error log at the endpoint.
US07656815B2
An apparatus for controlling an operation of a layered communication system, the layered communication system transmitting information through a communication channel, has a provider for providing a property of the communication channel, an extractor for extracting a first set of parameters of a first communication layer and a second set of parameters of a second communication layer to determine current statuses of the first and second communication layer, a provider for providing a first abstraction model and a second abstraction model, wherein each abstraction model models a characteristic of the first and second communication layers, respectively, a determiner for determining an optimized set of parameters to be used by each of the first and second communication layers based on the first and second abstraction models, the channel property and an optimization goal, a provider for providing the optimized sets of parameters to the first and second communication layers.
US07656808B2
A user interface for viewing network system data is provided and includes at least one company level view that includes a list of one or more service regions within a company, at least one regional level view that includes a list of one or more service markets within each of the one or more service regions, and at least one market level view that includes a list of one or more wire centers within the one or more service markets.
US07656807B2
A test set includes at least one signal input port, a test circuitry, a processor, a user-input device, and a display. The test circuitry couples to and receives signals from the at least one signal input port. The test circuitry then generates test data corresponding to the received signals. The processor couples to and receives test data from the test circuitry and generates test results. The processor also couples to and receives commands from the user-input device. The processor further operatively couples to the graphical display that receives and displays the test results from the processor. In one embodiment, the test set is capable of performing line qualification and connectivity testing. A modem module can be used to facilitate connectivity testing. The modem module can be a plug-in module with a common interface to the test set. The modem module can also contain a fingerprint value that identifies the module type and the software revision number to the test set.
US07656798B1
An out-of-band signaling model media control (MC) terminal for an HPNA network includes a QoS management entity (QME) and an admission control entity (ACE) and provides end-to-end QoS by passing the QoS requirements from higher layer to the lower layers of the HPNA network. The QME receives an end-to-end QoS message characterizing a session for a user application. The ACE performs an admission control decision relating to the session based on the end-to-end QoS message characterizing the QoS stream. A resource control module, when part of the ACE, performs at least one admission control decision relating to the session based on a resource permission, and a policy control module, when part of the ACE, performs at least one admission control decision relating to the session based on a policy permission.
US07656793B2
A communications system and protocol for use in a non-dominant bit radio network. The radio network includes transceivers which communicate with other transceivers to allow network variables to be shared by all transceivers. The protocol allows the network to handle collisions between competing transmissions from different transceivers. The protocol also handles communications between transceivers that are out of transmitting range of each other.
US07656792B2
Alternate multicast/broadcast paths may be calculated in a routed network to enable broadcast/multicast traffic to be transmitted around a local failure in the routed network until the routing system reconverges on a new network topography. According to an embodiment of the invention, the nodes on a multicast tree or a broadcast tree may compute alternate paths for each of the downstream nodes in the multicast/broadcast tree or for select nodes in the multicast/broadcast tree. The select nodes may be those nodes that have advertised membership in the multicast or a set number of hops downstream on the branch affected by the failure. The alternate paths may be unicast paths from the node to the other nodes on the multicast/broadcast tree. U-turn nodes may be used where there is no regular loop-free alternate network path to a node on the downstream multicast/broadcast tree.
US07656778B2
A read-only recording medium and a reproducing method thereof ensures reproduction compatibility with a rewritable recording medium in which real data is recorded with substantial discontinuity. The read-only recording medium comprises a data recording area in which real data is stored; and a plurality of waste areas allocated at intervals in the data recording area. The method of reproducing data stored in a read-only recording medium reproduces data from the read-only recording medium, skips if a waste area is encountered or removes invalid data reproduced from the waste area wherein each waste area has been inserted periodically in the read-only recording medium, and outputs the data reproduced before and behind each waste area in succession. As a result, the playability is improved in a disk device capable of reproducing both a read-only and a rewritable recording medium.
US07656777B2
An optical recording medium which is a multilayer optical recording medium including a plurality of recording layers and records or reproduces information by the irradiation of light having a wavelength of λ0. At least one recording layer out of a plurality of recording layers includes a variable absorption film. The variable absorption film contains a material in which an electron energy has a band structure, and the absorption end of an absorption spectrum moves toward a longer wavelength side with a rise in temperature when light is absorbed by transition between electron bands, has a first absorptance to light having a wavelength of λ0 when a film temperature is a first temperature (application environment temperature), and has a second absorptance higher than the first absorptance to light having a wavelength of λ0 when a film temperature is a second temperature higher than the first temperature.
US07656763B1
A method is disclosed for performing a defect scan for a disk drive. Data is recorded on a first data area of a disk substantially free from defects and on a second data area of the disk substantially affected by at least one defect. A defect scan parameter is initialized with an initial setting. The first data area is read to determine a first defect threshold, and the second data area is read to determine a second defect threshold. A margin is saved representing a difference between the first and second defect thresholds. The setting for the defect scan parameter is adjusted, and the elements of reading the first and second data areas and saving a corresponding margin are repeated at least once. A setting is then selected for the defect scan parameter in response to the saved margins.
US07656761B2
An optical disc device includes a recording power acquiring unit that finds an optimum recording power when data is written in a data area by writing data for calibration in a power calibration area, and a data writing unit that writes data in a data area to be written by using an optimum recording power found by the recording power acquiring unit. A method for acquiring an optimum recording power used by the recording power acquiring unit when an area to be written is a not-yet-recorded area is different from a method for an already recorded area. When an area to be written is a not-yet-recorded area, the recording power acquiring unit finds an optimum recording power. When an area to be written is an already recorded area, the recording power acquiring unit writes preliminary data in a power calibration area and finds an optimum recording power.
US07656760B2
A playback apparatus plays back information from a recording medium having a data structure including sync signals added in units of data items each having a predetermined size. The information is recorded in runlength limited codes, and the signals correspond to consecutive unique run lengths. The apparatus includes an information reading unit that obtains a binary data string as read information by reading the medium, a sync detection unit that performs detection of sync signals from the data string, and a data demodulation unit that obtains played-back data from the medium by performing demodulation on the data string with timing based on the detected signals. On the basis of detection, from the data string, of one detection pattern among types of detection patterns set as patterns including at least one of the unique run lengths, the sync detection unit regards the pattern detection as the signal detection.
US07656758B2
A disc drive apparatus (1) for optical discs (2) comprises: a frame (3); a sledge (10) displaceably mounted with respect to said frame (3); a lens actuator (43, 21) displaceably mounted with respect to said sledge (10); and a control unit (90) for generating a control signal (SCL) for the lens actuator (43, 21). The control unit (90) is designed, during a jump operation, to generate said control signal (SCL) for the lens actuator (43, 21) on the basis of an actuator deviation signal (SAS) representing a difference between actuator position (XA) and sledge position (XS).
US07656756B2
An optical pickup actuator includes a lens holder on which tracking and focusing coils are attached, at least one of the coils being a polygon coil having at least two sides that are different in a length from each other, magnets disposed facing the coils, and a rotation preventing unit formed on the lens holder. The rotation preventing unit surface-contacts an inner surface of the polygon coil to prevent the polygon coil from being twisted.
US07656732B2
In a semiconductor storage device, such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), in which dynamic data is amplified and read on a bit line, a data line sense amplifier/write buffer connected to a data line of a memory array and a data line sense amplifier control signal generating logic circuit connected to a dummy data line of a dummy memory array are provided. A sense amplifier is activated in accordance with an output signal of the logic circuit.
US07656730B2
A semiconductor memory device includes: memory cells respectively arranged on intersecting points of a plurality of word lines and a plurality of data lines, and respectively having a capacitor for storing data; a sense amplifier provided in between the data lines forming a data line pair so as to amplify an electric potential difference between the data lines and to perform data reading; and a test memory cell arranged on each of the data lines and having a test capacitor with a capacitance value set smaller than the above capacitor, and when performing a test for a memory cell, inversed data of the data to be stored into a target memory cell of a test target is pre-written into the test memory cell.
US07656729B2
A column address decoding circuit of a semiconductor memory apparatus includes a predecoder configured to combine a column address and a decoding test signal, thereby outputting a decoding address. A main decoder receives the decoding address, thereby outputting a plurality of column select signals.
US07656721B2
A semiconductor includes a first sensor amplifier, a second sensor amplifier, a first switch and a second switch. The first sensor amplifier is coupled between a local data line and a memory unit to amplify signals of the memory unit. The second sensor amplifier is coupled to a middle data line to amplify signals of the middle data line. The first switch is coupled between the middle data line and the local data line to equalize voltage levels between the middle data line and the local data line by turning on the first switch according to a data control signal. The second switch is coupled between the local data line and a reference voltage to equalize the local data line to the voltage level of the reference voltage by turning on the second switch according to a local data control signal.
US07656716B1
A system for searching an input string for a number of regular expressions includes a search block and a compiler. The search block includes a plurality of content addressable memory (CAM) devices, wherein each of the CAM devices is differently configured to implement search operations for regular expressions having a unique level of complexity. The compiler is configured to determine the complexity level of each of the regular expressions, and is configured to store each regular expression in a selected one of the CAM devices according to its complexity level.
US07656704B2
A method for programming a multi-level nitride storage memory cell capable of storing different programming states corresponding to multiple different threshold voltage levels includes providing a variable resistance capable of providing a plurality of different resistance values; connecting a drain side of the nitride storage memory cell to a selected one of the plurality of resistance values that corresponds to one of the multiple threshold voltage levels; and programming the nitride storage memory cell to store one of the program states corresponding to the one of the threshold voltage levels by applying a programming voltage to the drain side through the selected resistance.
US07656698B1
A 4-transistor non-volatile memory (NVM) cell includes a static random access memory (SRAM) cell structure. The NVM cell utilizes a reverse Fowler-Nordheim tunneling programming technique that, in combination with the SRAM cell structure, allows an entire array to be programmed at one cycle. Equalize transistors are utilized to obtain more uniform voltage on the floating gates after an erase operation. Utilization of decoupling pas gates during a read operation results in more charge difference on floating gates of programmed and erased cells.
US07656697B2
An integrated circuit having a resistance-based or resistively switching memory cell, and a method for operating a resistively switching memory cell is disclosed. One embodiment is adapted to be put in a low-resistance state by applying a first threshold voltage and in a high-resistance state by applying a second threshold voltage, wherein reading out of the data content from the memory cell is performed by applying a voltage to the memory cell in the range of the first or second threshold voltage or a higher voltage.
US07656696B2
A resistive memory device having a resistor part for controlling a switching window. The resistive memory device of this disclosure can control a switching window to assure operational reliability thereof. In addition, since the memory device is realized by additionally providing only the resistor part for controlling a switching window to various resistive memory devices, it can be easily fabricated and applied to all current and voltage driving type resistive devices.
US07656695B2
An electronic fuse system and method are disclosed employing a fuse ROM having one or more blocks of memory. Each block of memory comprises a plurality of words with at least one word of the plurality of words containing security bits associated with a respective block. An electronic fuse controller is in communication with the fuse ROM and one or more external devices that are configured to request one or more words that reside in the fuse ROM from the electronic fuse controller. At least one security register includes indication bits that provide an indication whether security bits have been obtained for a respective block of memory of the fuse ROM after a power down and power up cycle. The electronic fuse controller provides the requested word if an indication bit associated with the block of memory is set.
US07656693B2
In a memory cell area of a semiconductor device, first, second, and third inter-layer insulating films respectively cover a cell transistor, a bit wiring line, and a capacitor which are connected to each other. In an adjacent peripheral circuit area, a peripheral-circuit transistor is covered with the first inter-layer insulating film, a first-layer wiring line connected to the peripheral-circuit transistor is provided on the first inter-layer insulating film and covered with the second inter-layer insulating film, and a second-layer wiring line is provided on the third inter-layer insulating film. In the memory cell area, a landing pad is provided on the second inter-layer insulating film and between the capacitor and a contact plug for connecting the capacitor to the cell transistor. An assist wiring line connected to the first-layer wiring line is provided on the main surface of the second inter-layer insulating film, on which the landing pad is provided.
US07656683B2
A DC voltage conversion device comprising: first conversion means, transformation means connected to the first conversion means, and superposition and rectifying means connected to the first conversion means and to the transformation means, and supplying an output voltage comprising pulses having equal amplitudes to the sum of the amplitudes of the pulses of the primary and the secondary pulsed voltage. A converter for converting a DC voltage into AC voltage comprising the DC voltage conversion device, filtering means being connected on output of the superposition and rectifying means of said conversion device.An uninterruptible electric power supply comprising a converter for converting a DC voltage into AC voltage connected to storing means, said converter comprising the DC voltage conversion device to convert the DC voltage of said storing means.
US07656677B2
A multilayer electronic component includes a multilayer substrate having a first main surface and a second main surface, a resin layer having a mounting surface and a contact surface bonded to the first main surface, a via conductor provided inside the resin layer, and an external terminal electrode disposed on the mounting surface so as to come in contact with the via conductor. The external terminal electrode has a first region on a main surface facing the mounting surface and a second region on a main surface facing away from the mounting surface. The first region is connected to the via conductor while the second region is provided with a bonding member. The second region is arranged such that, when the first region is projected through to the main surface facing away from the mounting surface, the second region is spaced from and does not overlap with a region in which the first region is projected.
US07656676B2
A removable storage device includes a substrate whereon a plurality of components are arranged. Advantageously, the removable storage device comprises a casing of the package type suitable to completely cover these components and to form, together with the substrate, an external coating of the removable storage device. Moreover, a method is described for assembling at least one removable storage device thus realized.
US07656670B2
An electronic ballast with remote capacitor placement includes a first housing (34); a second housing (36); an AC/DC converter (22); a DC bus (24) operably connected to the AC/DC converter (22); a lamp driver (26) operably connected to the DC bus (24); and a storage capacitor (32) connected to the DC bus (24) with capacitor wires (30). The AC/DC converter (22), the DC bus (24), and the lamp driver (26) are disposed in the first housing (34); the storage capacitor (32) is disposed in the second housing (36); and the first housing (34) is thermally isolated and physically separated from the second housing (36).
US07656668B2
A secure device for a heat sink and CPU includes a main support arm and an operation handler. The main support arm has a first hook section at one end thereof and provides a contact face and a movable second hook section at another end thereof. The operation handle further includes a main operation part and a handle part and the main operation part provides a guide groove with a first end and a second end. The guide groove extends along radial direction of main operation part from the first end to the second end and a uvula is formed between the first end and the second end. The circumferential side of the main operation part defines a press section for touching the contact face and a pivotal shaft is movably joined to the guide groove and the second hook section to actuate the second hook section moving upward or downward to selectively perform engagement or loosening while the pivotal shaft moving along the guide groove between the first and second ends.
US07656665B2
An integrated heat-dissipating device for a portable electronic product includes a heat-conducting base, a heat-dissipating plate, a first heat-dissipating module and a second heat-dissipating module. The heat-dissipating plate is adhered onto the heat-conducting base. The coefficient of heat conductivity of the heat-dissipating plate is larger than that of the heat-conducting base. The first heat-dissipating module includes a first heat pipe. One section of the first heat pipe is connected to the heat-conducting base, and the other section thereof extends in a direction away from the heat-conducting base. The second heat-dissipating module includes a second heat pipe, an adapting block and a third heat pipe. One section of the second heat pipe is connected to the heat-conducting base, and the other section thereof is connected to the adapting block. One section of the third heat pipe is connected to the adapting block, and the other section thereof extends in a direction away from the adapting block. With a multiple-directional heat-dissipating path, a great amount of heat generated by a heat-generating source can be dissipated to the outside quickly.
US07656664B2
An airflow direction controlling apparatus includes a frame arranged near an outlet of a fan, at least one blade pivotably mounted to the frame and driven by a motor, at least two thermal sensors for detecting temperatures of at least two electronic components in a computer, and a control module electronically connected to the at least two sensors and the motor. The control module receives the detected temperatures from the sensors, determines if an electronic component is in danger of overheating, and controls the motor to rotate the at least one blade to a desired position where airflow of the fan blows toward the electronic component in danger of overheating, to quickly dissipate the heat generated by the electronic component.
US07656663B2
A latch mechanism includes a latching member, a button, and an elastic member for restoring the latching member. The latching member is rotatably installed in a cover unit. The latching member includes a latching portion for engaging with a base unit. The button is movably fixed to the cover unit. The button includes a slanted pushing portion for driving the latching member to rotate for disengaging the latching portion from the base unit.
US07656661B2
An electronic apparatus that includes a display panel having opposite sides with a display screen provided on one side, a main body enclosure having opposite sides with a key-based input device provided on one side and a keyless user interface provided on an opposite side, and a hinge assembly which couples the display panel and main body member together. The hinge assembly is configured to allow the main body enclosure and the display panel to pivot together about an angle of up to substantially 360° about a common or parallel pivot axes and which hinge assembly further allows the main body enclosure to twist or rotate with respect to the display panel about an axis that intersects or bisects the common or parallel pivot axes about which the main body enclosure and the display panel to pivot. In further embodiments the hinge assembly is further configured to allow the display panel to twist or rotate with respect to the main body enclosure about an axis that intersects or bisects the common or parallel pivot axes about which the main body enclosure and the display panel to pivot.
US07656660B2
An airflow arresting apparatus is provided configured to reside above an electronics rack within a data center. The apparatus includes an airflow arrester and a track mechanism. The airflow arrester includes a collapsible panel sized and configured to reside above the electronics rack, and when operatively positioned above the electronics rack, to extend vertically above the electronics rack and at least partially block airflow from passing over the electronics rack between the air outlet and air inlet sides of the rack. The track mechanism is sized and configured to reside above the electronics rack, and the airflow arrester is slidably engaged with the track mechanism. Positioning of the airflow arrester at a desired location above the electronics rack is facilitated by the airflow arrester slidably engaging the track mechanism.
