US07676847B2
An application is activated with access permission to resources which are granted to unsigned applications. In parallel with the execution of the application, tamper check is performed on the application using a tamper check thread. When access to a resource which is not granted to unsigned applications is requested during the execution of the application before the completion of the tamper check, the application is put in a wait state until the completion of the tamper check. After the application is judged as having been untampered with as a result of the tamper check, the application is further granted access permission to resources that are specified by a permission information file included in the application. If this further-granted access permission includes the access right to the resource, the execution of the application is continued.
US07676840B2
Machine instructions comprising a bootstrap code are buried within a critical component of an electronic game console where they cannot readily be accessed or modified. A preloader portion in a read only memory (ROM) is hashed by the bootstrap code and the result is compared to an expected hash value maintained in the bootstrap code. Further verification of the boot-up process is carried out by the preloader, which hashes the code in ROM to obtain a hash value for the code. The result is verified against a digital signature value that defines an expected value for this hash. Failure to obtain any expected result terminates the boot-up process. Since the bootstrap code confirms the preloader, and the preloader confirms the remainder of the code in ROM, this technique is useful for ensuring that the code used for booting up the device has not been modified or replaced.
US07676837B2
In a computer telecommunications network, firewalls protect a machine or network from undesired message transmissions. In the case of a firewall employed on a user side of the wireless link, a message rejected by the firewall has already consumed the wireless resources required to transmit. A system for protecting a mobile wireless user via a firewall employed at the wired line, or ISP side, of the wireless link in a wireless network allows a specific user profile to be provided for each user that is indicative of a desired firewall configuration corresponding to the mobile user. A firewall configuration is established at a firewall application in a wireless transceiver corresponding to the current location of the mobile user, and the same firewall configuration is established, via a wireless handoff, at a second wireless transceiver when the user is located in the area corresponding to the second wireless transceiver, thereby protecting a plurality of wireless users prior to wasteful wireless transmission of undesired messages.
US07676836B2
The invention relates to the protection by firewall of a domestic community of interconnectable appliances.The invention allows distributed and totally decentralized management of the firewall policy, implemented at the level of each appliance, which is consistent and adapts dynamically to the changes occurring within the domestic network. We shall speak of ubiquitous firewalls.
US07676831B2
Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to access control and provide a method, system and computer program product for access control management for a collection of heterogeneous application components. In a first embodiment, a data processing system for role-based access control management for multiple heterogeneous application components can include at least one business role descriptor associating a business role with multiple, different application roles for corresponding, disparate application components. The system also can include at least one access policy associating a user with the business role. Finally, the system can include policy deployment logic include program code enabled to process the access policy to assign the user to the different application roles in the disparate application components.
US07676829B1
Systems and methods for associating multiple credentials with a single user account in a distributed authentication system. A user can be authenticated to a service by providing any one of the multiple credentials to the authentication system. Thus, a user can provide credentials that are more easily entered or supplied on a given device. All of the credentials are associated with a single user account. The credentials can be associated symmetrically, where the user account is independent of each credential, or asymmetrically, where the user account is stored with a primary credential and the other credentials are secondary credentials that reference the primary credential.
US07676828B1
A method and system for authenticating and authorizing requesters interacting with content servers. A message including a request is forwarded from an upstream device and received by an intermediate device. The intermediate device authenticates the upstream device. Then, if the intermediate device is authorized to make decisions as to which sender may access the content server, the intermediate device determines whether the sender of the message has authority to access the content server as requested in the request. Otherwise, the message is forwarded towards the content server with an indication that the intermediate device authenticated the upstream device.
US07676825B2
The present invention concerns a method of receiving audiovisual programs transmitted to terminals. The users of the terminals choose a program from a catalogue and make a proposition to a server to download it to their terminals. The proposition is accompanied by a price and/or deadline. The server analyzes the propositions it receives and, taking account of its profitability constraints, decides whether or not it will transmit the program. Depending on the case, it sends the acceptance to each user who has made a proposition with profitable parameters for the transmission of the program and gives the users the means of receiving the program for viewing. The decision to transmit the program is determined according to various strategies the common criterion of which is profitability. The invention also concerns a terminal and a server for the implementation of the method.
US07676822B2
A system, method and apparatus for displaying real time auxiliary information from a secondary source or input signal in combination with a program from a separate primary source. The auxiliary information (e.g. textual, graphical or video images) is selectable and is received through a second, integral or stand-alone tuner. The selected information can be displayed (1) continuously, (2) at predefined regular intervals, or (3) as the (defined) event(s) occur either in real time or in memory to provide a short delay time. The auxiliary information may be part of a currently transmitted data stream or as a separate data stream.
US07676821B2
Method and related system for detecting advertising sections of video signal. The invention is capable of integrating detecting results based on different detecting rules, which includes detecting discontinuity of frame images in the video signals, detecting occurrences of frames with specific images, detecting occurrences of repeated frames, and detecting audio divisions in the video signal. Detecting results of these detecting rules are integrated by weighting them according to their accuracy, such that occurrence of advertising can be located.
US07676816B2
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for executing a service using a set of software plug-ins. The method may include generating, at a first computer, a service request to execute the service. The method may also include processing, at a second computer, the generated service request using the set of software plug-ins associated with the service to create a modified service request by executing each of the software plug-ins in a sequence. Further, the method may include executing, at a third computer, the service using the modified service request and processing, by a second set of software plug-ins based on the sequence, a result from the executing step.
US07676811B2
A remote procedure call channel for interprocess communication in a managed code environment ensures thread-affinity on both sides of an interprocess communication. Using the channel, calls from a first process to a second process are guaranteed to run on a same thread in a target process. Furthermore, calls from the second process back to the first process will also always execute on the same thread. An interprocess communication manager that allows thread affinity and reentrancy is able to correctly keep track of the logical thread of execution so calls are not blocked in unmanaged hosts. Furthermore, both unmanaged and managed hosts are able to make use of transparent remote call functionality provided by an interprocess communication manager for the managed code environment.
US07676809B2
A system, apparatus and method of enhancing priority boosting of scheduled threads are provided. If, while being executed by a second CPU, a second thread determines that it has to wait for a lock on a shared resource held by a first thread that is scheduled to be executed by a first CPU, the second thread may boost the priority of the first thread by passing its priority to the first thread if its priority is higher than the first thread's priority. Further, to enhance the priority boost of the first thread, the second thread may reschedule the first thread to be processed by the second CPU. By having been rescheduled on the second CPU, the second thread may be dispatched for execution right thereafter.
US07676804B2
A method and system are provided to perform a process of wirelessly providing software updates to a target module located in a work machine. In one embodiment, the process includes determining whether a software update condition exists for software stored in the target module and when such a condition does exist, delivering software update data from a remote off-board system to the work machine. Further, the work machine may determine a location of the target module and whether an update delay condition exists. Also, the process may include delivering the software update to the target module if no update delay condition exists, and delaying the delivery of the software update data to the target module if an update delay condition does exist.
US07676803B2
An update applicability data model is used to define relationships between an instance of a hardware device and an instance of an associated software component in an inventory context and a packaging context. A hardware device instance is correlated with an instance of the associated software component in the inventory context. Instances of hardware devices are compared in the inventory context. Instances of software components are compared in the inventory context and in the packaging context. Instances of hardware devices are grouped in the inventory context. Instances of software components are grouped in the inventory context and in the packaging context. Whether to update an instance of a software component associated with an instance of a hardware device using the update applicability data model is determined.
US07676795B2
A compiler for incorporating error detection into executable code generates conventional assembler language object code from a source code file. The compiler identifies an error detection segment (EDS) in the assembler code, where the EDS includes a subset of basic blocks in the assembler code. The compiler also identifies register and memory references in the EDS and inserts a set of instructions into the EDS. The inserted instructions record an entry state and an exit state of the referenced registers and memory locations. The state information is stored in a checkpoint portion of system memory. The compiler may generate shadow EDS code including instructions mirroring the instructions in the main EDS and verifying instructions that compare results produced by the mirroring instructions with results produced by the main EDS. The shadow EDS initiates an error recovery process if results produced by the shadow EDS and the main EDS differ.
US07676792B2
A software component library management system is provided, which can effectively support both a component utilization user and a component management user in carrying out their business tasks. The component management tool 6 includes a component retrieve/pickup function unit 10 and a component administration/registration function unit 20. The component administration/registration function unit 20 is adapted to make registrations of attribute information on software components stored in the component database 5, such as relation information items representing relations between the software component and other software components. The component retrieve/pickup function unit 10 can retrieve and pickup a batch of software components related to a specific software component, based on the relation information items. The relation information item includes a slave link used to identify a slave component which a certain software component uses (slave information item), and a master link used to identify a master component by which a certain software component is used (master information item).
US07676789B2
An architecture for customizable applications includes an application object and a customization object. The application object has internal logic that performs a set of fixed or predetermined actions, and a public object model. The public object model includes a set of public methods that are invocable on the application object, and a set of event source which are methods that can be implemented by a programmer and are called by the internal logic of the application object. By implementing methods invocable by the event sources, it is possible to extend and customize the functionality of the application object. The customizations are stored in a customization database for retrieval during the dynamic operation of the application object. Each customization may be identified by a “moniker,” which is a string having a hierarchical format. The moniker is derived partly from fixed data known to the application object, and partly from environmental data that is ascertained by the application object at run time.
US07676784B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for implementing parameterizable processor cores and peripherals on a programmable chip. An input interface such as a wizard allows selection and parameterization of processor cores, peripherals, as well as other modules. The logic description for implementing the modules on a programmable chip can be dynamically generated, allowing extensive parameterization of various modules. Dynamic generation also allows the delivery of device driver logic onto a programmable chip. The logic description can include information for configuring a dynamically generated bus module to allow connectivity between the modules as well as connectivity with other on-chip and off-chip components. The logic description, possibly comprising HDL files, can then be automatically synthesized and provided to tools for downloading the logic description onto a programmable chip.
US07676776B2
A method for determining gate array distribution includes steps or acts of: randomly placing a plurality of test boxes in a logic circuit layout; counting the number of fill cells in each of the plurality of test boxes; recording the count; grouping the plurality of test boxes into two groups: a first group with local clock buffers and a second group without local clock buffers; determining the fill cell percentage of each of the plurality of test boxes; and flagging the test boxes with a poor distribution of gate array cells.
US07676773B2
A method of trace optimization in a flattened netlist of a circuit is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) generating a first total result by tracing a first path through the flattened netlist, (B) writing an intermediate result in a memory, the intermediate result characterizing a module having a plurality of instances in the circuit, (C) adding the intermediate result as read from the memory to the first total result upon crossing each of the instances of the module along the first path and (D) writing the first total result into the memory.
US07676769B2
Techniques for testing a semiconductor wafer are disclosed. One technique includes measuring a parameter for each of the semiconductor dies in a region of the wafer and determining an adaptive threshold for the region based on the measured parameters. The parameter measured for each die in the region is then compared to the adaptive threshold to determine a qualification status for each die. Accordingly, the semiconductor dies of the wafer are qualified based on an adaptive threshold that varies according to the wafer region under test. This allows for detection of dies whose parameters vary significantly from other dies in a region, providing for detection of potentially faulty dies whose parameter measurements otherwise meet a fixed threshold set for the entire wafer, such as a Single Threshold Test Limit (STL) expectation for the wafer.
US07676767B2
A user is able to access additional functions not represented in a current image displayed by a graphical user interface. At least one function not presented on the current image is represented by a symbol on an underlying image that is at least partially covered by the current image. When the user performs a predetermined user input (e.g., selecting a corner of the current image), the underlying image and the at least one function represented thereby become accessible. When the user input is performed, a visual effect depicts the current image being at least partially removed from over the underlying image, thereby revealing and permitting access to the at least one additional function. The user input is made by the user performing an action with the user's hand or another object adjacent to a responsive display, or by using a pointing device to manipulate a displayed image.
US07676764B2
There is provided a document management system capable of displaying indexes indicating input/output devices connected on a network in a manner that an operator can clearly distinguish between devices which are capable of correctly performing processing in accordance with the setting made for an inputted job and devices which are not capable thereof, and a control method therefor. An icon for each processing function which each of several devices connected to a network has is displayed on a screen, several pieces of information being managed in the document management system are listed, and a user-desired piece of information is selected among the listed plurality of pieces of information based on the user's selection operation. The setting contents set for the selected information are acquired, it is determined whether or not each processing function of the displayed several devices can process the selected information according to the acquired setting contents, the display form of the displayed icon is changed based on the determination result so that it is possible to distinguish between the processing function of a device which can process the selected information according to the acquired setting contents and the processing function of a device which cannot do so.
US07676751B2
An automated method for generating Graphical User Interfaces (GUI's) is illustrated in the context of a system for processing financial applications. In one embodiment, the GUI generator converts domain data representing over one thousand application types into an equal number of corresponding user screens. The interface may also be bidirectional, operating on user inputs to validate data or check for double keying.
US07676746B1
A system and method for enabling in-context authoring of alternate content for one or more non-textual objects is presented. An electronic document containing content that includes at least one non-textual object is accessed. In-context editing of alternate content corresponding to the non-textual object is facilitated. The alternate content is presented contextually co-located with the content located proximate to a physical placement of the non-textual object. Editing operations are performed on the alternate content in response to editing commands. A system and method for enabling in-context authoring of alternate content for one or more non-textual objects is also presented. An electronic document containing content is accessed. In-context editing of alternate content corresponding to a non-textual object is facilitated. A segment of the content is selected. The non-textual object is obtained from a data source and substituted for the content segment, which is stored as the alternate content for the non-textual object.
US07676739B2
Improved document annotation techniques are provided. For example, in one aspect of the invention, a technique for determining an annotation for a document includes the following steps/operations. A user-proposed annotation to be associated with the document is obtained. Then, the technique automatically determines, in accordance with a knowledge base, whether the user-proposed annotation matches at least one allowed annotation.
US07676733B2
Techniques to perform forward error correction for an electrical backplane are described. An apparatus comprises a physical layer unit having a forward error correction sublayer to perform forward error correction using a single bit to represent a two bit synchronization header.
US07676731B2
A method for retransmitting coded bits by a transmitter in response to a retransmission request from a receiver in a mobile communication system. The method comprises determining a modulation technique to be used at retransmission as a modulation technique having a lower modulation order than a modulation technique used at initial transmission; determining a puncturing pattern according to an HARQ (Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request) type, and selecting as many coded bits as the number of coded bits that can be symbol-mapped by the determined modulation technique, among the coded bits punctured by the determined puncturing pattern; and symbol-mapping the selected coded bits by the determined modulation technique, and transmitting the symbol-mapped coded bits to the receiver.
US07676728B2
A memory controller and method that provide a read-refresh (also called “distributed-refresh”) mode of operation, in which every row of memory is read within the refresh-rate requirements of the memory parts, with data from different columns within the rows being read on subsequent read-refresh cycles until all rows for each and every column address have been read, scrubbing errors if found, thus providing a scrubbing function that is integrated into the read-refresh operation, rather than being an independent operation. For scrubbing, an atomic read-correct-write operation is scheduled. A variable-priority, variable-timing refresh interval is described. An integrated card self-tester and/or card reciprocal-tester is described. A memory bit-swapping-within-address-range circuit, and a method and apparatus for bit swapping on the fly and testing are described.
US07676727B2
A method for transmitting data, in which a first signature is formed according to a specifiable signature formation method as a function of the data to be transmitted, the first signature is transmitted together with the data a second signature is formed according to the signature formation method as a function of the transmitted data and the first signature is compared with the second signature. To reduce the likelihood of fault masking in monitoring the transmission of the data using signature analysis, a provision is made to invert the data to be transmitted, to form the first signature according to the specifiable signature formation method as a function of the data to be transmitted and of the inverted Data, to transmit the first signature and the data to invert the transmitted data, to form the second signature according to the signature formation method as a function of these inverted data and the transmitted data, and to compare the first signature with the second signature.
US07676725B1
A method of generating a code that minimizes error propagation by selecting integers m, n, mrl, and a range of fractions od, where m represents the number of bits in an unencoded sequence, where n represents the number of bits in an encoded sequence, where mrl represents the maximum run length of an encoded sequence, and where od represents a range of ones densities of an encoded sequence. Next, generating an encoding map M that maps each unencoded sequence to an n-bit encoded sequence that satisfies od and mrl. Next, generating a decoding map N that maps each n-bit sequence to an m-bit sequence. Next, determining an error-propagation score for M and N. Then, returning to the step of generating M if a user requires a lower error-propagation score.
US07676718B2
A first FF outputs a first signal. A second FF captures the first signal and outputs a second signal. Each of the first and the second FF has a clock terminal to capture a clock signal. A third FF captures the first signal in parallel with the second FF. The third FF has a clock terminal to capture the clock signal in parallel with the clock terminal of the second FF. A buffer delays arrival of the clock signal to the clock terminal of the third FF. A comparing circuit compares the second signal and the third signal. An error collecting circuit captures a result of comparison to judge whether a timing error occurs in the second FF.
US07676714B2
A system and method are disclosed for testing operation of a memory card within an electronic host device. The system includes a flat flexible cable, or strip, for electrically coupling between the memory card slot in a host device and a test assembly. The test assembly may have a card slot for accepting an external memory card, and a debug header for receiving a cable connected to a debug apparatus such as a logic analyzer and/or an oscilloscope.
US07676711B2
A test circuit for testing a command signal at a package level in a semiconductor device includes: a logic level determining unit for determining logic levels of a plurality of command flag signals in response to a plurality of internal command signals in a test mode; a storage unit for storing the plurality of command flag signals in response to a store control signal and outputting the plurality of command flag signals in series in response to an output control signal; and an output unit for driving an output signal of the storage unit to a data pad.
US07676696B2
A functional unit for carrying out logical test cases on a test system interconnected to a unit that is to be tested, the functional unit being suitable for being interconnected between the logical test cases and the test system in such a way that the logical test cases are decoupled from the test system, and, in this context, for supporting an execution of the logical test cases on the test system as mediator.
US07676694B2
System components are managed. Based on a first communication path to a component, first identification information for the component is determined. Based on a second communication path to the component, second identification information for the component is determined. Based on the first identification information and the second identification information, an identity for the component is determined. Based on the identity, a set of tests is performed on the component. Based on the failure rate of the set of tests, it is concluded that another component on the first communication path is faulty.
US07676688B1
Mechanisms for data source computing system(s) to provide data to data targets. The data source(s) access an identification of common groups of blocks, each group being common amongst all or a subset of the data target(s). The common groups of blocks may have different scope such that one common group of blocks is to be provided to a different set of the data targets than another common group of blocks. Optionally, a selection mechanism may be used to assign priority in initiating multicasting of the identified common groups of blocks. The data source(s) then initiate multicasting of the common groups of blocks in the appropriate order to the appropriate data targets. Since the common groups of blocks are provided in a single multicast, rather than separately, the data is provided in a more efficient manner to the data targets.
US07676682B2
A network storage appliance having a main computing unit is provided with an embedded microcomputer for monitoring startup and operation of the main computing unit. The microcomputer has the ability to restart, power down or power up the main computing unit if any corresponding predetermined conditions exist. Local nonvolatile storage holds the firmware for the main computing unit and configuration for the appliance. After loading the firmware and configuration to the main computing unit, the nonvolatile storage is electronically disconnected from the main computing unit. Where two such appliances are coupled for redundancy between the same network storage and the network, the embedded microcomputers are separately coupled for communication to allow for negotiating a restart of one of the main computing units under the direction of the other, or if any predetermined conditions occur.
US07676669B2
The load/sense control of the setting value that corresponds to the processor core for CMP, etc. processors that have multi-cores realize, for such processors with multi-core structures, the shortening of system boot time during multi-core operation, flexible debugging methods, and improvement of yield with the aid of partial core quality product chips at time of semiconductor production, by equipping a core selection flag register that maintains the status of each core, and controlling the output to the core block from the processor common block through that core selection flag register status.
US07676665B2
Arrangements for initialization-time and run-time integration of firmware and driver software extensions for supporting add-in hardware.
US07676662B2
In various embodiments of the present invention, a virtual monitor can arrange to properly emulate execution of a cover instruction by operating-system code, or other code assuming to run at highest privilege level, by monitoring a window of instruction execution in which a cover instruction may be executed. Upon occurrence of an interruption, the virtual monitor may configure performance monitoring by the IA-64 processor to count the number of times a cover instruction is executed. When a subsequent attempt is made by a routine executing at a privilege level lower than the highest privilege level to read the contents of a special control register into which the contents of the CFM register would have been stored had a cover instruction been executed under conditions obtainable only to code running at the highest privilege level, the virtual monitor can determine whether or not a cover instruction was, in fact, executed by the non-privilege routine and can properly emulate access to the special control register by the routine running at less than highest privilege level. In alternative embodiments, other non-privileged instructions that behave different depending on the privilege level of the processor at the time they execute can be virtualized by the virtualization technique used for the cover instruction.
US07676656B2
A method and apparatus for minimizing unscheduled D-cache miss pipeline stalls is provided. In one embodiment, execution of an instruction in a processor is scheduled. The processor may have at least one cascaded delayed execution pipeline unit having two or more execution pipelines that execute instructions in a common issue group in a delayed manner relative to each other. The method includes receiving an issue group of instructions, determining if a first instruction in the issue group is a load instruction, and if so, scheduling the first instruction to be executed in a pipeline in which execution is not delayed with respect to another pipeline in the cascaded delayed execution pipeline unit.
US07676645B2
Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture, wherein in certain embodiments, a plurality of logical memory blocks corresponding to a memory in a computational device are allocated. An attribute is associated with at least one logical memory block, wherein the attribute indicates whether the at least one logical memory block can be swapped from the memory, and wherein physical blocks corresponding to the at least one logical memory block are contiguous.
US07676636B2
Embodiments of the present invention implement virtual transactional memory using cache line marking. The system starts by executing a starvation-avoiding transaction for a thread. While executing the starvation-avoiding transaction, the system places starvation-avoiding load-marks on cache lines which are loaded from and places starvation-avoiding store-marks on cache lines which are stored to. Next, while swapping a page out of a memory and to a disk during the starvation-avoiding transaction, the system determines if one or more cache lines in the page have a starvation-avoiding load-mark or a starvation-avoiding store-mark. If so, upon swapping the page into the memory from the disk, the system places a starvation-avoiding load-mark on each cache line that had a starvation-avoiding load-mark and places a starvation-avoiding store-mark on each cache line that had a starvation-avoiding store-mark.
US07676631B2
A CPU 3 having a processor 1 and an internal data cache 7 IS operated in combination with a dummy interface 13 which simulates the existence of an external memory 17 having the same address space as the cache memory 7 but which does not store data written to it. In this way, a conventional CPU can be operated without read/write access to an external memory in respect of at least part of its memory address space, and therefore with a higher performance resulting from faster memory access and reduced external memory requirements. The CPU 3 may be one of a set of CPU chips 20, 21 in a data processing system, one or more of those chips 20 optionally having read/write access to an external memory 23.
US07676629B1
A data structure for enforcing consistent per-physical page cacheability attributes is disclosed. The data structure is used with a method for enforcing consistent per-physical page cacheability attributes, which maintains memory coherency within a processor addressing memory, such as by comparing a desired cacheability attribute of a physical page address in a PTE against an authoritative table that indicates the current cacheability status. This comparison can be made at the time the PTE is inserted into a TLB. When the comparison detects a mismatch between the desired cacheability attribute of the page and the page's current cacheability status, corrective action can be taken to transition the page into the desired cacheability state.
US07676616B2
A method, apparatus and program storage device for providing asynchronous status messaging in a data storage system Asynchronous events are returned from a target to an initiator in response to a Read Message from the initiator. The return status message may or may not be associated with a previously given command or Logical Unit (LUN).
US07676607B2
Provided is a hardware acceleration apparatus for an iSCSI target system including a local memory storing data transmitted between a disk storage device and a network system, a TOE controller performing TCP/IP stack offloading on a TCP/IP packet of data stored in the local memory, a network controller allowing data offloaded from the local memory to be transmitted to the network system using an iSCSI protocol or allowing data received from the network system to be stored in the local memory, and a disk controller storing and withdrawing data between the disk storage device and the local memory.
US07676599B2
A system and method of binding a client with a server. Embodiments of the present invention allow a client to receive and maintain a set of “best-fit” server IP addresses. The best fit server IP addresses establish a hierarchy of server addresses that are used by a client to maintain a binding with a server without using the DNS. Communicating the set of best-fit server IP addresses to a specific client is accomplished using extensions to one or more network protocols already used to support client/server communications, thus minimizing the amount of code needed to support the additional information transfer.
US07676597B2
An interface adapter for a packet network includes a first plurality of execution engines, coupled to a host interface so as to read from a memory work items corresponding to messages to be sent over the network, and to generate gather entries defining packets to be transmitted over the network responsive to the work items. A scheduling processor assigns the work items to the execution engines for generation of the gather entries. Switching circuitry couples the execution engines to a plurality of gather engines, which generate the packets responsive to the gather entries.
US07676587B2
Network servers in a cluster share the same network protocol address for incoming client requests, and in a data link layer protocol a reply of a client to a request from a server is returned to this same server. For example: (1) ports of the servers are clustered into one single network channel used for incoming and outgoing requests to and from the servers; or (2) ports of the servers are clustered into one single network channel used for incoming requests to the servers and a separate port of each of the servers is used for outgoing requests from each of the servers; or (3) logical ports of the servers are clustered into one network channel used for requests to the servers and a separate logical port of each of the servers is used for outgoing requests from each of the servers.
US07676586B2
Shared Federation Metadata. A data structures may be implemented in a networked computing environment including federation. A federation includes two or more organizations coupled in a fashion such that authentication and authorization statements span the organizations in accordance with a pre-defined policy. A computer readable medium may include a data structure. The data structure includes fields including at least one or more grouping of metadata about a first federation or about an organization within the first federation. At least one of the one or more groupings of metadata about the first federation or about an organization within the first federation are included in the data structure by a reference to a block of federation metadata, the block of federation metadata is used for at least one other federation or organization.
US07676584B2
In an embodiment of the invention, a dongle is configured for communication with an electronic device. The dongle includes a connector, a controller, a first memory and a second memory. The connector is for interfacing with the electronic device. The controller is for controlling the interface between the connector and the electronic device. The first memory includes a file system. The controller is configured to provide automatic recognition of the dongle and mounting of the file system to the electronic device by using the connector when the dongle interfaces with the electronic device. The second memory has data for automatic navigation to a predetermined location. The dongle is configured for automatic execution of an element of the file system.
US07676579B2
Methods and apparatus for peer to peer network communication. In one implementation, a method of communicating between a first client system and a second client system includes: discovering first address information for a first client system connected to a first network address translation device; sharing the first address information with a second client system; receiving second address information for the second client system; and establishing communication between the first client system and the second client system using the second address information.
US07676565B2
A method of inventorying software and/or hardware. The method may be practiced for example in a network computing environment including at least one client and at least one server. The method includes requesting a rule file from the server. The rule file is received from the server. Information is gathered about the software and/or hardware at the client based on rules in the rule file. The results of gathering information about the software and/or hardware at the client is sent to the server.
US07676558B2
Provided are a method, system, and program for configuring shared devices over a fabric. A module in a first processing complex configures a first part of a fabric enabling communication with a set of devices accessible through the first part of the fabric. The module detects a located device accessible through a second part of the fabric, wherein a second processing complex is designated to configure the second part of the fabric and the located device. The module determines whether the second processing complex is available in response to detecting the uninitialized device. The module passes to a device driver in the first processing complex an uninitialized property for the located device. The device driver requests the module to configure the second part of the fabric to enable access to the located device over the second part of the fabric in response to determining that the located device has the uninitialized property.
US07676556B2
A computer program product that provides a graphical user interface for configuring communication information for multiple network service providers on a computer system. The program product is operable to display a network communication scene that includes edit windows and selectable options for a user to view, enter, remove, and modify configuration information for at least one network service provider, and allows the user to enter information for establishing communication with the same network service provider using at least two different communication mediums, and from several different geographical locations.
US07676549B2
Techniques relating to enabling accessibility functionality in remote terminal session scenarios are described. In one instance, a process detects a request from an accessibility functionality regarding a display element in a remote terminal session. The process sends a query relating to the request to a component located on a computing device which generated the display element. The process also receives a response to the query.
US07676541B2
Communication channels are partitioned among active nodes in an unbounded computing space. A node may register with a discovery system to obtain an address window (that may correspond to a range of IP addresses). The node communicates only with nodes in accordance with the address window. Even though a partition corresponds to a subset of the nodes in the unbounded computing space, the partition overlaps with partitions of other nodes so that all nodes may interact with each other, either directly or indirectly. Because a node may be cognizant of a small subset of active nodes in the unbounded computing space, both security and scalability are supported.
US07676536B1
An apparatus, method and computer program product for processing a binary floating-point number having a sign bit and a mantissa having a fraction portion. It includes identifying the fraction portion of the binary floating-point number; and replacing each bit of the fraction portion with the sign bit, thereby producing a floor of the binary floating-point number.
US07676523B2
A method and system are described for managing data quality. An example method may include obtaining a first data stream interval including a first group of data items and a first aggregated data quality value associated with a quality of obtaining the first group, each data item including data attribute values, each data quality item including data quality attribute values associated with one of the data items. The first aggregated data quality value, a first indicator associating the first aggregated data quality value with the first group, and the first group may be selected. The first group and the first indicator may be stored in a user table of a database. A data quality table associated with the user table may be determined based on an entry in a system table. The first aggregated data quality value and the first indicator may be stored in the data quality table.
US07676521B2
A method and system are provided for forecasting keyword search volume. Keywords are categorized by concept and by the amount of data available for use in predicting future behavior. The keywords and/or the categories can also be categorized as seasonal or non-seasonal. A category level seasonal variation pattern can then be calculated based on keywords in the category that have sufficient historical data. A search volume can then be predicted for one or more keywords, with an appropriate calculation algorithm being selected based on the concept category, seasonal classification, and historical data available for the keywords.
US07676518B2
A system and method for processing data using a bubble clustering algorithm are presented. In the system and method, a set of data is formatted for processing. A set of business objects containing the formatted data is grouped into a smaller set of bubbles, each bubble comprising a container that provides only statistical information about the business objects therein. The bubbles are then clustered based on a nearest neighbor similarity, and a visualization of the clustered bubbles is generated.
US07676517B2
Architecture is provided that transcends a division offered by conventional query architectures by providing a query input box in a client application which provides rich look-ahead query results by integrating results from a network-based service with results from the client application. Realtime network-based search results are injected into the query as the user types the query into a client input box. When a user enters a query character into a query input box of a client application, a search is conducted via an Internet-based index service using the existing query character. In response, the search returns suggested results that are then processed to complete the query as presented for selection by the user in the query input box.
US07676513B2
While consulting indexes to conduct a search, a determination is made from time to time as to whether it is more efficient to consult individual indexes in a set or to merge the indexes and consult the merged index. The cost of merging indexes is compared with the cost of individually querying indexes. In accordance with the result of this comparison, the indexes are merged and the merged index is consulted, or the indexes are individually consulted. A cost-balance invariant in the form of an inequality is used to equate the cost of merging indexes to a weighted cost of individually querying indexes. As query events are received, the costs are updated. As long as the cost-balance invariant is not violated, indexes are merged and the merged index is queried. If the cost-balance invariant is violated, indexes are not merged, and the indexes are individually queried.
US07676510B1
A mechanism by which a server system executing a host application monitors utilization of a fractionally reserved space on a volume storing application data. The server system executes space reservation policies to ensure that the host application is not halted due to inability to create snapshots on the volume. In one implementation, the server system alerts a system administrator if the rate of change in the size of data snapshots exceeds a specified threshold and initiates deletion of backup datasets stored on the volume if the size of a data snapshot exceeds the available space on the volume.
