US07673331B2
A server certificate issuing system confirms existence of a Web server for which a certificate is to be issued. The web server includes means for generating an entry screen to input application matters for an issuance of a server certificate, means for generating a key pair a public key and a private key, means for generating a certificate signing request file (CSR) containing the generated public key, and means for generating a verification page indicating intention of requesting the issuance of the certificate. A registration server retrieves the CSR from a received server certificate request and accesses the Web server to read the verification information, and compares the read verification information with the CSR. If the verification information read from the Web server is identical to the CSR, it is determined that the Web server for which the server certificate is to be issued exists.
US07673325B2
A system and method of configuring network access parameters of a portable computing device is provided. A portable computing device usually includes wireless networking components and may be used with various wireless networks. A configuration server using a device management protocol, such as the OMA-DM protocol, sends network configuration information to a portable computing device. This configuration information includes network parameters such as network identifiers, encryption keys and authentication credentials. The portable computing device then uses the provided parameters to set its configuration information so that it can access a defined wireless network.
US07673322B2
Systems and methods for recording a signal received by a home entertainment system that includes multiple consumer electronics devices interconnected to a central electronics device in a hub and spoke configuration. The configuration allows all signals in the home entertainment system to be accessible by the central electronics device. Accordingly, the central electronics device can process, route, or otherwise respond to any signal. By way of example, any signal can be routed to a recording system, where it can be recorded. The signal is coupled with information from an electronic programming guide that details specific programming. An automatic determination is made as to whether or not there exists enough free space on a recording medium to record a specific program. Upon recording the program on the recording medium, an index is updated on the recording medium from the electronic programming guide information and from the location of the program on the recording medium. By selecting the program from the index, the recorded program can be automatically located on the recording medium.
US07673319B1
A method of displaying menus on a screen of a television using a set-top terminal connected to the television is described. The method receives a video signal including video of a plurality of programs transmitted from a source remote from the television and the set-top terminal, generates a submenu that includes a plurality of selectable program listings, each program listing corresponding to one of the plurality of programs, displays the submenu on the screen during broadcast of the plurality of programs, displays the video of one of the plurality of programs on the screen in response to a user selection of the corresponding program listing, generates an overlay menu that includes selectable options, and displays the overlay menu together with the displayed video of the program on the screen.
US07673314B2
An interactive television program guide system is provided. An interactive television program guide provides users with an opportunity to select programs for recording on a remote media server. Programs may also be recorded on a local media server. The program guide provides users with VCR-like control over programs that are played back from the media servers and over real-time cached copies of the programs. The program guide also provides users with an opportunity to designate gift recipients for whom programs may be recorded.
US07673313B2
A broadcasting signal receiving system includes: an obtaining part for obtaining program information of a receiving program; a broadcasting signal receiving part for receiving a broadcasting signal; an image pick-up part for recording an image of a viewer; a certifying part for comparing the image of the face of the viewer recorded by the image pick-up part with the previously registered image of a face of an individual to certify the viewing individual; an image recording and reproducing part for recording and storing preset useful programs; a harmful program condition setting part for setting harmful program conditions; and a viewing limit control part, wherein when a certified result indicates an individual as an object whose viewing is limited and the receiving program corresponds to a set harmful program, the viewing limit control part reproduces and displays on a monitor screen the useful programs.
US07673301B1
Methods and systems are provided for updating and recovering firmware within computers over a distributed network. While a computer is in an operating system independent state, a determination is made as to whether the firmware within the computer is valid. The firmware may be the BIOS for the computer. If it is determined that the current firmware is invalid, a recovery request is sent to a manager computer monitoring for recovery requests. The manager computer sends a new firmware image over the network to the computer. The invalid firmware is then updated with the new firmware image. An instruction to update the firmware of the computer may also be sent from a manager computer to computers monitoring for instructions. When the instruction is received, the computer transitions to an operating system independent recovery state, receives a new firmware image over the network, and updates with the new firmware image.
US07673296B2
A method of scheduling optional instructions in a compiler targets a processor. The scheduling includes indicating a limit on the additional processor computations that are available for executing an optional code, generating one or more required instructions corresponding to a source code and one or more optional instructions corresponding to the optional code used with the source code and scheduling all of the one or more required instructions with as many of the one or more optional instructions as possible without exceeding the indicated limit on the additional processor computations for executing the optional code.
US07673294B2
This invention modifies an irregular software pipelined loop conditioned upon data in a condition register in a compiler scheduled very long instruction word data processor to prevent over-execution upon loop exit. The method replaces a register modifying instruction with an instruction conditional upon the inverse condition register if possible. The method inserts a conditional register move instruction to a previously unused register within the loop if possible without disturbing the schedule. Then a restoring instruction is added after the loop. Alternatively, both these two functions can be performed by a delayed register move instruction. Instruction insertion is into a previously unused instruction slot of an execute packet. These changes can be performed manually or automatically by the compiler.
US07673288B1
A method is provided that speeds up software testing using abbreviation of software tests that skips the execution of a portion of the software test. Intermediate results are generated for one or more software tests, with each intermediate result corresponding to a software test, and a respective key is generated from each intermediate result. A determination is made whether the respective key for each intermediate result is stored in a file cache used for storing files under keys. Generation of a final result for the corresponding software test of each intermediate result is bypassed in response to the respective key being present in the file cache. A final result for the corresponding software test of each intermediate result is generated from the intermediate result in response to the respective key not being present in the file cache. The respective key is stored in the file cache in response to generation of each final result.
US07673287B2
Usability of a software program can be tested by generating a first electronic record of input events that a user executes with at least one input device during a test session. The operations comprise applying the generated first electronic record to a predictive model to generate a prediction for performing the predefined task. Usability of a software program can be tested by registering input events that a user executes with at least one input device during a test session in which the user performs a predefined task of a software program. The operations comprise generating a first electronic record associated with the test session. The first electronic record includes at least one characteristic of the registered input events and a prediction for performing the predefined task. The prediction is generated by applying the registered input events to a predictive model.
US07673285B1
A system provides a generation tool that emits a method declaration in a coFactory, and further emits the method's definition in a coBridge. Locating a naming service is delegated to a server infrastructure, and names of the sought after interface and the required component are further emitted. The generative approach disclosed assures a proper type of a downcast. Errors are handled by throwing an exception if either the component or its interface is absent. The coClass implements the coFactories, and a developer of a component can access other component by simply invoking a method within the coClass, which is implemented in a coBridge.
US07673279B2
The present invention is an iterative method or procedure involving a series of optical proximity correction (OPC) process steps for refining an integrated circuit design layout on a wafer during a photolithographic process. The iterative method may be applied as a system and computer program to perform classifying and grouping edge fragments according to directional orientations, selecting an edge fragment or a combination of non-opposing edge fragments, calculating an edge placement error of the selected edge fragment and proximally shifting the edge fragment until a quality limitation is met.
US07673277B2
In one embodiment, a spacing is determined for each edge of a number of features in a photolithographic design. The edges have at least a partially predictable layout. Based on the spacing and the predictable layout, a bridge structure is generated. Each bridge of the bridge structure connects one of the edges to an edge of a neighboring feature. Then, the features and the bridge structure are provided for a phase assignment. The phase assignment assigns features at opposite ends of each bridge in the bridge structure to opposite phases. In another embodiment, a sub-resolution assist feature (SRAF) is introduced for an edge of a feature and a bridge is generated from the feature to the SRAF. Then, the feature and the SRAF are assigned to opposite phases based on the relationship defined by the bridge.
US07673266B2
Timing analysis method and apparatus, computer-readable program and computer-readable storage medium
A timing analysis method evaluates a performance of a target circuit that is to be designed, and includes calculating a correlation coefficient r between two arbitrary macro cells that are coupled and form the target circuit based on layout information including an arrangement of macro cells forming the target circuit and correlation information indicating a correlation between two macro cells that are coupled for each of arrangements of macro cell pairs, calculating a distribution function σ of a standard deviation of delay times of the two arbitrary macro cells based on the correlation coefficient σ, and carrying out a statistical timing analysis of the target circuit based on the correlation coefficient r and the distribution function σ of the standard deviation with respect to each of the macro cell pairs forming the target circuit.
US07673260B2
DFM systems are provided that incorporate manufacturing variations in the analysis of integrated circuits by calculating predicted manufacturing variations on the shapes of interconnects and devices of the drawn layout of a circuit design. The shape variation on interconnects is converted to variations in resistor-capacitor (RC) parasitics. The shape variation on devices is converted to variations in device parameters. The variation in device parameters and wire parasitics is converted to changes in timing performance, signal integrity, and power consumption by determining the impact of device parameter and wire parasitic variations on the behavior of each instance of a standard cell. The results from these analyses are integrated back into the design flow as incremental delay files (timing), noise failures and buffer insertion/driver resizing commands (noise), and leakage power hotspots and cell substitution commands (power consumption).
US07673239B2
A method and system for description of synthetic audiovisual content makes it easier for humans, software components or devices to identify, manage, categorize, search, browse and retrieve such content. For instance, a user may wish to search for specific synthetic audiovisual objects in digital libraries, Internet web sites or broadcast media; such a search is enabled by the invention. Key characteristics of synthetic audiovisual content itself such as the underlying 2d or 3d models and parameters for animation of these models are used to describe it. More precisely, to represent features of synthetic audiovisual content, depending on the description scheme to be used, a number of descriptors are selected and assigned values. The description scheme instantiated with descriptor values is used to generate the description, which is then stored for actual use during query/search. Typically, a user, to search for a needed synthetic audiovisual content initiates a query that is passed on to a search engine that then retrieves the candidate content from one or more databases whose description closely matches the query criteria specified by the user.
US07673238B2
Improved techniques for performing accelerated video presentation on a media device are disclosed. The improved techniques enable smooth, uniform accelerated video presentation by displaying key frames from a video file in a periodic fashion. The rate and direction of accelerated video presentation can be controlled. The improved techniques are well suited for use with portable media devices.
US07673234B2
A method and system are provided for determining metadata to be assigned to a document. A document is identified to be published to a collection of documents. A category for publishing the document to the collection is automatically recommended using a text classifier. At least one category for the document may be selected, and the selected category is assigned as metadata for the document. A method and system are also provided for constructing a search for a document in a collection of documents. A search query is entered for a document in a collection of documents. A search category for searching for the document in the collection of documents is automatically recommended using a text classifier. At least one search category for searching for the document is selected.
US07673233B2
The management of tabs in browser applications may be at least partially automated. In a described implementation, a link present in browser content information may include a link property indicating that the new browser content information targeted by the link is to be opened in a new tab. A browser application can therefore automatically launch a new tab without a user request. In another described implementation, a new travelogue created for a new tab may be initially populated with an historical entry that points to spawning browser content information and identifies the originating tab. When a user attempts to move backward from an initial page of the new tab, a browser application can therefore automatically redisplay the spawning browser content information at the originating tab.
US07673223B2
Techniques for implementing message passing decoders, e.g., LDPC decoders, are described. To facilitate hardware implementation messages are quantized to integer multiples of ½ ln2. Messages are transformed between more compact variable and less compact constraint node message representation formats. The variable node message format allows variable node message operations to be performed through simple additions and subtractions while the constraint node representation allows constraint node message processing to be performed through simple additions and subtractions. Variable and constraint nodes are implemented using an accumulator module, subtractor module and delay pipeline. The accumulator module generates an accumulated message sum. The accumulated message sum for a node is stored and then delayed input messages from the delay pipeline are subtracted there from to generate output messages. The delay pipeline includes a variable delay element making it possible to sequentially perform processing operations corresponding to nodes of different degrees.
US07673212B2
A power control device and method capable of reducing the power consumption of a DMB receiver according to whether or not CDM channels are received is provided. The power control device includes N CDM/FEC parts for demodulating a received broadcast signal into up to N CDM channel signals and error-correcting the demodulated channel signals and thereby generating a pilot payload signal and a transport stream, a plurality of clock switches for respectively turning on/off clock signals supplied to the N CDM/FEC parts, and a clock switch controller for controlling turning on/off of the clock switches, and controls supply of clock signals to the CDM/FEC parts according to CDM channel reception states, thereby making it possible to reduce the power consumption by the CDM/FEC parts.
US07673207B2
A semiconductor device that includes a module under test that is integrated with the semiconductor device, that receives an input signal from a test module, and that provides an output signal to at least one output terminal based on the input signal. An error detecting module is integrated with the semiconductor device, samples values of the output signal, and outputs the sampled values to the test module.
US07673206B2
The present invention provides a method and system for routing a group of scan chains to a group of processor resources in a semiconductor chip. The group of processor resources is arranged in rows or columns. The group of processor resources in each row or column is connected through a plurality of scan chains. The first processor resource in each row or column is connected to input scan-chain pins, and the last processor resource in each row or column is connected to output scan-chain pins. A test-pattern generator, generating test signals, sends the test signals to the group of processor resources by using the group of scan chains within the semiconductor chip. The responses of the processor resources corresponding to the test signals are analyzed to detect and locate any error in the manufacture of the semiconductor chip.
US07673203B2
An interconnect delay fault test controller and a test apparatus using the same wherein an update operation and a capture operation may be carried out in one interval of a system clock or a core clock when carrying out an interconnect delay fault test between an IEEE P1500 wrapped cores in a SoC as well as an interconnect wire on a board based on an IEEE 1149.1, and wherein the interconnect delay fault test using different system clocks or core clocks may be carried out simultaneously in one test cycle corresponding to each system clock or core clock even when multiple system clocks or core clocks exists is disclosed.
US07673200B2
The present invention discloses a reprogrammable built-in-self-test integrated circuit and a test method for the same, wherein test programs are directly stored in the application program memory of the logic chip of a SoC IC, and an external test apparatus is used to load the test programs into the application program memory via a serial transmission interface, and an application CPU is used to read and execute the test programs to perform the bonding-wire connectivity between the logic chip and the memory chip. In the present invention, test vectors can still be flexibly revised after tapeout to increase test coverage. As the test programs are directly stored in the existing application program memory without using additional memory space, and as the test programs are executed by the existing application CPU without using an extra built-in-self-test circuit, the present invention can effectively reduce test cost.
US07673199B2
Data can be processed in automatic test equipment by dividing the test sites into groups and processing each group using a corresponding processor in a group of processors. Sections of the test equipment can communicate via a tester bus to a particularly designed multi-stream switch. The multi-stream switch can communicates with a plurality of processors via a plurality of processor busses. Each of the processors can run a separate instance of test software without interfering with software running on any other of the processors. The inventive protocol can be embodied essentially in hardware that can be adapted to an existing infrastructure without requiring substantial modifications of existing hardware or software.
US07673183B2
A method and system for ordering and aggregating log streams. Log streams for events from different sources are received. If different sources have different recording cycles, or time epochs, that lead to different temporal granularities, then all of the log streams are combined into a single time epoch that is equal to the longest time epoch. Log streams from sources having shorter time epochs continue to retain information about their original time epochs, in order to retain information about the order of the events in those log streams. The log streams are re-ordered, both before and after being integrated into the aggregate log, by acquiring additional data from the different sources, thus permitting the likely cause/effect relationship between events.
US07673167B2
A computer-implemented method replaces a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) array member storage device configured in high density packaging. The high density packaging includes a plurality of field-replaceable units (FRUs). Each FRU has an associated plurality of storage devices. A first spare storage device of a first FRU is captured. The first FRU is dedicated as a plurality of spare storage devices by a RAID controller. A small computer system interface (SCSI) enclosure services (SES) processor (SESP) is initialized to read data from the RAID array member storage device and transfer the data to the first spare storage device. The first spare storage device and the RAID array member storage device are co-resident within a serial attached small computer system interface (SAS) expander local port domain.
US07673166B2
An embodiment of the invention provides an apparatus for computation of processor clock frequency ratios in a multi-processor system. The apparatus includes a computation engine configured to determine a processor clock frequency ratio by reading counter values of a first counter and of a second counter within a frequency ratio computation interval, and configured to determine a value of the second counter at an end of a frequency ratio valid interval where the frequency ratio is applied, wherein the frequency ratio valid interval is subsequent to the frequency ratio computation interval, and wherein the frequency ratio valid interval does not overlap the frequency ratio computation interval.
US07673163B2
The power supply is effectively controlled in a semiconductor integrated circuit device having a multi domain structure so as to reduce the power consumption. When an interrupt signal is inputted, the system controller makes an instruction of wakeup to the corresponding switch control unit. At this moment, the system controller controls power supply so as to be supplied sequentially from the core power source area belonging to the lower hierarchical level dependent on the core power source area to which power is supplied. The system controller outputs the power supply switch-on request signal to the switch control unit. The switch control unit turns ON the power supply switch and sends the power-on completion signal back to the system controller. Similarly, the system controller supplies power sequentially to core power source areas in the dependency relation one after another from the lower hierarchy to the upper hierarchy.
US07673154B2
A recording medium including at least a lead-in region, a recording region in which information is recorded, and a lead-out region. In this configuration, medium information including medium identification information and relevant information is recorded in at least any one of the lead-in region, the recording region, and the lead-out region.
US07673150B2
A method and system are provided for updating software on a handheld computer in communication with a client computer system operable to connect to a network. Software installed on the handheld computer is identified with the client computer. Moreover, information on the identified software is transmitted from the client computer to a server connected to the network. Further, updated versions of the software installed on the handheld computer are transferred from the server to the client computer based on the identified software that is installed on the handheld computer. Still yet, the software installed on the handheld computer is updated with the updated versions transferred to the client computer.
US07673148B2
An application for updating, distributing, and rendering an application feature set and application versions is disclosed. The application component allows multiple versions of similar applications to be installed and upgraded on the same computer. Meanwhile, allowing new product levels downloads to transform an existing product into a different product.
US07673137B2
Managing and controlling the execution of software programs with a computing device to protect the computing device from malicious activities. A protector system implements a two-step process to ensure that software programs do not perform malicious activities which may damage the computing device or other computing resources to which the device is coupled. In the first phase, the protector system determines whether a software program has been previously approved and validates that the software program has not been altered. If the software program is validated during the first phase, this will minimize or eliminate security monitoring operations while the software program is executing during the second phase. If the software program cannot be validated, the protector system enters the second phase and detects and observes executing activities at the kernel level of the operating system so that suspicious actions can be anticipated and addressed before they are able to do harm to the computing device.
US07673133B2
A secure connection between a computer network and a remote device is provided by a carrier network between the computer network and the remote device. The secure connection includes data tunnels that operate as virtual private networks between the corporate network and the carrier network and between the remote device and the carrier network. In addition, communication protocols can be used to enable data requests and data transmission over the secure connection, optionally through ports on the computer network that are opened for Web traffic.
US07673132B2
An aggregated server blade system includes a plurality of individual server blades and a management module which can be designated as a bootable device. A boot list maintained and executed in each server blade includes a management module entry in its list of bootable devices. In response to the management module entry being selected or otherwise made active as the bootable device for a particular blade, an alternative bootable-devices list maintained on the management module is referenced and the boot process proceeds according to the alternative list.
US07673126B2
Methods and apparatus are disclosed to self-initialize a processor. An example method disclosed herein detects a processor reset, receives initialization instructions from a core zone, establishes a core zone boundary, executes received initialization instructions, and publishes a data structure, the data structure comprising state information. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US07673120B2
A VLIW processor has a hierarchy of functional unit clusters that communicate through explicit control in the instruction stream and store data in register files at each level of the hierarchy. Explicit instructions transfer values between sub-clusters through a cluster level switch network. Transfer instructions issue in dedicated instruction issue slots in parallel with instructions that perform computation in functional units. The switch network can perform permutations on the data being moved. The switch network enables for operands to be broadcast between the sub-clusters, global register file and memory.
US07673109B2
Sensitive data structures, such as type data structures, can be used by untrusted application programs without necessarily exposing the sensitive data structures directly. For example, untrusted components, such as application programs that may or may not be type safe, can be allowed to operate in a lower-privilege mode. In addition, the application programs can be associated with an address space with limited permissions (e.g., read-only) to a shared memory heap. Requests by the untrusted components for sensitive data structures can then be handled by trusted components operating in a higher-privilege mode, which may have broader permissions to the shared memory heap. If the requests by the untrusted components are deemed to be valid, the results of the requests can be shared with the lower-privilege mode components through the shared memory heap.
US07673102B2
Techniques for use in CDMA-based products and services, including replacing cache memory allocation so as to maximize residency of a plurality of set ways following a tag-miss allocation. Herein, steps forming a first-in, first-out (FIFO) replacement listing of victim ways for the cache memory, wherein the depth of the FIFO replacement listing approximately equals the number of ways in the cache set. The method and system place a victim way on the FIFO replacement listing only in the event that a tag-miss results in a tag-miss allocation, the victim way is placed at the tail of the FIFO replacement listing after any previously selected victim way. Use of a victim way on the FIFO replacement listing is prevented in the event of an incomplete prior allocation of the victim way by, for example, stalling a reuse request until such initial allocation of the victim way completes or replaying a reuse request until such initial allocation of the victim way completes.
US07673048B1
A client device establishes a first tunnel connection or tunnel, through a public network, with a first gateway of a private network and establishes, through the tunnel connection, a data connection with a destination device within the private network. The first gateway monitors or analyzes the geographic locations of the gateways associated with the private network relative to geographic location of the destination device associated with the data connection. Based upon such the monitoring, the first gateway transmits information to the client device relating to establishment of a second tunnel connection or tunnel with a second gateway of the private network. The client device establishes the second tunnel connection with the second gateway and establishes a data connection with the destination device through the second gateway. By establishing the second tunnel connection with the second gateway, the client device utilizes the bandwidth of the public network to exchange data with the destination device, thereby decreasing data transmission costs to the private network and decreasing private network latency.
US07673040B2
Monitoring of service provider performance is improved by providing detailed instructions for evaluating metrics relating to categories in which the service provider's performance is to be measured. Such instructions describe the metrics in sufficient detail such that they can be evaluated by a monitoring component without having to obtain monitoring data from the service provider, thereby decreasing the level of trust that must be placed in the service provider to monitor itself. The ability to evaluate metrics independent of service provider monitoring data further reduces the size of code which must be generated for the service provider and the number of tasks which must be performed by the service provider, thereby decreasing operating expenses and freeing up resources for other aspects of the service provider's operations.
US07673039B2
To overcome problems there is to be provided useful information to a user, by counting the number of detected RF tags. As a means for solving the problems an information-providing server 20 according to the present invention acquires IDs of RF tag readers disposed near by the Ferris wheel, when there has been presented to the information providing server 20, as a notifying condition, the condition that a user desires to receive an e-mail on the occasion of the number of persons waiting in line for a Ferris wheel having become seven or less. Then after having acquired the number of plural IDs of the RF tags detected by the RF tag readers having the acquired IDs, the information-providing server 20 acquires attribute information of the RF tags. The information providing server 20 counts the number of IDs of RF tags whose attribute is a person, referring to the attribute information. When the counted result has become seven or less, the information providing server 20 transmits an e-mail notifying to the effect that the congestion has been relieved to the mobile terminal 10.
US07673033B2
The invention enables the control of the information in a storage unit in a user terminal, prevents data from leaking to unauthorized users and protects information in the user terminal. A management OS manages the input/output to/from a user work OS in the user terminal, identifies a control-triggering condition set by a management server, controls the information in the storage unit storing the user work OS-related information so that information leakage can be prevented, and it also backs up the user work OS-related information to the storage apparatus using the user work OS input/output information.
US07673029B2
Methods and apparatus that integrate management frameworks with an enterprise manager in a grid computing environment are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a grid computing system includes a management arrangement and at least a first management framework. The management arrangement includes an integration arrangement that brokers requests. The first management framework sends a first request to the integration arrangement which effectively allows the first management framework to communicate bi-directionally with the management arrangement.
US07673023B1
A service processor computing arrangement is associated with a cellular multiprocessing cell. The arrangement includes a scan machine coupled to communicate with processing hardware of the cell and a service processor coupled to an external communications interface of the scan machine. The scan machine includes remote scan software that performs at least one of monitoring and configuration of the processing hardware, and a first remote install program that receives update data via the external communications interface and applies the update data to the remote scan software. The service processor includes a server control program that performs at least one of monitoring and configuring the cell via the remote scan machine, and a second remote install program that applies the update data to the scan machine via the first remote install program.
US07673018B2
A method and system for communicating serialized data provides a mechanism for ordering the data in response to a priority. In an embodiment, a server sending the data uses the priority to order the data in a message send queue for sending the data to a requesting device. The server may comprise a gateway and the second device a wireless device communicating with the gateway. The wireless device may send a priority indication in association with a request for the data to facilitate the ordering.
US07673012B2
A system renting out file servers to many companies in a data center has a security problem so that the user cannot perform operation needing manager authorization in the file servers. An OS provides execution administrative area information of an application program designated by process information which can specify the range of an accessible device to operate the server system of the customer in the administrative area information.
US07673011B2
Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for configuring compute nodes of a parallel computer in an operational group into a plurality of independent non-overlapping collective networks, the compute nodes in the operational group connected together for data communications through a global combining network, that include: partitioning the compute nodes in the operational group into a plurality of non-overlapping subgroups; designating one compute node from each of the non-overlapping subgroups as a master node; and assigning, to the compute nodes in each of the non-overlapping subgroups, class routing instructions that organize the compute nodes in that non-overlapping subgroup as a collective network such that the master node is a physical root.
US07673007B2
A system and method for interfacing Web Services push applications and mobile terminals operable with one of a plurality of different mobile push technologies. A Web Services push gateway includes a Web Services endpoint to terminate Web Services protocols utilized by the Web Services push applications in providing push messages. A plurality of mobile push bearers are each configured to communicate with a different one of the plurality of mobile push technologies. The Web Services push gateway includes a push router coupled to the Web Services endpoint to receive the push messages, and to forward the push messages to an elected one of the mobile push bearers, from where is it ultimately delivered to a recipient mobile terminal employing a mobile push technology corresponding to the elected mobile push bearer.
US07673002B1
A system, method and computer accessible medium for e-mail message action requests is disclosed. E-mail clients and servers may associate action requests with outgoing or incoming e-mail messages. Action requests may inform e-mail recipients that the e-mail message requires a particular action. E-mail clients and servers may maintain and/or display counts of the number e-mail messages associated with various action requests. E-mail clients may also display these counts to the user. E-mail clients and servers may change a requested action after receiving an e-mail message associated with an action request. Additionally, e-mail clients may announce the arrival of e-mail messages with attached requested actions to the user and may provide various user notifications indicating the specific requested action.
US07672997B2
A method, system, and program product for controlling the content displayed during a computer driven presentation of a presentation graphics application. Hidden object presentation properties are assigned to presentation graphics objects during creation of a presentation graphics file, the properties controlling the circumstances under which hidden objects are displayed during a computer driven presentation or screenshow. One type of hidden object presentation property indicates whether an object is viewable on an audience display and presenter display, or only a presenter display, during a multi-display screenshow. Another type of hidden object presentation property, such as hidden object value, determines the audience to which the object is displayed. Hidden object value properties may be hierarchical, individually selectable in any combination, or mutually exclusive. During screenshow setup, one or more display attributes are assigned to each logical display to be used in the screenshow, the display attributes determining the objects viewable thereon.
US07672988B2
An arithmetic processing device includes a menu displaying unit which displays a menu screen for a plurality of arithmetic processings when the predetermined key is operated, each of the arithmetic processings being assigned to one of a plurality of numeric keys; an arithmetic processing unit which, when a numeric key allocated to any one of the arithmetic processings is operated, executes an arithmetic processing corresponding to the operated key; and a display controller which, when a key other than the numeric keys assigned to the arithmetic processings is operated, displays a specific mark.
US07672984B2
The present invention provides a method and system for integrating a shop management system with a system for generating and sending service reminders based on the estimated mileage the vehicle. The mileage of the vehicle can be estimated based on the age of the vehicle, or it can be based on the last known mileage of the vehicle and estimating the additional mileage using average vehicle mileage statistics. The mileage of the vehicle may be estimated based on actual vehicle history, and may be adjusted based on the characteristics of the vehicle, the driver, or the geographic location of the vehicle.
US07672983B2
The time cost of collecting a region in a Garbage-First garbage collector is adjusted to account for concurrent thread activity. The overhead of a concurrent thread is tracked by dividing elapsed time into relatively short time “windows” and monitoring the system during those windows to determine how long that thread is scheduled to run during those windows. Using measurements of this type for each concurrent thread, the percentage of each elapsed time window dedicated to each concurrent thread is determined. Finally, by summing the percentages of elapsed time dedicated to concurrent thread activity, the cost of collecting a region can be increased by adding the overhead attributable to concurrent activity.
US07672977B2
A number of images are grouped and recorded in an image database. A main image is displayed in a main display area. Images having both “PORTRAIT” and “BEACH” photographic scenes, which have been assigned to the main image, assigned thereto are found in groups different from the group to which the main image belongs. The images found are displayed in an auxiliary display area as related images.
US07672974B2
A method and system to facilitate sharing of information amongst users comprises assessing a degree of commonality between each of the users. Once a degree of commonality between the users is assessed, information is shared amongst the users having an assessed degree of commonality greater than a predetermined degree of commonality. In this way, the information being shared is most likely to be useful because it is being shared by users having common traits and characteristics. The degree of commonality can be assessed by comparing areas of interest of the users. The information on the areas of interest may comprise search criteria independently developed by each user to search for information or utilize resources in a network. The degree of commonality may also be assessed by recording each occurrence when a user accepted or did not accept information obtained from each other user.
US07672972B1
A predetermined number of assigned units for each of a plurality of individually selectable pieces of digital content are checked when each piece of digital content is executed in a customer computer network or on an application service provider. Execution of a requested digital content is granted when the number of required units to execute the requested digital content is less than or equal to the total number of available units. Any licensed digital content may be executed on the separate application service provider through a communication network. Access is granted for execution of the requested digital content by a license manager based on whether the application service provider required units of the requested digital content are greater than the available units on the requesting customer computer network. Execution of the requested digital content on the application service provider may be immediate if the application service provider is available or execution can be delayed. If the requested digital content cannot be executed immediately, the required units can be locked up and charged to the customer computer network available units or left uncharged.
US07672963B2
A method of and apparatus for accessing data within an electronic system by an external system to the electronic system. The method includes formatting a searchable database within the electronic system into a directory tree structure, the directory tree structure includes nodes comprising related data and branches comprising links between the nodes. Each related item of data is categorized by a navigation path through the directory tree structure and by one or more parameters, wherein the parameters are specific to the node in which the related data is included. The method accesses one or more nodes within the directory tree structure and obtains data from the one or more nodes by utilizing an applications programming interface. The applications programming interface can access the one or more nodes within the directory tree structure using a query string that defines a navigation path through the directory tree structure to access a specific node within the directory tree structure.
US07672961B2
A method for extracting metadata for plural related objects of different types from a database includes defining a heterogeneous object type as a collection of database objects of different types. Upon a request to fetch a particular heterogeneous object, member objects of the heterogeneous object are fetched from the particular heterogeneous object in a specific order based on the definition of the heterogeneous object's type, such as a valid order for re-creating the particular heterogeneous object. The set of member objects to be fetched can be restricted according to at least one specified filter, which itself may be translated into a second filter according to a type of a member object being fetched. Such translated filters can inherit values from the filter specified in the request for the particular heterogeneous object type, or can have a fixed value of some data type. The extracted metadata can be formatted to recreate the particular heterogeneous object.
US07672960B2
A method and system for updating data for a set of objects in a database is provided. A request identifies a set of objects using a property of the objects and an operation to be performed thereon. The object request is translated to a relational request such that a column in a table corresponding to the property can be operated upon by a relational data store mechanism.
US07672957B2
According to one aspect of the invention, a software transformation system is provided that may include a business asset extraction sub-system. The business asset extraction sub-system is typically configured to analyze a legacy computer application and create a mechanical fabric representing computer-implemented operations of the legacy computer application, and to create a semantic model representing operator-perceived meanings attached to interactions with the legacy application. The business asset extraction sub-system is further typically configured to create links between related portions of the mechanical fabric and the semantic model. The mechanical fabric comprises a network of nodes and associations between nodes, the nodes and associations representing one or more system interface objects, computer programs, and data access points, and a physical data model configured to store data records utilized by the legacy computer application.