US07656659B2
A notebook computer (1000) includes a base (100), a cover (300), a computer printed circuit board (PCB) (200) and a centrifugal fan (40). The cover covers the base, and cooperates with the base to form a receiving space (500) therebetween. The computer PCB is received in the receiving space and mounted on the base. The centrifugal fan is received in the receiving space, and includes a stator (401) and an impeller (402), rotatable with respect to the stator. The stator includes a motor (415) and a fan PCB (405) directly attached to the base. The motor electrically connects to the fan PCB. When the impeller rotates, airflow enters the receiving space through top and bottom air inlets (304, 104). The fan PCB is integrally formed with the computer PCB and has a height less than the computer PCB.
US07656652B2
A portable computer system is provided having a base unit and a detachable display unit. The display unit can be attached to and supported by the base unit in a landscape orientation or a portrait orientation via one or more connectors provided on two different sides of the display unit. The base unit may include support pins providing physical support to the display unit. Alternatively, the base unit may include a support arm which attaches to and slides within a slot extending along two sides of the display unit, such that the display unit can be moved between landscape and portrait orientations.
US07656649B2
An electric meter comprises an electronics housing and a meter base. The electronics housing defines a front panel and includes a first plurality of option board guides. A main meter board is disposed substantially parallel to the front panel. The meter base defines a rear panel of the electric meter. The meter base includes a plurality of housing guides for receiving the electronics housing and a second plurality of option board guides disposed substantially perpendicularly to the rear panel. The second plurality of option board guides are adapted to receive an option board and to position the option board substantially perpendicularly to the main meter board of the electronics housing during assembly of the electronics housing to the meter base. The housing guides in combination with the first and second pluralities of option board guides enable blind assembly of the electronics housing to the meter base.
US07656646B2
One embodiment includes a first capacitor stack including a first plurality of substantially planar anodes and a first plurality of substantially planar cathodes, a second capacitor stack including a second plurality of anode layers and a second plurality of cathode layers, an interconnect coupling the first capacitor stack and the second capacitor stack electrically in parallel, the interconnect adapted to permit rotation of the first capacitor stack with respect to the second capacitor stack, wherein the first capacitor stack and the second capacitor stack are adapted to deliver a defibrillation pulse to the anode terminal and the cathode terminal at a voltage of from approximately 410 volts to approximately 610 volts.
US07656641B2
An apparatus and method for controlling the operation of a solenoid includes a control circuit configured to receive an activation signal in response to a predetermined condition. The control circuit, in response to said activation signal, provides a first energizing signal to the solenoid for a first predetermined period, and cuts off the first energizing signal for a second predetermined period. The control circuit further provides a second energizing signal to the solenoid for a third predetermined period.
US07656636B2
The electronic trip device comprises at least one current sensor, a rectifying circuit to supply a supply current, an electronic processing unit to control an actuator designed to actuate an opening mechanism of the main conductor, and an electric power supply circuit equipped with a voltage regulator designed to supply a supply voltage to the electronic processing unit. In the electronic trip device, the power supply circuit comprises voltage raising means enabling a raised voltage to be supplied to the input of the voltage regulator designed to supply the supply voltage to the electronic processing unit, said raised voltage being greater than a voltage at the terminals of the storage capacitor. The invention also relates to a circuit breaker equipped with the electronic trip device described above.
US07656630B2
For protecting a circuit (1) against a mechanical or electromagnetic attack, an active protection device attached to the circuit comprises: —at least one generator (13, 14) for generating a magnetic field, —at least one magnetic sensor S1, S2, S3, S4 for measuring a value of the magnetic field, —an integrity circuit connected to the at least one magnetic sensor S1, S2, S3, S4 and to the circuit (1). The integrity circuit activates a reaction procedure in the circuit if the measured value of the magnetic field made by the magnetic sensor is out of a values domain, the values domain being correlated to the generated magnetic field.
US07656627B2
An ESD protection circuit is provided. The circuit includes a discharging component, a diode, and an ESD detection circuit. The discharging component is coupled between an input/output pad and a first power line of an IC. The diode is coupled between the input/output pad and a second power line of the IC in a forward direction toward the second power line. The ESD detection circuit includes a capacitor, a resistor, and a triggering component. The capacitor and the resistor are formed in series and coupled between the first power line and the second power line. The triggering component has a positive power end coupled to the input/output pad and a negative power end coupled to the first power line. An input of the triggering component is coupled to a node between the capacitor and the resistor.
US07656625B2
A disc apparatus which can accurately judge whether or not a spindle motor is at fault due to a short circuit is provided.A disc apparatus (1) includes a spindle motor (3) which rotates a disc (2), a differential operational amplifier (5) which detects a difference between voltages of a positive terminal and a negative terminal of the spindle motor (3) as a detecting voltage level, a failure judgment unit (10) which judges whether or not the spindle motor (3) is at fault based on the detecting voltage level, and a disc determination means (12) which determines a type of the disc (2). The failure judgment unit (10) judges that the spindle motor (3) is at fault when the detecting voltage level becomes lower than a predetermined threshold level five times continuously during a start-up that the spindle motor (3) starts driving when the disc (2) is in stopped state while the disc determination means (12) determines the type of the disc (2). Consequently, the failure judgment unit (10) can accurately judge the failure in the spindle motor (3) without extending the start-up time.
US07656620B2
A lower shield layer has a substantially flat shape, and an upper shield layer has a front portion and a rear portion, where the front portion is disposed closer to the lower shield layer than the rear portion. A lower conductive electrode and an upper conductive electrode are disposed between the lower shield layer and the upper shield layer. The lower conductive electrode is electrically connected to the lower shield layer, and the upper conductive electrode is electrically connected to the upper shield layer. Since the lower and upper conductive electrodes are disposed between the upper and lower shield layers, each of the lower shield layer and the upper shield layer may be formed to have a small area and a simple shape.
US07656615B2
A method of forming a discrete track recording pattern on a soft magnetic underlayer of a perpendicular magnetic recording disk. In one embodiment, the soft magnetic underlayer is continuous throughout the discrete track recording pattern.
US07656613B2
A magnetic head comprises a pole layer, a shield layer, a gap layer disposed between the pole layer and the shield layer, and a coil. The shield layer incorporates: a first layer disposed on the gap layer; a second layer disposed on the first layer; and a third layer disposed on the second layer. The first layer has an end face located in a medium facing surface. An end face of each of the second and third layers closer to the medium facing surface is located at a distance from the medium facing surface. A first nonmagnetic layer is disposed around the first layer. A second nonmagnetic layer is disposed between the medium facing surface and the end face of the second layer closer to the medium facing surface.
US07656611B2
A perpendicular write head includes a main pole comprising high moment magnetic layers laminated with both soft magnetic layers and non-magnetic layers for antiferromagnetic coupling (AFC) between the high moment material layers. The perpendicular write head includes a return pole connected to the main pole by a back gap closure at a distal end and separated from the main pole by a gap at an air bearing surface (ABS). A write coil is positioned between the main pole and the return pole and the surface area of the return pole at the ABS is substantially larger than the surface area of the main pole at the ABS.
US07656609B1
A motor for use in a disk drive is disclosed. The motor includes a stator and a rotor. The rotor is rotably coupled to the stator and has an axis of rotation. The rotor includes a disk mounting hub. A plurality of bendable balancing tabs is attached to the rotor. The plurality of bendable balancing tabs includes at least three bendable balancing tabs disposed about the axis of rotation.
US07656607B1
A disk drive is disclosed operable to generate an actuator control signal for actuating a head over a disk. A memory address is used to read a first state k variable from a first state variable memory SVM1. The first state k variable is stored in a second state variable memory (SVM2) while processing the first state k variable to generate a first state k+1 variable. The first state k+1 variable is stored in the SVM2, and the memory address is assigned to the SVM2 so that the first state k+1 variable becomes a second state k variable and the first state k variable becomes a first state k−1 variable.
US07656601B1
A circuit for measuring resistance of a magnetoresistive head. First and second current biasing circuits are respectively coupled to opposite sides of the head. The first biasing circuit includes a first resistance, and the second biasing circuit includes a second resistance. First and second current mirrors are respectively coupled to the first and second biasing circuits. A current leg is coupled to the current mirrors. The current mirrors drive current in the resistances so that a first voltage across the first resistance is substantially equal and opposite to a second voltage across the second resistance. The biasing circuits bias current through the head such that a voltage on the first side of the head is close to the first voltage and a voltage on the second side of the head is close to the second voltage, so that the common mode voltage of the head will be close to zero.
US07656598B2
A recording density of a recording medium is set by establishing a predetermined relationship between guaranteed write/erase endurance values and recording density values for the recording medium, and then selecting a required guaranteed write/erase endurance. A recording density value corresponding to the required guaranteed write/erase endurance is determined from the predetermined relationship, and the recording density of the recording medium set based on the determined recording density value.
US07656594B2
A color image readout lens comprises, in order from an object side: a first group comprising a positive lens convex toward the object side and a biconcave negative lens; a stop; a second group comprising one diffractive optical element that has at least one flat surface and has a diffractive structure formed on the flat surface; and a third group comprising a biconvex positive lens and a negative lens concave toward the object side.
US07656592B2
An optical system is configured for projecting an image having a quasi-flat-topped intensity profile from a laser-beam having a Gaussian intensity profile. The optical system includes a diffraction limited lens for focusing the laser beam and one or more optical elements that introduce aberration into the beam before the beam is focused. The aberration introduced causes the Gaussian intensity profile to be changed to the quasi-flat-topped intensity profile at some position in a focal region of the diffraction-limited lens.
US07656589B2
An object is to provide: a zoom lens system that has a reduced overall length, a high resolution, and a variable magnification ratio as high as 9 or greater and that is satisfactorily adaptable for wide-angle image taking where the view angle at a wide-angle limit is 70° or greater; an imaging device employing this zoom lens system; and a thin and compact camera. The zoom lens system has a plurality of lens units each consisting of at least one lens element, and, in order from the object side to the image side, comprises a first lens unit having positive optical power, a second lens unit having negative optical power, a third lens unit having positive optical power, a fourth lens unit and a fifth lens unit. In zooming from a wide-angle limit to a telephoto limit at the time of image taking, at least the first lens unit and the second lens unit move in an optical axis direction, while the fourth lens unit and the fifth lens unit each consists of one lens element. An imaging device and a camera employ this zoom lens system.
US07656587B2
An exemplary projection lens system includes, in order from the magnification side to the reduction side thereof, a first lens with negative refraction power, a second lens with positive refraction power, a third lens with negative refraction power, and a fourth lens with positive refraction power. The projection lens system satisfies the formulae 3.71.41; where TT is a total length of the projection lens, f is an effective focal length of the projection lens system and BFL is a back focal length of the projection lens system.
US07656586B2
A rear-view mirror (3) for a motor vehicle is provided with a reflector layer (40) which is used to reflect light which impinges on the rear-view mirror (3) from a first viewing direction, a display layer (36) which is arranged behind the reflector layer (40) in relation to the viewing direction (41) and which is used to emit light, a quarter wave plate (74) which is arranged between the display layer (36) and the reflector layer (40) and a reflecting linear-polarisation layer (73) which is arranged between the display layer and the quarter wave plate (74).
US07656584B2
A composite lens structure is disclosed. The composite lens structure includes a diffusion plate and an optical structure formed on the diffusion plate. The optical structure includes a plurality of convex portions arranged in a 2-D matrix along a first direction and a second direction and a plurality of concave portions arranged in a 2-D matrix also along the first direction and the second direction. Each convex portion adjacent to a plurality of concave portions includes a low curvature portion and a high curvature portion higher than the low curvature portion. Each concave portion adjacent to a plurality of convex portions includes a low curvature portion and a high curvature portion lower than the low curvature portion. The convex portions, the concave portions and each junction of the convex portion and the concave portion have a curvature different from 0.
US07656582B2
An optical system includes multiple cubic crystalline optical elements and one or more uniaxial birefringent elements in which the crystal lattices of the cubic crystalline optical elements are oriented with respect to each other to reduce the effects of intrinsic birefringence and produce a system with reduced retardance. The net retardance of the system is reduced by the cancellation of retardance contributions from the multiple cubic crystalline optical elements and the uniaxial birefringent element. The optical system may be used in a photolithography tool to pattern substrates such as semiconductor substrates and thereby produce semiconductor devices.
US07656581B2
The invention concerns a transparent and polarizing viewing element (2) divided into several zones (2a, 2b). At least one of the zones (2a) is associated with a light polarizing filter. The light passing through the optical surface is affected differently for two of said zones (2a, 2b) depending on the polarizing direction of said light. The polarizing filter is obliquely oriented relative to a horizontal direction (H) in the operational position of the element (2; 5), with an angle between the filter orientation and said horizontal direction of 90 degrees and of 0 degree.
US07656580B2
A light diffusing sheet (21) including a main body. The main body is made of a transparent resin matrix material (211), and a plurality of first light diffusion particles (212) and a plurality of second light diffusion particles (213) dispersed in the transparent resin matrix material uniformly. A refractive index of the second light diffusion particles is greater than that of the first light diffusion particles. The light diffusing sheet has improved light diffusing capability.
US07656566B1
An image processing apparatus for outputting an image by a printer or a display is provided, in which color reproducibility in the image output of plural pages becomes uniform. The apparatus comprises an image memory for memorizing image data of all pages of one output job that is given to an output device, decision portion for deciding whether the image data of all pages are data within a color reproduction range of the output device or not. A color compression process is performed for the image data of all pages uniformly only when it is decided that the image data of all pages are not data within the color reproduction range of the output device.
US07656565B2
An additional motion is introduced into a scanning operation. This additional motion is in addition to the motion that is inherent in any document scanning operation. For example, in a flatbed scanner a linear array of scanning devices is positioned across the document in a first or “x” direction and this array is moved across the document in a perpendicular or “y” direction. In a flatbed scanner the position of the scanning devices are fixed in the “x” direction. In a drum scanner a light beam moves across the document in an “x” direction and the document is moved in the “y” direction. The light reflected from the document is directed to a fixed photoreceptor. With the present invention an additional vibratory motion is introduced into the scanning process. With a flatbed scanner the array of detector devices is moved or vibrated. The vibratory motion can for example be in the “x” direction. With a drum scanner the photoreceptor is moved or vibrated. For example the photodetector can be moved or vibrated in the “x” direction. The amount and direction of the vibratory movement can vary up to about one half the distance between units in the scanner's resolution (i.e. one half a pixel). If one is trying to eliminate Moire patterns the vibratory movement can be a pseudo random series of movements. If one is trying to introduce a special pattern into the document or to otherwise create special effects, various other type of motion can be used. Movement of the CCD array in a flatbed scanner or movement of the photoreceptor in a drum scanner can be done by a simple piezo electric transducer or by a simple mechanical cam.
US07656563B2
A method for controlling ON/OFF of LED in a scanner which replaces CCFL with LED as a light source is provided so as to solve the problem of excessively long warm-up time of CCFL in the prior art. Meanwhile, to achieve intermittent heat dissipation, LED is switched ON/OFF according to the frequency of the scanner receiving optical signals.
US07656562B2
The invention is related to an image reading apparatus which has a conveying unit which conveys an original (D), a first reading unit including a first reading section which reads one side of the original (D) conveyed by the conveying unit, a second reading unit (12) including a second reading section which reads the other side of the original conveyed by the conveying unit; and a moving mechanism (30) which displaces relative positions of the first reading unit and the second reading unit in an original conveyance direction by using driving force of a motor for driving the conveying unit.
US07656547B2
This invention is directed to a system and method for optimized routing of print jobs. The system and method comprise queuing print job data, selectively communicating the print job data to at least one of a plurality of associated printer devices so as to generate a printout therefrom, and receiving status data from at least one of the plurality of associated printer devices, which status data includes data representative of a commitment level of the at least one associated printer device relative to dominant print job requests. The system and method also comprise testing the status data against selected test criteria to determine whether at least one alternative associated printer device is desired for printing and selectively redirecting the print job data from a primary designated associated printer device to a secondary associated printer device in accordance with an output of the test means.
US07656544B2
A color printer 20 allocates all of the image processing memory resources for image processing on image data GD lined up in the main scanning direction of a print head IH, secures an amount of memory resources for each of the lined up image data GD, and releases the memory resources as the image processing completes. A CPU 51 secures image processing memory resources for an image datum 1 in the storage area of a RAM 53, and releases the secured memory resources when the image processing on the image datum 1 is complete. The CPU 51 repeatedly implements this processing on each image datum contained in one print job.
US07656531B2
A holding apparatus (40) for spectrum measurement of optical elements includes a fixed board (11) having a first through hole (111), and a receiving board (12) having a plurality of receiving holes (120) with different sizes configured for holding different optical elements. The receiving board is coupled to the fixed board and rotatable relative to the fixed board about a first axis. The receiving holes are centered on a first imaginary circle which is centered on the first axis. A distance between a center of the first through hole and the axis is equal to a radius of the first imaginary circle.
US07656530B2
A color density measuring device (10) for determining the color density of an ink layer applied to a printing material (22), having a light source (24) for illuminating the printing material (22) and a sensor for receiving the light remitted from the printing material (22), is characterized according to the invention in that the sensor is fashioned as a multicolor image sensor (12), and a device (14, 24, 26; 30) is provided with the aid of which the light incident at the multicolor image sensor (12) is restricted to at least one predetermined wavelength band.
