US08285507B2

An environment sensor is mounted in a measurement unit. The measurement unit is adapted to be transported by a transportation apparatus. Measurement data from the environmental sensor is stored in a data format suitable for associating the measurement data with a state of the measurement unit.
US08285503B1

The described apparatus and methods use Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) to determine the absolute volumetric moisture content of various media. The effects of dispersion caused by conductive and dielectric properties of the medium on the waveform are extrapolated by detecting the bulk propagation time and the slope of the distorted transition of the characteristic reflected waveform. Fast transitions are injected by a differential step function generator into a two-conductor waveguide, which is immersed in soil or other medium of interest. Unlike previous single-ended TDR systems, a differential digitizer senses the probes. Timing control between the two digitizers is critical. Use of an integrated fully differential system eliminates the need for a coaxial cable and an associated balancing transformer, or balun. This enables a two-conductor probe that is more easily inserted into soil, rather than requiring three conductors. Non-conductive probe tips may be pointed to facilitate insertion without causing measurement ambiguity.
US08285497B2

A method of gravimetric volume determination is described in which a load cell can be calibrated either outside of an analytic analyzer for gravimetric calibration of the analyzer, or in a fully automated manner inside the analyzer.
US08285489B2

Systems and methods are provided for analyzing data to determine properties of a PCR process or other process exhibiting amplification or growth. Data representing an amplification can be distinguished from data representing a jump or other error. A modified sigmoid function containing a drift term may be used in determining the properties. A multi-stage functional fit of the amplification data can provide increased accuracy and consistency of one or more of the properties. A baseline of the amplification data can be determined by analyzing an integrated area of a first derivative function of the data. A reference quantitation value can also be determined from locations of maxima of different derivative functions of the amplification data, e.g., a weighted average of the maxima locations for the second and third derivatives may be used.
US08285487B2

Methods, devices and a system for disease management are provided that employ diagnostic testing devices (e.g., blood glucose meters) and medication delivery devices (e.g., insulin delivery devices) for providing data to a repository in real-time and automatically. Repository data can be analyzed to determine such information as actual test strip use, patient health parameters to outside prescribed ranges, testing and medication delivery compliance, patient profiles or stakeholders to receive promotional items or incentives, and so on. Connected meters and medication delivery devices and repository data analysis are also employed to associate a diagnostic test to a mealtime based on timing of a therapeutic intervention performed by an individual.
US08285480B2

An electronic mobile device includes a display for displaying a graphical element. A tilt sensor is configured to sense first and second tilt angles of the mobile device. A processor is coupled to the display and the tilt sensor and configured to move the graphical element relative to the display in a first direction based on the first tilt angle, and to move the graphical element relative to the display in a second direction based on the second tilt angle.
US08285470B2

A method and system for limiting a fast transient in an engine in a hybrid vehicle is provided. The predicted fuel loss percentage is calculated from an inferred air-fuel ratio (inferred lambda). The rate limit term is calculated from a measured air-fuel ratio (measured lambda) and an engine torque command change rate. The predicted fuel loss percentage and the rate limit term are inputs into a calibration table to determine an engine power rate limit and an engine torque rate limit. An engine torque command is limited using the engine torque rate limit to control a fast engine torque transient for an engine. An engine power command is limited using the engine power rate limit to control the fast engine power transient for the engine.
US08285460B2

A method of controlling application of a substance to vegetation using data obtained via a mobile machine is provided. A height of the vegetation is measured during a scheduled task of the mobile machine. The measured height of the vegetation is compared with a calculated height of the vegetation. Then, an amount of the substance applied by an irrigation system to an area containing the vegetation is adjusted based on a difference between the measured height of the vegetation and the calculated height of the vegetation.
US08285457B1

An automatically adjusting side mirror assembly for a vehicle having an eye gaze detection system has a mirror subassembly, a support bracket, an actuator mechanism and a biasing mechanism. The mirror subassembly has a first and second position. The second position aligns the mirror subassembly generally parallel to the vehicle in order to provide better aerodynamics. The support bracket connects to the vehicle. The mirror subassembly is connected to the support bracket. The actuator mechanism and the biasing mechanism each connects to the mirror subassembly. The actuator mechanism has a first and second position corresponding to the first and second position of the mirror subassembly. The actuator mechanism is in electrical communication with the eye gaze detection system to position the mirror subassembly to the first position in response to an output of the eye gaze detection system. The biasing mechanism biases the mirror subassembly to the first position.
US08285449B2

A suspension ECU computes an actual roll angle and an actual pitch angle of a vehicle, and computes a difference between a target pitch angle and the actual pitch angle. The ECU then computes a total demanded damping force which must be cooperatively generated by shock absorbers so as to decrease the computed difference to zero, and distributes the total demanded damping force in proportion to the magnitude of a lateral acceleration such that a demanded damping force on the turn-locus inner side becomes greater than a demanded damping force on the turn-locus outer side. Further, the ECU determines whether or not the vehicle body is vibrating in the vertical direction as a result of input of a road surface disturbance, calculates a vibration-suppressing damping force needed for damping the vibration, and determines the demanded damping forces by use of the vibration-suppressing damping force.
US08285448B2

It is an object of the invention to provide a suspension system configured to execute a control for avoiding a state in which an operation of an electric motor which is a power source of an electromagnetic actuator is kept halted at a certain operational position while the motor is generating a motor force. Where a target rotational position of the motor becomes equal to a specific operational position (e.g., a rotational position at which an electrifying current amount of one phase reaches a peak value), a control for shifting the target rotational position by δθ is executed. Where the rotational position of the motor is kept located at the certain position for a time period longer than a prescribed time, a control for changing the rotational position of the motor is executed. According to the present suspension system, it is possible to suppress imbalance in heat generation in the motor and to thereby reduce a load to be applied to the motor. Accordingly, a suspension system with high utility is realized.
US08285420B2

Provision of a control device, method and program capable of performing a suitable temperature control in a room having an equipment installed therein. A control device controls air-conditioning of a room having installed therein a plurality of pieces of equipment each being capable of drawing outside air to thereby cool down an interior of the equipment. A storage portion is capable of storing therein operating information that represents as to whether it is abnormal or not if each piece of equipment is put into a non-operating state. A temperature measurement portion is capable of measuring a temperature of the air drawn by each piece of equipment. A detection portion is capable of measuring a flow speed of the air drawn by each piece of equipment. A control portion is configured to control the air-conditioning based on the measurement result of the temperature or the flow speed of the air drawn by each piece of equipment.
US08285412B2

A semiconductor device production control method includes monitoring, after a production process of a semiconductor device, a process result at a predetermined position of a pattern to which the process is applied, to obtain a deviation with respect to a predetermined target result, quantitatively obtaining a degree of influence on an operation of a semiconductor device from the deviation of the process result, and comparing the degree of influence that is quantitatively obtained with a predetermined allowable margin for operation specifications of the semiconductor device.
US08285408B2

A method for designing an ear insert device using anatomical information relating to the ear. A user record is that includes anatomical information relating to an ear of a user is received. The anatomical information comprises at least one sub-dermal feature of an ear canal. The user record is processed to obtain an ear insert device design record. The ear insert device design record comprises a three dimensional representation of a bounding surface shape having surface boundaries that substantially conform to surface boundaries of the ear canal and the at least one sub-dermal feature of the ear canal. An ear insert device may be produced using the ear insert design record.
US08285405B2

There is provided an apparatus and methods for optimizing playback of media content from a digital handheld device. The apparatus may be functionally connected to the digital handheld device, and for allowing placement of the digital handheld device at a receptor. Correspondingly, the methods for optimizing playback of media content from a digital handheld device preferably entail a usage of the aforementioned apparatus.
US08285404B1

A media player provides a shuffle controller that slightly varies a play order of a playlist. The media player receives a playlist the defines a first play order of content items. The first play order is indicated by respective positions of content items identified in the playlist. The media player swaps respective positions of at least two content items identified in the playlist to define a second play order for the content items. In one configuration the media player determines a swap condition that may or may not result in the swapping of two adjacently identified content items in the play list. After iterating over the playlist, the media player provides the playlist defining the second play order of content items. This shuffled playlist can be played back or saved.
US08285391B2

This invention relates to novel hygienic-therapeutic or personal care devices that are based upon intense far-infrared sources in which radiation is generated by novel conductive materials. The conductive materials are specially designed and made to radiate ten to thousands times more intense far-infrared radiation than typical conductive materials, and such strong far-infrared radiation is achieved with high, typically greater than 90%, conversion efficiency of energy to radiation. The radiation properties of the proposed conductive materials do not follow the Wien's law (“black body” law). The devices are intended to be used in therapy, medicine, cosmetic technology, hygiene technology, or household use.
US08285380B2

The invention is directed to a method of bonding a hermetically sealed electronics package to an electrode or a flexible circuit and the resulting electronics package that is suitable for implantation in living tissue, such as for a retinal or cortical electrode array to enable restoration of sight to certain non-sighted individuals. The hermetically sealed electronics package is directly bonded to the flex circuit or electrode by electroplating a biocompatible material, such as platinum or gold, effectively forming a plated rivet-shaped connection, which bonds the flex circuit to the electronics package. The resulting electronic device is biocompatible and is suitable for long-term implantation in living tissue.
US08285372B2

The invention includes a method and system for providing an Index representing the alertness state of an individual based at least in part on EEG signals obtained from the individual. In at least one embodiment, the EEG signals are divided into frequency bands and a total amplitude of the power is determined. Based on the proportion of the high frequency band compared to the proportion of the low frequency band, an Index is determined that is indicative of an individual's ability to perform a cognitive task.
US08285365B2

A interventional device for RF ablation for use in a RF electrical and/or magnetic field especially of a MR imaging system is disclosed, comprising an ablation catheter which is preferably trackable or can be guided or visualized in the image generated by the MR imaging system by means of a MR micro-coil (102), and which is provided with an ablation electrode (101). The interventional device further comprises a transmission path (103) with line segments (104′, 104″) and transformers (105) therebetween, for connecting the MR micro-coil (102) in a differential mode with a MR receiver (108) and for connecting a RF amplifier (107) in a common mode with the ablation electrode (101) for conveying RF ablation power.
US08285337B1

Mobile advertising on personal cellular telecommunications devices includes an initial Level 0 Interactive Display Message (IDM) having a content precursor for requesting additional content with or without a visual advertising component. Level 0 IDMs may be displayed as part of a user initiated client application or automatically replacing an idle screen. Mobile advertising can optionally include one or more Level 1 Advertisement Display Messages (ADMs) including text, graphics, video, and the like. Level 1 ADMs may be interactive or not.
US08285335B2

A case having a display window and a mobile terminal having the case that suppress damage due to static electricity applied to a display window are provided. The case of a mobile terminal for covering a display device thereof includes: a case body in which a window space for exposing a panel of the display device is formed; and a display window attached to a peripheral edge of the window space and having an EMI protection layer formed around a peripheral edge of the display window. Static electricity applied to the display window of the case is thereby grounded through the EMI protection layer formed in the display window, thus suppressing damage of an external appearance of the display device due to static electricity.
US08285331B2

A system and method for performing base station initiated call setup is provided. A base station initiated call setup may be utilized to establish a test call, to deliver a packet data services call to a subscriber unit, or to reactivate a dormant packet call. The base station transmits a BS Service Request message to the mobile switching center, requesting initiation of the call. The mobile switching center will authorize the call if the call to be set up is directed to a subscriber unit located within the service area of the base station and if the service option to be used is authorized for the particular subscriber unit. The mobile switching center will allow or disallow the call depending on the state of the subscriber unit. The mobile switching center transmits a BS Service Response message to the base station, conveying the result of processing the BS Service Request message. If the base station initiated call setup is authorized and allowed, the call will generally proceed in the same manner as a subscriber terminated call.
US08285329B1

A system is provided for mobile device-based control of smart card operation. The system includes a mobile device comprising an electronic wallet and smart card applications. The system also includes a server to authenticate a request for smart card information from the mobile device. The server also provides the smart card information to the mobile device to enable the electronic wallet to access at least one of the smart card applications.
US08285320B2

A method for controlling operation of a first base station of a wireless cellular telecommunication network including plural base stations and a server. The first base station sets transmission power of signals transferred by the first base station at a first transmission power value, detects a predetermined signal transferred by a mobile terminal, and if a predetermined signal is detected: establishes a communication link with the server, obtains from the server information identifying each second base station that manages a cell that is neighbor of the cell managed by the first base station and that is transferring signals at a second transmission power higher than the first transmission power value, establishes a communication link with each second base station, and sets the transmission power of the signals transferred by the first base station at a second transmission power value higher than the first transmission power.
US08285307B2

A computer implemented data processing system for using customer relationship management (CRM) data exhibiting unique user identifiers in a cellular network for creating geo-statistical representations of the users. The system is arranged to: repeatedly identify all network-connected devices which are both active and idle in each location area using the unique identifier; repeatedly create a table for all location areas, each table exhibiting: location area identifier, unique user identifier, time of inflow to the location area, time of outflow from the location area; and differentiate table of time N−1 over table of time N thereby detecting inflow outflow quantities of unique identifiers for each location area; decipher the difference table by the authentication center of the network; analyze the deciphered tables using CRM profiles; and join over time, the deciphered tables with corresponding location area thereby creating at least one GIS data layer.
US08285306B2

A location server, a location controller, a method and a system for implementing a location-based service are provided. The method includes: receiving a location data request sent by a client; sending a location request message including QoS requirement information to a location controller; sending location information to the client according to a location response returned by the location controller, where the location response includes location measurement information. The location server does not need to directly transmit QoS requirement values sent by the client, but satisfies the service having no specific requirements for QoS of a location result by determining the sent QoS requirement information flexibly. The network can determine the QoS of the location result according to its own location capability. In this way, the network location capability is fully utilized, and at the same time flexibility of a location service QoS requirement is improved.
US08285300B2

Method and apparatus are for monitoring the location of a wireless device and taking supervisory action in response to that location. Location information obtained from a user's wireless device, or otherwise concerning the present location of the user, is monitored and compared with one or more locations previously approved for that user. An exception is noted if the user reaches a non-approved location, or fails to timely arrive at an approved destination. In response to an exception, supervisory action is taken which may include contacting the wireless device, partially or completely disabling further service of that device, or contacting another person.
US08285295B2

The present invention relates to cellular communications and in particular to a frequency spectrum shared by two cellular networks. The object is flexible utilization of the spectrum. This is achieved by a method wherein a first of the networks occupies part of the shared spectrum in relation to the traffic load in the first network. The first network informs a second of the networks on the extent the shared spectrum is occupied, for the second network to be free to use the shared spectrum outside the occupied part. The invention also relates to a RRM unit arranged for carrying out the inventions, to a BSC and to a radio base station adapted for carrying out the method. One advantage is that spectrum can be lent from an old system when a new system is introduced.
US08285288B2

A method of operating a user equipment, UE, intended to use a service in a wireless communication system having several base stations. The location of the UE is monitored, by the UE, for example with a GPS system or identification of the cell of the corresponding base station. If a problem, such as loss of coverage or call, is imminent or has occurred, information about the location is stored in a memory of the UE. After successful recovery from the problem, the alternative base station used is also stored in the memory. Next time the same location and problem is encountered, the UE uses the previous information for alleviating the problem or perform as fast recovery as possible. In this way, the UE can be operated with less frequent base station searches thereby saving battery, while at the same time sufficient coverage may be obtained.
US08285271B1

A wireless telephone interface for use with the control operator of an automatic gate system. A device utilized as a telephone extension device where a user can remotely call the device and by entering a code, can wirelessly command the gate operator to initiate a movement of the gate to either an open or closed position. This system is designed as a direct telephone interface without the complexity of a telephone entry system. The key benefit is a programmable hold open time “per command”.
US08285267B2

In one embodiment, a HTTP connection is established from a phone that serves as a client to a server that maintains a mailbox. The mailbox includes fax messages each having properties that indicate a sender and a state that indicates at least a status of read or unread. The phone that serves as the client permits a user to view one or more of the fax messages. The states of fax messages at the server are received at the phone that serves as the client using the HTTP connection. The states of corresponding fax messages are identified at the phone that serves as the client. One or more synchronization actions are performed to synchronize the states of fax messages at the server and the states of the corresponding fax messages at the phone that serves as the client.
US08285265B2

A system and method for controlling the presence status on a mobile device is provided. The method comprises determining an active notification profile for said mobile device, said active notification profile defining how said mobile device notifies of new events; determining a corresponding presence status for said active notification profile; and setting said corresponding presence status as a current presence status.
US08285263B2

A method for intercepting calls from a remote or mobile device for customer self-support detects when users or subscribers dial one or more predetermined numbers. If the number corresponds to one of the predetermined numbers (such as a customer support number), the phone may intercept the call and display a list of potential solutions to the subscriber's problems. Various other features and embodiments art disclosed.
US08285262B2

Disclosed is a system for downloading an application from a server and providing the same to a client by using a short message or a subscriber interface module (SIM) card. The system modifies a function key for each application according to a client's selection, and randomly modifies a user interface used for selecting an application. The system extends a usage range of the SIM card. The system periodically checks and analyzes the client' use log for a predetermined time, presents at least one application to the client according to the analysis result on the use log, provides a single application selected by the client to the client, and updates at least one application stored in the client mobile terminal according to the analysis result on the use log. Therefore, the system increases service satisfaction for the client.
US08285247B2

A locator system is disclosed. An e911-enabled wireless network including a switching center is configured receive a request to generate location information regarding a remote mobile station, and send said location information to a subscriber only after obtaining consent from the remote mobile station.
US08285237B2

A receiving apparatus comprising: a frequency-fluctuation-detection unit to detect a frequency difference between a received and desired signals; a first-undesired-level-detection unit to output as a first-undesired level an amplitude-level-difference between the signals having passed through first-and-second-band-pass filters in the received signals; one or a plurality of second-undesired-level-detection units to output amplitude levels of signals having passed through third-and-fourth-band-pass filters in the received signals as second-and-third-undesired levels, respectively, and output a sum of the second-and-third-undesired levels as a fourth-undesired level; and a determination unit to determine whether an undesired state, where an adjacent-undesired signal is present, occurs according to the fourth-undesired level if an absolute value of the frequency difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined-reference value, and select any one of the first-to-third-undesired levels to be outputted according to at least one of the frequency difference and the fourth-undesired level if determining that the undesired state occurs.
US08285233B2