US07672946B2
An access rights analysis including a query automaton generation unit for generating a query automaton from a path expression in which retrieval conditions for a database. An access control automaton generation unit generates an access control automaton from an access control policy; a schema automaton generation unit generates a schema automaton from a schema; and a logic operation unit performs a logic operation related to each of the generated automatons. By use of the above components, access rights in database retrieval using the path expressions are decided without checking the XML document itself in the XML database and checking by each node.
US07672944B1
A method and system for multiple column/row data sorting includes a process for multiple column/row data sorting whereby a user is provided with a simple and visually intuitive interface for prioritizing the progressive sorting of data displayed in data tables by multiple columns or rows.
US07672940B2
The present invention relates generally to automatically processing electronic documents. In one aspect, features and/or properties of words are identified from a set of training documents to aid in extracting information from documents to be processed. The features and/or properties relate to text of the words, position of the words and the relationship to other words. A classifier is developed to express these features and/or properties. During information extraction, documents are processed and analyzed based on the classifier and information is extracted based on correspondence of the documents and the features/properties expressed by the classifier.
US07672937B2
A system and method utilize temporal targeting of content, such as advertisements. The targeting may be based on time of day, day of year, season or upcoming holidays. In addition, prior search history may be utilized to determine current popularity and/or predict future popularity for a particular concept that may be used for targeting.
US07672926B2
A method, computer program, and database system are disclosed for executing database queries. The database includes a first table (T1) having a primary key (PK) column and a first correlated value column (CV1) and a second table (T2) having a foreign key (FK) column related to the primary key column of the first table and a second correlated value column (CV2). One implementation of the method includes preparing a database query for execution based at least in part on application of a derived constraint rule (DCR) having the form, (PK=FK)→CV2+C1≦CV1≦CV2+C2, where C1 and C2 are constants and “→” means “implies,” to produce an execution plan. A frequency of errors due to changes in DCRs is taken into account when preparing the execution plan. The plan is then executed.
US07672920B2
Apparatus and method for embedding recurrent neural networks into the nodes of a self-organizing map
A learning system is provided, which includes network storage means for storing a network including a plurality of nodes, each of which holds a dynamics; and learning means for self-organizationally updating the dynamics of the network on the basis of measured time-series data.
US07672916B2
Methods, systems, and media are provided for classifying digital music. In some embodiments, methods of classifying a song are provided that include: receiving a selection of at least one seed song; receiving a label selection for at least one unlabeled song; training a support vector machine based on the at least one seed song and the label selection; and classifying a song using the support vector machine. In some embodiments, systems for classifying a song are provided that include: memory for storing at least one seed song, at least one unlabeled song, and a song; and a processor that: receives a selection of the at least one seed song; receives a label selection for the at least one unlabeled song; trains a support vector machine based on the at least one seed song and the label selection; and classifies the song using the support vector machine.
US07672914B2
A coefficient-data generating apparatus generates coefficient data of an estimating equation used to convert a first information signal including pieces of information data into a second information signal including pieces of information data. The coefficient-data generating apparatus includes a determining unit determining whether a subject point in a second learning signal corresponding to the second information signal is a feature point having a predetermined feature; a data selector selecting pieces of information data at adjacent points of the subject point in the second learning signal, based on a first learning signal corresponding to the first information signal; and a calculator calculating the coefficient data using information data at the subject point in the second learning signal, the subject point being determined as the feature point by the determining unit, and the pieces of information data selected in association with the subject point by the data selector.
US07672913B2
In order to promote efficient learning of relationships inherent in a system or setup S described by system-state and context parameters, the next action to take, affecting the setup, is determined based on the knowledge gain expected to result from this action. Knowledge-gain is assessed “locally” by comparing the value of a knowledge-indicator parameter after the action with the value of this indicator on one or more previous occasions when the system-state/context parameter(s) and action variable(s) had similar values to the current ones. Preferably the “level of knowledge” is assessed based on the accuracy of predictions made by a prediction module. This technique can be applied to train a prediction machine by causing it to participate in the selection of a sequence of actions. This technique can also be applied for managing development of a self-developing device or system, the self-developing device or system performing a sequence of actions selected according to the action-selection technique.
US07672912B2
The Naïve Bayes Classifier predicts the classification of a set of data based on the features of that data and a series of counts reflecting the information obtained from prior data sets, with one count per feature per class. An external boost can be applied to the counts generated by the NBC to account for external information. Such a boost is added to the counts generated by the NBC, and the boosted counts are then used by the NBC. A boost can be applied to some or all of the counts and the boost for each count can be applied independently. Likewise, the counts can be periodically aged by multiplying the counts with an aging factor of between 0 and 1 per period. Aging factors can be applied uniformly across all counts, or can be individually applied, enabling some counts to age more than others.
US07672896B2
A system and associated methods are provided for intelligent placement and movement of orders in an electronic trading environment. According to one example method, in addition to submitting a leg order at a calculated price level, additional orders, queue holder orders, are submitted for the leg order at prices either below or above the calculated price level. Based on this configuration, if the conditions change such that it is necessary to re-price the leg order, there will be already an order resting in the exchange order book at the re-calculated price that can be used in the strategy. Upon re-pricing the leg order, one or more additional queue holder orders will be placed in the market. Other tools are provided as well.
US07672890B2
Described are methods and apparatus, including computerized methods and computer program products, for signal testing for a long-only portfolio. The methodology can be used for assessing the efficacy of a strategy for selecting securities in a long-only portfolio, and the strategy can be implemented to construct a revised long-only portfolio. The signal testing methodology can take into account the position and/or return of securities that do not have either a positive or negative attribute as well.
US07672888B2
A system and method for managing a construction payment process. One method embodying the invention can include generating a budget for a construction project, receiving an invoice amount from at least one participant in the construction project, generating at least one of an automated invoice and an automated sworn statement based on the invoice amount and the budget, generating at least one automated lien waiver based on at least one of the automated invoice and the automated sworn statement, and electronically executing at least one of the automated invoice, the automated sworn statement, and the at least one automated lien waiver to create at least one of a legally-binding invoice, a legally-binding sworn statement, and a legally-binding lien waiver. Another method embodying the invention can include electronically receiving a lien waiver from a participant in a construction project, electronically transmitting payment to the participant in response to receipt of the lien waiver, and releasing the lien waiver in response to the payment.
US07672884B2
The present invention relates to a system and method for carrying out, facilitating, overseeing and otherwise managing initial and ongoing compliance, certification, risk mitigation and/or loss prevention, as it relates to a rule by analyzing and arranging the rule into a set of algorithms and documents. Information about an entity is input, compared to the rule by way of a set of algorithms, documented, and a report setting forth the compliance requirements and then-current compliance with the rule of the entity is provided. The entity is also provided with any documents required to ensure compliance with the rule.
US07672881B2
A system is provided for automatically billing a designated account for fees associated with the costs of tickets and other similar services. Passenger Record Number data and similar data is provided through a Computerized Reservation System and an accounting system to a Fee Allocator program which automatically interprets the data, determines appropriate fees based on the data and a user profile, and bills the fees to an appropriate account based on the user profile. Billing data provided to the account also facilitates the process of reconciling the fees to the travel ticket costs. Enhanced descriptive billing statements can be created simplifying the process of reconciling fees to the travel ticket costs.
US07672878B2
In a consumables supply management system in which clinical test analysis devices (1) in medical institutions (A, B, . . . ) and a computer (2) of a consumables supplier (C) are connected via a communications line (10), operation status data including information on the status of consumption of the consumables in the clinical test analysis device (1) are transmitted to the computer (2) via the communications line (10). The computer (2) has previously stored data on the inventory of consumables in each medical institution, and determines the quantity of consumables consumed in each medical institution based on the operation status data that are received, updates the consumables inventory data, and if necessary, carries out the procedures for supplying an appropriate quantity of consumables.
US07672870B2
The present invention provides a system for implementing a purchaser incentive program on a network-wide level. The system associates SKU and UPC data on a network level to provide consumers with a purchasing environment that is both convenient and cost-efficient. The association of SKU and UPC data at a network level also provides consumers with the ability to analyze their own purchase data for a variety of purposes, including analyses relating to the consumer's spending behaviors or patterns for example. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the association of UPC and SKU data by the system facilitates a network-wide search for an item that a consumer desires to purchase under terms or conditions that are selected by the consumer and are therefore perceived to be optimal by that consumer. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the association of UPC and SKU data by the system facilitates data analysis by a consumer based upon any of several factors, including items purchased, prices for those items, retailer ID, SKU number, UPC, manufacturer ID, and/or the like. The system may compile any of the above data across multiple entities for the purpose of data analysis, such as analyses which may be employed in consumer budgeting for example.
US07672868B1
A facility for rewarding the provision of useful item reviews is described. The facility receives a plurality of item reviews, each from a source. The facility publishes each of the plurality of received item reviews, and assesses the usefulness of the published item reviews. Based upon this assessment of usefulness, the facility selects one or more of the published item reviews, and provides rewards to the sources of these selected item reviews.
US07672862B1
Generating a supply chain plan includes accessing data describing a supply chain network having buffers. Each buffer is operable to store items and is associated with a corresponding time variable. The supply chain network is constrained by a constraint. A linear programming problem is generated for the supply chain network. The linear programming problem is approximated by discretizing the time variables of the buffers to yield discretized time variables and by relaxing the constraint to yield a relaxed constraint. An optimized supply chain plan is calculated for the approximated linear programming problem. The optimized supply chain plan describes a quantity of items at each buffer for at least one time value of the corresponding time variable. The optimized supply chain plan is adjusted to satisfy the constraint.
US07672859B1
An economical prescription order tracking system automatically monitors and tracks prescription orders through a conventional pharmacy. The system includes a tracking tag having a unique identifier associated with it secured near the prescription order such that it travels with the order through various locations within the pharmacy. Tag reading devices are positioned at key locations throughout the pharmacy to detect the location of each tag, and its associated attached prescription order. The detected locations are compiled via a computer system and associated with the customer, such that at any given time the location of the prescription order within the pharmacy can be determined, thereby facilitating the efficient operation of the pharmacy. Preferably, filled prescription orders are placed in a large bin having multiple cubbies within it. Each cubby has a displayed number and a tag reading device received therein such that the location of the prescription order within the cubby is easily determined simply by placing the prescription order with tag into an available cubby. The time each prescription order remains at each location and worker identity information at each location can be recorded and compiled to facilitate workflow and worker efficiency monitoring of the pharmacy.
US07672856B1
A computer method is disclosed for calculating an approximate cost of multi-protocol label switching (MPLS)-based virtual private network (VPN) services. The method computes a lower bound and an upper bound for the bandwidth used in an MPLS-based VPN. These are then combined to produce an estimate for the cost of the bandwidth.
US07672846B2
A voice recognition system and a voice processing system in which a self-repair utterance can be inputted and recognized accurately, as in a conversation in which a human user makes a self-repair utterance. A signal processing unit converts speech voice data into a feature, a voice section detecting unit detects voice sections in the speech voice data, and a priority determining unit selects a voice section that includes a self-repair utterance from among the voice sections according to a priority criterion without using any result of recognizing a speech vocabulary sequence. Priority criteria can include a length of the voice section, signal to noise ratio, chronological order of the voice section as well as speech speed. A decoder calculates a matching score with a recognition vocabulary using the feature of the voice section and an acoustic model.
US07672845B2
A method and system is provided to monitor speech and detect keywords or phrases in the speech, such as for example, monitored calls in a call center or speakers/presenters using teleprompters, or the like. Upon detection of the keywords of phrases, information associated with the keywords or phrases may be presented to a display device so that a user may dynamically receive new information as context of the speech progresses. This provides dynamic information as the context of the conversation develops. The information may be presented as links, cues, text, or similar formats. The detected keywords or phrases may also be associated with rules that govern the conditions and criteria for processing the detected keyword and presentation of the information.
US07672835B2
An FFT unit performs an FFT process on high-frequency-eliminated, pitch-shifted voice data for one frame. A time scaling unit calculates a frequency amplitude, a phase, a phase difference between the present and immediately preceding frames, and an unwrapped version of the phase difference for each channel from which the frequency component was obtained by the FFT, detects a reference channel based on a peak one of the frequency amplitudes, and calculates the phase of each channel in a synthesized voice based on the reference channel, using results of the calculation. An IFFT unit processes each frequency component in accordance with the calculated phase, performs an IFFT process on the resulting frequency component, and produces synthesized voice data for one frame.
US07672834B2
A method detects components of a non-stationary signal. The non-stationary signal is acquired and a non-negative matrix of the non-stationary signal is constructed. The matrix includes columns representing features of the non-stationary signal at different instances in time. The non-negative matrix is factored into characteristic profiles and temporal profiles.
US07672831B2
A system and method for cross-language knowledge searching. The system has a Semantic Analyzer, a natural language user request/document search pattern/semantic index Generator, a user request search pattern Translator and a Knowledge Base Searcher. The system also provides automatic semantic analysis and semantic indexing of natural language user requests/documents on knowledge recognition and cross-language relevant to user request knowledge extraction/searching. System functionality is ensured by Linguistic Knowledge Base as well as by a number of unique bilingual dictionaries of concepts/objects and actions.
US07672821B2
Finite element methods are unsuitable for a dispersed system. Particle methods suitable for a dispersed system are limited in their particle shapes of only spheres that require many particles to model a complicated shape especially in 3D. Proposed procedures for a particle method are roughly as follows. 1): Judging the existence of the contact between particles as that between mathematically-smooth closed surfaces representing particle shape and size. 2): Assuming an imaginary contact point and an imaginary contact plane the same as when both closed surfaces are reduced with the same scale to touch at one point. 3): Calculating imaginary contact area and imaginary contact stiffness using the above point and plane. Based on these procedures, particle shapes are not limited but smooth. Therefore, a more complicated shaped problem in a dispersed system can be analyzed with a smaller number of particles. Additionally, combined use with finite elements enlarges usability.
US07672818B2
A method for solving a matrix equation AX=B, wherein A represents a block sparse matrix, B represents a right hand side block vector and X represents a solution block vector. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving the block sparse matrix and the right hand side block vector, constructing a reduced transformed block sparse matrix from the block sparse matrix, constructing a reduced transformed residual block vector from the block sparse matrix and the right hand side block vector, and solving for the solution block vector using the reduced transformed block sparse matrix and the reduced transformed residual block vector.
US07672809B2
Object tracking using ultrasonic signals. A receiver receives a signal transmitted from a transmitter. The receiver uses at least two receiving elements for forming at least two analysis signals on the basis of the received signal. The receiver includes a detector, such as a phase detector, which examines the analysis signals and forms an indication on a difference between the analysis signals. The indication is, for example, indicative of a phase difference between the analysis signals. The transmitted signal is a modulated ultrasonic signal, wherein the receiver demodulates the signal to recover the modulating signal. The indication can be used to determine a heading angle information of the object to be tracked. The heading angle information may be a direction of the object with respect to the transmitter. The heading angle information can be used to make e.g. a corrective action to audio signals to be formed for listening.
US07672796B2
A method for providing a system for establishing a control valve performance in a process operation. The system includes establishing an expected flow rate for a control valve by measuring a differential pressure between an upstream and downstream position of a control valve of interest and using the formula Q = Cv × φ ( x ) × Δ P G , measuring an actual flow rate across the control valve, comparing the actual flow rate with the expected flow rate to determine the difference in value between the actual and expected flow rate, determining if the difference is within an acceptable range of values from the expected flow rate and establishing the performance of the control valve.
US07672788B2
A method, computer system, and computer program product for determining N disulphide bond connections in a protein having 2N bonded sulphur atoms. Each sulphur atom is available for forming the N disulphide bond connections through use of an undirected graph having the 2N sulphur atoms as nodes and having an edge connecting each pair of nodes. Each sulphur atom is comprised by a cysteine of the protein. The cysteines are sequenced along a chain in the protein as ordered list of position indexes. A weight W of each edge between cysteine position indexes I1 and I2 is calculated as decreasing with increasing separation d between I1 and I2, wherein d is |I1−I2|/100. The N disulphide bond connections are determined by optimizing an objective function formed from the calculated weights W.
US07672782B2
An enhanced police Doppler direction sensing radar detects possibly dangerous traffic conditions during certain vehicle maneuvers such as U-turns and returns to travel after roadside stops. By monitoring a host or primary vehicle speed, speed transitions, transmission state (e.g. gear selection), and the closing vehicle position, range and speed, a number of selectable conditions are detected, resulting in an alert indication to a primary vehicle operator. User preferences and thresholds allow the traffic alert function to be customized according to a primary vehicle operator's desire to suppress alerts in situations which the user does not deem dangerous. The traffic alert function may be automatically triggered under certain detected conditions, or manually initiated when the primary vehicle operator intends to make a driving maneuver.
US07672779B2
A method and system for creating and/or using a universal location referencing object (ULRO) with electronic files including electronic maps. ULROs establish traversable links between a file-of-reference and third-party-files. In accordance with an embodiment, the ULRO comprises a universal location referencing code uniquely corresponding to the location, together with several optional components, including: a set of name information; a super-set of coordinates; a file-of-reference pointer field comprising a file-of-reference pointer; a third-party-file pointer field comprising one or more third-party-file pointers; a file-of-reference back-pointer field comprising a file-of-reference back-pointer; a third-party-file back-pointer field comprising one or more third-party-file back-pointers; and a metadata field. ULROs allow recognition of equivalence of features in different maps, and facilitate dynamic combination or linking of multiple maps into one virtual map, with traversable connectivity for a wide variety of map formats.
US07672769B2
A device for longitudinal guidance of a motor vehicle, including a driver assistance system which outputs a brake request signal to a brake control unit. The driver assistance system is designed to output a brake request signal in the form of a distance signal which specifies the distance to be traveled by the vehicle within which the vehicle is to reach a predefinable target velocity. The brake control unit has a conversion unit for converting the distance signal into a brake operation signal.
US07672764B2
A physical response record system includes a main unit and various sensors for recording driver's conditions and vehicle operations by a driver. The driver's conditions in combination with the vehicle operations are used to determine a risky situation of the vehicle based on an averaged driver's condition and the like. The risky situation is further analyzed for detecting a risky object and stored as a record for later use.
US07672763B1
An embodiment provides a method for coupling a telematics device to a host vehicle. One embodiment of the method may include: 1) coupling an electrical cable to an engine control unit of the host vehicle; 2) coupling the electrical cable to the telematics device; and 3) coupling a diagnostic connector to the electrical cable. The diagnostic connector may be configured to interface with a diagnostic scan tool that corresponds to the host vehicle.
US07672760B2
A searchlight (3) on board a vessel (1) arranged for illuminating a point (2p) and maintain said point (2p) illuminated regardless of the movements of said vessel (1).
US07672756B2
Vehicle including a data generating system which obtains or generates information about the vehicle and a communications system coupled to the data generating system for communicating directly with a wireless Internet service provider (ISP) to enable the information obtained or generated by the data generating system to be transmitted via the Internet. The data generating system may be a diagnostic system which diagnoses the state of the vehicle or the state of a component of the vehicle and generates an output indicative or representative thereof. The data generating system may be arranged to obtain or generate information about the operation of the vehicle. Additionally or alternatively, the data generating system may be arranged to obtain or generate information about the presence of contents in the compartment and/or when contents are present, information about contents in the compartment.
US07672755B2
There is provided a library device which can be restored to working order quickly and reliably even when a control board containing information necessary for the operation of the library device is replaced. The library device includes a cell array which consists of an array of multiple cells each of which contains one cartridge containing a magnetic tape, magnetic tape drives in which the cartridges are removably mounted and which access the storage medium contained in the cartridges, a robot which transfers the cartridges between the cell array and the magnetic tape drives, a main control board which controls the operation of the entire library device, a barcode label which represents ID information for identification of the library device, and cell flags which are marks used to recognize the locations of the cells composing the cell array.
US07672741B2
A position/force control device includes position detectors on a master 1 side and on a slave 3 side. Reaction force estimation observers 2 and 4 estimate reaction force based on outputs of the position detectors. A position control part 5 generates acceleration signals apm, aps for controlling positions on the master side and on the slave side on the basis of the position signals outputted by the position detectors. The operation force control part 6 generates acceleration signals afm, afs for controlling forces applied to the master side and to the slave side based upon the outputs from reaction force estimation observers 2 and 4. The acceleration composition part 7 composes the two sets of acceleration signals apm, aps, and afm, afs, and outputs the driving signals for the master side and the slave side.
US07672735B2
Methods of implanting a two-part cardiac lead in a heart are disclosed. The two-part cardiac lead has inner and outer portions and a pin. The inner and outer lead portions are separately advanced to a location of interest within the vasculature of a patient. The pin is attached to a proximal end of the inner lead portion and can provide a connection between the inner and outer lead portions.
US07672732B2
An apparatus for powering an implant includes first energy interface elements, a removeably attachable holding device and a first energy source, such as a battery. An energy conversion circuit converts first energy into second energy which is transmitted within the body of the patient to the implant. Also, an apparatus for providing information to an implant that includes first energy interface elements and a housing that includes a processor operatively coupled to the first energy interface elements and an energy source operatively coupled to the processor. The processor is structured to generate an information signal and cause the signal to be transmitted within the body of the patient for delivery to the implant. Associated methods are also provided.
US07672729B2
An exemplary method includes delivering stimulation according to one or more stimulation parameters to cause contraction of the diaphragm, monitoring chest activity related to respiration and, in response to the monitoring, adjusting one or more of the one or more stimulation parameters during contraction of the diaphragm and continuing the delivering. Various other exemplary methods, devices, systems, etc., are also disclosed.
US07672726B2
A system for controlling an implantable medical device (e.g., a drug delivery device) susceptible to malfunctioning during exposure to a magnetic field and/or Radio Frequency field (e.g., during a magnetic resonance imaging procedure) and a method for operating the same. Exposure of the implantable device to the magnetic field and/or the Radio Frequency field is detected using the sensing device. When the detected magnetic field and/or Radio Frequency field exceeds a corresponding predetermined threshold level, an input signal is generated at the microcontroller. In response to the generated input signal, the microcontroller automatically triggers (i) a safety mode enabling a predetermined safety mode operation that alters some operation, without ceasing all operation, of the implantable medical device and/or (ii) after expiration of a predetermined safety mode time interval when the at least one field being detected falls below its corresponding predetermined threshold level or a predetermined period of time elapses, a self testing mode enabling a predetermined self testing operation to verify proper operation of the implantable medical device. Preferably, both the safety and self testing modes are automatically triggered.
US07672721B2
An implantable medical device provides ventricular pacing capabilities and optimizes AV intervals for multiple purposes. In general, intrinsic conduction is promoted by determining when electromechanical systole (EMS) ends and setting an AV interval accordingly. EMS is determined utilizing various data including QT interval, sensor input, and algorithmic calculations.
US07672720B2
A method of applying electrotherapy to the heart of a patient includes positioning electrodes in communication with the heart of the patient; monitoring the patient's heart to determine if its fibrillating; and providing a first signal with a current generator to the heart through the electrodes in response to an indication that the heart is fibrillating. The first stimulus signal reduces the amount of fibrillation.
US07672719B2
An apparatus includes multiple first reservoirs and multiple second reservoirs joined with a substrate. Selected ones of the multiple first reservoirs include a reducing agent, and first reservoir surfaces of selected ones of the multiple first reservoirs are proximate to a first substrate surface. Selected ones of the multiple second reservoirs include an oxidizing agent, and second reservoir surfaces of selected ones of the multiple second reservoirs are proximate to the first substrate surface.
US07672712B2
A device for visualizing structure located on the interior of a biological substance. The device includes a marker member that may be a solid cylinder or lumen having an interior volume having a distal end removably insertable in the biological substance relative to the interior structure to be visualized. An image-enhancing material is contained relative to the marker member in a manner such that the imaging material does not directly contact the biological substance. The imaging material of choice is one capable of producing an emission or signal detectable external to the biological substance by suitable imaging instrumentation. Also disclosed is a method for visualizing critical structures or radiation therapy targets in imaging processes such as positron emission tomography and/or single photon emission computerized tomography, MRI, or ultrasound either used alone or in combination or in registration with anatomical imaging processes such as computed tomography or mammography.
US07672710B2
A system for producing a contrast-enhanced medical image of a patient includes a source of a contrast or enhancement medium, a pressurizing unit in fluid connection with the source of contrast or enhancement medium, an energy source operable to apply energy to a region of the patient, an imaging unit providing a visual display of an internal view of the patient based upon a signal resulting from the energy applied to the region of the patient, and a control unit. In an embodiment, the signal is affected by a condition of the contrast or enhancement medium in the patient. To control the procedures, the control unit adjusts the condition of the contrast or enhancement medium in the patient based upon the signal. A communication interface preferably enables information between an injector subsystem and an imaging subsystem.
US07672697B2
An apparatus is disclosed for a double rotation structure mobile terminal. The mobile terminal comprising a main body having a plurality of keys for inputting information and operating functions of the mobile terminal, and a folder having a display portion. A connection member is provided having a first connection portion rotatably coupled to the main body and a second connection portion integrally formed within the first connection portion and rotatably coupled to the folder. A locking connection member installed along a side of the main body for selectively controlling rotation of the connection member.
US07672694B2
An architecture for selectively powering a receive module (108) is disclosed. The architecture comprises the receive module (108) which is functionally adapted, while power is applied to the receive module (108) by a power module (601), and after a power-up time interval has elapsed, to process a traffic packet. The architecture further comprises the power module (601) that is adapted to apply power to the receive module 108 dependent upon arrival of a wake-up packet.
US07672684B2
A method of operating a push-to-talk service over a mobile wireless communication network, where a user of a mobile wireless terminal may select an automatic or manual answer mode for incoming session invitations for at least some other users. The method comprises including in the push-to-talk session invitation sent from a calling party to a called party, a manual answer mode request, upon receipt of the session invitation at a push-to-talk server serving the called party, forwarding the invitation including the manual answer mode request to the called party regardless of any auto-answer mode setting for the called party, and receiving the invitation at the called party, and generating a ringing alert at the called party's terminal.
US07672680B1
The present disclosure is directed to a web services architecture comprising a component operable for rapid development of a web services application, a mobile application. The web services architecture also includes a telecommunications provider system and a service provider. The mobile application is related to the web services application deployable on a mobile device. The telecommunications provider system is operable to host the web services application and to identify the mobile device and federate information related to the mobile device. The service provider is operable to provide a mobile device service associated with the web services application. The service provider is in communication with the web services application and operable to use the federated information related to the mobile device to provide application services to the mobile device.
US07672671B2
A first access network [500] has a servicing element [525] for servicing a mobile station 105]. A negotiation element [530] negotiates with a second access network [115] for a right for the second access network [115] to provide wireless service to the mobile station [105]. The negotiation comprises sending an offer of a benefit from the second access network [115] to the first access network [500]. A processor [505] accepts the offer of the benefit from the second access network [115] and transmits a first token [515] to the second access network [115].
US07672665B2
A method for transferring user specific information from a first vehicle in a mobile communication system to a second vehicle in the mobile communication system includes retrieving user specific information from the vehicle using a wireless connection, transferring the retrieved information to the second vehicle, and deactivating the user specific information in the first vehicle.
US07672664B2
A system for printing a reminder list on a print medium is disclosed. The system includes a mobile telecommunications device having a printer module to print the reminder list on the print medium and a sensor module to sense a print media identifier of the print medium.
US07672663B2
A method and apparatus for representing a conversation of related messages is provided. In a message collection user interface for displaying messages sent and received by a communications device, a dynamic session placeholder is used for a respective conversation of related messages. The message collection user interface is displayed including any dynamic session placeholders in the list of messages. As messages from the conversation are occasioned, the dynamic session placeholder is updated. When the message collection is displayed, it is displayed in accordance with the updated session placeholder.
US07672662B2
A multimedia data construct called a tag may be stored and transferred. A user can use multimedia content, to create a the content portion of a tag. The multimedia file is then incorporated into the tag or it can be referenced by a pointer in the tag. The multimedia file is artistic expression of the user and the tag uniquely associates the user's identity with the multimedia file by prohibiting alteration of the content after the user completes its creation. The tag includes at least one dynamic indicator that may be changed based on one or more predefined rules upon transmission. The tag may include an ID, that may be based on subscriber information. Encryption techniques may be employed to protect privacy concerns so that such subscriber information is not freely available.
US07672661B2
A management server includes a determination unit and a notification unit. The determination unit determines a communication network to which a mobile terminal connectable to a plurality of the communication networks by one telephone number is connecting. The notification unit issues a notice on the communication network connecting to the mobile terminal based on a result of the determination by the determination unit.
US07672660B2
A method of performing actions related to handover by a mobile station (MS) in a wireless mobile communication system is disclosed. More specifically, the MS receives information from a base station (BS), wherein the information includes at least one action for performing handover and at least one condition corresponding to the at least one action. Furthermore, the MS transmits a request message to perform the at least one action based on the received information from the BS and receives a response message in response to the request message. Lastly, the MS performs the at least one action according to the received response message.
US07672652B2
A coordinator's data transmission method, a device's data reception method, a coordinator using the coordinator's data transmission method and a device using the device's data reception method are provided. In a Zigbee system including at least one device and a coordinator for coordinating the device, in a case where a frame pending bit in a beacon frame is determined to be a value representing a direct transmission method, a beacon frame containing an address of a device to receive data and a data transmission time is generated and data is transmitted from the coordinator at the data transmission time. Data transmission time and power consumption can be reduced.
US07672650B2
Methods and systems for vector combining power amplification are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a plurality of signals are individually amplified, then summed to form a desired time-varying complex envelope signal. Phase and/or frequency characteristics of one or more of the signals are controlled to provide the desired phase, frequency, and/or amplitude characteristics of the desired time-varying complex envelope signal. In another embodiment, a time-varying complex envelope signal is decomposed into a plurality of constant envelope constituent signals. The constituent signals are amplified equally or substantially equally, and then summed to construct an amplified version of the original time-varying envelope signal. Embodiments also perform frequency up-conversion.
US07672639B2
A satellite based communication system in a low-earth-orbit (LEO) has multiple beams and FDM channels within each beam for voice/data communication between user terminals and multiple gateways. The satellite based communication system has two links for duplex communication, i.e., a forward link between the gateway and the user terminals through the satellites and a return link between the user terminals and the gateway through the satellites. Low volume telemetry data from remotely located assets, such as liquid petroleum gas tanks, water tanks, oil storage tanks, rail cars is gathered, processed, and transferred to a customer over an Internet link. A remote telemetry unit with a sensor and a simplex transmitting unit transmits remote telemetry data. A gateway receives data and directs the data to a gateway applique for demodulating and decoding. Resulting messages are sent to the customer via a back office over an Internet connection.
US07672637B2
Spread-spectrum technology, either direct sequence or frequency hopping, or a combination of the two, is used for transmitting audio signals one way and control signals two ways over an RF channel(s) to reduce interference with/from other RF transmissions and enabling use of multiple such systems in close proximity without requiring pre-selection of transmission frequencies. Alternatively, multiple channels with appended access codes may be used, wherein interference or loss of clear signal results in automatic switching to another channel. The control signals accompany the transmitted audio signal at some time in the transmission interval, or previous to the beginning of the transmission interval, and constitute a coded control message allowing a unique connection. In some cases the encoding keys may only occur at the beginning of the desired message, while in other cases the two-way control signals may continue throughout the interval of the message link.
US07672633B2
A fixing roller is configured in a manner that a conductive primer layer, a conductive intermediate layer, and a non-conductive outermost layer (a release layer) are coated sequentially onto a surface of an outer circumference of a hollow cylindrical cored bar. The intermediate layer is composed of a non-conductive fluorine resin layer having conductive materials dispersed therein, and a surface thereof is a rough surface having a large number of convex portions and concave portions formed thereon. The outermost layer is composed of a non-conductive fluorine resin only, and a surface thereof is a flat and smooth surface so as to ensure a favorable release property of a recording medium.
US07672623B2
A developer station and related method for distributed replenishment of toner as well as powder coatings and related materials. The developer station is divided into a first space adjacent or within a second space, the first space located adjacent a toner supply and the second space including a developer sump. The first space includes a toner-conveying device located in the first space, the toner-conveying device having a tapered body with a first end and a second end. A conveyance housing is located adjacent to and disposed such that the toner conveying device conveys the toner toward the developer sump as it travels from the first end of the toner conveying device to the second end of the toner conveying device, the housing having slots or openings so that the toner is deposited in the developer sump along the length of the conveying device.