US07656527B2
An apparatus and method for determining the concentration of chiral molecules in a fluid includes a first polarizer configure to polarize light in substantially a first plane to provide initially polarized light. A second polarizer is capable of polarizing the initially polarized light in a plurality of planes, at least one of the plurality of planes being different from the first plane, to provide subsequently polarized light. One or more receivers are included for measuring an intensity of the subsequently polarized light in one or more of the plurality of planes.
US07656525B2
Fiber optic surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic (SERS) systems (also referred to as “SERS system”), portable SERS systems, SERS probes, and methods of using the SERS systems and SERS probes to detect an analyte, are disclosed.
US07656515B2
Various apparatus and related methods are disclosed that are capable of detecting surface defects on an optical storage media. One example of an apparatus is configured to direct at least one light signal, which may be from one or more lasers, on an outer surface of an optical storage medium, such as a CD, DVD or the like, which includes encoded data. The light encounters both the optical storage media surface as well as any smudges, scratches, dents, or other defects thereon. Some or all of the light reflected from the defects and the surface are detected by one or more detectors, which may be a photodiode. The detector(s) produce an output signal commensurate with the detected reflected light, which output is processed to determine whether the encoded data may be accurately read from the optical storage media.
US07656506B2
A substrate handler for moving a substrate relative to a substrate table of a lithographic apparatus. The substrate handler comprises at least one support surface or platform adapted to carry a plurality of independent substrates simultaneously. The substrate handler adapted to load substrates onto and unload substrates from the substrate table before and after exposure.
US07656504B1
An exposure system is provided for illuminating a fine pattern that may have features extending along orthogonal first and second linear directions. An illumination source may be provided having decreased intensity portions at a center and defined along the first and second directions.
US07656503B2
An exposure apparatus including an illumination optical system to illuminate an original with exposure light of plural wavelengths, a projection optical system to project an image of a pattern of the original onto a substrate, an original-side reference pattern provided at an original side of the projection optical system, a substrate-side reference pattern provided at a substrate side of the projection optical system, and an image plane detecting system configured so that the original-side reference pattern is illuminated with the exposure light or light equivalent to the exposure light with respect to a wavelength component rate.
US07656498B2
A method of manufacturing a multi-display panel comprises mounting a plurality of display elements on a substrate, covering the substrate and the display elements with a glass cover having walls for partitioning each of the display elements; and cutting the substrate and the glass cover along the walls and separating the display elements to respectively form image units. Thus, the width of a connection portion between the image units is less than half of that in the conventional art and a display image formed by two separate images looks natural.
US07656497B2
Provided is a substrate for a liquid crystal display which is resistant to deformation. The substrate includes a flexible substrate, first and second barrier layers respectively disposed on first and second surfaces of the flexible substrate, and first and second hard coating layers respectively disposed on the first and second barrier layers.
US07656488B2
An LCD device includes liquid crystal molecules of n-type liquid crystal, and a viewing-angle control pixel controlling n-type liquid crystal in a pixel. The liquid crystal molecules are inclined in vertical and horizontal directions. The liquid crystal display device may control a viewing angle in vertical and horizontal directions without forming a white sub-pixel.
US07656483B2
A transreflective or “semi-transmissive” liquid crystal display (LCD) device of the vertical alignment (VA) type is disclosed. The VA-LCD device includes a pair of spaced-apart substrates with a layer of liquid crystal (LC) material sandwiched therebetween. The LCD device also includes a polarization plate provided on one of the substrates, another polarization plate on the other substrate, and a matrix of rows and columns of pixels formed between the substrates. Each pixel has a reflection part and a transmission part. The LC layer is variable in thickness so that its portion at the transmission part is thicker than a portion at the reflection part. At the reflection part, an internal retardation plate having an optical phase difference is disposed between the LC layer and its associated substrate. This plate forms an angle of about 45 degrees with the absorption axis of each polarization plate.
US07656480B2
A phase delay element includes a brightness enhancement layer intermediate a reflection layer and an artificial light. The brightness enhancement layer is defined by a first surface and an opposite second surface. The first surface faces the reflection layer. A first light from the artificial light is incident on the second surface. A phase of the first light is delayed by about ¼ phase (λ/4) so that a second light is emitted from the first surface toward the reflection layer. The second light is reflected from the reflection layer so that a third light is emitted from the reflection layer toward the first surface. A phase of the third light is delayed by about ¼ phase (λ/4) so that a fourth light is emitted from the second surface. Therefore, a portion of the artificial light, which is reflected from the reflection layer, is recycled to improve a luminance of an LCD apparatus.
US07656479B2
A pixel structure disposed on a substrate includes a gate, a patterned dielectric layer, a patterned semiconductor layer, a patterned metal layer, an overcoat layer and a transparent pixel electrode. The patterned dielectric layer and the gate covered thereby are disposed on the substrate. The patterned semiconductor layer on the patterned dielectric layer includes bumps and a channel above the gate. The patterned metal layer includes a source, a drain and a reflective pixel electrode connecting the drain. The source and the drain cover a portion of the channel. The reflective pixel electrode covers the bumps. The gate, the patterned dielectric layer, the patterned semiconductor layer and the patterned metal layer form a transistor on which the overcoat layer has a contact hole exposing a portion of the reflective pixel electrode. The transparent pixel electrode on the overcoat layer electrically connects the reflective pixel electrode through the contact hole.
US07656476B2
A liquid crystal display including a thin film transistor array substrate comprising sub-pixel regions, a color filter array substrate oppositely disposed to the thin film transistor array substrate, the color filter array substrate comprising color filters corresponding to at least a part of the sub-pixel regions, a liquid crystal layer formed between the color filter array substrate and the thin film transistor array substrate and a backlight unit configured to provide white light having an adjusted blue spectrum to a surface of the thin film transistor array substrate using at least a light emitting diode (LED) unit.
US07656475B2
A liquid crystal display (LCD) module includes a backlight module and an LCD panel. The backlight module has an illumination device for emitting at least a first, a second, and a third color light. The wavelength of the second color light is between 520 nm and 540 nm. The LCD panel is provided to display an image with the first, second and third color lights provided as light sources. The LCD panel includes a color filter having at least a first, a second, and a third filtering layer for filtering the first, second, and third color lights, respectively. The LCD panel also includes a liquid crystal layer disposed next to the color filter. The peak value of a transmission spectrum of the second filtering layer is between 520 nm and 540 nm, and the full width at half maximum of the transmission spectrum of the second filtering layer is between 90 nm and 120 nm.
US07656472B2
In a light source device, a row of fibers is provided in which a plurality of optical fibers is arrayed in a single row in parallel fashion separately from each other. A light-direction controller is disposed on one side of the optical fibers, main fibers is disposed above and below the light-direction controller, and a main fiber is disposed at the other end of the row of fibers. Light sources are connected to each of the end portions of the main fibers. Three types of mirrors that mutually differ in direction are formed on the surface of the light-direction controller, light emitted from a main fiber enters the optical fibers by way of a first mirror, and light emitted from a main fiber enters the optical fibers by way of a second mirror.
US07656457B2
An imaging apparatus that includes a device for discharging charge or F/E-IC for discharging charge accumulated in an imaging device or CCD and for canceling exposure in a discharging term of the charge. The imaging apparatus also includes a light shielding device or mechanical shutter unit for a mechanical shutter, which shields light by the mechanical shutter, and a control device or CPU block for hastening by a predetermined time the charge discharging term of the CCD in the discharging device and a light shielding timing of the mechanical shutter in the light shielding device, when a shutter speed for recording a subject is more than a predetermined time.
US07656448B2
An imaging apparatus, such as used in a digital camera or scanner, includes at least one photosensor chip. The chip includes subsystems thereon that control the integration periods of the photosensors according to different control data formats. A selector is used to adapt the chip to accept control data of a selected format consistent with a larger apparatus or system.
US07656447B2
The camera module according to the present invention includes a first diode for interrupting overcurrent generated by electrostatic discharge and flowing from an image sensor unit to a serial clock line, a second diode for interrupting the overcurrent generated by the electrostatic discharge and flowing from the image sensor unit to a serial data line, a first switch for cutting off the connection between the image sensor unit and the serial clock line when electric power is not supplied through power line, and a second switch for cutting off the connection between the image sensor unit and the serial data line when the electric power is not supplied through the power line.
US07656445B2
By mounting a camera to rotate with a rotating component to be viewed it is possible to review the whole component illuminated by a light source. Generally the component will be specifically marked with target markings to highlight its profile to allow images produced by the camera to be compared for distortion and displacement. Such in situ monitoring arrangements also allow profiling of the surface, and by projection of a grid or matrix onto a component surface any distortion in that matrix is indicative of variations in the surface or through use of astigmatic techniques variations in the incident image pattern can be utilized in order to determine distance variations.
US07656439B1
Portable docks are provided for use with a camera having a camera memory and a camera power supply. A dock has a dock memory, a dock power supply with sufficient power so that the camera power supply can be charged with at least sufficient power to enable the camera to perform completely at least one additional camera function, and an electrical connector adapted to engage a mating camera connector for data communication and power exchange therethrough. A control system enables the transfer of image related data between the camera memory and the dock memory. The dock memory, power supply, electrical connector, and control system are held by a body adapted to receive the camera so that the camera connector can engage the electrical connector.
US07656417B2
A method for determining the appearance of a pixel includes receiving fragment data for a pixel to be rendered; storing the fragment data; and determining an appearance value for the pixel based on the stored fragment data, wherein a portion of the stored fragment data is dropped when the number of fragment data per pixel exceeds a threshold value enabling large savings in memory footprint without impacting perceivably on the image quality. A graphics processor includes a rasterizer operative to generate fragment data for a pixel to be rendered in response to primitive information; and a render back end circuit, coupled to the rasterizer, operative to determine a pixel appearance value based on the fragment data by dropping the fragment data having the least effect on pixel appearance.
US07656409B2
In a many core system, receiving a call to a graphics driver; translating the call into a command executable on a core of the many core system; and executing the translated call on the core.
US07656405B1
A system and method for identifying a plurality of nodes for a circular layout, each of the plurality of nodes to be connected via an edge to at least one other of the plurality of nodes, fixing all of the plurality of nodes on a unit circle, except for one of the nodes, moving the unfixed node to a barycenter of the fixed plurality of nodes, projecting the unfixed node to the unit circle of the circular layout and displaying the circular layout.
US07656404B1
A system and method sets display characteristics of a workflow diagram of a launch screen associated with a software application. In one embodiment, the system and method receives user input regarding a configuration of the software application, determines at least one display characteristic of the workflow diagram based on the user input, and sets the display characteristics of a target element of the workflow diagram. The system and method identifies adjacent elements associated with the target element, determines display characteristics of the adjacent elements, and sets the display characteristics of the target element based on the display characteristics of the adjacent elements.
US07656403B2
Apparatus and systems, as well as methods and articles, may operate to store portions of a spherical image in a storage medium as a pair of triangles included in a convex quadrilateral. The triangles may form a portion of one or more substantially uniformly tessellated spherical surfaces.
US07656399B2
It is an object to provide a displaying apparatus for displaying a plurality of images quickly in a short time while guaranteeing high visibility. A displaying apparatus for sequentially updating and displaying a plurality of images includes: an image getting unit for getting a plurality of images which should be displayed in case of getting an instruction of updating and displaying the plurality of images at high speed; a cutting unit for cutting out a partial region of each of the plurality of image gotten by the image getting unit as a partial image; an image compositing unit for generating a first composite image by arranging a plurality of partial images of the number which can be displayed at one time out of the plurality of partial images cut out by the cutting unit and compositing the plurality of partial images and generating a second composite image by deleting one partial image of the plurality of partial images included in the first composite image and adding a second partial image which is not included in the first composite image; and a displaying unit for sequentially updating the composite image at a designated update speed to display the composite image.
US07656388B2
Method and apparatus for controlling vibrotactile sensations for haptic feedback devices. An actuator in a haptic feedback device includes a rotatable eccentric mass, and information is received at the haptic feedback device causing a drive signal. The drive signal controls the actuator to oscillate the mass in two directions about an axis of rotation of the actuator such that the oscillation of the mass induces a vibration in the haptic feedback device. The magnitude and frequency of the vibration can be independently controlled by adjusting a magnitude and a frequency, respectively, of the drive signal. The vibrations can also be provided in a bi-directional mode or uni-directional mode to provide the most efficient magnitude of the vibrotactile sensations. The haptic feedback device can be, for example, a gamepad controller receiving commands from a host computer providing a graphical environment.
US07656374B2
The method increases the output frame rate to p/q (p, q are both natural numbers and p>q) times of the input frame rate. In a period of time equal to the least common multiple of the input and output frame times, q input frames are output and (p−q) transient frames are generated and inserted at appropriate places before or after the q input frames in the output frame sequence so as to enhance the dynamic display effect of the display device.
US07656370B2
The invention relates to a method and a circuit arrangement for the ageing compensation of an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) which is fed from a supply voltage and is switched by means of a driver transistor operated in saturation operation, by means of a driving of the light-emitting diode. The method comprises the following steps of: storing at least one desired current-voltage value pair of a desired current-voltage characteristic curve of the light-emitting diode; transferring the driver transistor from saturation operation to linear operation during a measurement cycle; measuring a current value for the current through the light-emitting diode by means of a current measuring circuit in the measurement cycle; determining at least one present current-voltage value pair of a present current-voltage characteristic curve of the light-emitting diode by means of the measured current value; comparing the at least one present current-voltage value pair of the light-emitting diode with the desired current-voltage value pair of the light-emitting diode; and generating driving parameters for driving the light-emitting diode in a manner dependent on the result of the comparison.
US07656362B2
A “breathable” radome that has an air-permeable structure is disclosed. The air-permeable structure permits a relatively greater flow of cooling air to be drawn over the radiating elements of an air-cooling system that is used for the electronics that are being sheltered by the radome. The increase in cooling efficiency that results from the use of the breathable radome enables air-cooled systems to be used with relatively higher-powered electronics.
US07656359B2
An RF feed is provided which is structured as a curved reflector coupled to a sidewall of a waveguide cavity. A radiation source is situated facing the curved reflector. The RF feed may be coupled to a waveguide cavity having radiation elements coupled to top surface thereof, to thereby feed an antenna array. When an antenna array is used, several curved reflector RF feeds may be used, operating in the same or different frequencies.
US07656354B2
Disclosed is an antenna apparatus for a portable terminal which includes radiation elements received in a housing of the portable terminal; contact arms formed on the radiation elements; and feeding pads disposed on both surfaces of a printed circuit board, wherein the contact arms are in contact with the feeding pads. The contact arms respectively come in contact with each feeding pad. The pair of feeding pads is attached to the printed circuit board while the contact arms are provided on the radiation elements so as to come in contact with the each feeding pad, so that the antenna apparatus may satisfy operation criteria of wide and multi bands. In addition, the radiation elements are formed as a pair, one of which satisfies the operation criteria of double and triple bands and the other of which has resonance frequency of other bands, so that the operation criteria of the multi bands can be effectively achieved.
US07656342B2
A ground-penetrating radar comprises a software-definable transmitter for launching pairs of widely separated and coherent continuous waves. Each pair is separated by a constant or variable different amount double-sideband suppressed carrier modulation such as 10 MHz, 20 MHz, and 30 MHz Processing suppresses the larger first interface reflection and emphasizes the smaller second, third, etc. reflections. Processing determines the electrical parameter of the natural medium adjacent to the antenna.The modulation process may be the variable or constant frequency difference between pairs of frequencies. If a variable frequency is used in modulation, pairs of tunable resonant microstrip patch antennas (resonant microstrip patch antenna) can be used in the antenna design. If a constant frequency difference is used in the software-defined transceiver, a wide-bandwidth antenna design is used featuring a swept or stepped-frequency continuous-wave (SFCW) radar design.The received modulation signal has a phase range that starts at 0-degrees at the transmitter antenna, which is near the first interface surface. After coherent demodulation, the first reflection is suppressed. The pair of antennas may increase suppression. Then the modulation signal phase is changed by 90-degrees and the first interface signal is measured to determine the in situ electrical parameters of the natural medium.Deep reflections at 90-degrees and 270-degrees create maximum reflection and will be illuminated with modulation signal peaks. Quadrature detection, mixing, and down-conversion result in 0-degree and 180-degree reflections effectively dropping out in demodulation.
US07656341B2
A radar system comprises a transmitter that transmits a predetermined wideband signal, a digital receiver that records a returned signal using a one-bit ADC, a random noise source that is added to the transmitted or returned signal, a processing means where the received signal is distorted to compensate for the effect of the noise on the receiver. The predetermined wideband signal may be a pseudo random noise signal. The processing may include averaging prior to cross-correlation.
US07656327B2
This disclosure describes techniques for detecting or predicting saturation of an analog-to-digital converter. The techniques analyze digital samples following analog-to-digital conversion, and count occurrences of specific values associated with a subset of bits within the digital samples. The specific subset of bits that are used detect or predict saturation may vary depending on the analog-to-digital converter and the number of bits in the digital samples. However, the techniques avoid the need to consider every bit in the digital samples, and rely only on a subset of bits (one or more), which can simplify the counting algorithms used in the saturation detection or prediction. Upon identifying a probable saturation state of the analog-to-digital converter based on the counting, the techniques may de-boost the gain of an analog amplifier. This can effectively extend the dynamic range of the analog-to-digital converter.