In accordance with example embodiments of the present invention, a method and a corresponding apparatus are described comprising receiving, at a radio receiver, a broadcast program. At another radio receiver, supplementary data related to at least one other broadcast program is received, and at least a part of the received supplementary data is displayed. The radio receiver is switched to a broadcast program corresponding to a selected item of the displayed supplementary data.
US08285232B2

A multi-rank beamforming (MRBF) scheme in which the downlink channel is estimated and an optimal precoding matrix to be used by the MRBF transmitter is determined accordingly. The optimal precoding matrix is selected from a codebook of matrices having a recursive structure which allows for efficient computation of the optimal precoding matrix and corresponding Signal to Interference and Noise Ratio (SINR). The codebook also enjoys a small storage footprint. Due to the computational efficiency and modest memory requirements, the optimal precoding determination can be made at user equipment (UE) and communicated to a transmitting base station over a limited uplink channel for implementation over the downlink channel.
US08285223B2

A deviation from an expected wireless link status between a wireless display device and a local wireless media transmission device is detected via the wireless display device. The local wireless media transmission device is located proximate to the wireless display device. It is determined that an expected wireless signal is not incident upon a first wireless receiver of the wireless display device based upon the detected deviation from the expected wireless link status. A problem is identified that causes the detected deviation from the expected wireless link status. A wireless status indicator is displayed via the display. The wireless status indicator indicates that the expected wireless signal is not incident upon the first wireless receiver and indicates the identified problem that causes the detected deviation from the expected wireless link status. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.
US08285220B2

A transmitting apparatus and a transmitting method for improving a channel deviation in a mobile communication terminal are provided. The transmitting apparatus includes a power amplifier for amplifying a transmitting signal by a predetermined level and outputting an amplified transmitting signal, a controller for outputting a signal to control a variable capacitor according to a channel of the transmitting signal and a phase transition unit for varying each capacitance value according to a control of the controller and transiting a phase of a signal outputted from the power amplifier.
US08285217B1

A circulator-enabled signals suppressor (CENSOR) for reducing co-site interference comprising: a first circulator comprising first, second, and third ports, wherein the first port is disposed to receive an incoming signal from an antenna, wherein the incoming signal comprises a desired signal and an interference signal; a first reflective, tunable bandpass filter-bank operatively coupled to the second port, disposed to reflect a reflected signal back into the second port and also to produce a filtered signal, wherein the reflected signal comprises the desired signal and a reflected portion of the interference signal, and the filtered signal comprises a majority portion of the interference signal; and a receiver operatively coupled to the third port and disposed to receive the reflected signal.
US08285215B2

A system and method bringing video to commercial FM and video to Sub-Carrier Authorization programming, the system would make use of a Double Sideband Suppress Carrier SCA frequency at 67 kHz, modulated by a Slow San Video Converter for providing minute by minute snap shots of video related to the audio program on the main FM channel such as if the main FM channel being listened to is 87.5 MHz then the related video channel would be 87.567 MHz, also, an additional audio/slow scan video FM station would be available as well and will be known as fm2, the audio portion of fm2 is an Independent Sideband Suppressed Carrier for providing audio in stereo at the SCA frequency at 114 kHz the slow scan video portion of the station is again another Double Sideband Suppress Carrier SCA at the frequency of 92 kHz.
US08285208B2

This includes systems and methods for noise cancellation and power management in a wireless headset. The wireless headset can perform noise cancellation by using two or more omni-directional microphones to generate a noise canceling “cone.” Audio signals received outside of the cone can be filtered out. An accelerometer can be used to determine the location of the wireless headset and the system can then properly position the cone to face the user's voice and filter out other audio signals. Additionally, by monitoring the ambient noise, the system can save power by turning off the noise cancellation system when the amount of ambient noise is below a threshold value.
US08285207B2

A method and apparatus for establishing a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) connection between Mobile Stations (MSs) in a wireless communication system are provided. A method of operating a transmitting MS for establishing the P2P connection between the MSs in the wireless communication system includes when a location of a receiving MS is not known, requesting a Base Station (BS) to transmit a message instructing MSs to prepare for P2P setup, and thereafter, broadcasting to neighbor MSs a message requesting P2P-related information, receiving the P2P-related information from each of the neighbor MSs, generating a list of MSs capable of P2P communication using the received P2P-related information, and establishing a P2P connection by selecting the receiving MS from the list of MSs with which P2P communication is desired. Accordingly, in an environment where the location of the receiving MS is not known, the receiving MS can be found and thus the P2P connection can be established. Therefore, subscribers of P2P communication can be easily managed by the BS.
US08285205B2

A method and system for a single chip integrated Bluetooth and FM transceiver and baseband processor are provided. The single chip may comprise a Bluetooth radio, an FM radio, a processor system, and a peripheral transport unit (PTU). FM data may be received and/or transmitted via the FM radio and Bluetooth data may be received and/or transmitted via the Bluetooth radio. The FM radio may receive radio data system (RDS) data. The PTU may support digital and analog interfaces. A processor in the processor system may time-multiplex processing of FM data and processing of Bluetooth data. The single chip may operate in an FM-only, a Bluetooth-only, and an FM-Bluetooth mode. The single chip may reduce power consumption by disabling portions of the Bluetooth radio during FM-only mode and/or disabling analog circuitry when performing digital processing. Communication between Bluetooth and FM channels may be enabled via the single chip.
US08285201B2

A wireless repeater having a receiving antenna for receiving an input signal and a transmitting antenna for transmitting an amplified signal includes first and second front-end circuits and a repeater baseband block coupled between the first and second front-end circuits. The repeater baseband block includes a channel estimation block, an echo canceller implementing time domain echo cancellation, a variable gain stage controlled by a gain control block implementing digital gain control, a first variable delay element introducing a first delay before or after the echo canceller, a second variable delay element introducing a second delay to the output signal. The delayed output signal is coupled to the channel estimation block as a reference signal for estimating the feedback channel, to the echo canceller as a reference signal for estimating the feedback signal, and to the gain control block for monitoring the stability of the repeater.
US08285191B2

A sheet size detecting apparatus having a first arm moved by a moving sheet contacting therewith, a second arm moved by the moving sheet contacting therewith, the second arm being disposed at a location differing from that of the first arm in a direction orthogonal to the movement direction of the sheet, and a sensor, wherein the output level of the sensor when only one of the first arm and the second arm has been moved is the same as the output level thereof when neither of the first arm and the second arm is moved, and the output level of the sensor when both of the first arm and the second arm have been moved differs from the output level thereof when neither of the first arm and the second arm is not moved. Thereby, the cost can be suppressed and yet, the wrong detection of the sheet size can be prevented.
US08285187B2

An image gloss control apparatus that includes a first control component and a second control component is provided. The first control component controls an image forming/fixing component, which forms an image on a recording medium using a colored image formation material and fixes the image, so that a first image is formed in a high gloss area having a high gloss level on the recording medium or an area including the high gloss area on the recording medium and is fixed. The second control component that controls the image forming/fixing component, so that a second image having a density lower than a density of the first image is formed in a low gloss area having a gloss level lower than the gloss level of the high gloss area on the recording medium where the first image is formed or the low gloss area on the first image and is fixed.
US08285183B2

An image forming apparatus forms an unfixed toner image on a sheet and includes a fixing unit including a fixing roller, a back-up member forming a nip with the fixing roller, and a rotatable heater contactable to and heating the fixing roller. The sheet is output from the apparatus after the unfixed toner image is fixed on the sheet. In a cleaning mode for cleaning the fixing unit, a predetermined unfixed toner image is formed on the sheet, the sheet is fed to the fixing unit, the toner is transferred from the sheet onto the fixing roller in the fixing nip, the toner transferred onto the fixing roller is brought into contact to the heating member, and thereafter, the toner on the fixing roller is transferred onto the sheet in the fixing nip.
US08285177B2

A charging device includes a charging roll, a voltage application member and a confronting potential varying unit. The charging roll is disposed so as to be in contact with an image holding body on whose surface an electrostatic latent image is to be formed, and charges the image holding body. The voltage application member is disposed so as to be in contact with the charging roll, and applies a voltage to a surface of the charging roll. The confronting potential varying unit varies a surface potential profile of the charging roll in its axial direction in a contact region between the charging roll and the image holding body according to both the number of image-formed sheets and a wear situation of the image holding body so that a surface potential of the image holding body becomes approximately constant in an axial direction of the image holding body.
US08285176B2

A spacer configured to minimize movement of a transfer unit (for example, a belt unit) is described. An apparatus may include a main body and a transfer unit disposed in the main body. The spacer may include various contact portions that contact a portion of the transfer unit and a portion of the main body to minimize relative movement of the transfer unit.
US08285169B2

A feeding apparatus includes: an insulative feeding apparatus main body; plural first feeder lines; and a second feeder line, the feeding apparatus main body having: a first support member that supports the plural first feeder lines; and a second support member that supports the second feeder line, the first support member having: a wall surface part having a wall surface; and at least one projection projected from the wall surface in a direction crossing the wall surface, the plural first feeder lines being provided in space formed between the first support member and the second support member, and mutually partitioned from each other with the at least one projection, and the second feeder line being provided on a side of a surface of the second support member opposite to a surface on a side opposite to the plural first feeder lines.
US08285150B2

An integrated DWDM transmitter apparatus includes a support component and a silica-on-silicon substrate overlying the support component. The support component includes a temperature adjustment component. The silica-on-silicon substrate overlies the support component and includes a silica layer and a silicon layer. The silica-on-silicon substrate includes a corresponding a substrate surface which includes a first surface region and a second surface region. In an embodiment, the two surface regions are not coplanar. The transmitter apparatus includes an optical multiplexer within the silica layer, the optical multiplexer including a plurality of input waveguides and at least an output waveguide. The transmitter apparatus also includes one or more semiconductor laser array chips overlying the first surface region of the silica-on-silicon substrate. Each of the laser array chips including two or more lasers, which are optically coupled to corresponding ones of the plurality of input waveguides.
US08285149B2

An integrated DWDM transmitter apparatus includes a support component and a silica-on-silicon substrate overlying the support component. The support component includes a temperature adjustment component. The silica-on-silicon substrate overlies the support component and includes a silica layer and a silicon layer. The silica-on-silicon substrate includes a corresponding a substrate surface which includes a first surface region and a second surface region. In an embodiment, the two surface regions are not coplanar. The transmitter apparatus includes an optical multiplexer within the silica layer, the optical multiplexer including a plurality of input waveguides and at least an output waveguide. The transmitter apparatus also includes one or more semiconductor laser array chips overlying the first surface region of the silica-on-silicon substrate. Each of the laser array chips including two or more lasers, which are optically coupled to corresponding ones of the plurality of input waveguides.
US08285144B2

An optical device for rearranging wavelength channels in an optical network is disclosed. The optical device has a wavelength selective coupler having one input port and a plurality of output ports coupled to a plurality of input ports of an optical grating demultiplexor such as an arrayed waveguide grating. The wavelength channels in each of the input ports are dispersed by the demultiplexor and are directed to a plurality of output ports of the optical grating demultiplexor. As a result, at least one wavelength channel at each of the input ports of the optical grating demultiplexor is coupled into a common output port. The optical device is useful in passive optical networks wherein a same demultiplexor is used for simultaneous multiplexing and demultiplexing of wavelength channels.
US08285140B2

A system including first and second sending nodes, a horizontal optical data link (ODL) having optical signals propagating in opposite directions in first and second waveguide segments, a vertical ODL having optical signals propagating in the same direction throughout third and fourth waveguide segments, a first optical output switch operatively connecting the first sending node and the first waveguide segment and configured to switch first data item onto the first waveguide segment during a first timeslot, a second optical output switch operatively connecting the second sending node and the second waveguide segment and configured to switch second data item onto the second waveguide segment during a second timeslot, and an optical coupler pair operatively connecting the first and second waveguide segments to the third and fourth waveguide segments, respectively, and redirecting the first and the second data items from the horizontal to the vertical ODL.
US08285138B2

An optical correlation apparatus is described which forms first and second parallel optical signals in response to a serial input data stream. The first parallel optical signal is arranged to have bright pulses represent binary 1 and the second parallel optical signal is arranged to have bright pulses represent binary 0. A channel select means, such as an optical switch or amplitude modulator, deselects or blocks channels in the first parallel optical signal which correspond to binary 1 in a reference data string and also deselects or blocks channels in the second parallel optical signal which correspond to binary 0 in the reference data string. The remaining optical signals are combined at one or more detectors. Where the input data matches the reference data string each bright pulse in the first and second parallel optical signals is deselected and the detector registers zero intensity. However when there is any mismatch at least one channel will pass a bright pulse to the detector. An instance of zero intensity can therefore be used as an indication of pattern match.
US08285136B2

A diaphragm control apparatus incorporated in a camera body, to which an interchangeable lens equipped with a diaphragm apparatus is detachably attached, the diaphragm apparatus including a diaphragm operatively-associated rod for driving an adjustable diaphragm to open and shut the adjustable diaphragm, and the diaphragm control apparatus including a slide member that is driven to move the diaphragm operatively-associated rod, the diaphragm control apparatus includes a diaphragm drive mechanism including a stepping motor and a lead screw which is driven to rotate by the stepping motor, wherein the slide member is moved by rotation of the lead screw, a position detector for detecting a position of the slide member, and a controller for adjusting an excitation phase of the stepping motor based on a stop position of the slide member detected by the position detector.
US08285134B2

A wide dynamic range (WDR) hardware apparatus and a photographing apparatus including the WDR hardware apparatus are provided where the WDR unit applies weight coefficients to a luminance signal of a small size image having a first exposure time and a luminance signal of a small size image having a second exposure time longer than the first exposure time. The system combines the luminance signals applied weight coefficients, applies weight coefficients to a luminance signal of an original size image having the first exposure time and a luminance signal of an original size image having the second exposure time, and combines the luminance signals applied weight coefficients.
US08285125B2

A recording apparatus for an optical disc is provided which stores a VOB, the recording apparatus performing: receiving, from an operator, an operation to specify a preceding reproduction section and a subsequent reproduction section from the VOB through an interactive screen; duplicating an end vicinity including an end point of the beginning vicinity, and a beginning vicinity including a starting point of the subsequent reproduction section; connecting the duplicated parts to yield a connected part; and writing the connected part to the optical disc in correspondence with Temp_Cell information, the reproduction sections being specified by Cell information which includes Temp_Cell_FLAG, the Temp_Cell_FLAG, 1) if set to be off, indicating a sequential reproduction of the preceding and subsequent reproduction sections, and 2) if set to be on, indicating a reproduction of the connected part between the reproduction of the preceding and subsequent reproduction sections.
US08285112B2

On an optical disk, video object sets (VTST_VOBS) to be reproduced and video title set information (VTSI) serving as management information on the video object sets have been stored. In each video object set (VTST_VOBS), many data cells, each containing video, audio, and sub-picture data, are arranged. Management information on programs chains, which are combinations of programs to be reproduced one after another, has been written in a video title set PGC table (VTS_PGCIT). By referring to the program chain table (VTS_PGCIT) according to the user's input, the playback order of program chains can be changed, enabling the program chains to be reproduced one after another in various modes.
US08285100B2

Various embodiments described include optical fiber designs and fabrication processes for ultra high numerical aperture optical fibers (UHNAF) having a numerical aperture (NA) of about 1. Various embodiments of UHNAF may have an NA greater than about 0.7, greater than about 0.8, greater than about 0.9, or greater than about 0.95. Embodiments of UHNAF may have a small core diameter and may have low transmission loss. Embodiments of UHNAF having a sufficiently small core diameter provide single mode operation. Some embodiments have a low V number, for example, less than 2.4 and large dispersion. Some embodiments of UHNAF have extremely large negative dispersion, for example, less than about −300 ps/nm/km in some embodiments. Systems and apparatus using UHNAF are also disclosed.
US08285091B2

A system for efficient generation of THz radiation is provided that includes a triply-resonant nonlinear photonic resonator coupled to at least one near-infrared (NIR) or optical waveguide and to at least one THz waveguide. The energy traveling through the at least one near-infrared (NIR) or optical waveguide is converted to THz radiation inside the triply-resonant photonic resonator via a nonlinear difference frequency generation (DFG) process.
US08285073B2

Certain aspects can relate to responsive to the at least some input compensating information, imaging the at least the portion of the individual in a manner to limit at least some distorting effects of the at least the portion of the at least one distorting feature associated with the at least the portion of the individual at least partially by modifying a non-optical electromagnetic output from an imaging modality as applied to the at least the portion of the at least one distorting feature associated with the at least the portion of the individual. Certain aspects can relate to creating at least one conformal absence of a non-optical electromagnetic output to limit distortion to an imaging of an at least a portion of an individual resulting at least partially from at least one distorting feature associated with the at least the portion of the individual.
US08285071B2

The present invention is directed to a digital image content-adaptive contrast improving method. The method includes forming a piecewise linear tone remapping function for a digital image according to the histogram thereof. The piecewise linear tone remapping function is formed by repeatedly performing a first and a second step. The first step determines a starting linear tone mapping function for a specific range of luminance values. The second step generates a new tone mapping function for the specific range of luminance values based on the starting linear tone mapping function and the histogram. An apparatus for implementing the method is also provided.
US08285070B2