US07676506B2
Embodiments include systems and methods for pre-processing and post-processing original and new versions of files as part of difference file generation between the original and new file versions. The systems and methods of an embodiment include a set of algorithms that reduce the difference file size by preprocessing a variety of regions in software images for embedded computing devices, an example of which is the compressed read-only memory (ROM) file system (CRAMFS) image. The algorithms treat a variety of types of data regions that are created by the compiler. Embodiments operate on the server side and the client side. On the server side, the preprocessing generates Compact Functional Differences (CFD) hint data directly from a pair of CRAMFS images, without the use of symbol files or log files generated by compiler/linker utilities.
US07676495B2
A computer memory product having stored thereon a digital media file, the memory product comprising a computer readable memory, and a data file including at least two digital data portions; a header object including a table of contents (TOC) object containing data regarding the data file; and a second data object following the first header object containing data representing digital media wherein the TOC object is disposed between the first header object and the second data object.
US07676488B2
A design in a markup language for rendering a report may be generated such that the design and conditions associated therewith are written in a single markup language. Based on this arrangement, both the design and the conditions may be parsed according to a pre-defined grammar to facilitate rapid debugging.
US07676487B2
According to one embodiment, a method for formatting and indexing data includes selecting an input data string associated with a data entry. The input data string is of a first format associated with a first numeral system. The input data string is converted to a second format to create an output data string, which is associated with a second numeral system that is a higher-based numeral system than the first numeral system. The output data string is used to create an index associated with the data entry.
US07676484B2
Given a target schema in which instances have been mapped from a source schema, an inverse schema mapping system generates an instance of a target relation for each of a plurality of target relations in the target schema, chases the target relation using a schema mapping to generate a plurality of target relations for the source schema, and then generates an inverse schema mapping, if one exists, that maps the instances of the target schema to the instances of the source schema.
US07676483B2
Systems and methods are provided for task modeling with models that are adaptive and executable at runtime. In one implementation, a method is provided for executing a task model at runtime. The method may comprise providing a task model comprising a plurality of tasks, executing an application to schedule one or more of the tasks, and monitoring a state of one or more of the tasks. Further, the method may include detecting a change in the state of one or more of the tasks, and updating, during runtime execution, the task model based on the detected change in the state of one or more of the tasks.
US07676464B2
A page-ranking method includes mining a portion of content of a user workstation which is connectable to a network to detect references to pages of the network. The pages may be ranked based on the detected references.
US07676463B2
Disclosed information exploration system and method embodiments operate on a document set to determine a document cluster hierarchy. An exclusionary phrase index is determined for each cluster, and representative phrases are selected from the indexes. The selection process may enforce pathwise uniqueness and balanced sub-cluster representation. The representative phrases may be used as cluster labels in an interactive information exploration interface.
US07676456B2
A system to controls access to a database, including: an acquiring section which acquires an access program including a plurality of database access instructions; a detecting section which detects a plurality of different tables in the database that are accessed by the plurality of access instructions; a join control section which executes a join instruction prior to the execution of the access instructions, the join instruction obtaining a result table from the database by combining the plurality of different tables detected; and a conversion control section which executes a conversion instruction prior to the execution of the plurality of access instructions, the conversion instruction extracting records from the result table for the access instructions and converting the records into the form of a structure accessible for the plurality of access instructions.
US07676455B2
The invention provides systems, methods, and computer programs to improve the accuracy and efficiency with which data analysts can use news stories, press releases, and other sources of information to maintain databases that contain information about individuals and businesses and other organizations. Documents containing material information are acquired in computer-readable form and optionally may then be reduced to raw text. One or more computerized systems process the text and tag important terms such as proper nouns, job titles, awards, and other terms indicating professional, educational, corporate, or other developments. The invention provides a user interface with which a data analyst can review, confirm, remove, modify, introduce, and link the tags, ultimately adding the information and links to a database and storing the source document in an electronic warehouse for future retrieval.
US07676442B2
Support vector machines are used to classify data contained within a structured dataset such as a plurality of signals generated by a spectral analyzer. The signals are pre-processed to ensure alignment of peaks across the spectra. Similarity measures are constructed to provide a basis for comparison of pairs of samples of the signal. A support vector machine is trained to discriminate between different classes of the samples. to identify the most predictive features within the spectra. In a preferred embodiment feature selection is performed to reduce the number of features that must be considered.
US07676439B2
An eVault system securely stores personal data and documents for citizens and allows controlled access by citizens and optionally by service providers. The eVault may be adapted to allow processes involving the documents to be carried out in a secure and paperless fashion. Documents are certified, and biometric matching is used for security. On effecting a match with a biometric identifier presented by a user, the user is allowed access to his personal eVault and to access a personal cryptographic key stored therein. One or more of these personal keys may be securely applied within the eVault to generate an electronic signature, amongst other functions.
US07676438B2
A system for authenticating a document, D. A trusted party applies an algorithm to D, for example, by treating each byte of data within D as a number, and treating the numbers as inputs to the algorithm. The trusted party obtains a result from the algorithm, termed a Message Authentication Code, MAC. The trusted party gives a courier both (1) D and (2) the MAC, as by loading both into a portable computer carried by the courier. The courier delivers both D and MAC to a recipient, who is equipped with the identical algorithm. The recipient applies the algorithm to D. If the recipient obtains the MAC, the recipient concludes that no tampering of D occurred. The reason is that successful tampering requires the courier to replace MAC with a fabricated MAC(fab). MAC(fab) must possess the characteristic that the algorithm would produce MAC(fab) when applied to the tampered document D. However, since the courier does not know the algorithm, and since the number of possible algorithms is nearly infinite, the courier cannot produce MAC(fab).
US07676437B2
A license enforcement system is disclosed herein. The system receives digitized licenses associated with computer applications in a secure license store. The licenses are then monitored and compared with the actual use by users to determine compliance with licenses. If users employ an application in violation of licensing terms then corrective action can be taken such as providing warnings and/or shutting down or denying access to a licensed application. Additional security features are employed to ensure that license store data is valid and that the system is constantly monitored except where a bypass component is properly utilized. Furthermore, a user can utilize a plurality of different wizards such as an add license wizard, a backup license wizard and a restore license wizard, to facilitate easy step-by-step interaction with the license system.
US07676436B2
Embodiments of the present invention enable a user to acquire an item (e.g., a digital song, digital video, etc.) using one device (e.g., a portable device) and to easily move a copy of the acquired item from the one device to another device so that a user of the other device can play the item.
US07676423B2
A method and system for the determination of optimal pricing and allocation of securities in an open, competitive environment. The method and system may also be used in developing pre-markets of other items that are difficult to price and allocate in a competitive manner, such as the underwriting/securitization of contracts for property; future revenue/earning streams from an asset and/or group of assets; underwritten insurance portfolios, intellectual property and other goods and services. The system of price optimization and allocation is accomplished by interactive feedback of information using a display and including competitive participation of individual members of the public (and/or their agents) or institutional buyers over a data network e.g., the Internet, uncovering the nature and identification of demand in a self-organizing fashion. Demand emerges through participants' interaction with the system and with each other, via a graphically-supported, interactive reservation process. Indications of interest (e.g., bids) may be treated as an allotment.
US07676421B2
A method of providing an automated auction for internalization for the purchase or sale of securities or derivatives in an exchange is disclosed. The method may include receiving an order at an electronic trade engine, disseminating a request for price message to at least one user in response to receiving the order, receiving a one-sided response message representative of a participant-type in response to the request for price message, selecting an allocation algorithm from a plurality of allocation algorithms, initiating the selected allocation algorithm and allocating the order according to the participant-type upon termination of the selected auction. The system may include an electronic trading engine configured to disseminate an auction message in response to an order, a database of allocation algorithms, and a trade processor for initiating an auction according the one of the allocation algorithms and terminating the auction upon defined early termination events.
US07676416B2
Systems, methods and computer program products for performing a valuation of a contingent claim, such as a call or a put, are provided that initially determine the present value distribution of contingent future benefits that is attributable to the exercise of a contingent claim, such as according to a jump-diffusion model. The present value of an exercise price, such as a distribution of contingent future investments of a distribution of contingent future investments, required to exercise the contingent claim is also determined. An average of the difference between the present value distribution of contingent future benefits and the present value of the contingent future investment is determined. By utilizing appropriate discount rates, the benefits and investment can be effectively valued, which, in turn, permits the contingent claim project to be effectively valued in an intuitive manner.
US07676415B2
Various embodiments of systems, methods, computer programs, merchant terminals, etc. for providing an on-us cash withdrawal service at a point-of-sale are provided. One embodiment comprises a method for providing a cash withdrawal service at a point-of-sale. One such method comprises: issuing an association-branded financial card to a cardholder, the association-branded financial card comprising an association account number corresponding to a credit card association and a proprietary account number corresponding to an issuer of the association-branded financial card; at a merchant terminal, reading the proprietary account number from the association-branded financial card and receiving a cash withdrawal amount; providing the proprietary account number and the cash withdrawal amount to a switch associated with the issuer; at the switch, determining the association account number based on the proprietary account number; and authorizing the cash withdrawal amount by submitting an authorization request to a issuing host, the authorization request including the association account number and the cash withdrawal amount.
US07676413B2
A system, method and computer program product are provided for determining a minimum future benefits value for exercising a contingent claim of an option. The method may include determining a present value distribution of contingent future benefits at an expiration exercise point, and present values of respective exercise prices at the expiration exercise point and one or more decision points before that point. Determining these present value distribution and present values may include discounting a distribution and respective values according to first and second discount rates, respectively. The method may also include repeatedly determining, for a plurality of forecasted asset values at a selected decision point, respective values based upon the present value distribution and the present values, where the respective values may be conditioned on the forecasted asset values. A forecasted asset value that maximizes the value may then be selected.
US07676412B2
A system, method and computer program product are provided for determining a minimum asset value for exercising a contingent claim of an option. The method may include determining a present value conditional distribution of contingent future benefits attributable to the exercise of a contingent claim, including conditioning a distribution of contingent future benefits on an estimated minimum asset value, and discounting the distribution according to a first discount rate. Similarly, the method may include determining present values of respective exercise prices required to exercise one or more contingent claims, including discounting respective exercise prices according to a second discount rate. A conditional value may then be determined based upon the present value conditional distribution and the present values of respective exercise prices, and may be repeated along with determining a present value conditional distribution for different estimated minimum asset values until the conditional value equals approximately zero.
US07676410B2
A customer is assisted in recovering from indebtedness by combining a debt consolidation/settlement program with an installment loan. The customer is qualified for an installment loan with a value based on the amount of outstanding indebtedness or possibly based on the anticipated discounted balance. The customer is required to make payments into an escrow account for a period of time to ensure that the customer is credit worthy. One or more of the creditors are then approached in an effort to negotiate a discounted settlement amount in exchange for the reception of immediate reconciliation of the debt owed. A portion of the negotiated discount is retained for compensation, which can be provided to the debt settlement provider and/or the bank finding the installment loan. The balance is passed through to the customer.
US07676409B1
According to one embodiment, the present invention relates to a method and a system for emulating a private label network over an open network where settlement occurs at varying discount rates with one or more merchants or providers. A computer implemented method and system for settling a transaction at a discount rate may include receiving an authorization record for the transaction initiated by a customer over an open payment network; identifying payment plan data associated with a transaction; creating a settlement record based at least in part on the authorization record and the payment plan data; determining a discount rate for the settlement record; and settling with a provider for the transaction at the discount rate.
US07676408B2
The present invention relates to a system and methods by which the risk associated with a new opportunity or new or ongoing relationship may be assessed. An example of such new opportunity or new relationship for which the present invention may be used to assess the risk is that concerning a potential new customer of a financial institution. The risk assessment of the present invention may be used to assess whether a new customer should be taken on as a customer and, if so, to what extent should the possible full range of account benefits be provided to the new customer. Other applications include assessing risk regarding a candidate for employment, assessing casualty loss and/or repayment risk in the insurance industry, and assessing risk in a landlord tenant relationship to determine whether or not to rent to the prospective tenant and if so, the amount of the security deposit.
US07676407B2
Systems and methods are provided for an online purchasing system. In one embodiment, the online system includes business logic for approving a purchase requisition having a plurality of itemized goods and service and requiring approval by a plurality of authorized approvers on a line item by line item basis. An approval table defining identified authorized approver and conditions under which the authorized approvers must approve specified line items in a particular purchase request is generated by the online purchasing system to enable approvers of the purchase requisition to monitor the status of the particular purchase request. In a second embodiment, the online purchasing system through extracting business logic identified a second group of authorized approver and conditions under which the authorized approvers must approve specified line items.
US07676400B1
A data processing system generates recommendations for on-line shopping by scoring recommendations matching the customer's cart contents using by assessing and ranking each candidate recommendation by the expected incremental margin associated with the recommendation being issued (as compared to the expected margin associated with the recommendation not being issued) by taking into consideration historical associations, knowledge of the layout of the site, the complexity of the product being sold, the user's session behavior, the quality of the selling point messages, product life cycle, substitutability, demographics and/or other considerations relating to the customer purchase environment. In an illustrative implementation, scoring inputs for each candidate recommendation (such as relevance, exposure, clarity and/or pitch strength) are included in a probabilistic framework (such as a Bayesian network) to score the effectiveness of the candidate recommendation and/or associated selling point messages by comparing a recommendation outcome (e.g., purchase likelihood or expected margin resulting from a given recommendation) against a non-recommendation outcome (e.g., the purchase likelihood or expected margin if no recommendation is issued). In addition, a probabilistic framework may also be used to select a selling point message for inclusion with a selected candidate recommendation by assessing the relative strength of the selling point messages by factoring in a user profile match factor (e.g., the relative likelihood that the customer matches the various user case profiles).
US07676398B2
A method for electronic commerce including generating a host ID and a POD ID at a receiving device; transmitting purchase information on a product, the host ID and the POD ID to a service provider to request purchase of the product; determining whether the requested purchase is approved at the service provider by evaluation of the validity of the transmitted host ID and POD ID; and receiving information on whether the requested purchase is approvided or not at the receiving device. Accordingly, the method for electronic commerce has high security and is convenient to use.
US07676397B2
A method and related system for predicting, possibly a software program executing on a computer system, an online auction outcome for each of a plurality of feedback rules.
US07676386B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for scheduling patients in an organized and uniform way using a batch follow-up system. Such batch follow-up methods help a research site conducting research to prepare one or more of study supplies, patient charts, study goals, and data collecting requirements in preparation for the batch follow-up visits. Embodiments of the invention also relate to systems and methods for communicating initial and follow-up visit dates to patients. In certain instances, various communications (e.g., between the patients and the study site or between the study site and the study sponsor) may be electronic communications. Methods of scheduling and sequencing patient visits may be conducted over a network wherein reminders about follow-up visits are electronically generated.
US07676380B2
A method of managing access to a healthcare information system of a healthcare establishment communications network. The method comprises receiving data regarding a wirelessly detectable tag associated with a clinician; determining whether the clinician is positioned relative to a terminal of the healthcare establishment communications network such that a proximity condition is satisfied based at least in part on the data regarding the wirelessly detectable tag; responsive to the proximity condition being satisfied, providing an opportunity for authentication of the clinician; and responsive to successful authentication of the clinician, establishing a session for the clinician between the terminal and the healthcare information system. The ability to detect proximity of clinician facilitates the process by which the clinician may access the healthcare information system, while the requirement for authentication of the clinician minimizes the risk of data being made available to an unauthorized party.
US07676376B2
The rate and distribution system of the present invention enables an user to more accurately and quickly generate specific rental rates employing a browser-based system. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the rate and distribution system includes an interactive graphical mapping interface depicting the geographic location of the entities of an equipment rental business. The mapping interface preferably comprises a touchscreen and is configured to allow an user to define a region by selecting it on the map. Upon defining a region, the system enables the user to set a rental rate for the defined region. In a more preferred embodiment of the invention, the system enables the user to identify the equipment category to which the rate applies and select a future effective date for the rate.
US07676374B2
A filtering method and system for a subband-domain is provided. A first analysis filter bank is configured to divide an input signal into a plurality of subbands. A second analysis filter bank divides one or more of the subbands into a second set of subbands. A modification unit accepts the plurality of subbands, the second set of subbands and modification data and outputs a plurality of modified frequency subbands. A first synthesis filter bank synthesizes the plurality of modified subbands. A filter then filters the plurality of modified subbands and the one or more synthesized modified subbands to obtain a plurality of filtered subbands. A second synthesis filter bank synthesizes the plurality of filtered subbands to obtain an output signal.
US07676363B2
A speech recognition method includes the steps of receiving speech in a vehicle, extracting acoustic data from the received speech, and applying a vehicle-specific inverse impulse response function to the extracted acoustic data to produce normalized acoustic data. The speech recognition method may also include one or more of the following steps: pre-processing the normalized acoustic data to extract acoustic feature vectors; decoding the normalized acoustic feature vectors using as input at least one of a plurality of global acoustic models built according to a plurality of Lombard levels of a Lombard speech corpus covering a plurality of vehicles; calculating the Lombard level of vehicle noise; and/or selecting the at least one of the plurality of global acoustic models that corresponds to the calculated Lombard level for application during the decoding step.
US07676349B2
Method for constructing an integrated rock physics model that simulates both shale anisotropy and stress-induced anisotropy of clastic rocks. In the model, the total pore volume is divided into three parts according to the estimated shale volume and effective stress: (1) clay-related pores, (2) sand-related pores, and (3) microcracks (mainly in the sand component). The pore space is then partitioned into the clay-related and sand-related pores using a scheme first disclosed by Xu and White in 1995. The model simulates shale anisotropy via the preferred orientation of clay-related pores and stress-induced anisotropy via the preferred orientation of microcracks, which is controlled by the differential stresses. Laboratory measurements or well logs are needed to establish a relationship between crack density and the effective stress.
US07676348B2
The present invention enables support of a process for creating a detailed layout design which takes construction into account, and contributes to a reduction in the workload of the layout design process. A layout editing unit causes an interface unit to display a layout design data editing screen, receives an edit instruction input onto the screen, and edits the layout design data in accordance with the edit instruction. The layout editing unit classifies the layout design data into five data types, namely building data, equipment arrangement data, equipment connection element data, equipment connection path data, and user-specified range data, and edits the data of each data type individually. A storage unit stores the editing results of the layout design data. A CAD conversion unit converts the layout design data into a two-dimensional CAD drawing or a three-dimensional CAD model, and causes the interface unit to display the two-dimensional CAD drawing or three-dimensional CAD model on a screen.
US07676333B2
A method of analyzing partial discharge data collected from an electrical device includes collecting partial discharge data from a first electrical device belonging to a group of electrical devices. The group of electrical devices is at least partially defined by at least one electrical device classification. The method also includes generating a comparison of at least a portion of the partial discharge data collected from the first electrical device with at least a portion of the partial discharge data collected from at least one second electrical device. The at least one second electrical device is selected from the group of electrical devices that includes the first electrical device. The method further includes transmitting the results.
US07676330B1
A method for processing KStore sensors for use by a KEngine in a KStore system to process a K includes providing a stream of particles, instantiating a KStore sensor structure, identifying particles to be included in a sensor set and processing said identified particles. The KStore sensor structure can provide a correspondence between a particle and a sensor K node. Furthermore, the KStore sensor structure can be a list of K nodes, an indexed array or a hash table.
US07676323B2
The duration of a knock detection window over which a filtered knock signal is single-point DFT-processed for engine knock detection is user adjustable. The knock detection window is defined by at least two overlapping identical duration sub-windows, and the extent of the sub-window overlap is changed to adjust the duration of the knock detection window. The DFT processing is performed over each sub-window and the processing results are combined for knock detection.
US07676316B2
A method for optimizing operation of an engine driven by an electronic or digital system incorporating at least one parameter or one law or one mapping for engine injection, combustion or post-treatment comprising analyzing fuel composition from at least one sensor located in a fuel circuit of an engine comprising a filling system, a fuel tank, a pump, a fuel filter, an engine fuel system and a return circuit to the fuel tank, and selecting or modifying the parameter, law or mapping for injection, combustion or post-treatment according to a result of the analysis, wherein the fuel composition analysis comprises, spectroscopic analysis of the molecular structure of the hydrocarbons composing the fuel.
US07676306B2
A vehicle behavior analysis system performs an analysis of vehicle operation by displaying behavior data in an organized and analyzed form. A vehicle behavior data collecting unit records information on the vehicle's driving as behavior data and an analysis unit analyzes a recorded content of the vehicle behavior data collecting unit. A recorded data unit obtaining part obtains the recorded data units recorded in a memory of the vehicle behavior data collecting unit and a displaying part displays the content concerning at least a predetermined item among the contents shown by obtained each recorded data unit in a form of a table sectioned for each recorded data units and arranged at a side of the analysis unit, and a risk degree calculated based on the content shown by each recorded data units is contained in the predetermined item displayed by the displaying part.
US07676305B2
Methods and apparatus for assigning weighting coefficients to measurements of a succession of stars acquired by a star sensor connected to a client device in order to determine a spatial orientation, characterized in that higher or lower preference is given to refreshment of the positions of measurements with the highest weights and/or stars on which these measurements are made by the star sensor and/or its client device, so as to displace part of the power of the error associated with the set of star measurements within the frequency spectrum.
US07676304B2
A method of and a system for controlling personal air vehicle (PAV) traffic provides a take-off-and-landing zone, and a forward flight zone. The take-off-and-landing zone may be from the ground up to a first altitude. The forward flight zone may be from the first altitude up to a second altitude. A maximum airspeed is provided in the take-off-and-landing zone. Minimum and maximum airspeeds are provided in the forward flight zone. In the forward flight zone there is a single heading for each altitude. Any change in heading must be accompanied by a change in altitude.
US07676298B2
A method of precision surface re-profiling of a composite polymeric component comprising a region capable of being re-profiled, comprising the steps of locating the polymeric composite component with a formable surface relative to a supporting fixture, the thickness of component comprising the formable surface being greater than the desired final thickness in a region to be re-profiled, moving a forming head into position into contact with the formable surface of the composite component with the aid of precision location or measurement sensors, causing the formable surface of the component to flow under the tool and creating a precisely defined local thickness or profile of component under the forming tool, and moving the forming head along the region of the component to be re-profiled, while maintaining the forming tool at a predetermined height profile or while leaving the re-profiled component with a predetermined thickness profile.
US07676294B2
A visualization system that generates a visualization of manufacturing operations and corresponding workflow is provided. An interface component receives input concerning displayed objects and information. A context component can detect, infer or determine context information regarding an entity or application. A workflow component binds workflow information to industrial automation manufacturing-related information. A visualization component dynamically generates a visualization from a set of display objects to present to a user that is a function of the received context information, workflow information, and industrial automation manufacturing-related information.
US07676293B2
A production schedule creation device includes: a production simulator (100) simulating a production process expressing the production state and the production constraint of the production process; a mathematical expression holding device holding a mathematical model (110) created by acquiring information relating to creation of the production schedule in attention as a mathematical model expressing, in a mathematical expression, the production state and the production constraint of the production process; and an optimization calculation device (120) performing the optimization calculation by using a predetermined evaluation function for the mathematical model (110) and calculating a production instruction for the production simulator. The production instruction obtained by the optimization calculation device is supplied to the production simulator (100) so as to execute simulation. Thus, an optimum solution can be obtained by performing only one simulation.
US07676290B2
The present invention concerns a method for remotely evaluating and/or checking the audio quality of an Internet Protocol based voice communication terminal and a corresponding terminal. Method mainly comprising the steps of providing an IP based terminal with an audio device able to perform measurement and computation on at least some of the digital and/or analog voice signals delivered and/or transmitted within said IP communication terminal, connecting a control terminal to the network to which said IP communication terminal is connected to, retrieving at the control terminal the results of measurement and computation operations of at least one audio quality parameter performed by said device.
US07676287B2
A system for gathering data associated with a process plant, in which parameters are generated by a plurality of signal processing data collection blocks, automatically determines parameters to be monitored. The signal processing data collection blocks may generate data such as statistical data, frequency analysis data, auto regression data, wavelets data, etc. Then, the system monitors the determined parameters.
US07676283B2
In a method for controlling a compression installation (1), the installation has at least two compressor units (i=1, , N) that can be separately turned on or off, a plurality of devices for modifying the output of the compressor units and a control device (10). Known methods and devices do not function optimally in terms of the power consumption of the entire compression installation. The power consumption (EG) for the operation of a plurality of compressor units (i=1, , N) of a compression installation (1) can be optimized by calculating a novel circuit configuration (Si, t) and automatically adjusting the novel circuit configuration (Si, t) by a control device (10).
US07676282B2
In controlled mechanical hardware, such as servo-controlled hardware, data from the control algorithm is obtained and logged for possible later analysis. Loss-less compression is provided without increasing the size of the storage memory. Instead of continuously storing the complete (absolute) value of a monitored control parameter, an absolute value is stored in an absolute entry and one or more values of the parameter which are relative to each preceding value are stored in a sequence of associated relative entries. The space required to store a relative value is less than the space required to store an absolute value. Updated absolute values and groups of associated relative values may also be recorded periodically or when a relative value is too large for the allotted space. The size of relative values may be variable and appropriate information data entries may be generated to indicate the size of associated relative entries.
US07676276B2
A nasal respiratory device and method adapted to provide electrical stimulation comprising an intraoral holdfast having a neuromuscular stimulator with electrodes adapted to provide electrical stimulation to a user for improving breathing and treating a respiratory disorder. The device and method affords access to ambient atmosphere or may be connected pressure devices such as CPAP. The device and method may also contain an airway resistor.
US07676275B1
A lead of the present invention comprises an electrode array adapted to be stably anchored at a selected location within the vena cava of a human patient. The electrode array may take various shapes, including helical, annular and linear. The electrode array is connectable to an electrical stimulation means such as an implantable pulse or signal generator. Electrical stimulation applied to a selected region of the vena cava and across the wall of the vein, that is, transvascularly, to the vagus nerve or branches thereof, depolarizes the nerve to thereby effect control of the heart rate.
US07676262B1
One or more sensors sense patient heart rate and patient activity and provide related signals to a processor. The processor is responsive to sensor signals and obtains an activity threshold based on historical patient heart-rate signals and historical patient activity signals. The processor periodically derives a correlation value from current patient heart-rate signals and current patient activity signals and compares the correlation values to the activity threshold. A start of activity is noted when a correlation value exceeds the activity threshold; while an end of activity is noted when a correlation value fails to exceed the activity threshold. Activity is identified as exercise when correlation values continue to exceed the activity threshold for a predetermine amount of time, while an end of exercise is noted when correlation values fall below the activity threshold for a predetermined amount of time.
US07676255B2
A medical imaging system having a patient support apparatus is provided. The medical imaging system includes a framework portion and a kit of rigid modular patient support panels, constructed of material having a radiation attenuation coefficient less than that of metals. The panels in sub-combination are removably mounted to and supported by the framework portion. The panels are selectively assembled to define varying surface profiles, including selective gaps there between, that are capable of conforming a patient in contact with the surface profile in a range of supported body positions from supine to seated.
US07676249B2
Alert methods and apparatus for call appointments in a calendar application based on communication conditions of a mobile station are disclosed. Calendar information for an appointment in the calendar application is received and stored in memory. The calendar information is associated with a date and time of the appointment. In response to identifying an out-of-coverage condition of the mobile communication device within a predetermined time period of the date and time of the appointment, a warning indication is produced at a user interface of the mobile communication device. The warning indication may be or include a message which instructs a user of the mobile communication device to relocate the mobile communication device for removing the out-of-coverage condition, and may also include an audible or vibrating alert. The warning indication may be provided only if a telephone number or other suitable call information is identified within the calendar information.
US07676248B2
A wireless local area network system and a headset for the system. The headset uses voice input information to set up parameters needed to connect the headset to the corresponding access point and then start the connection process. When the connection fails or succeeds an appropriate voice prompt or visible signal tells the user the headset's connection status.
US07676245B2
A receiver module 11 comprises a loop antenna 14 for receiving signals from a digital broadcast network 3. The receiver module 11 may be an integral component of, or attached to, a mobile terminal 1 that comprises a cellular transceiver 8. For example, the receiver module 11 may be incorporated in a battery pack and inserted into a battery compartment of the mobile terminal 1, so that the receiver module 11 and mobile terminal 1 are powered by battery 13. The loop antenna 14 is substantially resistant to electric fields produced by the transceiver 8 and other sources, and may be arranged within the receiver module 11. Where an external loop antenna 41 is provided instead of, or in addition to, loop antenna 14, the receiver module 11 may be arranged to monitor the quality of signals received from the digital broadcast network 3 and alert a user to deploy the external antenna 41 if the signal quality is low or decreasing.
US07676243B2
A mobile station is disclosed that includes a first antenna, at least one second antenna, and a receiver coupled to the first antenna. The receiver includes first control logic configured to generate a notification of the receiver being able to receive a reception frequency band and includes a transmitter coupled to the at least one second antenna and the receiver. The transmitter communicates radio frequency (RF) signals in a transmission frequency band over an RF transmit path to the at least one second antenna. The transmitter includes a tunable filter coupleable to the RF transmit path, and second control logic configured to adjust at least one characteristic of the tunable filter based at least in part on the notification. The adjustment is performed to reduce, when the tunable filter is coupled to the RF transmit path, interference caused by transmission in the transmission frequency band with reception in the reception frequency band.
US07676219B2
A method and system for controlling distribution of content within a personal domain that makes use of a determination of the relative proximity to a source device or the geographic locations of the receiving devices. The location information may be determined using a Global Positioning System (GPS) or wireless triangulation systems. Usage rights for devices in the network are determined using the location or proximity determination.
US07676216B2
A method, an apparatus, and a carrier medium carrying computer readable code segments to instruct a processor to execute the method. The method is in a wireless network that includes at least one access point. The method includes, from time-to-time, measuring a first set of at least one property of each access point of a set of at least one classified access point of the wireless network. The method further includes re-classifying each access point based on at least one function of a second set of at least one property of the access point, the second set of properties including the first set of properties. The set of at least one access point is classified according to a set of AP classifications, and the re-classifying is into one of the AP classifications.
US07676213B2
A gate-to-source voltage (Vgs) replication circuit includes a diode-connected NMOS transistor coupled to a current source to draw a drain-to-source current therethrough. The generated Vgs is imposed across a source-to-gate junction of a PMOS transistor. A second PMOS transistor is coupled in series with the first PMOS transistor such that the source-to-gate voltage (Vsg) of the second PMOS transistor replicates the Vgs of the NMOS circuit. The second PMOS transistor is coupled as a source follower to bias other NMOS transistors.
US07676211B2
A reconfigurable baseband filter for use in a multimode communication system is disclosed. One or more filter elements can each be configured as a plurality of sub-elements. The value of each of the filter elements can be varied by switching between at least two of the plurality of sub-elements. Switching noise within a desired passband can be reduced by switching at a rate that is greater than the desired passband. The switching noise in the passband can be further reduced by pseudo-randomly switching between the sub-elements. The filter can use a delta-sigma modulator to generate a pseudo-random switching signal.
US07676210B2
A method is disclosed for performing dual mode image rejection calibration in a receiver. A first image correction factor is acquired for use in a receiver system using a first known signal associated with a first signal band during a startup mode. The first image correction factor is adjusted incrementally during a normal operation mode. A radio frequency (RF) signal associated with the first signal band is received using the first image correction factor during the normal operation mode.
US07676198B2
A data transceiver module for digital data communications in a portable hand-held data terminal has multiple data spread spectrum modes which include direct sequence and frequency function modulation algorithms. The transceiver module has multiple user or program configurable data rates, modulation, channelization and process gain in order to maximize the performance of radio data transmissions and to maximize interference immunity. Various module housings, which may be PCMCIA type, are able to be mated with a suitably designed data terminal. Media access control protocols and interfaces of multiple nominal operational frequencies are utilized. Wireless access devices in a cell based network each consider a variety of factors when choosing one of a plurality of modes of wireless operation and associated operating parameters. Such selection defines a communication channel to support wireless data, message and communication exchanges. In further embodiments, the wireless access devices also support a second channel, a busy/control channel, for managing communication on the main communication channel and to overcome roaming and hidden terminal problems. Roaming terminal devices are also configured to support the dual channel design. Such configuration in both circumstances may involve the use of a multimode radio that is timeshared between the two channels or two radios, one dedicated to each channel.