US07656326B2
Embodiments of decoding systems and methods are disclosed. One system embodiment, among others, comprises a software programmable core processing unit having a context-adaptive binary arithmetic (CABAC) unit configured to execute a shader, the shader configured to implement CABAC decoding of a video stream and provide a decoded data output.
US07656318B2
A method and apparatus is disclosed herein for performing content-based and royalty-based encoding. In one embodiment, the method comprises: selecting one or more encoding tools to encode media based on a royalty cost associated with at least one of the one or more encoding tools and a corresponding decoding tool for each of the one or more encoding tools, decoded media quality that each corresponding decoding tool produces, and one or more transmission bandwidth constraints; encoding the media, in accordance with the media content, using the one or more encoding tools; and transmitting encoded data generated by at least one of the one or more encoding tools.
US07656316B2
A system and method of selecting a character for display in a communication device having a display and a reduced-key keyboard is provided. One of the plurality of keys on the reduced-key keyboard is selected and a default letter associated with the selected key is displayed. A backspace key is selected to display a cursor in the position of the character on the display. The key associated with the default character is selected again and an alternate character associated with the selected key is displayed in place of the default letter.
US07656311B2
A position tracking system for determining a position of a vehicle. The position tracking system invention includes at least two position-enabled mesh nodes mounted to the vehicle and a mesh network operatively associated with the at least two position-enabled mesh nodes mounted to the vehicle. The mesh network is configured to determine a position of the vehicle based on signals received from the at least two position-enabled mesh nodes mounted to the vehicle. The position tracking system also includes a display system, which is operatively associated with the mesh network and which displays the position of the vehicle.
US07656307B2
The disclosed subject matter aims to provide a vehicle lighting device and an LED light source therefore. Accurate temperature detection of an LED chip and associated phosphor can be monitored in real time. The LED light source can include at least one LED chip mounted on a base and a phosphor layer disposed adjacent the LED chip. A mixed particulate phosphor for generating fluorescence through light emitted from the above LED chip can also be provided. The LED light source can be configured to output mixed color light containing the light from the LED chip and the fluorescence from the phosphor. The LED light source can also include a temperature detecting element located on the base and LED chip to detect the temperature on the periphery of the LED chip.
US07656305B2
There is disclosed a monitoring system for monitoring alignment of a piston rod assembly of a reciprocating pump, such as those used to pump drilling mud in the oil and gas exploration and production industry. In one embodiment, a monitoring system is disclosed which is for a reciprocating pump (10) of a type comprising a fluid end component (20), a power end component (18), and a piston rod assembly (12) extending between the fluid and power end components. The monitoring system includes a number of sensors (52, 74) coupled to the piston rod assembly, for providing an output indicative that the piston rod assembly is experiencing bending stress, which occurs in the event that the piston rod assembly becomes misaligned, in use of the pump.
US07656300B2
The present invention relates to an integrated method and system for preventing and solving problems relating to pests of any kind on a site, in a building, in a process, installation or in an area. The system involves complete digitalizing and automation of all functions necessary in order to control the pests such as surveillance, registration, alarms, regulation and remedial actions as well as generating reports etc. The aim is to make the overall effort against the pests more effective by means of fully automating all processes to the furthest possible extent.
US07656291B2
Described is a boundary proximity determining system for wirelessly defining a boundary having a programmable shape and for indicating the occurrence of a rover unit traversing the boundary. The boundary proximity determining system includes a base station unit that generates a plurality of magnetic fields. The boundary proximity determining system also includes a rover unit that is responsive to the generated magnetic fields such that the rover unit defines the boundary in terms of the intensities and polarities of the magnetic fields. The rover unit determines whether the rover unit is within or outside the boundary by determining the current location of the rover unit in terms of the intensities and polarities of the magnetic fields and comparing the current location to the boundary.
US07656289B2
An apparatus for monitoring an inside of a manhole in which the inside of the manhole is monitored using a simple communication and power supply unit is closed. The apparatus comprises power cables installed inside a manhole, a connecting unit connecting the corresponding power cables, a monitoring communication control unit colleting maintenance information about the corresponding power cables and performing signal processing of the maintenance information, a power supply unit supplying power directly from the power cable or the connecting unit to the monitoring communication control unit, a signal injection unit digitalizing the maintenance information collected by the monitoring communication control unit and injecting the digitalized information into the power cable to transmit the maintenance information to a next manhole, and a signal receiver installed in the power cable or the connecting unit and receiving maintenance information transmitted via the power cable to input the received maintenance information to the monitoring communication control unit. Accordingly, a device and a communication line need not to be installed outside the manhole and a power line need not to be drawn out from the outskirts of a city and the inside of the manhole can be simply and conveniently monitored.
US07656283B2
A vehicle recognizing apparatus which does not require a sophisticated image processing function of a vehicle on a recognizing side and allows a recognized vehicle to be immediately and accurately recognized by a simple image processing system. A pair of first and second infrared markers on the left and right sides are, respectively, placed at a pair of left and right vehicle components. Furthermore, a third infrared marker is provided to form a virtual triangle which may be easily distinguished by a recognizing system from extraneous infrared light sources.
US07656279B2
A glass breakage detecting sensor includes a strain detecting portion by which breakage of a window glass, which is provided at a door of a vehicle, is detected based on changes of an amount of strain, and an attaching portion attached to at least one of an opening and closing mechanism, which freely movably supports the window glass, and an inner panel to which the opening and closing mechanism is arranged within the door, the opening and closing mechanism and the inner panel functioning as an attached portion.
US07656274B2
Face-to-face detection by infrared-ray communication is effective in grasping interaction between persons. However the problem here is that infrared rays have a high directivity and detection fails unless the persons face each other right in front. Sensor signals having a high directivity and sensor signals having a low directivity are obtained from a sensor terminal (TR) carried by a person. Firstly, information on relative position is obtained with a sensor (TRIR) of infrared rays or the like having a high directivity and an initial group is formed at an application server (AS). A feature amount such as sound that has a low directivity and can sense surrounding environmental information is extracted from among the terminals (TRs) belonging to the initial group by personal feature extraction (ASIF), correlation with terminals (TRs) not belonging to a group is obtained, and thereby whether or not those terminals (TRs) belong to an identical group is judged.
US07656268B2
A switch includes a body and a switch member pivotably engaged with the top opening of the body. A link has one end pivotably connected to a first end of the switch member and the other end of the link is movably received in a guide path is defined in the body. The second end of the link is located at an inner periphery of the guide path when the switch member is in “ON” position to let two contact points be in contact with each other, and a space is defined between the second end of the link and the outer periphery of the guide path so that the second end of the link is allowed to move toward the outer periphery when a contact portion is deformed upward when overloaded.
US07656265B2
An apparatus for establishing at least one turn for a magnetic circuit includes: (a) at least one first magnetic element oriented substantially about an axis generally between a first axial position and a second axial position; and (b) at least one second magnetic element coupled with at least one selected first magnetic element of the at least one first magnetic element generally at the second axial position. The at least one second magnetic element establishes at least one return magnetic path from the second axial position generally toward the first axial position. The at least one return magnetic path is generally about the axis.
US07656259B2
A method is proposed to manufacture a precise multi-pole magnetic component for using in magnetic encoders. A special layout of the circuit pattern is designed and formed on a printed circuit board (PCB). Alternate and regular magnetic field is induced according to Ampere's law after a current flowing through the circuit on the PCB. The multi-pole magnetic component with fine magnetic pole pitch is achieved by forming the high-density circuit patterns on a substrate using the PCB technology.
US07656256B2
Provided are three-dimensional microstructures and their methods of formation. The microstructures are formed by a sequential build process and include microstructural elements which are affixed to one another. The microstructures find use, for example, in coaxial transmission lines for electromagnetic energy.
US07656253B2
An apparatus in one example comprises a piezoelectric layer, an input transducer, an output transducer, and at least one electrode set. The input transducer is configured to convert an input signal from an input source to a surface acoustic wave and send the surface acoustic wave from an input portion of the piezoelectric layer to an output portion of the piezoelectric layer. The input transducer comprises a set of input passbands. The output transducer is configured to receive the surface acoustic wave from the output portion of the piezoelectric layer. The output transducer comprises a set of output passbands. The at least one electrode set is configured to apply at least one voltage bias to at least one portion of the piezoelectric layer to create an electric field that controls an acoustic velocity of the surface acoustic wave through the at least one portion of the piezoelectric layer. The at least one electrode set is configured to control one or more of the set of input passbands and the set of output passbands by adjustment of the at least one voltage bias.
US07656248B2
An equalizer is disclosed. The equalizer includes a filter, configured to receive the first transmission signal, to perform a filtering operation on the first transmission signal according to a feedback signal to generate an output signal; a first slicer, configured to generate a first sliced signal according to a signal level of the output signal and to adjust an amplitude of the first sliced signal according to an amplitude control signal; a boost control module, configured to generate the feedback signal according to the output signal and the first sliced signal; and a control circuit, configured to receive a second transmission signal on the transmission line and to output the amplitude control signal according to an amplitude of the second transmission signal.
US07656239B2
A multi-phase oscillator is provided. Said multi-phase oscillator includes a plurality of resonator stages series-connected in an ordered closed loop. Each stage is used for providing one or more oscillating voltages corresponding to an oscillating current. The oscillating current includes a natural current that is generated by the stage and one or more injected currents from a previous stage in the closed loop. The oscillating voltages provided by all the stages have substantially the same frequency; on the other hand, the oscillating voltages provided by each stage and the previous oscillating voltages provided by the previous stage have a corresponding phase difference. The oscillator further includes a coupler between each stage and the previous stage; the coupler is used for generating the injected currents according to the previous oscillating voltages. The coupler includes transconductance means for transforming one or more voltages corresponding to the previous oscillating voltages into one or more currents corresponding to the injected currents; the coupler further includes shifting means for shifting the phase of the injected currents according to the corresponding phase difference. The shifting means includes filtering means for filtering the previous oscillating voltages into one or more corresponding filtered oscillating voltages to be supplied to the transconductance means.
US07656236B2
A frequency synthesizer is disclosed. According to one embodiment, the frequency synthesizer includes an input terminal and an output terminal, a loop filter, a digital phase detector, and an analog phase detector. The digital phase detector includes a first input coupled to the input terminal, a second input coupled to the output terminal, and an output coupled to the loop filter, the digital phase detector is configured to operate at a first phase comparison frequency. The analog phase detector includes a first input coupled to the input terminal, a second input coupled to the output terminal, and an output alternating current (AC) coupled to the loop filter, the analog phase detector is configured to operate at a second phase comparison frequency. The first phase comparison frequency is different from the second phase comparison frequency.
US07656224B2
The buffer circuit includes a first transistor MP1 having a first end coupled to an output node N2 and a control node coupled to an input node N1; a second transistor MN2 coupled to a second end of the first transistor MP1; a third transistor MN1 coupled to the second transistor MN2 such that a current in the third transistor MN1 is mirrored to the second transistor MN2; a first sense device MP3 coupled to the output node N2; a first current source I2 coupled to the output node N2; a second current source I1 coupled to the third transistor MN1; a second sense device MP2 coupled to the third transistor MN1; and a bipolar device Q1 coupled to the output node N2 and having a base coupled to the second end of the first transistor MP1.
US07656221B2
A booster circuit includes a pump circuit that boosts a voltage supplied from a power supply and outputs the boosted voltage, and a pump controlling circuit that outputs a first clock signal for operating the pump circuit to control the operation of the pump circuit. The pump controlling circuit controls the pump circuit to reduce a number of active charge pump circuits according to an output signal of one of a first comparator and a second comparator, controls the pump circuit to reduce a frequency of a second clock signal for operating the active charge pump circuits by reducing a frequency of the first clock signal according to the other output signal of one of the first comparator and the second comparator, and brings the pump circuit into an inactive state according to an output signal of a third comparator.
US07656220B2
Disclosed are a semiconductor device capable of reducing the number of program fuses used therein, and a fuse circuit selection method capable of reducing the number of program fuses. The semiconductor device includes: a fuse circuit (11) and an entire inversion fuse circuit (12), each of which includes plural program fuses, and which store desired addresses based on cutting patterns of the plural program fuses, wherein the fuse circuit (11) and the entire inversion fuse circuit (12) are configured to be capable of storing addresses different from each other based on the same cutting pattern. As described above, since plural types of the cutting patterns of the program fuses exist even in the same address, the fuse circuit for use is appropriately selected, thus it is made possible to reduce the number of fuse elements to be cut as a whole. Thus, manufacturing cost of the semiconductor device can be reduced, and in addition, it is made possible to enhance reliability of the semiconductor device.
US07656210B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit that operates on multiple supply potentials including a first potential and a second potential that is higher than the first potential. The semiconductor integrated circuit includes a potential-lowering circuit operating on the second supply potential and including an N-channel MOS transistor that lowers the second supply potential applied to a gate thereof to output a lowered potential from a source thereof, a judging circuit operating on the potential outputted from the potential-lowering circuit and judging whether the first supply potential is high-level or low-level, and a buffer circuit outputting a control signal showing whether the first supply potential is fed based on judgment outputted from the judging circuit.
US07656209B2
This document discusses, among other things, output slew rate control. Methods and structures are described to provide slew rate control of an output driver circuit such as a DRAM output driver on a die. A selectable combination of series coupled transistors are configured as a parallel array of complementary inverter pairs to provide a divided voltage to a calibrator. The calibrator is configured to respond to a differential voltage to adjust the divided voltage such that the differential voltage is forced to zero. The calibrator outputs a plurality of discrete signals from an up/down counter to switch on and off the individual transistors of the parallel array to increase and decrease a collective current. In some embodiments, transistor channel currents are modulated to step-adjust a voltage based on a ratio associated with a static resistance. In various embodiments, the divided voltage is an analog voltage based on a resistance associated with trim circuitry.
US07656198B1
In one embodiment, an integrated device is disclosed. For example, in one embodiment of the present invention, a device comprises a logic control, and a combination differential driver coupled to the logic control, wherein the logic control receives a control signal for configuring the combination differential driver as a Low Voltage Differential Signaling (LVDS) driver or as a Transition Minimized Differential Signaling (TMDS) driver.
US07656196B2
N-valued re-circulating latches using n-valued reversible inverters with n>3 are disclosed. Latches using n-valued self-reversing inverters are provided; latches using n-valued universal inverters are provided; and latches using inverters which are not self-reversing or universal are also provided. A latch may use two individually controlled gates. It may also use one individually controlled gate. N-valued latches are provided wherein a state is represented by a signal being an independent instance of a physical phenomenon. A latch not using absence-of-signal as a state is also provided.
US07656185B2
A semiconductor IC device includes at least one IO port, a core logic, and at least one fail-safe IO circuit, the fail-safe IO circuit being coupled between the core logic and the IO port, wherein the fail-safe IO circuit is configured to receive a predetermined control signal and to maintain the IO port at a predetermined impedance with respect to the predetermined control signal.
US07656170B2
Disclosed is a method of inspecting a sample. The sample is scanned in a first direction with at least one particle beam. The sample is scanned in a second direction with at least one particle beam. The second direction is at an angle to the first direction. The number of defects per an area of the sample are found as a result of the first scan, and the position of one or more of the found defects is determined from the second scan. In a specific embodiment, the sample includes a test structure having a plurality of test elements thereon. A first portion of the test elements is exposed to the beam during the first scan to identify test elements having defects, and a second portion of the test elements is exposed during the second scan to isolate and characterize the defect.
US07656165B2
A method and apparatus for operating a multi-hot-cathode ionization gauge is provided to increase the operational lifetime of the ionization gauge in gaseous process environments. In example embodiments, the life of a spare cathode is extended by heating the spare cathode to a temperature that is insufficient to emit electrons but that is sufficient to decrease the amount of material that deposits on its surface or is optimized to decrease the chemical interaction between a process gas and a material of the at least one spare cathode. The spare cathode may be constantly or periodically heated. In other embodiments, after a process pressure passes a given pressure threshold, plural cathodes may be heated to a non-emitting temperature, plural cathodes may be heated to a lower emitting temperature, or an emitting cathode may be heated to a temperature that decreases the electron emission current.
US07656163B2
A remaining-capacity dispersion detecting apparatus for a battery pack having a plurality of cells includes a total voltage sensing section adapted to sense a total voltage which is a terminal voltage of the whole of battery pack; a storing section adapted to store a value of the total voltage when the battery pack becomes under unloaded condition from loaded condition; and a dispersion detecting section. The dispersion detecting section is adapted to detect a value of the total voltage at a time of activation before the battery pack becomes under the loaded condition from the unloaded condition, to compare the currently-detected total voltage value with the total voltage value previously stored by the storing section, and to detect a dispersion in respective remaining capacities of the plurality of cells in the case where a difference between the currently-detected total voltage value and the previously-stored total voltage value is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.
US07656151B2
An electronic package includes a printed circuit board having a primary side, and a secondary side. A component, having a main body, is attached to the primary side of the printed circuit board. A pad is attached to the main body of the component. The printed circuit board has an opening therein positioned near the pad.
US07656147B2
Example embodiments are directed to an apparatus and method for measuring a pulse width. A side-band signal generator may be configured to receive a given data pattern and output a side-band signal by modulating a pulse width of the received data pattern in a test mode. A phase detector may be configured to receive the side-band signal and a reference clock signal, and output a pulse signal corresponding to a phase difference between the received side-band signal and the reference clock signal. A charge pump may be configured to receive the pulse signal and output an output voltage by increasing or decreasing the output voltage based on the pulse signal. A pulse width measurer may be configured to receive the output voltage of the charge pump and determine whether pulses forming the side-band signal have appropriate widths based on whether the output voltage is included in a desired reference voltage range.