Methods and apparatus for restoration of a digital image. In one embodiment, a method for repairing a defect in a digital image to provide a restored image comprises determining a plurality of pixel locations to form a neighborhood relating to the defect and whether or not the neighborhood has a well-defined, dark border along its edge. Should the neighborhood not have dark border, one embodiment of the method entails processing the neighborhood to bring the neighborhood approximately to uniform darkness, processing the neighborhood to match surroundings in the digital image, copying an edge of a neighborhood in the digital image into the processed neighborhood, processing pixels of the edge to repair the copied edge pixels, and outputting the restored image for display to a user. Should the neighborhood have a dark, well-defined border, one embodiment of the method entails processing the neighborhood as to locally enhance the neighborhood and match its surroundings in the digital image; processing the neighborhood's edge such that the edge also matches its surroundings in both the defect and the digital image; processing the neighborhood to invert its pixel values and then perform the last two steps once again; processing the neighborhood to increase its contrast and then perform the last three steps once again; processing the neighborhood to bring the neighborhood to a more uniform darkness; processing the uniform darkness neighborhood to match surroundings in the digital image; and outputting the restored image for display to a user.
US08285059B2

A content-based image processing method and system are provided for images identified as having snow content. Images having dark snow content are identified and processed with a first enhancement chain tailored to enhancing images which would be generally perceived as having dark snow while images having blue snow content are identified and processed with a second enhancement chain tailored to enhancing images which would be generally perceived as having blue snow.
US08285056B2

A matching degree computing apparatus is provided for comparing an input image and an object template image and computing a matching degree between an input image and an object template image based on the compared result. The computing apparatus includes a transforming unit for transforming the input image so as to be matched to the template object region and a computing unit for computing a matching degree between the transformed input image and the template image. The transforming unit provides a shaping unit for shaping a non-background region to the form of the template object region in the object corresponding region of the input image and a processing unit for arranging the non-background region contacting with the template object corresponding region so that the non-background region has no substantial impact on the matching degree in the object non-corresponding region of the input image.
US08285054B2

Methods and apparatuses for detecting a plurality of pixels of interest within an image and identifying luminance values corresponding to a predetermined object. The apparatus for detecting includes a memory configured to store first and second images captured using light of first and second wavelengths, respectively. The apparatus for detecting further includes at least one processor configured to detect a plurality of pixels of interest within the first captured image based on luminance values of the stored first and second captured images. The apparatus for identifying includes a memory configured to store a processed image, and at least one processor configured to determine frequencies of luminance values of the plurality of pixels of interest in the processed image and to determine a range of luminance values corresponding to a predetermined object within the processed image based on the determined frequencies of the luminance values.
US08285052B1

Described is a system for ordering images. The system receives a plurality of images. Image features are extracted from each image. A set of all possible image pairs are generated for all images. A similarity metric with weights is generated between the images in each image pair in the set, with a net similarity metric thereafter generated by combining the similarity metrics. The images are then ordered according to the net similarity metrics to generate a computer-ordered set of images. The computer-ordered set of images is then displayed to the user, which allows the user to re-order the images to generate a user-ordered set of images. The weights are then optimized to minimize the distance between the computer-ordered set of images and the user-ordered set of images. The similarity metrics are then re-weighted, with the images thereafter being re-ordered according to the new metrics.
US08285051B2

An information processing apparatus detects, from time-sequential information continuously supplied for a given period of time, associated information regarding a time at which a piece of information satisfying a predetermined condition is supplied within the given period of time. A dividing section divides the time-sequential information into a plurality of temporally successive information units at predetermined time intervals. A feature value detecting section temporally successively detects feature values of the plurality of temporally successive information units. A change-information detecting section stores the temporally successively detected feature values for a predetermined period of time, and detects a plurality of temporally successive pieces of feature-value-change information on the basis of the stored feature values and a currently detected feature value. The change-information detecting section outputs the plurality of temporally successive pieces of feature-value-change information in sequence to output time-sequential associated information as the associated information.
US08285040B1

Adaptive contrast enhancement of image data is provided. In one embodiment a method for adaptive contrast enhancement includes receiving image data for a first frame, determining a pixel distribution for at least one color space component of the first frame based on luminance values of the pixels in the at least one color space and calculating an average picture level in the at least one color space based on the pixel distribution. The method additionally includes adjusting a look-up table (LUT) associated with the pixel distribution based on the average picture level, converting luminance values of the pixels in the first frame in the at least one color space based on the LUT to generate an enhanced image frame and outputting the enhanced image frame.
US08285037B2

Display driver (40) with a frame memory (43) for temporarily storing image data representing a color image and a data bus for feeding RGB-formatted image data to said display driver (40). The display driver (2) comprises means for performing an encoding decision process (42) that is based on an analysis of the nature of a pixel cluster of said image data. The means for performing a decision process (42) allow the display driver (43) to decide whether a first compression format or a second compression format is to be applied for compression of said pixel cluster. The first compression means (33.1) perform a compression of said pixel cluster into said first compression format (quantized RGB), and the second compression means (33.2) perform a compression of said pixel cluster into said second compression format (color compressed). The pixel clusters and related compression format code are stored after compression in an available storage area of the frame memory (24) such that parts of said image data can be stored in said storage area in the first compression format and another part of said image data can be stored in said storage area in the second compression format. Said compression format code is used to perform a decision process allowing the display driver (20) to decide whether a first decompression format or a second decompression format is to be applied for decompression of said pixel cluster.
US08285029B2

A device and a method are described for the optical selection of components of at least one fraction from a bulk material stream conveyed along a conveyance direction, having a camera unit, whose camera viewing direction is oriented toward the bulk material stream, a background, situated in the camera viewing direction behind the bulk material stream, whose color is adaptable to the color of a selected fraction of components of the bulk material stream, an analysis and control unit, connected to the camera unit, in which control commands for a separation unit, which is capable of separating the components to be selected out of the bulk material stream upon activation, may be generated according to a decision criterion.
US08285023B2

A radiation image processing apparatus which processes non-spiral projection data obtained by radiation imaging performed by rotating a radiation generator and a two-dimensional radiation detector relative to a subject reconstructs the non-spiral projection data into first volume data subjected to an averaging process in a direction of a rotation axis of the rotation and second volume data not subjected to the averaging process. The radiation image processing apparatus performs planar reconstruction calculation using the first volume data to generate a cross section image in a first plane perpendicular to the direction of the rotation axis and performs planar reconstruction calculation using the second volume data to generate a cross section image in a second plane parallel to the direction of the rotation axis. The resulting cross section images are displayed on a display apparatus.
US08285021B2

A method for centering a left atrium and pulmonary veins at an isocenter of an imaging device is provided. The method includes positioning an injection catheter at a bifurcation of a pulmonary artery; obtaining an anterior or posterior flouroscopic image of area including and/or surrounding the left atrium and pulmonary veins; and moving the imaging device, patient support, or the combination thereof, such that the injection catheter and a spine of a patient are displayed in the fluoroscopic image.
US08285017B2

System and method for labeling a tubular structure. A tubular structure is first displayed on a display screen. A representation of the tubular structure can be obtained. A user draws a curve on the display screen using an electronic pen that is associated with a label. Based on the user drawn curve, one or more segments of the tubular structure that corresponds to the drawn curve are identified based on the representation of the segmented tubular structure. The label is then assigned to such identified one or more segments of the tubular structure.
US08285015B2

A system in one embodiment includes an image forming device for forming an image from an area of interest containing different image components; an illumination device for illuminating the area of interest with light containing multiple components; at least one light source coupled to the illumination device, the at least one light source providing light to the illumination device containing different components, each component having distinct spectral characteristics and relative intensity; an image analyzer coupled to the image forming device, the image analyzer decomposing the image formed by the image forming device into multiple component parts based on type of imaging; and multiple image capture devices, each image capture device receiving one of the component parts of the image. A method in one embodiment includes receiving an image from an image forming device; decomposing the image formed by the image forming device into multiple component parts based on type of imaging; receiving the component parts of the image; and outputting image information based on the component parts of the image. Additional systems and methods are presented.
US08285014B2

A system and method of obtaining perfusion data for cerebral tissue is described. The system includes a C-arm X-ray device and a computing system configured to obtain sets of rotational projection X-ray data suitable for reconstructing 3D voxel data sets. A first data set is obtained of the patient, and then contrast material is injected into the vascular system to obtain a second 1 data set. A first voxel data set is subtracted from the second voxel data set, and the resultant data set is processed so as to segment the contrast-enhanced vasculature from the remaining data. The segmented voxels are subtracted from the resultant voxel data set, so as to yield a functional data set representing the difference between the attenuation of the tissues after administering contrast agent and the tissues prior to administering the contrast agent, without the contrast enhanced vasculature. The attenuation of the functional data set represents the perfusion or cerebral blood volume (CBV).
US08285006B2

The present invention discloses a face recognition system which includes a face recognition method and associate apparatus. The disclosed method provides improved face matching accuracy by introduction of user intervention. When a target face to be recognized has been detected, a candidate list is generated and the user is allowed to actively select a matching candidate face out of the candidate list by entering a user input through a user interface provided by the disclosed apparatus. Data of the target face are then automatically registered to a database where the candidate face data are stored for updating the data of the matching candidate.
US08285002B2

An eye region is detected, in the detected eye region, the region of an iris outline is extended inward, and a hollow region surrounded by the extended region is detected as a poor hue quality region. An outline of the poor hue quality region is shaped by approximating the outline to one of a circle and an ellipse. The hue of the shaped poor hue quality region is corrected on the basis of color information obtained from a neighboring region inside an iris outline.
US08284997B2

A system and method of determining aircraft position on an aerodrome ground surface having a centerline disposed thereon is provided. A current image of the aerodrome ground surface is captured using a camera that has a known focal length and is disposed on a vehicle at a preset pitch angle. The current image includes the centerline, which extends to a vanishing point in the captured image. The slope and intercept of at least a portion of the centerline are computed. The vertical and horizontal positions of the vanishing point are computed. An estimate of the vehicle position on the ground surface is computed using the computed horizontal and vertical positions of the vanishing point, the known focal length, and the preset pitch angle.
US08284991B2

An image processing apparatus includes a first detecting unit configured to detect an object based on an upper body of a person and a second detecting unit configured to detect an object based on a face of a person. The image processing apparatus determines a level of congestion of objects contained in an input image, selects the first detecting unit when the level of congestion is low, and selects the second detecting unit when the level of congestion is high. The image processing apparatus counts the number of objects detected by the selected first or second detecting unit from the image. Thus, the image processing apparatus can detect an object and count the number of objects with high precision even when the level of congestion is high and the objects tend to overlap one another.
US08284974B2

A hearing aid comprises a microphone on a proximal side of a device housing and a loudspeaker which via a transmission channel is in open communication with a sound-emitting opening of the device. A sound processing device serves to generate sound received by the microphone to the loudspeaker in amplified form. The device housing is provided on a distal side with an optionally sealed battery chamber for receiving a battery therein. The transmission channel is at least almost wholly separated from the microphone acoustically in order to prevent acoustic feedback. The battery chamber comprises ventilation means for the purpose of increasing the lifespan of the battery.
US08284962B2

An Electronic bass register musical instrument tube preamplifier includes an in line signal pre-amplification device in a Class A audio amplifier configuration. The pre-amplification device includes one or more modern thin film capacitors coupled to the output of the preamplifier circuit from the anode of half of a dual triode 12AX7 electron tube and one or more “paper in oil” capacitors. The one or more “paper in oil” capacitors are coupled to bypass and decouple to ground at the anode of half of the dual triode 12AX7 electron tube.
US08284955B2

The present invention provides methods and systems for digitally processing audio signals. Some embodiments receive an audio signal and converting it to a digital signal. The gain of the digital signal may be adjusted a first time, using a digital processing device located between a receiver and a driver circuit. The adjusted signal can be filtered with a first low shelf filter. The systems and methods may compress the filtered signal with a first compressor, process the signal with a graphic equalizer, and compress the processed signal with a second compressor. The gain of the compressed signal can be adjusted a second time. These may be done using the digital processing device. The signal may then be output through an amplifier and driver circuit to drive a personal audio listening device. In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may be part of the personal audio listening device.
US08284953B2

A circuit of reducing a pop-up noise in a digital amplifier includes a switch unit and a switch signal generator. The switch unit is coupled in parallel to an output load between an output node of the digital amplifier and a reference node. The switch unit controls a current flowing through the output load by forming a conduction path between the output node and the reference node in response to a switch signal. The switch signal generator generates the switch signal in response to a switch control signal indicating a power-on or a power-off. The pop-up noise is reduced by the conduction path that is formed when the digital amplifier is powered on or off.
US08284952B2

A system that models a microphone may include capsules that receive individual signals. The signals may be combined and modified based on a weighting factor. Directivity patterns of a converted signal may be modified or controlled based on the weighting of the signals.
US08284949B2

Techniques for multi-channel acoustic echo cancellation include adaptive filtering. An adaptive filter can use a lattice predictor of order M coupled to an adaptive LMS/Newton filter of length N, wherein M
US08284944B2

A system and method for database security provides, a database security method that receives an encryption property from an application and receives information relating to a database server. The method then requests security access to a database server using the strongest encryption algorithm server may support. If this request gets turned down, then the method determines the strongest encryption algorithm the server actually supports using the information the database server sent back and calculates the encryption keys. The method then caches the encryption algorithm along with the encryption keys in a persistent storage. For subsequent connections, the method checks the persistent storage first and retrieves the encryption algorithm and encryption keys from the persistent storage if the cache values are available, and sends the cached value to database server. By doing this, the database driver doesn't need to synchronize the encryption algorithm with server and calculate the encryption keys again.
US08284941B2

The invention allows changing a Radio Access Network security algorithm during handover in a manner that is efficient and secure. A security message is received at a mobile station previously using a first security algorithm in communication with a first access point, which message instructs to use a second security algorithm required by a second access point. In response, the mobile station is changed to use the second security algorithm.
US08284929B2

A method encoded on a data storage medium as executable software for processing data includes steps for providing a scrambling key for scrambling a current piece of information from a plurality of pieces of information, providing with the current piece of information a current identification token from a series of identification tokens, the current identification token to be combined with the scrambling key for scrambling a subsequent piece of information from the plurality of pieces of information, and scrambling the current piece of information using a combination of the scrambling key and a previous identification token from the series of identification tokens to create scrambled current data. A system and an article of manufacture for processing data are also disclosed.
US08284921B2

A method for allocating a call batch that includes a plurality of calls, to one out of a possible “n” providers for near simultaneous transmission by the one provider to a plurality of recipients, wherein each of the “n” providers has an overall capacity and a current level of use. In particular, the method comprises computing the potential free capacity of each provider by subtracting the call batch size from the actual capacity, and dividing the potential free capacity by the overall capacity to determine the proportion potential free capacity; and allocating the call batch to the provider having the largest proportion potential free capacity.
US08284909B2

A method for accessing offline voicemail messages within a mobile messaging application may be provided. First, a voice mail message may be received and the voicemail message may be transcribed to text. Next, the voicemail message and the text transcription may be stored. The recipient may then be presented with a list of voicemail messages and the voicemail message may be retrieved in response to the recipient. The recipient may read or listen to the voicemail message or both. The recipient may also annotate the voicemail message.
US08284908B2

A set of servers connect to a group of voicemail systems and to a group of client access points. The set of servers may receive a request to perform a transaction relating to a voicemail mailbox of a particular voicemail system; cause the transaction to be performed with regard to the voicemail mailbox of the particular voicemail system; and receive a notification that the transaction was performed with regard to the voicemail mailbox of the particular voicemail system. The set of servers may perform synchronization processes to synchronize the client access points with regard to the transaction that was performed with regard to the voicemail mailbox of the particular voicemail system, where each of the client access points contains a same view of the voicemail mailbox as a result of the synchronization processes.
US08284901B2

An x-ray tube assembly includes a vacuum enclosure that includes a cathode portion, a target portion, and a throat portion having a plurality of recesses formed therein to break up eddy currents generated in the throat portion. The throat portion has an upstream end coupled to the cathode portion and a downstream end coupled to the target portion. The x-ray tube assembly also includes a target positioned within the target portion of the vacuum enclosure, and a cathode positioned within the cathode portion of the vacuum enclosure. The cathode is configured to emit a stream of electrons through the throat portion toward the target.
US08284898B2

The disclosure relates to systems and methods for interleaving operation of a standing wave linear accelerator (LINAC) for use in providing electrons of at least two different energy ranges, which can be contacted with x-ray targets to generate x-rays of at least two different energy ranges. The LINAC can be operated to output electrons at different energies by varying the power of the electromagnetic wave input to the LINAC, or by using a detunable side cavity which includes an activatable window.
US08284897B2

One accesses information regarding the functionality of portions of the patient's body and then uses that information to optimize a radiation-treatment plan to treat a target portion of the patient's body while minimizing at least some collateral radiation-based damage to non-targeted functional portions of the patient's body. By one approach, the aforementioned information can comprise a functionality model as pertains to at least some portions of the patient's body. As one example in these regards, this can comprise optimizing the radiation-treatment plan such that the planned radiation beams tend to pass through non-targeted less-functional portions of the patient's body rather than through non-targeted portions of the patient's body of greater functionality.
US08284891B2

A shift register circuit includes plural shift register stages for providing plural gate signals. Each shift register stage includes a pull-up unit, a pull-up control unit, an input unit, a first pull-down unit, a second pull-down unit, and a pull-down control unit. The pull-up control unit generates a first control signal according to a driving control voltage and a first clock. The pull-up unit pulls up a corresponding gate signal according to the first control signal. The input unit is utilized for inputting the gate signal of a preceding shift register stage to become the driving control voltage according to a second clock having a phase opposite to the first clock. The pull-down control unit generates a second control signal according to the driving control voltage. The first and second pull-down units pull down the corresponding gate signal and the first control signal respectively according to the second control signal.
US08284882B2

Methods and apparatus are provided for CDR and equalization update qualification. A block of received data comprising a plurality of multiple tone patterns is processed. Equalization adaptation and/or updates to a timing recovery process can be selectively disabled if one or more of the multiple tone patterns exceed a corresponding predefined threshold.
US08284876B2