US07676183B2
A toner supply device includes: a toner supply assembly having a toner bottle for holding toner; and a toner supply assembly mounting mechanism having the toner bottle mounted, for feeding toner supplied from the toner bottle to a developing unit. In this toner supply device, toner supplied from the toner supply assembly is fed to the developing unit after it being agitated. The toner supply assembly mounting mechanism includes: guide rails for guiding the toner supply assembly when it is mounted; and a stopper for positioning and holding the toner supply assembly. The toner supply assembly has an abutment surface which is guided by the guide rails and positioned and held by the stopper.
US07676182B2
This invention provides a buffering block with a Mylar bonded on the upper surface of an urethane rubber made base material on the bottom surface of the inserting port of an inserting side frame to support a toner bottle. When a toner bottle is slid and taken out from a copying machine, its inclined portion and cap portion run against the buffering block. Thus, a shock given to the toner bottle when taken out from the copying machine is eased and toner adhered around the cap portion is prevented from dropping to and contaminating the periphery of the inserting side frame.
US07676179B2
Of carrier liquids extracted by an carrier liquid extracting device from a liquid developer obtained by mixing together yellow, cyan, magenta, and black liquid developers, the carrier liquid of particularly high purity is recycled for concentration control of the yellow liquid developer and the carrier liquid of purity a little lower than the aforementioned purity is recycled for concentration control of the cyan, magenta, and black liquid developers. A carrier liquid extracted from the yellow liquid developer is recycled for the concentration control of the yellow liquid developer, and a carrier liquid extracted from the liquid developer obtained by mixing together the cyan, magenta, and black liquid developers is recycled for the concentration control of the cyan, magenta, and black liquid developers. This permits efficient use of carrier liquids to be recycled without having an influence on the image quality.
US07676178B2
According to a toner cartridge of this invention, a region (R3) extending along the outer circumferential direction of a toner cartridge (50) is not tapered, and a region (R1) on the inner wall of a developing device (10) which corresponds to the region (R3) is not tapered either. This prevents the occurrence of backlash between them, and allows the shutter of the toner replenishment port of the developing device (10) to be reliably closed when the toner cartridge (50) is slid. This can therefore prevent toner from leaking and contaminating the image forming apparatus. According to a toner cartridge of this invention, a cap (60) which seals the opening portion of a casing (51) of a toner cartridge (50a) is formed from a transparent member. This allows an easy check of the color of toner from the front surface side of an image forming apparatus, and eliminates the necessity to add a new member for a color check, thereby contributing to a reduction in cost.
US07676172B2
A corotron cleaning assembly includes a self-seating, spring-loaded locating pin drivingly connected to a drive unit that is used to drive a wire cleaning head that is located within a CRU. This assembly allows for easy separation of the drive unit from the cleaner when the CRU that contains the wire is replaced. The bullet shaped pin rides on a worm drive and when the pin is driven into the cleaner head, the bullet hits an inclined ramp and is biased downward until such a point that the pin hits a recessed receptacle. Once the pin is in the receptacle, the pin is capable of driving the wire cleaning head. When the cleaning head is removed, the act of removal separates the pin from the receptacle.
US07676147B2
A focus detection apparatus capable of accurate focus detection is disclosed. The apparatus includes a first image-forming lens unit including a first pair of lens portions forming a first pair of images on a first pair of light-receiving element arrays with luminous fluxes from an image-pickup optical system after the luminous fluxes pass through a first pair of apertures making a pair in a first direction, and a second image-forming lens unit including a second pair of lens portions forming a second pair of images on a second pair of light-receiving element arrays with luminous fluxes from the image-pickup optical system after the luminous fluxes pass through a second pair of apertures making a pair in a second direction. A midpoint between the second pair of lens portions is located between the first pair of lens portions and displaced from a midpoint between the first pair of lens portions.
US07676144B2
A heat-generating element of a heating device for heating air includes at least one PTC element and, lying on opposing side surfaces of the PTC element, electric strip conductors. A heat-generating element that is improved with respect to the safety against electric flashovers is created with the invention under consideration by means of surrounding the two electric strip conductors on the outside by a non-conductive insulating layer. A heating device for heating air with multiple heat-generating elements is also disclosed with each heating element including at least one PTC element and, lying on opposing side surfaces of the PTC element, electric strip conductors and multiple heat-emitting elements that are arranged in parallel layers and that are held in position lying on opposing sides of the heat-generating element. The heat-emitting elements are essentially potential-free and protected against electric flashovers with a higher degree of certainty due to the fact that the heat-emitting elements lie on opposing sides of the heat-generating element, with an insulating layer placed in between.
US07676141B2
An apparatus and method for addressing data losses when power to a digital recorder is unexpectedly interrupted during recording, and a the file management information needed to play back digital content is not completely written to a disc. The recovery process for correcting inconsistencies between the AV data and management information left on the disc is time-consuming. By recording the recovery data used for the data recovery process when power is turned on again, the management information can be recompiled based on the recovery data. Thus, inconsistencies between the AV data and management information can be corrected. Additionally, AV data and recovery data in this case can be written alternately to contiguous areas on the disc.
US07676140B2
There is provided a recording apparatus which includes a recording medium having a data area with an address assigned to each cluster of a predetermined size; an interface for connection to a host apparatus; writing means for writing data in the data area; access order deciding means for dividing the data area of the recording medium into a plurality of areas each having an optional data capacity, and deciding an order of accessing the divided areas from the writing means; timing deciding means for deciding a timing when file information on written data is to be updated; control means for controlling the writing means to access a plurality of divided areas in accordance with the decided access order, search an empty cluster in the accessed area, and write data in the searched empty cluster and file information updating means for updating the file information on already written data.
US07676139B2
An optical disk playing apparatus capable of reproducing information recorded on an optical disk includes a system controller. The system controller obtains an address of a navigation pack corresponding to a user's request with respect to a data having video data of still picture and audio data recorded on the optical disk, determines whether or not the obtained navigation pack has the video data of still picture, reproduces, on the basis of a predetermined information included in the obtained navigation pack, a video data of still picture which is corresponding to a head address of a preceding video object when the obtained navigation pack does not have the video data of still picture, and reproduces an audio data of the address of the navigation pack corresponding to the user's request.
US07676133B2
A dust shutter for an optical adapter, includes a collar, wherein the collar is capable of being provided around an end of the optical adapter; a cover; a hinge that connects the cover to the collar; the hinge configured such that the cover can be provided in an open position and a closed position with respect to the collar; and a latch provided on the cover that attaches the cover to the collar in the closed position; wherein the collar, the cover, the hinge, and the latch form a unitary structure.
US07676128B1
An optical apparatus comprises a set of diffractive elements (trenches between ribs) arranged on a substrate to: receive a diffraction-guided input optical signal from an input port; diffract the input signal as a diffraction-guided output optical signal; and route the output signal to an output port. In one embodiment, a side surface of each trench is perpendicular to its bottom surface and at least one trench depth is equal to half of its width divided by the tangent of a selected Littrow angle. In another embodiment, a side surface of each rib and its bottom surface are arranged to successively reflect a portion of the input optical signal preferentially in a selected output direction. In another embodiment, each diffractive element comprises multiple trenches; selected relative widths or depths of the multiple trenches of each diffractive element at least partly determining diffractive amplitude and a selected blaze direction.
US07676125B2
An apparatus is described to provide multi-channel bulk optical power detection. The apparatus has a plurality of optical splitters coupled to respective fiber-optic lines of a plurality of fiber-optic lines. An optimal time-division multiplexer has an input coupled to the plurality of optical splitters. A photodetector is coupled to an output of the optical time-division multiplexer to provide bulk optical power detection. The optical time-division multiplexer includes a scanning mirror.
US07676098B2
To reduce the amount of data transferred from an electronic apparatus to other electronic apparatus, a first compression unit compresses image data in units of m bits with a predetermined pattern to produce first compression data. A second compression unit compresses the first compression data in units of k bits to produce second compression data. And, an output unit outputs the second compression data according to a production order of the second compression data produced from the second compression unit.
US07676096B2
The present invention provides a method of and apparatus for operating upon a sequence of video frames by splitting each frame into components, and each component into a plurality of columns. The columns are operated upon in a manner that reduced edge artifacts and compresses the columns by reducing precision in certain higher frequency bands more than other lower frequency bands. The thus operated upon frames can be transmitted, received, and processed at a receiver with low latency and very low memory storage The invention further discusses a novel way of temporal compression using signatures of the sub bands generated for spatial compression. Spatial analysis using wavelets further enables the decoder to format and scale the decoded output to suit an arbitrary display screen. The method provides a practical solution to the problem of compressing, storing, or transmitting of video with ever-increasing spatial and temporal resolutions.
US07676095B2
For each of a number of landmarks in an image an initial position of the landmark is defined. Next a neighborhood around the initial position, comprising a number of candidate locations of the landmark is sampled and a cost is associated with each of the candidate locations. A cost function expressing a weighted sum of overall gray level cost and overall shape cost for all candidate locations is optimized. A segmented anatomic entity is defined as a path through a selected combination of candidate locations for which combination the cost function is optimized.
US07676090B2
A system can include a system processor that is programmed or adapted to classify pixels in a document image, and in some instances, to enhance the document image based upon such classification. Image data including pixels is received. For each pixel in some subset of the image data, a feature vector is generated. Each pixel in the subset is classified as text or image based upon its associated feature vector. The classifications can be outputted for storage and/or further processing. Further processing can include pixel level enhancement processing. Such enhancement processing can include application of a sharpening filter to pixels classified as text and of a smoothing filter to pixels classified as image. In some instances, background suppression can be performed upon a subset of the image data prior to classification.
US07676089B2
An apparatus, method, system, computer program and product, each capable of applying document layout analysis to a document image with control of a non-character area. A non-character area is extracted from a document image to be processed. A character image is generated from the document image by removing the non-character area from the document image. The character image is segmented into a plurality of sections to generate a segmented image. The segmented image is adjusted using a selected component of the non-character image to generate an adjusted segmented image. A segmentation result is output, which is generated based on the adjusted segmented image.
US07676087B2
A method for identifying objects in an electronic image is provided. The method includes the steps of providing an electronic source image and processing the electronic source image to identify edge pixels. The method further includes the steps of providing an electronic representation of the edge pixels and processing the electronic representation of the edge pixels to identify valid edge center pixels. The method still further includes the step of proving an electronic representation of the valid edge center pixels. Each valid edge center pixel represents the approximate center of a horizontal edge segment of a target width. The horizontal edge segment is made up of essentially contiguous edge pixels. The method also includes the steps of determining symmetry values of test regions associated with valid edge center pixels, and classifying the test regions based on factors including symmetry.
US07676085B2
A method of representing a group of images comprises determining the values of one or more dominant colors for the group of images and deriving a dominant color representation expressing the group of images in terms of one or more of said dominant color values.
US07676083B2
A matrix of processing object frame data and a matrix of temporally consecutive next frame data of the processing object frame data, are prepared as matrices for error diffusion processing. An error generated at a pixel position in a frame, which is represented by the processing object frame data, is diffused to a corresponding pixel in a frame represented by the temporally consecutive next frame data of the processing object frame data.
US07676082B2
For each color channel, the process includes gathering Bayer pattern pixel values by pairs, each pair being composed by two successive pixels belonging to the channel along the scanning direction of the pixels of the image, thus each pair of values representing a current input vector, and calculating a predictor vector of the input vector in terms of the differences between the values defining the input vector and a pair of prediction values generated according to a certain criterion, for representing a prediction error. The process further includes quantizing each so calculated predictor vector according to a heavier or lighter degree of quantization depending on whether the predictor vector is representative of an area of relatively uniform color of the image or of an area of relatively abrupt changes of colors of the image, and generating a multibit code representative of the quantized predictor vector of the input vector according to a certain compression ratio.
US07676081B2
Segmentation of foreground from background layers in an image may be provided by a segmentation process which may be based on one or more factors including motion, color, contrast, and the like. Color, motion, and optionally contrast information may be probabilistically fused to infer foreground and/or background layers accurately and efficiently. A likelihood of motion vs. non-motion may be automatically learned from training data and then fused with a contrast-sensitive color model. Segmentation may then be solved efficiently by an optimization algorithm such as a graph cut.
US07676079B2
An index arranged on a real space is detected from an image sensed by a camera, and the position of the index in the image is calculated (S405). The index is projected onto the image sensing plane of the camera on the basis of the position and orientation information of the camera, the position information of the index, and the like (S403). A corresponding index is identified based on the distance between the detected and projected indices on the image plane, and geometric information of the index (e.g., directionality) (S408). With this method, an index can be accurately identified by a simple method.
US07676060B2
A method of identifying content in a distributed computing system. The method receives an image or audio signal in a first device in the distributed computing system, such as a cell phone or other wireless device. In this device, the method performs an analysis of characteristics of the signal to identify portions of the signal from which to derive a content identifier. The method then sends the portions to a second, remote device in the distributed computing system, such as a server. The server further processes the portions to derive a content identifier, which in turn, is used to look up data corresponding to the content, such as a Uniform Resource Locator. In the case of a wireless telephone network, for example, the method distributes the task of identifying content signals captured through the microphone or camera on the phones in the network.
US07676059B2
The presently claimed invention relates generally to encoding and decoding video with auxiliary information. One claim recites a method of encoding video, the video has a plurality of samples. The method includes: obtaining an N-bit auxiliary data string to be encoded into the video, where N is at least two, the string including bits having a value of “1” or “0”; and utilizing a configured multi-purpose electronic processor to perform encoding as follows, for a first bit in the N-bit auxiliary data string: if the bit comprises a “1” value, making a corresponding change to the video to represent the “1” value in the video, the change being essentially unnoticeable to a human viewer of the video, but if the first bit comprises a “0” value, making no corresponding change to the video; performing the aforesaid act for the second through Nth bits of the N-bit auxiliary data string. Of course, other claims and combinations are provided as well.
US07676054B2
A passive radiator has an arcuate contour that follows the contour of a surface where the passive radiator can be mounted. The component may be for example a television set, audio component, high fidelity loudspeaker, home theatre loudspeaker, or subwoofer. The arcuate contour of the passive radiator may be convex, parabolic, hyperbolic, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, the contour of the surface may be cylindrical, spherical or another contour depending on the surface contour of the enclosure where it is mounted. The passive radiator rim shape may be circular, rounded, rectangular, ovular, elliptical or any other suitable shape. A contoured passive radiator of relatively large size can be mounted on a relatively small TV set to produce a better bass sound.
US07676052B1
A differential microphone assembly with multiple membranes in a single package and oriented in mutually exclusive directions.
US07676051B2
A linking element is provided for a hearing device, which connects the first behind-the-ear part and second behind-the-ear-part. In one embodiment the linking element is rigid. In another embodiment the linking element may be made of a memory material or have a spring component, so that the second behind-the-ear part is automatically pushed into the auditory canal. A helical groove around the second behind-the-ear part is also advantageous, thereby ensuring automatic_insertion into the auditory canal and also ventilation for an open fitting.
US07676048B2
Graphic equalizer as a cascade of equalization filters with the gain of each individual filter compensated for the gain leakage from other filters. A linear approximation allows individual filter gains to be set to give desired frequency responses.
US07676047B2
A method for processing a multichannel audio signal. The method includes mounting electroacoustical transducers in a low frequency augmenting device. The electroacoustical transducers radiate different high frequency acoustic energy and common low frequency acoustic energy. The transducers may be part of directional arrays. The method is applied to multimedia entertainment devices.
US07676029B2
To provide a technology indicating guidance for a usage method of information equipment and for solving an abnormality of the information equipment to not only users having knowledge about terminology of the information equipment but also users having none of the knowledge about the terminology of the information equipment.A guidance apparatus receives identifying information of information equipment from a device, reads an image from a database containing images about the information equipment with respect to the received identifying information, creates guidance information containing the read image, transmits the created guidance information to the device, receives information determined by a manipulation about the guidance information on the device, and controls so as to read the image used next for the guidance information from the received information.
US07676026B1
A telephony system providing automated authentication, adaptive navigation, full voice dictation and outbound calling.
US07676025B2
The invention relates to a method of listening in to calls between two or more subscribers of a communications network comprising one or more IP networks as well as to a listening server, a call control server, and an IP router for carrying out the method. When the listening server detects a request to monitor one of the subscribers, it determines at least one call control server assigned to the subscriber. Further, at least one IP router is determined which is responsible for a network access point of the subscriber to the IP network or IP networks. The listening server causes the at least one determined call control server to acquire call data associated with calls in which the subscriber is involved. Further, the at least one determined IP router is caused to acquire contents data associated with calls in which the subscriber is involved.
US07676023B2
The present invention relates to network enabled analysis of x-ray images. Also described are devices comprising calibration phantoms; methods of using these devices; methods of formulating databases containing information regarding x-ray images; the databases themselves; and methods of manipulating the information and databases.
US07676021B2
A radiation imaging apparatus that performs radiation imaging of a breast of a subject, which includes a table for laying down the subject; a receiving section that receives a breast of the subject laid on the table in a supine position; a radiation imaging section including a radiation emission unit and a radiation detection unit each located at a position opposing to each other being interposed by the breast of the subject received in the receiving section; and a drive unit that shifts the receiving section to a position suitable for imaging the breast of the subject.
US07676016B2
A system and method for storing multiple canisters containing high level waste below grade that afford adequate ventilation of the spent fuel storage cavity. In one aspect, the invention is a system comprising: an air-intake shell forming a substantially vertical air-intake cavity; a plurality of storage shells, each storage shell forming a substantially vertical storage cavity; a hermetically sealed canister for holding high level waste positioned in one or more of the storage cavities so that a gap exists between the storage shell and the canister, the horizontal cross-section of each of the storage cavities accommodating no more than one canister; a removable lid positioned atop each of the storage shells so as to form a lid-to-shell interface, each lid containing an outlet vent forming passageways between an ambient environment and the storage cavity; and a network of pipes forming a passageway between a bottom portion of the intake cavity and a bottom portion of each of the storage cavities.
US07676001B2
A method for detecting a symbol encoded in one or more received signals, wherein the detected symbol corresponds to a combination of values of n components, n>1, comprises (a) for each of a plurality of different combinations of values of the n components, generating a set of two or more sub-metric values based on the one or more received signals. Each sub-metric is a function of one or more of the n components, and at least one sub-metric is a function of fewer than all n components. The method further comprise (b) detecting the symbol based on the sets of sub-metric values. In another embodiment, an apparatus for detecting a symbol encoded in one or more received signals, wherein the detected symbol corresponds to a combination of values of n components, n>1, comprises (a) means for generating a set of two or more sub-metric values based on the one or more received signals for each of a plurality of different combinations of values of the n components. Each sub-metric is a function of one or more of the n components, and at least one sub-metric is a function of fewer than all n components. The apparatus further comprises (b) means for detecting the symbol based on the sets of sub-metric values.
US07675981B2
When an OFDM demodulator circuit performs the waveform equivalence of carrier signals outputted from an FFT processing circuit, the OFDM demodulator circuit extracts correction coefficients corresponding to the gain of a reception signal outputted from a tuner unit from a correction coefficient table, and phase corrections are performed in a phase correction circuit based on the extracted correction coefficients. After that, the OFDM demodulator circuit performs the waveform equivalence processing with a transmission path equivalent circuit. Thereby, even if a C/N value is deteriorated owing to the amplification of an OFDM signal, the influence on the receiving performance of a receiving apparatus can be curbed, and a receiving performance can be improved.
US07675980B2
A wireless device, method, and signal for use in communication of a wireless packet between transmitting device and a wireless receiving device via a plurality of antennas, wherein a signal generator generates wireless packet including a short-preamble sequence used for a first automatic gain control (AGC), a first long-preamble sequence, a signal field used for conveying a length of the wireless packet, an AGC preamble sequence used for a second AGC to be performed after the first AGC, a second long-preamble sequence, and a data field conveying data. The AGC preamble sequence is transmitted in parallel by the plurality of antennas.
US07675976B2
A video encoding system and method utilizes a three-dimensional (3-D) wavelet transform and entropy coding that utilize motion information in a way to reduce the sensitivity to motion. In one implementation, the coding process initially estimates motion trajectories of pixels in a video object from frame to frame in a video sequence to account for motion of the video object throughout the frames. After motion estimation, a 3-D wavelet transform is applied in two parts. First, a temporal 1-D wavelet transform is applied to the corresponding pixels along the motion trajectories in a time direction. The temporal wavelet transform produces decomposed frames of temporal wavelet transforms, where the spatial correlation within each frame is well preserved. Second, a spatial 2-D wavelet transform is applied to all frames containing the temporal wavelet coefficients. The wavelet transforms produce coefficients within different sub-bands. The process then codes wavelet coefficients. In particular, the coefficients are assigned various contexts based on the significance of neighboring samples in previous, current, and next frame, thereby taking advantage of any motion information between frames. The wavelet coefficients are coded independently for each sub-band to permit easy separation at a decoder, making resolution scalability and temporal scalability natural and easy. During the coding, bits are allocated among sub-bands according to a technique that optimizes rate-distortion characteristics.
US07675971B2
This invention generates encoded data within a required buffer size with minimum deterioration of image quality by finely adjusting a code data size to be generated so that an encoding condition can be changed to one of multiple levels on the basis of a cumulative encoded data size which is being generated during an encoding process of one frame which forms a moving picture. To this end, a VBV buffer zone controller compares a cumulative encoded data size during encoding of one frame with a plurality of thresholds, and outputs the comparison result to a vector processing controller, coefficient processing controller, and quantization controller. The vector processing controller controls a motion detection/compensation unit to fix/not to fix vectors for motion compensation. The coefficient processing controller determines an area size of a plurality of DCT coefficients to be masked, which are obtained by a DCT unit. The quantization controller determines the quantization step size of a quantizer. These vector processing controller, coefficient processing controller, and quantization controller adjust an encoded data size to be generated in multiple levels.
US07675970B2
A method and apparatus for processing a bitstream in a digital video transcoder is described. In one example, an adjustment factor is determined that relates a number of bits representing a selected frame defined by the bitstream to a target number of bits for the selected frame. An average spatial activity value among sets of video data is associated with the selected frame. A spatial activity value for a selected set of the sets of video data is determined. A normalized spatial, activity value for the selected set of frequency video data is then computed in response to the average spatial activity value, the spatial activity value, and a function of the adjustment factor. Target bit reduction for each of the sets of video data may be computed using a function of the normalized spatial activity value and the adjustment factor.
US07675968B2
Finite impulse response filters are commonly used in high speed data communications electronics for reducing error rates in multilevel symbol encoding schemes. Schemes such as pulse amplitude modulation and quadrature amplitude modulation may have higher error rates for symbols with low signal to noise ratios. By selectively updating the tap coefficients of the filter based on the symbols received, a more robust, accurate filter can be built.
US07675966B2
A method for on-chip detection of data lock and measurement of data lock time in a high-speed serial data link, including: permitting one or more incoming data streams into the high-speed data link; establishing a pattern to be searched in the one or more incoming data streams; comparing patterns in the one or more incoming data streams to a programmable data pattern; holding a repetitive pattern of bits in the one or more incoming data streams by one or more programmable data pattern registers, wherein when one or more occurrences of a byte are detected, an appropriate bit in the one or more programmable data pattern registers is set to indicate the byte's relative position; and filtering false indications in the repetitive pattern by using a byte detection state machine, the state machine controlling and keeping track of a search progress.
US07675964B2
A plurality of information symbols are transmitted by a carrier wave by assigning different modulation indices to the individual information symbols. Thereby the modulated carrier wave carries information not only by the digitally encoded (modulated) data words but also by the different modulation indices used for successive intervals that thus also represent information symbols. This increases the data rate of a wireless communication. When used in passive identification systems, for example transponders, the transmission of the superimposed clock information eliminates the need for the clock generation logic in the receiver. The reduced energy consumption enables the communication distance to be increased.
US07675954B2
A semiconductor laser device includes: an electrically insulating film on the top face of a laser chip; and a metal film, on the electrically insulating film. The electrically insulating film and/or the metal film has, in plan, a polygonal shape with five or more apexes, each of the apexes having an interior angle less than 180 degrees. Stress due to a change of temperature during operation is reduced, resulting in a semiconductor laser device having a longer life and higher reliability.
US07675953B2
The present invention provides a method for producing laser used directly as a frequency standard of optical frequency, comprising: a collimated atomic beam used as laser gain medium; the laser gain medium being put in vacuum; before the particles of the laser gain medium entering a laser resonant cavity, a laser device controlled independently providing pump laser irradiation to produce an inversion of atomic population number between energy levels of the particles of the laser gain medium for achieving cavity mode frequency line width Γcavity of longitudinal mode of the laser resonant cavity larger than frequency line width Γgain of gain of the used laser gain medium. And the frequency line width of the laser outputted used by the laser device contracted by the present invention can attain less than 1 Hz and the outputting laser frequency is very steady. So the laser produced by the present invention can be used directly as a quantum frequency standard of optical frequency.
US07675952B2
A glaze encapsulated solid-state laser component. The novel laser component includes a core and a cladding of ceramic glaze disposed on a surface of the core. In an illustrative embodiment, the core is fabricated from a laser gain medium and the cladding material is a multi-oxide eutectic ceramic glaze having a refractivity slighter lower than the refractivity of the gain medium, such that the glaze layer forms a step-index refractivity interface cladding that can effectively suppress parasitic oscillations in the core gain medium. The glaze cladding can be applied by coating the core with the glaze and then firing the glaze coated core, or by fabricating pre-formed cladding strips from the ceramic glaze in a first firing cycle, mounting the pre-formed strips to the core, and then fusing the pre-formed strips to the core in a secondary firing cycle.
US07675950B2
There has been a problem that pumping light leaks from a part having a coating at the joint of a double-clad fiber added with a rare earth and a general single-mode fiber, and heat is generated partly from the fiber by this energy thus causing deterioration of the fiber. Deterioration of a fiber due to residual excitation light can be prevented by preventing residual excitation light in a double-clad fiber from exiting to a single-mode fiber, and the reliability is enhanced. Output of oscillation light can be increased because output of excitation light is not limited. Furthermore, a laser display having a high color reproducibility can be achieved by employing a light source combining a fiber laser light source and a wavelength conversion module.
US07675947B2
A device includes multiple separate transmission channel facilities including first and second transmission channel facilities each having a standard network interface unit configured to transmit bundling data. The device includes a facility configured to bundle transmission channel facilities and to transmit a sub-stream of a data stream to be transmitted via transmission channels to be bundled as a stream of bundling data via the standard network interface units between the first transmission channel facility and the second transmission channel facility.
US07675938B2
A single carrier cable modem can be initialized on multiple channels. By initializing a cable modem on more than one channel, the error rate performance of short data packets in cable modems in an impulsive noise environment is improved. The advantage of low symbol rate transmission for short packets in an impulse noise environment is achieved without sacrificing burst capacity at a cable modem and without the complexity of transmitting multiple symbol waveforms simultaneously at a cable modem.
US07675934B2
An Interworking Gateway enabled to provide continuous conversion of Protocol Data Units (PDUs) of any one of a provisioned set of transport protocols to any other member of the set is disclosed. Each transport protocol is associated with at least one transport protocol unit comprising at least one signaling port, at least one receive path, and at least one transmit path. Receive paths are adapted to convert PDUs of respective transport protocols into a base format, and transmit paths are adapted to convert a stream of base format data into PDUs of respective transport protocols. Transport protocol units are autonomous modules. The Interworking Gateway permits telephone services to extend across different broadband telephony networks in today's telecommunications system of networks.
US07675932B2
An adapter provides the components necessary to operate a computer or similar device as a communicator for smart field devices. The adapter includes terminals adapted for connection to the field device and a communication cable adapted for connection to the computer. Memory located within the adapter stores application software associated with the communication protocol employed by the field device. The application software stored by the memory is loaded onto the computer via the communication cable, allowing a user to receive and send data to the field device based on the communication protocol employed by the field device. The adapter includes a port circuit that interfaces bi-directionally communication between the computer and the field device using the communication protocol.
US07675924B2
A data switch for network communications includes a first data port interface and a second data port interface is provided supporting at least one data port transmitting and receiving data. A CPU interface is provided, with the CPU interface configured to communicate with a CPU. A common memory is provided, and communicates with the first data port interface and the second data port interface. A memory management unit is provided, and communicates data from the first data port interface and the second data port interface and a common memory. At least two sets of communication channels are provided, with each of the communication channels communicating data and messaging information between the first data port interface, the second data port interface, and the memory management unit.
US07675920B1
A system that includes a network interface for receiving a packets from a network, a classifier operatively connected to the network interface that analyzes each of the packets and determines to which temporary data structure to forward each of packets, wherein the classifier analyzes each packet to determine with which of a plurality of protocols the packet is associated with. Each temporary data structure within the system is configured to receive packets from the classifier, wherein each of the temporary data structures is associated with at least one virtual serialization queue and wherein each of the temporary data structures is configured to store packets associated with at least one of the plurality of protocols. The at least one virtual serialization queue is configured to queue packets from the one of the temporary data structures associated with the at least one virtual serialization queue.
US07675907B2
An IP telephone system includes a source IP telephone apparatus, a destination telephone apparatus, a Web server and an ENUM server. The IP telephone apparatuses function as base stations for multi-handset telephone systems and are connected to an IP network. The Web server stores ring tone information corresponding to a telephone number assigned to the source or destination IP telephone apparatus. The ENUM server stores a NAPTR resource record in which a URI specifies link data related to the ring tone information stored in the Web server. In the IP telephone system, the IP telephone apparatus that has received a call transmits, to the ENUM server, a query for a NAPTR record corresponding to an intended recipient's telephone number. The IP telephone apparatus then transmits, to the Web server, a request for the ring tone information corresponding to the intended recipient's telephone number according to the obtained NAPTR resource record, and sounds a ring tone through the apparatus itself and the handsets that are connected to the apparatus according to the obtained ring tone information.
US07675901B2
A method for mapping from an MPEG-2 transport stream to an IP-based RTP/UDP/IP stack for broadcasting service in a WLAN. All the mapping functions may be performed in a receiver transcoder (FIG. 2). Mobile devices such as laptop computers, cell phones and PDAs have limited battery power, CPU processing and memory resources. To reduce CPU processing power and consumption battery power in these devices certain data processing functions are achieved in the communicating systems, such as the de-multiplexer function that typically prepares an MPEG-2 for retransmission at the local level. When a transcoder, capable of de-multiplexing and MPEG-2 transport stream receives a program it de-multiplexes the stream based on PIDs assigned to each transport packet. This de-multiplexing function extracts several components from a transport stream: video and audio PES/ES associated with programs and PSI (PAT and PMTs).
US07675900B1
A telecommunications network (10) includes a gateway (18) receiving signaling information in a media gateway and call session control format from a Class 5 softswitch (26). The gateway (18) converts the media gateway and call session control format to a broadband loop emulation service signaling protocol for transfer to integrated access devices (20) at a customer premises (22) through a broadband loop emulation services network (14). The gateway (18) also receives signal information in a broadband loop emulation service signaling protocol from the integrated access devices (20) through the broadband loop emulation services network (14). The gateway (18) converts the broadband loop emulation service signaling protocol to the media gateway and call session control format for transfer to the Class 5 softswitch (26). The Class 5 softswitch (26) places the media gateway and call session control format into a network signal format for transfer over a signaling network (24).