US07656139B2
A low-dropout voltage (LDO) regulator that creates a zero in the open loop gain using a relatively small-sized current control element to divert part of the supplied load current through a “zero” resistor before adding it to the output load. The main part of the output load is passed through a relatively large second current control element. A control signal generated by an error amplifier (e.g., an op-amp) is used to control the small current control element, but is passed through a boost zero compensating resistor before being applied to the large current control element. The voltage signal developed across the “zero” resistor mimics the magnitude and phase of a zero in the loop. This voltage signal is added to the loop gain by, for instance, using a bypass capacitor, and the resulting feedback signal is supplied to the error amplifier.
US07656137B2
In order to reduce the cost of a chopping converter supplying a continuous voltage at the terminals of a load (Z), a circuit with three windings (Lp, Ls1, Ls2) and a single magnetic core is proposed, according to the present invention, which enables the cost and the size of the circuit to be reduced. It is then necessary to add two diodes (D3, D4) to the circuit, but these elements are of low cost and of low size.
US07656114B2
A servo control apparatus for a linear motor comprises a position feedback device, a driver and a position compensating device that are connected with one another. The servo control apparatus is electrically connected to the linear motor. By such arrangements, it can not only improve the precision of the displacement of the linear motor, but also make the movement of the linear motor relatively smooth.
US07656106B2
There is provided a servo controller for synchronously controlling a master side drive source to drive one drive axis and a slave side drive source to drive the other drive axis. The servo controller includes a correction data calculation means for calculating correction data to correct a positional deviation of a slave side drive source according to a synchronization error which is a difference between a positional deviation of a master side drive source and a positional deviation of the slave side drive source, in which the correction data is added to the positional deviation of the slave side drive source.
US07656102B2
A discharge lamp lighting circuit includes a power supplying portion having a series resonant circuit containing transistors and a bridge driver, and a control portion for generating a control signal Sc1 to control a driving frequency of the bridge driver. The control portion has a sample hold portion for generating a constant control signal S1, a frequency follow-up control portion for generating a control signal S2 in such a manner that a phase difference between a voltage and a current in the series resonant circuit is approximately zero, and a power control portion for generating a control signal S3 in such a manner that a magnitude of an AC power approximates a steady value. The control signal S1 is selected from a time t3 to a time t4, the control signal S2 is selected from the time t4 to a time t5, and the control signal S3 sent from the power control portion 13 is selected as the control signal Sc1 after the time t5.
US07656098B2
An improved brightness control apparatus of a light bulb module replaces a portion of a conventional light bulb module brightness control apparatus by a signal receiving circuit, an amplification circuit and a failure protection circuit to maintain an even brightness of light emitted by each light bulb of the light bulb module of a lamp, so that the brightness of the light bulbs in the light bulb module will not be too dark or even not lit. The signal receiving circuit is provided for connecting an external remote control device for controlling the light bulb module. If the control circuit fails, the failure protection device can maintain a temporary illumination and an overall aesthetic look of the lamp. When the control circuit is operated normally, the total power consumption of the light bulbs of the light bulb module can comply with the normal rated standard of illumination equipments.
US07656096B2
A hybrid electronic ballast circuit includes a ballast control, half-bridge driver, and a power switch half-bridge in a single package. The ballast circuit includes a number of fault protections and safety features and is self-oscillating to drive a resonant circuit including a fluorescent lamp. Internal feedback and control signals are provided for a number of modes of operation, including startup, preheat, normal run mode and fault protection response mode. A voltage controlled oscillator adjusts the switching frequency of the switching half-bridge to maintain zero volt switching and minimum current switching. The entire ballast control may have only three external connections, and may be implemented in a TO220 package.
US07656094B2
An electronic transmitter or receiver employing electromagnetic radiation as a coded signal carrier is described. In the transmitter, the electromagnetic radiation is emitted from ultra-small resonant structures when an electron beam passes proximate the structures. In the receiver, the electron beam passes near ultra-small resonant structures and is altered in path or velocity by the effect of the electromagnetic radiation on structures. The electron beam is accelerated to an appropriate current density without the use of a high power supply. Instead, a sequence of low power levels is supplied to a sequence of anodes in the electron beam path. The electron beam is thereby accelerated to a desired current density appropriate for the transmitter or receiver application without the need for a high-level power source.
US07656089B2
A Tape Carrier Package (TCP) that is attachable to and detachable from a connector of a Printed circuit Board Assembly (PBA) of a plasma display apparatus that includes a plurality of electrodes, and a plasma display device including the same. The TCP includes an input portion that is attachable to and detachable from the PBA, an output portion that is attachable to and detachable from one of the plurality of electrodes of the plasma display apparatus, and at least one alignment mark, at least a portion of the alignment mark corresponding to or abutting an edge of the input portion.
US07656073B2
A driving device, small in size and light in weight, is to stabilize the position of a surface-deforming element while reducing the effect of gravity thus enabling stable transfer and positioning. The driving device is structured to hold a movable member integrated with a piezoelectric vibrator and a lens by a shaft provided at a tip of a spring extended from an inner surface to center of a passageway. The shaft extends through an opening formed in a protrusion of the movable member. By a tensile force of the spring, the movable member at its outer periphery is pulled radially and held. When applying a voltage with a waveform changing sharply to the piezoelectric vibrator, the movable member flexes maximally upward or downward to have a reduced diameter and an increasing acceleration thereby making a movement. Then, when a frictional force increases, the protrusion is held at a point where the movable member moves. Because of being held by a tensile force, the effect of gravity decreases and hence the movable member is stabilized in position relative to a direction of transfer.
US07656059B2
A system and method for transferring power from power sources to an AC power system are disclosed. Briefly described, one embodiment electrically couples an external AC power source to a first input power control (IPC) module that is rated at a first AC input power capacity and that is rated at a first direct current (DC) input power capacity, operates the first IPC module up to the first AC input power capacity in response to receiving AC power from an external AC power source, electrically couples an external DC power source to a second IPC module that is rated at a second AC input power capacity and that is rated at a second DC input power capacity, and operates the second IPC module up to the second DC input power capacity in response to receiving DC power from an external DC power source.
US07656052B2
The present invention provides a power converter that can be used to interface a generator (4) that provides variable voltage at variable frequency to a supply network operating at nominally fixed voltage and nominally fixed frequency and including features that allow the power converter to remain connected to the supply network and retain control during supply network fault and transient conditions. The power converter includes a generator bridge (10) electrically connected to the stator of the generator (4) and a network bridge (14). A dc link (12) is connected between the generator bridge (10) and the network bridge (14). A filter (16) having network terminals is connected between the network bridge (14) and the supply network. A first controller (18) is provided for controlling the operation of the semiconductor power switching devices of the generator bridge (14). Similarly, a second controller (46) is provided for controlling the operation of the semiconductor power switching devices of the network bridge (14). The first controller (18) uses a dc link voltage demand signal (VDC_GEN*) indicative of a desired dc link voltage to control the semiconductor power switching devices of the network bridge (10) to achieve the desired level of dc link voltage that corresponds to the dc link voltage demand signal (VDC_GEN*). The second controller (46) uses a power demand signal (P*) indicative of the level of power to be transferred from the dc link to the supply network through the network bridge (14), and a voltage demand signal (VTURB*) indicative of the voltage to be achieved at the network terminals of the filter (16) to control the semiconductor power switching devices of the network bridge (14) to achieve the desired levels of power and voltage that correspond to the power and voltage demand signals (P* and VTURB*).
US07656041B2
A technique for mounting a plurality of electronic parts on one surface of a wiring substrate is provided. A semiconductor device comprises a wiring substrate having connection pads disposed outside a parts mount; a plurality of electronic parts with the first surface having a plurality of electrodes and the second surface fixing; a first underlying insulation layer provided between the connecting pads and the electrodes; a first metal layer formed overlaid on the first underlying insulation layer and providing connections between the connecting pads and the electrodes; a second underlying insulation layer having electrically insulating properties, provided between the respective electrodes of adjacent electronic parts; a second metal layer formed overlaid on the second underlying insulation layer and providing connections between the respective electrodes of adjacent electronic parts; and a first surface insulation layer covering the first metal layer and a second surface insulation layer covering the second metal layer.
US07656037B2
An integrated circuit arrangement is disclosed. In one embodiment, the integrated circuit arrangement includes at least three conductive structures levels and elongated interconnects.
US07656030B2
Heating elements different in heat generating timing are laminated in a stacked state, and the heating element close to a wiring substrate is allowed to function as a heat diffusion plate for another heating element.
US07656029B2
In a package, a heat slug, encapsulated by molding compound, encases an integrated circuit device (IC). In an example embodiment, a semiconductor package structure comprises a substrate having conductive traces and pad landings. The conductive traces have pad landings. An IC is mounted on the substrate. The IC has bonding pads. With conductive wires, the IC bonding pads are connected to the pad landings, which in turn, are connected to the conductive traces. A heat slug, having predetermined height, is disposed on the substrate surface. The heat slug includes a plurality of mounting feet providing mechanical attachment to the substrate. A cavity in the heat slug accommodates the IC. A plurality of first-size openings surrounds the IC. A second-size opening constructed from one of the first size-openings, is larger than the first-size opening. The second size-opening facilitates the introduction of molding compounds into the cavity of the heat slug.
US07656024B2
A chip module is disclosed. It includes a circuit substrate, a semiconductor die comprising a power transistor mounted on the circuit substrate, and a passive electronic component. The passive electronic component is in electrical communication with the semiconductor die, and is in thermal communication with the semiconductor die.
US07656021B2
An integrated circuit package system includes providing a substrate having a bond finger thereon and forming a pedestal on a portion of the bond finger. A first die is mounted on the substrate and adjacent to the bond finger. A portion of the first die, a portion of the bond finger, and a portion of the pedestal are embedded in an resin layer with an exposed portion of the pedestal protruding from the resin layer. A second die is mounted on the first die and electrically coupled to the exposed portion of the pedestal.
US07656020B2
A packaging conductive structure for a semiconductor substrate and a method for forming the structure are provided. The dielectric layer of the packaging conductive structure partially overlays the metallic layer of the semiconductor substrate and has a receiving space. The lifting layer and conductive layer are formed in the receiving space, wherein the conductive layer extends for connection to a bump. The lifting layer is partially connected to the dielectric layer. As a result, the conductive layer can be stably deposited on the edge of the dielectric layer for enhancing the reliability of the packaging conductive structure.
US07656006B2
An antifuse circuit includes a terminal, an antifuse transistor, and a bias transistor. The antifuse transistor is formed on a substrate. The antifuse transistor is coupled to the terminal and includes a first gate terminal coupled to receive a first select signal. The bias transistor is coupled between the substrate and a bias voltage terminal. The bias transistor has a second gate terminal and is operable to couple the bias voltage terminal to the substrate responsive to an assertion of a bias enable signal at the second gate terminal.
US07655995B2
A semiconductor device using a MEMS technology according to an example of the present invention comprises a cavity, a lower electrode provided in a lower part of the cavity, an actuator provided in an upper part or inside of the cavity, an upper electrode connected to the actuator, and a conductive layer in contact with the lower electrode outside the cavity via a contact hole whose bottom face is provided above an upper face of the lower electrode in the cavity.
US07655994B2
A semiconductor structure, particularly a pFET, which includes a dielectric material that has a dielectric constant of greater than that of SiO2 and a Ge or Si content of greater than 50% and at least one other means for threshold/flatband voltage tuning by material stack engineering is provided. The other means contemplated in the present invention include, for example, utilizing an insulating interlayer atop the dielectric for charge fixing and/or by forming an engineered channel region. The present invention also relates to a method of fabricating such a CMOS structure.
US07655992B2
The invention is directed to providing a resistor with high reliability. The invention is also directed to miniaturizing a semiconductor device having a MOS transistor and a resistor element on the same semiconductor substrate. An N-type well region is formed in a front surface of a P-type semiconductor substrate, and a P−-type resistor layer is formed in a front surface of the well region. A conductive layer is annularly formed on the well region so as to surround the resistor layer. A predetermined voltage is applied to the conductive layer and a channel is not formed under the conductive layer during normal operation, thereby isolating a pull-down resistor from the other elements (e.g. a P-channel type MOS transistor). The resistor layer and an element isolation insulation film do not contact each other. Both the PMOS and the pull-down resistor are formed in one region surrounded by the element isolation insulation film.
US07655990B2
The present invention proposes a voltage-clipping device utilizing a pinch-off mechanism formed by two depletion boundaries. A clipping voltage of the voltage-clipping device can be adjusted in response to a gate voltage; a gap of a quasi-linked well; and a doping concentration and a depth of the quasi-linked well and a well with complementary doping polarity to the quasi-linked well. The voltage-clipping device can be integrated within a semiconductor device as a voltage stepping down device in a tiny size, compared to traditional transformers.
US07655989B2
A semiconductor structure and its method of fabrication include multiple finFETs with different vertical dimensions for the semiconductor fins. An implant species is implanted in a bottom portion of selected semiconductor fins on which reduced vertical dimension is desired. The bottom portion of the selected semiconductor fins with implant species is etched selective to the semiconductor material without the implanted species, i.e., the semiconductor material in the top portion of the semiconductor fin and other semiconductor fins without the implanted species. FinFETs with the full vertical dimension fins and a high on-current and finFETs with reduced vertical dimension fins with a low on-current thus results on the same semiconductor substrate. By adjusting the depth of the implant species, the vertical dimension of the semiconductor fins may be adjusted in selected finFETs.
US07655983B2
An SOI FET device with improved floating body is proposed. Control of the body potential is accomplished by having a body doping concentration next to the source electrode higher than the body doping concentration next to the drain electrode. The high source-side dopant concentration leads to elevated forward leakage current between the source electrode and the body, which leakage current effectively locks the body potential to the source electrode potential. Furthermore, having the source-to-body junction capacitance larger than the drain-to-body junction capacitance has additional advantages in device operation. The device has no structure fabricated for the purpose of electrically connecting the body potential to other elements of the device.
US07655978B2
A semiconductor structure including a substrate, a first well, a second well, a third well, a first doped region, and a second doped region. The substrate includes a first conductive type. The first well includes a second conductive type and is formed in the substrate. The second well includes the second conductive type and is formed in the first well. The third well includes the first conductive type, is formed in the substrate, and neighbors the first well. The first doped region includes the first conductive type and is formed in the first well. The second doped region includes the first conductive type and is formed in the first well. The first well surrounds all surfaces of the first and the second doped regions.
US07655964B1
A programmable junction field effect transistor (JFET) with multiple independent gate inputs. A drain, source and a plurality of gate regions for controlling a conductive channel between the source and drain are fabricated in a semiconductor substrate. A first portion the gate regions are coupled to a first gate input and a second portion of the gate regions are coupled to a second gate input. The first and second gate inputs are electrically isolated from each other. The JFET may be programmed by applying a programming voltage to the first gate input and operated by applying a signal to the second gate input.
US07655941B2
A phase change memory device comprising a substrate. A plurality of bottom electrodes isolated from each other is on the substrate. An insulating layer crosses a portion of the surfaces of any two of the adjacent bottom electrodes. A pair of phase change material spacers is on a pair of sidewalls of the insulating layer, wherein the pair of the phase change material spacers is on any two of the adjacent bottom electrodes, respectively. A top electrode is on the insulating layer and covers the phase change material spacers.
US07655939B2
A nonvolatile memory cell, a memory device and a corresponding production method are disclosed. In one embodiment, a memory material region is in this case provided as memory element between a first electrode device and a second electrode device. The memory material region can be activated by means of at least one species. The memory material region is formed with or from a nanostructure.
US07655938B2
A phase change memory may be made of a chalcogenide material having a U-shape. The U-shaped chalcogenide may transition between amorphous and crystalline phases in an upper part of a vertical portion thereof. As a result, in some embodiments, self-heating may be achieved without the need for a heater, and without the need for glue in some cases.
US07655934B2
A light-emitting device includes a plurality of ultra-small resonant structures, each of said structures constructed and adapted to emit electromagnetic radiation (EMR) at a particular wavelength when a beam of charged particles is passed nearby. A combiner mechanism constructed and adapted to combine data from a data source with the EMR emitted by at least one of the ultra-small resonant structures.
US07655932B2
Techniques for providing ion source feed materials are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a container for supplying an ion source feed material. The container may comprise an internal cavity to be pre-filled with an ion source feed material. The container may also comprise an outer body configured to be removably loaded into a corresponding housing that is coupled to an ion source chamber via a nozzle assembly. The container may further comprise an outlet to seal in the pre-filled ion source feed material, the outlet being further configured to engage with the nozzle assembly to establish a flow path between the internal cavity and the ion source chamber. The container may be configured to be a disposable component.
US07655930B2
An exemplary ion source for creating a stream of ions has a chamber body that at least partially bounds an ionization region of the arc chamber. The arc chamber body is used with a hot filament arc chamber housing that either directly or indirectly heats a cathode to sufficient temperature to cause electrons to stream through the ionization region of the arc chamber. A seals has a ceramic body having an outer wall that abuts the arc chamber body along a circumferential outer lip. The seal also has one or more radially inner channels bounded by one or more inner walls spaced inwardly from the outer wall.
US07655922B2
Techniques for confining electrons in an ion implanter are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as an apparatus for confining electrons in an ion implanter. The apparatus may comprise a first array of magnets and a second array of magnets positioned along at least a portion of a beam path, the first array being on a first side of the beam path and the second array being on a second side of the beam path, the first side opposing the second side. At least one magnet in the first array may have a pole facing an opposite pole of a corresponding magnet in the second array.