US07672621B2
A toner cartridge is to be attached to a developing device. The developing device is provided with a developing roller comprising a rotational axis extending along a horizontal direction, a first casing, and a first transporting member. The first casing includes a developing chamber for accommodating the toner to be supported by the developing roller, a first feed opening for feeding the toner from the toner cartridge to the developing chamber, and a first return opening for returning the toner from the developing chamber to the toner cartridge. The first transporting member is located within the developing chamber. The first transporting member transports the toner within the developing chamber from the first feed opening to the first return opening. The first feed opening and the first return opening are offset along the horizontal direction. The first feed opening is located higher the first return opening.
US07672613B2
A photosensitive material drum capable of easily preventing the leakage of the adhesive through the notches which are for confirming the earthing of the flange member. The flange member inserted in an end portion of the drum body includes an annular protuberance covering an end surface of the drum body, and an insertion drum portion forming protruded portions so as to come in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the drum body and recessed portions maintaining a gap relative to the inner peripheral surface of the drum body alternately along the inner peripheral surface of the drum body. An adhesive is applied onto the inner peripheral surface of the drum body facing the recessed portions to prevent the turn of the flange member. Notches are formed in the annular protuberance for exposing the end surface of the drum body, the notches being formed at positions neighboring the protruded portions.
US07672608B2
An image forming apparatus, including an image forming section which conducts image formation on a sheet based on an image data, a tray which accommodates the sheets to be supplied to the image forming section, a humidity detecting unit which detects humidity inside the tray, a dehumidifying device which conducts dehumidification inside the tray; and a control section which controls the image forming section to prohibit image formation when the humidity inside the tray is higher than a predetermined value, the control section further controls the dehumidifying device to conduct the dehumidification inside the tray when the humidity inside the tray is equal to or lower than the predetermined value, and the control section still further controls the image forming section to conduct the image formation on the when the humidity inside the tray has been equal to or lower than the predetermined value.
US07672607B2
A fixing device, including a fixing rotary body including a first heat source, a pressing rotary body including a second heat source, and a control device configured to cause, at a time of warm-up of the fixing device, the fixing rotary body to rotate while causing at least one of the first heat source and the second heat source to generate heat, and to allow, after a surface temperature of the fixing rotary body has risen to a preselected warm-up temperature, a sheet pass or a printing to be executed and cause, if a sheet pass is not executed, the fixing rotary body to rotate for a preselected period of time.
US07672603B2
An image forming apparatus that can realize an image having adequate image quality, density and color, without provoking excessive consumption of a developer and reduction in productivity. Image formation is performed by forming a latent image on an image carrier based on image information, then developing and transferring the latent image. An image for adjustment on a portion is formed other than a portion on which the latent image is formed on the image carrier. The density of the image for adjustment is detected. Image density is adjusted based on the density of the detected image for adjustment. Image formation control is executed whereby density is adjusted when an image is formed. A printing rate that indicates the percentage of the image formation to a sheet used for image formation is calculated. When the printing rate is determined to be within a set range, the image formation control is executed at a set frequency. On the other hand, when the printing rate is determined to be outside the set range, the set frequency is changed and the image formation control is executed.
US07672601B2
An image forming apparatus which uses a consumable item is disclosed. The image forming apparatus includes a consumed status detecting unit which detects a value of the consumed status of the consumable item, a determining unit which determines whether to output an exchange message of the consumable item by comparing the value of the consumed status of the consumable item detected by the consumed status detecting unit with a predetermined value, an exchange message output setting unit which sets presence or non-presence of an output of the exchange message, and a consumed status output setting unit which sets presence or non-presence of an output of the consumed status of the consumable item detected by the consumed status detecting unit.
US07672589B2
Method for reducing signal degradation in an optical polarisation-multiplex system. The modulated optical signals to be transmitted are synchronised or generated such that the phase difference for NRZ-modulated signals is at least approximately 0° and the phase difference for RZ-modulated signals is at least approximately 180°. They can also be achieved by means of different synchronising devices.
US07672587B2
An optical switching device is provided. The device includes an input stage (1) comprising broadcast modules (MD1-MD3) that provide duplicates of the same multiplex, an output stage (2) comprising programmable multiplexer modules (OWS1-OWS3) having inputs associated with respective broadcast modules, and an intermediate stage (3) connecting each programmable multiplexer module input that is associated with a broadcast module to an output of the associated broadcast module. Each broadcast module includes a programmable demultiplexer module (IWS1-IWS3) having a transit output (B1), and a selection output (B2) and a star coupler (SC1-SC3). The transit output (B1) is connected to a first input (C1) of the coupler and an input and an output of a processing device (RG, RG′) are respectively connected to a selection output (B2) and to a second input (C2) of the coupler.
US07672575B2
In an evaporator for evaporating mists of liquid raw material to thereby generate start gas for layer-formation, an evaporator body has an evaporator chamber defined therein, and a mist supply throat for introducing the mists into the evaporating chamber. The evaporator chamber is defined by a principal evaporating face which opposes to the mist supply throat. The evaporator body also has a start-gas supply passage which is formed therein between the mist supply throat and the principal evaporating face such that the start gas flows out of the evaporating chamber through the start-gas supply passage. A ridge member is provided on an inner side wall surface of the evaporating chamber between the start-gas is supply passage and the principal evaporating face so that a tip edge of the ridge member is directed to the principal evaporating face.
US07672574B2
During reception of data broadcast, the control information is created by a control information creator for storage into a first storage. During normal reproduction of the data content stored in the first storage, the data content of the data broadcast being reproduced and the control information are stored in a second storage. During special reproduction of the data content stored in the first storage or after the special reproduction is stopped, the control information stored in the second storage is compared with the control information read out from the first storage during the special reproduction or after the special reproduction is stopped. When the control information stored in the second storage and the control information read out from the first storage coincide with each other, the data broadcast continues to be reproduced using the data content stored in the second storage.
US07672571B2
In a reproduction apparatus (100A), an information signal generation unit (Pa) generates a first information signal (Sav) from a recording medium (11). An information signal input unit (1, 8a) inputs a second information signal (Stv) which is provided from an external information source via a requested channel. When switching between the information signals, a control unit (8a) stores the current state of reproduction, so that reproduction will be restarted from the stored state when switching back to the original information signal.
US07672566B2
The recording medium includes a data structure with presentation data stored in a data area of the recording medium. The presentation data is divided into still picture units with each still picture unit including at least one still picture and associated related data.
US07672565B2
If it is detected that moving image data stored in a buffer increases in size beyond a first size and then reaches a second size, a portion of the moving image data from a head thereof stored in the buffer, corresponding to the first size, is retrieved and output as a moving image object. If it is detected that the final moving image data belonging to a chapter is stored in the buffer, the whole moving image data stored in the buffer is retrieved and output as a moving image object. Even immediately after the moving image data corresponding to the first size is retrieved from the buffer, the moving image object of the second size for seamless connection between chapters is acquired.
US07672559B2
Optical waveguide device has waveguide strip-shaped in the depth direction of the drawing and protruding from peripheral portion. A core (not illustrated) is disposed inside waveguide. Wall to be cut is integrated with waveguide to form one core layer. No unevenness occurs in a cutting line of wall indicated with broken line. Accordingly, high-precision cutting is enabled by cutting wall along the cutting line.
US07672557B2
A method of fabricating an optical waveguide fiber that includes the steps of providing a cylindrical glass optical fiber preform having a longitudinally extending centerline hole, and closing the hole under conditions suitable to result in uniform and symmetric hole closure. The method may include first plugging a first end and a second end of the centerline hole to prevent gas flow therethrough. The method preferably involves closing the centerline hole of the preform by drawing the preform down into an optical waveguide fiber.
US07672556B2
A fiber cable having a first fiber containing portion with a plurality of optional fibers disposed therein. A second strength portion is separable from the first fiber containing portion arranged in a substantially flat arrangement. The second strength portion is separatably coupled to the first fiber containing portion.
US07672555B2
A cable including at least one core having at least one transmissive element and at least one coating layer made from a coating material, wherein the coating material has at least a first polyethylene having a density not higher than 0.940 g/cm3, preferably not lower than 0.910 g/cm3, more preferably 0.915 g/cm3 to 0.938 g/cm3, and a Melt Flow Index (MFI), measured at 190° C. with a load of 2.16 Kg according to ASTM D1238-00 standard, of 0.05 g/10′ to 2 g/10′, preferably 0.1 g/10′ to 1 g/10′; the first polyethylene being obtained from a waste material; at least a second polyethylene having a density higher than 0.940 g/cm3, preferably not higher than 0.970 g/cm3, more preferably 0.942 g/cm3 to 0.965 g/cm3. Preferably, the coating layer is a cable external layer having a protective function.
US07672551B2
The present invention discloses an improved optical device having at least a first and second optical components. The optical device further includes a first extending tube securely attached to the first and second optical components as a first building block wherein the first and second optical components are aligned and position adjusted in the position-holding-and-fixing means and securely attached thereto by a room-temperature UV curable epoxy UV cured at room temperature. The optical device then further assembled using a step-by-step building block assembling process with more building blocks assembled by optical components similar to the first building block described above. In other preferred embodiment, the first and second optical components held in the extending tube having a pre-aligned dihedral angle between the first and second optical components.
US07672543B2
A Mixed Media Reality (MMR) system and associated techniques are disclosed. The MMR system provides mechanisms for forming a mixed media document that includes media of at least two types (e.g., printed paper as a first medium and digital content and/or web link as a second medium). In one particular embodiment, the MMR system includes an action processor and method, and MMR documents with an associated action. The MMR document structure is particularly advantageous because the ability to specify different actions for different MMR documents, combined with the ability to create any number of MMR documents for a particular location on any media, allows the MMR architecture to serve as a universal trigger or initiator for additional processing. In other words, addition processing or actions can be triggered or initiated based on MMR recognition. The action processor receives the output of the MMR recognition process which yields an MMR document including at least one action. The action processor executes that action which includes various commands to the MMR system or other systems coupled to the MMR system. The MMR system architecture is advantageous because an action can be executed by pointing the capture device at a block of text, and the action is performed. Example actions include retrieving the text in electronic form to the capture device, retrieving the specification for the action, inserting data to a MMR document, transferring data between documents, purchasing items, authoring actions or reviewing historical information about actions. The MMR system includes a variety of user applications (one or more actions) initiated by the MMR recognition of a text patch such as information retrieval for a travel guide book, stock listings or advertisements; information capture such as recording content from a conference, recording and storing multimedia associated with the document, capturing information for a calendar and on the fly authoring; purchasing media files for storage on any part of an MMR document.
US07672542B2
A method and architecture for obtaining a desired frame and identifying a selected frame in an image container. A request for a frame of an image is received. The request may include an identifier that identifies a type of frame. In response thereto, a frame is located corresponding to the identifier and a reference to the frame is provided. In another aspect, a request is received to identify a frame of an image. A determination is made as to what identifier identifies the frame. The identified frame is returned to the requesting component.
US07672538B2
Some of a plurality of frame images are made comparison object images for use in synthesizing a still image. Selecting one of the comparison object images as a comparison reference image and one as a target image, the comparison reference image and target image are compared, and a parameter is calculated. If the parameter does not meet a predetermined criterion, the target image is excluded from the comparison object images. Additionally, any number of frame images from among the plurality of frame images are set as comparison object images, and the aforementioned comparison is carried out until the total number of comparison object images and reference images serving as reference for synthesis is equal to or greater than a predetermined number. A synthesized image generating module 75 synthesizes the reference images and comparison object images whose total number is equal to or greater than the predetermined number, to generate a still image.
US07672537B2
In a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an automated, computerized method for manipulating an image is provided. The method of the present invention comprises the steps of selecting matched shadow/lit pairs of image portions from each of separate, different materials depicted in the image, utilizing the selected matched pairs to determine spectral ratio information for the image, calculating a correction term as a function of the spectral ratio information and utilizing the correction term to manipulate the image, to remove effects, such as, for example, path radiance.
US07672534B2
An image processing device, method, and program capable of obtaining processing results which are even more accurate and even more precise as to events in the real world by taking into consideration the real world where data has been acquired. The image processing device may include a computer configured to calculate a product-sum coefficient and a recorder configured to record the product-sum coefficient. The image processing device may also include a data continuity detector, a recorder, and a real world estimating unit.
US07672523B2
Methods, systems, and apparatuses for defining a target bit rate and collections of coefficients of source data, as well as a global coding order of the collections of coefficients. A plurality of coding units and corresponding allowable truncation points for each of said collections of coefficients and a local coding order of said coding units can be defined. A rate value and a distortion value for each of said coding units can be defined along with an adaptive threshold value for each of said coding units. The encoding of the collections of coefficients is performed in turn according to the global coding order. During the encoding, if a predetermined termination criterion is not met for a particular coding unit, the particular coding unit will be included in an output code-stream, and if the termination criterion is met, an encoding of the one of the collection of coefficients will be terminated.
US07672518B2
A method for detecting and removing noise from an image, the method includes the steps of applying a frequency transform to the image for obtaining a magnitude image; comparing a threshold value to values of the magnitude image for obtaining thresholded values; setting one or more thresholded values to a predetermined value; and reconstructing the image from the magnitude image having the predetermined values for removing noise from the image.
US07672514B2
A method and apparatus for classifying an object in an image is disclosed. Edges of an object are detected within a region of interest. Edge analysis is performed on a plurality of sub-regions within the region of interest to generate an edge score. The object is classified based on the edge score.
US07672511B2
A method for segmenting a digitized image includes providing a digitized image comprising a plurality of intensities corresponding to a domain of points on an N-dimensional grid, defining a weight between each pair of adjacent points in the image based on the intensity difference of each said point pair, marking a subset of points in said image wherein each marked point is marked with one of a plurality of labels, determining the probability that an unmarked point should be marked with one of said plurality of labels using a multigrid method that uses a restriction operator to map said provided image to a coarse-level gird, and a prolongation operator to map said coarse-level image back to a fine-level grid, wherein said restriction operator is an adjoint of said prolongation operator, and wherein a fine-level segmentation is a prolongation of a coarse level segmentation.
US07672506B2
A system is provided in which the spatial values (S1 to Sn) of the physical quantity are represented by measurement pulses (I1 to In), the temporal ordering of which represents the values, which are processed by processing units (U1 to Un) arranged in at least one row and each include an output (SOR1 to SORn). During successive processing cycles, a measurement pulse processed therein can be delivered to form the output signal (SU) of the system. Each processing unit includes an inhibiting unit (BI) for, in other units and during a given processing cycle, inhibiting the passage to the outputs of the other units respective measurement pulses processed therein and hence preventing them from forming the output signal, if the measurement impulses are temporally ordered later in the given processing cycle than the one processed in the unit concerned.
US07672505B2
The present invention relates to three-dimensional shape detection. In the present invention, a plurality of types of pattern lights formed of a series of alternate light and dark patterns are projected onto an object in a time series, an image of the object onto which each pattern light is projected is taken, a plurality of luminance images are generated, a code image having certain codes assigned to the pixels is generated in accordance with a result of threshold processing of the plurality of luminance images with respect to a certain threshold; and the three-dimensional shape of the object is calculated. Further, in the invention, a first pixel that is adjacent to a pixel having a code of interest and that has a code different from the code of interest is detected, in a detection position in a direction crossing the pattern light in the code image, a luminance image having a light-dark boundary in a position corresponding to the first pixel is extracted, from the plurality of luminance images, a pixel area that includes a pixel in a certain area adjacent to the first pixel is determined, an approximate expression that expresses a change in luminance in the extracted luminance image in the pixel area is calculated, a position having a certain luminance threshold in the approximate expression and detecting the boundary coordinates of the code of interest in accordance with the result of calculation is calculated, and the three-dimensional shape of the object is calculated in accordance with the boundary coordinates detected by the boundary coordinate detection unit by using the code image.
US07672488B2
A personal identification device including: an image pickup unit; a light source which emits the light adapted to be transmitted through a finger and incident on said image pickup unit; an image operating unit which generates a pattern from an image picked up by said image pickup unit and matching the pattern of said image with a pattern registered in advance; a storage which holds said registered pattern; a guide unit which indicates the position where the image of said finger is picked up; and a detection unit which detects a contact between said finger and said guide unit.
US07672476B2
Function spaces defined by scaling functions are used to generate bandlimited noise octaves and other attribute data sets. Scaling functions are basis functions that admit multiresolution analysis and include piecewise constant scaling functions, piecewise polynomial scaling functions, bandlimited scaling functions, Daubeschies scaling functions, as well as other multiresolution analysis scaling basis functions known to those of skill in the art. Scaling basis functions can be locally supported or have infinite support. The properties of the scaling basis functions used to construct bandlimited noise octaves may ensure that any bandlimited noise octave at resolution level N is orthogonal to bandlimited noise octaves and their associated scaling basis functions at all resolution levels less than N. Bandlimited noise octaves can be scaled to any resolution level and guaranteed to have no effect on images at any lower resolution level.
US07672472B2
An audio transducer for use in a loudspeaker system. The transducer includes a rigid base, a pair of flexible, curved diaphragms and each diaphragm having a distal end and a proximal end. The curved diaphragms form hemi-cylindrical lobes being substantially tangent to one another at their proximal ends and are attached to energy absorbent dampers at their distal ends. The transducers can be employed in a line array as part of the loudspeaker system as well as some of the transducers facing forward while others rearward and, in doing so, their amplitudes and phases can be adjusted for fine tailoring the geometric coverage of acoustic energy radiating from the loudspeaker system.
US07672470B2
An audio/video (A/V) device having a volume control function for external audio reproduction units by using volume control buttons of a remote controller is provided. The A/V device includes speakers, an audio output port for externally outputting an audio signal, an audio signal processing unit for reproducing and amplifying the audio signal and applying the amplified audio signal to the speakers or the audio output port, a memory unit for storing volume control values, and a control unit for applying to the audio signal processing unit any of the volume control values stored in the memory based on whether the external audio reproduction unit is plugged in the audio output port. The control unit controls the audio signal processing unit to adjust the volume control values for the audio output port by the volume control buttons when the external audio reproduction unit is plugged in the audio output port.
US07672461B2
A method and apparatus for creating a third signal channel from an input signal received in each of a first and second channel involves inverting a predetermined frequency range of signals in the first channel out of phase with a corresponding frequency range of signals in the second channel. Thereafter, the inverted signal in the first channel and the corresponding frequency signal in the second channel may be communicated to a speaker, which is bridged across the first and second channels, as the third signal channel. This speaker produces sound corresponding to the difference (i.e., the frequency range determined by the predetermined bandwidth of the inverted signal) between the inverted signal in the first channel and the corresponding frequency signal in the second channel.
US07672449B2
This invention presents a multimode xDSL line card adaptive activation method, comprising the following steps: A) A master controller is installed and configured with multiple templates based on the modes of operation supported by a line card, and forwards templates to said line card; B) The line card receives templates forwarded by the master controller and activates the line card communications chip; C) The communications chip communicates with the remote CPE and decides on a mode of operation according to a handshake protocol; D) The line card employs a corresponding template according to the mode of operation chosen in Step C, and practices circuit activation with the CPE. This invention solves the existing problems in current multimode xDSL technology of poor compatibility and inability to adapt effectively.
US07672448B2
Various methods, apparatuses, and systems in which a residential gateway is located at the network interface device and is powered with a remote power source inside the residence. In another embodiment, bi-directional data communication between the residential gateway and the remote power source is also enabled.
US07672447B1
An echo canceller reduces an echo signal produced when the transmitted signal leaks back into the receiver via a hybrid. The echo canceller estimates the echo signal from the transmitted signal, and then subtracting the estimated echo signal from the received signal. In practice, the echo path channel in a DMT-modem is much longer than the cyclic prefix, and therefore, the received echo signal will be subjected to both ISI (inter-symbol-interference) and ICI (inter-carrier-interference). A traditional echo canceller, designed for a xDSL-modem, uses either a time domain adaptive FIR-filter or a combined echo canceller implemented in both time and frequency domain. A matrix-based adaptive echo canceller is implemented in the frequency domain. Various example embodiments are disclosed.
US07672433B2
A target assembly for generating x-rays includes a target substrate, and an emissive coating applied to a portion of the target substrate, the emissive coating comprising one or more of a carbide and a carbonitride.
US07672432B2
A voltage generator for an X-ray machine comprising an X-ray tube with a cathode and an anode is described. The voltage generator comprises a negative voltage multiplier for supplying a polarization voltage to the X-ray tube and a filament transformer which can be connected to the X-ray tube for supplying an energisation voltage to the X-ray tube. The voltage generator is characterized in that the negative voltage multiplier comprises a cavity able to house said filament transformer.
US07672428B1
Recent advances in treatment planning and in the apparatus able to deliver such plans has called for the dose rate, i.e. the instantaneous power output of the radiation source, to be varied with time. This presents a difficulty in that the checking systems must monitor a varying power level against a varying valid range. We therefore monitor, instead, the energy of the individual pulses that form the beam. Known checking systems average out many pulses to determine the recent average power output by checking an ionization chamber every 100 ms or so. By reducing that time to less than a few milliseconds, a single pulse can be captured. The usual manner of varying the output of a radiation source of this type is to vary the pulse repetition frequency (PRF) and therefore the measured power output will remain constant notwithstanding changes to the time-averaged power output, and can be compared to a standard.
US07672423B2
A short scan uses only data from about 180° gantry rotation instead of a full 360° turn. In the provided short scan cardiac CT, a periodical axial focal spot movement is performed during gantry rotation, wherein the acquired data used for image reconstruction results from a 180° rotation of the gantry. After the data acquisition, an approximate reconstruction is performed. In a preferred embodiment the focal spot moves on a short scan saddle trajectory.
US07672420B2
A high voltage shift register stage which directly accepts low voltage clock signal inputs without using clock buffers. In particular, a shift register stage circuit is adapted to operate with a low voltage swing clock signal, with the stage circuit having a single state node, a, driven directly. This arrangement allows for reduced power consumption and higher operating speeds.
US07672416B2
A communication device comprises a receiver and a data recovery module. The receiver may be an element of a serial transceiver embedded in or otherwise associated with an FPGA or other type of reconfigurable hardware. The receiver is operable with an unlocked sampling clock. The data recovery module is configured to detect transition edges in data signal samples generated by the receiver using the unlocked sampling clock, and to determine from the detected edges a sampling point for use in recovery of the associated data. The data recovery module is further configured to provide adjustment in the sampling point in the presence of transition edge variations, such as one or more exception conditions, that are attributable to the unlocked sampling clock.
US07672407B2
A method and apparatus for mitigation of interference from periodic noise. An embodiment of a method includes receiving wireless signal data, where the data includes a periodic noise that varies in frequency over time. The method further includes performing a time-spectrum characterization of the data, and correlating the time-spectrum characterization of the data to determine a period of the periodic noise. The noise is dynamically weighted based at least in part on frequency variation of the noise.
US07672401B2
System and method for estimating data transmitted by a plurality of transmit elements across a communications channel. The system comprises a plurality of receive interfaces, each operative to receive a signal via the channel and output a respective sequence of received data elements. The system also comprises a space matched filter connected to the plurality of receive interfaces and operative to (i) assemble the received data elements into sets of received data elements, each the set of received data elements including at least one received data element from each sequence of received data elements; and (ii) jointly process each set of received data elements with each of a plurality of channel data elements to produce a corresponding plurality of filtered data elements, each filtered data element being associated with one of the transmit elements, each channel data element being representative of a portion of the channel between an associated one of the transmit elements and the plurality of receive interfaces. Finally, the system comprises a detector connected to the space matched filter and operative to process each filtered data element to produce a corresponding decision data set therefor.
US07672390B2
A scalable Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) detector, comprises an ordering block, a group interference suppression block, a core detector and a residual detector. The ordering block determines an order of the columns of a channel matrix including received streams based on the power thereof. The group interference suppression block coupled to the ordering block groups received streams into a core part and a residual part, the core part including a first received stream and a second received stream corresponding to the first two columns of the channel matrix in the order, the first received stream and the second received stream forming a received signal vector, and the residual part including the rest of the received streams. The core detector detects the core part based on a 2×2 Simplified Maximum Likelihood (SML) detection. The residual detector detects the residual part by Vertical Bell Laboratories Layered Space Time (VBLAST) detection.
US07672383B2
Noise variance estimation in wireless communications. Noise variance estimation includes receiving a signal including an OFDM symbol having, in-band tones including in-band pilot tones, and band-edge tones including band-edge pilot tones and guard tones, estimating an effective noise variance for the in-band tones using the in-band pilot tones and channel estimates for the in-band pilot tones, and estimating an effective noise variance for the band-edge tones using the band-edge pilot tones, channel estimates for the band-edge pilot tones, and the guard tones.
US07672382B2
In order to improve upon a degradation in performances due to inter-carrier interference without loss of transmission efficiency, antennas provided on a mobile body are made directional antennas. An antenna selection unit selects a directional antenna in such a manner that Doppler shift that is caused by movement of the mobile body will keep a constant sign that is positive or negative, a fading-variation calculation unit calculates the average value of fading variation on each path of a multipath environment, and a fading-variation compensation unit compensates the multipath fading variation based upon the average value.
US07672373B2
A method and a carrier medium instructing a processor to execute a method. The method includes accepting a compressed video stream compressed by a compression method that uses macroblocks of possibly different macroblock types for each frame predictive encoding frames. The method further includes identifying a sequence of frames that are substantially visually indistinguishable and that include a predictively encoded frame and the at least one reference frame of the predictively encoded frame. The method further includes creating an ordered set of macroblocks, with the macroblock types of different macroblocks in the ordered set used to encode digital watermark information. The method further includes replacing the predictively encoded frame of the identified sequence with a newly-encoded predictively encoded replacement frame that contains the created ordered set of macroblocks, including the encoded watermarking information.
US07672372B1
A method and system for minimizing bus traffic in a video decoder is disclosed. A method and system for processing a portion of a reference picture includes designating the reference picture, selecting a display picture within the reference picture, transmitting a display picture size, and sending a display picture offset. A method and system for compressing IDCT coefficients corresponding to a macroblock, the macroblock having a plurality of blocks, includes locating each non-zero IDCT coefficient corresponding to one of the plurality of blocks, assigning an index to the non-zero IDCT coefficient, the index designating a location within the one of the plurality of blocks, packing the non-zero IDCT coefficient in little endian format, and specifying a terminator bit corresponding to the non-zero coefficient, the terminator bit indicating the end of all non-zero IDCT coefficients for the one of the plurality of blocks. A method and system for selectively controlling each hardware device within a video decoder includes obtaining a video stream, performing VLC decoding, encoding a plurality of instructions to control each hardware device within the video decoder, decoding each one of the plurality of instructions, and optionally performing an IDCT in response to each one of the plurality of instructions.
US07672367B1
A system includes a transceiver for communicating over a telecommunication line that is coupled to the transceiver. The transceiver comprises logic configured to measure attenuation of at least one signal transmitted across the telecommunication line. The logic is further configured to automatically select, based on the measured attenuation, a plurality of different data rates for a plurality of initialization signals communicated via the transceiver during an initialization phase that precedes a data phase.
US07672366B2
A channel quality report accuracy measurement apparatus and accuracy measurement method are provided that correctly measure the accuracy of channel quality reported from a communication apparatus. A scheme control section (140) stores coding rates and modulation schemes corresponding to CQIs, and specifies the transmission scheme corresponding to a fixed CQI reported from a CQI statistical processing section (230). A CQI decoding section (220) decodes a reported CQI contained in a received signal. The CQI statistical processing section (230) performs statistical processing of reported CQIs corresponding to test data transmitted prior to an accuracy measurement test, and reports the most frequently reported CQI to the scheme control section (140) as a fixed CQI. A PER calculation section (260) calculates the PER in the communication apparatus from the reported CQI and Ack/Nack corresponding to test data transmitted in accordance with the fixed CQI. A determination section (270) performs threshold value determination for the PER for each reported CQI value, and outputs the reported CQI scheme determination result.
US07672363B2
A method of and system for determining the time required for a digital bit or bit stream to traverse a round-trip path from a source transceiver to at least one destination transceiver and back is disclosed. The relative timing of the transmitted bit or bit stream is compared to the return bit or bit stream using a high speed comparison configuration so as to provide in substantially real-time various measurements related to or derived from the time required to traverse the round trip path, including distance measurement in indoor positioning, real-time locating, adaptive cruise control, intelligent transportation systems, robotics, collision avoidance, personnel accountability, emergency location, search/rescue. In addition, a method of and system for determining the distance between transceivers, and a method of and system for determining the angular position of a transceiver with respect to at least two other transceivers are disclosed.
US07672362B2
A communications apparatus which ensures a predetermined communication quality even when an external environment changes dynamically, and enhances a throughput for overall system, thereby achieving favorable transmission efficiency. A communications apparatus having a receiver and a transmitter and carries out sending/receiving by use of a pulse train is provided with a communication environment measuring section to measure a communication status based on an output from the receiver. The transmitter is configured such that it transmits a transmission signal, in which the transmission rate of data to be transmitted and the pulse energy have been controlled in association with each other, according to a result of the measurement.
US07672360B2
A plurality of communication bursts are used to communicate data in a shared spectrum in a time slot of a time division duplex communication system. Each burst has an associated midamble sequence of a set of known sequences. A wireless communication apparatus has a receiver component configured to receive the plurality of communication bursts and to define a received vector corresponding to the received bursts. A channel estimator is provided that is configured to estimate channel information of the plurality of communication bursts by constructing a block matrix having a plurality of identical right circulant matrix blocks using the known midamble sequences and the received vector. A data detector then recovers data from the received communication bursts using the estimated wireless channel information.
US07672359B2
A received analog spread-spectrum signal is selectively attenuated prior to digitization, where the amount of attenuation is based on the amplitude of the digitized signal before the digitized signal is filtered to compensate for interference that may exist in the received signal. By selectively attenuating the signal only when the digitized signal is relatively large, the receiver can be implemented using a relatively small analog-to-digital converter (ADC) than would otherwise be the case for a particular signal processing application. Taking advantage of the signal-concentration characteristics of spread-spectrum receivers, embodiments of the present invention can be designed to operate with signal having negative signal-to-noise ratios at the A/D conversion step.
US07672343B2
A high power laser processing system is disclosed that includes a laser source and at least one optical element. The laser source provides a high power laser illumination of a first wavelength. The optical element includes a substrate that is substantially transparent to the first wavelength illumination, at least one highly reflective coating on a first side of the substrate, and at least one anti-reflective coating on a second side of the substrate.
US07672342B2
A method of generating pulsed coherent radiation, comprises the step of generating high harmonic pulses by an interaction of laser light pulses with a non-linear medium contained in a resonant cavity, wherein the non-linear medium is arranged in an environment of reduced pressure. Furthermore, a radiation source of generating pulsed coherent radiation is described, comprising a laser pulse source for generating laser light pulses, a resonant cavity including a non-linear medium for generating high harmonic pulses by an interaction of the laser light pulses with the non-linear medium, wherein the non-linear medium is arranged in an environment of reduced pressure.
US07672337B2
A method for capturing a broadcast is disclosed. The method for capturing a broadcast includes detecting an approximate start time of the broadcast, wherein said detecting includes monitoring for a broadcast trigger, identifying the broadcast and a timed length thereof, such that, based on the timed length and the approximate start time, an approximate end time may be calculated, and recording the broadcast from the trigger to the approximate end time, wherein said recording has captured the broadcast of radio advertising.
US07672335B2
A method is described that involves loading X bits at a time into a shift register and shifting groups of older, loaded X bits up in the shift register with each new group of loaded X bits. Each group of X bits has been received from a serial data stream. The method further involves identifying an alignment key within the shift register and presenting aligned data from the serial data stream by rotating selection of a first group of Y contiguous bits from the shift register and a second group of Y contiguous bits from the shift register after the identifying. Y is greater than X.
US07672332B1
An improved addressing scheme is disclosed for use in access networks. According to a specific embodiment, upstream and/or downstream channels may be grouped together based upon logical associations rather than physical associations. Further, according to at least one embodiment of the present invention, various techniques are described for routing selected channel MAP messages to appropriate channels and/or nodes within the access network.