There are provided an A/D converting circuit (10) for converting, into a digital signal, a broadband intermediate frequency signal which is output from a frequency converting circuit (5), and a DSP (11) for generating and outputting control data to control gains of an antenna damping circuit (3) and an LNA (4) based on a level of the broadband digital intermediate frequency signal which is output from the A/D converting circuit (10), and the broadband intermediate frequency signal which is output from the frequency converting circuit (5) is A/D converted and supplied to the DSP (11). Consequently, it is possible to reduce a frequency of a signal input to the A/D converting circuit (10). Thus, it is also possible to reduce a consumed current without requiring the use a special AD converter corresponding to a radio frequency input.
US08284861B2

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for applying successive multi-rank beamforming strategies (e.g., successive precoding strategies) for the design of precoders over a set of parallel channels. Successive beamforming is applied to a narrow band channel model and is also applied for finer quantization of a single beamforming vector (e.g., recursive beamforming). A first embodiment provides the optimal approach with high complexity. An alternative embodiment provides successive beamforming for near optimal precoding selection with medium complexity. A low complexity method for precoder selection is also provided wherein a channel representative matrix for the set of parallel channels is determined and successive beamforming on the calculated channel representative is applied.
US08284857B2

A communication system comprises a transmitter configured to binary data and a receiver configured to the data transmitted from the transmitter. The transmitter counts the number of bits of any one of binary value of a data section of the transmission data, and determines whether or not inversion processing should be performed in accordance with the counted number. When performing the inversion processing, the transmitter reverses each bit of the data section of the transmission data, adds inversion information showing that the bits have been reversed, and transmits the transmission data. The receiver receives the transmission data and determines whether or not inversion processing should be performed for the reception data, on the basis of the inversion information of the reception data. When performing the inversion processing, the receiver reverses each bit of the data section of the reception data.
US08284853B2

An apparatus and method for supporting both a receiver using a single antenna and a receiver using multiple antennas in a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) wireless communication system are provided. The apparatus and method in a MIMO wireless communication system include a first synthesizer for generating a first Transmit (Tx) signal by adding a first signal and a second signal, a second synthesizer for generating a second Tx signal by subtracting the second signal from the first signal and a plurality of transmitting units for transmitting the first Tx signal and the second Tx signal through corresponding antennas. Accordingly, receivers having either a single antenna or multiple antennas may be employed in the same communication system.
US08284850B2

In an OFDM reception apparatus, a Fourier transform unit segments a time-domain signal in an OFDM signal in accordance with a segmenting window signal and converts the time-domain signal into a frequency-domain signal. A first signal extraction unit extracts pilot signals periodically arranged in a frequency direction and in a time direction from an output from the Fourier transform unit. A second signal extraction unit extracts differential reference signals from an output from the Fourier transform unit. A delay profile detection unit performs delay profile detection using the output from the second signal extraction unit, and performs delay profile detection on the output from the first signal extraction unit within a range limited on the basis of a result of the detection. A synchronous reproduction unit generates the segmenting window signal using an output from the delay profile detection unit.
US08284846B2

Procedure and device for shaping frames of a video sequence or group of pictures GOP using a mixing table adapted for arranging the frames of the highest importance regularly while leaving intervals between them, filling the intervals with frames of lesser importance, and coding the new sequence thus obtained.
US08284836B2

Provided is a motion compensation method and apparatus. The motion compensation method includes performing register setting for motion compensation of an mth macroblock of a current image, performing prediction for the mth macroblock simultaneously with performing register setting for motion compensation of an (m+1)th macroblock, and performing reconstruction for the mth macroblock based on a prediction result simultaneously with performing prediction for the (m+1)th macroblock. By parallely processing motion compensation on macroblocks, the amount of time required for motion compensation of the macroblocks can be reduced.
US08284825B2

An embodiment is a method and apparatus to estimate channel quality. An absolute processor computes absolute real and imaginary values of real and imaginary parts, respectively, of output of a demodulator. A phase count unit generates first and second phase counts representing deviations from zero phase noise using the absolute real and imaginary values. An amplitude count unit generates first and second amplitude counts representing attenuation of a received signal using the absolute real and imaginary values. An integrator integrates the first and second phase counts and first and second amplitude counts into a signal quality indicator that represents a measure of quality of channel with respect to noise and fading.
US08284817B2

System and method for operating a wireless narrowband receiver. A signal may be received on a channel of the wireless narrowband receiver. At least a portion of the signal may be received from a first wireless narrowband transmitter. The wireless narrowband receiver may implement an adaptive frequency hopping algorithm. It may be determined if interference is present on the channel and one or more errors are detected in receiving the signal. In response to determining that interference is present on the channel and one or more errors are detected in receiving the signal, received signal strength of one or more neighboring frequencies of the channel may be measured, and the resulting measurements may be stored in a memory. The measurements may be used to determine interference sources interference on the channel.
US08284816B1

A spread spectrum clock signal generator modulates a reference clock signal based on a spread spectrum frequency profile and includes a phase-lock loop for generating a spread spectrum clock signal by aligning a phase of the modulated reference clock signal with a phase of the spread spectrum clock signal. The spread spectrum clock signal generator also includes a loop modulator for modulating the spread spectrum clock signal based on the spread spectrum frequency profile. Because the spread spectrum clock signal generator modulates both the reference clock signal and the spread spectrum clock signal based on the spread spectrum frequency profile, the spread spectrum clock signal has a non-distorted frequency profile and low phase jitter.
US08284813B2

The disclosure discloses a Fabry-Perot (F-P) cavity, which is a folded confocal cavity integrally formed by a monolithic optical element, the folded confocal cavity having three reflection surfaces, wherein a first reflection surface is a plane and at the same time serves as an input/output coupling surface, a second reflection surface is a plane, and a third surface is a spherical surface, curvature radius of which is equal to half of a round trip geometric length of light in the folded confocal cavity. The invention further discloses a laser based on the F-P cavity. The solution of the disclosure solves the problems in existing folded F-P cavity, such as unsatisfactory stability, sensitive to outside inferences, bulky and complicated construction.
US08284812B2

A resonantly pumped, trivalent thulium ion (Tm3+) doped, crystal laser with improved efficiency is disclosed. Embodiments are pumped from the 3H6 ground state manifold to the 1st excited 3F4 state manifold by photons with wavelengths between 1.4 and 2.2 microns and laser wavelengths ranging from 1.5 to 2.4 microns arising from 3F4 to 3H6 transitions ensue, with output wavelengths dependant upon the choice of pump wavelength, crystalline host, and resonator optics.
US08284811B2

Provided is a III-nitride semiconductor laser diode capable of lasing to emit light of not less than 500 nm with use of a semipolar plane. Since an active layer 29 is provided so as to generate light at the wavelength of not less than 500 nm, the wavelength of light to be confined into a core semiconductor region 19 is a long wavelength. A first optical guide layer 27 is provided with a two-layer structure, and a second optical guide layer 31 is provided with a two-layer structure. A material of a cladding layer 21 comprised of at least either of AlGaN and InAlGaN is different from the III-nitride semiconductor, and the thickness D15 of a first epitaxial semiconductor region 15 is larger than the thickness D19 of the core semiconductor region 19; however, the misfit dislocation densities at first to third interfaces J1, J2 and J3 are not more than 1×106 cm−1, thereby preventing lattice relaxation from occurring in the semiconductor layers at these interfaces J1, J2 and J3 because of the c-plane that acts as a slip plane.
US08284809B2

A pulse of laser light is switched out of a pulse train and spatially dispersed into its constituent wavelengths. The pulse is collimated to a suitable size and then diffracted by high groove density multilayer dielectric gratings. This imparts a different angle to each individual wavelength so that, when brought to the far field with a lens, the colors have spread out in a linear arrangement. The distance between wavelengths (resolution) can be tailored for the specific laser and application by altering the number of times the beam strikes the diffraction gratings, the groove density of the gratings and the focal length of the lens. End portions of the linear arrangement are each directed to a respective detector, which converts the signal to a 1 if the level meets a set-point, and a 0 if the level does not. If both detectors produces a 1, then the pulse train is allowed to propagate into an optical system.
US08284807B2

An object is to provide a wavelength-tunable laser apparatus that prevents a grid-hopping upon wavelength change, and a wavelength changing method thereof. A wavelength-tunable laser apparatus 101 according to the present invention includes a semiconductor optical amplifier 102 and a periodic wavelength-selection filter 106. Further, the wavelength-tunable laser apparatus 101 includes a phase control unit 111 that concurrently controls a current applied to the semiconductor optical amplifier 102 and a phase tuning of a wavelength-tunable laser under an open-loop control. Thus, dark-tuning can be achieved.
US08284800B2

Messages transmitted between a receiver and a transmitter are used to maximize a communication data rate. In particular, a multicarrier modulation system uses messages that are sent from the receiver to the transmitter to exchange one or more sets of optimized communication parameters. The transmitter then stores these communication parameters and when transmitting to that particular receiver, the transmitter utilizes the stored parameters in an effort to maximize the data rate to that receiver. Likewise, when the receiver receives packets from that particular transmitter, the receiver can utilize the stored communication parameters for reception.
US08284789B2

A network system and method capable of creating separate output queues on demand to improve overall network routing performance are disclosed. The network system, in one embodiment, includes a classifier, an egress queuing device and a processor. The classifier provides a result of classification for an incoming data flow in accordance with a set of predefined application policies. The egress queuing device is an egress per flow queue (“PFQ”) wherein a separately dedicated queue can be dynamically allocated within the egress PFQ in accordance with the result of classification. The processor is configured to establish a temporary circuit connection between the classifier and the egress queuing device for facilitating routing process.
US08284781B2

A portable electronic device and an image communication method thereof are provided. The portable electronic device includes a display, a processing module and a memory. The processing module provides frame data of a corresponding frame for the display to show, enables the portable electronic device to emulate a virtual storage device under a communication link, and produces image data compliant with a file format according to the frame data of the frame. The memory stores the image data, which can be read through the communication link. The processing module provides a frame data update for the display to show and updates the image data according to the frame data update.
US08284780B2

In one aspect, a disclosed method of processing a network packet received by an edge device from a client in a data processing network includes determining a priority category of the network packet when the priority category is indicative of a priority associated with the packet. The method further includes determining a value of a traffic state parameter. The traffic state parameter indicates a level of traffic activity in a backbone network to which the edge device is connected. A traffic policy is then determined that is applicable to the level of traffic activity and the priority category of the network packet. The network packet is then blocked from traversing or permitted to traverse the network packet edge device based on the determined traffic policy. Determining the priority category may include determining a transport protocol port number of the network packet.
US08284772B1

A method is provided for scheduling a network packet processor. A textual language specification is input of the processing of network packets by the network packet processor. The textual language specification includes memory read actions and modification actions. Each memory read action reads a stored value from a memory of the network packet processor. Each modification action modifies a field of the network packets. An availability is determined for each field read from the network packets for the memory read and modification actions. An availability is determined for each stored value read from the memory for the memory read actions. A look-ahead interval is determined from the availabilities. A respective storage class is determined for the fields for the memory read and modification actions. The respective storage class is one of a bus, a register, and a register with bypass.
US08284771B1

Systems and methods according to these exemplary embodiments provide for dynamically scalable switching fabrics. A dynamically scalable switching fabric can include a first set of fabric element (FE) interfaces and a second set of FE interfaces, interconnectable by a reconfigurable crossbar. By selectively populating the FE interfaces, different switching capabilities, e.g., bandwidth per processor blade and/or number of processor blades supported, can be achieved. When the population of the FE interfaces is modified, the reconfigurable crossbar can reconfigure the links between FEs. According to one embodiment, a three-stage CLOS architecture can be implemented. According to another embodiment, a multi-plane architecture can be implemented.
US08284770B1

A hybrid switch module configured on a common support structure providing networks the ability to automatically reconfigure point-to-point links, per software controls, to optimize network topology by combining a network switching device with a physical layer switch using switching logic. The hybrid switch module is an integrated unit that can operate at a physical layer, routing signals between dedicated ports, and operate as a packet switch for non-dedicated ports.
US08284763B2

A voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) gateway includes a foreign exchange office (FXO), a foreign exchange station (FXS), and a VoIP processor. A controller of the VoIP gateway sets the VoIP gateway to either a TANDEM (trunk and ENM (ear and mouth)) mode or a standalone mode. In the TANDEM mode, the VoIP gateway transmits an incoming call from the VoIP processor to the FXO and an outgoing call from the FXS to the VoIP processor. In the standalone mode, the VoIP gateway transmits the incoming call from the VoIP processor to the FXS and the outgoing call from the FXS to the VoIP.
US08284760B2

A method (300) and apparatus are disclosed for event notification. An apparatus that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a presence services system (PSS) (102) can have a controller (104) that manages operations of a communications interface (110). The controller can be programmed to monitor (302) presence information of a plurality of communication devices of an end user operating in a communications system, and receive (316) a request from a calendar reminder system (CRS) for access to the presence information. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
US08284743B2

The present invention relates to arrangements providing a solution for maintaining prefix consistency in dynamic (splitting and merging) moving networks and reducing the negative consequences of splits and mergers.
US08284741B2

A method of forming ad hoc RSI hierarchical communication networks among pluralities of wireless transceivers includes assigning to each of the transceivers one or more common designations. A network organization routine of the transceivers operates to establish hierarchical networks based on the transceivers' common designations, resulting in a logical network organization that provides efficiencies for acquiring information from particular transceivers that share a common designation. Each transceiver's common designation is used by a digital processor of the transceiver to selectively receive data packets that are intended for receipt by transceivers sharing the particular common designation. Such a “common designation” network reduces power consumption and signal interference thereby increasing battery life. Each transceiver may include a sensor interface a query handling routine in communication with a memory of the transceiver for serving as a dynamic distributed hierarchical database system of information such as, for example, sensor-derived information and time-sensitive information.
US08284740B2

An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising a wireless handset operable in a wireless wide area network (WWAN) and a wireless local area network (WLAN) and wherein the wireless handset is adapted to transmit and receive voice and/or data communications from at least one voice or data communication device via the WLAN and incorporate the voice or data communications into communications over the wireless wide area network.
US08284739B2

The present invention provides a system and method for affiliating a wireless device with a wireless local area network (WLAN). An embodiment of the method of this invention comprises establishing, at a control node of the WLAN, access frequency(s) for affiliation with the WLAN. The control node periodically provides a beacon frame on the access frequency(s) that indicates the timing of affiliation with the WLAN. The wireless device determines the access frequency(s) for affiliating with the WLAN and the timing of affiliation with the WLAN based on the beacon frame. The wireless device provides self identification information via the access frequency during the beacon frame. This allows the control node to determine the access privileges of the wireless device based on the identification information. Finally, the control node affiliates the wireless device with an initial access channel from a set of access channels in accordance with the access privileges.
US08284724B2

A method of deciding to release communication resources used for a network access server session in a communication network is provided, wherein the method involves receiving an Accounting Stop Request for a PDP context associated to the network access server session, deciding whether a Session Stop Indicator is included in the Accounting Stop Request, in case no Session Stop Indicator is included deciding whether further PDP contexts are associated with the network access server session, in case no further PDP context is associated with the network access server session, starting an IDLE Timer to determine a point in time for releasing the communication resources.
US08284723B2

A method and apparatus are provided for managing transmission resources in a cellular communication network having a plurality of cells each associated to a base station. The network includes at least two radio-communication terminals, a list of available transport formats or authorized list being associated with each of the terminals. The method includes optimizing frequency resources used by the terminals present in the network, and includes the following sub-steps: selecting a transport format specific for each terminal from a shortened list of transport formats, and allocating a frequency band to each terminal and having a size based on the selected transport format.
US08284721B2

Methods and apparatus for selectively switching one or more antennas in a multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) antenna array so as to mitigate interference with another RF interface within the same space-constrained device, based on radio frequency isolation. In one embodiment, the MIMO interface comprises a WLAN interface having a 2×2 or 3×3 array of antennae which are placed in a wireless device in an asymmetric fashion with respect to the antenna of the second interface, and the other interface comprises a PAN (e.g., Bluetooth) interface operating in an overlapping frequency band (e.g., ISM band). When both interfaces are operating, interference is mitigated through selectively switching off one or more of the MIMO antennae, and using the remaining antenna(e) having the best isolation from the Bluetooth antennae. This approach allows simultaneous operation of both interferences without significant degradation to user experience or the operation of either interface, and may also provide power savings critical to mobile device battery longevity.
US08284718B2

Before start of streaming, a server apparatus obtains from client apparatuses their respective numbers of antenna combinations, determines a training time t1 according to the maximum of the numbers of antenna combinations, and notifies the client apparatuses of the training time t1. Each client apparatus determines a training time t2 required to estimate transmission path conditions for one antenna combination, based on the training time t1. The server apparatus transmits a training signal during the training time t1. Each client apparatus estimates transmission path conditions using the training signal during the training time t2 for each antenna combination, and selects and sets an antenna combination based on the estimated transmission path conditions.
US08284716B2

A method of determining the direction of a mobile communication device, the method comprising receiving an encoded locator signal from the device over a wireless link; decoding the locator signal to generate a decoded output; and measuring the direction of arrival of the locator signal by analyzing the decoded output.A method of maintaining a connection with a mobile communication device, the method comprising establishing a connection with the device; receiving a request from the device to release the connection; and repeatedly sending a request for information to the device to prevent the device from releasing the connection.A method of maintaining communication with a mobile cellular communication device, the method comprising establishing a connection with the device by broadcasting a first cell configured with a first location code to the device; and re-establishing the connection with the device after the device has released the connection by broadcasting a second cell configured with a second location code to the device.
US08284708B2

Method, apparatus, and computer program product embodiments are disclosed to enable power save modes of operation between wireless devices for direct data transfer in an infrastructure basic service set. The embodiments are an enhancement to the peer U-APSD power save mechanism. The embodiments provide additional operation for peer U-APSD mechanism with two stations operating in power save mode.
US08284707B2

An embodiment of the invention is a technique for power saving in mobile communication. At least one of a base station (BS) and a mobile station (MS) is initialized for power saving using a downlink (DL) status and an uplink (UL) status associated with the BS and the MS, respectively, during communication between the BS and the MS. A first PSC mode is entered when both the DL and UL statuses indicate a silence period. A second PSC mode is entered when at least one of the DL and UL statuses indicates a talk period.
US08284696B2