US07655912B2
A direction finding radiation detector for detecting the direction of incidence of radioactive rays, comprising: a plurality of scintillators (41, 42, 43) (101, 102, 103) made of the same material, being arranged to overlap circumferentially at least in part so that they are shadowed by each other from radioactive rays incident in circumferential directions and so that light emitted from one of the scintillators is not incident on the other scintillators; and photoreceptor devices (51, 52, 53) (111, 112, 113) having light receiving surfaces optically coupled to the respective scintillators, wherein a combination of proportions of radioactive rays incident directly on the respective scintillators and radioactive rays incident indirectly thereon, being shadowed by the other scintillators, varies with the direction of incidence circumferentially. This achieves weight saving of the detector, improves the detection efficiency of the radioactive rays, elaborates detection information through measurements in half the circumferential directions or all the circumferential directions, and simplifies setting for improved operability.
US07655910B2
A gas concentration measuring apparatus utilizing a gas correlation method capable of measuring concentrations of a plurality of analyte gases simultaneously and at high sensitivity uses an infrared light source (2) such as an infrared semiconductor diode or a quantum cascade semiconductor laser to increase the intensity of collimated infrared light (5) and to lessen infrared light unnecessary for measurement, thereby improving the S/N ratio while achieving a rise in sensitivity. A plurality of analyte gases are simultaneously measured by means of a gas correlation filter comprising a reference gas cell (6a) filled with all of the analyte gases and a plurality of probe gas cells (6b) each individual of which is filled with all such analyte gases other than one of the analyte gases which is of its particular interest.
US07655904B2
A target workpiece inspection apparatus comprises an optical image acquiring unit to acquire an optical image of a target workpiece, a reference image generating unit to generate a reference image to be compared, a difference judging unit to judge whether an absolute value of difference between pixel values of the images in each pixel at a preliminary alignment position between the images is smaller than a threshold value, a least-squares method displacement calculating unit to calculate a displacement amount displaced from the preliminary alignment position, by using a regular matrix for a least-squares method obtained from a result judged, a position correcting unit to correct an alignment position between the optical image and the reference image to a position displaced from the preliminary alignment position by the displacement amount, and a comparing unit to compare the optical image and the reference image whose alignment position has been corrected.
US07655903B2
An ion cyclotron resonance cell has at least one trapping electrode comprised of electrically isolated sections that are used for the detection of an induced ion image signal. Such an arrangement increases the sensitivity of image signal detection without a significant increase in the amplitude of parasitic harmonics. When a multielectrode detection arrangement is used, the resolving power of an analyzer incorporating such a cyclotron resonance cell multiplies without a corresponding sensitivity loss.
US07655901B2
A mobile communication device having a keyboard with a set of keys representing alpha-numeric characters, the keyboard comprising a light source, located within said mobile communication device; for providing a light; a set of sensors, associated with said keys, for sensing an amount of said light in a vicinity of each of said set of sensors, to determine which of said set of keys has been selected; and a transparent flat cover, overlying said set of sensors, displaying said set of alpha-numeric characters, for associating said set of alpha-numeric characters with said set of sensors.
US07655900B2
An influence on a sensor output is suppressed to a minimum degree even in the case when there is a ripple in a light source, thereby improving the measurement accuracy. In an intensity modulation type optical sensor, light from a light source 1 is guided to a sensor head 6, the intensity of the light is modulated on the basis of an alternating current (AC) measured object (for example, a current i) changing with time, the modulated light is received in a light receiving element 81 and converted into an electrical signal, and a normalized received signal Xs indicating a degree of modulation is acquired from a ratio of an AC component As and a DC component Ds of the electrical signal to thereby acquiring a value of the AC measured object. Further in this invention, a reference signal Vr is acquired by separating and receiving part of light incident on the sensor head 6, a normalized reference signal Xr is acquired from a ratio of an AC component Ar and a DC component Dr of the reference signal, and the normalized reference signal Xr is subtracted from the normalized received signal Xs, thereby reducing noises and improving the accuracy.
US07655897B2
A system and method for performing an optical tracking operation computes a translated movement value of a displacement values using a relationship between a reference displacement value derived using a reference surface and a corresponding displacement value using a target surface. The displacement value is produced using image correlation by optically sensing the target surface. The translated movement value is used for the optical tracking operation.
US07655895B2
Land-based vehicle including an arrangement for monitoring objects in or about a vehicle which includes a source from which illumination is emitted into an area in or about the vehicle, a receiver arranged to receive illumination reflected from an object in the path of the illumination, a light-regulating component arranged in front of the receiver to regulate reception of illumination by the receiver, and circuitry coupled to the source, the receiver and the light-regulating component. The light-regulating component is modulated to enable a determination of a distance between an object from which the illumination has been reflected and the receiver. The circuitry obtains information about objects from which the received illumination has been reflected other than distance information and associates with the objects distances between the objects and the receiver. This improves the ability to control vehicular systems based on the presence of objects in or about the vehicle.
US07655893B2
An image sensor is formed with shifts among the optical parts of the sensor and the photosensitive parts of the sensor. The optical parts of the sensor may include a color filter array and/or microlenses. The photosensitive part may include any photoreceptors such as a CMOS image sensor. The shifts allow images to be formed even when the light received at a given pixel location varies in angle of incidence as a function of pixel location within the array. The relative shifts among the pixel components may be, for example, plus or minus some fraction of the pixel pitch. The shift may be variable across the array or may be constant across the array and may be deterministically determined.
US07655886B2
When a heating plate performs heat treatment on a substrate by a wireless wafer provided with a temperature detecting portion, a storing portion and a controller, the temperature of the heating plate is measured readily and accurately while suppressing lowering of a heating operation efficiency due to a measuring operation. A temperature measurement start instruction is provided to the controller of the wireless wafer at a position in a wireless wafer carrier, and thereby the wireless wafer starts temperature detection to store time-series data of the detected temperature value in the storing portion. The wireless wafer is transferred to a heating unit through a predetermined transfer path. Based on a transportation time required for placing the wireless wafer on the heating plate and the time-series data of the detected temperature value in the storing portion, the time-series data of the detected temperature value obtained after the wireless wafer is placed on the heating plate is fetched.
US07655882B2
An apparatus and method for producing an authentication certification for a gemstone, having a processor, a database coupled to the processor, in which are stored data defining laser micro-inscriptions and physical characteristics of a plurality of gemstones, a graphic user interface (GUI) for interacting with and controlling the processor, and a computer output device, presenting in human readable form, information from the database describing for a respective gemstone the laser micro-inscription and physical characteristic information. The output is suitable for authentication of a presumptive gemstone. A corresponding method generates data for the database from the gemstone, and/or authenticates a laser-microinscribed gemstone based on previously stored data.
US07655879B2
A method for producing permanent integral connections of oxide-dispersed metallic materials by welding. The materials or components to be connected are overlapped to form an overlapping region in a joining region of the overlapping region. The materials or components are heated below the melting temperatures of the materials and are welded to at least partially form a diffusion bond by a welding method. A noble metal foil may be between the components to be connected. The diffusion bond is heated subsequently to a temperature below the melting temperature of the materials or components and the bond is mechanically recompacted by hammering.
US07655878B2
Disclosed is a key sheet having a base sheet equipped with a hard resin plate and a key sheet manufacturing method, wherein a reduction is achieved in the thickness of the base sheet and in the effort and cost for the molding. Further, accurate depressing operation is realized without impairing the outward appearance of the key sheet. The key sheet has a hard base plate having a communicating groove connecting through-holes with each other. The communicating groove has a connecting portion formed so as to be continuous and integral with operating portions formed respectively at the through-holes. Thus, there is no need to form inlets for a rubber-like elastic material respectively corresponding to the through-holes in the mold. As a result, the mold structure can be simplified to thereby achieve a reduction in cost. Further, since the entire front or back surface of the hard base plate is not covered with the rubber-like elastic material, it is possible to achieve an overall reduction in the thickness of the base sheet.
US07655877B2
An air circuit breaker having a mechanical trip indicating mechanism, in an air circuit breaker including a switching mechanism, an actuator having an output link for providing a mechanical driving force, a first link unit connected between the output link of the actuator and the switching mechanism for applying the mechanical driving force from the output link to the switching mechanism to perform a trip operation, a front surface plate provided with a manipulating unit accessible by a user, the air circuit breaker comprising: a first rotation lever connected to the first link unit, a second link unit limitedly moved by the first rotation lever, a bias spring for applying an elastic biasing force to the second link unit to be moved in one direction, a second rotation lever installed to be rotatable with coming in contact with one end portion of the second link unit, and a mechanical trip indicating mechanism supported by the front surface plate and having an indicating portion exposed to the front surface plate to indicate the tripped state of the air circuit breaker and a driving force receiving portion contacted with the second rotation lever to receive a driving force from the second rotation lever to expose the indicating portion.
US07655876B2
A device for sensing the position of a contact carrier of a contact includes a housing, a sensor supported by the housing and a latch that is movable by the contact carrier. The latch has a latch member located in proximity to the sensor and that is generally non-reflective. The sensor is configured to sense a presence or an absence of the latch member at one particular location depending upon the position of the contact carrier. A method of sensing position of a contact carrier of a contact module is also presented.
US07655869B2
A flex-rigid wiring board has an insulative adhesive interposed between portions, lapping over each other, of the rigid and flexible substrates; and the interconnecting electrode pads on the rigid and flexible substrates are electrically connected to each other through a conductor lump penetrating the insulative adhesive, thereby providing lowered inductance in the high-frequency band, shortened signal-delay time, reduced noise generation due to signal reflected-wave, reduced drop impact, high connection reliability and high freedom of wire connection, and the wiring board can advantageously be manufactured with a reduced cost and a high yield.
US07655859B2
In order to deliver the current generated by means of photovoltaic solar elements, the invention proposes a connector for a solar module that is accommodated in a connector housing and can be connected to the solar elements. The solar elements are interconnected by means of flat connecting lines and embedding in a translucent sandwich panel. The current is delivered through an opening in one of the sheets of the sandwich panel by means of springable contact elements that are in electric contact with the connecting lines of the solar elements.
US07655853B1
A device relieves the weight on the thumbrest of a woodwind instrument that does not have a curved neck near the mouthpiece, thereby avoiding muscular strain and soreness in the right hand and thumb of the instrument player without altering negatively the instrument playing in the conventional ways. This device includes a strap 20 that suspends on the player's chest an enclosure 30 housing a constant-force spring 34 coupled with a coil of cord 40 which terminates outside of this enclosure in a snap-hook 60 that is secured onto the thumbrest ring 70 of the instrument. In usual playing positions that point the instrument to the ground, the device creates a physical force component on the thumbrest in line with but opposite to the weight of the instrument on the thumbrest and thus diminishes in a perceivable manner the stress of the instrument weight on the right-hand of the player.
US07655838B2
Novel insect inhibitory proteins are disclosed comprising two different components, both of which are required for biological activity. Various methods of linking both components together, so that a single protein provides insect inhibitory activity, are disclosed. Also disclosed are novel Bacillus thuringiensis nucleic acid sequences encoding Coleopteran-inhibitory crystal proteins, designated tIC100 (29-kDa) and tlC101 (14-kDa). Also disclosed are methods of making and using nucleic acid sequences in the development of the transgenic plant cells containing the novel nucleic acid sequences disclosed herein.
US07655830B2
The present invention relates to superabsorbent polymer particles having functionalizers covalently bound to the surface of precursor superabsorbent polymer particles.The functionalizers of the present invention comprise a grafting unit with a radiation activatable group and a functional unit covalently bound to the grafting unit. The grafting unit is bound to an aliphatic C—H group comprised at the surface of the precursor superabsorbent polymer particle. The functional unit comprises chemical structures which are not present in the precursor superabsorbent polymer particle. These functional units add an additional function to the precursor suberabsorbent polymer particle or modifying an existing function of the precursor superabsorbent polymer particle.Moreover, the invention relates to a process for making these superabsorbent polymer particles.
US07655826B2
This invention relates to a method of making an olefin from a dialkyl ether comprising (a) introducing an ether having a formula CxH2x+1CyH2y+1 into a thermal or catalytic cracking unit processing a hydrocarbon feedstock; and (b) decomposing at least a portion of the ether to form an olefin having a formula CxH2x and/or CyH2y and an alcohol having a formula CxH2x+1 and/or CyH2y+1OH, wherein x and y independently range from about 1 to about 30. This invention also relates to a method of reducing coking in a thermal or catalytic cracking unit comprising (a) introducing an ether, having a formula CxH2x+1OCyH2y+1, into the cracking unit processing a hydrocarbon feedstock in an amount effective to reduce coke formation relative to processing the hydrocarbon feedstock in the absence of the ether, wherein x and y independently range from about 1 to about 30.
US07655824B2
The alkylation of aromatic compound with acyclic mono-olefin is effected at low aromatic compound to mono-olefin ratios with reduced co-production of heavies. In the processes a small crystal, acidic FAU molecular sieve is used as a catalyst under alkylation conditions. This invention also relates to catalysts containing small crystal, acidic FAU molecular sieve and at least one other acidic catalytic component.
US07655823B2
A process is provided for the production of xylenes from reformate. The process is carried out by methylating the benzene, toluene, or both present in the reformate to produce a resulting product having a higher xylenes content than the reformate. Greater than equilibrium amounts of para-xylene can be produced by the process.
US07655812B2
Dimethylchlorosilane is prepared by reacting 1,2-tetramethyldichlorodisilane with hydrogen chloride in the presence of a catalyst mixture of a) palladium, b) a tertiary amine, and c) a tertiary phosphine having at least one phenyl group having at least one functional group other than hydrogen. The catalyst does not lose its activity upon contact with hydrogen chloride at low temperatures and ensures production of dimethylchlorosilane in high yields.
US07655802B2
PDE4 inhibition is achieved by novel compounds, e.g., aminoindazole and aminobenzofuran analogs. The compounds of the present invention are of Formulas I and II: wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R7 and R8 are as defined herein.
US07655795B2
The present invention relates to a new process for the preparation of compounds of general formula (I) which are inhibitors of purine nucleoside phosphorylases (PNP), purine phosphoribosyltransferases (PPRT), 5′-methylthioadenosine phosphorylases (MTAP), 5′-methylthioadenosine nucleosidases (MTAN) and/or nucleoside hydrolases (NH). The present invention relates to a new process for the preparation of compounds of general formula (I) which are inhibitors of purine nucleoside phosphorylases (PNP), purine phosphoribosyltransferases (PPRT), 5′-methylthioadenosine phosphorylases (MTAP), 5′-methylthioadenosine nucleosidases (MTAN) and/or nucleoside hydrolases (NH).
US07655794B2
The invention provides an improved method for the purification of nucleic acid molecules, which method comprises generating a cellular lysate containing the nucleic acid; contacting the lysate with an anion exchanger bound to a solid support matrix under conditions such that the anion exchanger binds the nucleic acid; followed by eluting the nucleic acid from the anion exchanger with an aqueous mobile phase comprising an elution solution; and desalting the eluted nucleic acid such that it is suitable for downstream applications. The improvement of the method includes providing the anion exchanger in a packed column, wherein the column is packed using a salt solution containing an antimicrobial agent. In addition, the salt solution has a salt concentration similar to that of the lysate, such that the column does not need equilibration prior to sample loading.
US07655788B2
Efficient sequence specific gene silencing is possible through the use of siRNA technology. By selecting particular siRNAs by rational design, one can maximize the generation of an effective gene silencing reagent, as well as methods for silencing genes. Methods, compositions, and kits generated through rational design of siRNAs are disclosed including those directed to DDIT4.
US07655786B2
The present invention provides a method of screening for the purpose of obtaining gene expression modulating elements and gene insulator elements. The invention includes a method of identifying gene expression modulating elements and gene insulator elements through use of the following steps: a) locating intergenic regions of a plant genome that are flanked by a gene on each side that have differing gene expressions b) taking that intergenic region or a portion of that intergenic region and adding it to a cassette comprising an isolated gene c) introducing the cassette into a plant cell d) analyzing expression of the isolated gene. The present invention also includes identified sequences that act as gene expression modulating elements.
US07655764B2
The present invention concerns compositions of matter, for example, but not limited to, modified antibodies, in which one or more biologically active peptides are incorporated into a loop region of a non-terminal domain of an immunoglobulin Fc domain.
US07655760B2
The present invention relates to a novel human protein called phosphatonin, and isolated polynucleotides encoding this protein. Also provided are vectors, host cells, antibodies, and recombinant methods for producing this human protein. The invention further relates to diagnostic and therapeutic methods useful for diagnosing and treating disorders related to this novel human protein.
US07655744B2
The invention provides a branched polyglycerol-modified silicone, silicon atoms of which are connected to at least one branched polyglycerol chain having one or more branched glycerol groups represented by the following formula (1) via a connecting group, a method for producing the same, and a cosmetic containing the same: wherein, two oxygen atoms each independently bind to a glycerol or glycidol group represented by formula (1) above or the following formula (2), (3), or (4)
US07655738B2
A thermoset and method of making such by crosslinking a mixture of a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane having pendent siloxane groups or unsaturated carbon bonds and a siloxylcarborane compound having unsaturated carbon bonds.
US07655724B2
A polyester gelcoat composition comprising unsaturated polyester resin; a reactive diluent mixture including para-tertiary-butylstyrene and a minor amount of styrene; and one or more additives. The gelcoat composition does not include appreciable deleterious amounts of hazardous air pollution solvents. A method of making the gelcoat composition is also disclosed.