US07672330B2
The present invention provides a method for sending and receiving the network management messages and/or the control messages, that is, using GFP protocol in stead of conventional LAPD protocol, predetermining the mapping relationship between the values of UPI field in GFP protocol and the types of the data including the network management messages and/or the control messages, furthermore, filling the UPI field of GFP protocol based on the corresponding mapping relationship, encapsulating the network management messages and/or the control messages via GFP protocol into SDH/SONET, PDH or OTN, and transmitting the encapsulated data. GFP protocol is a universal protocol, allowing for inter-operation of the network management messages and the control messages between the equipments of different manufacturers.
US07672325B2
A method and apparatus for controlling a Report message processing load at an IGMPv3 proxy/router. A
US07672322B2
Methods of establishing multimedia telecommunication (a multimedia “call”) between equipment (“terminals”). More particularly, the invention provides methods for reducing the time required to establish calls between terminals that implement the ITU-T H.324 Recommendation and other Standards and Recommendations derived from or related to this such as the 3G-324M recommendation developed and adopted by the Third Generation Partnership Projects (3GPP and 3GPP2). More specifically, it relates to (i) a method and apparatus for concatenating the H.245 messages that are required to pass between the terminals at the start of the call to establish the capabilities of both terminals and agree on the type and format of media and data to be exchanged (ii) a method and apparatus for using non-standard H.245 messages or standard H.245 messages with non-standard fields to accelerate such establishment and (iii) a method and apparatus of informing each terminal of the capabilities of the other and proposing the type and format of media and data to be exchanged by means of any user-defined fields that are inserted in the call signaling protocol that is used for bearer establishment prior to the start of the H.324 stage of the call.
US07672300B1
A network device comprises a multi-port MAC device that includes N MAC devices and that outputs a port multiplexed and encoded parallel data stream. A first serializer/deserializer (SERDES) serializes the port multiplexed and encoded parallel data stream from the multi-port MAC device.
US07672299B2
A method for virtualizing a network interface card includes creating a first plurality of virtual NICs, assigning each of a plurality of receive rings on the network interface card (NIC) to one of the first plurality of virtual NICs, and if the number of virtual NICs is greater than the number of receive rings on the NIC, creating a first software ring corresponding to one of the plurality of receive rings on the NIC, creating a first plurality of software receive rings associated with the first software ring, creating a second plurality of virtual NICs, and assigning each of the first plurality of software receive rings to one of the second plurality of virtual NICs, wherein the plurality of receive rings is less than a sum of the first plurality of virtual NICs and the second plurality of virtual NICs.
US07672298B2
A new architecture capable of utilizing the existing twisted pair interface between customer premises equipment and an associated serving local switching office is used to provide a vast array of new services to customers. Using an intelligent services director (ISD) at the customer services equipment as an interface for the equipment to an existing twisted cable pair and a facilities management platform (FMP) at the serving local switching office as an interface to various networks and service opportunities, new services such as simultaneous, multiple calls (voice analog or digital), facsimile, Internet traffic and other data can be transmitted and received over the twisted cable pair by using digital subscriber loop transmission schemes. The new services include but are not limited to videophone, utility meter reading and monitoring, broadcasting and multicasting. The architecture provides for fault-tolerant, transparent interaction of components and services and supports a variety of standards for each level of the open systems interconnection layers and layers of TCP/IP. The FMP connects electronically or optically to the public switched telephone network, Internet backbone, a private Intranet as well as other possible network connections.
US07672291B2
Method for establishing wireless networks between devices is disclosed. When a first device is activated to establish a wireless network with other devices, a first activation reference time is recorded. At least one second device that has at least one compatible networking capability is searched for and identified. When the second device is activated to establish wireless network with other devices, a second activation reference time also is recorded. The first and second activation reference times are compared to determine whether they fall into the same time window. The offset between the system time of the first device and that of the second may be factored into the calculation to further enhance the accuracy. If the first and second activation reference times are in the same time window, the authentication of wireless network is established between the devices.
US07672289B2
A method allocates and assigns addresses to nodes in an ad hoc wireless network. A set of potential addresses of nodes in an ad hoc wireless network are defined as having N fields, in which the number of bits in each field is one or more bits. A subset of the set addresses is allocated initially as addresses to be assigned to nodes joining the network, in which each address has N-K fields, where 0
US07672286B2
A method and system for providing acknowledgment and/or data rate control (DRC) information with respect to data packets conveyed on a plurality of active forward link (FL) carriers. The number of reverse link (RL) carriers employed for the acknowledgment and/or DRC information may be less than the number of active FL carriers, and may be a single carrier, even when the signaling protocol is, in the limit, consistent with presently-supported standardized CDMA protocols. Code multiplexing techniques are employed inventively to convey information for up to fifteen FL carriers on a single, standard CDMA channel designed to provide such signaling for only a single FL carrier at a time.
US07672269B2
A self-contained installation program having at least one payload condition is provided (314) and distributed (316) to a plurality of selected nodes, using a wireless link, that subsequently installs the self-contained program based, at least in part, on a correspondence with the at least one payload condition. Examples of such payload conditions include, but are not limited to, an ability to sense at least one physical property, a deployment role or physical address of the receiving node, a physical location of the receiving node, available node resources, group membership, and so forth.
US07672267B2
Network system and method for facilitating message exchange between mobile subscribers belonging to the same or different public land mobile networks, possibly incorporating different standards. Message exchange between two subscribers of the same or different networks may involve one or more lookups on subscription data, zero or more message transformations, one or more routing decisions including application of costing functions, and, storage and propagation of the message in one or more Core or Intermediary networks. The messages may be of type, among others, SMS (Short Message Service), MMS (Multimedia Message Service), or EMAIL. An aspect of the present invention provides a message routing subsystem that facilitates destination determination and delivery channel selection.
US07672257B2
A mobile customer service station operating within a wireless multi-hop communication network includes a console on a wheeled chassis. The console carries and houses a number of components which are used in merchandising operations to conclude customer purchase transactions. The items supported externally on the console are a printer for printing purchase receipts, customer credit charge agreements and records of transactions, and a magnetic card reader for reading information from a magnetic stripe of a customer's credit card. In one embodiment, the operation of the printer, credit card reader and the cash drawer is controlled by a multi-function control unit located within an enclosure of the console. The control unit is electrically powered by a self-contained power source which is preferably a deep cycle rechargeable battery. The console also houses a transceiver unit which under the control of the control unit is capable of interactive communication with a premises network. In another embodiment, the mobile service station comprises an access device which participates with a variety of peripherals at the station in a lower power communication LAN, while providing higher power communication to other network devices via a premises network with routing via a wireless spanning tree configuration.
US07672233B2
Techniques are described for managing traffic flow to an optical network terminal (ONT) on a passive optical network (PON) to prevent an individual ONT from being overrun. Specifically, the techniques involve reducing a transmission rate of a unique traffic flow and selectively denying access to a common traffic flow. By reducing the transmission rate of the unique traffic flow, sufficient bandwidth may be released to receive the unique traffic flow and the common traffic flow without overflowing the ONT. For example, the ONT or, alternatively, the OLT may send the requested common traffic flow without reducing the transmission rate of the unique traffic flow when sufficient bandwidth is available, send the common traffic flow but reduce the transmission rate of unique traffic flow by an appropriate amount, or deny access to the common traffic flow altogether without reducing the transmission rate of the unique traffic flow.
US07672230B2
A dynamic channel change technique is disclosed which may be implemented between nodes and a Head End of an access network. Initially a network device may communicate with the Head End via a first downstream channel and a first upstream channel. When the network device receives a dynamic channel change request which includes instructions for the network device to switch to a second downstream channel, the network device may respond by switching from the first downstream channel to the second downstream channel. Thereafter, the network device may communicate with the Head End via the second downstream channel and first upstream channel. Further, according to a specific embodiment, the dynamic channel change request may also include an upstream channel change request for causing the network device to switch from a first upstream channel to a second upstream channel.
US07672211B2
An optical pickup apparatus according to the present invention includes: a first light source for emitting a first light flux; a second light source for emitting a second light flux; a third light source for emitting a third light flux; and an objective optical element. The objective optical element has an optical surface including at least two areas provided with optical path difference providing structures. The objective optical element converges the first to third light fluxes each passing through the predetermined areas on the objective optical element onto respective information recording surfaces of the first to third optical disks. In the optical pickup apparatus, the third light flux which has passed through an optical path difference providing structure forms a first best focus and a second best focus.
US07672210B2
A holographic recording medium 10 is configured to have a recording layer 12 on which information can be recorded as holograms; and first and second heat generating layers 14A and 14B provided in a pair so as to sandwich the recording layer 12. Then, the first and second heat generating layers 14A and 14B are allowed to generate heat by being irradiated with a heat generating laser beam LB3 having a wavelength that is different from that of a signal beam LB1 or a reference beam LB2 for reproducing or recording information. The holographic recording medium and a method for recording and reproducing the same, and a recording and reproducing apparatus can compensate for shrinkage of the recording layer due to recording or variations in temperature, thereby allowing for reproduction of the holograms under optimum conditions.
US07672207B2
A method and apparatus for recording data in a recording medium are disclosed. The method for recording data in a recording medium including a wobble-shaped test area includes the steps of a) determining a pre-used test area, b) searching for a current OPC start position of the test area by counting the number of wobbles at a wobble-count reference position, c) performing an Optimum Power Control (OPC) process to calculate an optimum write power at the OPC start position, and d) recording data in a data area using the calculated the optimum write power. Therefore, the recording medium can be applied to a method for manufacturing a BD, and a disc test process and data recording/reproducing operations can be effectively performed.
US07672185B2
A monitor bank consists of test one time programmable memory that is programmed distinctively from functional one time programmable memory in order to determine whether the functional one time programmable memory has or will program successfully. In a specific embodiment, each monitor bank consists of a first eFuse configured to expectedly never blow, a second eFuse configured to expectedly always blow, and at least a third eFuse configured to be more difficult to blow than the first eFuse, but easier to blow than the second eFuse. The method of determining whether functional eFuses have or will be programmed successfully is described: programming a monitor bank; sensing whether the test eFuses have blown; creating a monitor bank bit line blow pattern; determining an anticipated bit line blow pattern; comparing the two patterns; and determining that the functional eFuses will not blow successfully if the patterns do not match.
US07672182B2
A SRAM memory with a read assist circuit is presented. The read assist circuit uses bitline voltage level switches, which are connected to a low power supply and a high power supply. The bitline voltage level switches have a write operation state, a read operation state, and a standby operation state. The write operation state selectively provides the high power supply to bitlines in columns selected for a write operation, and provides the low power supply to bitlines in the remaining columns. The read operation state selectively provides the low power supply to bitlines in columns selected for the read operation, and provides the low power supply to bitlines in the other columns. The standby operation state selectively provides the low power supply to bitlines in all columns when not in the read operation state or the write operation state.
US07672175B2
Systems and methods of selectively applying negative voltage to word lines during memory device read operation are disclosed. In an embodiment, a memory device includes a word line logic circuit coupled to a plurality of word lines and adapted to selectively apply a positive voltage to a selected word line coupled to a selected memory cell that includes a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device and to apply a negative voltage to unselected word lines.
US07672173B2
For each memory block, a predecoder for predecoding an applied address signal, an address latch circuit for latching the output signal of the predecoder, and a decode circuit for decoding an output signal of the address latch circuit and performing a memory cell selecting operation in a corresponding memory block are provided. Propagation delay of latch predecode signals can be made smaller and the margin for the internal read timing can be enlarged. In addition, the internal state of the decoder and memory cell selection circuitry are reset to an initial state when a memory cell is selected and the internal data output circuitry is reset to an initial state in accordance with a state of internal data reading. Thus, a non-volatile semiconductor memory device that can decrease address skew and realize an operation with sufficient margin is provided.
US07672172B2
The present invention is related to a composite flash memory device comprises a plural sector flash memory array which is divided to plural sector that is a minimum erasing unit of the flash memory device, a flash memory array storing control commands which control a total system of the composite flash memory device and/or the only composite flash memory device in and sharing I/O line of the plural sector flash memory array, the read operation of the flash memory array is enable when the plural sector flash memory array is gained access.
US07672164B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes first and second nonvolatile semiconductor memories. The first memory has first and second select transistors and first memory cell transistors. The first memory cell transistor has a first floating gate on a first gate insulating film and a first control gate on a first inter-gate insulating film. The second memory has a third select transistor and a second memory cell transistor. The second memory cell transistor has a second floating gate on a second gate insulating film and a second control gate on a second inter-gate insulating film. The first and second gate insulating films have the same film thickness. The first and second floating gates have the same film thickness. The first and second inter-gate insulating films have the same film thickness. The first and second control gates have the same film thickness.
US07672159B2
A method of operating a multi-level cell is described, wherein the cell includes a substrate of a first conductivity type, a control gate, a charge-storing layer and two S/D regions of a second conductivity type. The method includes an erasing step that injects charges of a first type into the charge-storing layer and a programming step that includes applying a first voltage to the substrate, a second voltage to both S/D regions and a third voltage to the control gate. The difference between the first and second voltages is sufficient to cause band-to-band tunneling hot holes, and the third voltage causes charges of a second type to enter the charge-storing layer. The third voltage can have 2n−1 different values, for programming the cell to a predetermined state among 2n−1 storage states.
US07672158B2
A non-volatile semiconductor memory device comprises a memory cell array of data-rewritable non-volatile memory cells or memory cell units containing the memory cells, and a plurality of word lines each commonly connected to the memory cells on the same row in the memory cell array. In write pulse applying during data writing, a high voltage for writing is applied to a selected word line, and an intermediate voltage for writing is applied to at least two of non-selected word lines. The beginning of charging a first word line located between the selected word line and a source line to a first intermediate voltage for writing is followed by the beginning of charging a second word line located between the selected word line and a bit line contact to a second intermediate voltage for writing.
US07672143B2
In a computer system, a card holder is removably attached to a bracket to hold an add-in card in an I/O connector. The card holder is capable of being slid onto the bracket and a side edge of the add-in card.
US07672140B2
A circuit board configuration and method of packaging electronic component embedded into the circuit board in a manner that supports the electronic component thermally, electrically, and mechanically thereof, comprising a circuit board having a first surface and a circuit trace on the first surface; a recess or slot formed on the first surface defined by at least one sidewall that is oblique to the first surface of the circuit board; two or more plated surfaces on the at least one oblique sidewall and electrically connected to the circuit trace; and an electronic component having two or more electrical contact surfaces mounted to the two or more plated surfaces such that the electronic component is physically mounted to the oblique sidewall and in electrical communication with the circuit trace. The circuit board configuration may further comprise an encapsulant at least one end of the electronic component and a conductive material between the oblique sidewall and the electronic component to seal the electronic component inside the slot.
US07672137B2
A plasma display module that can optimize a position of an image board and connect an external image apparatus to a plasma display apparatus easily, and a plasma display apparatus including the plasma display module are disclosed. In one embodiment, the plasma display module includes: i) a chassis, ii) a plasma display panel supported by the chassis on a front portion of the chassis, the plasma display module comprising X electrodes and Y electrodes disposed parallel to each other, iii) an image board disposed on a rear portion of the chassis, and receiving and processing image signals input from an external device and iv) a Y electrode driving board disposed on the rear portion of the chassis, and electrically connected to the Y electrodes to apply the driving signals to the Y electrodes, wherein the Y electrode driving board and the image board are disposed on opposite sides of the chassis with respect to a center line crossing the chassis in a vertical direction.
US07672135B2
A heat sink includes a plurality of fins parallel to each other. The fins include a top portion having a flange. The opposite ends of each flange are rounded. Two rounded corners are located below the plane defined by the flange.
US07672130B2
A heat dissipating device includes a sealed container having hollow floors and floor-spacing assemblies. Each floor-spacing assembly includes hollow spacing walls. Each hollow spacing wall extends from a respective hollow floor and is spaced apart from an adjacent one of the hollow spacing walls of an adjacent one of the floor-spacing assemblies by an air gap. Each two adjacent ones of the hollow floors are interconnected through the hollow spacing walls disposed therebetween. The sealed container defines a liquid reservoir, a condensate reservoir, and a plurality of fluid passages extending through the hollow spacing walls and the hollow floors that are disposed between the liquid reservoir and the condensate reservoir.
US07672129B1
A cooling system for a heat producing component includes a base having two or more cells. The cells may include microchannel passages. A pump system may be coupled to the base. The pump system may circulate fluid independently in each of two or more of the cells. The pump system may include an array of two more magnetohydrodynamic pumps. Each magnetohydrodynamic pump may provide fluid to a different cell. A controller may control a flow rate in each one of cell of the cooling system independently one or more of other cells of the cooling system.
US07672119B2
An electronic device interface provides three different physical user interfaces. Users may fold or unfold the device to reveal one interface and hide the other two. A first module includes a first portion of a first interface. A second module includes a first portion of a second interface. A third module includes a second portions of the first and second interfaces. The second and third modules are folded together to hide the second interface and expose the first interface. The first and third modules are folded together to hide the first interface and expose the second interface. The third interface is exposed when the first and third modules and the second and third modules are folded together, hiding the first and second interfaces. The first modules can include a concave portion matching a convex portion of the third module to maintain a flush profile for the first and second interfaces.
US07672117B1
A cover assembly for an electronic device including a laptop or like portable computer, wherein the base is formed of an at least partially protective material and corresponds in dimension and configuration to an outer surface configuration of the electronic device. A retainer assembly comprises a plurality of retaining structures disposed within interior portions of the electronic computer and removably connected thereto so as to maintain the cover assembly in an operative position relative thereto. The retaining structures are disposed and dimensioned to facilitate a complete closure of the electronic device, while remaining at least partially, on the interior of the electronic device. An access structure includes at least one opening formed therein in aligned relation with connecting ports of the electronic device so as to facilitate access to the connecting ports through the at least one opening.
US07672113B2
Polymer-ceramic composite materials for use in the formation of capacitors, which materials exhibit very low changes in temperature coefficient of capacitance (TCC) in response to changes in temperature within the range of from about −55° C. to about 125° C. Specifically, these capacitor materials have a change in TCC ranging from about −5% to about +5%, in response to changes in temperature within the desired temperature range. The inventive composite materials comprise a blend of a polymer component and ferroelectric ceramic particles, wherein the polymer component includes at least one epoxy-containing polymer, and at least one polymer having epoxy-reactive groups. The inventive polymer-ceramic composite materials have excellent mechanical properties such as improved peel strength and lack of brittleness, electrical properties such as high dielectric constant, and improved processing characteristics.
US07672112B2
A component-embedded substrate includes a chip capacitor. The chip capacitor includes a ceramic laminate body and a plurality of terminal electrodes. The component-embedded substrate has a first principal surface and a second principal surface. At least two of the plurality of terminal electrodes are connected to the first principal surface and define a first terminal electrode group, and at least two of the plurality of terminal electrodes are connected to the second principal surface and define a second terminal electrode group. One terminal electrode in the first terminal electrode group is electrically connected to one terminal electrode in the second terminal electrode group via the internal electrodes, and capacitance is provided by a pair of the terminal electrodes in the first terminal electrode group via the dielectric layer, and capacitance is provided by a pair of the terminal electrodes in the second terminal electrode group via the dielectric layer. A direction in which the internal electrodes are stacked is parallel or substantially parallel to the two principal surfaces.
US07672102B2
In one aspect, a method for protection of an integrated circuit device includes but is not limited to detecting a first current in the integrated circuit device, wherein the first current is caused by a second current; and shunting the second current away from the integrated circuit device in response to detecting the first current. Such detecting may include but not be limited to detecting the first current by detecting a voltage drop across a sensing resistor, which may include but not be limited to using at least two sensing transistors. Such shunting may include but not be limited to using at least one shunting transistor.
US07672100B2
The present invention provides an ESD protection circuitry in a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) having protected circuitry to prevent false triggering of the ESD clamp. The circuitry includes an SCR as an ESD clamp having an anode adapted for coupling to a first voltage source, and a cathode adapted for coupling to a second voltage source. The circuitry also includes at least one noise current buffer (NCB) coupled between at least one of a first trigger tap of the SCR and the first voltage source such that the first trigger tap of the SCR is coupled to a power supply.
US07672093B2
A high performance MTJ, and a process for manufacturing it, are described. A capping layer of NiFeHf is used to getter oxygen out of the free layer, thereby increasing the sharpness of the free layer-tunneling layer interface. The free layer comprises two NiFe layers whose magnetostriction constants are of opposite sign, thereby largely canceling one another.
US07672092B2
A method for manufacturing a magnetic field detecting element has the steps of: forming stacked layers by sequentially depositing a pinned layer, a spacer layer, a spacer adjoining layer which is adjacent to the spacer layer, a metal layer, and a Heusler alloy layer in this order, such that the layers adjoin each other; and heat treating the stacked layers in order to form the free layer out of the spacer adjoining layer, the metal layer, and the Heusler alloy layer. The spacer adjoining layer is mainly formed of cobalt and iron, and has a body centered cubic structure, and the metal layer is formed of an element selected from the group consisting of silver, gold, copper, palladium, or platinum, or is formed of an alloy thereof.
US07672087B2
Provided is an MR effect element in which the magnetization of the pinned layer is stably fixed even after going through high temperature process. The MR effect element comprises: a non-magnetic intermediate layer; a pinned layer and a free layer stacked so as to sandwich the non-magnetic intermediate layer; an antiferromagnetic layer stacked to have a surface contact with the pinned layer, for fixing a magnetization of the pinned layer to a direction in-plane of the pinned layer and perpendicular to a track width direction; and hard bias layers provided on both sides in the track width direction of the free layer, for applying a bias field to the free layer, a product λS×σ of a saturation magnetostriction constant λS of the pinned layer and an internal stress σ on a cross-section perpendicular to a layer surface of the hard bias layer being negative.
US07672086B1
A method and system for providing a current confined magnetic element is disclosed. The method and system include providing a pinned layer, providing a nonmagnetic spacer layer, and providing a free layer. The nonmagnetic spacer layer resides between the pinned layer and the free layer. The method and system also include sputtering a current confinement layer. The current confinement layer includes an insulator and a conductor that are immiscible. The conductor forms a plurality of nano-dots in an insulating matrix. At least a portion of the plurality of nano-dots extends through the current confinement layer.
US07672085B2
The invention provides a giant magneto-resistive effect device (CPP-GMR device) having a CPP (current perpendicular to plane) structure comprising a spacer layer, and a fixed magnetized layer and a free layer stacked one upon another with said spacer layer interleaved between them, with a sense current applied in a stacking direction, wherein the spacer layer comprises a first and a second nonmagnetic metal layer, each formed of a nonmagnetic metal material, and a semiconductor oxide layer interleaved between the first and the second nonmagnetic metal layer, wherein the semiconductor oxide layer that forms a part of the spacer layer is made of indium oxide (In2O3), or the semiconductor oxide layer contains indium oxide (In2O3) as its main component, and an oxide containing a tetravalent cation of SnO2 is contained in the indium oxide that is the main component. The semiconductor oxide layer that forms a part of the spacer layer can thus be made thick while the device has a low area resistivity as desired, ensuring much more favorable advantages: ever higher MR performance, prevention of device area resistivity variations, and much improved reliability of film characteristics.
US07672084B2
Composite thin-film magnetic head includes a substrate; a first insulation layer on the substrate; an MR read head element on the first insulation layer and provided with a lower shield layer, an upper shield layer and an MR layer with a sense current flowing perpendicular to a surface of the MR layer though the upper and lower shield layers; a second insulation layer on the MR read head element; an inductive write head element on the second insulation layer and provided with a lower magnetic pole layer, a recording gap layer, an upper magnetic pole layer with end portion opposed to an end portion of the lower magnetic pole layer through the recording gap layer and a write coil; and a nonmagnetic conductive layer electrically conducted with the lower shield layer and opposed to the substrate to increase the electrode area between the lower shield layer and the substrate.
US07672082B2
A flexible wiring board for a magnetic head assembly is provided. The flexible wiring board includes a wiring pattern connected to a head body at one end and to an external circuit system at the other end, an insulation protection film that protects the wiring pattern, and a base composed of a metal that extends over the insulation protection film and the wiring pattern. The base has a guide through hole that functions as a guide for bending the base. The guide through hole has a plurality of notches disposed at different positions in a length direction of the base. The notches reduce a remaining width of the base in a bend width direction of the base.
US07672076B2
Disclosed are a servo writer and a servo writing method capable of writing a servo signal onto a servo band of a magnetic tape in an excellent condition, regardless of the thickness of the magnetic tape. The servo writer includes a magnetic tape traveling system for traveling a magnetic tape, a DC erase head for magnetizing a servo band of the magnetic tape in one direction along the length of the magnetic tape, a servo signal write head for writing a servo signal onto the servo band in the direction opposite to the one direction, a servo signal read head for reading the servo signal from the servo band, and control device for controlling a degauss current supplied to the DC erase head, based on an output read from the servo signal by the servo signal read head.
US07672072B1
A disk drive is disclosed including a disk, and a head actuated over the disk. A refresh monitor is maintained for data stored on the disk, wherein the refresh monitor comprises an update function responsive to an operating parameter of the disk drive. A duration monitor is maintained, and the update function of the refresh monitor is modified in response to the duration monitor. The data stored on the disk is refreshed in response to the refresh monitor.
US07672066B2
A zoom lens includes, in order from an object to an image, a first lens group having positive refractive power, a second lens group having negative refractive power, a third lens group having positive refractive power, and a fourth lens group having positive refractive power, when varying a field angle from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end, the first lens group and the third lens group being moved to be located on the object side at the telephoto end rather than at the wide-angle end such that a distance between the first lens group and the second lens group increases, a distance between the second lens group and the third lens group decreases, and a distance between the third lens group and the fourth lens group increases.
US07672055B2
There is provided an optical device, having a light-transmitting substrate having at least two major surfaces (26) parallel to each other and edges; optical means (16) for coupling light waves located in a field-of-view into the substrate by internal reflection, and at least one partially reflecting surface (22) located in the substrate which is non-parallel to the major surfaces of the substrate, characterized in that at least one of the major surfaces is coated with a dichroic coating.
US07672046B2
An optical multilayer filter comprises a substrate, and an inorganic thin film that is composed of a plurality of layers and formed on the substrate. An uppermost surface layer of the inorganic thin film is a silicon oxide layer having a density of from 1.9 g/cm3 to 2.2 g/cm3.
US07672027B2
An image reading apparatus includes a reading unit, a control unit and a reference color region. The control unit includes a preliminary read processing unit, a first image acquisition unit, a second image acquisition unit and a reprocessing instruction unit. The reprocessing instruction unit specifies a schematic position of a reference region in the sub-scanning direction and instructs the preliminary read processing unit to perform preliminary reading again at the schematic position of the reference region.
US07672023B2
Embodiments herein observe the backing of the document handler to determine if a document was left on the platen and would block the scan head from scanning the documents as they are moved by the document handler. An embodiment herein comprises a transparent platen and a document handler on a first side of the platen. The document handler has a backing, and the backing is adapted to move media within the document handler. A scan head is positioned on a second side of the platen. The scan head remains stationary when scanning the media being moved by the document handler and the scan head moves when scanning media on the platen. The backing of the document handler has a surface that is distinguishable from the media such that the scan head can detect whether the media is on the platen and would block the scan head from scanning the media being moved by the document handler.
US07672020B2
Method for duplex printing on transparencies to create auto-stereoscopic enhancement to rendered images. On one side of the transparency is provided a uniform halftone with a selected median spatial frequency as printed. On the other side, the image for enhanced rendering consisting of two partitions is printed: that partition which is to be perceived as the background is printed using a halftone with spatial frequency equal to the median plus some delta x, while the other image partition is printed using a halftone with a spatial frequency equal to the median minus the same delta x. The spatial frequency difference creates a corresponding shift-magnification factor M with an amplified total depth of the shift-magnification factor M times the thickness of the transparency.
US07672011B2
A printer driver of a Non-PC controls to quantize image data at quantization resolution (resolution 1), convert the quantized data into data resolution (resolution 2), and then transfer the data of the data resolution to an engine unit of an image output apparatus. The engine unit converts the data resolution of the received data into recording resolution (resolution 3) for a recording medium. Here, the quantization resolution is set to be lower than the data resolution. Thus, processing loads in the image processing unit can be reduced, whereby it is possible to provide image output capable of maintaining image quality and speed even under the circumstance that there is no sufficient memory and high-speed CPU, and to provide image output capable of maintaining image quality and speed according to a matrix recording method flexibly coping with various environments and minimizing the load in the engine unit.
US07672010B2
In a method and system for generating document templates for print jobs, in which a document template is generated in a generation unit using static resource data that are combined into addressable data sets. The document template is registered in a resource administration unit. The resource administration unit generates a resource list in which the resource data sets used by the document template are listed. Using the resource list, the resource administration unit controls a transfer of the used resource data sets to a data processing device in which the document template is supplemented with variable data, whereby the resource administration unit in turn can be controlled via a superordinate program.
US07672006B2
A multi-functional print platform includes at least two marking engines that process information at different processing rates and a scheduler that distributes portions of a job across the at least two marking engines based at least on a content of the job and the different processing rates of the at least two marking engines.
US07672004B2
An image processing system connects a plurality of clients to an image processing apparatus via a network. The image processing apparatus includes a reading device that reads an image of an original document and generates a prescribed image signal, an image data generating device that applies prescribed image processing to the image signal to generate image data, and a memory that stores the image data. A format converting device is provided to convert an image format of the image data selected from the memory by one of plurality of client apparatuses into a prescribed format in accordance with a format condition designated by the client apparatus. A delivering device is provided to deliver the image data to the client apparatus in the prescribed format.
US07672002B2
A method for interactively viewing raster images using scalable vector graphics (SVG), including receiving an SVG document, the SVG document including a reference to a raster image within the SVG document, the reference indicating a rectangular portion, a display width and height, and an IP address for a server computer, passing the SVG document to an SVG viewer, rendering the SVG document, including requesting from the server computer a first portion of raster image data corresponding to the rectangular portion, display width and display height, the first portion of raster image data being derived from the raster image, receiving the first portion of raster image data from the server computer, displaying the first portion of raster image data, transmitting a user request for a different portion of the raster image data, receiving a modified SVG document, modified according to the different portion requested by the user, passing the modified SVG document to the SVG viewer for re-rendering. A system and a computer readable storage medium are also described and claimed.
US07672001B2
An apparatus and a method that can be used for qualitative or quantitative determination of the three-dimensional location of two bodies relative to one another which can be used, for example, to determine the mutual position of two bodies according to angular or translational coordinates. Furthermore, the apparatus and method can be used in a measurement robot or in a coordinate measurement device. The device composed of a device for emitting a light beam which is fanned in several planes and at least three, preferably four or more, optoelectronic line sensors or linear sensors for determination of the incidence points of the light beam which has been flared in several planes on the line sensors or an upstream target surface.
US07671994B2
A method of measuring the free chlorine level in a solution of chlorinated pool/spa water comprises a first sample of said solution having a first selected pH and a second sample of said solution having a second selected pH and determining first and second ultraviolet light (UV) transmissivity values for each of the first and second samples. The first and second transmissivity values are then used to determine the free chlorine level.
US07671993B2
In one embodiment, light having a first spectrum is filtered from a mixed light. Light having a second spectrum, different from the first spectrum, is also filtered from the mixed light. An intensity of the light having the first spectrum, and an intensity of the light having the second spectrum, are then sensed. From the sensed intensities of the lights having the first and second spectrums, an intensity of light having a third spectrum is estimated.
US07671985B1
The present invention is an optical device for small spot analysis by diffuse reflectance using fiber optic interfaced spectrometers. The device comprises a source of electromagnetic radiation and a set of mirrors designed to project most of the radiation from the said source onto a less than 1 mm diameter spot on the sample, collect a portion of the radiation reflected by the sample and refocus this reflected radiation into an optical fiber. The said optical fiber then brings the said reflected radiation into a fiber optic interfaced spectrometer for spectral analysis. A means for the magnified viewing of the sample and the precise selection of the sampling spot for analysis is integrated into the invented device. Adding a digital camera and a laser module to the said device enables nearly simultaneous multimodal analysis of the same sampling spot by diffuse reflectance, Raman, and fluorescence spectroscopy and by image analysis.