US07675883B2
A wired Local Area Network (wired LAN) and a plurality of Wireless Access Points (WAPs) coupled to a wired network infrastructure of the wired LAN service wireless packetized communications for a plurality of Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) clients. A multi-layer switch of the wired LAN identifies a WLAN client serviced by a WAP from the packetized communications, and upon receiving an overloading indication from the WAP, determines that the WLAN client serviced by the WAP exceeds a usage threshold. Based upon the determination, the multi-layer switch reduces the wireless bandwidth provided to the wireless terminal by the WAP.
US07675869B1
An apparatus, method and computer memory for electing a master unit from multiple candidate units on a ring or chain topology network is provided. Master proposal data packets are transmitted onto a plurality of stacking links. At least one message data packet is received on the one candidate unit. A candidate unit is elected as the master unit if it receives message data packets corresponding to the transmitted master proposal data packets.
US07675855B2
The present invention provides a system and method for establishing a data transmission rate in a communication network for data transmission from a first communication module to a second communication module. Generally, the method comprises: (a) reading at the first module a predetermined data reception rate limit of the second module; and (b) for the data at the first module to be transmitted to the second module, establishing a first module data transmission rate in dependence upon the predetermined data reception rate limit read in step (a).
US07675852B1
Described is a method of providing resource allocation for a software defined radio (SDR). The method comprises defining a current time window that is subdivided into sub time intervals, defining a committed time window that is subdivided into sub time intervals, and defining a future time widow that is subdivided into sub time intervals. The method also comprises determining the size of each of the time windows and the size and number of each of the sub time intervals based on the output of a priority arbitration function. Further, the method comprises determining changes in resource allocations in the sub time intervals of the future time window based on system requirements.
US07675850B2
The present invention provides a device for realizing disaster recovery of soft-switch based on packet network, comprising at least two core control devices located in different places which provide control service for their respective access equipments; wherein said core control devices further include a process unit, a database unit, a share unit and a synchronization process unit which are specifically used for remote disaster recovery; said process unit and database unit are independent of the processor and the database already existing within the core control devices, and are specifically used for providing service for remote access equipments, thereby making the core control devices in different places be of mutual disaster recovery relation; said share unit is used for sharing processing ability and data; and said synchronization process unit is used for synchronizing data between the core control devices of mutual disaster recovery. The core control devices capable of providing disaster recovery function of the present invention guarantee uninterrupted operation for system, and provide high accessability of the access equipments in the packet switch network.
US07675849B2
A distribution system for vehicle information systems and methods for manufacturing and using same. The distribution system supports high-bandwidth communications among system resources via one or more active routing systems. Comprising a plurality of communication ports coupled via a high-speed switching system, each routing system transparently splits incoming communication signals received via an input communication port. The routing system thereby can provide the incoming communication to a plurality of output communication ports without effecting signal bandwidth. By providing each routing system with a bypass system, the distribution system likewise can bypass one or more of the high-speed switching system in the event of a distribution system failure such that communications among the system resources can be maintained. As a result, passengers traveling aboard the vehicle can enjoy high-speed access to viewing content during travel with limited interruption in service and without unwanted travel delays.
US07675839B2
An information recording medium having at least a read only area and a recording and reproducing area is composed of at least: a substrate; a recording layer formed on the substrate so as to record and reproduce information; and a light transmission layer having transparency formed on the recording layer. The information recording medium is further characterized in that a wobbling groove corresponding to the read only area and another wobbling groove corresponding to the recording and reproducing area is formed on the substrate without overlapping with each other, the recording and light transmitting layers are continuously adhered over at least two areas of the read only area and the recording and reproducing area, reflectivity of the recording layer is more than 5%, and a push-pull signal output T3 reproduced from the read only area and another push-pull signal output T4 reproduced from the recording and reproducing area before recording satisfies relations of T3≧0.1, T4≧0.1 and 1.5≧T3/T4≧0.5.
US07675835B2
A small form factor optical disk drive is provided. An OPU is mounted on a sled such that an optical path length to the optical media falls substantially between coherence function maxima.
US07675831B2
In order to meet the requirement for enhancing the speed of an optical disk apparatus, it is necessary to have a write strategy for compensating thermal interference during recording at high speed on a high-density optical disk such as BD. However, there has been no known technology for such a write strategy. By shifting the start position and the end position of a recording pulse in accordance with the preceding mark length, the preceding space length, the recording mark length, and the following space length, excellent jitter values have been obtained. Further, by simplifying parameters when the preceding pattern contains the shortest mark and the shortest space which cause large thermal interference, 12× BD recording can be achieved with the number of parameters smaller than double the number of parameters of the conventional 4×4 type write strategy.
US07675830B2
A write-once-type recording medium (10) is provided with: a data area (11) to record therein record data; and a plurality of management areas in which a plurality of types of management information for managing the record data and index information for indicating newest management information can be recorded a plurality of times, each of the plurality of management areas having a setup area for recording therein a management information block including a plurality of types of management information constructed from the newest management information and the index information indicating the plurality of types of management information constructed from the newest management information.
US07675823B2
In a particular type of high-density optical recording systems, a solid immersion lens (SIL) is used in the objective system to focus a radiation beam onto an information layer of an optical record carrier. The distance between the exit surface of the SIL and the entrance surface of the record carrier is typically 25 nm to allow evanescent coupling of the radiation from the SIL to the optical record carrier for a system using a blue laser as radiation source. Such a system is also called a near-field system, deriving its name from the near field formed by the evanescent wave at the exit face of the SIL. A suitable gap signal, representing the width of the gap, is used to control the width of the gap during operation of the system. Tolerances in the optical elements and opto-mechanical components of the optical system of the optical recording system can lead to an offset in the position of the focus point of the objective system. The offset can be larger than the typically used gap width for such a recording system. This can lead to direct contact between the SIL and the record carrier, which may result in damaging one or both of them. The invention discloses a method and implementation for a focus initialization correcting the focus offset of the optical system used to read out or record the optical record carrier such that a reliable and robust gap signal can be derived for gap width control.
US07675811B2
Circuitry for reading from a double data rate type memory, the circuitry including control logic, a first bi-directional input/output interface (I/O) configured to be coupled to a data bus of a double data rate type memory and to receive therefrom a data transmission having a duration selected by the control logic, a second bi-directional input/output interface (I/O) configured to be coupled to a data strobe line of the double data rate type memory, a gate coupled to the second bi-directional input/output interface configured for controlling the duration of a data strobe signal received along the data strobe line in response to a data strobe masking gating signal and a data strobe masking gating signal modifier applying to the expected data receipt duration indicating signal a variable time delay such as to center the expected data receipt duration indicating signal about the midpoint of the duration of the data transmission.
US07675807B2
A semiconductor memory device having a memory cell array with sub-memory cell arrays arranged in a bit line direction and a word line direction which is perpendicular to the bit line direction. The memory cell arrays including a plurality of memory cells. The memory device further including sense amplifying portions arranged between the sub-memory cell arrays in the bit line direction, contact and conjunction portions arranged between the sub-memory cell arrays in the word line direction and conjunction portions arranged between the sense amplifiers in the word line direction. A main word line overlaps a word line between the sub-memory cell arrays arranged in the word line direction.
US07675805B2
Systems and methods of regulating voltage at a memory cell are disclosed. An address for the memory cell is determined. Table lookups based on the address are performed. The table lookups yield voltage compensation parameters that can be used to set voltages on the terminals (e.g., source and drain) of the memory cell.
US07675799B2
A memory system and method are described. For example, a memory cell includes a capacitance and an access circuit in association with the capacitance and having an access circuit terminal. The memory cell further includes a voltage control unit to adjust a potential at the access circuit terminal in a retention state such that a retention time of the memory cell is increased. A method of operating a memory cell includes, for example, adjusting a potential at an access circuit terminal of the memory cell to increase a retention time.
US07675787B2
A non-volatile memory array includes a semiconductor substrate having a main surface, a first source/drain region and a second source/drain region. The second source/drain region is spaced apart from the first source/drain region. A well region is disposed in a portion of the semiconductor substrate between the first source/drain region and the second source/drain region. A plurality of memory cells are disposed on the main surface above the well region. Each memory cell includes a first oxide layer formed on the main surface of the substrate, a charge storage layer disposed above the first oxide layer relative to the main surface of the semiconductor substrate and a second oxide layer disposed above the charge storage layer relative to the main surface of the semiconductor substrate. A plurality of wordlines are disposed above the second oxide layer relative to the main surface of the semiconductor substrate.
US07675785B2
There is provided a semiconductor storage device including a substrate area, a first and a second isolation area, a first well area where the first transistor is placed, a second well area where the second transistor to output a first voltage to bring the first transistor into non-conduction is placed, and a third well area where the third transistor to output a second voltage to bring the first transistor into conduction is placed. The second and third well areas and the second isolation area are formed between two of the first well area, the second isolation area is formed between the second well area and one of the first well area, and the third well area is formed between the second well area and another one of the first well area.
US07675782B2
The present invention is a multi-phase method, circuit and system for programming non-volatile memory (“NVM”) cells in an NVM array. The present invention may include a controller to determine when, during a first programming phase, one or more NVM cells of a first set of cells reaches or exceeds a first intermediate voltage, and to cause a charge pump circuit to apply to a terminal of the one or more cells in the first set second phase programming pulses to induce relatively greater threshold voltage changes in cells having less stored charge than in cells having relatively more stored charge.
US07675780B2
In a non-volatile memory system, the programming time period allocated for the program pulse is adjusted as a function of the voltage level of the pump pulse required so that the total number of pump pulses required to program the charge storage element to the required threshold voltage is reduced. For example, programming time period may be increased with an increase in the voltage level of the pump pulse required. This allows the programming time period of the program pulse to be increased to a value that compensates for the increased charge-up time that is required for the higher amplitude program pulses to reach the desired programming voltage.
US07675779B2
A non-volatile memory device includes memory transistors disposed on a semiconductor substrate in a NAND string. A string select transistor is disposed at a first end of the NAND string, and a ground select transistor is disposed at a second end of the NAN string. Bit lines are electrically connected to the semiconductor substrate outside of the string select transistor and a gate electrode of the ground select transistor.
US07675774B2
According to one aspect, a memory cell array includes a bit line connected to a plurality of nonvolatile memory cells, where the nonvolatile memory cells are selectively programmable in any one of at least first, second, third and fourth threshold voltage states, and where the first, second, third and fourth threshold voltage states correspond to four different data values defined by first and second bits. A page buffer circuit stores a logic value as main latch data and is responsive to a main latch signal to selectively flip the logic value of the main latch data according to a voltage level of the bit line. A sub-latch circuit stores a logic value as sub-latch data and is responsive to a sub-latch signal to selectively flip the logic value of the sub-latch data according to the voltage level of the bit line. The memory device is operable in a read mode which reads the threshold voltage state of the non-volatile memory cells and a programming mode which programs the threshold voltage state of the non-volatile memory cells, wherein the page buffer circuit is selectively responsive to the sub-latch data to inhibit flipping of the logic value of the main latch data in the programming mode.
US07675771B2
One embodiment includes a plurality of word lines, a plurality of source lines, a plurality of bit lines intersecting with the plurality of word lines, and a plurality of memory cells formed at intersections of the plurality of word lines and the plurality of bit lines. Each of the plurality of memory cells is a floating body cell. A gate of each floating body cell is connected to one of the word lines, a drain of each floating body cell is connected to one of the bit lines, and a source of each floating body cell is connected to one of the source lines. At least one bit line and source line selecting circuit is configured to selectively connect each of the plurality of bit lines to a first output bit line and to selectively connect the source lines to a source voltage. At least one sense amplifier is configured to sense data based on a voltage on the first output bit line.
US07675770B2
A phase change memory device, comprising a phase change memory device; a semiconductor substrate; a MOS transistor disposed at each intersection of a plurality of word lines and a plurality of bit lines arranged in a matrix form; a plurality of phase change memory elements for storing data of a plurality of bits, each formed on an upper area opposite to a diffusion layer of the MOS transistor in a phase change layer made of phase change material; a lower electrode structure for electrically connecting each of the plurality of phase change memory elements to the diffusion layer of the MOS transistor.
US07675767B2
A semiconductor memory device is provided with a DRAM array and a control circuit. The DRAM array includes first and second storage areas. The control circuit controls an access to said DRAM array so that data hold characteristics of said first storage area are superior to those of said second storage area.
US07675766B2
A microelectronic programmable structure and methods of forming and programming the structure are disclosed. The programmable structure generally include an ion conductor and a plurality of electrodes. Electrical properties of the structure may be altered by applying a bias across the electrodes, and thus information may be stored using the structure.
US07675765B2
Content-addressable memory (CAM) cells comprised of phase change material devices (PCMDs), including PCMD-based binary CAM cells (PCMD-based BCAM cells), PCMD-based ternary CAM cells (PCMD-based TCAM cells), and PCMD-based universal CAM cells (PCMD-based UCAM cells). The PCMDs of the various PCMD-based CAM cells are configured and programmed in a manner that allows a logic “0” or a logic “1” to be stored by the CAM cell. The logic value stored by a given PCMD-based CAM cell depends on the program states of the PCMDs. A program state of a PCMD is determined by whether the phase change material of the PCMD has been allowed to solidify to a crystalline, low-resistance state during a programming operation, or whether the phase change material of the PCMD is forced to solidify to an amorphous, high-resistance state during the programming operation.
US07675759B2
A power system having a power converter with an adaptive controller. The power system is coupled to a load and includes a power system controller that receives a signal indicating a system operational state of the load and selects a power converter operational state as a function thereof. The power system also includes a power converter with a power switch that conducts for a duty cycle to provide a regulated output characteristic at an output thereof. The power converter also includes a controller that receives a command from the power system controller to enter the power converter operational state and provides a signal to control the duty cycle of the power switch as a function of the output characteristic and in accordance with the command, thereby regulating an internal operating characteristic of the power converter to improve an operating efficiency thereof as a function of the system operational state.
US07675747B1
A fan module for use with fan trays or decks within a computer chassis for forced-air cooling with counter-rotating flow to provide higher static pressure. The fan module may have a conventional side-by-side form factor with a first and second fans supported within first and second housings. The first and second housings are spaced apart and arranged side-by-side. The first fan has a clockwise-rotating blade, and the second fan has a counterclockwise-rotating blade. In the fan module, the first and second fans may be axial fans with the blades rotating about first and second axes that are offset and parallel. In some embodiments, the fan module may have airflow through the first fan in a first direction along the first axis and airflow through the second fan in a second direction along the second axis, with the first and second directions generally matching.
US07675745B2
An electronic device comprises a bay for receiving a storage container that stores removable objects. The bay has an interface therein. A mouse is adapted to reside in the bay when the storage container is removed and to connect to the interface.
US07675741B2
An HDD mounting part includes component fixing sections that respectively extend along both sides of an HDD and have widths not more than the height of the HDD. The HDD mounting part further includes: a first HDD fixing section that extends from the component fixing sections up to a position apart from a front end of the HDD and is fixed to a notebook PC at the position apart from the front end; and a second apparatus fixing section that extends from the component fixing sections up to a position apart from a rear end of the HDD and is fixed to the notebook PC at the position apart from the rear end.
US07675739B2
Described herein are various embodiments of a fuse module with a fuse carrier for fused electrical devices. According to one exemplary embodiment, at least one fuse module can be mounted to a power distribution unit for receiving at least one power input and providing power to associated electronic equipment. The power distribution unit can have a housing with at least one fuse access passage and at least one power output displaced along the housing and electrically couplable to the at least one power input. The fuse module can be disposed at least partially within the at least one fuse access passage and be electrically couplable to the at least one power input and at least one power output. The fuse module can have at least one removably attachable fuse carrier that, when attached, electrically couples a fuse housed by the fuse carrier to the at least one power input and the at least one power output.
US07675737B1
The present invention provides electrolytes for use in electronic devices at temperature below −50° C. consisting of a mixture, eutectic or tereutectic of at least two low viscosity aprotic solvents, acetonitrile, and a mixture of conductive salts having a molecular weight up to 240.
US07675736B2
A solid electrolytic capacitor including: an anode containing a valve metal or its alloy; a dielectric layer provided on the surface of the anodic; a cathode provided on the surface of the dielectric layer; and an outer package resin covering the anode, the dielectric layer and the cathode, wherein a glass transition temperature (Tgb) of the outer package resin is a temperature ranging from 0.50 to 0.90 times a maximum glass transition temperature (Tga) which is a maximum value of glass transition temperatures exhibited by the outer package resin after each heat treatment at variable temperatures of every 10° C. from 50° C. to 200° C. (treatment time: 5 hours) which is performed on the outer package resin before a curing process.
US07675734B2
An electrolytic solution for an electrolytic capacitor includes an organic solvent, an additive dissolved in the organic solvent, and an electrolyte. The additive is made of at least one of borates represented by one of formula (1), formula (2), and formula (3). The electrolyte is phthalic acid 1,2,3,4-tetramethylimidazolynium. Here the terminal is CH3 or H, each of R1, R2, and R3 is one of —CH2O—, —C2H4O—, —C3H6O—, and —C4H8O—, and each of k, l, m, and n is any natural number.
US07675730B2
Techniques for detecting wafer charging in a plasma processing system are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as an apparatus for detecting wafer charging in a plasma processing system. The apparatus may comprise a plasma chamber to produce a plasma discharge above a wafer in the plasma chamber. The apparatus may also comprise a biasing circuit to bias the wafer to draw ions from the plasma discharge towards the wafer. The apparatus may further comprise a detection mechanism to detect charge buildup on the wafer by measuring an electric field in one or more designated locations near a top surface of the wafer.
US07675729B2
An energy conditioner structure comprising a first electrode (120), a second electrode (80), and a shield structure (70, 110, 150) provides improved energy conditioning in electrical circuits. The structures may exist as discrete components or part of an integrated circuit. The shield structure in the energy conditioner structure does not electrically connect to any circuit element.
US07675723B2
A digital converter including a first adjustment unit and a first transient detection unit. The first adjustment unit adjusts amplitude of an electrostatic discharge (ESD) pulse to generate a first adjustment signal when an ESD event occurs in a first power line and a second power line is at a complementary level. The first transient detection unit generates a first digital code according to the first adjustment signal.
US07675711B2
A system and method for measuring and neutralizing the electrical charge at the interface of a magnetic head and a magnetic storage medium, such as a disk, is disclosed. A surface treatment material is applied to the magnetic head. The surface treatment material matches the medium surface material on the surface of the magnetic storage medium. The surface treatment material on the magnetic read/write head may be a fluorinated carbon, such as a Fomblin Z-derivative, perfluoro alkyl trichlorosilane, a FC-722, or a fluorinated polymer. The surface treatment material can be applied to the magnetic head by a vapor deposition process or by a liquid immersion process. The charge on the head-disk interface can be measured by applying varying external charges to the head while reading a signal previously written to the disk.
US07675694B2
There is provided a wide-angle lens system having a wide angle of view and less distortion. The wide-angle lens system including: an object-side lens group disposed at an object side with respect to an aperture stop and having overall positive refractive power; and an image-side lens group disposed at an image side with respect to the aperture stop and having overall positive refractive power, wherein a focal length ratio between the object-side lens group and the image-side lens group satisfies following condition 1, 2
US07675692B2
A pickup lens is provided with various aberrations corrected satisfactorily, with a short optical length, and with a sufficient back focus secured.The configuration comprises an aperture diaphragm S1, first lens L1, second lens L2, and third lens L3, and is configured by arranging, in order from the object side to the image side, the aperture diaphragm, first lens, second lens, and third lens. The first lens is a lens having positive refractive power, with convex surfaces on the object side and on the image side. The second lens is a lens having negative refractive power, in a meniscus shape with the convex surface on the image side. The third lens is a lens having negative refractive power, in a meniscus shape with the convex surface on the object side. Both of the surfaces of the first lens are aspherical, both of the surfaces of the second lens are aspherical, and both of the surfaces of the third lens are aspherical.
US07675690B2
There is disclosed a zoom lens system comprising: in order from an object side, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power; a second lens unit having a negative refractive power; a third lens unit having a positive refractive power; and a fourth lens unit having a refractive power, during zooming from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end, a space between the first lens unit and the second lens unit, a space between the second lens unit and the third lens unit and a space between the third lens unit and the fourth lens unit are changed, and the second lens unit includes two lenses of a negative lens and a positive lens in order from the object side.
US07675689B2
A zoom lens system comprising a first lens unit having negative power, a second lens unit having positive power and a third lens unit having positive power, wherein in zooming from a wide-angle limit to a telephoto limit, the lens units move respectively along an optical axis in such a manner that an interval between the first lens unit and the second lens unit decreases while an interval between the second lens unit and the third lens unit changes so that variable magnification is achieved, the first lens unit comprises one object side negative lens element and one image side positive lens element with a convex surface facing the object side, which have an aspheric surface, and the conditions: n12>1.88 and ν12<26 (n12 and ν12 are refractive index and Abbe number, respectively, of the image side positive lens element of the first lens unit) are satisfied.
US07675686B2
A fluidic adaptive lens, a multi-lens apparatus employing the fluidic adaptive lens, and a method of fabricating a fluidic adaptive lens are disclosed. The lens includes a first partition that is flexible and optically transparent, and a second partition that is coupled to the first partition, where at least a portion of the second partition is optically transparent, and where a first cavity is formed in between the first partition and the second partition. The lens further includes a first fluidic medium positioned within the cavity, the fluidic medium also being optically transparent; and a first device capable of controlling a parameter of the fluidic medium, where when the parameter of the fluidic medium changes, the first partition flexes and an optical property of the lens is varied.
US07675679B2
A Fresnel lens sheet used for an image display device is disclosed. The Fresnel lens sheet is provided with a first prism group in an area of a light entrance plane of the Fresnel lens sheet where the incident angle of light is equal to or more than a predetermined incident angle and a second prism group in an area of a light entrance plane of the Fresnel lens sheet where the incident angle of light is less than the predetermined value.
US07675676B2
A confocal microscope apparatus comprises a first optical scanning system which obtains a scan image of a sample using a laser beam from a first laser light source, a second optical scanning system which scans specific regions of a sample with a laser beam from a second laser light source that is different from the first laser light source, thereby causing a particular phenomenon, and a beam diameter varying mechanism which can change the beam diameter of the laser beam of at least one of the first optical scanning system and the second optical scanning system. With this configuration, the apparatus further comprises an excitation light intensity distribution calculator which calculates and stores the excitation light intensity distribution along a depth direction on the sample surface from the beam diameter of the laser beam output from the beam diameter varying mechanism.
US07675675B2
An in vivo examination apparatus including an objective unit capable of being readily replaced during examination is provided. The in vivo examination apparatus includes a main body, a vibration suppressor configured to suppress vibrations in an examination region of an object under examination, and an objective optical system configured to observe the examination region where the vibrations are suppressed. The objective optical system and the vibration suppressor are attached to the main body. The objective optical system is attachable to and detachable from the main body in a direction crossing an optical-axis direction of the objective optical system.
US07675669B2
Systems and methods for driving a display of MEMS devices are disclosed. In one embodiment, a display includes an array comprising a plurality of interferometric modulators, and a driving circuit coupled to said array, said driving circuit configured to provide actuation signals to drive said array based on a temperature of the display. In another embodiment, a method of driving an array having a plurality of interferometric modulators configured into a display is disclosed, where the method includes sensing the temperature at a predetermined location in display, communicating a signal based on the sensed temperature to a display driver, generating an actuation signal to drive said display based on the received signal, and providing the actuation signal to the array.
US07675668B2
A 3D image display device with a 2D or 3D image mode switching barrier is provided. The image display device includes an image panel, color change regions spaced apart from each other in a repetitive pattern and selectively change into light transmission regions or light blockage regions, and a barrier having the color change regions.
US07675657B2
An image reading apparatus includes: three line sensors mutually spaced in a sub scanning direction; a platen arranged between the original and the three line sensors; a mover moving the platen relative to the three line sensors at a rate relative to the three line sensors, the rate being different from that of the original relative to the three line sensors; a lightness difference detector extracting a feature pixel having a predetermined feature from each of three data output from the three line sensors; and NOR and AND devices comparing a plurality of data corresponding to a single location on the original to detect the feature pixel extracted from one of the plurality of data, as a noise pixel if the feature pixel is not a feature pixel for the other data and also has at least a predetermined value in saturation.
US07675656B2
An image reading apparatus includes: three line sensors mutually spaced in a sub scanning direction; a platen arranged between the original and the three line sensors; a mover moving the platen relative to the three line sensors at a rate relative to the three line sensors, the rate being different from that of the original relative to the three line sensors; a lightness difference detector extracting a feature pixel having a predetermined feature from each of three data output from the three line sensors; and NOR and AND devices comparing the three data corresponding to a single location on the original to detect the feature pixel extracted from one of the three data, as a noise pixel if the feature pixel is not a feature pixel for the other data.
US07675647B2
When a photo album on an event such as wedding is generated, images to be inserted in image insertion areas in a template can be selected easily. A professional photographer photographs the bride and groom on the day of wedding, and obtains images. Characteristic quantities of scenes represented by the images are calculated, and the images are classified into image groups of the scenes. With reference to a reference-value sequence table describing reference values of the characteristic quantities of the scenes in the event in order of occurrence of the scenes, the image groups are arranged in order of the scene occurrence. A catalog of the images is generated in the same order, and displayed in an editing screen.
US07675640B2
In a network printing system, initial print setting information and save-mode print setting information are preparatorily set as print setting information in a server. In response to a request from PC1 or PC2, the server sends the save-mode print setting information as the “print setting information” if the total number of print copies exceeds a predetermined number. If a user does not agree with the save-mode print setting information displayed on the PC1 or PC2, the user operates a button “no” in a confirmation dialogue and then resets the print setting information. A printing apparatus performs save-mode printing or normal printing in accordance with the set or reset print setting information. Therefore, an administrator of the network printing system has only to set the initial print setting information and the save-mode print setting information in the server. Thus, the network printing system allows print setting to be simply achieved.
US07675633B2
A method for measuring structures (3) on a substrate (2) with a coordinate measuring machine (1) is disclosed. A predefined measuring method is used for measuring at least one structure (3) on the substrate (2), wherein the measuring includes the position and/or the width of the structure (3). The predefined measuring method consists of a plurality of processes linked with the coordinate system (1a) of the coordinate measuring machine (2). The measuring method for a substrate is defined by a first orientation with respect to the coordinate system of the coordinate measuring machine (1). The predefined measuring method is applied to a second orientation of the substrate (2).
US07675629B2
An exposure apparatus including an illumination system which illuminates an original, and projection optics which project a pattern of the original illuminated by the illumination system onto a substrate. The apparatus includes an interferometer which forms an interference pattern including aberration information on the projection optics using a polarized light beam emitted from the illumination system, in which the interferometer is a common path interferometer in which two light beams forming interference pattern pass along a path in the projection optics, and a processor which calculates optical characteristics of the projection optics on the basis of the interference pattern formed by the interferometer. The illumination system including a polarization controller which sequentially generates at least three difference polarized light beams with respective polarization states different from each other. The processor separates first aberration and second aberration from wavefront aberration represented by the interference patterns sequentially formed by the interferometer using the at least three different polarized light beams, by calculating a data of the interference patterns, the first aberration being aberration which does not change dependent on a polarization state of polarized light beam entering the projection optics. The second aberration is aberration which changes dependent on the polarization state of the polarized light beam entering the projection optics.
US07675615B1
An image-based method and corresponding apparatus for measuring, in scientifically basic terms, the complete fiber length distribution from a tapered beard. The method may be referred to as length by image analysis (Li). A calibration method is also disclosed.
US07675614B2
A wafer inspecting method including the steps of scanning the surface of a wafer along a street by using a line sensor having a plurality of elements arranged in a line, and determining a deposited condition of foreign matter on the surface of the wafer near electrodes formed on both sides of the street according to image information obtained by the above scanning step. By the use of the linear sensor, it is possible to efficiently determine whether or not the electrodes are good.
US07675613B2
A method for inspecting a defect of a surface of a sample includes irradiating a laser beam on the sample surface a plurality of times so that at least part of an illumination field of the laser beam on the sample surface illuminates a first area of the sample surface each of the plurality of times, detecting a plurality of scattered light rays from the first area caused by the plurality of times of irradiations, correcting errors of detection timings for the plurality of detected scattered light rays, correcting at least one of adding and averaging the plurality of scattered light rays, determining a defect on the sample surface based on a calculation result in accordance with the at least one of the adding and averaging.
US07675603B2
A liquid crystal device of the present invention includes a pair of substrates, a liquid crystal layer that is provided between the pair of substrates, a first seal material that is arranged along the periphery of the liquid crystal layer between the pair of substrates and seals the liquid crystal layer, and a second seal material that is arranged along the periphery of the liquid crystal layer between the pair of substrates and has water-hardening properties.
US07675601B2
The present invention relates to an anisotropic conductive film with two or more adhesive resins simultaneously formed thereon, such that the two or more adhesive resins are simultaneously formed on a substrate of a flat panel display so as to connect various kinds of devices and flexible circuit boards thereto, thereby reducing the size of a non-display region of the substrate and reducing the number of steps of a manufacturing process. Moreover, with the use of an anisotropic conductive film with two layers of adhesive resins with different conductive particles, an excellent bonding force thereof enables a device or flexible circuit board to be stably mounted on a narrow area.
US07675589B2
A liquid crystal device includes adjacent sub pixels with adjacent reflection regions and adjacent transmission regions. The device also includes a liquid crystal layer thickness adjusting layer that is continuously formed between two of the sub pixels and provided at least in reflection region. The liquid crystal layer thickness adjusting layer is disposed between the first sub pixel and the second sub pixel having a groove extending from the transmission region and along a boundary between the first and second sub pixels. The color filter for the first sub pixel transmits a color light having the lowest visibility corresponds. Further, a spacer is optionally disposed on an extension line of the groove or at a location adjacent to the groove.
US07675586B2
In a substrate structure and a fabrication method thereof, light refracting members aligned with wirings or black matrix formed are integrally formed at a surface of a substrate. Light incident on the wirings or the black matrix can be refracted to a pixel region of the liquid crystal display panel. Accordingly, a flux of light being transmitted through the pixel region of the liquid crystal display panel can be improved significantly.
US07675582B2
A stacked storage capacitor structure for use in each pixel of a TFT-LCD, wherein a first storage capacitor is formed by a first metal layer, a gate insulator layer and a second metal layer. The second capacitor is formed by the second metal layer, a passivation insulator layer and an ITO layer. The first metal layer and the ITO layer are joined together through a via hole which is etched in one insulator etching step during the overall fabrication process through both the gate insulator and the passivation insulator layers. As such, the two capacitors are connected in parallel in a stacked configuration. With the stacked storage capacitor structure, the charge storage capacity is increased without significantly affecting the aperture ratio of a pixel. The ITO and the pixel electrode can be different parts of an indium tine oxide layer deposited on the passivation insulator layer.
US07675572B2
An image processing device and method to select a field to use in interpolation, if an input image is a film image. The image processing device includes a field selector to select a field to use to interpolate a current field based on difference values in field data among first, second, and third fields being consecutively input in an input image, the field to use to interpolate the current image being one of the first and the third fields and the current field being the second field, a film detector to generate a pattern based on the difference values in the field data between the first, second, and third fields and to determine whether the input image is a film image based on the generated pattern, and an interpolator to interpolate the second field using the one of the first and third field selected by the field selector if the film detector determines the input image to be a film image. Accordingly, when the input image is a film image without a bad-edit, the interpolation process is executed by selecting two temporarily consecutive fields of a field to be interpolated, and using the field with a smaller difference values in field data from the field to be interpolated and a problem of judder in images can be resolved.
US07675570B2
A device mounting apparatus that allows the orientation of a device to be easily adjusted alone. The device mounting apparatus is mounted with a device. A mount includes a seat fixed to a base, and a rotation mechanism portion that is supported by the seat and can change the orientation of the device relative to the seat. An adjustment jig is attachable to and detachable from the mount and includes a driving unit driven by operation. The rotation mechanism includes a supporting unit that supports the device, a changing unit that changes the orientation of the rotation mechanism according to driving of the adjustment jig when the adjustment jig is mounted to the mount, and brakes that fix the orientation of the rotation mechanism when the adjustment jig is detached from the mount.