US07655721B2
Disclosed is a method for producing a propylene-based resin composition comprising: a first step of producing a first resin composition (MB) by melt-kneading a first-propylene polymer (A-I) and a fibrous inorganic filler (B) in a weight ratio of (A-I) to (B) of from 3/7 to 7/3; and a second step of producing a second resin composition by adding a second propylene polymer (A-II), a non-fibrous inorganic filler (C) and an elastomer (D) selected from the group consisting of olefin-based elastomer and vinyl aromatic compound-containing elastomer to the first resin composition (MB), followed by melt-kneading them.
US07655710B2
The invention relates to the use of water-soluble polymers, consisting of a) monoethylenically unsaturated monomers consisting of acidic groups in an acidic, partially or fully neutralized form and b) other monomers which can be copolymerized with monomers a) as a drying agent for the production of redispersion power and/or powdery polymer dispersing agents. The water-soluble polymers contain at least 20 wt. % monomers (a) and a maximum of 8O wt. % monomers (b) and are supplied to the production process in the form of aqueous solutions in amounts of up to 50 wt. % maximum, enabling powder, polymer products with a residual moisture of <2 wt. % to be obtained, particularly in spray drying processes, and which are added to mineral systems as dispersing agents in amounts of 0.05-5 wt. % or are used as building materials for the mineral binding of redispersion powder in adhesives or as a binders in their own right.
US07655705B2
The present invention relates to an open-cell foam, and to a process for producing this open-cell foam by melting a thermoplastic, or a mixture comprising a thermo-plastic, giving a melt, mixing the melt with at least one blowing agent under pressure, and foaming the melt comprising the blowing agent via extrusion into the free atmosphere, the temperature of the melt during the foaming process being greater than the melt temperature at which a closed-cell foam is formed, and/or adding a pulverulent solid, and/or adding a foreign polymer. The present invention further relates to the use of the foam of the invention for sound deadening or for producing materials by sound deadening.
US07655702B2
A method of lowering the surface tension or the interface tension of water in cosmetic compositions comprising at least one cosmetic or dermatological adjuvant, the method comprising adding a polymer comprising water-soluble units and units with an LCST, wherein the LCST units an have in water a demixing temperature of from 5 to 40° C. for a concentration of 1% by mass is used, the polymer being present in a concentration such that the gel point of the aqueous phase is from 5 to 40° C., to ensure the stability of the dispersions at temperatures from 4° C. to 50° C.
US07655701B2
Compounds of formula (I) and their use as fragrance ingredients wherein R is selected from methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, methoxy and ethoxy; R is hydrogen or methyl; and n is 0 or 1.
US07655694B2
The present invention provides compositions and methods for the prophylactic and therapeutic treatment of animals, including humans from radiation injury. In particular, the present invention provides methods and compositions comprising the isoflavone genistein (4′,5,7-trihydroxyflavone) or phytoestrogenic isoflavonoids.
US07655689B2
Fused cyclic compounds, methods of using such compounds in the treatment of nuclear hormone receptor-associated conditions such as cancer and immune disorders, and pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds.
US07655681B2
A method of treating or preventing Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) comprises the administration of a pharmacologically effective amount of zonisamide to a patient in need thereof, with the proviso that OSA caused by external mechanical obstruction of the airways, such as by mucus, is excluded. Also disclosed is the use of zonisamide for the manufacture of a medicament useful in the treatment; a protective patch comprising zonisamide and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier for transdermal or transmucosal administration to a person suffering from OSA; and the use of zonisamide for the manufacture of a diagnostic device, kit or composition for the diagnosis of sleep disordered breathing.
US07655677B2
The present invention provides a composition for controlling a house insect pest, such as termites, ants or cockroaches, which comprises, as active ingredients, at least two compounds selected from the group consisting of (a) a certain pyridine compound, (b) a benzoylurea compound, (c) a pyrethroid compound and (d) a certain hydrazone compound; and a composition for controlling a house insect pest, which comprises, as an active ingredient, a certain hydrazone compound.
US07655669B2
The invention relates to novel substituted N-(3-benzoylaminophenyl)-4-pyridyl-2-pyrimidinamine derivatives, processes for the preparation thereof, pharmaceutical compositions containing same, the use thereof optionally in combination with one or more other pharmaceutically active compounds for the therapy of a disease which responds to an inhibition of protein kinase activity, especially a neoplastic disease, and a method for the treatment of such a disease.
US07655662B2
Methods for using (indazol-5-yl)-pyrazines and (1,3-dihydro-indol-2-one)-pyrazines are disclosed herein to treat rho kinase-mediated diseases or rho kinase-mediated conditions, including controlling intraocular pressure and treating glaucoma, are disclosed. Ophthalmic pharmaceutical compositions useful in the treatment of eye diseases such as glaucoma, and additionally useful for controlling intraocular pressure, the compositions comprising an effective amount of (indazol-5-yl)-pyrazines and (1,3-dihydro-indol-2-one)-pyrazines, are disclosed herein.
US07655650B2
Compounds of the formula in which A is an unsubstituted or mono- to tetrasubstituted, aromatic or non-aromatic, monocyclic or bicyclic heterocyclic radical, where one to two of the substituents of A can be selected from the group consisting of halo-C1-C3alkyl, cyclopropyl, halocyclopropyl, C2-C3alkenyl, C2-C3alkynyl, halo-C2-C3alkenyl, halo-C2-C3alkynyl, halo-C1-C3alkoxy, C1-C3alkylthio, halo-C1-C3alkylthio, allyloxy, propargyloxy, allylthio, propargylthio, haloallyloxy, haloallylthio, cyano and nitro, and one to four of the substituents of A can be selected from the group consisting of C1-C3alkyl, C1-C3alkoxy and halogen; R is hydrogen, C1-C6alkyl, phenyl-C1-C4alkyl, C3-C6cycloalkyl, C2-C6alkenyl or C2-C6alkynyl; and X is N—NO2 or N—CN, and, if appropriate, tautomers thereof, in each case in free form or in salt form, can be used as agrochemical active ingredients and can be prepared in a manner known per se.
US07655639B2
The present invention is a minimally invasive clinical method for closing hernias and other abnormal openings existing within the body; and is a unique alternative to conventional surgery and routine surgical techniques for correcting such medical defects. The clinical applications for the present methodology can be used for the in-vivo closure of small sized lumens and voids which naturally occur and exist internally within the soft connective tissue and organs of the living human body; can be employed to advantage for the closure of hernias generally; and is focused upon the closure of umbilical hernias specifically.
US07655635B2
Antisense oligonucleotides which hybridize with nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) mRNA and methods of using these oligonucleotides.
US07655629B2
The invention relates to peptides with biological activity against infection having the amino acid sequence Z1-LE-X1-IP-X2-X3-X4-P-X5-X6-X7-X8-X9-X10-K-X11-X12-X13-X14-X15-Z2, wherein X1 is a lysine, alanine, or aspartic acid; X2 is a cysteine, methionine or isoleucine; X3 is a serine, cysteine, lysine or glycine; X4 is an isoleucine, alanine, phenylalanine or cysteine; X5 is a proline, D-proline or a substituted L- or D-proline; X6 is a cysteine or glutamic acid; X7 is an amino acid with a hydrophobic or an aromatic side chain or cysteine; X8 is an amino acid with a hydrophobic or an aromatic side chain or cysteine; X9 is an amino acid with an aromatic side chain; X10 is a glycine, alanine or asparagine; X11 is a proline, aspartic acid, octahydroindolyl-2-carboxylic acid or D-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid; X12 is a phenylalanine, alanine, glycine, glutamic acid or D-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid; X13 is an amino acid with a hydrophobic or an aromatic side chain; X14 is an amino acid with a hydrophobic or an aromatic side chain; X15 is a phenylalanine or deletion; Z1 is NH2 or a sequence of 1 to 10 amino acid residues; Z2 is COOH or a sequence of 1 to 10 amino acid residues; and peptides which are fragments and/or covalently linked oligomers and/or derivatives, especially amidated, alkylated, acylated, sulfated, pegylated, phosphorylated and/or glycosylated derivatives, and mutants thereof, and with the provisio that (a) if X12 is alanine, glycine, glutamic acid, or D-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid than X13, X14 and X15 are phenylalanine, valine and phenylalanine respectively; and/or (b) if X12 is phenylalanine, than X13, X14 and X15 are valine, phenylalanine and a deletion, respectively; and (c) that there are at maximum two cysteine residues in a peptide.
US07655623B2
The present invention provides Dab9 derivatives of amphomycin-type lipopepetide antibiotics that display antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria, methods and intermediates for synthesizing the compounds and methods of using the compounds in a variety of contexts, including in the treatment and prevention of infections.
US07655622B2
Methods for regulating body weight and/or regulating weight gain are provided herein. The methods are useful, for instance, for treating or preventing obesity. Specifically, methods of administering varying levels of various alpha melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) analog compounds to an animal are provided for reducing body weight and/or reducing the rate of body weight gain.
US07655620B2
Compositions and methods for decreasing the viability of cells, particularly aberrant non-healthy cells, and most particularly cancer cells, are disclosed. The primary agent that causes cell death is a toxic metal atom or ion. Embodiments of the invention provide compositions and methods to ensure that the toxic metal is directed to the desired cell or tissue. In one embodiment, the metal is bound to a sulfur-rich peptide or protein carrier containing a targeting moiety. Such metal-protein complex is targeted to the selected cells or tissues to enrich the cell or tissue site with the metal-containing peptide or protein molecules followed by administering a dithiocarbonyl which carries the metal from the protein inside the cells to induce cell death.
US07655610B2
Disclosed are compositions useful in a wide variety of applications, including as blowing agents. The preferred blowing agents comprise from about 1 to about 40 percent, on a weight basis, of carbon dioxide (CO2) and from about 99 to about 60 percent, on a weight basis, of a compound having the Formula I XCFzR3-z (I), where X is a C2 or a C3 unsaturated, substituted or unsubstituted, alkyl radical, each R is independently Cl, F, Br, I or H, and z is 1 to 3. A preferred compound of Formula I is tetrafluoropropene, particularly 1,1,1,3-tetrafluoropropene.
US07655608B2
Resist stripping agents, useful for fabricating circuits and/or forming electrodes on semiconductor devices for semiconductor integrated circuits with reduced metal etch rates, particularly copper etch rates, are provided with methods for their use. The preferred stripping agents contain low concentrations of a copper or cobalt salt with or without an added amine to improve solubility of the copper or cobalt salt. Further provided are integrated circuit devices and electronic interconnect structures prepared according to these methods.
US07655604B2
Hydraulic fracturing of a subterranean hydrocarbon reservoir is carried out using an aqueous wellbore fluid which is an aqueous solution of a surfactant which has the formula (R1—X)nZ, where R1 is an aliphatic group comprising a C10-C25 principal straight chain bonded at a terminal carbon atom thereof to X, and comprising at least one C1-C6 side chain. X is a charged head group, Z is a counterion, and n is an integer which ensures that the surfactant is charge neutral. The surfactant reversibly thickens the aqueous solution such that the wellbore fluid is a viscoelastic gel. The viscoelastic gel breaks and undergoes a reduction in viscosity within the reservoir and surfactant from the broken gel mixes with hydrocarbon in the reservoir.
US07655596B2
The present invention if for a catalyst for epoxidation of an alkene, such as ethylene, to an alkene oxide, such as ethylene oxide, on which silver has been deposited on alumina as a support which has been modified with certain weak base compounds, such as oxides of a Group 1A, Group 2A, Group 3A or the first transition series of the Periodic Table of Elements, and with a high temperature heat treatment. Optional promoters selected from the group consisting of compounds of Group 1A, Group 2A, Group 7A and Group 8 may be contacted with the alpha-alumina support in solution with a silver compound, with the catalyst precursor before calcination or with the catalyst after calcination. The catalyst is brought into contact with alkene and oxygen under reaction conditions to selectively convert the alkene to an alkene oxide.
US07655593B2
A method of manufacturing a cobalt catalyst is described, which comprises the steps of forming an aqueous solution of a cobalt amine complex, oxidising said solution such that the concentration of Co(III) in the oxidised solution is greater than the concentration of Co(III) in the un-oxidized solution, and then decomposing the cobalt amine complex by heating the solution to a temperature between 80 and 110° C. for sufficient time to allow an insoluble cobalt compound to precipitate out of the solution. A catalyst intermediate is also described which comprises a cobalt compound, comprising a Co(II)/Co(III) hydrotalcite phase and a CO3O4 cobalt spine) phase, wherein the ratio of cobalt hydrotalcite phase: cobalt spine) phase is less than 0.6:1, said cobalt hydrotalcite phase and said cobalt spine) phase being measured by X-ray diffractometry.
US07655588B2
A dielectric porcelain composition here contains as main components BaO, Nd2O3, TiO2, MgO and SiO2 at the given ratios and as subordinate components ZnO, B2O3, CuO and an alkaline earth metal oxide RO (R: an alkaline earth metal) at given ratios, preferably with the addition of Ag as an optional subordinate component, so that it can have low-temperature sintering capability stable and reliable enough to permit a conductor formed of Ag, an alloy containing Ag as a main component or the like to be used as an internal conductor.
US07655586B1
Dental articles are produced using relatively low sintering temperatures to achieve high density dental articles exhibiting strengths equal to and greater than about 700 MPa. Ceramic powders comprised of nanoparticulate crystallites are used to manufacture dental articles. The ceramic powders may include sintering agents, binders and other similar additives to aid in the processing of the ceramic powder into a dental article. The ceramic powders may be processed into dental articles using various methods including, but not limited to, injection molding, gel-casting, slip casting, or electroforming, hand, cad/camming and other various rapid prototyping methods. The ceramic powder may be formed into a suspension, pellet, feedstock material or a pre-sintered blank prior to forming into the dental article.
US07655568B2
Disclosed herein is a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device that includes performing an O2 plasma treatment step after forming a Si-containing photoresist film.
US07655557B2
The present invention provides a complementary metal oxide semiconductor integration process whereby a plurality of silicided metal gates are fabricated atop a gate dielectric. Each silicided metal gate that is formed using the integration scheme of the present invention has the same silicide metal phase and substantially the same height, regardless of the dimension of the silicide metal gate. The present invention also provides various methods of forming a CMOS structure having silicided contacts in which the polySi gate heights are substantially the same across the entire surface of a semiconductor structure.
US07655552B2
A method, comprising bonding a first wire to a single die bond pad to form a first bond, bonding the first wire to a bond post to form a second bond, bonding a second wire to the first bond, and coupling the second wire to the bond post.
US07655544B2
Methods and apparatus for producing self-assembling quantum nanostructures by nanoheating a substrate with one or more laser interference patterns.
US07655540B2
A method and jig structure for positioning bare dice is disclosed. The jig structure for positioning at least one bare dice includes a trap having at least one positioning groove wherein the depth of the positioning groove is less than the height of the bare dice. Basing on the positioning groove formed in the tray, once a bare dice is placed in the positioning groove, the partially exposed bare dice can be located directly and precisely vacuum-grabbed by a sucker, so that the number of positioning steps is reduced.
US07655530B2
An exemplary embodiment providing one or more improvements includes a capacitor with a segmented end electrode and methods for segmenting an end electrode of a capacitor for reducing or eliminating instances of thermally induced damage of the capacitor.
US07655511B2
A finFET and its method for fabrication include a gate electrode formed over a channel region of a semiconductor fin. The semiconductor fin has a crystallographic orientation and an axially specific piezoresistance coefficient. The gate electrode is formed with an intrinsic stress determined to influence, and preferably optimize, charge carrier mobility within the channel region. To that end, the intrinsic stress preferably provides induced axial stresses within the gate electrode and semiconductor fin channel region that complement the axially specific piezoresistance coefficient.
US07655505B2
A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device, includes i) a step of providing a transparent member above a main surface of a semiconductor substrate where a plurality of semiconductor elements is formed; ii) a first dividing step of dividing the transparent member corresponding to a designated area of the semiconductor element; iii) a second dividing step of dividing the transparent member corresponding to an external configuration of the semiconductor element; and iv) a dividing step of dividing the semiconductor substrate into the semiconductor elements corresponding to a dividing position of the transparent member.
US07655503B2
A semiconductor package with stacked chips and a method for fabricating the same are proposed. The semiconductor package includes a lead frame having a plurality of leads and supporting extensions; at least one preformed package having an active surface, and a non-active surface attached to the supporting extensions of the lead frame; at least one chip mounted on the active surface of the preformed package; a plurality of bonding wires for electrically interconnecting the lead frame, the preformed package and the chip; and an encapsulant for encapsulating the preformed package, the chip, the bonding wire and a portion of the lead frame. The active surface of the preformed package serves for carrying the chip and can be used as a wire jumper, so as to solve a known good die (KGD) problem of a multi-chip module.
US07655485B2
In a method for fabricating a nitride-based semiconductor laser which forms, by a selective deposition, a current narrowing structure and a structure confining a light in a horizontal direction in parallel to a substrate, when the nitride-based semiconductor is selectively deposited by a metal organic chemical vapor deposition, silicon generated by decomposition of the silicon oxide film used as the mask for the selective deposition is prevented from being deposited on a re-growth boundary. For this purpose, a silicon nitride film is used as the mask for the selective deposition, and when the nitride-based semiconductor is selectively deposited by the metal organic chemical vapor deposition, a V-group material of the nitride-based semiconductor, namely, a nitrogen material, for example, ammonia, is supplied so that the decomposition of the silicon nitride film used as the mask for the selective deposition, is prevented.