In one embodiment, data from a first device is received. A second device is identified. A data flow is between the first device and the second device. A third device is identified as a function of at least one label of the data flow.
US08284689B2

Mote appropriate networks employing multiple frequencies, such as those utilized in frequency reuse techniques.
US08284682B2

Providing for remote field testing of mobile communication devices is described herein. By way of example, network initiated data received at a mobile device or like device activated on a mobile network can be monitored. Further, an over the air (OTA) message sent by the mobile network to the monitored device can be identified and forwarded to a test device. Additionally, an IP gateway of the mobile network can be monitored for mobile originated pull messages or network originated push messages associated with or identifying the test device. A data translator can reconfigure or reroute data to and from the mobile device and mobile network utilizing information associated with the activated device. Accordingly, remote data exchange can be implemented even if the mobile device is not pre-activated on the mobile network.
US08284678B2

A method and apparatus that proxies connectivity check messages and sends fault state changes messages across an MPLS/VPLS network is described. A network element proxies connectivity check messages for remote maintenance endpoints based on a local database. The network element updates the database based on received fault state change message that identify a fault state change of a remote maintenance endpoint. The network element detects fault state changes of local maintenance endpoints and sends a fault state change message to other network elements that proxy connectivity check message for the local maintenance endpoints.
US08284677B2

A method and apparatus that proxies connectivity check messages and sends fault state changes messages across an MPLS/VPLS network is described. A network element proxies connectivity check messages for remote maintenance endpoints based on a local database. The network element updates the database based on received fault state change message that identify a fault state change of a remote maintenance endpoint. The network element detects fault state changes of local maintenance endpoints and sends a fault state change message to other network elements that proxy connectivity check message for the local maintenance endpoints.
US08284675B2

A method and apparatus for call quality troubleshooting and mitigation may include polling network communication path elements to determine network performance data, receiving a call quality alert from at least one communication unit, the call quality alert indicating degraded call quality of a call session, and analyzing the network performance data from the network communication path elements and the at least one communication unit to determine a cause of the alert and at least one action to mitigate the cause of the alert. The apparatus for call quality troubleshooting and mitigation may include a memory for storing data from network communication path elements and data from at least one communication unit, and a processor operating to poll network communication path elements to determine network performance data, to store a call quality alert received from at least one communication unit in the memory, and to the network performance data from the network communication path elements and the at least one communication unit to determine a cause of the alert and at least one action to mitigate the cause of the alert. The method and apparatus may further include correlating the data from the network communication path elements with the data from the at least one communication unit and invoking a real-time network topology investigation module to determine the cause of the call quality alert.
US08284671B2

A terminal includes a transmitting and receiving unit transmitting and receiving an observation packet for observing the transmission quality and data, and a transmission quality managing unit (i) exchanging the observation packet with another terminal via the transmitting and receiving unit, (ii) observing a loss rate of the data between the terminal and the other terminal and writing to the observation packet the degraded state information indicating the loss rate in the case where the terminal receives the data, and (iii) subtracting the congested state information from the degraded state information included in the observation packet collected from the other terminal in order to calculate a transmission error rate of the data in the terminal and the relay device in the case where the terminal transmits the data. An error correction code processing unit determines a forward error correction capability based on the transmission error rate calculated by the transmission quality managing unit and assigns to the data to be transmitted the forward error correction code according to the forward error correction capability.
US08284665B1

A device may include logic configured to receive a packet, identify a flow associated with the packet in a flow table, and identify a rate limit associated with the flow in the flow table. A current rate associated with the flow may be calculated based on the packet. It may be determined whether the current rate associated with the flow exceeds the rate limit associated with the flow. If so, the packet may be discarded or tagged as “over limit.”
US08284663B2

A communication protocol provides a selective ordering of packets such that some sequences of packets on the channel are guaranteed not to be delivered out of order, while other packets on the same channel may be delivered before earlier sent packets are received, thereby preempting their delivery. The communication protocol can be implemented using UDP over IP. The protocol may be used for exchange of information in a distributed multi-player game.
US08284658B2

A method of reconfiguring a communications network is provided. A first network using a first network protocol and a second network using a second network protocol are connected by a master data link initialized as activated and two slave data links initialized as inactivated. A failure of the master data link or a slave data link is detected by a master bridge of the second network, the master bridge being connected to the master data link. A first data packet is generated by the master bridge and is transmitted to a slave bridge of the second network, the slave bridge being connected to a slave data link. The slave bridge is selected by the master bridge according to a selection rule. The first data packet contains information which initiates a partial execution of the first network protocol on a port of the slave bridge and an activation of the slave data link by the first network protocol.
US08284651B2

A method for generating a preamble of a frame for a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) wireless communication begins by, for each transmit antenna, generating a carrier detect field. The method continues by, for a first grouping of the transmit antennas, generating a first guard interval following the carrier detect field; and generating at least one channel sounding field. Continuing, the method applies cyclical shift prior to transmission via the first grouping of the transmit antennas. When the MIMO wireless communication includes more than the first grouping of the transmit antennas, for another grouping of the transmit antennas. For the another grouping of the transmit antennas, generating at least one other channel sounding field. The method proceeds by generating the first guard interval prior to the at least one other channel sounding field, and applying another cyclical shift prior to transmission via the another grouping of the transmit antennas.
US08284640B2

An optical pickup, having an optical pickup housing made of resin, for maintaining the heat radiation performance or capacity of a semiconductor laser, also an objective lens driving mechanism, and further a driver IC for the semiconductor laser, while keeping small-size and light-weight thereof, comprises a pickup housing, in which an optical part and a semiconductor laser are fixed; an objective lens, which is attached within the pickup housing; and an objective lens driving mechanism, which is configured to drive the objective lens, further comprising: a metal-made bottom cover, which is configured to cover a lower surface of the pickup housing and a side surface of an inner periphery of an optical disc, wherein the metal-made bottom cover and the semiconductor laser are thermally connected with each other.
US08284637B2

A TAMR (Thermal Assisted Magnetic Recording) write head uses the energy of optical-laser generated plasmons in a plasmon generator to locally heat a magnetic recording medium and reduce its coercivity and magnetic anisotropy. To enable the TAMR head to operate most effectively, the antenna is formed in three portions, a wide portion of uniform horizontal area, a tapered portion tapering towards the ABS of the write head and a narrow tip extending from the tapered portion to the ABS. The wide portion enhances coupling of optical radiation from a waveguide to surface plasmons generated within the generator, the tapered portion condenses and focuses the plasmons as they propagate towards the ABS and the narrow tip further focuses the surface plasmon field at the medium surface.
US08284634B2

A watch provides a chronographic function while the watch is in a “sport” mode. If a user activates a button relating to the chronographic function, such as a “start/lap” button, then the light for the watch will automatically activate. The light may remain active for a significantly long time, such as a period of six seconds or more. Alternately or additionally, if a user activates a button while the watch is in a “performance” or “sport” mode, then the light will automatically activate regardless of the button being activated. Still further, the chronographic function of the watch may be configured to not measure a lap time that is lower than a preset threshold value, such as, for example, three seconds.
US08284632B2

To provide a calendar mechanism equipped timepiece which, being small and thin, includes two date indicators configuring date characters which are large and easy to see. A calendar mechanism equipped timepiece of the invention includes a first date indicator which displays the ones column of the date, a second date indicator which displays the tenths column of the date, and a program wheel which enables each of the first date indicator and second date indicator to rotate intermittently. The program wheel includes program wheel teeth, first date indicator advance teeth, second date indicator advance teeth having provided at the leading ends thereof second date indicator advance fingers, and correction teeth. A configuration is such that the height of the second date indicator advance teeth is greater than the height of the first date indicator advance teeth, and the height of the first date indicator advance teeth is greater than the height of the correction teeth.
US08284631B2

A multimedia projection alarm clock with integrated illumination is disclosed. It includes a projector module which projects an animated image, an illuminating light source which emits illuminating light of adjustable color and/or brightness, a speaker which outputs music or sound effects, and a control unit which animates a projected image and/or varies an illuminating light with music or sound effects so that an alarm signal featuring a theme of vivid figures with matching backgrounds may be provided. The control unit is also equipped with a simple user interface allowing the user to access handy bedside functions such as the night light easily.
US08284630B2

A method for interpolating irregularly sampled seismic data, including receiving seismic data acquired at irregularly spaced seismic sensors in a survey area, defining a plurality of regularly spaced locations in the survey area, forming an annular ring around one of the plurality of regularly spaced locations, and interpolating the seismic data inside the annular ring to estimate seismic data that would have been acquired at the one of the plurality of regularly spaced locations.
US08284625B2

A semiconductor device capable of stabilizing power supply by suppressing power consumption as much as possible. The semiconductor device of the invention includes a central processing unit having a plurality of units and a control circuit, and an antenna. The control circuit includes a means for outputting, based on a power supply signal including data on power supply from an antenna (through an antenna) or a load signal obtained by an event signal supplied from each of the units, one or more of a first control signal for stopping power supply to one or more of the units, a second control signal for varying a power supply potential supplied to one or more of the units, and a third control signal for stopping supplying a clock signal to one or more of the units.
US08284619B2

An internal circuit has a plurality of circuit blocks operating by receiving an internal power supply voltage. An internal voltage control circuit generates a plurality of regulator control signals according to a combination of operating circuit blocks. A plurality of regulators operate in response to activation of the regulator control signals respectively to generate the internal power supply voltage by using an external power supply voltage. For example, as the number of the operating circuit blocks increases, the number of the operating regulators increases. By thus generating the regulator control signals according to the actual operation of the internal circuit to control the operations of the regulators, it is possible to reduce variation in the internal power supply voltage to a minimum. As a result, an operating margin of a semiconductor integrated circuit can be improved and a yield of the semiconductor integrated circuit can be improved.
US08284618B2

A data input device of a semiconductor memory apparatus includes: a differential amplifier configured to compare an input to a reference voltage and output a differential signal based on the comparison; and a control circuit configured to adjust a current driving capacity of the differential amplifier by turning on a first current path connected to the differential amplifier in response to a first enable signal and turning off a second current path connected to the differential amplifier in response to a second enable signal in a standby mode, wherein, during a time that a plurality of external command signals toggle back and forth between a status of all being high signals and a status of all being low signals repeatedly, the second enable signal is controlled to be maintained at a low state signal.
US08284613B2

A semiconductor memory device is described that can, in certain embodiments, reduce a delay in access time and/or an area of a memory cell array. In one or more embodiments, a flash memory device that includes a memory cell array, a data register, a state machine, input/output pads, a row decoder, and a column decoder. The memory cell array includes a pre-charge unit that is placed between a plurality of memory cell arrays. The pre-charge unit pre-charges a bit line in a read operation. A data register is separated from the pre-charge unit and is located away from the arrays. Write data are coupled from a data register to the arrays, and read data are coupled from the arrays to the data register.
US08284604B2

A NOR flash memory device is programmed by selecting one of a plurality of global bit lines and sequentially selecting a plurality of local bit lines commonly connected with the selected global bit line to supply a program voltage to memory cells.
US08284602B2

Provided is a pipe latch circuit of a multi-bit pre-fetch type semiconductor memory device with an advanced structure. The pipe latch circuit of the present invention comprises: a first latch circuit for latching pre-fetched plural bits of input data from global input/output lines; a first multiplexing circuit comprises a first multiplexer for selecting a certain input data from first group of the input data in response to a first selection control signal and a second multiplexer for selecting a certain input data from second group of the input data in response to a second selection control signal; a second multiplexing circuit for setting a sequence of output data from the first multiplexing circuit in response to a third selection control signal; and a second latch circuit comprises a third latch for latching a first output data from the second multiplexing circuit in response to a first output latch control signal and a fourth latch for latching a second output data from the second multiplexing circuit in response to a second output latch control signal. The invention cuts down the overall chip size and current consumption of the pipe latch circuit by reducing the number of multiplexers necessary for arranging the pre-fetched data in a predetermined output order.
US08284599B2

A method of programming a nonvolatile memory device comprises programming memory cells connected to a first wordline, programming memory cells connected to a second wordline, programming memory cells connected to a third line between the first wordline and the second wordline, and adjusting a threshold voltage of the memory cells connected to the first wordline to compensate for interference generated by the programming of the memory cells connected to the third wordline.
US08284596B2

An integrated circuit includes an array of diodes and an electrode coupled to each diode. The integrated circuit includes a layer of resistance changing material coupled to the electrodes and bit lines coupled to the layer of resistance changing material. The layer of resistance changing material provides a resistance changing element at each intersection of each electrode and each bit line.
US08284594B2

Magnetic devices, magnetoresistive structures, and methods and techniques associated with the magnetic devices and magnetoresistive structures are presented. For example, a magnetic device is presented. The magnetic device includes a ferromagnet, an antiferromagnet coupled to the ferromagnet, and a nonmagnetic metal proximate to the ferromagnet. The antiferromagnet provides uniaxial anisotropy to the magnetic device. A resistance of the nonmagnetic metal is dependent upon a direction of a magnetic moment of the ferromagnet.
US08284590B2

A circuit with a capacitive device is disclosed. The circuit may comprise a capacitive device connected between a first conductor and a second conductor. The capacitive device may comprise a first electrode connected to the first conductor and a second electrode being connected to the second conductor. A chalcogenide layer may be connected to the first electrode and to a metal chalcogenide layer.
US08284588B2

In a non-volatile logic circuit, a first input electrode and a second input electrode are formed on a semiconductor layer and interposed between an electric current source electrode and an output electrode in a plan view. The first input electrode is next to the second input electrode along the a direction orthogonal to the direction between the electric current source electrode and the output electrode. A method of operating the non-volatile logic circuit includes a step of writing one state selected from four states by applying voltages to the first input electrode and the second input electrode, respectively, and a step of measuring current generated by applying the voltage between the electric current power electrode and the output electrode to determine on the basis of the current, which of the high or low resistant state the non-volatile logic circuit has.
US08284587B2

Various embodiments include apparatuses including optical and optoelectronic devices and methods of making same. One such device includes an image sensor having an integrated circuit with a number of pixel electrodes, a substantially-continuous optically-sensitive layer, and at least one counter-electrode. The substantially continuous optically sensitive layer is in electrical communication with both the number of pixel electrodes and also the counter-electrode. Additional apparatuses and methods are disclosed.
US08284584B2

A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes a first component, a second component, a plurality of first, second and third contacts, and a plurality of signal lines having a plurality of first wires, and connecting the first and second component, each of the first wires having a first, second, third and fourth part, each of the parts having a resistivity, the second part having a first resistivity, a different value of the first resistance being set for each of the plurality of first wires, the first, third and fourth parts having a second or third resistivity which is lower than the first resistivity, the first and second part being electrically connected in series by the first contact, the second and third part being electrically connected in series by the second contact, and the third and fourth part being electrically connected in series by the third contact.
US08284581B2

An active rectifier (12) couples a first input voltage (Vin1) to a first electrode of a first transistor (M3) having a second electrode coupled to an output (4) conducting an output voltage (Vout), and couples a second input voltage (Vin2) to a first electrode of a second transistor (M4) having a second electrode coupled to the output conductor. A first amplifier (A1) controls a voltage (V16) of a gate of the first transistor to maintain an input offset of the first amplifier between the first input voltage and the output voltage while the first input voltage exceeds the output voltage, and a second amplifier (A2) controls a voltage (V15) on a gate of the second transistor to maintain an input offset between the second input voltage and the output voltage while the first input voltage exceeds the output voltage. The input offsets prevent backflow of current from the output to either of the first electrodes when the first or second input is nearly equal to the output voltage.
US08284578B2

The DC power supply apparatus includes a switching operation control part that is provided between a current detection part to detect a current flowing through a primary coil of a transformer and a control part to control the operation of a switching part and controls the operation of the switching part according to an output voltage so that consumption power in a low-load state can be further reduced.
US08284574B2

A method and apparatus for controlling an inverter includes operating the inverter in a one of a normal run mode or a pulse mode depending on one or more criteria. When operating in the pulse mode, the inverter generates a sinusoidal output pulse waveform including a plurality of pulses having a determined pulse width. The pulse width is less than a half-wave period of a full-cycle sinusoidal waveform and may be determined as function of, for example, the output power of the inverter, a grid voltage, and/or other criteria.
US08284572B2

Current control method and apparatus are disclosed. A current limiter is coupled to a switch connected in series with an energy transfer element of a power supply. The current limiter detects a current flowing through the switch and, when the current exceeds a current limit signal, turns off the switch. A limit signal generator provides the current limit signal, detects the maximum current value of the current, and updates the current limit signal according to the maximum current value and an ideal current limit value.
US08284568B2

A key button mechanism and a portable electronic device using same are provided. The key button mechanism includes a key button and an elastic element integrally formed with the key button. The elastic element includes a main body and two elastic arms extending out, backward from the main body and located at two opposite ends of the main body respectively. The main body includes two resisting blocks protruding from one surface thereof away from the key button side and are located adjacent to the two opposite ends of the main body.
US08284563B2

There is provided a circuit structure in which a control circuit is formed on the upper surface of an insulating plate 14 by control busbars 15, and a power circuit is formed on the lower surface of the insulating plate 14 by power busbars 18. By this configuration, the circuit structure can be made small in size as compared with the case where the control circuit and the power circuit are formed on separate circuit boards. Also, the insulating plate 14 is formed with an opening 23, and a power busbar 18 is positioned over the opening 23. In the opening 23, a terminal 25B of a relay 16 is positioned, and is connected to the power busbar 18. Thereby, the connecting work process can be simplified as compared with the case where the power circuit and the terminal 25B of the relay 16 are connected to each other, for example, by a jumper wire.
US08284549B2

An inverted U-shaped frame includes a coupling at either end of the inverted U-shaped frame for pivotably securing to front corners of an electronic device (e.g., laptop or computer keyboard); a micro-projector pivotably mounted on a transverse part of the inverted U-shaped frame; and a camera pivotably mounted on the transverse part of the inverted U-shaped frame besides the micro-projector.
US08284548B2