US07671978B2
A scatterometer-interferometer and method for detecting and distinguishing characteristics of surface artifacts provides improved artifact detection and increased scanning speed in interferometric measurement systems. A scatterometer and interferometer are combined in a single measurement head and may have overlapping, concentric or separate measurement spots. Interferometric sampling of a surface under measurement may be initiated in response to detection of a surface artifact by the scatterometer, so that continuous scanning of the surface under measurement can be performed until further information about the size and/or height of the artifact is needed.
US07671973B2
The present invention provides an optical analysis system for determining an amplitude of a principal component of an optical signal. The principal component is indicative of the concentration of a particular compound or various compounds of a substance that is subject to spectroscopic analysis. The optical signal is subject to wavelength selective weighting and wavelength selective spatial separation specified by a weighting function. The optical signal is preferably separated into two parts that corresponding to a positive and negative spectral band of the weighting function, respectively. The separation provides separate detection of the separated parts of the optical signal without significant loss of intensity, thereby providing an improved signal to noise ratio of the determined principal component. Separation and weighting of the optical signal is realized by two multivariate optical elements.
US07671972B2
A method of sensing movement or proximity of objects by optical reflection is provided. The method includes the steps of transmitting a train of optical pulses towards a destination, sensing optical pulses reflected from the destination, and sensing and evaluating movement or proximity characteristics of objects at the destination with reference to variation in pulse width between transmitted and reflected optical pulses.
US07671971B2
The invention relates to an electro-optical distance measuring method wherein frequency-modulated optical radiation is emitted onto at least one target to be measured. Once the radiation back-scattered to the target is received, the chirp of radiation is modeled by means of a phase function Φ(t) having parameters cj, thereby making description of the deviation of the chirp from the linear profile possible. The parameters used for description are at least partially determined from measurements or are coestimated during numerical signal processing.
US07671958B2
A liquid crystal device includes a first substrate, a second substrate, liquid crystal, a switching element, a signal wiring, a planarizing film, a first electrode, an electrode insulating film, a second electrode, and a terminal. The terminal is provided at least in a portion of a region on the first substrate in which the planarizing film is not formed. The terminal includes a terminal body portion, a terminal insulating film, and a terminal electrode portion. The terminal body portion is made of the same material as that of the signal wiring. The terminal insulating film is made of the same material as that of the electrode insulating film. The terminal electrode portion is made of the same material as that of the second electrode. The terminal electrode portion is electrically connected to the terminal body portion through the opening region.
US07671948B2
A liquid crystal device includes a first substrate, a second substrate disposed to face the first substrate, a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate, a first optical compensation plate fixed to the first substrate, a second optical compensation plate disposed at a side of the first substrate or the second substrate, and a pivot mechanism supporting the second optical compensation plate to be pivotable around an optical axis of light passing through the first substrate and the second substrate.
US07671942B2
Provided is a transflective LCD device that can selectively use a reflect mode and a transmit mode in a VA mode LCD device having a multiple domain. The transflective LCD device includes: gate lines and data lines arranged to cross each other on a first substrate to define a pixel regions having a reflection portion and a transmission portion; thin film transistors located at each crossing of the gate lines and the data lines, wherein the thin film transistors include a gate electrode, a semiconductor layer, and source/drain electrodes; a transparent electrode connected to the thin film transistor and located in the transmission portion; a reflective electrode connected to the thin film transistor and located in the reflection portion; a connection electrode that electrically connects the transparent electrode with the reflective electrode; a first storage electrode located in the reflection portion and a second storage electrode under the connection electrode; a second substrate facing the first substrate; and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and second substrates.
US07671938B2
The invention relates to a transflective liquid crystal display (LCD) comprising a patterned quarter wave foil (QWF) and having improved chromaticity.
US07671937B2
A polarizing plate comprising (a) a layer composed of a plurality of polyvinyl alcohol fibers adsorbing a dichroic pigment and having an aspect ratio of 10 or more, which are arranged in a planar form in one direction, or the above layer (a) and (b) a layer composed of a plurality of fibers having an aspect ratio of 10 or more and a difference between the refractive index of fiber in long axis and the refractive index of fiber in short axis of 0.05 or more and not adsorbing a dichroic pigment, which are arranged in a planar form in one direction, and/or (b′) a plurality of fibers having an aspect ratio of 10 or more and a difference between the refractive index of fiber in long axis and the refractive index of fiber in short axis of less than 0.05 and not adsorbing a dichroic pigment, which are arranged in a planar form in one direction, and (c) an optically transparent resin.,
US07671934B2
According to one embodiment, a display device includes a display module and a stand having a tilt mechanism which adjusts an upright angle of the display module. The tilt mechanism includes a fixed portion provided on the stand, a movable portion provided on the display module, a hinge shaft which pivotably couples the fixed portion and the movable portion together, and a lock member which limits pivoting of the movable portion with respect to the fixed portion. The lock member is movable between a lock position where the lock member engages with the movable portion so as to prevent the display module from falling down through at least a predetermined angle and a release position where the lock member leaves the movable portion so as to allow the display module to pivot freely.
US07671931B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a plurality of data lines arranged along a first direction on a substrate, a plurality of gate lines arranged a second direction perpendicular to the first direction on the substrate to define a plurality of pixel regions, each of the gate lines having at least one first set of protrusions and depressions, a driving device within each of the pixel regions, a pixel electrode within each of the pixel regions, and a metal layer overlapping each of the gate lines to create a storage capacitor.
US07671922B2
A unique method for chroma vertical upsampling used, for example, for conversion of the “4:2:0” format chroma information used in many applications of digital video, to the “4:2:2” or “4:4:4” format, is presented. This conversion is required so that video encoders can effect the display of this chroma information with a minimum of visible artifacts. The present invention carries out chroma vertical upsampling on a pixel by pixel basis. This chroma vertical upsampling is performed as a function of the amount of motion associated with each pixel as detected between 2 or more fields, and the field, frame and progressive sequence characteristics of the incoming video signal data.
US07671919B2
First to fourth lenses are aligned in an optical axis direction by a lens-barrel of a camera, an O-ring is disposed between the first lens and the lens-barrel, an O-ring is disposed between the fourth lens and the lens-barrel, a space is formed between the first and second lenses, a space is formed between the second and fourth lenses, a space is formed between the third and fourth lenses, and flow of air between the spaces is precluded. The camera thus configured is free of dewing on the lens or a protective plate exposed to the exterior, even when the inside temperature is raised due to heat generation in a CCD or a mounting substrate on which the CCD is mounted.
US07671913B2
A circuit for converting the format of image data, the motion of the image data being smooth, includes a memory (16) to which moving image data in the NTSC format is written; a memory controller (14) retrieving respective signals, from the memory (16), required for producing image data of an odd field and an even field in the PAL format; line-interpolating circuits (73) and (74) converting retrieved image data into first image data and second image, respectively, both image data having the line frequency of the PAL format; a frame-interpolating circuit (75) outputting the image data of the odd field in the PAL format by mixing image data of the odd field of the first image data and image data of the odd field of the second image data at a predetermined mixing ratio, and outputting the image data of the even field in the PAL format by mixing image data of the even field of the first image data and image data of the even field of the second image data at a predetermined mixing ratio; and a coefficient-generating circuit (77) changing the mixing ratios every field period in the PAL format.
US07671909B2
Provided are a method and apparatus for processing a Bayer pattern digital color video signal, where the video signal processing apparatus includes a BP detector that generates the pixel information signal PIS representing whether the current pixel is good or bad from the input video data based on the difference between the current pixel data and neighbor pixel data, and an interpolator that interpolates the bad pixel using neighbor pixel data in response to the pixel information signal.
US07671894B2
A method processes a multiview videos of a scene, in which each video is acquired by a corresponding camera arranged at a particular pose, and in which a view of each camera overlaps with the view of at least one other camera. Side information for synthesizing a particular view of the multiview video is obtained in either an encoder or decoder. A synthesized multiview video is synthesized from the multiview videos and the side information. A reference picture list is maintained for each current frame of each of the multiview videos, the reference picture indexes temporal reference pictures and spatial reference pictures of the acquired multiview videos and the synthesized reference pictures of the synthesized multiview video. Each current frame of the multiview videos is predicted according to reference pictures indexed by the associated reference picture list with a skip mode and a direct mode, whereby the side information is inferred from the synthesized reference picture.
US07671889B2
An autostereoscopic display system wherein an interdigitated stereogram is generated and displayed on an electronic display. The display includes a lenticular screen over the surface of the display which allows the user to observe the stereogram on the display and obtain a true stereoscopic effect. In accord with the invention, the resolution of master images is minimized and then the pixels from the master images are mapped to form the interdigitated stereogram. The optimum minimization of the resolution is obtained when the ratio of horizontal resolution to vertical resolution for the master images approximates the screen aspect ratio of the display. In this way, less computation is involved in remapping the pixels to form an interdigitated stereogram.
US07671884B2
A rotary drive apparatus includes a rotary body with a support portion, a rotor magnet supported by the support portion of the rotary body, a fixation section facing the rotor magnet and rotatably supporting the rotary body, and a winding coil provided in the fixation section, in which an expression E1/E2≦0.75 is satisfied where Young's modulus of the rotor magnet is E1 [GPa], and Young's modulus of the support portion is E2 [GPa].
US07671876B2
A resolution scaler of the present invention uses a shift adder instead of a multiplier for scaling an input resolution. The resolution scaler is provided with a counter controller and a pixel scaler. The counter controller outputs a weight to the pixel scaler. The pixel scaler includes a first shift adder for outputting the first shift value by adding a plurality of first shift arguments generated by shifting the current pixel data, a second shift adder for outputting the second shift value by adding a plurality of second shift arguments generated by shifting the previous pixel data, and an adder for outputting the scaled pixel data by adding the first shift value and the second shift value.
US07671874B2
A database methodology that concerns the mapping of any arbitrary object into a plurality of regions, enabling the assignment of multiple region-specific attributes thereto and facilitating the concurrent, graphical presentation of any assigned attributes. Attribute storage, manipulation, and presentation are driven by the individual regions and characteristics of the object.
US07671866B2
A memory controller having graphic processing function that includes a graphic processing unit operating in response to a selection signal from a master, and a memory interface for storing outputs of the graphic processing unit in an external memory at and receiving graphic data from the external memory to provide the graphic data to the graphic processing unit.
US07671864B2
Methods and machines which increase image processing performance by efficiently copying image data from input memory to main memory before performing CPU intensive operations, such as image enhancement, compression, or encryption, and by efficiently copying image data from main memory to output memory after performing CPU intensive operations, such as decryption, decompression, image enhancement, or reformatting.
US07671860B2
Compact and accurate piecewise parametric representations of implicit curves may be achieved by iteratively selecting ranges of parameterizing regions and testing each for satisfying an intervalized super convergence test. In one aspect, the implicit curves is represented as a compact form of one or more representations of such convergence regions. For memory and bandwidth constrained applications, starting points of convergence regions may not be stored but instead calculated at runtime prior to rendering a point on the implicit curve. Furthermore, not all endpoints relevant convergence regions of a selected implicit curve need be stored. Instead, based on at least one endpoint, the other endpoints can be derived via Newton iterations. To further reduce memory and bandwidth costs, coordinates can be stored in a quantized format and the points reflecting floating point accuracy can be derived at runtime again by Newton iteration.
US07671859B2
An instrument display includes a light source that selectively emits light and a light guide that receives the light. One or more optical coating layers are disposed on the light guide. The light guide has a first index of refraction, and the optical coating layer or layers have a second index of refraction that is greater than the first index of refraction of the light guide. The optical coating layer or layers reduce glare from ambient light and increase the light transmitting performance of the light guide.
US07671858B1
Computer software for and a method of generating a conformal all quadrilateral or hexahedral mesh comprising selecting an object with unmeshed boundaries and performing the following while unmeshed voids are larger than twice a desired element size and unrecognizable as either a midpoint subdividable or pave-and-sweepable polyhedra: selecting a front to advance; based on sizes of fronts and angles with adjacent fronts, determining which adjacent fronts should be advanced with the selected front; advancing the fronts; detecting proximities with other nearby fronts; resolving any found proximities; forming quadrilaterals or unconstrained columns of hexahedra where two layers cross; and establishing hexahedral elements where three layers cross.
US07671856B2
A unique test pattern is used for measuring timing parameters of RGBHV analog video signals. For horizontal timing a horizontal line includes within an active video region left and right portions at a first level and a central portion at a second level, the left, right and central portions having a defined percentage relationship to the number of pixels of the horizontal line within the active video region. Also optionally included are left and right border portions just prior to and just after the left and right portions respectively. Measurements are done in pixels for the horizontal line from a horizontal sync pulse to each transition of the unique test pattern, and the horizontal timing parameters are derived from such measurements. Likewise for vertical timing a frame includes within the active video region top and bottom portions made up of horizontal lines having a first level for a first half and a second level for the second half, the number of lines in the top and bottom portions having a defined percentage relationship to the number of lines in the active video region. Also optionally included are top and bottom border lines just prior to and just after the top and bottom portions respectively. Measurements are done in lines for the frame from a vertical sync pulse to each transition in line pattern of the unique test pattern, and the vertical timing parameters are derived from such measurements.
US07671853B2
A signal output adjustment circuit includes a decoder which decodes command data from a memory, a control register in which control data corresponding to first command data is set when the decoder determines that the command data is the first command data, a buffer in which the control data corresponding to second command data is stored when the decoder determines that the command data is the second command data, and an output adjustment circuit which reads the control data stored in the buffer and outputs the control data in synchronization with a data fetch signal, based on a value set in the control register. At least one of permission/rejection of inversion output of the data fetch signal and output timing of the data fetch signal is set based on the value set in the control register.
US07671849B2
The present invention relates to organic conductive polymer compositions adapted to produce touch panel input devices that hardly undergo resistance degradation even after prolonged and repeated usages, and represent remarkably improved reliability and lifetime in particular. The organic conductive polymer compositions according to the present invention comprise a thiophene derivative polymer, a water-soluble organic compound (except for nitrogen-containing compounds), and a dopant, wherein the thiophene derivative polymer is expressed by the formula (1).
US07671839B2
A computing device is provided that includes a display comprising a plurality of discrete elements. A memory is used to store a data collection of paginated content. A processor of the computing device is configured to retrieve each of the pages from the memory. The processor signals the display to individually present each of the pages. A sensor device is coupled to the processor. The sensor device is deflectable to signal the processor a deflection value that causes the processor to sequentially present at least portions of multiple pages on the display.
US07671835B2
In an image display apparatus and image display method suppress the degradation of display function and the shortening of service life due to long-term use, measurement of a current value is carried out and the measured current value each time a certain time elapses is stored. The integrated value of the current is calculated, and a comparator compares the integrated value with a reference value stored in a storage section for determining whether or not the result is greater than a prescribed value. If the result is affirmed to differ by prescribed value, a recovery voltage is applied, and it is determined whether or not a recovery time has exceeded a stored recovery time. If the excedance of the recovery time is affirmed, the application of the recovery voltage is terminated. If a negation is given at the determination of the greater difference value, the flow is ended. If a negation is given at the determination of the recovery time, the recovery voltage is applied.
US07671834B2
An electric writable medium having islanded surface structures operationally configured to avoid tribocharging of the electric writable medium.
US07671824B2
A plasma display panel for adaptively reducing load effect and improving luminescence efficiency and discharge efficiency, and a driving method thereof. A plasma display panel includes a capacitive load; a source capacitor; a sustain voltage source to generate a sustain voltage; a first inductor formed on a first current path where a current flows from the capacitive load to the source capacitor; a second inductor formed on a second current path where a current flows from the source capacitor to the capacitive load; a switch configuration and switch control circuit that controls the switching operations of the switch configuration such that at least two discharges may occur during one sustain pulse cycle.
US07671822B2
The invention is directed to an optical unit for a head-up display comprising an image generator, a mirror and a cover plate which are arranged in a housing one behind the other in the direction of light propagation. The beam path is directed to a windshield. The invention is wherein that the mirror is a rear-surface mirror whose reflection surface has a light-bundling action. The rear-surface mirror has, in addition, a refractive action that can be generated by the refractive index of the mirror material and a material thickness which changes between the reflection surface and the transmissive surface.
US07671814B2
An embedded antenna for facilitating wireless transmission of utility meter data is disclosed, where in one embodiment an RF antenna is a part of the faceplate of the utility meter. In another embodiment the utility meter faceplate is a single-layer or a multi-layer printed circuit board (PCB) with the RF antenna printed on any desired layer. Such faceplates may be labeled to be viewable from outside of the meter housing and/or have openings to accommodate visual access to an output display of the meter consumption information.
US07671805B2
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provide an antenna apparatus including: a conductive element including one end connected to a ground plane via a terminating resistor and the other end to which a power is supplied; and at least one branch conductive element branching from the conductive element and having a tip end which is short-circuited to the ground plane, and an element length of the branch conductive element being approximately a quarter wavelength of an operation frequency.
US07671798B2
A method and system for optimally combining noisy measurements of attributes to obtain a composite statistically useful attribute result is disclosed. The method includes measuring a signal to noise ratio for each carrier in a pair, computing a signal to noise ratio power which is derived from said signal to noise ratio of each carrier in the pair and adding said signal to noise ratio powers that have been received within a predetermined period of time until the sum of said signal to noise ratio powers reaches a first threshold. The method continues with computing a weight based on the percentage of each measurements signal to noise ratio power in relation to said sum of said signal to noise ratio powers and deriving a statistically useful attribute result based at least in part on said weight of each signal to noise ratio power.
US07671796B2
A method for searching satellites is disclosed. In the method of the present invention, the satellites are selected to consist of a group, and searching is conducted in this group. The group size is predetermined for each stage so as to be the most appropriate for various searching conditions. The member number of the group (i.e. group size) and the members of the group are updated as the searching results are continually obtained. The updates are done according to scanning times of the group, satellite hit number, searching time for the group and satellite priorities and the like, for example. The group size can be reduced or expanded. By using the method, satellites required to fix a position can be rapidly found.
US07671789B1
A method for target detection and angle estimation in a radar system includes receiving a signal from a radar array; based on the received signal, performing monopulse beamforming to obtain one or more monopulse beams; based on the monopulse beams, determining monopulse ratios; using maximum likelihood estimation based on the determined monopulse ratios to determine a monopulse ratio estimate corresponding to a maximum of a likelihood function; accessing a table correlating monopulse ratio estimates and target angle values and determining from the table an estimated target angle; accessing a complex target amplitude corresponding to the estimated target angle, comparing the complex target amplitude to a threshold; and if, based on the step of comparing, the target amplitude exceeds the threshold, providing an output signal indicative of target detection and the estimated target angle.
US07671778B2
In a cable return path system, a method for performing digital companding adds a predetermined offset to the digital value to be companded, and employs a modified μ-law or a-law companding technique to obtain a reduced bit length digital value. One embodiment of this modified approach adds a predetermined offset (e.g., 129 for a 12-bit implementation) to the digital value before companding and then employs a two-bit chord and a 5-bit step for the 12-bit implementation. The end result is that the performance metrics are not significantly compromised by this bit reduction when compared to current transmission methods without this technique.
US07671769B2
A multistage analog/digital converter for converting in multi-step cycles an input signal into respective digital codes, each cycle step resolving at least one bit of a respective digital code. The converter includes: a sampling circuit inputting the signal and outputting a first sequence of analog samples; a generation block of a pseudorandom sequence of samples; a summing node, such as to input the first sequence and the pseudorandom sequence, obtaining in output a second sequence of analog samples including non-pseudorandom samples; a converter having a controllable digital gain receiving the second sequence and outputting bits of the digital codes; a feedback loop with a loop gain and including an analog amplifier; a digital calibration block to match the digital gain to the loop gain and including a prediction block to produce a digital estimation of said input signal starting from the bits resulting from converting the non-pseudorandom samples.
US07671768B2
The invention relates to an N-bit digital-to-analogue converter (DAC) system, comprising—a DAC unit comprising an N-bit master DAC and a slave DAC, yielding a master DAC unit output signal and a slave DAC unit output signal, respectively, said N-bit master DAC having an output step size,—an adder unit combining the master DAC unit output signal and the slave DAC unit output signal, and—a means for storing correction values for at least the master DAC, said correction values being used by the slave DAC, whereby the DAC system is arranged for master DAC output corrections with a size in absolute value higher than half of the output step size.
US07671766B2
Data coding and entropy coding are performed with interconnection, and grouping is used to enhance coding efficiency. The present invention includes the steps of hierarchically extracting identification information indicating at least three or more data coding schemes. The identification information indicating two coding schemes having high frequencies of use for the identification information are extracted from different layers.
US07671765B2
Systems and methods for input of text symbols into an electronic device comprising a reduced keyboard having keys representing a plurality of characters are disclosed. Possible symbol variants are identified based on character inputs received from the reduced keyboard. Each identified symbol variant is grouped into one of a plurality of groups of symbol variants, each group having an associated priority, according to a type of the symbol variant. Within at least one of the groups, the symbol variants are ranked in decreasing order of frequencies of use of the symbol variants. A list of symbol variants comprising the plurality of groups of symbol variants in order of decreasing priority is then displayed, and an input symbol is selected from the list of symbol variants. The symbol variants of the at least one of the groups of symbol variants are thereby sorted by both priority and frequency of use.
US07671763B1
A vehicle locator system is disclosed. An illustrative embodiment of the vehicle locator system includes a vehicle locator/charging unit having a unit microprocessor, a first cell phone circuitry and a first GPS and or RF circuitry connected to the unit microprocessor, a charge plug and a charge port connected to the charge plug; and a cell phone having a cell phone microprocessor, a second cell phone circuitry, a second GPS and or RF circuitry and a display connected to the cell phone microprocessor and a charge port adapted for connection to the charge port of the vehicle locator/charging unit.
US07671752B2
An alcohol monitoring system for monitoring a driver of a car includes a vapor analyzer system for detecting the amount of alcohol in a driver operating the car. A speed controller is provided for setting the maximum speed of the car to a predetermined level in the event that the amount of alcohol detected in the driver is above a predetermined threshold. A cell phone is configured to automatically call a remote call center, in the event that the amount of the alcohol detected in the driver is above the predetermined threshold. Furthermore, a location system is configured to provide the location of the car to said remote call center. A mapping database in said remote call center is configured to provide nearest resting locations to said car so as to guide the driver to drive the car to any one of said locations.
US07671747B2
If the frequency of the electric waves used at a pre-designated inspection site is known frequency, the antenna seal connected to a base antenna is peeled off, in part or entirety. Thus, the resonance frequency is easily and correctly adjusted to the frequency known.
US07671737B2
The disclosure relates to monitoring and notification apparatus capable of monitoring events at various locations. The apparatus includes a sound receiving unit which receives audio content from various locations. A user can select which of the location is monitored at any one time. In one embodiment, this selection is made depending on the orientation of the sound receiving unit.
US07671735B2
A device and method for accessing, monitoring, and controlling home appliances in a media exchange network by establishing a communication link between a communication initiation device and at least one home appliance and communicating at least one command from the communication initiation device to the at least one home appliance via the communication link. The at least one home appliance then generates at least one response to the at least one command. The commands may include turning the home appliance(s) on and off, parameter adjustment commands, access commands, monitoring commands, mode change commands, and programming commands. Appliance responses may include powering on, powering off, changing a mode of operation, sending a status to the communication initiation device, adjusting an operational parameter, and changing a programmed operational step.
US07671726B2
A wheel position detecting apparatus comprises transmitters, a triggering device, and a receiver. The transmitters are attached to the plurality of wheels respectively. Each transmitter transmits a frame responsively to a triggering signal from the triggering device. The frame includes data indicating a reception intensity of the triggering signal. The triggering device is disposed in a vehicle body and outputs the triggering signal toward the transmitters attached to the plurality of wheels. This triggering device is positioned nearest to a specified wheel among the plurality of wheels to which the triggering signal is outputted, the specified wheel being influenced most heavily by noise generated in the vehicle. The receiver, disposed to the vehicle body, receives the frame and uses the data indicating the reception intensity of the triggering signal to detect positions of the wheels by determining which transmitter is attached to which wheel.
US07671719B2
An electronic storage box, an electronic storage box opening and closing method, and computer program product, comprising: safety, portability, convenience, economical efficiency and presentation effects are provided. In case a cryptograph setting request signal is received from a PC 21, the electronic storage box 1 stores cryptograph information included in the cryptograph setting request signal. In case an opening and closing request signal is received from a PC 21, the electronic storage box 1 determines whether or not the cryptograph information included in the opening and closing request signal and the cryptograph information stored in a key storage portion 103 match with each other. In case it is determined that these pieces of the cryptograph information match with each other, the electronic storage box 1 allows a lid 12 to shift either to an opened state or a closed state according to the opening and closing state of the lid 12.
US07671716B2
An inductive module includes an electrically insulating basic substrate unit having opposite first and second trace-forming sides, a ferromagnetic core unit embedded in the basic substrate unit and having horizontal sides substantially parallel to and respectively spaced apart from the first and second trace-forming sides, and a coil unit. The coil unit includes first and second conductive vias respectively formed in the basic substrate unit adjacent to vertical sides of the core unit, and respectively spaced apart from the vertical sides, and first and second conductive traces, each of which is disposed on a corresponding one of the first and second trace-forming sides, and interconnects electrically a corresponding pair of the first and second conductive vias. The conductive traces and the conductive vias of the coil unit cooperate to form an electric current path that substantially winds around the core unit.
US07671711B2
A remote operation includes an electromagnetic linear actuator that has a moving part linked to a handle of a circuit breaker, and drives the handle according to a remote operation command to perform change-over operations on the handle to ON, OFF, and RESET positions. The electromagnetic linear actuator is composed of permanent magnet type linear pulse motors each including a field section having a plurality of permanent magnets arranged in a row and a coil section having a three-leg type magnetic yoke and actuation coils wound around the legs of the magnetic yoke and opposing the field section. Electric current in the actuation coils is controlled by sequentially changing-over excitation patterns during the operation process, and the moving part is driven in a stepwise motion to drive the handle of the circuit breaker to the end position of the changeover operation process.
US07671701B2
A transmit and receive circuit for use in power line communication devices is provided. One embodiment of the circuit includes a receive channel with a first delay circuit coupled to a first switch having an open configuration and a closed configuration a first switch. The circuit also may include a transmit channel coupled to the receive channel at a node and including a second delay circuit coupled to a second switch having an open configuration and a closed configuration. When the switch of either channel is closed, the switch of the other channel is open. Data signals traversing either channel when that channel's switch is closed, are phase shifted approximately three hundred and sixty degrees and conducted back to the node.
US07671699B2
Various directional coupler arrangements are disclosed. For instance, an apparatus includes first, second, and third conductive patterns disposed on a substrate. Each of these conductive patterns includes a first end and an opposite second end. Moreover, each of these conductive patterns includes a first protrusion at its first end and a second protrusion at its second end.
US07671696B1
A multilayer circuit board assembly includes one or more radio frequency (RF) interconnects between different circuit layers on different circuit boards which make up the circuit board assembly. The RF interconnects can include one or more RF matching pads which provide a mechanism for matching impedance characteristics of RF stubs to provide the RF interconnects having desired insertion loss and impedance characteristics over a desired RF operating frequency band. The RF matching pads allow the manufacture of circuit boards having RF interconnects without the need to perform any back drill and back fill operation to remove stub portions of the RF interconnects in the multilayer circuit board assembly.
US07671695B2
A parallel coupled CPW line filter is provided, including a first and a second coupled lines arranged on one side of an insulating body and connected in parallel with each other, and a ground arranged on the same plane as the first and the second coupled lines, comprising a pair of ground parts spaced apart from the first and the second coupled lines, respectively, the ground parts each comprising recesses sunken from areas close to the first and the second coupled lines.
US07671690B2
In one embodiment, a signal control system has a signal output and includes: 1) a phase-locked loop (PLL) having a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), a phase error detector, an oscillating output coupled to the signal output of the signal control system, and a programmable frequency divider coupled in a feedback path between the oscillating output and the phase error detector; 2) at least one automatic level controller (ALC), coupled to the oscillating output; and 3) a plurality of switchable integrators, including first and second switchable integrators that are respectively coupled between the phase error detector and the VCO, and in the at least one ALC. Each of the switchable integrators is switchable between a narrow bandwidth mode that provides for stable operation of the signal control system, and a wide bandwidth mode that enables fast signal transitions at the signal output.
US07671689B2
A FET transistor voltage-controlled oscillator is provided that includes a crossed-coupled inductor capacitor tank (LC-Tank) transistor voltage-controlled circuit having a first transistor and a second transistor, as well as a transistor frequency multiplying circuit having a third transistor and a fourth transistor. In the design, the gate of the first transistor is connected to the drain of the second transistor, and the gate of the second transistor is connected to the drain of the first transistor. Then, the source of the third transistor is connected to the source of the first transistor, and the source of the fourth transistor is connected to the source of the second transistor. Last, the gate of the third transistor is connected to the gate of the fourth transistor, and the drain of the third transistor is connected to the drain of the fourth transistor. Therefore, the parasitic capacitance present in the first transistor and the parasitic capacitance present in the second transistor generate an effect similar to two capacitors connected in series, via the transistor frequency multiplying circuit. The effect reduces the total capacitance of the voltage-controlled oscillator, to increase the working frequency of the voltage-controlled circuit and allow a circuit having the voltage-controlled circuit to operate at a high frequency.
US07671686B2
A low-noise amplifier circuit to convert a single-ended input into a dual-ended output includes an input transconductance stage circuit, including a first MOS transistor coupled in parallel with a second MOS transistor; a current buffer circuit, including a third MOS transistor coupled in parallel with a fourth MOS transistor; each of the first, second, third, and fourth transistors having a body, gate, source, and drain; the input transconductance stage circuit and the current buffer circuit being cascode coupled, forming a cascode amplifier configuration; the single-ended input being at the source of one of the first and second transistors in the input transconductance stage circuit; the dual-ended output being a differential output across the drain of the third transistor and the drain of the fourth transistor; the first and second transistors of the input transconductance stage circuit being cross-coupled, wherein the body of the first transistor is coupled to the source of the second transistor, and the body of the second transistor is coupled to the source of the first transistor; and the third and fourth transistors of the current buffer circuit being cross-coupled, wherein a first capacitance is coupled between the gate of the third transistor and the source of the fourth transistor, and a second capacitance is coupled between the gate of the fourth transistor and the source of the third transistor.
US07671676B2
A continuous time common mode feedback module is capable of operating in a wide range of input voltages. The common mode feedback module includes a common mode detector and an amplifier for computing and amplifying the difference of a reference voltage and a common mode voltage of a first input signal and a second input signal. The common-mode feedback module includes a common mode resolver and a control voltage generating module coupled to each other to provide a common mode feedback voltage. The common mode feedback module provides a good linearity and a wide bandwidth, without compensation requirements. The common mode feedback module also provides small process corner dependence of bias current and a common mode offset.
US07671674B2
The present invention relates to an amplifier circuit and system, and to a method of compensating a gain imbalance generated in a complementary amplifier stage with first and second amplifier means (22, 24) in a bridge configuration. A compensation offset current is generated in response to the values of input signals supplied to respective inputs of said first and second amplifier means, and the compensation offset current is injected to a junction node between the inputs of the first and second amplifier means (22, 24). Thereby, it can be ensured that the gain of the first and second amplifier means does not depend on the kind of input signals, i.e. balanced or unbalanced input signals. An automatic gain correction can thus be achieved and the requirement of additional control signals or control terminals for selection of gain control circuits depending on the kind of input source or input configuration of the amplifier circuit can be dropped.
US07671669B2
A device and a method for reducing input noise providing at least a microcontroller. The microcontroller comprises: at least a noise reduction device, at least an analog switch and at least a signal output unit. The noise reduction device connected to the ground or a voltage is turned on to charge or discharge a stray capacitor existing on a turned off analog switch so that the amount of charge stored in the stray capacitor is zero or a specific value. Thereby, the noise in a touch switch is reduced and the cost of layout on the PCB is saved.