US07675559B2
Disclosed is an image sensing apparatus comprising a plurality of two-dimensionally arrayed pixels each having a photodiode and a floating diffusion area for temporarily storing a charge signal that has accumulated in the photodiode; an output unit that outputs the charge signal, which has been transferred to the floating diffusion area, successively pixel by pixel; a scanning unit having a reset mode for resetting the photodiodes and floating diffusion areas successively by prescribed unit, a first transfer mode for transferring the charge signal, which has accumulated in the photodiodes, to the floating diffusion areas successively by the prescribed unit at prescribed time intervals upon lapse of a prescribed period of time from start of reset, and a second transfer mode for transferring the charge signal, which has been transferred to the floating diffusion areas, to the output unit. Before operation of the second transfer mode is performed with respect to a plurality of the prescribed units, the scanning unit transfers the charge signal, which has accumulated in the photodiodes, to the floating diffusion areas successively by the prescribed unit at the prescribed time intervals with respect to the plurality of prescribed units.
US07675555B2
The present invention provides a recording method capable of reliably associating additional information for data of a decoding/reproduction unit with the decoding/reproduction unit for a case in which data of a read/write unit for a recording medium includes a plurality of aforementioned decoding/reproduction units. Time-series information is compressed before being recorded on the recording medium. Management information added to data of each decoding/reproduction unit of the compressed time-series information as management information for a decoding/reproduction process is also recorded on the recording medium. Additional information for data of a decoding/reproduction unit is also recorded on the recording medium by being associated with management information for a decoding/reproduction process of data of the decoding/reproduction unit.
US07675553B2
An image transfer apparatus for transferring image data files to an external device appends a common file attribute to a plurality of image data files having predetermined attributes when the image data files stored on a recording medium are transferred.
US07675551B1
Digital camera color correction with a linear transformation having coefficients computed from an optimization with preservation of gray levels. This preserves white balance despite differing exposures for images from a target sensor and reference colors.
US07675549B1
A server fulfills region and time of interest (RTI) requests for images from multiple users. The server includes a receiver for receiving a RTI request from a user, a processor for assembling a compressed image based on the RTI request, and a transmitter for transmitting the compressed image to the user. The processor is configured to extract a first portion of the compressed image from a local storage device. If the first portion is insufficient to fulfill the RTI request, the processor is configured to request a second portion of the compressed image from another server, and combine the first and second portions of the compressed image to fulfill the RTI request from the user. The compressed image includes an image compressed by a JPEG 2000 compressor.
US07675539B2
A camera control apparatus includes a storage section storing, for each person to be photographed, face direction information when each face of a plurality of persons to be photographed by a camera is positioned in the central portion of a photographing range by the camera; a face position detection section detecting a position of a face of a person from a photographed image signal of the camera; a registration section computing face direction information on the basis of a detection result by the face position detection section and information indicating a current photographing direction of the camera and registering the face direction information in the storage section; and a driving control section reading face direction information corresponding to a person specified by an operation input from a user and controlling the driving apparatus in accordance with the face direction information in order to change the photographing direction of the camera.
US07675537B2
A system, method, and apparatus are disclosed whereby a wireless Personal Area Network such as a Bluetooth piconet may be extended to a remote location beyond the normal range by means of a conferencing connection. The conferencing connection may comprise, for example, one or more ISDN lines or an IP connection between two or more conference endpoints. The broadband connection may include a video channel, an audio channel, a control channel, and a Bluetooth channel.
US07675531B2
An image forming apparatus capable of forming wide images, includes: an exposing unit having a plurality of LED (light-emitting diode) heads arranged alternately in a main scanning direction, in which the resolution of an LED row formed in at least one of the plurality of LED heads is higher than the resolution of image data in a main scanning direction; and a lighting control unit that controls to turn on or turn off dots in the LED row such that the exposing position of a photoconductive drum is moved in the unit of dots of the high resolution LED row.
US07675530B2
A moving-image reproduction apparatus includes a display section for displaying an image in a moving-image display area; a moving-image data storage section for storing a plurality of pieces of moving-image data; a moving-image data reproduction section for reading out moving-image data and reproducing the moving-image data; a moving-image change-over command section for requesting change-over from a preceding moving image to a succeeding moving image; and a control section for changing-over from a preceding moving image to a succeeding moving image in accordance with the request. During a period of time lasting till the start of a process to actually display a reproduced moving image based on the moving-image data, the control section stops reproduction of the preceding moving image and reduces the brightness of the moving-image display area to a value corresponding to a black moving image in a predetermined period of time.
US07675522B2
A display error occurs upon contention between writing of pixel data in a GRAM and reading of pixel data representing a scanning line including pixels which correspond to the pixel data above. Pixel data corresponding to pixels representing a scanning line stored in a latch circuit is displayed on a display panel, and when contention occurs between writing of pixel data in a GRAM and reading of pixel data corresponding to pixels representing a scanning line to the latch circuit from the GRAM, a controller delays reading of the pixel data corresponding to the pixels representing the scanning line and controls so as to perform reading of the pixel data corresponding to the pixels representing the scanning line to the latch circuit from the GRAM once again.
US07675521B2
Systems for performing rasterization are described. At least one embodiment includes a span generator for performing rasterization. In accordance with such embodiments, the span generator comprises functionals representing a scissoring box, loaders configured to convert the functionals from a general form to a special case form, edge generators configured to read the special case form of the scissoring box, whereby the special case form simplifies calculations by the edge generators. The span generator further comprises sorters configured to compute the intersection of half-planes, wherein edges of the intersection are generated by the edge generators and a span buffer configured to temporarily store spans before tiling.
US07675518B1
System and method for generating hard and soft extruded image shadows with ray-coherent integration of extruded transparency maps. The ends of rays are positioned along a set of spokes radiating from the background point to be illuminated. In some embodiments, the weighted sum of integrals along a dense cone of rays from each point on the background is computed to determine the fraction of light obscured by the extruded artwork. The end points of the rays may be placed on lines that converge to the background point, according to some embodiments. Thus, intermediate line integrals of the alpha matte may be used to compute values for multiple rays. In other words, since the endpoints of multiple rays are placed along a single line, the results of computing the weighted sums for shorter rays may be used when calculating the sums for longer rays.
US07675517B2
A system and method for rendering an image that includes accessing image data and dividing the image data into one or more blocks. One or more corner points of the blocks are identified and rays are cast through voxel space of the image data in the direction of the corner points to determine one or more integrated values for the corner points. The integrated values are then sampled and compared to the sampled values for each combination of the corner points. A difference value (diffvalue) is calculated as a function of the comparison and an initial gradient (grad) is calculated as a function of a Reduced Path Octree (RPO) structure during the casting of rays. Next, a maximum gradient (maxGrad) is calculated based on the initial gradient (grad). Finally, an image processing operation is determined as a function of the maximum gradient (maxGrad) and the difference value (diffvalue). The image processing operation may perform interpolation to fill pixel values inside the image data, or it may perform recursive sub-division of the blocks, and cast and sample additional rays.
US07675514B2
A three-dimensional object display apparatus includes a three-dimensional object generation section that generates a three-dimensional object by laying out a plurality of image data to surfaces of a solid. The three-dimensional object is made in a three-dimensional shape to be displayed on a display section. The three-dimensional object display apparatus also includes a selection operation section that enables a user to select a manner of presenting the plurality of image data to the user on the display section. The three-dimensional object display apparatus further includes a control section that switches, in response to the manner selected by the user, the three-dimensional shape of the three-dimensional object.
US07675512B2
A memory circuit using a thin film transistor has been problems such as the drop in yield and the decrease in speed of response of the memory circuit due to variations in transistors. The purpose of the invention is to improve the yield and speed of the response of a memory cell by driving a word line by a voltage which is different from the logical amplitude of the memory cell. The invention is applicable to an SRAM, a DRAM, a mask ROM, and the like. A memory circuit of the invention is formed integrally with a display device for realizing a multi-functional display device.
US07675508B2
In order to prevent reduction in performance due to variations in illuminance of external light, a liquid crystal display unit includes: a pixel section including pixels arranged at each of intersections where a plurality of scanning lines and a plurality of signal lines intersect, and optical sensor circuits provided to at least part of the pixels; an imaging section which generates a multi-gradation image based on detection results of the optical sensor circuits; and a gradient value calculation section which calculates a gradient value which is a ratio of a variation in a gradation tendency value of the multi-gradation image to a variation in sensitivity of the optical sensor circuits.
US07675501B2
In a display apparatus, a light generating part generates a first light in response to a driving signal, and a first driving part outputs a panel driving signal. A display panel receives the first light from the light generating part and a second light externally provided, and displays an image in response to the panel driving signal. A light sensing part is disposed in the display panel so as to output a sensing signal corresponding a light amount of the second light. A second driving part compares the sensing signal with a predetermined reference value, and outputs a driving signal in accordance with the compared result. Thus, the display apparatus may reduce an electrical power consumed to drive the display apparatus.
US07675493B2
An organic light emitting diode drive circuit includes an organic light emitting diode which emits light with a current, a first transistor, a second transistor and a stress compensation circuit. The first transistor supplies a data voltage to a first node in response to a scan pulse. The second transistor controls a current flowing in the organic light emitting diode by the data voltage on the first node. The stress compensation circuit discharges the first node in response to a reset pulse. The organic light emitting diode driving circuit is adaptive to compensate characteristic changes of the organic light emitting diode drive circuit.
US07675489B2
A driving circuit for driving a display panel having pixels arranged in rows and columns, wherein the driving circuit incorporates a resonant circuit that is able to efficiently recover capacitive energy stored on the row of pixels and transfer it to another row of pixels as the rows are addressed by the sequential application of a voltage on each row. The resonant circuit comprises a step down transformer, a capacitor across the primary winding, either the rows or columns of the display panel connected across the secondary winding and an input voltage and FET switches to drive the resonant circuit synchronous with the timing pulses governing the addressing of the display. The value of the capacitor connected across the transformer primary winding is chosen commensurate with the turns ratio on the transformer and the anticipated range of panel capacitance values to effectively limit variations in the resonance frequency with respect to the frequency of the timing pulses. The present invention is an improvement to the resonant driving circuit that employs column drivers that maximize energy recovery in the resonant circuit by employing a means to restrict current flowing through the FETs used to control the column voltage so that substantially all of the current that flows when charge is being removed from the display pixels during the time period between selection of active rows is constrained to flow back through the transformer to charge the primary capacitor.
US07675476B2
A internal antenna with rotatable mounting bracket assembly is mounted on an edge of a flat panel television and has a mounting bracket, a clamp and a rotatable antenna seat. The mounting bracket is mounted on the edge of a flat panel television and has a mounting disk, a front jaw and a clamp socket. The clamp attaches to and holds the mounting bracket on the edge of a flat panel television and has an arm assembly and a rear jaw. The arm assembly is mounted slidably in the clamp socket and has a resilient element. The resilient element holds the clamp in the clamp socket. The rear jaw is formed on and protrudes down from the arm assembly. The rotatable antenna seat is mounted rotatably on the mounting bracket and has an antenna bracket. The antenna bracket clips the antenna and is formed on the disk.
US07675475B2
The present invention relates to a mounted antenna for use in a wireless communication system, and in particular, to a mounting device and associated method for mounting an antenna within a cavity of a finished wall. The mounting device comprises a platform and a plurality of support legs, each of the plurality of support legs having a free end and a fixed end. The fixed end is pivotally coupled to the platform. The platform has a coupling mechanism for attaching an antenna to the platform. The mounting device also includes a biasing element for supplying a constant force to the plurality of support legs sufficient to propel the free end of each support leg in an outwardly direction from the platform and engage a surface within a wall cavity to support the mounting device.
US07675473B2
Contamination at the exciter of a parabolic antenna can lead to impaired signal quality, or even system downtime. A parabolic antenna is described which in addition to a parabolic reflector and an exciter has a rinsing device, which is configured so as to rinse and clean the exciter with rinsing agent or protect it from contaminants. Herein, the rinsing agent is injected, dropped, or else blown from a rinsing outlet in an outlet member at the parabolic reflector onto the exciter. Mounting the rinsing outlet directly to the parabolic reflector allows for the exciter to be cleaned from the parabolic reflector.
US07675468B2
A communication device is provided, which includes a circuit board having first and second sides that are substantially straight in the area in which the first and second sides meet to form a corner at an angle of less than 180°; a ground plane extending between the first and the second sides, except in a particular area of the corner of the circuit board; a radiating antenna element disposed in the particular area; and an electrical connection to feed the radiating antenna element across an interface between the ground plane and the particular area.
US07675467B2
Provided is a bent monopole antenna. The bent monopole antenna includes a printed circuit board, an RF module, a feed line, and a main radiation pattern part and a sub-radiation pattern part. The RF module is installed the printed circuit board to generate an electrical signal. The feed line is connected to the RF module to deliver the electrical signal. The main radiation pattern part and the sub-radiation pattern part serve as a radiation pattern part connected to the feed line to generate an electromagnetic field (electromagnetic waves) using electrical signals applied thereto. The main radiation pattern part has a spiral (helical) pattern passing through the printed circuit board through a via.
US07675461B1
A circuit for a display used on an aircraft causes the display to display a composite terrain image. The composite terrain image can be formed from first terrain data from a terrain database and second terrain data from a radar system. A display control circuit can generate a display signal for the composite terrain image. The display signal is received by the display. The composite terrain image can be viewed by a pilot.
US07675457B2
A radar system transmits a beam of detection radio waves with a predetermined azimuth width, receives a reflected wave from a target, changes a central azimuth of the beam, and detects the distribution of reception signal strengths at predetermined angular intervals and for each predetermined distance. Then, when the reception signal strength distribution associated with changes in azimuth is expressed in rectangular coordinates, an azimuth corresponding to a vertex of an isosceles triangle that approximates the reception signal strength distribution and has an azimuth width, which is determined by the beam azimuth width, as its base is detected as the central azimuth of the target. Thus, the radar system becomes capable of detecting the azimuth of a target at a resolution capability higher than in the case where the movement of a target cannot be detected at a resolution equal to or less than the beam width of detection radio waves, and higher than in the case where a resolution in the azimuth direction is determined by the sampling interval in the azimuth direction. Moreover, the problem of deviation of the peak position of a reception signal strength from the center of a target can be solved.
US07675451B2
A serial-parallel type analog-to-digital converter includes a reference voltage generator, a higher bit comparing portion and a lower bit comparing portion, and a reference voltage selecting portion, wherein the lower bit comparing portion includes the plurality of comparison stages.
US07675446B2
A filter applied in a sigma-delta modulator includes an integrator, a signal attenuator and a feedback circuit, in which these components are connected in series sequentially to form a local feedback circuit. The integrator integrates an input signal to output an integral signal. Accordingly, the signal attenuator attenuates the integral signal to output an attenuation signal to the local feedback circuit so as to share a part of attenuation amount to reduce the chip area of the sigma-delta modulator.
US07675445B2
In order to convert a complex analog signal into a complex digital signal in an analog-digital conversion device having two channels, I and Q respectively, in quadrature, each comprising an input and an associated output, each output being fed back onto said associated input so as to form a first and a second feedback loops each comprising a digital-analog converter, the device comprising a complex filter with a first stage and a last stage, after sampling (508), a signal integration is performed in a first stage (501) of the filter without introducing any substantial delay. Then, an integration is performed in the last stage (502) of the filter. A substantial delay (507) is then introduced and the output signal of the last stage is converted into a digital signal over several bits. The digital signal is injected into the feedback loop (108) of said channel and the digital signal is converted into a feedback signal.
US07675444B1
The present invention comprises a circuit for transferring N inputs, wherein N is greater than or equal to 2, across a capacitive coupling media comprising a line circuit, a coupling capacitor, and a neutral potential circuit. The line circuit comprises: (1) a data converter for each input, for sampling and converting the N inputs; (2) a multiplexer for combining the outputs of the N data converters and a synchronization signal to generate an unencoded composite bit stream; (3) a data encoder for encoding the composite bit stream. The capacitor couples the encoded composite bit stream to a data decoder. The neutral potential circuit comprises: (1) the data decoder for decoding the coupled composite bit stream, and generating a recovered data stream and a recovered clock; (2) a synchronization recovery, control logic, and de-multiplex function for providing a set of digital outputs that correspond to the inputs to the data converters.
US07675435B2
Keyboard entries by users are tracked and filtered to reduce ambiguity in translating the entries to characters and predicting text based on the entries in a multiple keyboard environment. Key tables such as an equivalence table mapping characters to a base character value, a digit mapping table mapping characters to a digit between 0 and 9 are used to determine possible matches in text prediction. A letter accumulator UI is employed along with a number accumulator UI to provide users feedback on tracked letters.
US07675434B2
A method and device for detecting, on the ground, the obstruction of a pressure tap of a static pressure sensor of an aircraft. The device includes a pressure sensor that measures the pressure inside a probe and a heating system for heating the probe. When the heating system is activated, the sensor carries out a first measurement of a parameter dependent on the pressure inside the probe. After a predetermined duration from the activation of the heating system, the sensor carries out a second measurement of the parameter. A central processing unit calculates the difference between the first and second measurements and compares this difference to a predetermined value. A warning device emits a warning signal indicating the detection of an obstruction if the difference is greater than the predetermined value.
US07675432B2
In order to provide a lane assist system for a motor vehicle including a surround sensor device, which is mounted on the vehicle, for detecting the lane of the vehicle and a warning device to alert the driver in the event of the vehicle threatening to depart the lane which, with the smallest possible disturbance of the passengers, still enables the driver to initiate an intuitive steering response in a danger situation, it is provided to design and set up the warning device in such a way that a vibration, noticeable to the driver, is generated in the driver seat, to the effect that the vibration is noticeable on the side on which a lane departure threatens or actually takes place.
US07675431B1
The present invention may be used for detecting sound frequency signals emitted by warning devices of emergency vehicles. A sensor may sense a selected frequency signal spectrum and may be in communication with an initial detection stage to detect a frequency of approximately 600 Hz and approximately 1400 Hz within a specific time interval. A signal identification stage may be in communication with said initial detection stage and may have a digital signal processor programmed to identify a wail and yelp warning signal to compare said warning signal to a histogram stored in a memory to estimate the distance from the sound frequency signal. The signal identification stage may be maintained in a power save mode until activated by said initial detection stage upon detection of a warning signal.
US07675427B2
A system, device and method of determining an efficiency of a distribution transformer that receives power from a medium voltage power line and that provides power to a plurality of customer premises via a low voltage subnet is provided. In one embodiment, the method includes determining an input power to the transformer from the medium voltage power line, determining an output power from the transformer, determining a transformer efficiency based on the input power and the output power, comparing the transformer efficiency with a threshold efficiency, and providing a notification when the transformer efficiency is below a threshold efficiency. Determining the input power may include measuring the current input and estimating the voltage input based on a voltage measure of the low voltage subnet and the turns ratio of the transformer.
US07675423B2
A mass occupant notification (MON) system includes an alert source, a first communication network, a MON supervisory system, a second communication network, a satellite radio broadcast network (SRBN) system and a plurality of MON communication units. The alert source, such as a telephone, personal computer or emergency sensor system, generates an alert signal containing information regarding an emergency situation. The first communication network communicates the alert signal from the alert source to the MON supervisory system. The MON supervisory system receives the alert signal and generates an alert message which includes audio message data and destination data. The destination data indicates a destination of the audio message data. The audio message data may contain a voice announcement providing information or instructions regarding the emergency situation. The second communication network communicates the alert message from the MON supervisory system to the SRBN system. The SRBN system extracts the destination data and the audio message data from the alert message, formats the audio message data for transmission via a satellite uplink, and transmits the audio message data via the satellite uplink to SRBN satellites. One or more of the MON communication units receive the audio message data transmitted from the SRBN satellites and generate an analog audio signal based on the audio message data.
US07675421B2
An RFID cabinet for monitoring items having an RFID tag includes, a cabinet having at least one locking front door. An RFID detector is used for monitoring each item placed within the cabinet and is located within the interior of the cabinet. A computer is coupled to the RFID cabinet and controls opening and closing of the front door and is configured to receive an input that identifies the user. In this way, the computer is configured to periodically record data read from the RFID tags by the RFID detector.
US07675410B2
The position of a node is identified. There is provided a module for identifying the position of a node using a locator node that sniffs communication of the node in a sensor network system capable of continuously tracking a situational change in the state, position or the like of people or an object.
US07675409B2
One apparatus embodiment includes an electronics assembly including an environmental sensor, memory that provides data storage, a logic circuit, an indicator component, and a power source for providing power to at least one of the logic circuit and the memory. The logic circuit can be designed to perform a time measurement, perform an environmental measurement with the environmental sensor, and/or initiate an alarm status when a calculated alarm event time occurs based upon the environmental measurement. The indicator component can be connected to the logic circuit for displaying the alarm status.
US07675400B2
In a chip type variable electronic part including an insulating substrate, and an adjustment rotor made of a metal plate rotatably mounted on an upper surface of the insulating substrate, in which the rotor is constituted of a first plate formed in a bowl shape to receive a screwdriver that rotates the rotor, and a second plate superposed on an upper surface of the first plate and integrally coupled thereto via a fold-back joint, and the second plate includes a screwdriver engagement hole perforated therein for the screwdriver to be fitted in, the fold-back joint includes a pair of left and right downwardly bent lugs formed between a bending line of the fold-back joint and the second plate, such that a portion of the fold-back joint between the bending line thereof and the first plate is fitted between the pair of downwardly bent lugs, thereby preventing deformation of the fold-back joint when the rotor is rotated with the screwdriver.
US07675393B2
A MEMS switch according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a substrate; a fixing portion formed on the substrate; a movable beam including a lower electrode, a first insulation layer formed on the lower electrode, and an upper electrode formed on the first insulation layer, the movable beam having one end fixed by the fixing portion, the lower electrode and the first insulation layer having an opening going through both of the lower electrode and the first insulation layer; a fixed electrode formed on the substrate facing to a bottom surface of the other end of the movable beam, the fixed electrode facing to the opening; a contact electrode formed in the opening so as to project below the bottom surface of the movable beam and to be electrically connected to the upper electrode as well as to be insulated from the lower electrode; and a second insulation layer formed on the fixed electrode and having an opening facing to the contact electrode so as to insulate the lower electrode from the fixed electrode and to permit the contact electrode to come into contact with the fixed electrode.
US07675386B2
The various designs of capacitive or inductive coupling/decoupling fitted on cables in a medium voltage network are known, the inductive coupling circuits constantly inducing current in the sheath of the electric cable. The invention aims at obtaining ranges of capacitive coupling/decoupling for an inductive coupling circuit. Therefore, an inductive coupling unit comprising a ring enclosing the sheathed electric cable and a coil, coupled to said ring by induction and connected to a transmission and reception device, is designed such that, upon transmission the current of the message signal is directly induced in the conductor and, upon receptions only the conductor current is evaluated. In a first embodiment, a by-pass, located downstream of the inductive coupling unit and upstream of the defined surface, is connected to the sheath and to ground or to the compensation potential. In a second embodiment, a by-pass connected to the sheath and to the ground or to the compensating potential has a conduction path passing back through the ring core. The invention concerns telecommunication systems in current distribution electrical networks.
US07675378B2
Disclosed are embodiments of a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) capable of non-volatile self-correction to compensate for process variations and to ensure that the center frequency of the oscillator is maintained within a predetermined frequency range. This VCO incorporates a pair of varactors connected in parallel to an inductor-capacitor (LC) tank circuit for outputting a periodic signal having a frequency that is proportional to an input voltage. A control loop uses a programmable variable resistance e-fuse to set a compensation voltage to be applied to the pair of varactors. By adjusting the compensation voltage, the capacitance of the pair of varactors can be adjusted in order to selectively increase or decrease the frequency of the periodic signal in response to a set input voltage and, thereby to bring the frequency of that periodic signal into the predetermined frequency range. Also disclosed are embodiments of an associated design structure for such a VCO and an associated method for operating such a VCO.
US07675375B2
An electrical oscillator circuit comprising: a resonator comprised in the first subcircuit; and an active device comprised in the second subcircuit connected to energize the resonator to provide an oscillating electrical signal transmitted as a differential signal via electrical conductors to the second subcircuit. The oscillator is characterized in that the second subcircuit comprises means for receiving the differential signal transmitted via the electrical conductors and converting the differential signal to a single-ended signal with reference to the signal ground reference of the second subcircuit. Thereby a noise robust oscillator signal is provided with the use of very few components. Particularly suitable for oscillators embodied in an integrated circuit with the resonator mounted on a printed circuit board, PCB. And an integrated circuit.
US07675356B2
A filter system and filtering method includes a subtractor which receives an analog input signal and a reference voltage as a first input, and an analog feedback signal, supplied through a feedback loop, as a second input, and outputs a difference between the analog input signal and the analog feedback signal, and a low pass filter which outputs a digital signal by comparing the output signal of the subtractor and a reference voltage, then integrates duty cycle of the digital signal and calculates a following error amount, and then converts a low pass filtered signal based on the calculated following error amount to an analog signal in order to provide the analog signal to the analog feedback signal, i.e. the second input of the subtractor.
US07675355B2
A semiconductor device, has a main transistor that is a first-conductivity-type MOS transistor and has the drain connected to a first potential; a first switch circuit that is connected between the source of said main transistor and a second potential; a dummy transistor that is a first-conductivity-type MOS transistor whose source serves also as the source of said main transistor; and a second switch circuit that is connected between the drain of said dummy transistor and said first potential or said second potential.
US07675350B2
The present invention relates to a VPP voltage generator that generates a stable VPP voltage. The VPP voltage generator of the present invention generates a stable VPP voltage. Therefore, power consumption can be saved, a precharge time of word line can be prevented from increasing and a tRCD characteristic can be improved. It is thus possible to improve the operational performance of semiconductor memory devices.
US07675342B2
A programmable, electrically alterable (EA) resistor, an integrated circuit (IC) chip including the EA resistor and integrated analog circuits using on-chip EA resistors. Phase change storage media form resistors (EA resistors) on an IC that may be formed in an array of parallel EA resistors to set variable circuit bias conditions for circuits on the IC and in particular, bias on-chip analog circuits. The bias resistance is changed by changing EA resistor phase. Parallel connection of the parallel EA resistors may be dynamically alterable, switching one or more parallel resistors in and out digitally.
US07675339B2
A system and method for generating a delayed clock signal of an input clock signal involves selectively delaying the input clock signal to produce the delayed clock signal based on the duty cycle of the input clock signal and the duty cycle of a logic signal derived from a logic operation of the input clock signal and the delayed clock signal.
US07675333B2
A Delay Locked Loop (DLL) and method for generating multiple equally spaced phases over a wide frequency range is disclosed. The DLL includes a delay line, and a control module. The delay line receives a reference clock signal and outputs a final delay clock signal in response to the reference clock signal. The delay line includes a plurality of delay cells connected in series. The plurality of delay cells generate a plurality of delay clock signals having equally spaced phases. The control module generates a phase control signal based on counting a number of pulses of the reference clock signal that are input to the delay line before occurrence of a first corresponding pulse of the final delay clock signal.
US07675330B2
A low power differential signaling transmitter includes a switchable current source apparatus and a differential signaling generator coupled to the switchable current source apparatus. The switchable current source apparatus receives a first input voltage and a second input voltage, and generates a plurality of reference currents according to the first input voltage and the second input voltage. The differential signaling generator includes a plurality of first transistors, a plurality of second transistors, a first output voltage terminal and a second output voltage terminal. The on or off states of the first transistors and the second transistors are controlled by the reference currents. The first output voltage terminal outputs a first output voltage, and the second output voltage terminal outputs a second output voltage. The first output voltage and the second output voltage are determined according to the on or off states of the first and second transistors.
US07675328B2
A feedback circuit includes a third variable delay device that controls the amount of phase delay of a first clock; a third logic gate that detects a phase difference between the first clock delayed by the third variable delay device and the first clock, and outputs a third signal of a pulse width corresponding to the phase difference detected; and a LPF that outputs, as a control signal Vcontrol, the integral of the pulse width of the third signal. The control signal Vcontrol, indicative of a delay amount, is fed back the third variable delay device and input to a first variable delay device and a second variable delay device of a phase-difference detection unit.
US07675326B1
Systems and methods are provided using dynamically adjustable differential output drivers. Integrated circuits such as programmable logic devices may be provided with adjustable differential output drivers for transmitting high-speed data to other integrated circuits. The peak-to-peak output voltage and common-mode voltage of the output drivers may be adjusted. Dynamic control circuitry may be used to control the settings of current sources, programmable resistors, and voltage source circuitry in the adjustable differential output driver automatically in real time. The adjustable components in the differential output driver may be adjusted by the dynamic control circuitry based on feedback information received from the integrated circuit to which the data is transmitted.
US07675325B2
Isolation components such as p-n junction or Schottky diodes are provided at pull-up resistors of each signal line of a Gunning Transceiver Logic (GTL) backplane bus in an electronic system for improved reliability, specifically to prevent momentary termination of the bus to ground when a circuit card incorporating the pull-up resistors is inserted into the system.
US07675322B2
A level shifting circuit includes a level shifting unit and an output buffer unit. The level shifting unit generates first and second output signals responsive to first and second input signals. The first and second input signals range between first and second voltage levels, and the first and second input signals are a first differential pair. The first and second output signals range between the first voltage level and a third voltage level greater than the second voltage level, and the first and second output signals are a second differential pair. The output buffer unit inverts the first and second output signals to provide third and fourth output signals, respectively. Duty ratios of the first and second output signals are determined based on delay times of the first and second input signals.
US07675314B2
In a receiver circuit that receives data and clock signals through the cables, the number of transitions of a signal obtained based on the data or clock signal is detected by a frequency detection circuit, and when the number of transitions is not more than a predetermined set value, a signal for resetting the operation of a serial-parallel converter circuit included in a data processing unit is output, so as to control the output of received data. Thus, disconnection of the cable can be detected with low power consumption without providing a pull-up resistor and pull-down resistor and noise resistance can be improved.
US07675307B2
A heating apparatus for semiconductor devices comprises an oven including a front wall having a plurality of front openings and a back wall having a plurality of back openings each with isolating self-closing doors, a carrier module configured to load semiconductor devices into the oven through the front opening in a removable manner, a temperature-controlling module configured to control the temperature of the oven, and a test module positioned at a backside of the oven and configured to generate, receive or switch electrical test signals for the semiconductor devices in the oven.
US07675306B2
An operating method for a prober apparatus is disclosed which includes controlling the temperature of at least one part of the prober apparatus. Another operating method for a prober apparatus includes production and transfer of thermal energy between means for the exchange of heat and at least one component of the prober apparatus, wherein the production, the transfer or the production and the transfer of thermal energy is controlled. A prober apparatus includes at least one heat exchange element disposed in a spatial relation to at least one probe tool support so as to have an impact on the temperature thereof.
US07675301B2
An electronic component is disclosed, having a plurality of microelectronic spring contacts mounted to a planar face of the component. Each of the microelectronic spring contacts has a contoured beam, which may be formed of an integral layer of resilient material deposited over a contoured sacrificial substrate, and comprises a base mounted to the planar face of the component, a beam connected to the base at a first end of the beam, and a tip positioned at a free end of the beam opposite to the base. The beam has an unsupported span between its free end and its base. The microelectronic spring contacts are advantageously formed by depositing a resilient material over a molded, sacrificial substrate. The spring contacts may be provided with various innovative contoured shapes. In various embodiments of the invention, the electronic component comprises a semiconductor die, a semiconductor wafer, a LGA socket, an interposer, or a test head assembly.