A frame casing according to the present invention is provided on side surfaces of a display section, and includes: a plurality of divided frames which are L-shaped and disposed along the side surfaces of the display section with adjacent ends thereof along a circumferential direction overlapping one another; and a attaching section which is formed in a middle of a circumferential direction of each of the plurality of divided frames and which attaches the plurality of divided frames to the side surfaces of the display section, total length of the divided frames along the circumferential direction being greater than total length of the side surfaces of the display section along the circumferential direction.
US08284541B2

An electrical enclosure includes a housing having a first end, an opposite second end, and a plurality of sides disposed therebetween to define an internal volume; an electrical busway having a number of electrical bus members, wherein at least one of the number of electrical bus members has a first bus member, a second bus member and a number of fusible links electrically connected between the first bus member and the second bus member, wherein the at least one of the number of electrical bus members is structured to electrically conduct a rated current, wherein the number of fusible links are structured to electrically conduct the rated current, and wherein the number of fusible links are structured to vaporize responsive to a current which is substantially greater than the rated current.
US08284538B2

An electrostatic chuck device includes an electrostatic chuck section, a metal base section, and a dielectric plate. The electrostatic chuck section has a substrate, a main surface of which serves as a mounting surface for a plate-like sample, an electrostatic-adsorption inner electrode built in the substrate, and a power supply terminal for applying a DC voltage to the electrostatic-adsorption inner electrode. Here, a dielectric plate is fixed to a concave portion formed in the metal base section. The dielectric plate and the electrostatic chuck section are adhesively bonded to each other with an insulating adhesive bonding layer interposed therebetween. The dielectric plate and the concave portion are adhesively bonded to each other with a conductive adhesive bonding layer interposed therebetween, the volume resistivity of which is 1.0×10−2 Ωcm or less.
US08284537B2

An electronic apparatus with electrostatic discharge protection includes: a conducting casing and a circuit board. The circuit board has a power ground node and a conditional conducting path, and is set inside the conducting casing. The conditional conducting path further includes: a conducting element and an electrostatic discharging component. One end of the conducting element is electrically connected to the conducting casing, and the electrostatic discharging component is electrically connected between another end of the conducting element and the power ground node. When the voltage variation between the two ends of the electrostatic discharging element reaches a preset condition, the electrostatic discharging component functions as a short circuit; otherwise, the electrostatic discharging element is equivalent to a high impedance element. The power ground node electrically connects to an electrode of a battery for using it as a vessel of receiving electrostatic charges.
US08284536B2

A luminaire can comprise an electronic circuit, such as an LED driver or electronic ballast. A surge protection device in the current path between a power supply and the luminaire components can be configured to protect the electronic circuitry by absorbing and/or redirecting energy of a surge by switching into a low-impedance state while maintaining the protected circuitry (including its internal protective components, if any) in a high-impedance state. The surge protection device can comprise a MOV stage and a filter stage, for example. The surge protection device can be configured as a replaceable module, with the luminaire including an assembly designed to receive the module and allow for easy replacement over the useful life of the other components. Use of fuses or thermal components may cause the surge protection device to interrupt power flow if protection is lost due to internal failure, indicating when module replacement is needed.
US08284530B1

An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit includes a control circuit configured to generate a signal indicating whether an input voltage on an input/output pad is excessive. The protection circuit also includes a voltage divider configured to receive the signal from the control circuit and to divide the input voltage to produce a divided voltage. The protection circuit further includes an inverter chain having multiple inverters, where a first inverter is configured to receive the divided voltage and at least two inverters are configured to generate transistor control signals. In addition, the protection circuit includes a plurality of transistors configured to receive the transistor control signals and, when the input voltage is excessive, to prevent the input voltage from being provided to a protected circuit.
US08284524B2

A recording head for use in magnetic storage devices is disclosed. The recording head includes a transducer that is bi-directionally movable with respect to a surface of the magnetic storage medium, thereby enabling improved positioning of the transducer during recording head read and write operations. The recording head includes an interleaver assembly having a plurality of flexure assemblies. Electrostatic charges are employed in the flexure assemblies for selective actuation to provide a motional force to the transducer.
US08284518B2

An example magnetic recording head includes a main magnetic pole containing a ferromagnetic layer and a main magnetic pole-magnetization fixing portion containing an anti-ferromagnetic layer in contact with at least one side surface of the main magnetic pole. A heater for the main magnetic pole is configured so as to include an oxide layer with a metal path therein embedded in or provided in the vicinity of the main magnetic pole-magnetization fixing portion and a pair of electrodes, provided in the vicinity of the oxide layer, for flowing a current parallel to a surface of a recording medium through the metal path. A magnetic field generator generates a magnetic field so as to direct a magnetization of the main magnetic pole in one direction.
US08284508B2

An imaging lens for adjusting a position of an adjusting lens to be carried out easily and which has an improved impact resistance. The imaging lens includes a lens frame for supporting a lens serving as an adjusting lens and a support frame for supporting the lens frame. A contact section for support frame adjustment operable to come into contact with the lens frame is arranged in the support frame. A contact section for lens frame adjustment operable to come into contact with the support frame is arranged in the lens frame. The lens frame is configured such that the fastening force generated between the lens frame and the support frame can be applied vertical with respect to the contact section for support frame adjustment in a state of the contact section for lens frame adjustment held in contact with the contact section for support frame adjustment.
US08284502B2

This invention provides an optical lens assembly comprising, in order from an object side to an image side: a first lens element with positive refractive power; a second lens element with positive refractive power; a third lens element with negative refractive power having a concave object-side surface and a convex image-side surface, at least one of the object-side and image-side surfaces thereof being aspheric; and a fourth lens element with positive refractive power having an aspheric object-side surface and an aspheric image-side surface; wherein the number of lens elements with refractive power is four.
US08284492B2

A micro-optic film structure that alone or together with a security document or label projects images spatially coordinated with static images and/or other projected images is provided. The inventive film structure is made up of: (a) one or more polymer film materials; (b) one or more planar arrangements of primary image icons; (c) one or more planar arrangements of focusing elements or lenses; and (d) one or more secondary image icons. The planar arrangements are configured such that when a planar arrangement of primary image icons is viewed through a planar arrangement of focusing elements or lenses, one or more first synthetic images are projected. The secondary image icons appear as static and/or other projected images. These images are spatially coordinated with the first synthetic image(s) projected by the film structure, such that when simultaneously displayed therewith, they visually enhance or cancel the projected first synthetic image(s).
US08284480B2

A high extraction efficiency laser system. The novel laser system includes a laser amplifier and a laser source adapted to provide a laser beam to the amplifier such that polarization states for incident and reflected light within the amplifier are perpendicular one to another. In an illustrative embodiment, the laser beam is input to the amplifier such that the beam reflects back and forth between the side walls of the amplifier with an angle of incidence of about 45 degrees, and the laser beam is linearly polarized in the plane of incidence. This arrangement reduces interference fringes in the amplifier. In an alternative embodiment, the system includes an aberrator adapted to add time-varying aberrations in the laser beam at a rate exceeding an inversed lifetime of an inverted population in the amplifier to increase spatial homogenization of saturation and extraction patterns in the amplifier.
US08284470B2

A mirror is disclosed for use in a limited rotation motor system, wherein the mirror includes a body, an aperture within the body, and a high density material within the aperture. The body, formed of one or more materials, has an exposed mirror surface and is mountable with the limited rotation motor system for rotation with respect to an axis of mirror rotation. The aperture is positioned at least proximate to a portion of the axis of mirror rotation. The high density material is provided within the aperture such that it is capable of movement within the aperture, and the high density material has a density that is greater than a density of the material of the body of the mirror.
US08284460B2

In outline processing according to the present embodiment, a normalization coefficient is determined such that values outputted as outline data substantially coincide with a maximum value in a prescribed number of digits in accordance with a variation amount between coordinate values. Such determination can constantly enhance image quality (legibility of a character) of the outline data up to a highest value under conditions of the prescribed number of digits as well as being free of the influence of a size of a target character. In other words, it is possible to provide the highest feasible image quality under the limitation of the number of digits set from the limit of a file size.
US08284456B2

A special pattern determination section determines whether a special pattern is included in a document image read by a document reading section. If the special pattern determination section determines that the special pattern is included, the breaking pattern applying section applies a breaking pattern to the document image, and the print image generating section accumulates image data of the document image applied with the breaking pattern into a memory. On the other hand, if it is determined that the special pattern is not included, the print image generating section accumulates the image data of the document image directly into the memory. Then, if it is set by a user so as not to print the breaking pattern, the controller deletes image data of the document image accumulated in the memory and applied with the breaking pattern.
US08284447B2

Color compression processing capable of sufficiently maintaining a visual constant hue property even after the color compression processing is realized. There is provided a method for generating a profile used to convert a color of a first color reproduction range into a color of a second color reproduction range. The method includes dividing each of the first and second color reproduction ranges into a plurality of regions, performing color space conversion for individual regions in accordance with color space definitions unique to the individual regions, and generating a profile used to convert the color of the first color reproduction range into the color of the second color reproduction range based on color coordinates obtained through the color space conversion performed for individual regions.
US08284440B2

A method is disclosed which produces a second interactive document. A processor receives indicating data identifying a page identity of a first interactive document and locations on the first interactive document. The processor uses the page identity to identify a network address of a server storing a first page description which describes a relationship between visual elements and positions on the first interactive document. The processor then retrieves from the network address, using the locations on the first interactive document, a second page description which describes a relationship between visual elements and positions on the second interactive document. Finally a print engine is controlled to print visible elements and invisible coded data tags to provide the second interactive document. Each coded data tag encodes a page identity of the second interactive document and location of the coded data tag on the second interactive document.
US08284435B2

A data storage controlling device including: a data dividing section for dividing target data made by a set of elements, each element being expressed in multiple values, into groups of partial data made by a set of elements, each element being expressed in two values, or dividing target data made by a set of elements, each element being expressed in two values, to partial data made by a subset of the elements; a compression section for generating compressed data blocks by means of reversibly compressing the partial data and of dividing the compressed data into predetermined size of blocks; an identifier assigning section for assigning an identifier for identifying partial data from which the compressed data block is generated to each compressed data block; and a storage processing section for reserving a storage area being smaller than the size of the target data and being common to the partial data and storing the generated compressed data block into the storage area.
US08284432B2

An image processing apparatus for combining a plurality of images includes a first storage control unit configured to cause a memory to store an image obtained by reading a document by a reading apparatus and having a first resolution, a second storage control unit configured to cause the memory to store an image obtained by reading a vicinity of a region to be combined in the document by the reading apparatus and having a second resolution, which is higher than the first resolution, and a determination unit configured to determine relative positions of a plurality of images stored in the memory by the first storage control unit based on the image stored in the memory by the second storage control unit.
US08284430B2

A facsimile apparatus, including: a receiving device which receives facsimile information; an identifying information providing portion which provides identifying information for identifying the facsimile information received by the receiving portion; a facsimile information storing device which stores the facsimile information and the identifying information provided by the identifying information providing portion in a state in which the identifying information is corresponded to the facsimile information; an outputting controlling section which controls at least one of a display device and an outputting device to output the facsimile information corresponded to the identifying information; an outputted information storing device which stores outputted information indicating that the facsimile information has already been outputted by the outputting controlling section; and an informing section which informs the outputted information stored in the outputted information storing device, in a state in which the outputted information is combined with the identifying information corresponded to the outputted information.
US08284426B2

In a method or printing system for generation of document processing jobs, control parameters for the document processing jobs are read from different sources and stored in a control file. Priorities are associated with the sources. In the event specific control parameters are present in a plurality of the sources, control parameters from the sources that have a highest priority are stored in the control file.
US08284420B2

The heating device includes plural heaters to heat fixing members; a power supplying device to supply power to the plural heaters; and a controller. The controller determines heater activation priority order for the heaters every control cycle, and allows the power supplying device to supply power to one of the heaters according to the heater activation priority order. When the controller judges that it is necessary to activate two or more of the heaters in a control cycle, the controller allows the power supplying device to supply power to one of the heaters having the highest rank in the heater activation priority order among the two or more of the heaters. The controller changes the heater activation priority order by according the lowest rank to the heater activated in the last control cycle while maintaining the rank relationship among the others of the heaters.
US08284415B2

A hardware self-diagnosing method for performing a hardware self-diagnosis of an image forming apparatus includes reading a set value stored in a memory unit of the image forming apparatus; performing the hardware self-diagnosis of the image forming apparatus in a detailed diagnosis mode at intervals determined by the set value stored in the memory unit; and performing the hardware self-diagnosis of the image forming apparatus in a simplified diagnosis mode in between the intervals at which the hardware self-diagnosis is performed in the detailed diagnosis mode. The set value may be a period of time or a number of recording media outputted by the image forming apparatus.
US08284409B2

An electronic pen for interacting with a substrate having a pattern of coded data printed thereon. The pen includes an infrared light source for illuminating an area of the substrate; an image sensor for imaging the coded data illuminated in the area; a force sensor for sensing an interaction between the pen and the substrate; a processing system configured for: determining digital ink from the imaged coded data; storing the digital ink in a memory buffer; determining whether the pen is positioned within a predetermined functional zone of the substrate; and initiating a response in the pen in the event that the pen is positioned within the predetermined functional zone. The response is initiated without reference to a remote computer system.
US08284408B2

A handheld display device for interacting with printed content and playing associated video. The device includes: an optical sensor for imaging an area of a printed substrate containing the printed content and generating image data; an opaque touch-sensitive display screen for displaying display output to a user; a processor configured for: monitoring the identity of the substrate and the position of the device relative to the substrate using the image data; retrieving display data; rendering the display output to the display screen; interpreting user interaction with a video playback icon via the touch-sensitive display screen; retrieving video data; and initiating video playback. The opaque touch-sensitive display screen has real-time virtual transparency through the screen to the printed content from a user's perspective to provide a virtual window to the printed content.
US08284405B1

An optical detector senses the intensity of scattered light reflected by a surface coupled to a vibration source. If the vibration source is operating, the coupled surface vibrates at the same frequency. Incident light reflected by the surface is modulated by the vibration at a hypertemporal frequency. The detector produces a direct electrical current as a temporal function of the detected modulated light intensity. A transimpedance amplifier converts the current into a voltage. A voltage amplifier amplifies the voltage. An analog-to-digital converter converts the amplified voltage into digital signal. A digital signal processor converts the digital signal into a function of power spectral density and frequency using Fourier transform and principle component analyses. The vibration signature of the vibration source, if present, is discerned from a graphical display of the foregoing function.
US08284404B2

A method and device for measuring trace levels of particles in an air sample is described. A device operating in a gradiometer configuration with two cavities built from a monolithic structure and utilizing a single probe laser, provides common mode subtraction of acoustic, vibrational, laser intensity and other noise sources, which allows sensitivity more closely approaching the quantum limit. Differential measurements between the two cavities occur simultaneously, which reduces errors due to cavity drift. Absorptive gradiometry can therefore provide noise immune detection for trace gasses, including broad linewidth absorbers where frequency-noise immune schemes are not practical. Differential measurements can be used for background subtraction, sensing vapor plum gradients and determining vapor plume propagation direction.
US08284401B2

A spectrum sensing method includes (a) receiving an incident radiation simultaneously through a filter array composed of multiple bandpass filters, (b) digitizing spectral responses of the filter array, and (c) generating an estimate of spectral profile of the incident radiation based on digitized spectral responses of the filter array.
US08284387B2

A method of recognizing a tamper event is provided. The method uses an optical medium having a unique signature, and transmits at least one light wave into the optical medium. The light wave is altered by the unique signature of the optical medium and at least one property of the light wave is measured. Access to at least a portion of a system is conditioned based on the at least one property of the light wave.
US08284382B2

A LADAR system and with lookdown and loitering capabilities is disclosed. In one aspect, an apparatus includes a LADAR sensor and a gimbal. The LADAR sensor is mounted to the gimbal, which is capable of scanning in azimuth sufficient to provide a look down and loitering capability. In another aspect, a method includes flying an airborne vehicle through an environment; and scanning a LADAR signal forward and to at least one side into a field of regard.
US08284380B2

A dual-stage switching system for lithographic machine includes a wafer stage to be operated in an exposure station and another wafer stage to be operated in a pre-processing station. The two wafer stages are provided on a base, with four 2-DOF driving units capable of moving along X direction and Y direction being provided along the edge of the base, and the wafer stages being disposed in a space surrounded by the four 2-DOF driving units and suspended on an upper surface of the base by air bearings. Each of the 2-DOF driving units includes upper and lower linear guides and a guiding sleeve, with the upper and lower linear guides being installed vertical to each other in their corresponding guiding sleeve. Two adjacent 2-DOF driving units cooperatively drive the wafer stage) to move in the X direction and Y direction.
US08284379B2

Devices and methods are disclosed for holding an object, particularly a planar object. An exemplary device has a chuck and pressure-changing device. The chuck has an object-mounting surface and a deformable membrane coupled to the object-mounting surface such that conformational changes in the membrane produce corresponding changes in the object-mounting surface. The chuck has a first cavity separated by the membrane from the chuck cavity. The pressure-changing device is coupled to the first cavity to change pressure in the first cavity, relative to outside it, sufficiently to produce a conformational change of the membrane and a corresponding change in the object-mounting surface sufficient to reduce the force with which the object is being held to the object-mounting surface. The pressure change can be a pressure increase or decrease. The change in the object-mounting surface can be, for example, a reduction in area of contact of the object-mounting surface with the object, thereby reducing the holding force.
US08284376B2

A color filter on thin film transistor (COT) type liquid crystal display device includes a pixel region having a plurality of unit pixels defined by intersections of gate and data lines, the gate and data lines formed on a first substrate, a pad region receiving driving signals and applying the driving signals to the gate and data lines, a seal pattern between the pad region and the pixel region, an outside region having a first black matrix, the outside region being between the seal pattern and the pixel region and the first black matrix formed on the first substrate, and an electrostatic discharge circuit between the pad region and the pixel region, the electrostatic discharge circuit formed on the first substrate.
US08284373B2