US07671661B2
Provided are an IC and a method for automatically tuning process and temperature variations. The IC includes: a test circuit unit including test circuit elements having identical element values and variations to a tuning-targeted circuit element and at least one reference circuit element having a smaller variation than the tuning-targeted circuit element; a comparator that obtains a difference between intensities of first and second signals detected from the test circuit unit; and a tuning unit that tunes the variation of the tuning-targeted circuit element according to the difference between the intensities of the first and second signals. Thus, process and temperature variations of a circuit element can be detected and accurately tuned with respect to the circuit element itself. Also, the process and temperature variations can be tuned inside an IC. Thus, the time required for tuning the process and temperature variations can be reduced.
US07671658B2
A mixer which has an enhanced frequency selection characteristic and generates no pass loss is realized without using an operation control signal having a frequency higher than a sampling frequency. Provided are a time control section 102 for supplying control signals, a first switched capacitor circuit 100 for outputting a discrete time sample stream of the input signal 107 in accordance with integration operation control signals Lo1 and Lo2, and a second switched capacitor circuit 104 functioning as a high-order IIR filter by sharing a charge, and a frequency of each of the integration operation control signals Lo1 and Lo2 is higher than frequencies of other control signals.
US07671656B2
A level shifter in which short circuit current and the increase in delay are reduced when a first power source is controlled. In a level shifter for converting a signal level of a first logic circuit to which a first power source is supplied into a signal level of a second logic circuit to which a second power source is supplied, the circuit includes a switching circuit between a GND power source terminal of a level shift core circuit and a GND power source. The switching circuit is controlled by a third logic circuit which generates a control signal under control of the first power source, and a pull-up/pull-down circuit at an output of the level shift core circuit. The pull-up and/or pull-down circuit is controlled by the third logic circuit.
US07671655B2
A level conversion circuit includes a high-potential-side level conversion unit which is connected between a first high-voltage power supply and a first low-voltage power supply, and converts a high-potential-side voltage of an input signal, a low-potential-side level conversion unit which is connected between a second high-voltage power supply with a lower voltage than the first high-voltage power supply and a second low-voltage power supply with a lower voltage than the first low-voltage power supply, and converts a low-potential-side voltage of the input signal, and an output unit to which an output of the high-potential-side level conversion unit and an output of the low-potential-side level conversion unit are input, and which outputs a voltage level of the first high-voltage power supply and a voltage level of the second low-voltage power supply.
US07671652B2
A logic circuit is provided with a first differential transistor pair (Q1, Q2) operable in response to a data signal input thereto; a current source for supplying a current to the first differential transistor pair (Q1, Q2); a first transistor (Q5) connected between a common emitter of the first differential transistor pair (Q1, Q2) and the current source, and operable in response to a clock signal input thereto; and a first potential stabilizing circuit (30a) connected to a first junction between the common emitter of the first differential transistor pair (Q1, Q2) and a collector of the first transistor (Q5), for stabilizing a potential at said first junction.
US07671651B2
A duty cycle correction circuit and a delay locked loop (DLL) including the duty cycle correction circuit, are capable of controlling their operation in order to correctly analyze the cause of generation of a duty cycle error when the duty cycle error is generated in the DLL. The duty cycle correction circuit selectively outputs to a DLL core duty cycle offset information for controlling a duty cycle of an internal clock signal synchronized to an external clock signal under the control of a switching control signal. The DLL corrects the duty cycle of a reference clock signal according to the duty cycle offset information, thereby outputting a reference clock signal having a 50% duty cycle.
US07671648B2
A clock generator having a delay locked loop and a delay control circuit. The delay locked loop receives an input clock signal and adjusts an adjustable delay circuit to generate an output clock signal that is synchronized with received input clock signal. The delay control circuit coupled to the delay locked loop generates a control signal to initialize the delay measure operation to adjust the adjustable delay circuit, after comparing the phase difference of the input clock signal and the output clock signal. The delay control circuit further generates a start measure control signal to start measuring a delay applied to the measurement signal propagating through the adjustable delay circuit, and generates a stop measure control signal to stop the delay measurement of the measurement signal. The delay adjustment of the delay locked loop is then adjusted to apply the delay measurement when synchronizing the input and output clock signals.
US07671643B2
A power-on-reset (POR) circuit having a zero or substantially zero current state while the supply voltage is in a predetermined, valid range is disclosed. The POR circuit includes a state machine, an oscillator, and output circuitry that are electrically coupled to one another and to a supply voltage. Output from the output circuitry is also provided to the integrated circuit to which the POR circuit is coupled. The state machine includes a plurality of sequential circuits such as latches, flip-flops, and the like that are electrically coupled in a cascade, to provide a ripple counter. The output circuitry is structured and arranged to reset or initialize all of the logic elements on the chip by generating a POR output logic HI (1) signal by Boolean operation of the logic circuitry signal of the state machine for all Boolean states except one. The oscillator is disabled when the POR output logic signal is LO (0), which causes the POR circuit to enter a zero or substantially zero current state.
US07671640B2
A direct injection-locked frequency divider circuit with inductive-coupling feedback architecture is proposed, which is designed for integration to a high-frequency circuit system with a high operating frequency such as 24 GHz (gigahertz), for providing a frequency-dividing function. The proposed frequency divider circuit comprises an injection-locked oscillator (ILO) circuit module and a pair of buffer-stage circuits, wherein the ILO circuit module further includes a signal-injection circuit, a cross-coupled switching circuit, and a variable-capacitance tuning circuit. The proposed circuit architecture is characterized by the circuit arrangement of a direct-injection architecture and an inductive-coupling feedback architecture by coupling the inductive elements of the buffer-stage circuits to the inductive elements of the variable-capacitance tuning circuit in the ILO circuit module. These features allow the proposed frequency divider circuit to have higher operating frequency with wider frequency locking range, low power consumption, and small integrated circuit layout area.
US07671637B2
The invention relates to current switches using a differential pair of transistors and being able to operate under a low supply voltage Vcc. According to the invention, provision is made for the current switch to include two differential pairs of two transistors each (T1, T1b; T2, T2b), cascaded together, the second pair (T2, T2b) having complementary current outputs (H, Hb) that flip according to the states of the inputs (E, Eb). The first pair (T1, T1b) is connected to a ground (GND) through a current source, supplying a current of value Io and comprising a transistor (Ts1) biased by a voltage Vbias, and it is supplied by a voltage equal to N·Vbe+Vbias, where N is a whole number (preferably equal to 1) and Vbe is the base-emitter voltage of the transistor (Ts1). The second pair (T2, T2b) is connected to ground directly through a resistance (R2). The invention can be applied to the on-off control of sample-and-hold circuits, multiplexers, fast low-voltage logic circuits, etc.
US07671631B2
A low voltage differential signal receiving device includes two differential receivers, two oversamplers, a phase locked loop, and a clock edge and data boundary detection & data extraction logic module. Clock and data signals are transmitted via channels having the same circuit layout, so that the clock signal is treated as another type of data signal. A frequency of sampling input clock and data is increased via asynchronous clock, clock transition is detected, and data bytes are extracted from clock and data samples. Therefore, the clock signal and the data signal have the same delay time to avoid any sampling error due to a difference in time sequence between the clock and the data. Meanwhile, due to the accurately increased sampling frequency, the sampled clock and the data signals are not adversely affected by different factors to enable upgraded data transmission efficiency and quality at the same time.
US07671623B2
A device is provided for managing the current consumption peak on each powering-up of a domain in an electronic circuit. A plurality of domains are present and a global power supply grid provides power. Each domain is selectively supplied by a local supply grid connected to the global supply grid via a plurality of commanded switch transistors. A pre-charge transistor is used to pre-charge a domain at powering-up. A command circuit controls operation of the switch transistors through an analog command signal whose slew rate is controlled to ensure that switch transistor conduction is delayed to enable the pre-charge circuit to charge the domain to a sufficient degree that activation of the switch transistor will not draw excessive current. A detection circuit is configured to compare the instant value of the supply voltage with a fixed reference supply voltage and/or to compare, with the value of a fixed command voltage, the instant value of the differential voltage between the global supply voltage and the command voltage.
US07671618B2
An integrated circuit (IC) comprises a plurality of analog stages (10a-c), each of the analog stages being conductively coupled to a power supply (20; 20a-c), and being conductively coupled to each other by a signal path (12); and a test arrangement for testing the plurality of analog stages, the test arrangement comprising input means such as an analog bus (40) coupled to a signal path input of each analog stage from the plurality of analog stages, output means such as a further analog bus (50) for communicating a test result to an output of the integrated circuit, switching means such as a plurality of switches (36) in the biasing infrastructure of the IC for selectively disabling an analog stage, and control means such a shift register (60) for controlling the switching means. Consequently, the analog stages of the IC can be tested and debugged in isolation without the need for switches in the signal path through the cores. A current sensor (70) may be present in the power supply to facilitate structural testing of the analog stages in isolation.
US07671606B2
A technique is disclosed for determining capacitive, inductive, and resistive components of power line impedance via a portable line impedance measurement system. The measurement system includes a circuit that switches a burden resistor between power line conductors to cause a droop in a voltage waveform. The voltage waveform is sampled prior to inclusion of the resistor in the circuit, as well as after to identify the droop. The short circuit between the power lines is then removed by opening the circuit and a first effective capacitance in the test circuitry causes a resonant ring due to the inductive component of the power line impedance. The process is repeated a second time with a second effective load capacitance enabled in the test circuitry to cause a second resonant ring. Based upon the frequency of the rings and the voltage measurements, the individual impedance components of power line impedance can be computed.
US07671596B2
A detector for locating metallic objects includes a transmit coil (116, 216) and at least two receive coils (112, 114; 212, 214), which are inductively coupled to one another; the at least two receive coils (112, 114; 212, 214) are located coaxial to one another in a plane (126, 226), and the transmit coil (116, 216) is located in a parallel plane with a height offset. Additional compensating windings (130, 132; 230, 232) of at least one of the receive coils (112, 114; 212, 214) are formed adjacent to a transmit coil (116, 216).
US07671586B2
An inspection system positions a balancing shim to asymmetrically balance a magnetic field generated by an inductive sensor, which forms part of the inspection system. Additionally, relays and capacitors used to tune the inductive sensor to a desired resonance frequency are geometrically arranged to minimize electrical interference generated by operation of the relays and capacitors. A shielding device, which may be formed on a printed circuit board, protects a magnetic field generated by the inductive sensor from external electromagnetic interference. A slot positioned in the inductive sensor may be used to tune a resonant mode of the inductive sensor to accurately and particularly detect metallic shanks and/or other metallic objects in shoes, socks, and/or clothing.
US07671583B2
A sensor element for a revolution counter includes a laminated structure suitable to cause a change in magnetisation in the sensor element without a power supply, simply by the displacement of a magnetic field past the sensor element. Moreover, the laminated structure is suitable for storing a plurality of such changes. The sensor element has a spiral structure.
US07671581B2
A magnetic pulse generator for measuring wheel revolutions of bicycles includes a magnet and an attachment device for attaching the magnet to a component (or spoke) of a wheel. Damage to the component to which attachment is to take place is to be prevented, and the installation expenditure during attachment is to be reduced. Furthermore, the magnetic pulse generator known from practical application is to be improved in that it is applicable to components of various geometric shapes, in particular to round components of various diameters and to flat components spokes of various widths. This object is met with an attachment device that includes a housing that encompasses the component, and that is formed as a longitudinally slit tubular piece. Ends of the housing forming the longitudinal slit can be connected to each other in a positive-locking and/or non-positive manner, and a spacing (A) therebetween is variable.
US07671575B1
A circuit for improving transient response for a load coupled to a voltage regulator by employing both load current level information and the regulator's output voltage to control a loop that provides relatively faster and accurate regulation of the regulator's output voltage. The circuit includes an error amplifier that is coupled to a reference voltage and feedback resistors connected to the regulator's output voltage. This error amplifier outputs a compensation signal that is subsequently summed at a summing point with additional information regarding the amount of current flowing through the load. Then, this summed compensation signal is subsequently employed by a pulse width modulation (PWM) comparator and other components to regulate the regulator's output voltage with improved speed and accuracy. The circuit can be arranged in different topologies, including buck, boost, and buck/boost.
US07671572B2
A voltage boost circuit and a method of boosting voltage using a voltage boost clock signal with varying frequency, in which the voltage boost circuit includes a boost voltage generator that responds to a voltage boost clock signal in order to boost an input voltage and outputs the boosted input voltage as an output boost voltage; and a boost voltage frequency control unit that responds to the result obtained by comparing a level of the output boost voltage and a level of a target boost voltage so as to change the boost voltage frequency of the voltage boost clock signal and outputs the voltage boost clock signal having the changed boost voltage frequency. The voltage boost circuit and the voltage boosting method can prevent a waste of the operating current during the boosting of the voltage.
US07671571B2
A method includes receiving an activation signal at a semiconductor device and generating an output power signal at the semiconductor device in response to receiving the activation signal. The output power signal has a duty cycle. The method also includes providing the output power signal to a load. The output power signal provides power to the load. An amount of power provided to the load is based on the duty cycle of the output power signal. In addition, the method includes adjusting the duty cycle of the output power signal using at least one of a current limiter and a power limiter integrated in the semiconductor device.
US07671566B2
A method for predicting remaining capacity of a battery includes: (a) determining an initial battery capacity; (b) measuring a second voltage; (c) calculating a maximum possible battery voltage and a minimum possible battery voltage according to the second voltage, a maximum possible battery current and a minimum possible battery current, and an internal resistance; (d) calculating a maximum possible battery remaining capacity and a minimum possible battery remaining capacity according to the maximum possible battery voltage, the minimum possible battery voltage, and the voltage-remaining capacity table; (e) comparing the maximum possible battery current with the minimum possible battery current; and (f) calculating a remaining capacity of the battery according to a comparison result in step (e), the maximum possible battery remaining capacity, and the minimum possible battery remaining capacity.
US07671560B2
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for performing a test on a rechargeable battery to indirectly determine a state of protection circuitry associated with the battery. The method may discharge the battery by controlling a pull-down current into a system, determine if the battery voltage falls below a first threshold level within a predetermined amount of time, and if so provide a pre-charge current to the battery.
US07671551B2
The invention teaches a brushless DC motor, comprising a brushless DC motor unit and a controller unit, wherein the brushless DC motor unit comprises a stator assembly, a permanent magnet rotor assembly magnetically coupled with the stator assembly, an enclosure supporting the installation of stator assembly and the permanent magnet rotator assembly, an end shield installed at the end of the enclosure, the rotating shaft of the permanent magnet rotor assembly projecting out of the end shield; the controller unit comprises an integrated power module, a microprocessor unit, a rotor position sensing circuit, a power source circuit, an I/O interface circuit, a current-sensing circuit, and a controller box; and the controller unit is electrically connected to the brushless DC motor unit. The brushless DC motor of the invention has an ideal control circuit with a plurality of control units serving to control the motor operation characteristics stored in the microprocessor unit so that the brushless DC motor is broadly universal and can be operated under a plurality of control modes.
US07671549B2
An AC motor speed controller includes a plurality of capacitors that may be selectively switched, by means of controllably conductive switches, into series electrical connection with an AC motor and an AC voltage source to control the speed of the motor. To change the speed of the motor, a control circuit renders a first switch conductive, in response to a first detected AC voltage zero crossing, to charge a first capacitor to a predetermined voltage. The control circuit then renders a second switch conductive, in response to a subsequent second detected AC voltage zero crossing, to charge a second capacitor to the predetermined voltage. The control circuit then renders both switches simultaneously conductive at a predetermined time after a subsequent third detected AC voltage zero crossing. The capacitors will thereby be charged to the same voltage prior to being switched into series with the motor, thereby resulting in reduced acoustic noise when changing motor speeds.
US07671547B2
A control system for determining a line pull of a winch. The system comprises a first sensor configured to measure a torque generated by the winch to retract a cable and a second sensor configured to measure a number of layers of the cable retracted by the winch, wherein a layer of the cable is formed by a single wrap of the cable onto a container. The system further comprises a monitoring circuit coupled to the first and second sensors, wherein the monitoring circuit is configured to determine the line pull of the winch based on the torque generated by the winch and the number of layers of cable retracted onto the container.
US07671543B2
The invention provides a light exposure apparatus containing a light exposure control device for curing light sensitive adhesives. The light exposure apparatus includes a) a light source; b) a light transmitter for transmitting light from the light source; and c) a light intensity controlling component between the light source and the light transmitter. The light intensity controlling component includes a light regulator having a planar face between the light source and the light transmitter. The light regulator has opaque members having a continuously tapered width, on the face of the light regulator. Each planar member is spaced from adjacent planar members by a light transparent segment having a tapered width, on the face of the light regulator. The light regulator is mounted such that a portion of the opaque members and portion of the substantially light transparent segments are adjustably positioned between the light source and the light transmitter.
US07671534B2
When a long illuminant module is constructed, debonding of a bonded interface or bending occurs due to a difference in a magnitude of thermal deformation between a lens material and a metal substrate. In an illuminant module including light emitting elements, a substrate on which the light emitting elements are mounted, a transparent encapsulating resin which encapsulates the light emitting elements, and a lens material having cavities formed therein, in which the respective light emitting elements and transparent encapsulating resin are stored, notches are formed in a surface of the lens material on the side of the substrate, and the notch surfaces of the notches and the surface of the substrate are bonded using a bonding material.
US07671530B2
Provided are an organic electroluminescence display device and method of fabricating the same. An organic electroluminescence display device according to the present invention includes a first substrate; a plurality of data lines arranged in a first direction on the first substrate; a plurality of gate lines arranged in a second direction on the first substrate; a plurality of pixel regions defined by the gate lines and the data lines, wherein a first pixel line is defined as a line of the pixel regions arranged in the first direction and a second pixel line is defined as a line of the pixel regions arranged in the second direction; a thin film transistor in each pixel region; a plurality of first connecting lines electrically connecting the thin film transistors of the first pixel lines with each other; and a second connecting line electrically connecting the thin film transistor of at least one of the second pixel lines.
US07671528B2
A display apparatus includes a substrate; a plurality of pixels arranged above the substrate, each including a plurality of sub-pixels emitting light of different colors; a circularly polarizing member disposed above the pixels, the transmittance of light of a selected color through the circularly polarizing member being higher than that of light of the other colors therethrough; and a light-absorbing member disposed only above the sub-pixels, emitting light of the non-selected colors. The light-absorbing member absorbs light of the selected color.
US07671524B2
A flat light source having a main region and an edge region around the main region is provided. The flat light source includes a first substrate, first electrodes, dielectric patterns, a phosphor layer, first phosphor patterns, a second substrate, and a sealant. The first electrodes are disposed on the first substrate and arranged within the main region and the edge region. The dielectric patterns cover the first electrodes. The phosphor layer is disposed between the dielectric patterns in the main region and the edge region. The first phosphor patterns are disposed on the phosphor layer within the edge region. The second substrate is disposed above the first substrate, and the sealant is formed out of the edge region between the first and second substrates so as to bond the two substrates.
US07671517B2
A piezoelectric electroacoustic transducer includes a substantially rectangular piezoelectric diaphragm, a case having supports to support the four corners of the bottom surface of the piezoelectric diaphragm, terminals fixed to the case, each including an inner connection portion exposed near the supports, a first elastic adhesive disposed between the periphery of the piezoelectric diaphragm and the terminals, a conductive adhesive disposed between electrodes of the piezoelectric diaphragm and the terminals across the top surface of the first elastic adhesive, a second elastic adhesive filling and sealing a gap between the periphery of the piezoelectric diaphragm and an inner portion of the case, and an overamplitude-preventing receiver provided on a bottom wall of the case to limit the amplitude of vibration of the piezoelectric diaphragm to a predetermined range. The overamplitude-preventing receiver is disposed closer to the center of the piezoelectric diaphragm than the supports.
US07671516B2
An ultrasonic actuator includes: a piezoelectric element 10 for generating various kinds of vibrations having different vibration directions; a driver element provided on the piezoelectric element 10 and actuated in accordance with the vibration of the piezoelectric element 10 to output driving force toward a certain driving direction; feeding electrodes 8 provided on the piezoelectric element 10 and electrically connected to the piezoelectric element 10; and feeding-supporting parts 6A, 6B, 7A, 7B and 9A abutting the feeding electrodes to elastically support the actuator body and serving as feeding terminals for supplying a voltage to the feeding electrodes 8.
US07671511B2
This invention relates to a system for exciting oscillations of micromechanical cantilever sensors and for measuring and evaluating the corresponding oscillations. Such sensors can e.g. be used to detect chemical substances, biomolecules, microorganisms or viruses, or to analyze surface-related phenomena and processes such as conformational changes or phase transitions in thin layers, or to measure physical properties of their surrounding, such as viscoelastic properties of liquids. In the so-called dynamic operation mode, cantilever oscillations are excited and the frequency shift of the ground frequency and/or of one or some higher harmonics, occurring because of a process taking place at the cantilever surface, are measured. In the so-called static mode, the deflection of the cantilever is determined. The setup described in this invention allows measurements in gases as well as liquids. It is characterized by an efficient transfer of the oscillation from a piezoelectric driver element to the cantilever over a wide frequency range. This is achieved through a sophisticated combination of a solid support structure, oscillation driver and insulators.
US07671508B2
According to the present invention, an alternator includes a rotor, a stator, and at least one cooling fan. The rotor includes a rotary shaft, a field core, and a field coil. The field coil has first and second ends that are opposite to each other in an axial direction of the rotary shaft. The stator includes an armature core and an armature coil. The armature core has first and second ends that are opposite to each other in the axial direction. The first end of the armature core is closer to the first end than the second end of the field coil. An axial distance between the first and second ends of the field coil is less than that between the first and second ends of the armature core. The first end of the field coil protrudes outward from the first end of the armature core in the axial direction.
US07671504B2
An electric motor is disclosed with an air-cored winding which is composed of a plurality of single coils made of wire, wherein the single coils overlap each other in an imbricated manner and the single coils are preformed to form an offset at least in the region of two opposite corners, so that half of the legs are located in a first plane and half of the legs are located in a second plane. A more inexpensive and more robust assembly of air-cored windings for electric motors can thereby be achieved.
US07671493B2
A vibration assembly includes a container, a vibration member containing a hollow portion with a bottom, at least two support members, a magnetic body, a coil having a spool axis, and a diaphragm that is attached to the container. Each of the support members has a flat and corrugated configuration. An end of the one of the support members is bonded to a portion of an edge portion of the hollow portion of the vibration member. The other end of the one of the support members is fixed to a portion of an upper edge of the container. An end of the other support member is bonded to the other portion of the edge portion of the hollow portion of the vibration member. The other end of the other support member is fixed to the other portion of the upper edge of the container.
US07671479B2
A small portable power pack includes a fuel/air supply for mixing fuel, which is supplied from outside, with outside air, thereby providing mixed gas; a uniflow scavenging micro-engine for receiving mixed gas from the fuel/air supply and igniting mixed gas to explode; a control panel for operating and controlling the uniflow scavenging micro-engine; a capacitor battery for powering the control panel and the uniflow scavenging micro-engine. The portable power pack is easily carried and used without the restriction of spaces and sites.
US07671475B2
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory includes a cell unit having a select gate transistor and a memory cell connected in series, a select gate line connected to the select gate transistor, and a word line connected to the memory cell. One end of the word line is bent to the select gate line side, and a fringe is connected between a bent point and a distal end of the word line.
US07671467B2
A power semiconductor module having an integral circuit board with a metal substrate electrode, an insulation substrate and a heat sink joined is disclosed. A SiC semiconductor power device is joined to a top of the metal substrate electrode of the circuit board. A difference in average coefficients of thermal expansion between constituent materials of the circuit board in a temperature range from room to joining time temperatures is 2.0 ppm/° C. or less, and a difference in expansion, produced by a difference between a lowest operating temperature and a joining temperature, of the circuit-board constituent materials is 2,000 ppm or less.
US07671461B2
A system for hermetically sealing devices. The system includes a substrate, which includes a plurality of individual chips. Each of the chips includes a plurality of devices and each of the chips are arranged in a spatial manner as a first array. The system also includes a transparent member of a predetermined thickness, which includes a plurality of recessed regions arranged in a spatial manner as a second array and each of the recessed regions are bordered by a standoff region. The substrate and the transparent member are aligned in a manner to couple each of the plurality of recessed regions to a respective one of said plurality of chips. Each of the chips within one of the respective recessed regions is hermetically sealed by contacting the standoff region of the transparent member to the plurality of first street regions and second street regions using at least a bonding process to isolate each of the chips within one of the recessed regions.
US07671458B2
A connector includes a fitting hole into which a signal line is fitted, a tapered portion formed to lead a tip portion of the signal line to the fitting hole, and a bonded portion for bonding the connector to a control substrate. The tapered portion has a tapered shape on a side where the signal line is inserted. The tapered shape is tilted from a peripheral portion of the tapered portion to the fitting hole in a direction along which the signal line is inserted, with the fitting hole set as a center.
US07671452B1
A microarray package includes a leadframe having an array of contact posts, a die carried by the lead frame, and a plurality of bonding wires that electrically connect the die to the lead frame. An encapsulant is included that encapsulates the die, the bonding wire and the leadframe while leaving the distal ends of the contact posts exposed and substantially co-planar with a bottom surface of the microarray package. A plurality of pedestal members is plated to the distal end of a respective contact pad. A distal surface of each pedestal member protrudes outwardly beyond the bottom surface of the microarray package in the range of about 15 μm to about 35 μm.
US07671450B2
An integrated circuit package having a multi-segment transmission line transformer for impedance matching a packaged integrated circuit, such as a driver or receiver, to a printed circuit board (PCB) transmission line to which the packaged chip is attached by, for example, solder balls. In one exemplary embodiment, a three-segment transmission line transformer provides improved broadband performance with the advantage of having a middle segment with a flexible length for easier routing. The length of each end segment of the three-segment transformer is adjusted to provide at least partial cancellation of reflections between the PCB and the transformer, and between the transformer and a circuit on the integrated circuit, respectively. Further, the inductive reactance of the solder balls and via wiring may be cancelled out by the transformed chip impedance to provide a non-inductive termination to the PCB transmission line at approximately one-half the highest data rate of the channel.
US07671449B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates high-bandwidth communication using a flexible bridge. This system includes a chip with an active face upon which active circuitry and signal pads reside, and a second component with a surface upon which active circuitry and/or signal pads reside. A flexible bridge provides high-bandwidth communication between the active face of the chip and the surface of the second component. This flexible bridge provides a flexible connection that allows the chip to be moved with six degrees of freedom relative to the second component without affecting communication between the chip and the second component. Hence, the flexible bridge allows the chip and the second component to communicate without requiring precise alignment between the chip and the second component.
US07671445B2
The present invention provides a system for dissipating any aberrant charge that may accumulate during the fabrication of a semiconductor device segment (200), obviating overstress or break down damage to a focal device structure (208) that might result from uncontrolled dissipation of the aberrant charge. A substrate (202) has first and second intermediate structures (204, 206) disposed atop the substrate, with the focal structure disposed atop the substrate therebetween. A first conductive structure (210) is disposed atop the second intermediate structure, the focal structure, and a portion of the first intermediate structure. A third intermediate structure (214) is disposed contiguously atop the first conductive structure and the first intermediate layer. A void (216) is formed in a peripheral region (218) of device segment, through the first and third intermediate layers down to the substrate. A second conductive structure (220) is disposed atop the third intermediate structure such that it couples the substrate through the void.
US07671442B2
Air-gap insulated interconnection structures and methods of fabricating the structures, the methods including: forming a dielectric layer on a substrate; forming a capping layer on a top surface of the dielectric layer; forming a trench through the capping layer, the trench extending toward said substrate and into but not through, the dielectric layer; forming a sacrificial layer on opposing sidewalls of the trench; filling the trench with a electrical conductor; and removing a portion of the sacrificial layer from between the electrical conductor and the dielectric layer to form air-gaps.
US07671441B2
A semiconductor power device includes a semiconductor body with a plurality of gate trenches formed therein. Disposed within each gate trench is a spacer gate that extends along at least a portion of the sidewalls of the gate trench but not along at least a portion of the bottom surface of the trench. The spacer gate of each gate trench may also include a layer of silicide along outer surfaces thereof. The semiconductor body may include a channel region and each gate trench may extend through the channel region and into the semiconductor body. Formed at the bottom of each gate trench within the semiconductor body may be a tip implant of the same conductivity as the semiconductor body. In addition, a deep body implant of the same conductivity as the channel region may be formed at the base of the channel region.
US07671440B2
A field-effect transistor having cells (18) each having a source region (22), source body region (26), drift region (20), drain body region (28) and drain region (24) arranged longitudinally, laterally alternating with structures to achieve a reduced surface field. In embodiments, the structures can include longitudinally spaced insulated gate trenches (35) defining a gate region (31) adjacent the source or drain region (22, 24) and a longitudinally extending potential plate region (33) adjacent the drift region (20). Alternatively, a separate potential plate region (33) or a longitudinally extending semi-insulating field plate (50) may be provided adjacent the drift region (20). The transistor is suitable for bi-directional switching.
US07671432B2
A dynamic quantity sensor includes a sensor chip having a movable portion at one surface side thereof and a silicon layer at another surface side thereof. The movable portion is displaced under application of a dynamic quantity. The silicon layer is separated from the movable portion through an insulator. The dynamic quantity sensor also includes a circuit chip for transmitting/receiving electrical signals to/from the sensor chip. The circuit chip is disposed to confront the one surface of the sensor chip through a gap portion and cover the movable portion. The sensor chip and the circuit chip are bonded to each other around the gap portion so that a bonding portion is formed to substantially surround the gap portion and thereby seal the gap portion.
US07671425B2
In a semiconductor device, pining regions 105 are disposed along the junction portion of a drain region 102 and a channel forming region 106 locally in a channel width direction. With this structure, because the spread of a depletion layer from a drain side is restrained by the pining regions 105, a short-channel effect can be restrained effectively. Also, because a passage through which carriers move is ensured, high mobility can be maintained.
US07671424B2
A metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor includes a semiconductor substrate; a well region containing an impurity of a first conductivity type disposed on the semiconductor substrate, the well region including a source region and a drain region formed by adding an impurity of a second conductivity type, the source region and the drain region being separated from each other by a predetermined gap; an insulating film disposed on the surface of the well region in the gap between the source region and the drain region; and a gate electrode disposed on the insulating film. The well region is composed of an epitaxial layer, and the epitaxial layer includes an impurity layer of the first conductivity type having a different impurity concentration.
US07671404B2
A non-volatile semiconductor memory device with good write/erase characteristics is provided. A selection gate is formed on a p-type well of a semiconductor substrate via a gate insulator, and a memory gate is formed on the p-type well via a laminated film composed of a silicon oxide film, a silicon nitride film, and a silicon oxide film. The memory gate is adjacent to the selection gate via the laminated film. In the regions on both sides of the selection gate and the memory gate in the p-type well, n-type impurity diffusion layers serving as the source and drain are formed. The region controlled by the selection gate and the region controlled by the memory gate located in the channel region between said impurity diffusion layers have the different charge densities of the impurity from each other.
US07671397B2
There is disclosed a switching element including a first input/output electrode, a movable portion which repeats contact/non-contact with respect to the first input/output electrode, a second input/output electrode connected with the movable portion, a floating gate electrode which is coupled with the movable portion through an insulating layer and in which electric charge is stored, and a first gate electrode which generates an electrostatic force between itself and the floating gate electrode to control an operation of the movable portion.
US07671392B2
A photoreceiver cell with separation of color components of light incident to its surface, formed in a silicon substrate of the conductivity of the first type with an ohmic contact and comprising: the first, second and third regions, which have mutual positioning and configuration, which provide formation of the first and the second channels for diffusion of the secondary charge carriers generated in the substrate regions located under the first and the second potential barriers to the first and the third p-n junctions respectively; in this case, the length of the channels does not exceed the diffusion length of the secondary charge carriers. Some embodiments provide increased spatial resolution of the projected image and its dynamic range. Some embodiments provide small photo-cell area. Some embodiments are used in multielement photoreceivers for video cameras and digital cameras.