US07675300B2
An apparatus including a positioner control device, a measuring device and a control routine. The positioner control device is communicatively coupled to a chamber of a charged particle beam device (CPBD) and is configured to individually manipulate each of a plurality of probes within the CPBD chamber to establish contact between ones of the plurality of probes and corresponding ones of a plurality of contact points of a sample positioned in the CPBD chamber. The measuring device is communicatively coupled to the CPBD and the positioner control device and is configured to perform one of a measurement and a detection of a characteristic associated with one of the plurality of contact points. The control routine is configured to at least partially automate control of at least one of the CPBD, the positioner control device and the measuring device.
US07675299B2
According to some embodiments, a method of determining a resistance of probes on a contactor device is disclosed. The contactor device can include a plurality of probes disposed to contact an electronic device to be tested. The method can include electrically connecting a pair of the probes to each other, and then forcing one of a voltage onto or a current through the pair of the probes. At a location on the contactor device, the other of a voltage across or a current through the pair of the probes can be sensed. A determination relating to a resistance of the probes can be determined from the values of the forced voltage or current and sensed other of the voltage or current.
US07675298B2
Characteristics of a fluid are determined, in one embodiment, by flowing the fluid (which may contain charged particles) between a plurality of electrode pairs, applying respective DC voltages across at least two of the electrode pairs, and measuring resulting currents through the fluid at the respective electrode pairs. In one example, respective plates of the electrode pairs are configured so that they do not fully encircle one another.
US07675295B2
A passive wireless corrosion sensor is disclosed. A circuit is configured to provide a signal response when energized. An antenna is configured to wirelessly receive energy for energizing the circuit and to receive the signal response from the circuit and transmit the signal response. A corrosion sensitive connector interposes the circuit and the antenna. The corrosion sensitive connector conducts the energy from the antenna to the circuit and conducts the signal response from the circuit to the antenna when in a substantially non-corroded state. The corrosion sensitive connector creates an effectively non conducting link between the antenna and the circuit when in a substantially corroded state.
US07675294B2
A method for determining attenuation of electromagnetic waves impacting an electromagnetic shield. A reference amplitude is provided. A signal exhibiting a first frequency is converted to a converted signal exhibiting a second frequency higher than the first frequency. Electromagnetic waves corresponding to the converted signal are transmitted from a first antenna toward a second antenna with the electromagnetic shield positioned between them. Attenuated remnants of the electromagnetic waves received by the second antenna are converted to a corresponding signal exhibiting a third frequency that is lower than the second frequency. The amplitude of the corresponding signal is compared to the reference amplitude.
US07675287B2
A method for determining skin factor of a subsurface rock formation from within a wellbore drilled therethrough includes measuring a nuclear magnetic resonance property of the formation at a plurality of lateral depths therein. The measured nuclear magnetic resonance property is used to estimate the skin factor.
US07675286B2
According to the present invention, a magnetoresistive sensor device, which can be manufactured at a high yield and a low cost, is excellent in magnetoresistance characteristics and is reliable can be provided. The magnetoresistive sensor device comprises a substrate, a signal processing circuit formed on the substrate, a flattening film for flattening the signal processing circuit, a silicon nitride film formed on the flattened signal processing circuit, and magnetoresistive sensor elements formed on the silicone nitride film, in which the flattening film is preferably a spin-on-glass (SOG) film.
US07675285B2
An apparatus includes a sense element and an oscillator. The oscillator is coupled to the sense element and is used to generate an oscillator signal and a gain control signal. The oscillator signal is amplitude compensated when noise is detected in the sense element. A method includes detecting magnetic interference in a sense element coupled to an oscillator, and adjusting a gain control signal in the oscillator to compensate for the magnetic interference.
US07675283B2
A relative position detection device is designed with multiple Hall Effect sensors. In one embodiment, the multiple Hall Effect sensors comprise two different types of Hall Effect sensors. The two different types can be linear and digital. The output of the sensors is used to determine the position an accelerator control, such as a twist grip, and to control an engine or motor in accordance with the operator demand evidenced by the position of the accelerator control.
US07675281B1
In one embodiment, in a power converter system having first and second switches connected in a half-bridge arrangement at a common node from which current flows through an inductor to a regulated output terminal, wherein the regulated output terminal is connectable to a load, wherein the first and second switches are turned on and off in cycles, a method is provided for synchronous rectification. The method includes: initiating a cycle in which the first switch is turned on; developing a timer based on the on-time of the first switch during the cycle; turning off the first switch and turning on the second switch during the cycle; and outputting a control signal to turn off the second switch when either the timer expires or a new cycle is initiated to turn on the first switch, thereby providing synchronous rectification in the power converter system.
US07675278B2
A method for operating a current limit power switch for supplying power to a load include activating the power switch to start supplying power to the load; limiting the current drawn by the power switch to a first current limit for a first, fixed duration; after the first, fixed duration, limiting the current drawn by the power switch to a second current limit for a second duration where the second current limit is less than the first current limit; and after the second duration, limiting the current drawn by the power switch to a third current limit where the third current limit is less than the second current limit.
US07675274B2
A circuit arrangement for aircraft engine regulators, for providing or generating a bipolar output direct current signal as a function of at least one pulse-width modulated input signal is disclosed. Said circuit arrangement comprises at least two driver stages, each driver stage being controllable by a pulse-width modulated input signal and wired up to preferably one step-down actuator stage in such a way that, for the control of a first driver stage, a first switching device of a step-down actuator stage controls a low-pass filter device of the step-down actuator stage, and for the control of a second driver stage, a second switching device of the step-down actuator stage controls the low-pass filter device of the step-down actuator stage.
US07675270B2
Communication between an information handling system and battery has improved reliability by repeated communications of information from the battery using different commands from the information handling system. A battery management unit responds to a first command from an information handling system by sending information stored at a first address associated with the command and then saving the first address at second address. A power manager of the information handling system sends a second command having the second address to the battery management unit. The battery management unit responds to the second command by retrieving the first address stored at the second address, retrieving information stored at the first address and sending the information to the power manager. The power manager restricts operations of the battery, such as charges or discharges, unless the information received in response to the first and second commands matches.
US07675264B2
A charging and power-supply device includes a base, at least one power socket, a board located on the base, and a conductive wire. The power socket is located on the base. The board is rotatably pivoted with the base via a pivoting unit. The conductive wire is electrically connected with the power socket. When the board is rotated above the base, the board is on a slope. It is convenient to place the portable device on the board to charge the portable device. There is a receiving space formed between the board and the base for receiving the wire of the portable device. When the board is rotated below the base, the board is stacked and placed under the base to reduce the occupied space when the charging and power-supply device is shipped or packaged.
US07675257B2
A unit for recording operating information of an electronically commutated motor (ECM) is described. The unit includes a system controller communicatively coupled to an ECM. The system controller includes a processing device configured to control the unit. The unit also includes a memory device communicatively coupled to the system controller. The memory device is configured to receive and store ECM operating information provided by the processing device.
US07675256B2
Taught herein is a controller for a direct current brushless motor connected to a high voltage control system, comprising a microprocessor and an input/output interface circuit connected between the high voltage control system and the microprocessor; wherein the input/output interface circuit is a step-down circuit for transforming a high voltage control signal into a low-voltage control signal. The controller enables the high voltage control system to cooperate with motor, therefore a user is not necessary to design a new high voltage control system when replacing the conventional AC motor with the DC brushless motor, which saves time, and reduces cost.
US07675254B2
Disclosed is an electric drive for a vehicle, which is used as a main drive or a hybrid drive. The electric motor of said drive is embodied as a special type of reluctance motor or series wound motor. The rotor of the reluctance motor and the inverse speed motor is provided with an excitation winding to which a transistor is assigned that allows the motor to be braked in a sensitive manner so as to control the field current. The braking current is fed to the source of current by switching operation of the motor during generator operation.
US07675250B2
The output current of a ballast is dynamically limited when an over-temperature condition is detected in the ballast according to one of (i) a step function or (ii) a combination of step and continuous functions, so as to reduce the temperature of the ballast while continuing to operate it.
US07675240B2
A light emitting diode (LED) circuit having even current has multiple LED strings, a current equalizing integrated circuit (IC) and a voltage compensation module. The LED strings are connected to an external power source, and each LED string has a power terminal and a driving terminal. The current equalizing IC has multiple driving pins connected respectively to the driving terminals of the LED strings. The voltage compensation module is connected between the LED strings and the external power source and has a threshold voltage value and multiple input terminals. The input terminals are connected respectively to the driving pins of the current equalizing IC to allow the voltage compensation module rise and send the voltage obtained from the external power source to the LED strings when the voltage compensation module determines any voltage on the driving pins of the current equalizing IC is lower than the threshold voltage value.
US07675238B2
The present invention relates to a lighting system (1) with a user interface (3) for controlling the lighting color and/or intensity of a lighting unit (2) determining the lighting conditions in a room. The user interface (3) is based on a system comprising a detection device (4) and transponders (6). Bringing the transponders (6) within the detection device (4) so that they will be detected causes the transponders (6) to send a response signal, which signal controls the lighting color and/or intensity of the lighting unit (2). Each transponder (6) is programmed to control a particular color or a specific light intensity.
US07675235B2
A plasma display panel is provided. The plasma display panel includes a front panel including a front glass substrate, a plurality of pairs of discharge-maintaining electrodes disposed over the front glass substrate, and a first dielectric layer disposed in covering relation to the pairs of discharge-maintaining electrodes, and a rear panel disposed in confronting relation to the front panel with discharge spaces interposed therebetween, the front panel including a second dielectric layer disposed between the front glass substrate and the pairs of discharge-maintaining electrodes, the second dielectric layer including a cluster of fine particles of silica.
US07675230B2
A light-emitting element used for display devices and illuminating devices has been formed on a flat substrate, and therefore, when the size of such devices is increased, manufacturing apparatuses also have to be enlarged. Also, a problem involved has been that even a failure of one light-emitting element causes the entire device to fail, making improvement of production yield difficult. To solve the above problems, in the present invention, light-emitting elements are formed as linear elements, and the linear elements are combined to form a plane light-emitting device. This enables the light-emitting device to be produced by selecting only linear light-emitting elements of good quality, and enlargement of apparatuses and enhancement of production yield can be expected.
US07675213B2
In the present invention the positions of the slots or poles of the stator of an electric motor are changed in order to reduce the harmonics caused by the stator winding and any vibration caused by these harmonics. In the present invention a shape function is defined according to the new placement positions for the stator slots and/or stator poles. A conversion function sums for the slot placement positions to be given to equidistant stator slotting placement. In one embodiment of the invention the conversion function is the sum of sinusoidal functions and in its amplitude small in relation to the distance between the slots.
US07675211B2
A method of assembling a rotor shaft assembly is provided. The method includes assembling a self-aligning bearing seat from a first assembly and a second assembly such that the self-aligning bearing seat substantially circumscribes a rotor shaft. The method also includes creating an interface defined between the first assembly and the second assembly, such that when the rotor shaft experiences misalignment the interface accommodates misalignment of the rotor shaft.
US07675209B2
A cooling jacket of an electric motor or generator includes a cylindrical inner sleeve, a cylindrical outer sleeve coaxially surrounding the inner sleeve and forming a circular space between the outer sleeve and the inner sleeve, and a passageway extending within the circular space between the outer sleeve and the inner sleeve. The passageway may be a continuous winding path that may extend axially back and forth along the circumference of said inner sleeve. An embodiment of the present invention provides a cooling jacket that is suitable for, but not limited to, applications in the aircraft and aerospace industries, for example in air-conditioning systems. The cooling jacket as in one embodiment of the present invention may be leak proof and water tight, has a compact design, and may be easily assembled and integrated into an electrically driven machine, such as an electrically driven compressor.
US07675207B2
A motor device may include a motor main body provided with a stator part and a rotation shaft, an output shaft provided with a lead screw part, a motor frame provided with an opposite-to-output side support part that supports the stator part and an opposite-to-output side of the output shaft, and which is provided with an output side support part which supports an output side of the output shaft, and a gear part for transmitting a driving force of the rotation shaft to the output shaft. The opposite-to-output side support part rotatably supports the rotation shaft and further rotatably supports the opposite-to-output side of the output shaft.
US07675203B2
An electric drive unit for generating an oscillating movement, having a stator, a rotor, a torsion element and a tuning element. The tuning element acts upon the torsion element and serves to mechanically tune the resonant frequency of the drive unit.
US07675202B1
A linear voice coil motor having a radially magnetized magnet structure. The voice coil motor includes an outer yoke an inner yoke magnetically coupled with and extending inside of the outer yoke. An air gap defined between the outer yoke and the inner yoke. A voice coil assembly is mounted so as to enable movement between the voice coil assembly and at least one of the yokes. In one embodiment the magnet structure is an isotropic magnet structure. In one embodiment the magnet structure is formed by a plurality of ring magnets. In one embodiment the magnet structure is formed by a plurality of isotropic ring magnets.
US07675195B2
A load control system comprises a plurality of control devices, each coupled to one of a plurality of device communication links. The device communication links are each coupled to a one of a plurality of link power supplies, which provides power for the control devices on the device communication links. The link power supplies are coupled together via a repeater communication link and operate as repeater devices to retransmit digital messages received from the device communication link onto the repeater communication link, and vice versa. The retransmitted digital messages are substantially the same as the received digital messages. No control devices are coupled to the repeater communication link, such that no control devices draw current through the repeater communication link. A maximum of only two or three link power supplies are coupled between any two control devices of the load control system.
US07675193B2
The present invention discloses a selective independent overload and group overload protection circuit of a power supply. In the power supply, each of a plurality of loads that require a larger power output has an independent overload protection circuit, and the load is connected to a group overload protection circuit, such that a user can select to turn on the independent overload protection circuit or a group overload protection circuit that allows a larger power output and facilitates the user to select an appropriate power output according to the capacity requirement of the load.
US07675178B2
A method of fabricating a stacked structure for forming a damascene process is described. A doped dielectric layer is formed on a substrate. A surface treatment is performed to the dielectric layer to make the dopant concentration in an upper surface layer of the dielectric layer lower than that in the other portions of the dielectric layer. A metal hard mask is then formed on the dielectric layer. Since the dopant conc. in the upper surface layer of the dielectric layer is lowered, the reaction between the metal hard mask and the dopant in the dielectric layer can be inhibited.
US07675175B2
A semiconductor device with a damascene wiring structure which can prevent short-circuits between a seal ring and a wiring line or electrode pad. An upper layer barrier layer made from a conductive barrier material film is formed on an interlayer insulating film groove sidewall of the semiconductor device. Embedded in the groove is an upper layer seal ring wiring line with thickness of approximately 10 micrometers for instance, in which a plurality of isolated pockets of insulators are disbursed. These isolated pockets of insulators are formed using the interlayer insulating film which forms the damascene wiring line. Additionally, a first upper layer groove wiring line and a second upper layer groove wiring line are formed in an element forming region, and an upper layer barrier layer is formed on the outside perimeter. The upper layer seal ring wiring line and both upper layer wiring lines all have damascene wiring structures.
US07675168B2
An integrated circuit comprises an integrated circuit package and one or more circuit elements disposed within the integrated circuit package. The integrated circuit also comprises at least two differential wire bond pairs providing connections for at least one of the one or more circuit elements. Proximate differential wire bond pairs of the at least two differential wire bond pairs have substantially different wire bond profiles.
US07675156B2
An electrical component, e.g., a press-in diode, is provided, which is suited for high currents and which ensures reverse-polarity protection. The electrical component includes at least one chip which is connected via soldering layers to a lead wire and a base. In the event of a rising temperature caused by polarity reversal, the clamp-type connection between the individual parts of the electrical component, e.g., the lead wire and the base, is released since the connecting plastic sheath softens, resulting in the release of the clamp-type connection, thereby interrupting the electrical connection and thus a current flow. At normal operating temperature, the clamp-type connection between the individual parts of the diode is ensured via a plastic sheath and a plastic sleeve, with bulges of the lead wire and the base protruding into the plastic sheath, thereby making the connection particularly stable.
US07675154B2
A radio frequency (RF) module and a multi RF module including the same include a base substrate, a first element capable of processing RF signals formed on the base substrate, a second element capable of processing RF signals separated from and disposed over the first element, a cap substrate coupled with the base substrate to encapsulate the first and second elements including a plurality of through electrodes that electrically connect the first and second elements to the outside, and a bonding pad that encapsulates and joins the base substrate and the cap substrate and electrically connects the first and second elements to the through electrodes.
US07675150B2
An electric circuit device and related manufacturing method are disclosed as having a case incorporating therein a substrate on which electric circuit elements are mounted. A sealant is filled in the case to cover the electric circuit elements and the substrate and is composed of a lower layer gel and an upper layer gel formed in a two-layer structure. The upper layer gel has a penetration equal to or less than 90 and the lower layer gel has a penetration greater than that of the upper layer gel to allow the upper layer gel to suppress vibration of a surface of the lower gel for thereby suppressing the deformation of the lower layer gel even in the presence of a tendency causing the electric circuit elements or the substrate to vibrate, preventing a degraded function in insulation, waterproof and vibrational relaxation of the lower layer gel.
US07675149B1
Check valve package for pb-free, single piece electronic modules, the package having an exterior and an interior, and at least one electronic device mounted within the interior of the package electrically connected to a lead-free solder ball grid array on a surface of the package, the package having a check valve between the interior and exterior of the package configured to allow flow from the interior to the exterior and to prevent flow form the exterior to the interior. The package withstands the solder reflow temperatures for the reflow of the pb-free solder balls of a ball grid array packaging of an NVSRAM during mounting on a circuit board. The package is suitable for packaging circuits containing rechargeable batteries and for packaging other electronic devices.
US07675137B2
An electrical fuse and a first dielectric layer thereupon are formed on a semiconductor substrate. Self-assembling block copolymers containing two or more different polymeric block components are applied into a recessed region surrounded by a dielectric template layer. The self-assembling block copolymers are then annealed to form a pattern of multiple circles having a sublithographic diameter. The pattern of multiple circles is transferred into the first dielectric layer by a reactive ion etch, wherein the portion of the first dielectric layer above the fuselink has a honeycomb pattern comprising multiple circular cylindrical holes. A second dielectric layer is formed over the circular cylindrical holes by a non-conformal chemical vapor deposition and sublithographic cavities are formed on the fuselink. The sublithographic cavities provide enhanced thermal insulation relative to dielectric materials to the fuselink so that the electrical fuse may be programmed with less programming current.
US07675136B2
A thin-film device incorporates a device main body and four terminal electrodes. The device main body has four side surfaces. The terminal electrodes are disposed to touch respective portions of the side surfaces. The device main body includes a lower conductor layer used to form a first passive element and an upper conductor layer used to form a second passive element. At each side surface of the device main body, an end face of the lower conductor layer and an end face of the upper conductor layer are electrically and physically connected to each other. The terminal electrodes touch the end faces of the lower and upper conductor layers, and are thereby connected to the lower and upper conductor layers.
US07675135B2
Instabilities and related drawbacks that arise when interruptions of a perimetral high voltage ring extension implanted regions (RHV) of a main junction (P_tub 1, (P_tub2, . . . ) of an integrated device must be realized may be effectively prevented. This important result is achieved by an extremely simple expedient: whenever an interruption (I) of the high voltage ring extension must be created, it is not realized straight across it along a common orthogonal direction to the perimetral implanted region, on the contrary, the narrow interruption is defined obliquely or slantingly across the width of the perimetral high voltage ring extension. In case of a straight interruption, the angle of slant (α) may be generally comprises between 30 and 60 degrees and more preferably is 45 degrees or close to it. Naturally, the narrow interruption is created by masking it from dopant implantation when realizing the perimetral high voltage ring extension region.
US07675127B1
According to an exemplary embodiment, a semiconductor structure includes an NFET situated over a substrate. The semiconductor structure further includes a P+ substrate tie ring surrounded the NFET. The P+ substrate tie ring includes a salicide layer situated on a P+ diffusion region. The semiconductor structure further includes an N well ring situated between the NFET and the P+ substrate tie ring, where the N well ring increases snap-back conduction uniformity in the NFET. The semiconductor structure further includes an N+ active ring situated between the NFET and the P+ substrate tie ring, where the N+ active ring surrounds the NFET and connects the P+ substrate tie ring to the N well ring. The N+ active ring includes a salicide layer situated on an N+ diffusion region, where the salicide layer of the N+ active ring connects the N well ring to the P+ substrate tie ring.
US07675120B2
A composite integrated circuit incorporating two LDMOSFETs of unlike designs, with the consequent creation of a parasitic transistor. A multipurpose resistor is integrally built into the composite integrated circuit in order to prevent the parasitic transistor from accidentally turning on. In an intended application of the composite integrated circuit to a startup circuit of a switching-mode power supply, the multipurpose resistor serves as startup resistor for limiting the flow of rush current during the startup period of the switching-mode power supply.
US07675111B2
Aiming at providing a semiconductor device capable of reducing the ON-resistance when voltage smaller than a predetermined value is applied to the base region and the drift region, and capable of increasing the ON-resistance so as to prevent thermal fracture when the voltage is not smaller than the predetermined value, and at providing a method of fabricating such semiconductor device, a P-type diffusion layer 7 is formed in an N-type drift region 2 of a semiconductor device 100, as being apart from a base region 5, wherein the diffusion layer 7 is formed in a region partitioned by lines L each extending from each of the intersections of the boundary B, between the drift region 2 and a base area 5A of the base region 5, and the side faces of a trench 15 surrounding the base area 5A of the base region 5, towards the bottom plane of the drift region 2 right under the base area 5A, while keeping an angle θ2 of 50° between the lines L and the boundary B.
US07675099B2
Provided are an image sensor and a method of forming the image sensor. The image sensor has a base multi-layered reflection layer interposed between a photodiode and an interlayer insulating layer. The photodiode has a first surface adjacent to the interlayer insulating layer and a second surface opposite the first surface. Here, external light is incident on the second surface of the photodiode. Also, the image sensor includes a sidewall multi-layered reflection layer that encloses the photodiode.
US07675098B2
A complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor including a semiconductor substrate having an inclined groove with an inclined surface and a light reception surface perpendicular to the semiconductor substrate, and a device forming area adjacent the light reception surface. A reflection film selectively formed on and/or over the inclined surface, a plurality of photodiodes substantially perpendicular to the surface of the substrate; and at least one MOS transistor formed on the surface of the device forming area.
US07675086B2
An LED assembly includes a substrate and a plurality of LEDs mounted on the substrate. Each LED comprises an LED die mounted on the substrate via an adhesive, a base spacedly surrounding the LED die, a pair of leads inserted in the base to be in electrical connection with the LED die, and an encapsulant sealing the LED die and inner parts of the leads therein. A thickness of the adhesive is selected to be less than 0.01 inches. The substrate contains a kind of coolant therein to rapidly remove heat from the LED die to atmosphere.
US07675084B2
A photonic crystal structure is formed in an n-type region of a III-nitride semiconductor structure including an active region sandwiched between an n-type region and a p-type region. A reflector is formed on a surface of the p-type region opposite the active region. In some embodiments, the growth substrate on which the n-type region, active region, and p-type region are grown is removed, in order to facilitate forming the photonic crystal in an n-type region of the device, and to facilitate forming the reflector on a surface of the p-type region underlying the photonic crystal. The photonic crystal and reflector form a resonant cavity, which may allow control of light emitted by the active region.
US07675076B2
A light-emitting device has a main semiconductor region formed via an n-type AlInGaN buffer region on a p-type silicon substrate, the latter being sufficiently electroconductive to provide part of the current path through the device. Constituting the primary working part of the LED, the main semiconductor region comprises an n-type GaN layer, an active layer, and a p-type GaN layer, which are successively epitaxially grown in that order on the buffer region. A heterojunction is created between p-type substrate and n-type buffer region. Carrier transportation from substrate to buffer region is expedited by the interface levels of the heterojunction, with a consequent reduction of the drive voltage requirement of the LED.
US07675064B2
A self-illumination display is provided, including a first substrate, a light-absorbing structure, a filter layer, a driving circuit unit, and a self-illumination unit. The light-absorbing structure and the filter layer are juxtaposedly disposed over the first substrate. The driving circuit unit is disposed over and shielded by the light-absorbing structure. The self-illumination unit is disposed over the filter layer, including a light-transmissible electrode, a light emitting layer, and a black electrode. The self-illumination unit is disposed over the filter layer, including a light-transmissible electrode, a light emitting layer, and a black electrode. The light-transmissible electrode is disposed over the filter layer while the light emitting layer and the black electrode are sequentially tiered on the light-transmissible electrode. The light-absorbing structure, the filter layer and the black electrode together reduce the reflection of the ambient light and enhance the image contrast.
US07675055B2
The present invention provides CMOS structures including at least one strained pFET that is located on a rotated semiconductor substrate to improve the device performance. Specifically, the present invention utilizes a Si-containing semiconductor substrate having a (100) crystal orientation in which the substrate is rotated by about 45° such that the CMOS device channels are located along the <100> direction. Strain can be induced upon the CMOS structure including at least a pFET and optionally an nFET, particularly the channels, by forming a stressed liner about the FET, by forming embedded stressed wells in the substrate, or by utilizing a combination of embedded stressed wells and a stressed liner. The present invention also provides methods for fabricating the aforesaid semiconductor structures.
US07675042B2
The present invention relates to a beam optical component (1, 201) for acting on a charged particle beam (63) including a first element (3; 203) having a first opening (9; 209) for acting on the charged particle beam (63), at least a second element (5; 205) for acting on the charged particle beam (63); at least one distance piece (20a, 20b, 20c) positioned between the first element (3; 203) and the second element (5; 205) to define a minimum distance between the first element (3; 203) and the second element (5; 205); and a first holding piece (30a; 30b; 30c) for abutting the first element (3) to the at least one distance piece (20a, 20b, 20c), whereby the first holding piece (30a; 30b; 30c) is attached to the at least one distance piece (20a, 20b, 20c). First and second elements (3; 203; 5; 205) are preferably electrodes or pole pieces to act on the charged particle beam by an electrostatic or magnetic force. With the first holding piece (30a; 30b; 30c) attached to the at least one distance piece, distorting mechanical forces on the first and second elements (3, 5) are reduced which improves the performance of the respective beam optical components (1; 201).
US07675037B2
A method and an apparatus for measuring terahertz time-domain spectrum, which relate to the field of terahertz time-domain spectrum. The method comprises the steps of: generating a first pulse laser beam from a first femtosecond laser device at a preset repetition frequency to generate THz pulses; generating a second pulse laser beam from a second femtosecond laser device at the repetition frequency; measuring electric field intensities of the THz pulses at respective phase differences between the first pulse laser beam and the second pulse laser beam; and obtaining a THz time-domain spectroscopy by performing Fourier transformation of data representative of the electric field intensities. THz spectrum measured according to the method and apparatus improves spectroscopy resolution and provides a broader detection range.
US07675031B2
Auxiliary electrodes for creating drag fields may be provided as arrays of finger electrodes on thin substrates such as printed circuit board material for insertion between main RF electrodes of a multipole. A progressive range of voltages can be applied along lengths of the auxiliary electrodes by implementing a voltage divider that utilizes static resisters interconnecting individual finger electrodes of the arrays. Dynamic voltage variations may be applied to individual finger electrodes or to groups of the finger electrodes.
US07675028B2
A phantom for use in generating a normalization data set to be used in PET scanning (particularly integrated MR/PET scanning) is disclosed. The phantom features radiation activity distributed throughout a foam material. The foam—e.g., a polyurethane foam—may be produced by reacting two liquids, one of which is emulsified with water in which Ge68 has been dissolved. The foam produced thereby exhibits uniform distribution of radioactivity and a long mean free path for 511 keV gamma particles—two attributes that are important attributes of a PET phantom.
US07675027B2
A motion-detecting module includes a PCB, a light-emitting unit, and a light-sensing unit. The light-emitting unit is electrically disposed over the PCB. The light-sensing unit has a light-sensing die electrically disposed on the PCB and a package cover covered on the light-sensing die, and the package cover has a through hole corresponding to the light-sensing die and a transparent element disposed in the through hole. The present invention does not need extra package protection body of the prior art for protecting the light-sensing die during the transport of the light-sensing module. The present invention use original package cover to prevent the light-sensing die from being damaged by external force, and the original package cover shelters the light-sensing die from extra stray light.
US07675014B2
The invention relates to large-dimension linear image sensors operating by relative translation between the image and the sensor and consisting of a plurality of linear arrays abutting in a staggered fashion. In order to improve the design of the sensor, according to the invention the arrays are mounted on packages whose upper surface has an elongate rectangular shape provided on two opposite sides of the rectangle with two extensions substantially covered by the ends of the array, two adjacent packages bearing against each other along a respective extension of each of them. The staggered arrangement prevents the blind zones, photosensitive points being present in the extensions, and the offset between the two rows of staggered chips is practically no greater than the width of the chips.
US07675011B2
A missile guidance system and method for guiding a missile, mainly horizontally flying, to pass a target at a desired passage height.
US07675004B2
A heating element includes a base substrate, a pair of electrodes, a resistor capable of generating heat, a conductive resin, a terminal member, a hot melt adhesion metal, a hot melt cohesion metal, and a lead wire. The pair of electrodes is provided on the base substrate, and the resistor is formed between the pair of electrodes. The conductive resin is provided on each of the electrodes, and the terminal member is provided on the conductive resin. The adhesion metal is provided on the terminal member, and the cohesion metal forms a molten phase along with the adhesion metal. An end of the lead wire is welded to the cohesion metal. The conductive resin is provided in the vicinity of the adhesion metal so as to be affected by heat of the adhesion metal.
US07674999B2
A dynamic surface anneal apparatus for annealing a semiconductor workpiece has a workpiece support for supporting a workpiece, an optical source and scanning apparatus for scanning the optical source and the workpiece support relative to one another along a fast axis. The optical source includes an array of laser emitters arranged generally in successive rows of the emitters, the rows being transverse to the fast axis. Plural collimating lenslets overlie respective ones of the rows of emitters and provide collimation along the fast axis. The selected lenslets have one or a succession of optical deflection angles corresponding to beam deflections along the fast axis for respective rows of emitters. Optics focus light from the array of laser emitters onto a surface of the workpiece to form a succession of line beams transverse to the fast axis spaced along the fast axis in accordance with the succession of deflection angles.
US07674998B2
To enable the amount of air capable of bringing smoke to the vicinity of a discharge opening of a gas discharge chamber to be sent into the gas discharge chamber. A cutting machine has gas discharge chambers arranged side by side by partitioning the inside of a table, blower openings each provided on one end side of a gas discharge chamber, gas discharge openings each provided on the other side of the gas discharge chamber, and fans for sending air, while moving to the outside of the table, to at least one gas discharge chamber from the blower opening of the gas discharge chamber and arranged in the direction of the movement. The fans are arranged at intervals such that two or more fans face the blower opening of one gas discharge chamber, and the two or more fans can simultaneously send air to the one gas discharge chamber.
US07674978B2
A wire harness includes a conductive member configured to connect electric members to each other for electric conduction; a covering member configured to enclose and cover the conductive member, the covering member being formed of a first insulating material; and a retaining member configured to enclose the covering member so as to define a space between the covering member and the retaining member, the retaining member being formed of a second insulating material.
US07674977B1
An insulated wall outlet plate assembly. The assembly provides the dual functions of both preventing drafts through the outlet and for preventing against unwanted or accidental access to the outlet. The wall outlet plate assembly includes a wall plate for covering an electrical outlet, a flap assembly secured to the plate having moveable flaps which may be secured in place to close the openings in the outlet plate and a layer of insulation material secured to the backside of the outlet plate for providing insulation against drafts through the outlet. The flaps include an underlying ridge which secures the flaps in place relative to the openings of the outlet plate.
US07674974B1
A plurality of siding flange implementations comprising weatherproof siding flanges combined with an electrical wall box or a while-in-use electrical cover. The siding flange may be integrally formed with the electrical wall box or removably coupled to the electrical wall box, for example, on an inside surface of the box. The siding flange may comprise weight reducing pockets separated by strengthening ribs. The siding flange may also comprise a lip extending forward of the siding flange and having one or more grooves therein. The grooves may allow portions of the lip to be removed to adapt to varying siding material thickness.