A liquid crystal display (LCD) device includes a first substrate having a plurality of column spacers fixed thereto, a second substrate facing the first substrate, and having a plurality of projections at portions corresponding to the column spacers, the projections contacting the column spacers, and a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates.
US08284367B2

A liquid crystal display device includes: first gate lines and second gate lines alternately formed in a first direction; data lines intersect the first gate lines and the second gate lines; common lines; shield lines extending from the common lines such that the shield lines are disposed adjacent to opposite sides of the data lines in parallel; first transistors formed at regions where the first gate lines and the data lines intersect; first pixel electrodes formed at pixel regions of first pixels defined by intersection between the first gate lines and the data lines, the first pixel electrodes at least partially overlapping with the common lines and the shield lines respectively around the pixel regions of the first pixels; and first common electrodes formed alternately with the first pixel electrodes at the pixel regions of the first pixels.
US08284366B2

A liquid crystal display device includes: liquid crystals; a circuit layer which includes a thin-film transistor and wirings, the wirings being formed from metal; a pixel electrode and a common electrode which are stacked on each other between the liquid crystals and the circuit layer with an insulating film disposed therebetween in order to drive the liquid crystals in a transverse electric field driving mode, and each of which is formed from a transparent conductive film; a color filter which includes coloring layers of different colors, the coloring layers having different transmittances; and a connection wiring. The wirings includes a common wiring which is disposed so as not to face the coloring layer having the highest transmittance among the coloring layers but to face any one of the other coloring layers. The connection wiring connects the common electrode and the common wiring to each other.
US08284365B2

A liquid crystal display device includes first and second substrates facing and spaced apart from each other, each of the first and second substrates having a first sub-pixel region, a second sub-pixel region, a third sub-pixel region, a fourth sub-pixel region and a fifth sub-pixel region for adjusting a viewing angle, the first, second, third and fourth sub-pixel regions surrounding the fifth sub-pixel region; a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates; a plurality of first pixel electrodes in each of the first, second, third and fourth sub-pixel regions on the first substrate; a plurality of first common electrodes in each of the first, second, third and fourth sub-pixel regions on the first substrate, the plurality of first common electrodes alternating with the plurality of first pixel electrodes; a second pixel electrode in the fifth sub-pixel region on the first substrate; and a second common electrode in the fifth sub-pixel region on the second substrate, the second common electrode facing the second pixel electrode.
US08284363B2

A device includes a substrate including a first insulating substrate, a first electrode located on the first insulating substrate, and a second electrode located between the first insulating substrate and the first electrode via an insulating underlayer interposed between the second and the first electrode, a substrate including a second insulating substrate and a third electrode on the second insulating substrate, a liquid crystal layer which is held between the first and the third electrode and which exhibits a transition from a first state to a second state in an initializing process, and a voltage supply unit which supplies, a first voltage to the first and the second electrodes and a second voltage to the third electrode, wherein the first electrode includes a transition nucleus forming section which forms nuclei of the transition in the liquid crystal layer on the basis of the respective voltages supplied to the respective electrodes.
US08284360B2

A liquid crystal display (LCD) panel and a fabricating method thereof are described. First, a first substrate and a second substrate are provided. A liquid crystal monomer layer is then formed on the surface of at least one of the first and second substrates. Next, a curing step is performed to the liquid crystal monomer layer to induce a polymerization reaction, so as to form a liquid crystal polymer layer. Thereafter, the first and second substrates are assembled and a liquid crystal layer is filled between the first and second substrates.
US08284351B2

A backlight unit and a video display apparatus having a plural number of sets of one or more of light sources. A light guidance plate for guiding lights from the light sources to a side of a liquid crystal panel, to be emitted. The light sources are disposed on one end side of the light guidance plate. Assuming that width of the gap or groove is “d”, distance between a light incident surface of the liquid crystal panel and a light emission surface of the light guidance plate, or distance between a light incident surface of an optical member disposed between the liquid crystal panel and the light guidance plate and a light emission surface of the light guidance plate is “h”, and further 2.0 mm>d≧0.1 mm and 10.0 mm>h≧0.4 mm, then the following condition is satisfied: 4≦h/d≦100.
US08284344B2

A protection plate integrated liquid crystal display panel, including: a liquid crystal display panel having an optical sheet stuck thereto so as to be overlapped with the whole of a screen area; a protection plate arranged to be opposed to the optical sheet of the liquid crystal display panel; a spacer including a first layer arranged on an outside of the screen area between the optical sheet and the protection plate and a second layer arranged between the first layer and the protection plate; and a resin layer filled up and polymerized between the liquid crystal display panel and the protection plate in an area enclosed with the spacer. The first layer is formed to extend from an inner area of a periphery of the optical sheet to the external area of the same, and the second layer is discontinuously arranged on the first layer.
US08284341B2

A display device includes: on an insulating substrate, a first conductive layer in which a first signal line and a second signal line adjacent to the first signal line are formed; an insulating layer which is disposed on the first conductive layer; a second conductive layer which is disposed on the insulating layer and in which a ground wire crossing the first signal line and the second signal line in a plan view is formed; and a semiconductor layer which is disposed between the insulating layer and the second conductive layer and in which a first semiconductor film and a second semiconductor film are formed to be separated from each other. The wiring lengths of the first signal line and the second signal line are different by at least 10 times or more. The first semiconductor film overlaps, in a plan view, a region where the first signal line crosses the ground wire. The second semiconductor film overlaps, in a plan view, a region where the second signal line crosses the ground wire.
US08284339B2

A column for defining the interval between a TFT substrate and an opposed substrate is formed at a crossing point between a drain line and a scanning line. At the crossing point where the column is formed, the drain line is formed to have a wider width to prevent light leakage. Further, at the crossing point where the column is formed, the scanning line is formed to have a narrower width to prevent increase of capacitance between the drain line and the scanning line. The column is formed at a crossing point corresponding to a specific color, e.g., a blue pixel B, so that a difference in transmittance and in characteristic of thin film transistors due to formation of the column is initially compensated.
US08284338B2

A mask is provided. The mask includes a mask body, a first exposing part and a second exposing part. The first exposing part is on the mask body. The first exposing part includes a first light transmitting portion and second light transmitting portions. The first light transmitting portion exposes a portion of the photoresist film corresponding to the output terminal to a light of a first light amount. The second light transmitting portions exposes an adjacent portion of the photoresist film adjacent to the output terminal to a light of a second light amount smaller than the first light amount. The second exposing part is on the mask body. The second exposing part includes third light transmitting portions for partially exposing the photoresist film corresponding to the storage electrode to a light of a third light amount that is between the first and second light amounts.
US08284337B2

A display apparatus includes a thin film transistor array panel including a display region and a non-display region, a gate line extending along a first direction, a data line extending along a second direction, substantially perpendicular to the first direction, the data line being insulated from and crossing the gate line, a storage electrode line which receives a common voltage signal, and a first gate driver disposed on the thin film transistor array panel and which supplies at least one of a gate on signal and a gate off signal to the gate line. The storage electrode line includes a first portion extending along the first direction and a second portion extending along the second direction in the non-display region. A width, measured along the second direction, of the first portion is less than a width, measured along the first direction, of the second portion.
US08284334B2

Provided are a display device for realizing a multi-view image and a method of fabricating the same. The display device includes: a display panel for displaying an image and a barrier pattern disposed on an outer side of the display panel and for adjusting an optical path in at least two viewing angle directions.
US08284321B2

An image apparatus and a method for receiving a video signal are provided. The image apparatus includes dedicated input terminals for receiving only particular video signals, and a common input terminal for receiving diverse video signals, and determines the format of video signals input through a corresponding input terminal and then displays the determined format on a screen. Accordingly, the number of input terminals can be reduced and the user can identify the format of the video signal input through the common input terminal.
US08284320B2

A program delivery apparatus including a program delivery control section configured to control program delivery based on a program delivery program made up of a plurality of items; a switcher configured to switch video signals when connected to the program delivery control section via communication channels; a plurality of operation buttons; and a storage section configured to store function assignment information about assigning functions to the plurality of operation buttons.
US08284311B2

A dynamic region, such as subtitles, is detected in a stream of digital video, and displayed along with a static region also in the stream, such as a video region, so that nearly all of the total vertical display area of a monitor displaying the dynamic and static regions is filled. For example, when the dynamic region is detected, the vertical size of the static region is adjusted to allow the vertical display of the dynamic and static region on the monitor simultaneously, without extending beyond or reducing to less than the total vertical display size of the monitor. Also, when the dynamic region is not detected, the vertical height of the static region is adjusted to fill the total vertical display size. Moreover, iterative increase and decrease in the vertical sizes of the regions may allow for a more pleasant viewer experience.
US08284309B2

A device and method for displaying a caption window is provided. The method receives a first window-defining command by a TV controller, with the first window-defining command including a first window size and first caption content. A first caption data according to the first caption content is generated and stored into a system memory. a first portion of the first caption data stored in the system memory is accessed and displayed. A first offset stored in an offset register is updated to a second offset after a predetermined period. A second portion of the first caption data is accessed and displayed according to the second offset and the first window size.
US08284303B2

An imaging apparatus is provided which includes an image sensor including a plurality of photoelectric conversion units, an output unit configured to output a signal from the plurality of photoelectric conversion units, and a reading unit configured to read the signal from the plurality of photoelectric conversion units via the output unit, a display unit configured to display image data from the image sensor, and a control unit configured to control a first operation in which image data serially read from the image sensor is displayed by the display unit as a serial image and a second operation in which a still image is shot according to an instruction for picking up the still image while the first operation is being performed, and further configured to restrain/inhibit supplying power to the output unit at a predetermined timing during a time period in which the first operation is being performed.
US08284290B2

Hardware arrangement performing electronic image formation and refinement from overlapping measurement vignettes captured by an array of image sensors and associated micro-optics are presented. The invention is directed to a new type of image formation system that combines readily-fabricated micro-optical structures, a two-dimensional image sensor array with electronic or digital image processing to actually construct the image. Image formation is performed without a conventional large shared lens and associated separation distance between lens and image sensor, resulting in a “lensless camera.”In an application, a readily fabricatable LED array is used as a light-field sensor. In an application, the LED array further serves as a color “lensless camera.” In an application, the LED array also serves as an image display. In an application, the LED array further serves as a color image display. In an embodiment, one or more synergistic features of an integrated camera/display surface are realized.
US08284288B2

An image shooting apparatus records video information obtained by shooting a subject, and transfers the video information to an external appliance by communication conforming to the HDMI standards. The image shooting apparatus also records rotation information representing how, when a video based on the video information is displayed on the external appliance, the video is to be rotated, and, when transferring the video information, transmits the rotation information to the external appliance by use of CEC conforming to the HDMI standards. Thus, an image shooting apparatus that transmits a shot video to an external appliance also transmits rotation information by use of CEC so as to be capable of making the external appliance display the shot image in a rotated state.
US08284286B2

A solid-state image sensing apparatus with a wide dynamic range, and a high performance, and further, a small size, and a low cost and its driving method are provided. A timing generator, before it supplies a reset pulse (134) to a reset gate (128), has a sample hold circuit (2) held an output voltage of a buffer circuit (130). In this reset stage, in case that the amount of incident light to a photo diode (122) is large, electric charges which the photo diode (122) generated overflow from the photo diode (122) and flow into an FD part (123), and further, overflow also in the FD part (124) and flow out to an electric source Vdd. At this time, a voltage of the FD part (124) is determined by a size of a current due to electric charges which flow out to the electric source, but since a current flowing in a channel is small and the reset gate (128) operates in a sub-threshold region, a voltage of the FD part (124) becomes a value which corresponded to logarithm of a current value. Thus, a voltage which the sample hold circuit (2) holds becomes a value which corresponded to logarithm of the amount of light.
US08284285B2

A duty correction circuit includes: a C-element including a first input and a second input; and an inverter connected to the second input of the C-element, wherein the C-element obtains an output of a logic “1” when both inputs are the logic “1”, obtains an output of a logic “0” when both inputs are the logic “0”, and maintains the output to a previous state in other conditions, and complementary clocks having a phase difference of an approximately half cycle are inputted to the first input of the C-element and the inverter respectively.
US08284282B2

A solid state imaging device includes: multiple unit pixels including a photoelectric converter generating electrical charge in accordance with incident light quantity and accumulating the charge, a first transfer gate transferring the accumulated charge, a charge holding region holding the transferred charge, a second transfer gate transferring the held charge, and a floating diffusion region converting the transferred charge into voltage; an intermediate charge transfer unit transferring, to the charge holding region, a charge exceeding a predetermined charge amount as a first signal charge; and a pixel driving unit setting the first transfer gate to a non-conducting state, set the second transfer gate to a conducting state, transfer the first signal charge to the floating diffusion region, set the second transfer gate to a non-conducting state, set the first transfer gate to a conducting state, and transfer the accumulated charge to the charge holding region as a second signal charge.
US08284279B2

A multispectral imaging method and system is provided. A multispectral imaging method of the present invention includes determining an on-off combination of a plurality of light sources illuminating a scene; illuminating the scene with the light sources according to the on-off combination selected on the basis of a first control signal generated by a microcontroller; capturing an image of the scene by operating a camera on the basis of a second control signal synchronized with the first control signal; determining a plurality of spectral basis functions and weights of the spectral basis functions; and acquiring a continuous spectral reflectance by summing values obtained by multiplying the spectral basis functions and respective weights. The multispectral imaging method of the present invention is practical and efficient in that a continuous spectral reflectance image can be acquired with a minimized number of measurements required for obtaining spectral reflectance. Accordingly, the multispectral imaging method of the present invention can be applied to various fields, such as image reproduction and medical imaging, while overcoming performance limits of the conventional RGB imaging techniques.
US08284276B2

A zoom lens system, in order from an object side to an image side, comprising a first lens unit of positive power, a second lens unit of negative power, a third lens unit of positive power, and a fourth lens unit of positive power, wherein the first lens unit is composed of three or fewer lens elements, wherein the second lens unit is composed of three lens elements, wherein in zooming, the first to the fourth lens units are moved individually along an optical axis such that air spaces should vary, so that variable magnification is achieved, and wherein the conditions are satisfied: tan 2ωW×m2W≦−1.78, tan 2ωW×|fG2|/fG1≧1.25, ωW≧37 and fT/fW≧10 (m2W is a lateral magnification of the second lens unit at a wide-angle limit, fG1 and fG2 are composite focal lengths of the first and the second lens units, ωW is a half view angle at a wide-angle limit, and fT and fW are focal lengths of the entire system respectively at a telephoto limit and at a wide-angle limit), an imaging device and a camera are provided.
US08284272B2

An electronic camera is provided with: a gain information calculator for calculating gain information indicating a gain of a color information signal in a predetermined aperture state based on a gain of a color information signal obtained by performing a white balance adjustment using an object image signal; a storer for storing the gain information calculated by the gain information calculator, a detector for detecting a difference between an aperture state at a time of photographing and a predetermined aperture state; a corrector for correcting the gain information stored by the storer based on the difference detected by the detector; and an adjustor for adjusting the color information signal at a time of photographing by using the gain information corrected by the corrector.
US08284271B2

A system, apparatus, computer readable medium, and method for noise reduction in image capturing devices involving an edge-preserving blur window is disclosed. In one embodiment, the edge-preserving blur includes only those pixels in the blur window that are visually close to the blur window's current center pixel in its blurring calculation. Limiting the pixels considered in the blur to those that are visually close to the center pixel ensures that the image's colors are not blurred along color edges within the image. Light-product information taken from the image's metadata, for example, the camera sensor's gain level, may be used to adjust the blur filter parameters dynamically. This allows the method to perform the appropriate amount of processing depending on the lighting situation of the image that is currently being processed.
US08284260B2

Improving color calibration, and similar operations, by generating an optimal raw RGB color chart, in the raw RGB domain, for an imaging device with a given type of image sensor, such as for a digital still camera. Calibration is performed in response to a constraint which takes into account the spectral sensitivity of the image sensor used on the camera as well as spectral reflectance and spectral radiance of multiple illuminants. Calibration is performed using the raw RGB color chart which is illuminant independent and image sensor specific and which can match the calibration performance of known calibration standards, such as Macbeth 24.
US08284259B2

A method to determine when to compare original data (such as the original image) to rendered data (such as the rendered image) for the purpose of determining the fidelity of without some of the disadvantages of the prior art is disclosed. This is done by assessing the quality of service of a network path at a given time or by assessing the conditions of the network path over time and deciding specific times at which to test.
US08284258B1

Object images captured by a wide-angle camera are distorted due to the optical effects of the wide-angle lens. The disclosed innovations allow an automatic analysis on the corrected image distinguishing normal movement from an unusual event movement. The analysis is based on Markov Modeling on moving object trajectories and motion angles.
US08284255B2

The apparatus comprises a feature quantity extraction part for extracting a feature quantity of a subject from video captured by plural cameras, an In/Out point extraction part for extracting In/Out points indicating points in which a subject appears and disappears in each video captured, an In/Out region formation part for forming In/Out regions based on the In/Out points extracted, a correlation value calculation part for calculating a correlation value by obtaining the total sum of similarities every feature quantity of the subject in each of the plural combinations of In/Out points included in the In/Out regions, a frequency histogram creation part for creating a frequency histogram based on the correlation value, and a link relation information generation part for extracting a peak of the frequency histogram and estimating the presence or absence of a link relation between the plural cameras and generating link relation information.
US08284253B2

Provided is an apparatus capable of, even when an object is moving, measuring the position of the object at a high accuracy. According to a vehicle periphery monitoring apparatus (10), an enlargement factor relevant to when the degree of correlation between an enlarged local region (EB(γi)) obtained by enlarging a local region (B(k−1)) at a previous time (k−1) and a local region (B(k)) at a time (k) later than the previous time (k−1) becomes the maximum is calculated as a change rate (Rate(k)) of the size of the local region (B(k)). Based on the change rage (Rate(k)), it is possible to measure the distance (Z(k)) from a vehicle (1) to the object or the position (P(k)) at a high accuracy even when the object is moving.
US08284251B2