US07671386B2
The solid-state imaging device of the present invention includes: a floating diffusion capacity unit which is formed on a semiconductor substrate, and is operable to hold signal charges derived from incident light; an amplifier which is operable to convert the signal charges held in the floating diffusion capacity unit into a voltage; the first wire which connects the floating diffusion capacity unit to an input of the amplifier; and a second wire which is made of the same material as the first wire, formed in the same layer as the first wire, arranged around the first wire at least along long sides of the first wire, and electrically insulated from the first wire.
US07671373B2
An LED chip package structure using a ceramic material as a substrate includes a ceramic substrate, a conductive unit, a hollow ceramic casing, a plurality of LED chips, and a package colloid. The ceramic substrate has a main body, and a plurality of protrusions extended from three faces of the main body. The conductive unit has a plurality of conductive layers formed on the protrusions, respectively. The hollow casing is fixed on a top face of the main body to form a receiving space for exposing a top face of each conductive layer. The LED chips are received in the receiving space, and each LED chip has a positive electrode side and a negative electrode side respectively and electrically connected to different conductive layers. In addition, the packaging colloid is filled into the receiving space for covering the LED chips.
US07671370B2
Improvement in characteristics of a SELAX-TFT and throughput of ELA crystallization is achieved. When a thin film transistor using pseudo single crystal semiconductor and a thin film transistor using particulate polysilicon semiconductor are formed on a single substrate, the film thickness of an amorphous semiconductor film before crystallization in the pseudo single crystal semiconductor portion is greater than that in the polysilicon semiconductor portion.
US07671362B2
A test structure for integrated circuit (IC) device fabrication includes a plurality of test structure chains formed at various regions of an IC wafer, each of the plurality of test structure chains including one or more vias; each of the one or more vias in contact with a conductive line disposed thereabove, the conductive line being configured such that at least one dimension thereof varies from chain to chain so as to produce variations in seed layer and liner layer thickness from chain to chain for the same deposition process conditions.
US07671361B2
Provided are a semiconductor device including a fuse focus detector, a fabrication method thereof and a laser repair method. In a chip region, fuses may be formed at a first level. A fuse focus detector including first and second conductive layers may be formed in a scribe line region. The first conductive layer may be formed at the first level, while the second conductive layer may be formed at a different level. For a laser repair method, a target region may be divided into sub-regions. In one selected sub-region, the fuse focus detector may be laser scanned in a direction for a reflection light measurement providing information on a thickness of the fuse focus detector. Using the thickness information, a focus offset value of a fuse in the selected sub-region may be calculated. When the focus offset value is within an allowable range, fuse cutting may be performed.
US07671346B2
A UV curing apparatus and method is provided for enhancing the distribution and application of UV light to UV photo initiators in a UV curable ink, coating or adhesive. The UV curing apparatus and method comprises UV LED assemblies in a first row with the UV LED assemblies spaced from adjacent UV LED assemblies. At least one second row of a plurality of UV LED assemblies are provided next to the first row but with the UV LED assemblies of the second row positioned adjacent the spaces between adjacent UV LED assemblies in the first row thereby to stagger the second row of UV LED assemblies from the UV LED assemblies in the first row. Desirably, the rows of staggered UV LED assemblies are mounted on a panel. UV curable products, articles or other objects containing UV photo initiators that are in or on a web can be conveyed or otherwise moved past the rows of UV LED assemblies for effective UV curing. This arrangement facilitates more uniformly application of UV light on the UV curable ink, coating and/or adhesives in the UV curable products, articles or other objects. The apparatus can include one or more of the following: rollers for moving the web, mechanisms for causing the panel to move in an orbital or reciprocal path, and an injection tube for injecting a non-oxygen gas in the area of UV light curing.
US07671335B2
An infrared detector includes a circuit block carrying an infrared sensor element and electronic components. The circuit block is composed of a dielectric resin layer and a first substrate formed with a circuit pattern and mounting the electronic components. The dielectric resin layer is formed in its top with a recess which defines around its periphery with a shoulder for supporting opposite ends of the infrared sensor. The first substrate is integrated to the lower end of the dielectric resin layer with at least one of the electronic components being molded into the dielectric resin layer to make the circuit block of a unified mold structure. Thus, a part or all of the electronic components are molded into the dielectric layer to realize the circuit block of a simple and low profile structure, while retaining an advantage of keeping the infrared sensor element sufficiently away from the electronic components and an associated electronic circuit, thereby assuring to give the infrared detector which is simple in construction, economical in cost, and reliable in the infrared detection.
US07671331B2
An imaging system comprises a plurality of imaging detectors acquiring imaging data indicative of a patient over a length of time. The plurality of imaging detectors are arranged proximate the patient and remain in a fixed position with respect to the patient. A processor receives the imaging data and divides the imaging data into sub-sets. The processor iteratively processes the sub-sets.
US07671324B2
An anti-tamper enclosure system comprises an optical medium; at least one photosensitive sensor configured to measure at least one characteristic of a light wave transmitted in the optical medium; at least one logic circuit coupled to the at least one photosensitive sensor, the at least one logic circuit configured to initiate security measures when the at least one characteristic of the light wave changes; an enclosure coupled to the optical medium and configured to enclose the optical medium, the at least one photosensitive sensor, and the at least one logic circuit; and a plurality of attachment posts configured to be coupled to a printed circuit board, wherein at least one of the plurality of attachment posts is also coupled to the optical medium.
US07671323B2
A semiconductor apparatus includes an optical waveguide provided within a semiconductor region and above an insulating layer, and a plurality of photodetectors provided at the optical waveguide. The plurality of photodetectors includes insulated-gate field-effect transistors. The photodetectors capture data at different timings.
US07671320B2
The semiconductor device includes a first photodiode, a second photodiode which is shielded from light, a first circuit group including a voltage follower circuit, a second circuit group, and a compensation circuit, in which an output from the first photodiode is inputted to the voltage follower circuit of the first circuit group, an output from the first circuit group is inputted to the compensation circuit, and an output from the second photodiode is inputted to the compensation circuit through the second circuit group. By adding or subtracting these inputs in the compensation circuit, an output fluctuation due to temperature of the first photodiode is removed. Note that a reference potential is supplied to the first photodiode so that an open circuit voltage is outputted, and a potential is supplied to the second photodiode so that a forward bias is applied to the second photodiode.
US07671319B2
An energy sensor comprises a radiation-sensitive detector, a circuit, and an analog-to-digital converter. The radiation-sensitive detector is arranged to receive a pulsed radiation beam and to generate a current in response thereto. The circuit is equivalent to an RC network and is electrically connected across the radiation-sensitive detector. The analog-to-digital converter is electrically connected across a resistive component of the circuit and is arranged to output digital samples measuring the voltage across the resistive component at a sampling rate that is greater than the pulse repetition rate of the pulsed radiation beam. The energy sensor may be provided as part of a transmission image sensor.
US07671314B2
In one aspect, an image sensor is provided which includes an array of unit active pixels. Each of the unit active pixels comprises a first active area including a plurality of photoelectric conversion regions, and a second active area separated from the first active area. The first active areas are arranged in rows and columns so as to define row and column extending spacings there between, and the second active areas are located at respective intersections of the row and column extending spacings defined between the first active areas.
US07671312B2
The present invention provides an optical pickup system including a first light source emitting a light flux with a first wavelength; a second light source emitting a light flux with a second wavelength; and a light-converging optical system converging the light flux with the first wavelength from the first light source with a first magnification onto a first reference surface set at a first depth, and converging the light flux with the second wavelength from the second light source with a second magnification onto a second reference surface set at a second depth. The first and second wavelengths, the first and second depths, and the first and second magnifications satisfy: a first condition according to an aberration and a second condition according to a working distance.
US07671301B2
A cooking appliance heating element shield apparatus and method are provided. The apparatus is adapted for use in an electric self-cleaning cooking appliance of the type having an oven cavity heated by a coil heating element of a heating element assembly. The apparatus includes an elongate main portion comprising a substantially planar surface and adapted for positioning between the oven cavity and a portion of the heating element to dissipate direct heat transmitted to the oven cavity from the heating element. The apparatus also includes at least one connection portion adapted for removably attaching the elongate main portion to the heating element assembly.
US07671299B2
A heating assembly used for providing heat to the hands of a person using equipment with handlebars. The heating assembly is installed internal to the handlebars and provides heat to the handlebar grips normally installed on equipment of this type. This system works with existing grips, i.e. special heated grip systems are not required. The current invention is thus usable with a wider variety of handlebar grip devices currently used on motorcycles, snowmobiles, snow blowers and other outdoor devices utilizing handlebars.
US07671298B2
A heating line pattern structure is provided, in which the effect of the heating lines of a defogger on an antenna for a TV broadcast especially for a digital TV broadcast may be decreased. The defogger is structured by arranging heating lines between bus bars on both sides. The portion of an uppermost heating line in proximity to the monopole antenna are folded rectangularly at a regular interval to form a meander shape. One lateral heating line is extended under the meander-shaped heating line portion, and is connected to a vertical heating line to which four lateral heating lines are connected together.
US07671295B2
A set (50) of laser pulses (52) is employed to sever a conductive link (22) in a memory or other IC chip. The duration of the set (50) is preferably shorter than 1,000 ns; and the pulse width of each laser pulse (52) within the set (50) is preferably within a range of about 0.1 ps to 30 ns. The set (50) can be treated as a single “pulse” by conventional laser positioning systems (62) to perform on-the-fly link removal without stopping whenever the laser system (60) fires a set (50) of laser pulses (52) at each link (22). Conventional IR wavelengths or their harmonics can be employed.
US07671292B2
Operating mechanism for medium and high voltage switchgear, in which a rotatable main shaft is coupled to a switch, and a rocker plate is rotatable with the main shaft, the main shaft being arranged to open and close said switch by tilting the rocker plate. The rocker plate constitutes a plurality of force transmission levers and comprises a plurality of zones distributed around the main shaft. A rotary actuator has force transmitting means for driving the rocker plate in a direction corresponding to closing of the switch, and an opening spring for driving the rocker plate in a direction corresponding to opening of the switch. Closed switch locking means are coupled to the rocker plate (4) and are disposed substantially in a common plane of the rocker plate.
US07671290B2
For a cell-phone or PDA, the rows of key-caps include respective light-strips, which pick up light from respective LEDs surface-mounted on the PCB. The light-strips are sandwiched between the key-caps and the key-switch actuators (whereby the light-strips move with the keys when the keys are depressed). Sockets for receiving the key-caps are co-molded to the light-strips. Sockets are provided in the resilient webs of the keys for receiving under-blocks co-molded to the light-strips.
US07671280B1
The bird guard provides a device to protect electrical insulators comprising a central shaft; a clamp attached to an end of the shaft to secure the device to a transmission tower; a top and bottom cover to shield transmission tower insulators; and bearings to allow the guard to rotate in order to frighten birds away from the insulators.
US07671277B2
The present invention is directed towards a multi-channel raceway system with a raceway and a fitting component. The raceway includes a base with a bottom and sidewalls that define a channel and a divider wall positioned within the channel. The fitting component includes a base with a bottom and sidewalls that define a channel and a plurality of sets of raised projections. The fitting component also includes a fitting divider wall positioned within the channel of the fitting component. The fitting divider wall includes at least one positioning tab along the bottom of the fitting divider wall for engaging the raised projections extending from the fitting base to secure the fitting divider wall to the fitting base.
US07671274B2
An apparatus fixing a power cable to an insulator, which clamps the head of the insulator to fix the power cable to an insulator head, easily and firmly. To this end, the apparatus includes a main body formed with a vertical through bolt hole in the center, with a space, formed beneath the bolt hole, with a round open bottom which holds the power cable; a fixed clamp formed on one side of the main body with a latch at the bottom to hook the insulator head; a movable clamp formed on the opposite side of the main body with a latch at the bottom to hook the other side of the insulator head; a movable, elastic holding member formed on the space part of the main body, with a groove on the bottom to hold upper part of the power cable; a fixing bolt engaged in the bolt hole of the main body, pressing the elastic holding member by screwing inward, so that the power cable can be fixed between the holding groove on top of the insulator and the holding groove on the bottom of the elastic holding member; and a movable clamp fixing member to fix the movable clamp engaged with the insulator head.
US07671267B2
The invention relates to a method for automatic generation of melodies where from one step to a following a new parameter value is generated that is sent to a unit emitting sound. The parameters comprise a new note pitch, a new window width, a life span for the window width, a window offset and a life span for the window offset. The new note pitch is selected according to a given probability distribution within the interval of note pitches given by the note pitch in a previous step, the window width and the window offset.
US07671265B2
An instructional system for teaching music theory incorporates a human-readable harmony matrix which displays at least one repeat pattern of indicia corresponding to a particular placement of the notes of the twelve note scale. This pattern is arranged so that major or minor chords may be formed by rotations and/or inversions of a basic set of patterns. These patterns depict the interrelationship of the various chords. Transposition of chords from one key to another may be readily accomplished by moving the pattern across the matrix. The matrix pattern may also be used to depict and build chord progressions. The system operates to provide a two-dimensional representation of the relationship between musical tones and may be implemented in a variety of systems for teaching music theory.
US07671262B1
This specification discloses an adjusting mechanism of an instrument pedal that is pivotally disposed on a pivotal axis of a base to sway along the radial direction of the pivotal axis. The adjusting mechanism has a foundation. There is an arc surface around the radial direction of the pivotal axis outside the foundation. A sliding groove is formed along the radial direction of the arc surface. A fixed hole is formed on the pivotal axis corresponding to the sliding groove. One end of the fixing element goes through the sliding groove and connects to the fixing hole. The other end of the fixing element engages with the arc surface on both sides of the sliding groove for fixing the adjusting mechanism.
US07671247B2
Methods for purifying liquid alkanes are provided. The methods produce alkanes having low absorbance, particularly at 193 nm. The alkane liquids are useful as immersion liquids in photomicrolithography employed for production of electronic circuits.
US07671244B2
The invention relates to a method for producing high-purity 1,2-dichloroethane from dissolved chlorine and dissolved ethylene which are brought into contact with each other using a circulating liquid reaction medium which essentially consists of 1,2-dichloroethane and a catalyst and passes through at least one reaction loop. The two limbs of the loop are connected to a gas-phase stripping container which is arranged at the top and from which the reaction product is outwardly transferred either in a gaseous or liquid form or both in a gaseous form and in a liquid form. The addition points for the addition of chlorine and dissolved ethylene are arranged in the limb of the loop in which the liquid rises. The addition point for dissolved chlorine is always arranged downstream of the ethylene addition point. At least one addition point for liquid 1,2-dichloroethane follows each chlorine addition point, and the addition of the liquid 1,2-dichloroethane is carried out under kinetic energy which is high enough to enable a vigorous mixture of 1,2-dichloroethane, dissolved chlorine and ethylene to be carried out. Preferably, the liquid 1,2-dichloroethane is added by means of at least one jet mixer.
US07671240B2
Processes for preparing tri- and tetraoxymethylene glycol dimethyl ether (POMDMEn=3,4) include feeding a reaction mixture of an aqueous formaldehyde solution and methanol into a reactive evaporator and separating into a first low boiler fraction and a first high boiler fraction, recycling the first high boiler fraction into the reactor, feeding the first low boiler fraction into a first distillation column and separating into a second low boiler fraction and a second high boiler fraction, recycling the second high boiler fraction into the reactive evaporator, feeding the second low boiler fraction into a second distillation column and separating into a third low boiler fraction and a third high boiler fraction, feeding the third high boiler fraction into a phase separation apparatus and separating into an aqueous phase and an organic phase, and feeding the organic phase into a third distillation column and separating into a low and high boiler fractions.
US07671237B2
This invention discloses a process for making dilithium initiators in high purity. This process can be conducted in the absence of amines which is desirable since amines can act as modifiers for anionic polymerizations. The dilithium compounds made are highly desirable because they are soluble in aromatic solvents. The present invention also discloses a tire which is comprised of a generally toroidal-shaped carcass with an outer circumferential tread, two spaced beads, at least one ply extending from bead to bead and sidewalls extending radially from and connecting said tread to said beads, wherein said tread is adapted to be ground-contacting, and wherein said tread is a cured the rubber formulation which is comprised of (a) at least one rubbery polymer containing functional groups of the structural formula: wherein R, R′ and R″ can be the same or different, wherein R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen atoms, alkyl groups, aryl groups, alkaryl groups, and amino aryl groups, and wherein R′ and R″ represent alkyl groups alkyl groups that contain from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, and (b) at least one member selected from the group consisting of carbon black and silica.
US07671235B2
Compounds of the formula I, II or III: or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein m, n, q, Ar, R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5 are as defined herein. Also provided are methods for preparing, compositions comprising, and methods for using compounds of formulas I-III.
US07671232B2
A method for fabricating a high specific surface area mesoporous alumina is disclosed, which includes the following steps: (a) providing a water solution containing an aluminum salt and a fluoro-surfactant; (b) adding concentrated hydrochloric acid to adjust the PH value of the solution to about 6.0 to 8.0; (c) aging the solution at 70° C. to 110° C. for 12 to 20 hours; (d) washing the precipitate with water; (e) washing the precipitate with an organic solvent; (f) drying the precipitate; and (g) sintering the precipitate in a furnace of 500° C. to 1000° C.
US07671227B2
An asymmetric bis-silane compound of the formula A3Si—R1—SiB3 where A, B, and R1 are as defined herein, and to methods for making the bis-silane compound and their use to form layers or films of metal oxide particles, and which layers or films adhere to a suitable substrate. The materials and methods can be used, for example, to make photoactive devices.
US07671223B2
The present invention relates to a process for the racemoselective preparation of ansa-metallocene complexes of the formula (I) which comprises reacting a ligand starting compound of the formula (II) with a transition metal compound of the formula (III) (LB)yM1(NR3R4)Xx-1 (III) where R1, R1′ are identical or different and are each hydrogen or an organic radical having from 1 to 40 carbon atoms, R2, R2′ are identical or different and are each hydrogen or an organic radical having from 1 to 40 carbon atoms, R3 is an organic radical having from 1 to 40 carbon atoms, R4 is hydrogen or an organic radical having from 1 to 40 carbon atoms, T, T′ are identical or different and are each a divalent organic group which has from 1 to 40 carbon atoms and together with the cyclopentadienyl ring forms at least one further saturated or unsaturated, substituted or unsubstituted ring system which has a ring size of from 5 to 12 atoms, where T and T′ may contain the heteroatoms Si, Ge, N, P, As, Sb, O, S, Se or Te within the ring system fused to the cyclopentadienyl ring, A is a bridge consisting of a divalent atom or a divalent group, M1 is an element of group 3, 4, 5 or 6 of the Periodic Table of the Elements or the lanthanides, the radicals X are identical or different and are each an organic or inorganic radical which can be substituted by a cyclopentadienyl anion, x is a natural number from 3 to 6, M2 is an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal or a magnesium monohalide fragment, p is 1 in the case of doubly positively charged metal ions or is 2 in the case of singly positively charged metal ions or metal ion fragments, LB is an uncharged Lewis-base ligand and y is a natural number from 0 to 6, and also a further process for the racemoselective preparation of ansa-metallocene complexes of the formula (IV) starting from the metallocene complexes of the formula (I) prepared by the first process, the use of transition metal compounds of the formula (III) for preparing metallocenes and also specific transition metal compounds of the formula (III).
US07671221B2
Compounds of the present invention and pharmaceutically acceptable compositions thereof, are useful as modulators of ATP-Binding Cassette (“ABC”) transporters or fragments thereof, including Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (“CFTR”). The present invention also relates to methods of treating ABC transporter mediated diseases using compounds of the present invention.
US07671220B2
The present invention relates to methods for the preparation of 3,3-dialky 4-chromanones, and particularly to the preparation of 6-fluoro-3,3-dimethyl-2,3-dihydro-4H-chromen-4-one and 3,3-dimethyl-2,3-dihydro-4H-chromen-4-one. In some embodiments, the processes include reaction of a 4-chromanone compound with an alkyl halide in the presence of a metal alkoxide at low temperature.
US07671210B2
A process for production of an optically active cyclopropanecarboxylate compound represented by the formula (5): wherein R6, R7, R8 and R9 represent a C1-C6 alkyl group or the like and R10 represents a C1-C6 alkyl group, which comprises reacting an olefin represented by the formula (3): wherein R6, R7, R8 and R9 are as described above, with a diazoacetic acid ester represented by the formula (4): N2CHCO2R10 (4) wherein R10 is as described above, in the presence of an asymmetric copper complex obtained by mixing (A) at least one monovalent or divalent copper compound,(B) at least one optically active bisoxazoline compound represented by the formula (1): wherein R1 and R2 represent a C1-C6 alkyl group or the like; R3 represents a tert-butyl group or the like; and R4 and R5 are the same and represent C1-C3 alkyl groups or the like, and (C) at least one boron compound represented by the formula (2): wherein A represents a trityl group or the like, X represents a fluorine atom or the like, and n represents an integer of 1 to 5.
US07671200B2
Quinazolinones of formulae (a, b, c and d) are disclosed. They are useful for treating cellular proliferative diseases and disorders associated with KSP kinesin activity.
US07671198B2
The invention provides 8-azabicyclo[3.2.1 ]octyl intermediates useful for the preparation of 5-HT4 receptor agonist compounds. The invention also provides processes for the preparation of such useful intermediates.
US07671197B2
The present invention relates to a process for the purification of meloxicam and in particular of the impurity composed of 4-hydroxy-2-methyl-N-ethyl-N′-(5-methyl-2-thiazolyl)-2H-1,2-benzothiazine-3-carboxamide-1,1-dioxide and to meloxicam containing a quantity of less than 0.05% of the above-mentioned impurity (“ethylamide”).
US07671192B2
Synthesis methods suitable for large scale manufacture of the A2A-adenosine receptor agonist (1-{9-[(4S,2R,3R,5R)-3,4-dihydroxy-5-(hydroxymethyl)oxolan-2-yl]-6-aminopurin-2-yl}pyrazol-4-yl)-N-methylcarboxamide and precursors thereof.
US07671190B2
The invention relates to recombinant polyketide synthase enzymes, polyketide modifying proteins, and other proteins involved in polyketide biosynthesis or function. The invention provides domains of geldanamycin and herbimycin polyketide synthases, polynucleotides that encode such enzymes, and to host cells in which such encoding polynucleotides can be advantageously expressed.
US07671178B1
Silk is dissolved in an ionic liquid and is regenerated in a range of structural forms without requiring the use of harmful solvents. Silk solubility can be controlled by the selection of the ionic liquid constituents, with small cations and halide or pseudohalide anions favoring solution. The rinse solvent exercises a significant influence over the final properties of the regenerated silk.
US07671175B2
The present invention relates to isolated polypeptides having antimicrobial activity and isolated polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides. The invention also relates to nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides as well as methods for producing and using the polypeptides.
US07671172B2
A poly(trimethylene-ethylene ether) glycol is disclosed. The poly(trimethylene-ethylene ether) glycol is, preferably, prepared by the polycondensation of 1,3-propanediol reactant and ethylene glycol reactant. The composition is preferably used in breathable membranes, synthetic lubricants, hydraulic fluids, cutting oils, motor oils, surfactants, spin-finishes, water-borne coatings, laminates, adhesives, packaging, films and foams, fibers and fabrics.
US07671156B2
The present invention provides silicone hydrogel materials having relatively high oxygen permeability and a relatively low modulus. The relatively-low modulus is achieved by adding a chain transfer agent into a polymerizable fluid composition in an amount sufficient to provide to the resultant silicone hydrogel material with a reduced modulus. In addition, the invention provides silicone hydrogel contact lenses comprising a silicone hydrogel material of the invention, a method for making a silicone hydrogel material of the invention, and a method for making a silicone hydrogel contact lens of the invention.
US07671125B2
A process for preparing organopolysiloxane compositions (A) having a viscosity measured at 25° C. of at least 500 Pa·s., wherein organopolysiloxanes (O) and fillers (F) are mixed and kneaded in a first process stage in a kneading cascade having at least two kneading chambers arranged in series adjacent one another, each containing kneading tools having parallel axes and capable of being driven in co-rotating or counter-rotating directions, the chambers connected to one another by means of openings through which material can pass in a direction transverse to the axes of the kneading tools, with the first kneading chamber having a feed opening and the last kneading chamber having a discharge opening, to give raw mixtures, and the raw mixtures are kneaded and degassed in a reciprocating kneader in a second process stage.
US07671122B2
A process of producing a wax composition mainly comprising a wax, including the step of mixing the wax and a component to be mixed with the wax by applying an external force at a temperature lower than the melting completion temperature of the wax.
US07671114B2
In accordance with the present invention, it has now been found that glycidyl epoxy resins containing substitution on the epoxide ring can be used with conventional epoxy curing agents and fluxing agents to produce underfill adhesives that are suitable for use with silver-based alloys. Owing to the structural similarity of the new materials to conventional epoxy resins, physical and material properties of the invention formulations are altered little, if at all, relative to products currently in use, and so are highly compatible with existing processes.
US07671108B2
A printing ink including 100 parts by weight of an aluminum foil, 3 to 200 parts by weight of a binder polymer, and 600 to 2500 parts by weight of a solvent, wherein the aluminum foil contains aluminum foils with thicknesses of 0.03 μm or less and foil surface areas of 1.5 μm2 to 1500 μm2 in an amount of 80% or more based on an accumulated foil surface area, and having a viscosity of 1000 to 3000 cps (measured at 20° C. with a BM-type rotational viscometer) to keep a clearance on a thin outline with a width of 0.15 mm, and a printed matter printed on a surface of a transparent substrate with the ink and viewed as a front face opposite the printed face thereof.
US07671107B2
It has been discovered that an initiation reaction is efficiently progressed to a propagation reaction by adding a compound that potentially or directly generates a carbocation to the polymerization system of a cationic ring-opening polymerizable compound, and thus the activation of polymerization is rendered. Namely, the present invention relates to a cationic polymerizable resin composition which is characterized by comprising (A) a compound having at least one functional group capable of cationic ring-opening polymerization in one molecular chain, (B) a cationic polymerization initiator, and (C) a compound to generate a carbocation by the action of active species generated from (B) the cationic polymerization initiator by electromagnetic wave or particle beam. According to the present invention, it has been discovered that the initiation reaction is efficiently progressed to the propagation reaction by adding the compound that potentially or directly generates a carbocation to the polymerization system of the cationic ring-opening polymerizable compound, and thus the activation of polymerization is rendered.
US07671085B2
The efficient regulation of cholesterol synthesis, metabolism, acquisition, and transport is an essential component of lipid homeostasis. The farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is a transcriptional sensor for bile acids, the primary product of cholesterol metabolism. Accordingly, the development of potent, selective, small molecule agonists, partial agonists, and antagonists of FXR would be an important step in further deconvoluting FXR physiology. In accordance with the present invention, the identification of novel potent FXR activators is described. Two derivatives of invention compounds, bearing stilbene or biaryl moieties, contain members that are the most potent FXR agonists reported to date in cell-based assays. These compounds are useful as chemical tools to further define the physiological role of FXR as well as therapeutic leads for the treatment of diseases linked to cholesterol, bile acids and their metabolism and homeostasis.
US07671079B2
The present invention provides a compound of formula I and the use thereof in the therapeutic treatment of a CNS disorder related to or affected by the 5-HT6 receptor.
US07671073B2
The present invention is directed to novel cyclohexylalanine derivatives which are inhibitors of the dipeptidyl peptidase-IV enzyme (“DP-IV inhibitors”) and which are useful in the treatment or prevention of diseases in which the dipeptidyl peptidase-IV enzyme is involved, such as diabetes and particularly type 2 diabetes. The invention is also directed to pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds and the use of these compounds and compositions in the prevention or treatment of such diseases in which the dipeptidyl peptidase-IV enzyme is involved.
US07671066B2
The invention relates to inhibitors of the phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) enzyme. More particularly, the invention relates to compounds that are derivatives of 1-phenyl-2-pyridynyl alkylene alcohols, methods of preparing such compounds, compositions containing them and therapeutic use thereof.
US07671051B2
The present invention relates to compounds with the formula (I) and also to pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds, as well as to the use of the compounds in medicine and for the preparation of a medicament which acts on the human 11-β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 enzyme.
US07671050B2
The compounds of formula (I) in which R1, R2 and R3 have the meanings as given in the description are novel effective PDE2 inhibitors.
US07671048B2
The present invention is concerned with a method of treating a disease selected from the group consisting of cognitive disorders, anxiety, Alzheimer's disease, and schizophrenia comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of a substituted imidazo[1,5-a][1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-d][1,4]benzodiazepine derivatives of the following formula wherein R1 is halogen, lower alkyl, lower alkynyl, cycloalkyl, lower alkoxy, OCF3, —NHR, —NHC(O)R or —NHSO2R; R2 is hydrogen, methyl or aryl which is unsubstituted or substituted by one or two substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen and lower alkoxy; R3 is hydrogen, lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, cycloalkyl, lower alkoxy, —O(CH2)n+1—O-lower alkyl, —(CH2)n-aryl which is optionally substituted by lower alkyl or halogen, heteroaryl, —NHR, —N(R)2, wherein each R can be the same or different, —NHCH2C≡CH, or pyrrolidin-1-one; R is hydrogen, lower alkyl, lower alkyl substituted by halogen, heteroaryl, —(CH2)nO-lower alkyl, —NH-lower alkyl, cycloalkyl or aryl, and n is 0, 1, 2 or 3; and with their pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts. The invention also provides novel compounds of formula I-A and pharmaceutical compositions containing them. The most preferred indication is Alzheimer's disease.
US07671044B2
The present invention refers to a pharmaceutical formulation characterized in that it includes mainly clobetasolpropionate, minoxidil and 11 alpha hydroxyprogesterone as main active principles, besides other excipients, vitamins and/or minerals, and to its use in the treatment of skin diseases, mainly in the symptomatic treatment of psoriasis.
US07671032B2
Peptidomimetic compounds are described which inhibit the NS3 protease of the hepatitis C virus (HCV). The compounds have the formula where the variable definitions are as provided in the specification. The compounds comprise a carbocyclic P2 unit in conjunction with a novel linkage to those portions of the inhibitor more distal to the nominal cleavage site of the native substrate, which linkage reverses the orientation of peptidic bonds on the distal side relative to those proximal to the cleavage site.
US07671016B2
The invention concerns a cell support comprising an RGD-enriched gelatine that has a more even distribution of RGD sequences than occurring in a natural gelatine and with a minimum level of RGD sequences. More precise the percentage of RGD sequences related to the total number of amino acids is at least 0.4 and if the RGD-enriched gelatine comprises 350 amino acids or more, each stretch of 350 amino acids contains at least one RGD motif. Preferably the RGD-enriched gelatines are prepared by recombinant technology, and have a sequence that is derived from a human gelatine or collagen amino acid sequence. The invention also relates to RGD-enriched gelatines that are used for attachment to integrins. In particular The RGD-enriched gelatines of the invention are suitable for coating a cell culture support for growing anchor-dependant cell types. Further, the RGD-enriched gelatines of the invention may find use in medical applications, in particular as a coating on implant or transplant material or as a component of drug delivery systems.
US07671013B2
The present invention relates to the use of coagulation proteins and complexes thereof with anticoagulation proteins for the lysis of blood clots or other applications affected by accelerated plasmin production. More specifically, the present invention provides a method for accelerating the dissolution of a blood clot through the administration of at least one coagulation protein, with or without being in complex with a serpin, comprising a basic C-terminal amino acid, wherein the coagulation protein may be a derivative of Factor X or Factor V or a combination thereof. Pharmaceutical compositions for the treatment and prophylaxis of blood clots are also provided, wherein, the methods and products of the present invention advantageously accelerate clot dissolution while potentially minimizing the adverse side-effects, such as hemorrhaging, seen with other clot dissolving agents. The present invention also provides a method for detecting a fibrinolytic potential in a subject.
US07670999B2
A cleansing composition comprising (1) at least one foaming surfactant, (2) at least 1% by weight of at least one hydrophilic silica, relative to the total weight of the composition, and (3) at least one oxyalkylenated compound in a physiologically acceptable aqueous medium comprising at least 35% by weight of water, relative to the total weight of the composition.
US07670998B2
A cosmetic product (1) for conditioning hair, the cosmetic product having the form of a solid and comprising at least one hair conditioning ingredient. Cocoa butter, cetearyl alcohol (and) sodium lauryl sulfate and glyceryl stearate (and) PEG 100 stearate are used to form the solid and the at least one hair conditioning ingredient is a known hair conditioning ingredient, such as lanolin and cetrimonium bromide. The solid cosmetic product may combined in a bar or a small shape (3) with shampoo (2).