US07674970B2
Herein described are at least a method and a system for assisting a musician in playing an instrument by way of using an intelligent multifunctional digital music display device (MDMDD). The multifunctional digital music display device (MDMDD) may be used to assist musicians or performers during practice sessions or performances. The various aspects of the invention provide a method of constructing an ADSR envelope for a note generated by an instrument, displaying one or more pages of music, generating a more accurate metronome beat consistent with the music being played, and alerting the musician when his instrument is out-of-tune. Further, the various aspects of the invention provide a method of statistically monitoring and reporting the performance of the musician. The system comprises a storage device capable of storing an instructional code, a processor for executing the instructional code, a microphone, and a display.
US07674964B2
A keyboard electronic musical instrument is of a type which comprises a keyboard including a plurality of individual keys for playing individual musical notes and arrayed in a first direction, and a key detecting device for detecting respective key depression velocities of the individual keys. The instrument further comprises an indicator device which presents a plurality of bar-graphic indications respectively for the individual keys in the keyboard, the bar-graphic indications being arrayed side by side in the first direction, each bar-graphic indication being elongate in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction and representing the key depression velocity of each of the individual keys. When a key is depressed, the key depression velocity is detected and the bar-graphic indication which corresponds to the depressed key is illuminated in green color with a length representing the key depression velocity. When performance data containing velocity data of the respective note is given, the bar-graphic indication of the corresponding key of the note is illuminated in red color with a length representing the velocity of the note.
US07674958B2
Compositions and methods for conferring herbicide resistance or tolerance to bacteria, plants, plant cells, tissues and seeds are provided. Compositions include polynucleotides encoding herbicide resistance or tolerance polypeptides, vectors comprising those polynucleotides, and host cells comprising the vectors. The nucleotide sequences of the invention can be used in DNA constructs or expression cassettes for transformation and expression in organisms, including microorganisms and plants. Compositions also comprise transformed bacteria, plants, plant cells, tissues, and seeds. In particular, isolated polynucleotides encoding glyphosate resistance or tolerance polypeptides are provided. Additionally, amino acid sequences corresponding to the polynucleotides are encompassed. In particular, the present invention provides for isolated polynucleotides comprising nucleotide sequences encoding the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:2, 4, or 6, or the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1, 3, or 5. The present invention additionally provides a method to measure enzyme kinetic activity using fluorogenic substrates.
US07674954B2
The present invention refers to a gene from Helianthus annuus encoding a transcription factor that comprises a homeodomain associated with a leucine zipper. This gene is named Hahb-10. The transcription factor Hahb-10 can be used in DNA constructs to transform host cells and plants. Transgenic plants that overexpress this transcription factor are more tolerant to herbicides, and have a shorter life cycle.
US07674952B2
The present invention discloses and claims stress-inducible plant promoters, DNA constructs with such promoters, transgenic plants containing such promoters and DNA constructs, isolated DNAs encoding such promoters, and methods of making and using such promoters, DNA constructs, transgenic plants, and isolated DNAs.
US07674944B2
Catalysts and methods for alkane oxydehydrogenation are disclosed. The catalysts of the invention generally comprise (i) nickel or a nickel-containing compound and (ii) at least one or more of titanium (Ti), tantalum (Ta), niobium (Nb), hafnium (Hf), tungsten (W), yttrium (Y), zinc (Zn), zirconium (Zr), or aluminum (Al), or a compound containing one or more of such element(s). In preferred embodiments, the catalyst is a supported catalyst, the alkane is selected from the group consisting of ethane, propane, isobutane, n-butane and ethyl chloride, molecular oxygen is co-fed with the alkane to a reaction zone maintained at a temperature ranging from about 250° C. to about 350° C., and the ethane is oxidatively dehydrogenated to form the corresponding alkene with an alkane conversion of at least about 10% and an alkene selectivity of at least about 70%.
US07674943B2
A solid, hydrocarbon-insoluble, catalyst component useful in polymerizing olefins containing magnesium, titanium, and halogen further contains an internal electron donor comprising a compound containing electron donating substituents with a structure: wherein D1 and D2 are selected individually from and R, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, and R7 individually are hydrocarbon or substituted hydrocarbon groups containing 1 to 20 carbon atoms and R2, R3, R4, R6, and R7 may be hydrogen; R4 may be —NR2; and wherein groups R1 and R2, R2 and R3, R3 and R4, R3 and R5, and groups R6 and R7 may be joined to form a cyclic structure.
US07674940B2
A process for the preparation of detergents containing a relatively low amount of isoparaffins, involving separating a hydrocarbonaceous product stream from a Fischer-Tropsch process using a cobalt based catalyst and producing normally liquid and normally solid hydrocarbons into a light fraction boiling below an intermediate fraction having detergent hydrocarbons, an intermediate boiling fraction having detergent hydrocarbons and a heavy fraction boiling above the intermediate boiling fraction having detergent hydrocarbons, followed by conversion of the detergent hydrocarbons present in the intermediate boiling fraction into detergents, the Fischer-Tropsch process being carried out at a relatively high pressure.
US07674938B2
The present invention provides compounds represented by general formula (I): or pharmaceutical acceptable salts thereof, wherein R1 and R2 are each hydrogen or lower alkyl; R3, R4, R5 and R6 are each hydrogen, halogen, lower alkyl or lower alkoxy; R7 and R8 are each hydrogen, halogen, lower alkyl, halo-lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, cycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, cyano, a hydroxyl group, lower acyl, carboxy or the like; R9 is —C(O)—R10, -A1-C(O)—R10, —O-A2-C(O)—R10 or a tetrazol-5-yl group, which exhibit potent and selective β3-adrenoceptor stimulating activities. The present invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions containing said compound, and uses thereof.
US07674930B2
To prepare a polyester polyol in which a lactone is ring-opening addition polymerized with the compound represented by formula (I). (wherein each of A1 and A2 represents an alkylene group having not less than 2 carbon atoms, A3 represents an alkylene group, X represents a cationic component, and each of n and m represents an integer of not less than 1.)The polyester polyol has a high hydrophilic group and high solubility in a solvent (particularly, a low-boiling organic solvent used in the production of a polyurethane) and can design an aqueous polyurethane desirably and produce the aqueous polyurethane.
US07674920B2
A method for preparing an oxydiphthalic anhydride comprises contacting, under reactive and substantially anhydrous conditions in a reactor, at least one halophthalic anhydride containing more than 250 ppm chlorophthalide impurity with a carbonate of the formula M2CO3, wherein M is an alkali metal, in the presence of a catalytic proportion of at least one phase transfer catalyst selected from the group consisting of hexaalkylguanidinium halides and alpha,omega-bis(pentaalkylguanidinium)alkane salts, phosphonium salts, phosphazenium salts, pyridinium salts, phosphazenium salts, ammonium salts, and combinations thereof. The phase transfer catalyst is present in a sufficient amount to prepare the oxydiphthalic anhydride when the chlorophthalide is present in an amount that is more than 250 ppm, and the oxydiphthalic anhydride is produced in a yield, based on the carbonate, of at least 70%.
US07674917B2
The present invention relates to a process for preparing compounds of the general formula (I) in which R1 and R2 are as defined in the description by reacting compounds of the formula (II) in which R1 and R2 are as defined in the description with phosgene in the absence of a base and in the presence of one or more diluents and also optionally of a catalyst.
US07674913B2
Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV)-inhibiting compounds are provided that have formula I: wherein n is 1 to 3; X is CH2; S; O; CF2 or C(CH3)2; Z is H; halogen; hydroxyl; (C1-6)alkoxy; (C1-12)alkyl; (C3-12)cycloalkyl; phenyl; or heteroaryl; where the phenyl and heteroaryl groups are optionally mono- or independently plurisubstituted with R7; optionally, X together with an adjacent ring carbon and Z form a fused cyclopropyl; and optionally, one of the bonds in the ring containing X is a double bond; and CriRii, R1, R1, R3, R4 and R5 are as described herein. Methods for preparing these compounds, and methods for treating diabetes, especially Type II diabetes, and other related diseases are described using the compounds of formula I in pharmaceutical compositions which contain these compounds. Pharmaceutical compositions which contain combinations of these compounds with other antidiabetic agents are also described herein.
US07674901B2
An improved process for the preparation of imatinib base and its pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts by (a) reacting 2-methyl-5-nitroaniline with cyanamide in the presence of hydrochloric acid to obtain 1-(2-methyl-5-nitrophenyl)guanidine hydrochloride; (b) converting 1-(2-methyl-5-nitrophenyl)guanidine hydrochloride to 1-(2-methyl-5-nitrophenyl)guanidine nitrate; (c) condensing 3-acetylpyridine with N,N-dimethylformamide dimethyl acetal to obtain 3-(dimethylamino)-1-(3-pyridinyl)-prop-2-en-1-one; (d) reacting 3-(dimethylamino)-1-(3-pyridinyl)-prop-2-en-1-one with 1-(2-methyl-5-nitrophenyl)guanidine nitrate to obtain N-(5-nitro-2-methylphenyl)-4-(3-pyridinyl)-2-pyrimidineamine; (e) reducing N-(5-nitro-2-methylphenyl)-4-(3-pyridinyl)-2-pyrimidineamine using hydrazine in the presence of Raney nickel to obtain N-(5-amino-2-methylphenyl)-4-(3-pyridinyl)-2-pyrimidine-amine; (f) condensing N-(5-amino-2-methylphenyl)-4-(3-pyridinyl)-2-pyrimidine-amine with 4-chloromethylbenzoyl chloride in the presence of an inorganic base to obtain 4-(chloromethyl)-N-(4-methyl-3-(4-(pyridin-3-yl)pyrimidin-2-ylamino)phenyl)benzamide; and (g) condensing 4-(chloromethyl)-N-(4-methyl-3-(4-(pyridin-3-yl)pyrimidin-2-ylamino)phenyl)benzamide with an excess of N-methylpiperazine to obtain imatinib base; and adding water or a mixture of water and an organic solvent; and isolating said imatinib base. The process allows for using simple starting materials, while simultaneously avoiding a laborious isolation and purification of intermediates and the final product, thereby facilitating scale-up.
US07674898B2
The present invention provides anhydrous crystals of β-lactam compound represented by the formula: The β-lactam compound of the invention is produced by heating an aqueous solution of a salt of the β-lactam compound and adjusting the pH of the aqueous solution to 3 or lower. The β-lactam compound has excellent storage stability.
US07674896B2
Efficient sequence specific gene silencing is possible through the use of siRNA technology. By selecting particular siRNAs by rationale design, one can maximize the generation of an effective gene silencing reagent, as well as methods for silencing genes.
US07674887B2
Invented are non-peptide TPO mimetics. Also invented are novel processes and intermediates used in the preparation of the presently invented compounds. Also invented is a method of treating thrombocytopenia, in a mammal, including a human, in need thereof which comprises administering to such mammal an effective amount of a selected hydroxy-1-azobenzene derivative.
US07674886B2
The present invention provides for substituted metal chelating compounds in which at least two of the chelating atoms are nitrogen which are directly attached to aromatic rings and one or more of those nitrogen atoms has attached thereto a substituent other than hydrogen, and methods for making and using these compounds.
US07674878B2
Disclosed is a method of producing a non-adhering granulate above the glass-transition temperature comprising a polyester material, in which the polyester material is introduced into a cooling water flow as a melt and is separated from the cooling water after passing through a cooling stretch. The dwell time of the polyester material in the cooling stretch is 0.2-5 sec, and the cooling water has a pressure of at least 2 bar along the cooling stretch. For the thus obtained granulate, post-crystallization is not required, at least not in every case. It has been shown that the granulate does not adhere, even without post-crystallization and mechanical movement if no additional external input of energy takes place. Even during heating under pressure, no adhesion could be observed.
US07674873B2
Poly(propylene carbonates) are prepared from propylene oxide and CO2 with less than 10% cyclic propylene carbonate by product using cobalt based catalysts of structure preferably in combination with salt cocatalyst, very preferably cocatalyst where the cation is PPN+ and the anion is Cl− or OBzF5−. Novel products include poly(propylene carbonates) having a stereoregularity greater than 90% and/or a regioregularity of greater than 90%.
US07674868B2
The invention provides copolymers of ethylenically unsaturated monomers and of ethylenically functionalized nanoparticles in the form of their aqueous polymer dispersions or water-redispersible polymer powders, obtainable by means of free-radically initiated polymerization in an aqueous medium and, if desired, subsequent drying of the resultant polymer dispersion, ofA) one or more monomers from the group consisting of vinyl esters, (meth)acrylic esters, vinylaromatics, olef ins, 1,3-dienes, vinyl ethers and vinyl halides and, if desired, further monomers copolymerizable therewith, in the presence ofB) at least one particle P having an average diameter of ≦1000 nm, which is functionalized with ethylenically unsaturated, free-radically polymerizable groups, characterized in thatB2) particles P used are one or more from the group of metal oxides and semimetal oxides, and/orB2) particles P used are silicone resins composed of repeating units of the general formula [R4(p+Z)SiO(4−p−Z)/2] (II), where for at least 20 mol % of the respective silicone resin p+z=0, 1 or 3,and where B1) and B2) are each functionalized with one or more α-organosilanes of the general formula (R1O)3−(R2)nSi—(CR32)—X (I), where X is a radical having 2 to 20 hydrocarbon atoms and containing an ethylenically unsaturated group.
US07674861B1
A thiocarbamoyldisulfanyl-functional cycloaliphatic compound, useful as a crosslinker for filled sulfur-vulcanizable elastomer compositions, is represented by the general formula: G[-CaH2a—S—S—C(═S)NR2]n wherein G is a saturated, monocyclic aliphatic group of valence n containing from 5 to 12 carbon atoms and optionally containing at least one halogen or a saturated monocyclic silicone [RSiO—]n[R2SiO—]p group of valence n; each R independently is a hydrogen or a monovalent hydrocarbon of up to 20 carbon atoms; each occurrence of subscripts a independently is an integer wherein a is 2 to 6; n is an integer of from 3 to 6; and, p is an integer of from 0 to 3.
US07674855B2
A thermoplastic molding composition having improved melt flow and chemical resistance is disclosed. The composition contains A) at least one member selected from the group consisting of aromatic polycarbonate and polyester carbonate, B) a graft polymer of at least one vinyl monomer on at least one rubber having a glass transition temperature of <10° C. as graft base and C) vinyl (co)polymer having weight-average molecular weight of 1500 to 5000 g/mol and glass transition temperature of >40° C. The composition may optionally further contain D) a phosphorus-based flame retardant and E) an anti-dripping agent.
US07674848B2
The invention is an article of manufacture, comprising a blend of: (A) from 1 to 50 weight percent of at least one block copolymer, wherein the block copolymer has at least one polystyrene block and at least one unsaturated rubber segment; and (B) from 99 to 50 weight percent of a natural oil. The natural oil of this invention is of natural animal, plant or vegetable oils or mixtures thereof, and the block copolymers have a polystyrene block and a rubber block where the rubber blocks are unsaturated rubbers such as polyisoprene, polybutadiene, or mixtures thereof. The block copolymers useful for the present invention are triblock polymers, radial (star) polymers, multiblock polymers, diblock polymers, or mixtures thereof.
US07674843B2
A pigment dispersion includes a pigment with at least one carboxylic acid group and a block copolymer including aromatic monomers having at least one carboxylic acid group or a salt thereof and aromatic monomers having at least one sulfonic acid group or a salt thereof. The pigment dispersions can be used for manufacturing inkjet inks and for the coating of colored layers.
US07674842B2
Disclosed is a phase change ink comprising a colorant, an initiator, and a phase change ink carrier, said carrier comprising (A) a compound which is the reaction product of a mixture comprising (1) an isocyanate; and (2) a component comprising (a) an alcohol having at least one ethylenic unsaturation; (b) an amine having at least one ethylenic unsaturation; (c) an acid having at least one ethylenic unsaturation; or (d) mixtures thereof, (B) a phase change inducing component, said phase change inducing component containing at least one hydroxyl group, said phase change inducing component having a melting point of about 40° C. or higher, and (C) an optional curable viscosity modifying ester, said ink being curable upon exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
US07674839B2
The invention relates to methods for the production of polymer carrier materials for solid phase synthesis, particularly for peptide synthesis. (Meth)acrylamide derivatives based on carbon hydrates, which can also contain other protective groups, are polymerized by means of suspension polymerization in an aqueous phase, optionally with the addition of pore-forming additives, and subsequently the protective groups are fully or partially cleaved. It is thus possible to obtain polymer carriers whose morphology (particle size, porosity), degree of cross-linking and swelling capability in aqueous and organic media can be adjusted in a targeted manner and whose reactive groups offer multiple opportunities for the immobilization of anchor groups and protective groups. The hydroxyl groups of the polymer carrier can be activated according to usual methods of solid phase synthesis.
US07674837B2
Gelled biopolymer based foams are disclosed. The gelled foams comprise a cross-linked biopolymer, preferably alginate; optionally, a foaming agent such as hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose; and a plasticizer, preferably glycerin sorbitol, or a mixture thereof, that forms the predominant portion of the gelled foam. The foams are soft and pliable and have high absorbency. They are used as wound dressing materials, controlled release delivery systems, cell culture, barrier media for preventing tissue adherence, and bioabsorbable implants. They also have various personal care applications, especially in oral hygiene, and can be used in food applications.
US07674830B2
The present invention provides a novel composition of matter comprised of a mixture of two specific classes of compounds—Free-B-ring flavonoids and flavans—for use in the prevention and treatment of diseases and conditions mediated by the COX-2 and 5-LO pathways. The present invention further provides a novel method for simultaneously inhibiting the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) enzymes, and reducing cox-2 mRNA production. Finally, the present invention includes a method for weight loss and blood glucose control. The methods of this invention are comprised of administering to a host in need thereof an effective amount of the composition of this invention together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. This invention relates generally to the prevention and treatment of diseases and conditions mediated by the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) pathways, including but not limited to the relief joint discomfort and pain associated with conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and other injuries that result from overuse.
US07674820B2
Methods, compositions, dosing regimes, and routes of administration for the treatment or prevention of arrhythmias. In these methods, early afterdepolarizations and prolongation of QT interval may be reduced or eliminated by administering ion channel modulating compounds to a subject in need thereof. The ion channel modulating compounds may be cycloalkylamine ether compounds, particularly cyclohexylamine ether compounds. Also described are compositions of ion channel modulating compounds and drugs which induce early afterdepolarizations, prolongation of QT interval and/or Torsades de Pointes.
US07674815B2
Compounds of formula I processes for their preparation, their use as pharmaceuticals and to pharmaceutical compositions comprising them.
US07674813B2
Compounds useful for lowering beta amyloid levels are provided. The compounds have the structure of formula Ia: wherein, R1 is lower alkyl, substituted lower alkyl, phenyl, substituted phenyl, benzyl, substituted benzyl, benzyloxy, substituted benzyloxy, or SO2R5; R5 is phenyl, substituted phenyl, heterocycle, substituted heterocycle, alkyl, or substituted alkyl; R2 is lower alkyl, substituted lower alkyl, CF3, alkenyl, substituted alkenyl, alkynyl, substituted alkynyl, phenyl, substituted phenyl, or cycloalkyl; R3 is hydrogen, lower alkyl, or substituted lower alkyl; R4 is phenyl, substituted phenyl, heterocycle, substituted heterocycle, thiophene, or substituted thiophene; R6 is hydrogen, lower alkyl, substituted lower alkyl, CF3, alkenyl, substituted alkenyl, alkynyl, substituted alkynyl, phenyl, substituted phenyl, cycloalkyl, or substituted cycloalkyl; W, X and Y are independently CR7 or N; and R7 is hydrogen, halogen, lower alkyl, or substituted lower alkyl.
US07674810B2
Compounds having the formula i wherein m, R1, R2, R4 and X1 are herein defined are Hepatitis C virus NS5b polymerase inhibitors. Also disclosed are compositions and methods for inhibiting hepatitis replication, processes for making the compounds and synthetic intermediates used in the process.
US07674809B2
Heterocyclic amidines with anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity that inhibit nitrogen oxide production, of formula (I): in which: G1 and G2 are hydrogen, halogen, hydroxyl, C1-C4 alkoxy, C1-C4 alkyl, and an amidino substituent of formula Q, provided that, for each compound of formula (I), only one of the two substituents G1 or G2 is an amidino substituent of formula Q: and in which the substituents W, Y and X are combined to form 9- or 10-membered bicyclic heteroaromatic derivatives containing up to 2 hetero atoms in the same ring; and Z is an aryl or heteroaryl group, a linear or branched C1-C6 alkyl or alkenyl chain, a C1-C4 alkyl-aryl group or a C1-C4 alkyl-heteroaryl group.
US07674805B2
The invention relates to a compound of formula (I): Wherein m, n, X, Y, R1, R2, R3 and R4 are as defined herein. The invention also relates to the use of same in therapeutics.
US07674804B2
This invention is concerned with compounds of the formula wherein A, R1 to R5 and G are as defined in the description and claims, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. The invention further relates to pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds, to a process for their preparation and to their use for the treatment and/or prevention of diseases which are associated with the modulation of SST receptors subtype 5.
US07674800B2
In certain embodiments the invention is directed to a process for preparing an oxycodone hydrochloride composition having less than 25 ppm of 14-hydroxycodeinone.
US07674797B2
The present invention relates to a benzenesulfonamide derivative of formula (I), which is useful as an active ingredient of pharmaceutical preparations. The benzenesulfonamide derivatives of the present invention have CCR3 (CC type chemokine receptor) antagonistic activity, and can be used for the prophylaxis and treatment of diseases associated with CCR3 activity, in particular for the treatment of asthma, atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis and other inflammatory/immunological disorders. In said formula, X represents O or S; R4 represents formulae (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g), (h), (i) or (j), the other substituents are as defined in claim 1.
US07674796B2
The present invention relates to a compound of the formula 1 wherein R1-R4 are as defined herein. Such novel pyrimidine derivatives are useful in the treatment of abnormal cell growth, such as cancer, in mammals. This invention also relates to a method of using such compounds in the treatment of abnormal cell growth in mammals, especially humans, and to pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds.
US07674784B2
A compound having a cyclolanostane skeleton such as 9,19-cyclolanostan-3-ol and 24-methylene-9,19-cyclolanostan-3-ol is used as an active ingredient of a drug or food or drink for improving hyperglycemia.
US07674783B2
A method for preventing or treating vascular hyperreactivity in which a chemical compound that is an estrogen beta receptor agonist is administered to a subject suffering from or at risk of vascular hyperreactivity. Preferably, the administration is topically to the skin.
US07674779B2
The invention relates to compositions and methods for modulating the expression of the MLL-AF4 fusion gene, and more particularly to the downregulation of MLL-AF4 by chemically modified oligonucleotides.
US07674772B2
Reverse peptides and mimetics of a mammalian serum amyloid A isoform 2.1 (SAA2.1) domain or a portion thereof and compositions and pharmaceutical compositions thereof are provided that enhance the effect on macrophage cholesterol ester hydrolase activity. Methods of using these reverse peptides, mimetics thereof and compositions in the treatment and/or prevention of atherosclerosis as well as coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease are also provided.
US07674770B2
An active polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3, or having at least 50%, preferably 70%, more preferably 90% identity with the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3, or fragments thereof having at least 21 contiguous amino acids, or peptides having at least 50%, preferably 70%, more preferably 90% identity with the amino acid sequence of the fragments, provided that the polypeptide is not SEQ ID NO: 2. A method for inhibiting cancer and/or tumour growth comprising administering to a subject in need thereof an effective amount of the active polypeptide.
US07674767B2
The present invention relates to an orally administrable composition containing nanoparticles with the particle size of 500 nm or less, comprising 0.1-30 weight % of a complex of a water-soluble drug and a counter-ion substance in which the charged water-soluble drug is bonded with the counter-ion substance, 0.5-80 weight % of a lipid, 0.5-80 weight % of a polymer, and 1-80 weight % of an emulsifier, wherein the weight ratio of said lipid and said polymer is in the range of 1:0.05-3, and a preparation method thereof. The composition of the present invention has high gastrointestinal absorption rate upon oral administration, and has high drug entrapping rate in the nanoparticle, and is also stable against lipases.
US07674761B2
This invention is directed to a water soluble sachet comprising a detergent composition having a discrete particle that enhances cleaning in a dishwashing machine. The water soluble sachet unexpectedly results in excellent cleaning properties and minimizes spot and film formation on items being cleaned in a dishwasher.
US07674757B2
The present invention relates to thiazolium dyes, laundry care compositions comprising one or more thiazolium dyes, processes of making such dyes and laundry care compositions and methods of using same. The dyes, compositions and methods of the present invention are advantageous in providing improved hueing of fabric, including whitening of white fabric, while avoiding significant build up of bluing dyes on the fabric.
US07674730B2
Nonwoven fabric includes thermoplastic elastomer fiber and thermoplastic polyolefin fiber. A variation of b-value appearing in laboratory color specifying system before and after irradiation of the thermoplastic elastomer fiber with 5000 KJ/m2 of UV radiation is 20 or higher, a variation of b-value appearing in the laboratory color specifying system before and after irradiation of the nonwoven fabric with 5000 KJ/m2 of UV radiation is 10 or less.
US07674727B2
A method of filling a gap defined by adjacent raised features on a substrate includes providing a flow of a silicon-containing processing gas to a chamber housing the substrate and providing a flow of an oxidizing gas to the chamber. The method also includes varying over time a ratio of the (silicon-containing processing gas):(oxidizing gas). The method also includes exposing the substrate to nitrous oxide at a temperature less than about 900° C. to anneal the deposited film.
US07674726B2
Processing methods and internal reactor parts avoid peeling and particle generation caused by differences in the coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE's) between reactor parts and films deposited on the reactor parts in hot wall CVD chambers. Conventional materials for reactor parts have relatively low CTE's, resulting in significant CTE differences with modem films, which can be deposited on the surfaces of reactor parts during semiconductor processing. Such CTE differences can cause cracking and flaking of the deposited films, thereby leading to particle generation. Reactor parts, such as boats and pedestals, which undergo large thermal cycles even in a hot wall chamber, are made of materials having a CTE greater than about 5×10−6 K−1, in order to more closely match the CTE of deposited materials, such TiN. The decreased CTE differences decrease differences between the expansion and contraction of the reactor parts and deposited films, leading to decreased cracking, flaking and, ultimately, decreased particle generation.
US07674723B2
In a plasma reactor, RF bias power is applied from an RF bias power generator to a disk-shaped electrode underlying and insulated from a workpiece and having a circumferential edge underlying a circumferential edge of the workpiece. The RF bias power is sufficient to produce a high RF bias voltage on the workpiece on the order of 0.5-20 kV. Non-uniformity in distribution of plasma across the workpiece is reduced by providing a curvature in a peripheral edge annulus of said electrode whereby the peripheral annulus slopes away from the workpiece support surface. The peripheral edge annulus corresponds to a small fraction of an area of said electrode. The remainder of the electrode encircled by the peripheral annulus has a flat shape.
US07674722B2
In the present invention, when a gate insulation film in a DRAM is formed, an oxide film constituting a base of the gate insulation film is plasma-nitrided. The plasma nitridation is performed with microwave plasma generated by using a plane antenna having a large number of through holes. Nitrogen concentration in the gate insulation film formed by the plasma nitridation is 5 to 20% in atomic percentage. Even without subsequent annealing, it is possible to effectively prevent a boron penetration phenomenon in the DRAM and to reduce traps in the film causing deterioration in driving capability of the device.
US07674718B2
A method for forming spacers of different sizes includes the following steps. First a substrate is provided, which has a first element, a second element, a first material layer and a second material layer thereon. A first dry etching is performed to remove part of the second material layer to form a first spacer by the first element and to form a second side wall by the second element, so that the first material layer between the first spacer and the second side wall is exposed to become a damaged first material layer. A trimming procedure is performed to trim the damaged first material layer. A mask is used to cover the first element, the first spacer and part of the first material layer then a wet etching is performed to remove the second side wall.
US07674715B2
In one embodiment, a method for forming a tungsten material on a substrate surface is provide which includes positioning a substrate within a deposition chamber, heating the substrate to a deposition temperature, and exposing the substrate sequentially to diborane and a tungsten precursor gas to form a tungsten nucleation layer on the substrate during an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. The method further provides exposing the substrate to a deposition gas comprising hydrogen gas and the tungsten precursor gas to form a tungsten bulk layer over the tungsten nucleation layer during a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. Examples are provided which include ALD and CVD processes that may be conducted in the same deposition chamber or in different deposition chambers.
US07674713B2
A process for coating a substrate at atmospheric pressure comprises the steps of vaporizing a controlled mass of semiconductor material at substantially atmospheric pressure within a heated inert gas stream, to create a fluid mixture having a temperature above the condensation temperature of the semiconductor material, directing the fluid mixture at substantially atmospheric pressure onto the substrate having a temperature below the condensation temperature of the semiconductor material, and depositing a layer of the semiconductor material onto a surface of the substrate.
US07674699B2
A III group nitride semiconductor substrate according to the present invention is fabricated by forming a metal film or metal nitride film 2′ with mesh structure in which micro voids are provided on a starting substrate 1, and growing a III group nitride semiconductor crystal layer 3 via the metal film or metal nitride film 2′.
US07674694B2
A process for realizing TFT devices on a substrate comprises the steps of: forming on the substrate, in cascade, an amorphous silicon layer and a heavily doped amorphous silicon layer, forming a photolithographic mask on the heavily doped amorphous silicon layer provided with an opening, removing the heavily doped amorphous silicon layer through the opening for realizing opposite portions of the heavily doped amorphous silicon layer whose cross dimensions decrease as long as they depart from the amorphous silicon layer, removing the photolithographic mask, carrying out a diffusion and activation step of the dopant contained in the portions of the heavily doped amorphous silicon layer inside the amorphous silicon layer, for realizing source/drain regions of said TFT device.
US07674691B2
An antifuse having a link including a region of unsilicided semiconductor material may be programmed at reduced voltage and current and with reduced generation of heat by electromigration of metal or silicide from a cathode into the region of unsilicided semiconductor material to form an alloy having reduced bulk resistance. The cathode and anode are preferably shaped to control regions from which and to which material is electrically migrated. After programming, additional electromigration of material can return the antifuse to a high resistance state. The process by which the antifuse is fabricated is completely compatible with fabrication of field effect transistors and the antifuse may be advantageously formed on isolation structures.
US07674690B2
A method divides a wafer into at least one chip. The chip includes internal metallic features. The dividing deposits at least one metallic substance on the outer surface of the chip. After so dividing the chip, the process exposes the chip to a heated ambient environment having a given pressure (e.g., less than one atmosphere). The environment comprises a chemical agent capable of bonding with the metallic substance. Additionally, wet chemical etch can be performed on the chip.
US07674682B2
An on-chip decoupling capacitor (106) and method of fabrication. The decoupling capacitor (106) is integrated at the top metal interconnect level (104) and includes surface protection cladding (109) for the copper metal (104b) of the top metal interconnect.
US07674674B2
A memory gain cell for a memory circuit, a memory circuit formed from multiple memory gain cells, and methods of fabricating such memory gain cells and memory circuits. The memory gain cell includes a storage device capable of holding a stored electrical charge, a write device, and a read device. The read device includes a fin of semiconducting material, electrically-isolated first and second gate electrodes flanking the fin, and a source and drain formed in the fin adjacent to the first and the second gate electrodes. The first gate electrode is electrically coupled with the storage device. The first and second gate electrodes are operative for gating a region of the fin defined between the source and the drain to thereby regulate a current flowing from the source to the drain. When gated, the magnitude of the current is dependent upon the electrical charge stored by the storage device.