US07655484B2
A method of fabricating a nitride-based semiconductor device capable of reducing contact resistance between a nitrogen face of a nitride-based semiconductor substrate or the like and an electrode is provided. This method of fabricating a nitride-based semiconductor device comprises steps of etching the back surface of a first semiconductor layer consisting of either an n-type nitride-based semiconductor layer or a nitride-based semiconductor substrate having a wurtzite structure and thereafter forming an n-side electrode on the etched back surface of the first semiconductor layer.
US07655465B2
The present invention is directed to methods for readily propagating somatic hair follicle stem cells or melanocyte stem cells. The methods comprise enhancing guanine nucleotide (GNP) biosynthesis, thereby expanding guanine nucleotide pools. This in turn conditionally suppresses asymmetric cell kinetics in the explanted cells. The methods of the invention include pharmacological methods and genetic methods. For example, the resulting cultured somatic hair follicle stem cells can be used for a variety of applications including cell replacement therapies such as hair transplants, gene therapies, and tissue engineering applications, such as the generation of artificial skin and skin regeneration strategies including skin grafts.
US07655463B2
The invention relates to neublastin neurotrophic factor polypeptides, nucleic acids encoding neublastin polypeptides, and antibodies that bind specifically to neublastin polypeptides, as well as methods of making and methods of using the same.
US07655460B2
The present invention relates to epilepsy. More particularly, the present invention relates to idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) and to the identification of three genes mapping to chromosome 2, which show mutations in patients with epilepsy. The invention further relates to nucleic acid sequences, and protein sequences of these loci (SCNA) and to the use thereof to assess, diagnose, prognose or treat epilepsy, to predict an epileptic individual's response to medication and to identify agents which modulate the function of the SCNA. The invention also provides screening assays using SCN1A, SCN2A and/or SCN3A which can identify compounds which have therapeutic benefit for epilepsy and related neurological disorders.
US07655452B1
Brevibacillus choshinensis is characterized in that its extracellular proteolytic activity is extremely low and its protein secretion productivity is excellent, but it is desired that not only the extracellular proteolytic activity of the strain is further reduced but also the intracellular proteolytic activity thereof is further reduced. When Brevibacillus choshinensis is used as a host for the production of protein pharmaceuticals and the like, it is also desired that it does not form spores and is readily sterilized. The above problems have been solved by inactivating the sporulation-associated gene thereof and by cloning and inactivating the extracellular and intracellular protease genes thereof.
US07655449B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a β-fructofuranosidase variant whose reaction specificity is improved to be suitable for the production of fructooligosaccharides. According to the present invention, there is provided a β-fructofuranosidase variant consisting of a mutated amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 or a mutated homologue thereof, which has mutations at specific amino acid residues.
US07655448B2
This invention relates to an isolated nucleic acid fragment encoding a protein involved in phenylpropanoid metabolism. The invention also relates to the construction of a chimeric gene encoding all or a portion of the protein involved in phenylpropanoid metabolism, in sense or antisense orientation, wherein expression of the chimeric gene results in production of altered levels of the protein involved in phenylpropanoid metabolism in a transformed host cell.
US07655445B2
The present invention provides methods, processes and reaction mixtures, which produce sulfated heparosan polysaccharides. This invention also provides methods and reaction mixtures for the synthesis of N-deacetylate N-sulfate derivatives of non-sulfated N-acetyl heparosan (HS) polysaccharides.
US07655442B2
The present invention provides a method for stabilizing a macrolide compound, and an efficient method for producing the compound. Specifically, it provides a method for stabilizing a macrolide compound, in which a 12-membered ring macrolide compound, such as a compound expressed by the formula (1) and a cyclodextrin are both present, and a method for producing a macrolide compound, in which a cyclodextrin is made to be present in a culture broth of actinomycetes having an ability of producing the macrolide compound.
US07655435B2
An emulsion is useful in allowing a wide variety of gene products to be expressed via eukaryotic in vitro expression. The emulsion comprises a silicone based surfactant, a hydrophobic phase and a hydrophilic phase; wherein the hydrophilic phase comprises a plurality of compartments containing a functional in vitro eukaryotic expression system.
US07655434B2
Methods and compositions for determining the duration of a cell cycle phase of a mammalian cell, as well as identification of the cell cycle stage of fixed mammalian cells, are provided. In practicing the subject methods, at least one biosensor polypeptide that monitors a cell-cycle phase in a mammalian cell, such as mitosis, G1, S, or G2 phase, is used to determine the duration of a cell-cycle phase of a mammalian cell. Also provided are methods for identifying an agent (e.g., a gene product or small molecule compound) that modulates the duration of a cell-cycle phase of a mammalian cell, as well as kits and systems for practicing the subject methods.
US07655433B2
The invention provides methods for identifying and quantifying polypeptides in a sample. The methods include the steps of labeling peptides in a polypeptide sample with an isotope tag; adding a plurality of peptide standards to the polypeptide sample, wherein the peptide standards are labeled with an isotopically distinct version of the isotope tag; resolving the labeled sample and standard peptides into a plurality of fractions; analyzing the resolved fractions using mass spectrometry; identifying an isotope-tagged sample peptide in an analyzed fraction; and determining the amount of the identified isotope-tagged sample peptide in the analyzed fraction by comparison to the amount of isotope tagged standard peptide in the same fraction.
US07655423B2
There is provided a method of promoting neurogenesis by administering a therapeutic amount of a nitric oxide donor compound to a patient in need of neurogenesis promotion. Also provided is a compound for providing neurogenesis having an effective amount of a nitric oxide donor sufficient to promote neurogenesis. A nitric oxide compound for promoting neurogenesis is also provided. Further, a method of augmenting the production of brain cells and facilitating cellular structural and receptor changes by administering an effective amount of a nitric oxide donor compound to a site in need of augmentation is provided. There is provided a method of increasing both neurological and cognitive function by administering an effective amount of a nitric oxide donor compound to a patient.
US07655411B2
The invention relates to thrombospondin fragments found in plasma, their use or use of portions thereof in diagnostic methods, as method calibrators, method indicators, and as immunogens, and as analytes for methods with substantial clinical utility; and their detection in plasma or other bodily fluids for purpose of diagnostic methods, especially for cancer.
US07655408B2
This invention concerns the discovery of two distinct PCA3 mRNA sequences. One of these sequences corresponds to a short PCA3 mRNA molecule whereas the other PCA3 RNA molecule is longer as it comprises an additional sequence between exon 3 and exon 4a. The short RNA is associated with prostate cancer whereas the long RNA sequence is associated with a non-malignant state of the prostate. Based on the differential expression levels of these two PCA3 RNA sequences, protocols for the diagnosis of prostate disease are provided. The invention also relates to therapeutic approaches to prostate cancer.
US07655403B2
The present invention includes compositions and methods for diagnosis of polymorphisms associated with susceptibility to idiopathic scoliosis in a patient by determining the presence of a mutation in a nucleic acid sample provided from the patient for a mutation in a transcription factor binding site in one or more non-coding regions of the chromodomain helicase DNA binding protein 7 gene.
US07655395B2
The genes encoding ryanodine receptor homologs have been characterized from multiple insect families including lepidopteran tobacco budworm (Heliothis virescens), homopteran green peach aphid (Myzus persicae), corn plant hopper (Peregrinus maidis), cotton melon aphid (Aphis gossypil) and fruitfly (Drosophila melanogaster). The full-length genes have been isolated, cloned and amplified in bacterial cells. Expression in insect cells shows that the recombinant protein folds into a functional calcium release channel. The genes and their corresponding polypeptides have a number of uses including, but not limited to, the isolation of other pest ryanodine receptors, the development of screens to identify insecticidally active compounds, use of fragments of genes as pesticides, fragments of protein for antibody production, fragments of protein for determination of the structure of insecticide binding sites, and identification of insecticides that disrupt the calcium balance in cells through other messengers that interact with the receptor calcium release mechanism. Methods are outlined for overcoming toxic effects of expressing recombinant proteins in host cells.
US07655387B2
Alignment tolerances between narrow mask lines, for forming interconnects in the array region of an integrated circuit, and wider mask lines, for forming interconnects in the periphery of the integrated circuit, are increased. The narrow mask lines are formed by pitch multiplication and the wider mask lines are formed by photolithography. The wider mask lines and are aligned so that one side of those lines is flush with or inset from a corresponding side of the narrow lines. Being wider, the opposite sides of the wider mask lines protrude beyond the corresponding opposite sides of the narrow mask lines. The wider mask lines are formed in negative photoresist having a height less than the height of the narrow mask lines. Advantageously, the narrow mask lines can prevent expansion of the mask lines in one direction, thus increasing alignment tolerances in that direction. In the other direction, use of photolithography and a shadowing effect caused by the relative heights of the photoresist and the narrow mask lines causes the wider mask lines to be formed with a rounded corner, thus increasing alignment tolerances in that direction by increasing the distance to a neighboring narrow mask line.
US07655386B2
An antireflective hardmask composition includes an organic solvent, and at least one polymer represented by Formulae A, B or C: In Formulae A and B, the fluorene group is unsubstituted or substituted, in Formula C, the naphthalene group is unsubstituted or substituted, n is at least 1 and is less than about 750, m is at least 1, and m+n is less than about 750, G is an aromatic ring-containing group having an alkoxy group, and R1 is methylene or includes a non-fluorene-containing aryl linking group.
US07655375B2
The present invention is a method for the preparation of electrostatographic toner including the following steps. A polymer material is dissolved in an organic solvent to form an organic phase. The organic phase is dispersed in an aqueous phase that includes a particulate stabilizer and a salt including an anion selected from chloride, oxychloride, sulfate, perchlorate, nitrate, dihydrogen phosphate, lactate, trifluoromethylsulfonate, and trifluromethylhydrate and a cation selected from aluminum, iron (III), tin (II) and zirconium (IV), to form a dispersion. The dispersion is homogenized. The organic solvent is evaporated from the dispersion and the resultant product is recovered, washed and dried. In an alternate method the salt is added directly to the dispersion.
US07655364B2
In a method of manufacturing a mask blank adapted to be formed with a resist pattern by electron beam writing and having a light-shielding film and an etching mask film of an inorganic-based material resistant to etching of the light-shielding film which are formed in this order on a transparent substrate, when forming the etching mask film, shielding is performed using a shielding plate so as to prevent the etching mask film from being formed at least at a side surface of the substrate.
US07655363B2
Disclosed are a method and an apparatus for solving mask precipitated defect issue. A gas is purged into a photomask reticle assembly for diffusing precipitated defects out of a photomask in the photomask reticle assembly. A metal shielding assembly enclosing the photomask reticle assembly is provided for reducing precipitated defects and damages to the photomask. In an illustrative embodiment, the metal shielding assembly comprises an upper metal shielding, a pellicle frame of the photomask reticle assembly, side support frames of the photomask reticle assembly, a top cover, a handle, and a handle cover.
US07655344B2
A fuel cell comprising a cathode catalyst layer, an anode catalyst layer including a conductive perfluoro-binder having a micellar structure formed by outwardly orienting hydrophilic groups and inwardly orienting hydrophobic (lipophilic) groups, and a proton conductive membrane provided between the cathode catalyst layer and the anode catalyst layer.
US07655335B2
An air breathing direct methanol fuel cell pack includes: a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) including single cells having an electrolyte membrane, anodes on a first plane of the electrolyte membrane and cathodes on a second plane thereof, the second plane disposed opposite to the first plane; a fuel supply unit facing the first plane; an upper panel member facing the second plane of the MEA and including a first cavity and second cavity, a plurality of air vent holes formed in the first and/or second cavity and air channels connecting the first and second cavities; current collectors disposed on the cathode and anode of single cells of the MEA; conductors electrically connecting the current collectors to form electric circuitry among the single cells; and a lower panel member for forming a housing for accommodating the MEA and the fuel supply unit in cooperation with the upper panel member.
US07655331B2
The present invention is directed to a fuel cell system with various features for optimal operations of an electronic device, a battery charger or a fuel refilling device. The fuel cell system includes an information storage device associated with the fuel supply, pump and/or refilling device. The information storage device can be any electronic storage device including, but not limited to, an EEPROM or a PLA. The information storage device can include encrypted information. The information storage device can include software code for confirming the identification of the cartridge before operation of the electronic device and/or refilling device. The information storage device can include instructions for a hot swap operation to shut down properly when the fuel supply is ejected while the electronic device is in operation. The present invention is also directed to system architecture for a fuel cell system that utilizes information storage devices. The system architecture may have flow regulators, which include a regulating valve.
US07655307B2
A resin composition for a mold used in forming micropatterns comprises (A) 40 to 90 parts by weight of an active energy curable urethane-based oligomer having a reactive group; (B) 10 to 60 parts by weight of a monomer reactive with the urethane-based oligomer, (C) 0.01 to 200 parts by weight of a silicone or fluorine containing compound, based on 100 parts of the sum of the components (A) and (B); and (D) 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of a photoinitiator, based on 100 parts of the sum of the components (A), (B) and (C). The inventive resin composition can be easily cured by the action of an active energy ray, and the organic mold fabricated therefrom is easily lifted off from a master without irreversible adhesion or generation of defects and have excellent dimensional and chemical stabilities.
US07655305B2
The disclosure relates to adhesive nonspherical microobjects ranging from 1 to 1,000 μm in size and comprising at least one adhesive organic polymer, a method of styling and/or making up keratinous fibers comprising applying to the keratinous fibers such microbjects, and to cosmetic compositions comprising such microbjects.
US07655304B2
A method for preparing particles to retain a charge such that the particles are rendered electrostatically or electrokinetically mobile. The method involves coating the particles with a coating medium which facilitates attachment of a charge director material, and contacting the particles with the coating medium thereon with a charge director medium to impart a positive or negative charge thereto and thereby render the particles electrostatically or electrokinetically mobile. Electrostatically and electrokinetically mobile particles for use in an electrostatic or electrokinetic deposition process. The particles include a coating medium and a charge director on particle bodies.
US07655291B2
A co-extruded film including talc and a method for preparing the film includes a polyester resin containing talc. The films may be single layer films or multi-layered structures such as ABA or AB structured films. Multi-layered films have talc in at least the A layer of the multi-layered film. If talc is present in the B layer, the A layer preferably includes a greater percentage of talc relative to the percentage of talc present in said B layer. The method uses readily available, low cost talc as an additive to achieve a co-extruded polyester film having simultaneously reduced transparency and reduced gloss to provide a translucent polyester film.
US07655283B2
An optical article and method or forming an optical article are disclosed. The optical article includes a first rigid optical substrate, a second rigid optical substrates and a self-supporting optical adhesive disposed between the first rigid substrate and the second rigid substrate. The self-supporting optical adhesive includes a cross-linked silicone based polymer network and a silicone fluid disposed in the polymer network.
US07655272B1
Nanostructures are implemented in a manner that facilitates controlled, nano-scale dimensional manufacture and implementation. According to an example embodiment of the present invention, a nanostructure is formed from a layer of deposited metallic material, sized using a mask and, in some applications, metal deposition angle. The deposited metallic material is heated to form a metallic nanocluster having a cross-section (e.g., diameter-type or width-type dimensional characteristics) that is less than a width of the layer of deposited metal material. In one application, the metallic material is deposited on a substrate and in wells defined by a mask formed on the substrate. The metallic material is annealed to form metallic nanoclusters having a diameter that is on an order of magnitude less than a width and/or diameter of the wells.
US07655263B2
A method for production of cheeses with spun curd from pasteurized milk, includes the successive steps of preparation of the milk, renneting, coagulation, curd-cutting, drainage and spinning, characterized in that during the phase of preparation of the milk which has a low content of exogenous calcium salts, the milk is thermally treated at a temperature between 80 and 85° C. and an effective amount of an acidifying agent is added before or after the thermal treatment.
US07655259B2
A sustained release, orally administered pharmaceutical composition comprising carnitine and an acceptable pharmaceutical excipient is described for the treatment of carnitine deficiency and other carnitine responsive conditions. The sustained release formulation avoids the characteristic problems of gastrointestinal invitation, dumping in the urine and bacterial degradation attendant previously known oral formulations of carnitine.
US07655254B2
An implantable device includes a reservoir containing a suspension of an interferon in an amount sufficient to provide continuous delivery of the interferon at a therapeutically effective rate of 1 ng/day to 600 μg/day to maintain and achieve therapeutic blood or plasma levels of the interferon throughout a substantial period of the administration period.
US07655253B2
The present invention provides compounds useful for preparing synthetic pheromone compositions that can be used as attractants or inhibitors of insect species. The compositions are useful in the control of navel orangeworm or meal moth insect pests.
US07655250B2
Methods of using absorption enhancer as a component of skin care compositions for moisturizing and protecting the skin. Antimicrobial skin care compositions for cleansing and moisturizing the skin, comprising an absorption enhancer, an antimicrobial function enhancer and bound lipid removals, humectants, emollients and extracts of botanical herbs. Methods for preparing skin care compositions comprising an absorption enhancer.
US07655246B2
A high molecular weight (“HMW”) protein of Chlamydia, the amino acid sequence thereof, and antibodies that specifically bind the HMW protein are disclosed as well as the nucleic acid sequence encoding the same. Also disclosed are prophylactic and therapeutic compositions, comprising the HMW protein, a fragment thereof, or an antibody that specifically binds the HMW protein or a portion thereof, or the nucleotide sequence encoding the HMW protein or a fragment thereof, including vaccines.