US07670989B2
An absorbent and process for the neutralization and absorption of acidic and alkaline liquid spills comprising a mixture of superabsorbent polymer, a styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer, sodium bicarbonate, and optionally a chlorine neutralizer. The absorbent preferably also contains a chlorine neutralizer for the neutralization of any chlorine vapors and a pH indicator to indicate that the spill has been neutralized and is safe for handling and disposal.
US07670986B2
A manganese dioxide catalyst for hydrolysing organic nitrites which bear readily oxidizable groups such as thiol or thioether groups to the corresponding carboxamides, and to a process for preparing the catalyst and to its use for hydrolysing organic nitrites.
US07670979B2
A porous refractory product includes a matrix of sintered silicon carbide having a porosity of about 45% to about 65%. The matrix is formed by heating in a noble gas atmosphere a cast preform including a mixture of alpha-silicon carbide and boron carbide each having a particle size of less than about 1 micron. The heating causes the formation of gaseous SiO within the silicon carbide matrix, which, in turn, forms pores having an average size of less than about 1 micron. The porous refractory products herein are suitable for use in a variety of applications including for use in high temperature particulate filtering applications.
US07670975B2
To provide an alkali free glass which is suitable as a glass substrate for LCD and has few defects of bubbles and an undissolved starting material, and a process for producing an alkali free glass which can readily lower the defects in bubbles and an undissolved starting material.An alkali free glass with a matrix composition comprising SiO2, Al2O3, B2O3, MgO, CaO, SrO and BaO and containing substantially no alkali metal oxide, of which the temperature at which the viscosity becomes 102 dPa·s, is at most 1,600° C. and which contains sulfur in an amount of from 0.001 to 0.1% as calculated as SO3, as represented by the mass percentage, per 100% of the total amount of the above matrix composition, and a process for producing a glass which comprises preparing a starting material and melting it so that a sulfate be incorporated to the starting material in an amount of from 0.01 to 5% as calculated as SO3, as represented by the mass percentage, per 100% of the total amount of the above matrix composition.
US07670956B2
A method and apparatus for local beam processing using a beam activated gas to etch material are described. Compounds are disclosed that are suitable for beam-induced etching. The invention is particularly suitable for electron beam induced etching of chromium materials on lithography masks. In one embodiment, a polar compound, such as ClNO2 gas, is activated by the electron beam to selectively etch a chromium material on a quartz substrate. By using an electron beam in place of an ion beam, many problems associated with ion beam mask repair, such as staining and riverbedding, are eliminated. Endpoint detection is not critical because the electron beam and gas will not etch significantly the substrate.
US07670953B2
The present invention provides a method to pattern a substrate which features creating a multi-layered structure by forming, on the substrate, a patterned layer having protrusions and recessions. Formed upon the patterned layer is a conformal layer, with the multi-layered structure having a crown surface facing away from the substrate. Portions of the multi-layered structure are removed to expose regions of the substrate in superimposition with the protrusions, while forming a hard mask in areas of the crown surface in superimposition with the recessions.
US07670950B2
A method for metallizing a through silicon via feature in a semiconductor integrated circuit device substrate comprising immersing the semiconductor integrated circuit device substrate into an electrolytic copper deposition composition comprising a source of copper ions, an organic sulfonic acid or inorganic acid, or one or more organic compounds selected from among polarizers and/or depolarizers, and chloride ions.
US07670931B2
Methods for fabricating semiconductor structures with backside stress layers are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, the method comprises the steps of providing a semiconductor device formed on and within a front surface of a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor device comprises a channel region. A plurality of dielectric layers is formed overlying the semiconductor device. The plurality of dielectric layers comprises conductive connections that are in electrical communication with the semiconductor device. A backside stress layer is formed on a back surface of the semiconductor substrate. The backside stress layer is configured to apply to the channel region of the semiconductor device a uniaxial compressive or tensile stress that, with stresses applied by the plurality of dielectric layers, results in an overall stress exerted on the channel region to achieve a predetermined overall strain of the channel region.
US07670930B2
A method of fabricating a thin film from a substrate includes implantation into the substrate, for example made of silicon, of ions of a non-gaseous species, for example gallium, the implantation conditions and this species being chosen, according to the material of the substrate, so as to allow the formation of precipitates confined in a certain depth, distributed within a layer, these precipitates being made of a solid phase having a melting point below that of the substrate. The method optionally further including intimate contacting of this face of the substrate with a stiffener, and detachment of a thin film by fracturing the substrate at the layer of precipitates by applying a mechanical and/or chemical detachment stress under conditions in which the precipitates are in the liquid phase.
US07670927B2
A semiconductor structure and method of fabricating the structure. The method includes removing the backside silicon from two silicon-on-insulator wafers having devices fabricated therein and bonding them back to back utilizing the buried oxide layers. Contacts are then formed in the upper wafer to devices in the lower wafer and wiring levels are formed on the upper wafer. The lower wafer may include wiring levels. The lower wafer may include landing pads for the contacts. Contacts to the silicon layer of the lower wafer may be silicided.
US07670919B2
An article includes a top electrode that is embedded in a solder mask. An article includes a top electrode that is on a core structure. A process of forming the top electrode includes reducing the solder mask thickness and forming the top electrode on the reduced-thickness solder mask. A process of forming the top electrode includes forming the top electrode over a high-K dielectric that is in a patterned portion of the core structure.
US07670914B2
Methods are provided for the fabrication of multiple finger transistors. A method comprises forming a layer of gate-forming material overlying a semiconductor substrate and forming a layer of dummy gate material overlying the layer of gate-forming material. The layer of dummy gate material is etched to form a dummy gate and sidewall spacers are formed about sidewalls of the dummy gate. The dummy gate is removed and the layer of gate-forming material is etched using the sidewall spacers as a mask to form at least two gate electrodes.
US07670907B2
A hard mask layer is formed and patterned overlying a semiconductor substrate of a semiconductor device. The patterned hard mask layer exposes two or more areas of the substrate for future isolation regions of the semiconductor device. Portions of the substrate are removed in the areas for future isolation regions, thereby forming two or more trenches. A second mask layer is formed overlying a first portion of the hard mask layer and at least one first trench, and a second portion of the hard mask layer and at least one second trench are left uncovered. Additional substrate material is removed from the at least one second trench so that the at least one second trench is deeper than the at least one first trench. The hard mask layer and the second mask are removed substantially concurrently.
US07670898B2
The invention includes methods of incorporating partial SOI into transistor structures. In particular aspects, dielectric material is provided over semiconductor material, and patterned into at least two segments separated by a gap. Additional semiconductor material is then grown over the dielectric material and within the gap. Subsequently, a transistor is formed to comprise source/drain regions within the additional semiconductor material, and to comprise a channel between the source/drain regions. At least one of the source/drain regions is primarily directly over a segment of the dielectric material, and the channel is not primarily directly over any segment of the dielectric material. The invention also includes constructions comprising partial SOI corresponding to segments of dielectric material, and transistors having at least one source/drain region primarily directly over a segment of dielectric material, and a channel that is not primarily directly over any segment of the dielectric material.
US07670887B2
A field-effect transistor includes source, drain, and gate electrodes; a crystalline or polycrystalline layer of inorganic semiconductor; and a dielectric layer. The layer of inorganic semiconductor has an active channel portion physically extending from the source electrode to the drain electrode. The inorganic semiconductor has a stack of 2-dimensional layers in which intra-layer bonding forces are covalent and/or ionic. Adjacent ones of the layers are bonded together by forces substantially weaker than covalent and ionic bonding forces. The dielectric layer is interposed between the gate electrode and the layer of inorganic semiconductor material. The gate electrode is configured to control a conductivity of an active channel part of the layer of inorganic semiconductor.
US07670882B2
A system performs a method including contact printing one of a wetting agent and a non-wetting agent on a semiconductor and inkjet printing an electrically conductive material proximate said one of the wetting agent and the non-wetting agent.
US07670874B2
A method involves plating pillars of electrically conductive material up from a seed layer located on a substrate, surrounding the pillars with a fill material so that the pillars and fill material collectively define a first package, and removing the substrate from the first package.
US07670873B2
A method of flip-chip mounting can reliably and stably mount a semiconductor chip to a mounting substrate while avoiding problems such as damage to the semiconductor chip due to a difference in thermal expansion coefficients between the semiconductor chip and the mounting substrate. The method of flip-chip mounting a semiconductor chip supports a mounting substrate on a stage in a state where a resin material has been supplied onto a chip mounting surface of the mounting substrate and presses the semiconductor chip toward the mounting substrate using a pressure/heat applying head to bond the semiconductor chip to the mounting substrate and thermally harden the resin material. A concave part is provided in a support surface of the stage that supports the semiconductor chip, and the semiconductor chip is bonded to the mounting substrate by pressing the semiconductor chip toward the mounting substrate using the pressure/heat applying head in a state where the mounting substrate is bent toward the concave part.
US07670869B2
A memory device is disclosed. A pillar structure comprises a first electrode layer, a dielectric layer overlying the first electrode layer, and a second electrode layer overlying the dielectric layer. A phase change layer covers a surrounding of the pillar structure. A bottom electrode electrically connects the first electrode layer of the pillar structure. A top electrode electrically connects the second electrode layer of the pillar structure.
US07670866B2
One embodiment includes a substrate having a plurality of dies and a support frame made of molding material which is molded between adjacent dies so as to join together and support adjacent dies. The embodiment further has a plurality of interconnects formed on selected die terminals and the molding material of the support frame joining adjacent dies. The interconnects may be formed utilizing a variety of techniques including those of the type used in conventional wafer fabrication techniques. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US07670865B2
An active pixel using a photodiode with multiple species of N type dopants is disclosed. The pixel comprises a photodiode formed in a semiconductor substrate. The photodiode is an N− region formed within a P-type region. The N− region is formed from an implant of arsenic and an implant of phosphorus. Further, the pixel includes a transfer transistor formed between the photodiode and a floating node and selectively operative to transfer a signal from the photodiode to the floating node. Finally, the pixel includes an amplification transistor controlled by the floating node.
US07670863B2
Provided is a method of fabricating a complementary metal oxide silicon image sensor. The method includes: applying a passivation oxide and a passivation nitride after forming a pad; selectively removing the passivation nitride in a pad region and a pixel region by a photolithography process, and performing a first cleaning process; performing a hydrogen anneal process; opening the pad by removing the passivation oxide in the pad region and performing a second cleaning process; applying a pad protective layer; performing a color filter array process, a planarization process, and a microlens process after the applying of the pad protective layer; and removing the pad protective layer in the pad region.
US07670861B2
The objects of the present invention are to form MEMS structures of which stress is controlled while maintaining the performance of high-performance LSI, to integrate MEMS Structures and LSI on a single chip, to electrically and chemically protect the MEMS structure and to reduce the stress of the whole movable part of the MEMS structure. To achieve the above objects, a silicide film formable at a low temperature is used for the MEMS structure. The temperature at the silicide film deposition T1 is selected optionally with reference the heat treatment temperature T2 and the pseudo-crystallization temperature T3. T2, the temperature of manufacturing process after the silicide film deposition, is determined does not cause the degradation of the characteristics of the high-performance LSI indispensable. Thus, the residual stress of the MEMS structures may be controlled.
US07670860B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate; a pixel portion including an in-layer lens; and a peripheral circuit portion including a metal wiring portion, the pixel portion and the peripheral circuit portion being on the semiconductor substrate, the method comprising: forming an insulating film in the pixel portion and the peripheral circuit portion, so as to cover the metal wiring portion; providing, on the insulating film, a lens material layer for forming the in-layer lens; forming a resist layer for etching the lens material layer; curing the resist layer; and forming a first region and a second region in the resist layer, wherein a portion of the resist layer in the first region is thicker than that of the resist layer in the second region, the first region being in the peripheral circuit portion and the second region being in the pixel portion.
US07670855B2
The present invention features peptides of a PorB polypeptide, which PorB peptides are useful in production of antibodies that bind the full-length PorB polypeptide and as a therapeutic agent. In specific embodiments the invention features a composition comprising one or more PorB peptides (other than a full-length PorB polypeptide), which peptides contain at least one epitope that can elicit Chlamydia-neutralizing antibodies. The invention also features methods for induction of a protective immune response against infection by Chlamydia and Chlamydiophila.
US07670850B2
The present invention relates to assay methods used for detecting the presence of PIF, and to PIF peptides identified using this assay. In particular, the present invention relates to flow cytometry assays for detecting PIF. It is based, at least in part, on the observation that flow cytometry using fluorescently labeled anti-lymphocyte and anti-platelet antibodies demonstrated an increase in rosette formation in the presence of PIF. It is further based on the observation that flow cytometry demonstrated that monoclonal antibody binding to CD2 decreased in the presence of PIF. The present invention further relates to PIF peptides which, when added to Jurkat cell cultures, have been observed to either (i) decrease binding of anti-CD2 antibody to Jurkat cells; (ii) increase expression of CD2 in Jurkat cells; or (iii) decrease Jurkat cell viability. In additional embodiments, the present invention provides for ELISA assays which detect PIF by determining the effect of a test sample on the binding of anti-CD2 antibody to a CD2 substrate.
US07670849B2
The invention is directed to a method of detecting a biological substance in the nasal secretion and diagnosing a disease following the detection of the biological substance wherein the biological substance is not related to a respiratory disease. The invention also provides treatment of the diseases following the detection of the biological substance and/or diagnosis of the disease. In some embodiments, the diseases are cancer, hepatitis, smell loss, taste loss, diabetes, and leprosy. The invention also provides a kit for diagnosing a disease.The present invention includes methods of analyzing samples from the nose for the detection of biological substances. In particular, nasal secretion or nasal mucus is collected and analyzed for biological substances. The results of this analysis are then suitable for use in diagnosis, prognosis, and determination of suitability of therapeutic interventions.
US07670847B2
The invention includes an enantioselective indicator-displacement assay useful to determine enantiomeric excess (ee) enantiomeric samples colorimetrically. Determination may be by inspection of color with the naked eye, spectrographic measurement, or mathematical calculation. Concentration may also be determined. The assay may involve two independent absorption measurements. On suitable group of enantiomeric molecules to be assayed include α-hydroxy acids. The inherent relationship between the absorbance of the indicator-displacement ensemble and the overall concentration and ee of the analyte is established through solution equilibria. The invention also includes use of the assay in drug screening and manufacturing, high throughput screening of catalysts and kits for use in conducting assays of the invention.
US07670844B2
A device and a method for measuring viscosity that includes attaching molecular rotors to a solid surface, exposing the solid surface to a fluid having a viscosity to be measured, and taking optical measurements to determine viscosity. The solid surface is preferably quartz, polystyrene or silicate glass, such as a fiber optic probe or a glass cuvette. The molecular rotors are of the type that includes an electron-donor group and electron-acceptor group that are linked by a single bond so that the groups may rotate with respect to one another, and that exhibit a fluorescence emission when rotation is hindered.
US07670840B2
The present invention provides novel methods and compositions for the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer. The invention also provides methods of identifying anti-pancreatic cancer agent.
US07670835B2
The invention relates to the field of diagnosis of and vaccination against Streptococcal infections and to the detection of virulence markers of Streptococci. The invention discloses a method for modulating virulence of a Streptococcus, the method comprising modifying a genomic fragment of Streptococcus wherein the genomic fragment comprises at least a functional part of a fragment identifiable by hybridization in Streptococcus suis to a nucleic acid or fragment thereof as shown in FIG. 5.
US07670820B2
Disclosed herein are novel chitinase polypeptides and nucleic acids encoding the polypeptides. Also disclosed are related vectors, host cells, compositions, and uses.
US07670817B2
This invention relates generally to the treatment of cathepsin or dynamin mediated diseases, such as proteinuria, cancer, and cognitive disease and related products. Diagnostic and other assays are also provided, as well as methods for podocyte cell gene transfer.
US07670814B2
The present invention provides a process for the production of vitamin C from a substrate, such as for instance L-sorbosone using a microorganism belonging to the genus Ketogulonicigenium.
US07670810B2
This invention provides methods of amplifying genomic DNA to obtain an amplified representative population of genome fragments. Methods are further provided for obtaining amplified genomic DNA representations of a desired complexity. The invention further provides methods for simultaneously detecting large numbers of typable loci for an amplified representative population of genome fragments. Accordingly the methods can be used to genotype individuals on a genome-wide scale.
US07670808B2
This invention provides for an improved generation of novel nucleic acid modifying enzymes. The improvement is the fusion of a sequence-non-specific nucleic-acid-binding domain to the enzyme in a manner that enhances the ability of the enzyme to bind and catalytically modify the nucleic acid.
US07670803B2
The present invention provides a protein having saponin-decomposing activity, more specifically a protein which can decompose a glycoside having soyasapogenol B as an aglycone to produce soyasapogenol B, a polynucleotide encoding such a protein, and a method of producing soyasapogenol B on a large scale using the same. A protein according to the present invention are concerned with (a), (b) or (c), namely (a) a protein comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of the amino acid sequences shown in SEQ ID NOs: 2, 4, and 6; (b) a protein that has at least 50% homology to the protein comprising the amino acid sequence of the sequence described in (a) and having saponin-decomposing activity; or (c) a protein comprising a modified amino acid sequence of the sequence described in (a) that has one or more amino acid residues deleted, substituted, inserted, or added and having saponin-decomposing activity.
US07670800B2
The invention relates to a process for the purification of riboflavin comprising the steps of (a) precipitating a first crystalline form of riboflavin, (b) isolating the first crystalline form of riboflavin, (c) transforming the first crystalline form of riboflavin into a second crystalline form of riboflavin under conditions that decompose diluted DNA, and (d) isolating the second crystalline form of riboflavin, provided that at ambient temperature the first crystalline form of riboflavin is thermodynamically less stable than the second crystalline form of riboflavin.
US07670796B2
An assay to detect a metalloprotease in a sample, comprising contacting the sample with a substrate. The metalloprotease reacts with the substrate to form a product comprising a tag. This is followed by selectively binding the tag to a solid phase, wherein the solid phase comprises a binding partner for the tag. Measuring the mass of the product takes place to determine the presence of the metalloprotease in the sample.
US07670794B2
Methods for monitoring and managing glycemia status in a diabetic patient are disclosed. The methods comprise measuring in a diabetic patient, serum concentrations of HbA1c, glucose and inorganic phosphate and comparing the measured concentrations with reference concentrations. An equation representing the reference relationship of HbA1c, glucose and inorganic phosphate is also provided.
US07670791B1
The disclosure concerns a method for the suppression of visceral pain by regulating the T-type calcium channel; a visceral pain inhibitor that includes a T-type calcium channel inhibitor as an effective ingredient; and a method of screening a visceral pain inhibitor by investigating the suppression activity of T-type calcium channels. Particularly, the present invention relates to a method for the suppression of visceral pain by regulating an alpha 1G T-type calcium channel in the central nervous system and alpha 1H and alpha 1I T-type calcium channels in the peripheral nervous system; a visceral pain inhibitor that includes a T-type calcium channel inhibitor as an effective ingredient; and a method of screening a visceral pain inhibitor by investigating the suppression activity of T-type calcium channels. The method of the present invention can be effectively used to suppress visceral pain by regulating T-type calcium channel in a precise mechanism without any side effects.
US07670778B2
The invention provides novel lin-8, lin-56, and lin-61 genes and polypeptides involved in cell fate determination and in cell proliferation. In addition, the invention includes mutants of these three genes, as well as methods for utilizing these genes, and their encoded polypeptides, in diagnosing and treating abnormal cell proliferation.
US07670775B2
Methods of identifying malignant thyroid tissue comprising testing a thyroid tissue sample for the expression of at least two genes chosen from CCND2, PCSK2, and PLAB. Kits for use in the disclosed methods are also provided.
US07670773B2
The invention is a novel MECP2E1 splice variant and its corresponding polypeptide. The invention also includes methods of using these nucleic acid sequences and proteins in medical diagnosis and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders or development disorders.
US07670768B1
Processes for isolating, amplifying, and characterizing DNA from biological materials are provided. DNA is isolated by contacting a biological material on a solid support which is preferably pre-treated with a lysing reagent. The isolation process is simple and efficient and provides a source of purified DNA without the use of harmful organic solvents such as urea and guanidine-based solvents. The purified DNA and remaining fractions of biological material may be characterized or amplified as necessary.
US07670758B2
Films for optical use, articles containing such films, methods for making such films, and systems that utilize such films, are disclosed.
US07670749B2
A method for the formation of a patterned resist layer on a substrate surface by patternwise irradiation with actinic radiation. The first step of the method is formation of a coating layer comprising a substituted triphenylene compound having a diameter of between 1 and 3 nm, a sensitizer which increases the sensitivity of the exposed layer to the actinic radiation used in a subsequent irradiation step and a cross-linker on the substrate surface. Subsequently the coating layer is irradiated patternwise, and unirradiated areas of the coating layer are removed. A resist material comprising a solution of: (i) as the principal resist material a triphenylene derivative having a diameter of from 1 to 3 rim, (ii) a sensitizer which increases the sensitivity of the resist material to actinic radiation, and (iii) a cross-linker capable of cross-linking molecules of the triphenyl derivative, the cross-linker optionally being constituted by a moiety attached to the triphenylene derivative.
US07670746B2
A positive photosensitive composition comprises: (A) 5 to 20 parts by weight of the total amount of at least one compound that generates an acid upon irradiation with an actinic ray; and (B) 100 parts by weight of the total amount of at least one fluorine atom-containing resin having a group that increases a solubility of the resin in an alkaline developer by the action of an acid.
US07670745B2
The invention provides an alkali soluble polymer including a specific vinylketone phenol and a derivative thereof as radical polymerizable monomers and a positive working photosensitive resin composition containing the alkali soluble polymer and a photosensitizing agent. According to the invention, there can be provided an alkali soluble resin having high solvent resistance, high water resistance, high acid resistance, high alkali resistance, high thermal resistance, high transparency, excellent adhesiveness with a substrate, and the like and useful for the formation of a patterned resin film obtained by developing in an aqueous alkali solution and a positive working photosensitive resin composition including such an alkali soluble resin.
US07670744B2
First toner of the present invention includes colored particles and an external additive. The colored particles are produced by heating and aggregating a mixture that includes a resin particle dispersion in which first resin particles are dispersed and a pigment particle dispersion in which pigment particles are dispersed, so that at least part of the first resin particles is melted. The colored particles have a finely roughened surface. Second toner of the present invention includes aggregated particles including at least first resin particles and pigment particles, and colored particles having a finely roughed surface formed by fusing at least part of wax and at least part of second resin particles on the surface of the aggregated particles. Third toner of the present invention includes aggregated particles including at least first resin particles and pigment particles, and colored particles having a finely roughened surface formed by fusing at least part of third resin particles and at least part of fourth resin particles on the surface of the aggregated particles. When the aggregated particles are formed in an aqueous medium, the pH is controlled in the specified range. The toner can achieve oilless fixing that prevents offset without using oil while maintaining high OHP transmittance. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the spent of toner components on a carrier and to make the life longer. Moreover, thinning or scattering during transfer can be suppressed, thus ensuring high transfer efficiency.
US07670742B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide a recording material which contains at least a colorant and a resin wherein the colorant contains silver, and a toner which contains at least a colorant and a resin wherein the colorant is an alloy containing silver, zinc and aluminum.
US07670739B2
A photoconductor that includes a supporting substrate, and an active layer in contact with the substrate, and which layer contains at least one photogenerating pigment, at least one charge transport component, and a mixture of a metal oxide and a chelating agent of a tetrafluorodihydroxyanthraquinone.
US07670732B2
An image forming method includes: by using a plurality of liquid developers having different colors, forming a plurality of single color images corresponding to the colors; transferring a non-fixed color image onto a recording medium; and fixing the non-fixed color image onto the recording medium. In the image forming method, each of the liquid developers includes an insulting liquid containing unsaturated fatty acid components and toner particles dispersed in the insulating liquid, and an oxidation polymerization accelerator that accelerates an oxidation polymerization reaction of the unsaturated fatty acid components during fixation is contained in the liquid developer forming the single color image that is positioned closest to the recording medium among the plurality of single color images forming the non-fixed color image.
US07670731B2
A method for improving the uniformity of a lithographic process. In one aspect, the probability density function of a first and second lithographic apparatus are matched by providing a continuous z-motion to a stage in the first lithographic apparatus during substrate exposure. Preferably, the z-motion is characterized by a normally distributed function, wherein the effective probability density function of the first apparatus is substantially similar to the probability density function of the second apparatus.
US07670721B2
Methods of manufacture and use of phosphates of transition metals are described as positive electrodes for secondary lithium batteries, including a process for the production of LiMPO4 with controlled size and morphology, M being FexCoyNizMnw, where 0≦x≦1, 0≦y≦1, 0≦w≦1, and x+y+z+w=1. According to an exemplary embodiment, a process is described for the manufacture of LiFePO4 including the steps of providing an equimolar aqueous solution of Li1+, Fe3+ and PO43−, evaporating water from the solution to produce a solid mixture, decomposing the solid mixture at a temperature of below 500° C. to form a pure homogeneous Li and Fe phosphate precursor, and annealing the precursor at a temperature of less than 800° C. in a reducing atmosphere to produce the LiFePO4 powder. The obtained powders can have a particle size of less than 1 μm, and can provide superior electrochemical performance when mixed for an appropriate time with an electrically conductive powder.
US07670717B2
To provide a non-aqueous secondary battery having a capacity as high as that of a conventional battery using a conventional resin separator and achieving excellent overcharge characteristics and excellent resistance to external short-circuit, a combined electrode plate for a spirally-wound electrode group for a non-aqueous secondary battery including a current collector, an active material layer carried on the current collector and a multi-layer porous membrane carried on the active material layer is used. The multi-layer porous membrane includes a first porous membrane and a second porous membrane. The first porous membrane contains metal oxide particles and a first binder. The second porous membrane contains resin particles and a second binder. The thickness of the multi-layer porous membrane is preferably 15 to 25 μm.
US07670709B2
The invention is drawn to a gasket (34) for use in an individual fuel cell (20). The gasket (34) includes at lest one generally rigid bridge (44) or (46) that extends across the fluid flow channels in adjacent separator plates (38) and (40). The bridge (44) or (46) assures that the fluid flow channels are not blocked or restricted in the cell (20). Each bridge (44) or (46) may be integral with its corresponding gasket (34). The gasket (34) may be a multi-piece gasket with a carrier material having an elastrometric seal portion (74) secured to it.
US07670706B2
A fuel cartridge (1) includes a fuel storage container (2), and a fuel supply port (4) for taking out a fuel stored in the fuel storage container (2). The fuel supply port (4) is provided with a fuel supply port protecting mechanism. The fuel supply port protecting mechanism includes a door (10) for opening/closing an opening (11) provided between the fuel supply port (4) and an outside, and a lock mechanism (20) for locking the door (10) so that the door (10) does not open. This can prevent, with the fuel cartridge not installed on a fuel cell, the leakage of a fuel from the fuel cartridge caused by improper handling by a user, etc.
US07670703B2
The solid oxide fuel cell can comprise: an electroconductive and porous reformer including a catalytically active material and shaped to constitute a solid slab having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, and a plurality of adjacent grooves along the first surface, and flat regions adjacent the plurality of grooves; an anode layer covering the plurality of grooves of the reformer slab and having a corresponding grooved shape; an electrolyte layer covering the anode layer over the plurality of grooves of the reformer slab and having a corresponding grooved shape, and extending over the flat regions; and a cathode layer covering the electrolyte layer over the grooves of the reformer slab and having a corresponding grooved shape.
US07670700B2
A fuel cell system, control method and current measuring device for a power unit are disclosed. The fuel cell system includes a fuel cell having local areas, a current measuring device associated with at least one of the local areas to measure localized current related to a specified operating characteristic, and a control section for diagnosing an operating condition of the fuel cell in response to localized current to enable optimum control of the fuel cell depending upon a specified operating characteristic determined by localized current. The control method controls the operating condition of the fuel cell in response to localized current indicative of the specified operating characteristic of the fuel cell. The current measuring device includes an electrical conductor formed with a recessed portion, a localized current conductor received in the recessed portion, and a current sensor for detecting current flowing across the localized current conductor.
US07670699B2
A simple, inexpensive and highly efficient fuel cell has boundary structures made of a photo-sensitive material in combination with selective patterning. Printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication techniques combine boundary structures with two and three dimensional electrical flow path. Photo-sensitive material and PCB fabrication techniques are alternately or combined utilized for making micro-channel structures or micro stitch structures for substantially reducing dead zones of the diffusion layer while keeping fluid flow resistance to a minimum. The fuel cell assembly is free of mechanical clamping elements. Adhesives that may be conductively contaminated and/or fiber-reinforced provide mechanical and eventual electrical connections, and sealing within the assembly. Mechanically supporting backing layers are pre-fabricated with a natural bend defined in combination with the backing layers' elasticity to eliminate massive support plates and assist the adhesive bonding. Proton insulation between adjacent and electrically linked in-plane cell elements is provided by structural insulation within the central membrane.
US07670697B2
A fuel cell system has at least one fuel cell unit for generating electrical energy, a unit for storing or dispensing electrical energy, an electrical consumer for consuming electrical energy, a diagnostic unit for ascertaining a functional capability of the at least one fuel cell unit during a diagnosis phase, and a control unit for determining an electrical power generated at least during the diagnosis phase by the at least one fuel cell unit.
US07670691B2
Cyclometalated transition metal complex and organic electroluminescent display device using the same
A cyclometalated transition metal complex emitting phosphorescence of high efficiency and an organic electroluminescent display device employing the same are provided. The cyclometalated transition metal complex is represented by Formula I: {[C ^N]mM[P(R1R2)][LR3R4]n}z (I). The cyclometalated transition metal complex can be employed in an organic film of an organic electroluminescent display device, can emit light at a wavelength range of 400 nm to 650 nm, and can emit white light as well when used with a green light emitting material and a red light emitting material.
US07670687B2
The present invention relates to a biaxially oriented polyester film, which a) has a base layer B, which includes a yellow dye and a red dye, b) has, on each side of the base layer B, at least one layer (A or C) which includes, based on the weight of layer A or C, less than 0.01% by weight of the yellow dye and less than 0.01% by weight of the red dye, and c) the film has one absorption maximum lying at from 400 to 500 nm in the UV/visible spectrum from 400 to 800 nm. Preferred dyes are anthraquinone dyes and perinone dyes; the polyester is preferably PET. After metallization or lamination, the film has a gold appearance, and is a suitable packaging material.
US07670681B2
A material composite has at least one region of copper or a copper alloy, at least one region of a predominantly graphitic material, and at least one boundary region between them. The boundary region has one or more carbides from the group of the IVb, Vb, VIb transition metals and one or more elements of the group consisting of Si, B, Al, Ge, Mn, Sn. In a preferred implementation of the invention, the composite is produced with a back-casting process.
US07670677B2
A latently crimpable conjugate fiber is constructed using a first component containing an ethylene-α-olefin copolymer polymerized with a metallocene catalyst and a second component formed from a thermal plastic polymer having a melting point T2 higher than a melting point T1 of the first component, such that the first component is exposed with an exposed length of at least 20% relative to a peripheral length of the fiber, and which fiber has a single fiber dry heat shrinkage percentage of at least 50%, which is determined according to JIS-L-1015 (dry heat shrinkage percentage) at 100° C. under an initial tension of 0.018mn/dtex (2mg/d) for 15 minutes and a single fiber dry heat shrinkage percentage of at least 15%, which is determined under the same condition under an initial tension of 0.450mN/dtex (50mg/dtex) for 15 minutes. The latently crimpable conjugate fiber develops crimps and has thermal adhesiveness at a low temperature.
US07670667B2
The invention relates to a biaxially oriented polyester film having at least one base layer (B) which includes from 0.25 to <1.0% by weight of SiO2 and from 0.25 to <1.0% by weight of TiO2. The invention further relates to a process for the production of the film and to its use. The inventive film features characteristic surfaces and defined optical properties, and has good suitability for use in the industrial sector.