US07674667B2
A CMOS structure includes a first device located using a first active region within a semiconductor substrate, where the first active region is planar and has a first crystallographic orientation. The CMOS structure also includes a second device that is located using a second active region within the semiconductor substrate, where the second active region is topographic and has a second crystallographic orientation absent the first crystallographic orientation. The first crystallographic orientation and the second crystallographic orientation allow for performance optimizations of the first device and the second device, typically with respect to charge carrier mobility. The topographic second active region may also have a single thickness. The CMOS structure may be fabricated using a crystallographically specific etchant for forming the topographic second active region.
US07674656B2
A method that locates a plurality of die for forming a plurality of packaged integrated circuits. A frame is placed over the support structure, wherein the frame includes a plurality of openings therein and each opening of the plurality of openings has at least two walls. Each die of a plurality of die is placed over the support structure, wherein each die has at least two adjacent edges. The relative placing of the frame and the die results in each die being in an opening of the plurality of openings. Encapsulant is applied to the plurality of die. Either or both of the plurality of die and frame are moved in relation to the other in a manner that causes the two adjacent edges of each die of the plurality of die to substantially abut to and align with the two walls of an opening of the plurality of openings.
US07674639B2
A light-emitting device and the method for making the same are disclosed. The device includes a substrate, a light-emitting structure and a light scattering layer. The light-emitting structure includes an active layer sandwiched between a p-type GaN layer and an n-type GaN layer, the active layer emitting light of a predetermined wavelength when electrons and holes from the n-type GaN layer and the p-type GaN layer, respectively, combine therein. The light scattering layer includes a GaN crystalline layer characterized by an N-face surface. The N-face surface includes features that scatter light of the predetermined wavelength. The light-emitting structure is between the N-face surface and the substrate.
US07674637B2
A semiconductor chip and methods for forming the same. The semiconductor chip includes M regular solder bump structures and N monitor solder bump structures, M and N being positive integers. If a flip chip process is performed for the semiconductor chip, then the N monitor solder bump structures are more sensitive to a cool-down stress than the M regular solder bump structures. The cool-down stress results from a cool-down step of the flip chip process. Each of the M regular solder bump structures is electrically connected to either a power supply or a device of the semiconductor chip. Each of the N monitor solder bump structures is not electrically connected to a power supply or a device of the semiconductor chip.
US07674636B2
A method and apparatus are provided to control the radial or non-radial temperature distribution across a substrate during processing to compensate for non-uniform effects, including radial and angular non-uniformities arising from system variations, or process variations, or both. The temperature is controlled, preferably dynamically, by flowing backside gas differently across different areas on a wafer supporting chuck to vary heat conduction across the wafer. Backside gas flow, of helium, for example, is dynamically varied across the chuck to control the uniformity of processing of the wafer. Ports in the support are grouped, and gas to or from the groups is separately controlled by different valves responsive to a controller that controls gas pressure in each of the areas to spatially and preferably dynamically control wafer temperature to compensate for system and process non-uniformities.
US07674631B2
A device for carrying out solid phase microextraction on-site is a tubular member having one closed end and one open end with an extracting surface within said tubular member. The extracting surface can be an extracting phase coating extending over a zone within the tubular member. The tubular member is mounted in a housing with an airtight cavity. A method of operation of the device is also provided. The solid phase microextraction device facilitates the ultimate goal of chemist to perform analysis on-site at place where a sample is located rather than moving the sample to laboratory, as it is a common practice in many cases at present. This approach eliminates errors and reduces the time associated with sample transport and storage and, therefore, it results in more accurate, precise and faster analytical data.
US07674630B2
The invention relates to a method and a device for separating particles using ultrasonic standing waves which are switched between two different frequencies. A second order harmonic standing wave is used together with the fundamental standing wave. If the particles are exposed to the fundamental standing wave, the forces act to collect particles at the center. If the particles are exposed to the second order harmonic standing wave, the forces act to collect particles at the two pressure nodes at the sides. By switching the frequency between the second order harmonic standing wave and the fundamental standing wave, particles with different properties will be exposed to different accelerations and are separated into two streams.
US07674611B2
The present invention provides a modified ethylenediamine-N,N′-disuccinate:ethylenediamine lyase. The present invention also provides a protein that comprises the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1; or a protein that comprises an amino acid sequence derived from the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1 by deletion, substitution, or addition of one or more amino acid residues, and has an ethylenediamine-N,N′-disuccinate:ethylenediamine lyase activity.
US07674607B2
A novel transcription regulator of G+C-rich promoters, the murine G+C-rich Promoter Binding Protein (mGPBP), and its interaction pattern with other transcription factors are disclosed. A human homologue of mGPBP, hGPBP, is described as well.
US07674604B2
The present invention provides a method for stabilizing a protein in a desired conformation by introducing at least one disulfide bond into the polypeptide. Computational design is used to identify positions where cysteine residues can be introduced to form a disulfide bond in only one protein conformation, and therefore lock the protein in a given conformation. Accordingly, antibody and small molecule therapeutics are selected that are specific for the desired protein conformation. Modified integrin I-domain polypeptides stabilized in a desired conformation are also provided, as well as screening assays and therapeutic methods utilizing the modified integrin I-domain polypeptides.
US07674600B2
The present invention relates to assays that can measure the activity of enzymes that catalyze phosphate modifications, such as kinases, phosphatases, cyclases and phosphodiesterases. The assays can also be used to identify and screen for substances that modulate the activity of kinases, phosphatases, cyclases and phosphodiesterases.
US07674595B1
Disclosed is a method for detection of ligand-cell membrane protein binding by solid state NMR spectroscopy. The method starts by forming a lipid bilayer inside nanopores of an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) substrate, the lipid bilayer containing a membrane protein sample. The AAO substrate is treated with multiple candidate ligands having potential binding affinity for the membrane protein. Solid-state NMR analysis is performed on the treated AAO/lipid preparation so as to generate an NMR spectrum for the treated membrane protein. The solid-state NMR spectrum of the treated membrane protein is compared with the spectrum of the same preparation of membrane protein in the absence of the ligands. It is then determined whether the solid-state NMR spectrum of the treated membrane protein has shifted from the NMR spectrum of the untreated membrane protein, a shift being indicative of protein binding by the candidate ligand.
US07674594B2
The invention relates an assay useful for screening and identifying compounds as modulators of lower alkyl phenol activation of TRPA1. Thymol, a lower alkyl phenol anti-infective and the active ingredient in, e.g., mouthwashes, is stringent and has an objectionable burning taste sensation. Thymol activates the transient receptor potential like ion channel TRPA1. The assay described and claimed herein involves measurement of activation of TRPA1 and enables the screening of compounds that inhibit lower alkyl phenol, or thymol activation of TRPA1. Inhibitors of thymol activation of TRPA1 can be used to prevent the objectionable taste of thymol in medical uses where taste limits acceptance.
US07674588B2
Methods and apparatus are described for detecting specific binding between first and second chemical entities. The first chemical entity in association with a first fluorophore is immobilized. The second chemical entity is allowed to bind with the immobilized first chemical entity. The second chemical entity is or becomes coupled to a second fluorophore, which forms a FRET pair with the first fluorophore. The bound chemical entities are exposed to radiation at an excitation frequency for either the first or the second fluorophore, and polarization anisotropy of a FRET fluorescent signal from the bound chemical entities is measured to detect specific binding between the first and second chemical entities. Techniques are also disclosed for detecting whether a FRET interaction is occurring between a first chemical entity including a donor fluorophore and a second chemical entity including an acceptor fluorophore, using simultaneous anisotropy measurements at the wavelengths of the donor and acceptor fluorophores.
US07674586B2
The present invention relates in part to isolated nucleic acid molecules (polynucleotides) which encode Rhipicephalus sanguineus glutamate gated chloride channels. The present invention also relates to recombinant vectors and recombinant hosts which contain a DNA fragment encoding R. sanguineus glutamate gated chloride channels, substantially purified forms of associated R. sanguineus glutamate gated chloride channels and recombinant membrane fractions comprising these proteins, associated mutant proteins, and methods associated with identifying compounds which modulate associated Rhipicephalus sanguineus glutamate gated chloride channels, which will be useful as insecticides.
US07674585B2
This invention pertains to the field of combination oligomers, including the block synthesis of combination oligomers in the absence of a template, as well as related methods, kits, libraries and other compositions.
US07674577B2
This invention provides methods and kits for use in diagnosing genetically transmitted diseases that are associated with deficiencies in glycosylation of glycoconjugates such as glycoproteins, glycolipids, and proteoglycans. The methods and kits are also useful for monitoring the course of treatment of diseases that are associated with glycosylation disorders.
US07674569B2
An optical recording material for use in an optical recording layer of an optical recording medium comprising the optical recording layer provided on a substrate, the optical recording material comprising a cyanine compound represented by general formula (I): wherein rings A and B each represent a substituted or unsubstituted benzene or naphthalene ring; X represents O, S, Se, CR3R4 or NY; one of R1 and R2 represents a specific group of formula (II) or (III), with the other representing a C1 to C30 organic group; R3 and R4 each represent a C1 to C30 organic group; Y, Y1, and Y2 each represent a hydrogen atom or a C1 to C30 organic group; Z represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom or a cyano group; Anm− represents an m-valent anion; m represents an integer of 1 or 2; and p represents a coefficient maintaining charge neutrality.
US07674567B2
A positive resist composition comprising: at least one compound selected from a compound capable of generating an acid represented by the formula (I) as defined herein upon irradiation with actinic rays or radiation and a compound capable of generating an acid represented by the following formula (II) upon irradiation with actinic rays or radiation; and a compound capable of generating an acid represented by the formula (III) as defined herein upon irradiation with actinic rays or radiation.
US07674564B2
One embodiment of a color filter includes a substrate and a color filter pattern formed on the substrate, the color filter pattern including at least two, substantially identical patterned layers.
US07674560B2
The present invention is concerned with cross-linked sulfonated polymers, eventually perfluorinated, and their preparation process. When molded in the form of membranes, the polymers are useful in electrochemical cells, in a chlorine-sodium electrolysis process, as separator in an electrochemical preparation or organic and inorganic compounds, as separators between an aqueous phase and an organic phase, or as catalyst for Diels-Alder additions, Friedel-Craft reactions, aldol concentrations, cationic polymerisation, esterification, and acetal formation.
US07674558B2
Voltage delay in an active metal anode/liquid cathode battery cell can be significantly reduced or completely alleviated by coating the active metal anode (e.g., Li) surface with a thin layer of an inorganic compound with Li-ion conductivity using chemical treatment of Li surface. Particularly, preferred examples of such compounds include lithium phosphate, lithium metaphosphate, and/or their mixtures or solid solutions with lithium sulphate. These compounds can be formed on the Li surface by treatment with diluted solutions of the following individual acids: H3PO4, HPO3 and H2SO4, their acidic salts, or their binary or ternary mixtures in a dry organic solvent compatible with Li, for instance in 1,2-DME; by various deposition techniques. Such chemical protection of the Li or other active metal electrode significantly reduces the voltage delay due to protected anode's improved stability toward the electrolyte.
US07674556B2
A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprises a negative electrode including a negative electrode active material, a positive electrode including a positive electrode active material, and a non-aqueous electrolyte; the positive electrode active material is LiNi1-y-zMnyCozO2, wherein y and z satisfy 0
US07674548B2
A fuel cell comprises a single cell including a membrane assembly electrode unit comprising a fuel electrode to which an aqueous methanol solution is supplied as a fuel, an air electrode to which an oxidizing gas is supplied, and an electrolyte membrane interposed between the electrodes, a fuel separator and an oxidizing gas separator disposed at both sides of the membrane assembly electrode unit, and seal members respectively disposed between the membrane assembly electrode unit and the fuel separator and between the membrane assembly electrode unit and the oxidizing gas separator. The seal member includes a specific copolymer of a monomer containing a metal element.
US07674546B2
The present invention provides a separator for a fuel cell that comprises a metal substrate that contains at least one metal element M and a surface layer formed on a surface of the metal substrate and that contains at least one conductive oxide represented by LaMxO3 (wherein x=0 to 1). Also, the present invention provides a method for anti-corrosion treatment of a metallic separator for a fuel cell. The method involves first forming an La layer on a surface of a metal substrate having a desired dimension and a desired flow field formed therein. Next, the metal substrate having the La layer on its surface is heated such that at least one metal component contained in the metal substrate is diffused into the La layer and an La component in the La layer is diffused into the metal substrate to form a mixed layer composed of La and the at least one metal component on the surface of the metal substrate. Finally, the mixed layer is heated under an oxidizing atmosphere to form a layer composed of oxides containing La and the at least one metal component on the surface of the metal substrate.
US07674534B2
An electromagnetic wave shielding filter that has low electric conductivity, high visible light transmittance and good durability, a method of manufacturing the electromagnetic wave shielding filter, and a PDP apparatus including the electromagnetic wave shielding filter. The electromagnetic wave shielding filter includes a laminate structure including multiple stacks each consisting of a niobium oxide layer, a first protective layer having a ZnO as a main component, and a metal layer sequentially laminated in that order, the multiple stacks formed by repeatedly laminating the respective layers at least three times, and a niobium oxide layer formed on the laminate structure.
US07674533B2
Dibenzoanthracene derivatives are each substituted by an amino compound group at least one of 9-position and 14-position of a dibenzo[a,c]anthracene skeleton and represented by the following formula (1) or (2): wherein X1, X2 and X each independently represents a substituted or unsubstituted arylene or divalent heterocyclic group; A, B, C and D each independently represents a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, aryl heterocyclic group, and between the adjacent groups, may be fused together to form rings; and Y1 to Y12 and R1 each independently represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkoxy group, or a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, aryl or heterocyclic group, and, when Y1 to Y12 and R1 are other than a hydrogen atom or a halogen atom, Y1 to Y12 and R1 may be fused together between the adjacent groups to form rings.
US07674530B2
A soluble luminescent polymer comprising a first repeat unit [Ar1] and a second repeat unit comprising a unit of general formula (I) which is substituted or unsubstituted: wherein X is RC═CR, S, O or NR; Ar1, Ar2 and Ar3 are each independently an aromatic or heteroaromatic group; and each R independently is hydrogen or a substituent group.
US07674525B2
The present invention provides a process for producing fine α-alumina particles, which comprises sintering a mixture of α-alumina precursor particles and seed crystal particles, wherein a center particle diameter of the seed crystal particles is 40 nm or less, and a ratio of the number of coarse particles having a particle diameter greater than 100 nm to the number of the total particles is 1% or less.
US07674524B2
A major object of the invention is to provide a thermoadhesive conjugate fiber with low heat shrinkability and high adhesion having low orientation and high elongation and having extremely satisfactory card-passing properties. The object of the invention can be achieved by a thermoadhesive conjugate fiber made of a fiber forming resin component and a crystalline thermoplastic resin having a melting point of at least 20° C. lower than that of the fiber forming resin component and having a breaking elongation of from 60 to 600%, a dry heat shrinkage percentage at 120° C. of from −10.0 to 5.0%, and more preferably a percentage of crimp/number of crimps of 0.8 or more; and a manufacturing method of a thermoadhesive conjugate fiber, which includes drawing an undrawn yarn of a conjugate fiber taken up at a spinning rate of from 150 to 1,800 m/min in a low draw ratio of from 0.5 to 1.3 times at a temperature higher than both a glass transition temperature of a major crystalline thermoplastic resin of the thermo-adhesive resin component and a glass transition temperature of the fiber forming resin component and simultaneously subjecting to a fixed-length heat treatment and subsequently subjecting to a heat treatment under no tension at a temperature of at least 5° C. higher than the temperature of the fixed-length heat treatment.
US07674521B2
The present invention provides a porous composite material in which substantially all of the pores within the composite material are small having a diameter of about 5 nm or less and with a narrow PSD. The inventive composite material is also characterized by the substantial absence of the broad distribution of larger sized pores which is prevalent in prior art porous composite materials. The porous composite material includes a first solid phase having a first characteristic dimension and a second solid phase comprised of pores having a second characteristic dimension, wherein the characteristic dimensions of at least one of said phases is controlled to a value of about 5 nm or less.
US07674514B2
A multi-layer membrane includes a fluorine containing layer and a substrate which are joined through spray coating and heat treatment in a multi-step technique.
US07674511B2
Closed reinforcement fiber package includes a material disintegratable in concrete, such as fiber concrete. Reinforcing fibers are present in a loose form in the package. The reinforcing fibers may be provided in a substantially mutually parallel position in the package. The reinforcement fiber package may be provided in a chain packing or package including a number of such closed reinforcement fiber packages. The reinforcing fibers may be made of steel.
US07674509B2
A tape-type magnet including a soft magnetic substrate which is a thin strip or tape with magnetic attraction. A first adhesive layer is uniformly laid on one face of the magnetic substrate. A releasable facial layer is bonded with the other face of the magnetic substrate via a second adhesive layer. The adhesion provided by the second adhesive layer is greater than an adhesion provided by the first adhesive layer, whereby the releasable facial layer is releasable from the first adhesive layer. The magnetic substrate is wound into a roll with the second adhesive layer serving as an outer face and the first adhesive serving as an outer face and the first adhesive layer serving as an inner face. An outermost end of the magnetic substrate can be easily unwound and tore off into a segment.
US07674501B2
A two-step method of making of a security printed image is disclosed and includes coating of the surface of a substrate with a predetermined image shape with an ink containing flaked magnetic pigment in a predetermined concentration, exposing a wet printed image to a magnetic field to align magnetic particles in a predetermined manner, allowing the ink to cure, and coating the substrate with a second printed image on the top of the first image. The second printed image with the same or different image shape is printed with another ink containing clear or dyed ink vehicle mixed with flaked magnetic pigment in a low concentration, exposed to the magnetic field of the same or different configuration as the first printed image and cured until the ink is dry.
US07674500B2
A process for treating wood comprising at least partially penetrating it with a urethane- or acrylate-based fluoro-material. Also, wood produced by the process.
US07674497B2
A cleaning method of removing a vapor-deposition material adhering to equipments without exposure to the atmosphere is provided. A vapor-deposition material adhering to equipments (components of a film-forming apparatus) such as a substrate holder, a vapor-deposition mask, a mask holder, or an adhesion preventing shield provided in a film-forming chamber are subjected to heat treatment. Because of this, the adhering vapor-deposition material is re-sublimated, and removed by exhaust through a vacuum pump. By including such a cleaning method in the steps of manufacturing an electro-optical device, the manufacturing steps are shortened, and an electro-optical device with high reliability can be realized.
US07674495B2
A process for manufacturing composite sheets includes steps of: continuously depositing a web of yarns, in the form of a mat of continuous yarns, a woven, a knit or an assembly of continuous non-interlaced yarns on a moving substrate; depositing a powder of an organic material capable of forming a coating layer under the action of heat on at least one side of said web; heating the web coated with the powder to a temperature sufficient to melt the powder; compressing and cooling the web so as to form a composite strip; and cutting the strip in the form of sheets or winding the strip up on a rotating support.
US07674490B2
A composition for human or animal consumption for supplying folate which includes a natural isomer of reduced folate, such as (6S)-tetrahydrofolic acid. 5-methyl-(6S)-tetrahydrofolic acid, 5-formyl-(6S)-tetrahydrofolic acid, 10-formyl-(6R)-tetrahydrofolic acid, 5,10-methylene-(6R)-tetrahydrofolic acid, 5,10-methenyl-(6R)-tetrahydrofolic acid, 5-formimino-(6S)-tetrahydrofolic acid, and their polyglutamyl derivatives is disclosed. Such compositions include multivitamin preparations (with or without minerals and other nutrients); breakfast foods such as prepared cereals, toaster pastries and breakfast bars; infant formulas; dietary supplements and complete diet and weight-loss formulas and bars; animal feed (for example pet foods) and animal feed supplements (such as for poultry feed). The amount of the natural isomer of a reduced folate in a composition for human consumption can range between about 5% and about 200% of the daily requirement for folic acid per serving or dose.
US07674488B2
External composition comprising an aqueous extract of red vine leaves and an anti-inflammatory agent
This invention relates to a new composition containing the effective concentration of an aqueous extract of red vine leaves (1) and an anti-inflammatory agent (2) for preventing or alleviating the discomfort associated with mild-to-moderate chronic venous insufficiency of the legs. The compositions according to this invention may also contain pharmaceutically or cosmically acceptable additives.
US07674486B2
A composition for the treatment of diabetes in a subject in need thereof, comprising Trigonelline of concentration ranging between 20 to 30%, amino acids of concentration ranging between 20 to 60%, and soluble fiber of concentration ranging between 10 to 60%, optionally along with pharmaceutically acceptable additives, a process thereof and also, a method of treating diabetes.
US07674484B2
A novel dietary supplement composition that serves to inhibit FAS for the purpose of controlling body weight and body fat levels. Administration of the composition, particularly to individuals with impaired glucose tolerance, may have the effect of restoring optimal glucose functioning, therefore lessening the likelihood of adipose storage and leading to a reduction in body fat and weight. The supplement may comprise He Shou Wu, parasitic loranthus and green tea. A composition of the dietary supplement, in orally taken capsule form, may include: (a) about 500 mg of an 1:1:1 ratio extract of He Shou Wu, parasitic loranthus and green tea; (b) about 200 mg Caffeine Anhydrous; (c) about 250 mg Cinnulin PF; (d) about 100 mg Evodia Rutaecarpa; (e) about 500 mg tyrosine; and (f) about 100 mg 7-keto DHEA. The supplement may also be administered as a tablet, powdered beverage, bar, gel or drink.
US07674482B2
The methods and compositions for potentiating pharmaceuticals with amino acid based medical foods provides improved cognitive function; induced and maintained sleep; reduced pain, inflammation, blood pressure, anxiety, asthma, duration of viral infection, insulin resistance, and appetite; and treated depression. The amino acid based medical foods, co-packed with at least one selected pharmaceutical, potentiate the pharmaceutical by enhancing the production of neurotransmitters through the oral administration of neurotransmitter precursors, along with natural plant and animal substances that stimulate uptake of the neurotransmitter precursors, cause release of neurotransmitters, cause disinhibition of the neuronal brake, and activate adenylate cyclase in order to avoid tachyphylaxis and prevent pharmacologic tolerance.
US07674480B2
The present invention provides a pharmaceutical composition for use in a dosage form for oral administration to a patient. The composition expands upon contact with gastric fluid and promotes retention of the dosage form in the patient's stomach for a prolonged period of time. The present invention further provides pharmaceutical dosage forms containing an active ingredient, and the pharmaceutical composition. The forms are adapted for immediate or controlled release of the active ingredient. The dosage forms may be used advantageously in the treatment of Parkinson's disease with levodopa and hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder with methylphenidate.
US07674476B1
The present invention relates to the use of aerogels as carrier materials for active substances in agriculture and/or veterinary medicine.
US07674467B2
The present invention is directed to isolated Salmonella bacteriophage, and methods of using Salmonella bacteriophage, or polynucleotides and polypeptides derived therefrom, to control the growth or contamination of food products by Salmonella. The present invention also contemplates the use of Salmonella bacteriophage, and polynucleotides and polypeptides derived therefrom, for the treatment of host infections or environmental contamination by Salmonella.
US07674458B2
Described are methods of treating and preventing conditions associated with a loss of elastic fibers. Also provided herein are methods of screening for agents useful in treating such conditions, and animal models of conditions associated with a loss of elastic fibers.
US07674450B2
A process for the production of a valve metal oxide powder, in particular an Nb2O5 or Ta2O5 powder by continuous reaction of a fluoride-containing valve metal compound with a base in the presence of water and calcination of the resultant product, wherein the reaction is performed in just one reaction vessel and at a temperature of at least 45° C. Valve metal oxide powders obtainable in said manner which exhibit a spherical morphology, a D50 value of 10 to 80 μm and an elevated BET surface area.
US07674438B2
In some embodiments, a monoolefin production system comprising an extraction-hydrogenation zone for extracting a highly unsaturated hydrocarbon from an olefin stream into a polar solvent and, in situ, hydrogenating the highly unsaturated hydrocarbon to a monoolefin. In other embodiments, monoolefin production systems include an extraction-hydrogenation zone for performing the extraction and hydrogenating steps in situ. In alternative embodiments, the hydrogenation zone is disposed downstream from the extraction zone.
US07674435B2
A reference microplate is described herein which can be used to help calibrate and troubleshoot an optical interrogation system. In one embodiment, the reference microplate has a frame with an array of wells each of which contains an optical biosensor and each optical biosensor is at least partially coated with a substance (e.g., elastomer, optical epoxy). In another embodiment, the reference microplate in addition to having its optical biosensors at least partially covered with a substance (e.g., elastomer, optical epoxy) also has a controllable heating device attached thereto which is used to heat the optical biosensors.
US07674434B2
Vials used for obtaining an aliquot of a biological sample are provided. Also provided are method of using the vials and instruments to obtain an aliquot of a biological sample.
US07674420B2
A concrete block mold division plate for front-face-up block molding. The division plate fits into a channel formed in each of the side walls of the mold. A plurality of fasteners secure the division plate within each channel and to the side walls of the mold. The division plate operates in conjunction with an optimized dry cast concrete mixture to provide acceptable control of the flatness and parallelism of the top and bottom surfaces of the blocks.
US07674415B2
Described herein is a process for the production of plates made of transparent plastic material with non-transparent overmoulded parts by means of a first direct injection and subsequent compression for the formation of the transparent plate, and a second injection for overmoulding said parts on the transparent plate, covering the indicators or witness marks of the first injection. Each injection can be in spots controlled in sequence, and the second injection can be followed by a respective step of post-compression.
US07674409B1
Methods for preparation of high strength yarns having superior yarn-to-yarn uniformity of denier, tenacity and tensile modulus and uniform unidirectional fibrous sheets. Ballistic composites prepared from these yarns and fibrous sheets have improved uniformity of ballistic resistance.The drawn yarns, fibrous sheets and articles made therefrom are more uniform than the prior art and are useful in applications requiring impact absorption and ballistic resistance, such as body armor, helmets, breast plates, helicopter seats, spall shields; composite sports equipment such as kayaks, canoes, bicycles and boats; and in fishing line, sails, ropes, sutures and fabrics.
US07674400B2
The present invention provides a light-emitting body in which fine phosphor particles are dispersed in an oxide matrix, with the fine phosphor particles containing at least one selected from oxides and oxysulfides as a parent material. When this light-emitting body is dispersed in a resin, a resin composition having excellent transparency can be obtained. This light-emitting body can be produced by: preparing a gel through a sol-gel process in which a raw material solution containing a compound that supplies metal atoms composing the fine phosphor particles is used; and heating the gel at 400° C. or higher, for example. Preferably, the light-emitting body has a shape of a flake or fiber.
US07674397B2
The invention relates to new reactive mesogenic compounds with charge transport properties comprising at least two thiophene groups, their use as semiconductors or charge transport materials, in optical, electro-optical or electronic devices like for example liquid crystal displays, optical films, organic field effect transistors (FET or OFET) for thin film transistor liquid crystal displays and integrated circuit devices such as RFID tags, electroluminescent devices in flat panel displays, and in photovoltaic and sensor devices, and to a field effect transistor, light emitting device or ID tag comprising the reactive mesogenic charge transport compounds.
US07674384B2
A method of reclaiming a well completion brine solution by using an organic chelant that is capable of discriminating between (i) iron and non-zinc heavy metals; and (ii) calcium and zinc. The chelant contains a functional group selected from the group —CO2H or —PO(R21)R20 or a salt or ester thereof, —C(O)—, —OE, —SE, —N═C(R2)R3, EO—N═C(R2)R3, —N(R2)R3, and —N(C(O)R1)R2 group optionally substituted with a —COOH or —PO(R21)R20 or a salt or ester thereof, —SE or —OE group, wherein R2 and R3 are independently selected from E or forms, with nitrogen, phosphorous, oxygen or sulfur, a heterocyclic ring; E is R1 or —H; R1 is a C1-C30 alkyl or aralkyl group or a derivative thereof and R20 and R21 are independently selected from —OH, —OR1 and R1.
US07674383B2
A slurry chamber is fastened to and held in coaxial alignment with a chromatography column by a V-band. One end of the column has an end cap and frit. A slurry of fluid and chromatographic media is placed in the column and chamber. A piston is forced through the chamber and into the column by a hydraulic ram to expel the fluid and form a media bed in the column. The slurry chamber is removed, and a split end cap is fastened to the column. A threaded recess in the split end cap receives a split, threaded collet. The collet is tightened until it pushes against the piston with the same force as the ram, at which point the ram is released and the column removed for use.
US07674370B2
Contact of a crude feed with one or more catalysts produces a total product that includes a crude product. The crude feed has a total content of alkali metal, and alkaline-earth metal, in metal salts of organic acids of at least 0.00001 grams per gram of crude feed. The one or more catalysts may include a first and a second catalyst. The crude product is a liquid mixture at 25° C. and 0.101 MPa and has a total content of alkali metal, and alkaline-earth metal, in metal salts of organic acids of at most 90% of the total content of alkali metal, and alkaline-earth metal, in metal salts of organic acids of the crude feed. One or more other properties of the crude product may be changed by at least 10% relative to the respective properties of the crude feed.
US07674369B2
A method for separating and recovering ultrafine particulate solid material from a suspension or slurry of the solid material and a hydrocarbon liquid by precipitation or flocculation of a heavy fraction of the hydrocarbon liquid with an effective amount of a precipitation or flocculation agent such that the precipitated heavy fraction encapsulates the particulate solid material. The method further comprises coking the precipitated heavy fraction and grinding the coked product to an ultrafine size.
US07674362B2
A method for fabricating a conductive bump structure of a circuit board is disclosed. The circuit board with a plurality of electrical connection pads is provided. An insulating protective layer and a resist layer are successively applied on the circuit board, wherein openings are formed in the layers at positions corresponding to the pads to expose the pads. Then, a conductive layer is formed on surfaces of the resist layer and openings, and a metal layer is formed on the conductive layer via electroplating and filled in the openings. Subsequently, the metal layer and conductive layer formed on the resist layer are removed via thinning, so as to form metal bumps on the pads. After the resist layer is removed, the metal bumps are covered by an adhesive layer to form a conductive bump structure for electrically connecting the circuit board to the external electronic component.
US07674361B2
Multi-layer fabrication methods (e.g. electrochemical fabrication methods) for forming microscale and mesoscale devices or structures (e.g. turbines) provide bushings or roller bearing that allow rotational or linear motion which is constrained by multiple structural elements spaced from one another by gaps that are effectively less than minimum features sizes associated with the individual layers used to form the structures. In some embodiments, features or protrusions formed on different layers on opposing surfaces are offset along the axis of layer stacking so as to bring the features into positions that are closer than allowed by the minimum features sizes associated with individual layers. In other embodiments, interference is used to create effective spacings that are less than the minimum features sizes.
US07674352B2
A gaseous mixture is deposited onto a substrate surface using a showerhead. A first plenum of the showerhead has a plurality of channels fluidicly coupled with an interior of a processing chamber. A second plenum gas flows through a plurality of tubes extending from a second plenum of the showerhead through the channels into the interior of the processing chamber. The diameter of the tubes is smaller than the diameter of the channels such that a first plenum gas flows into the interior of the processing chamber through a space defined between the outer surface of the tubes and the surface of the channels. The length and diameter of the tubes determine the level of distribution and the molar ratio of the first gas and the second gas in the gaseous mixture that is deposited on the surface of the substrate.
US07674345B2
A method of introducing discontinuities to an adhesive coated region of a substrate is provided. The method includes the steps of (a) providing a web having upper and lower edges; (b) excising a portion of the web creating open sections interposed between retained sections connected to carrier sections, each including the upper or lower edge of the web to yield a patterned web; (c) perforating the patterned web such that the perforations span from one open section to the next open section to yield a perforated web; (d) contacting the perforated web to the adhesive coated region of the substrate; and (e) removing the carrier sections at the perforations leaving the retained sections on the substrate.