In a tire type determination method, a surface image of a tread portion of a tire mounted on a vehicle is captured by a camera fixed at a predetermined position in a tilted hanger conveyor line, which is located downstream in a vehicle-carrying direction with respect to a position at which the tire of the vehicle is lifted from the ground and starts moving diagonally upward. Further, image information is extracted from the surface image of the tread portion, and a tire type is determined by checking the image information against registered information. A vehicle inspection system includes a tire type determination portion and a vehicle type information obtaining portion so as to determine the tire type using the method. A conformance determination portion determines whether the tire type determined by the tire type determination portion conforms to a specified tire type searched based on the vehicle type information.
US08284248B2

The present invention is a method to detect defects in a process producing a food product by utilizing multivariate image analysis. In one aspect, an image is captured of the food product in the visible spectrum by on-line vision equipment, multivariate image analysis is performed on the image via an algorithm programmed onto a field programmable gate array to determine if a defect exists, a signal is sent to downstream sorting equipment, and the sorting equipment then rejects those food products that contain defects.
US08284240B2

There are provided systems and methods for obtaining a three-dimensional surface geometric characteristic and/or texture characteristic of an object. A pattern is projected on a surface of said object. A basic 2D image of said object is acquired; a characteristic 2D image of said object is acquired; 2D surface points are extracted from said basic 2D image, from a reflection of said projected pattern on said object; a set of 3D surface points is calculated in a sensor coordinate system using said 2D surface points; and a set of 2D surface geometric/texture characteristics is extracted.
US08284237B2

There is disclosed methods and apparatuses for multi-view video encoding, decoding and display. A depth map is provided for each of the available views. The depth maps of the available views are used to synthesize a target view for rendering an image from the perspective of the target view based on images of the available views.
US08284233B2

A communication device is operable to construct one or more image sequences that correspond to voice information, where the image sequences simulate video streaming via the communication device. The image sequences are synchronized with the voice information during active video based connection via the communication device. The image sequences are generated and/or retrieved within the communication device, and/or retrieved from an external source. At least some of the images may be generated via a secondary device that is communicatively coupled with the communication device. The generated images are stored within the secondary device and/or are stored in a dedicated video support server. The secondary device is operable to communicate the images directly during communication with the communication device and/or to communication information that enable retrieving and/or constructing the image sequences. Alternatively, the communication device is operable to generate the image sequences independently.
US08284228B2

An image forming apparatus includes an exposing unit and a first processing component. The first processing component is configured to generate a first data and a second data. The first data causes the exposing unit to blink in accordance with image data. The second data sets a blink mode of the exposing unit. The image forming apparatus also includes a second processing component connected to the first processing component through a first signal line. The second processing component is configured to receive the first data and the second data from the first processing component and perform blink control of the exposing unit based on the first data and the second data. The exposing unit is connected to the second processing component through a second signal line. The image forming apparatus thus can remedy a defect in data communication to the exposing units.
US08284220B2

According to one embodiment, an image erasing apparatus decolors an image printed on a paper sheet using an ink containing at least a leuco dye, a developer, water, a water-soluble organic solvent, and a surfactant. The image erasing apparatus includes a heating unit, a feedback mechanism, and a control unit. The heating unit heats the paper sheet. The feedback mechanism supplies the paper sheet heated by the heating unit to the heating unit again. The control unit causes the feedback mechanism to supply the paper sheet to the heating unit a plurality of times so as to heat the paper sheet a plurality of times.
US08284218B2

A display device in which the image quality is improved by control of the peak luminance. A plurality of instantaneous luminances are expressed by performing signal writing to each pixel plural times within one frame period. The gray level is expressed by controlling time integration levels of the plurality of instantaneous luminances. Moreover, the time integration level is increased as the level of gray level data of the pixel is higher, and the time integration level is increased as the average value of gray level data of an image to be displayed is smaller.
US08284216B2

To provide a projection-type image display system, a projector, a program, an information storage medium, and an image projection method that enable simple changing of a projection position, a liquid-crystal projector is provided with: a sensor which senses a projection target area and outputs sensing information; an edge detection section which outputs detection information, based on the sensing information; a projectable area determination section which determines a projectable area which has no obstructions within the projection target area, based on the detection information; a projection area selection section which selects a projection area within the projectable area, based on a user selection or a predetermined reference; a projection-area/pixel-area associating section and a lens adjustment section which performs predetermined adjustments in such a manner that an image is displayed on the projection area; and an image projection section which projects an image towards the projection area, based on the input image information.
US08284205B2

Exemplary embodiments of methods and apparatuses to dynamically redistribute computational processes in a system that includes a plurality of processing units are described. The power consumption, the performance, and the power/performance value are determined for various computational processes between a plurality of subsystems where each of the subsystems is capable of performing the computational processes. The computational processes are exemplarily graphics rendering process, image processing process, signal processing process, Bayer decoding process, or video decoding process, which can be performed by a central processing unit, a graphics processing units or a digital signal processing unit. In one embodiment, the distribution of computational processes between capable subsystems is based on a power setting, a performance setting, a dynamic setting or a value setting.
US08284201B2

A method, apparatus, user interface and computer program product include the ability to determine a brightness characteristic of a display, use the brightness characteristic to determine a minimum and optimum font size for information displayed on the display, and automatically adjust the displayed information such that a size of a smallest font of the information is not smaller than the minimum font size and that a size of a main font of the information is not smaller that the optimum font size.
US08284195B2

According to embodiments of the invention, a data structure may be created which may be used by both a ray tracing unit and by a rendering engine. The data structure may have an initial or upper portion representing bounding volumes which partition a three-dimensional scene and a second or lower portion representing objects within the three-dimensional scene. The integrated acceleration data structure may be used by a rendering engine to render a two-dimensional image from a three-dimensional scene, and by a ray tracing unit to perform intersection tests.
US08284194B2

A system and method for acquiring geometric information from images includes a modulated light source configured to provide light energy at a rate unperceivable by the human eye. A camera is configured to acquire images at a rate at which a differential pair of images is obtained such that one of the pair of images includes light from the light source and the other image of the pair does not include light from the light source. A comparison module is configured to compare the differential pair of images to create a depth map for three-dimension model creation.
US08284192B2

In general, the invention relates to a method for performing polygon dissections in a geographic information system. The method includes receiving a notification of a spatial update for a number of polygons, where each of the number of polygons overlaps at least one of a number of previously dissected polygons, determining that a dissection is required based on the spatial update, and obtaining an updated polygon, associated with the spatial update, and related polygons of the number of polygons, where each of the related polygons overlaps the updated polygon. The method further includes dissecting the updated polygon and the related polygons to obtain a number of dissected polygons and replacing at least one of the number of previously dissected polygons with the number of dissected polygons, where the at least one of the number of previously dissected polygons is invalid based on the spatial update.
US08284191B1

The invention provides techniques, including methods and systems, capable of displaying wireless network information regarding various wireless parameters in a three-dimensional (3D) virtual reality environment. The methods and systems provide graphical information to permit a network administrator to view and alter the wireless network virtually at one or more remote locations without being physically present at the remote location.
US08284185B1

Disclosed herein is a power consumption detection apparatus including: a line current calculation section configured to calculate, based on an image signal, a value of a line current consumed by each of horizontal lines; and a power consumption calculation section configured to calculate, on a horizontal line cycle, power consumed by an entire display panel based on the most recent values of the line currents, the values corresponding in number to a vertical resolution.
US08284180B2

The present disclosure relates to a liquid crystal display (LCD) device and, more particularly, to an LCD device capable of driving a light emitting diode (LED) provided to turn on a fluorescent lamp provided as a light source in darkness by using an induced voltage without employing a driving circuit to thus minimize a fabrication cost and power consumption.An LCD device according to the embodiment of the present invention, when the power voltage is applied to the power supply line to drive the fluorescent lamp, the LED is driven by the power voltage and, at the same time, the power voltage is supplied also to the fluorescent lamp. Thus, light emitted from the LED helps early turn on the fluorescent lamp when the fluorescent lamp is driven in darkness.
US08284179B2

The invention provides a display device with reduced power consumption, comprising a host applied to generate a first image signal, a timing controller connected to the host, applied to generate a second image signal and comprised a memory for storing image data, and a panel connected to the timing controller and applied to receive the second image signal for displaying image frames. When the display device is in a power-saving mode, the host is powered down, and the timing controller generates the second image signal according to the image data stored in the memory and outputs the second image signal to the panel.
US08284178B2

A self-light-emission-type display panel module employs: a pixel array section including pixel areas laid out to form a two dimensional matrix in a display area to serve as pixel areas each having a signal holding capacitor, a device driving transistor, and a signal sampling transistor; a first driving section; a second driving section; and a third driving section.
US08284171B2

In a liquid crystal display device having a built-in capacitive coupling touch sensor, a pair of facing transparent substrates sandwich a liquid crystal layer 113 and a liquid crystal display circuit for driving liquid crystal using a lateral electrical field having a color filter layer 107 is formed on one of the transparent substrates 101 in order to make the touch sensor highly sensitive to change in the capacitance, and a capacitive coupling touch sensor circuit layer 117 is formed on the other substrate 116, on the side opposite to the liquid crystal.
US08284164B2

The present invention relates to a touch input device. The touch input device of the present invention comprises a cover unit 20 which is formed with a reflective coating layer 22 on a surface thereof and made of a transparent material; a selective transmission unit 24 which is provided on a rear surface of the cover unit 20, formed with light-emitting holes 26 indicative of their respective functions and made of an opaque material; and a touchpad module 30 which includes light emitting devices 33 provided on a rear surface of the selective transmission unit 24 to provide light to the light-transmitting holes 26 and detects whether a user's body is touched onto the surface of the cover unit 20 to receive a detection signal. According to the touch input device of the present invention so configured, there are advantages in that it is possible to prevent the buttons from being inadvertently pressed down and operated, the external appearance of the electronic equipment to which the touch input device according to the present invention is employed can be relatively fine, and the buttons can be easily operated even in a dark place because the buttons are displayed with light.
US08284163B2

A handheld electronic device includes an input apparatus, an output apparatus, and a processor apparatus. The input apparatus includes a reduced keyboard and roller ball input. The roller ball input includes a movable portion that is substantially continuously rotatable with respect to a housing of the device and is rotatable about more than one axis providing input. The processor apparatus includes a disambiguation routine that can output various proposed interpretations of inputs from the reduced keyboard. The roller ball input advantageously provides various inputs to the handheld electronic device without requiring significant user attention, which enables a user to direct greater amount of attention to the output from the disambiguation routine and other aspects of the device. The roller ball input can be configured to additionally be translatable to provide an input, and additionally and/or alternatively the roller ball input can provide a tactile or other feedback to a user.
US08284158B2

Displayed region size data indicating a size of a screen of a display device, or a size of a region in which an image of a virtual space is displayed on the screen, is obtained. Distance data indicating a distance between a user and the display device is obtained. A position and an angle of view of the virtual camera in the virtual space are set based on the displayed region size data and the distance data.
US08284145B2

The present invention discloses an LCD driver and LCD driving method for improving brightness uniformity, wherein a detection-count circuit is used to calculate a number of waiting voltage offsets of each one of data electrodes during a scanning period, convert the number of waiting voltage offsets into an offset time, shift a data electrode to an intermediate potential during the offset time, and shift the data electrode to a potential for a next piece of data after the offset time is completed. Thereby, the present invention can reduce LCD brightness non-uniformity and promote LCD quality.
US08284142B2

A display device of which frame can be narrowed and of which display characteristics are excellent is provided. In a display device including a switch portion or a buffer portion, a logic circuit portion, and a pixel portion, the pixel portion includes a first inverted staggered TFT and a pixel electrode which is connected to a wiring of the first inverted staggered TFT, the switch portion or the buffer portion includes a second inverted staggered TFT in which a first insulating layer, a semiconductor layer, and a second insulating layer are interposed between a first gate electrode and a second gate electrode, the logic circuit portion includes an inverter circuit including a third inverted staggered thin film transistor and a fourth inverted staggered thin film transistor, and the first to the fourth inverted staggered thin film transistors have the same polarity. The inverter circuit may be an EDMOS circuit.
US08284137B2

An apparatus for driving a backlight includes: a pulse width modulation signal phase shifting unit that shifts phases of at least one of red, green, and blue pulse width signal modulation signals so as to output at least one of phase-shifted red, green, and blue pulse width signal modulation signals; red, green, and blue light emitting diode arrays, each of which includes a plurality of light emitting diodes; and at least one light emitting diode driving unit driving one of the red, green, and blue light emitting diode arrays by using one of the phase-shifted red, green, and blue pulse width signal modulation signals.
US08284128B2

A semiconductor device is provided in which a transistor which supplies a current to a load (an EL pixel and a signal line) can supply an accurate current without being affected by a variation. A voltage of each terminal of a transistor is controlled by using a feedback circuit using an amplifier circuit. A current Idata is inputted from a current source circuit to a transistor and a gate-source voltage (a source potential) required for the transistor to flow the current Idata is set by using the feedback circuit. The feedback circuit is controlled to operate so that a drain potential of the transistor becomes a predetermined potential. Then, a gate voltage required to flow the current Idata is set. By using the set transistor, an accurate current can be supplied to the load (an EL element and a signal line). As a drain potential can be controlled, the kink effect can be reduced.
US08284126B2

An organic light emitting display capable of displaying an image with uniform luminance regardless of deterioration of an organic light emitting diode and threshold voltage and/or mobility of a drive transistor is disclosed. The organic light emitting display senses deterioration of the organic light emitting diode and threshold voltage and/or mobility of a drive transistor and modifies the data supplied to the pixel according to the sensed parameters.
US08284121B2

A flexible display and method for forming alignment key of the same are disclosed, which includes an alignment key required to align positions between film layers, the flexible display comprising a substrate defined display area and non-display area and an alignment key forming part including an alignment key and transmission part at the circumference of the alignment key, wherein the alignment key forming part is formed at the non-display area of the substrate.
US08284117B2

A signal transmitting/receiving antenna device for Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) which executes contactless data communication, and a method of manufacturing the same. The antenna device includes an antenna module including a dielectric film substrate, an antenna pattern which is a conductive pattern printed on the top and bottom sides of the dielectric film substrate, the top and bottom antenna pattern parts being connected to each other through one or more via holes extending through the dielectric film substrate, and top and bottom passivation layers formed on the dielectric film substrate to cover the top and bottom antenna pattern parts; and a radio wave absorbent printed on one of the top and bottom passivation layers of the antenna module.
US08284115B2

The present invention provides an apparatus for coupling a radio communication device to a host system. The apparatus comprises a housing including a counterpoise operatively coupled to the radio communication device. The apparatus also comprises a signal pathway operatively coupling the radio communication device to the host system. The apparatus thereby provides a counterpoise for the radio communication device which is external to both the host system and the radio communication device.
US08284113B2

The invention relates to a dipole type wideband antenna comprising a substrate presenting two faces, a first conductive arm, a second conductive arm placed on the substrate, a feeder line supplying the second arm passing under the first arm, In this case, the feeder line extending by a line element placed under the second arm, this element being dimensioned to filter a given frequency.
US08284112B2

A method of determining a current orientation of an antenna compared to a desired orientation is presented. In the method, current orientation data indicating a current orientation of the antenna is generated in circuitry mounted to the antenna. Data indicating a desired orientation for the antenna at the geographical location of the antenna is received. The desired orientation data is compared with the current orientation data. Based on this comparison, alignment information is generated which indicates whether the current orientation of the antenna aligns with the desired orientation of the antenna.
US08284111B2

An antenna apparatus has a first antenna branch and a second antenna branch. Both the first and the second antenna branch are in the form of a conductor loop which is not closed, and the first antenna branch is arranged at a distance from the second antenna branch in a direction which is substantially at right angles to the surface bounded by the respective conductor loop, such that the first loop direction, which is defined from the foot point to the free end of the first antenna branch, is arranged in the opposite direction to the second loop direction, which is defined from the foot point to the free end of the second antenna branch.
US08284108B2

Disclosed is a method of measuring the radiation characteristic of an antenna, where sufficient power is secured within a short period of time and supplied in a stable manner so as to always keep the intensity of measurement signals high irrespective of the measurement frequency. With the antenna radiation measurement method, upon receipt of measurement frequency signals, location information and measured values are processed to transmit measurement signals, and a charging high frequency of several hundred megahertz (MHz) to several hundred gigahertz (GHz) is scanned toward a tester body such that inductive power is generated to allow the self-charging. The measurement frequency signals are transmitted toward the tester body through a source antenna, and the measured signals transmitted from the measurement antennas of the respective measurement modules are received and data-processed at a measurement controller.
US08284098B2

A method provides space-time adaptive processing (STAP) for target detection using adaptive matched filters (AMF). A generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT) is determined where spatial and temporal correlation matrices Q and A are assumed. Then, the correlation matrices A and Q are replaced with maximum likelihood (ML) estimates obtained only from training signals subject to a persymmetric constraint.
US08284073B2

A system and method for communicating with a downhole tool is disclosed. In one embodiment, a telemetry system for communicating with a downhole tool in a wellbore includes a first electrode. A modulated electric current flows from the first electrode through a formation to the downhole tool. The telemetry system also includes a downlink box, which provides the modulated electric current to the first electrode. The downhole tool comprises a sensor unit, which detects the modulated electric current. The telemetry system includes a second electrode that allows the modulated electric current to return to the downlink box. The telemetry system also includes an uplink telemetry, wherein the uplink telemetry does not comprise electromagnetic telemetry. In some embodiments, the downlink may be operated while mud pumps are turned off. The downlink may also be operated while the downhole tool is sending uplink telemetry by a method other than electromagnetic current.
US08284072B1

The invention as disclosed is a system for real time detection of tsunami waves. A tsunami is considered a “shallow water wave”, having a large wavelength compared to the ocean depth. A tsunami can have wavelengths ranging from 100 to 500 km, and amplitudes up to 60 cm (i.e., a pressure signal of up to 1 psi). At least one telecommunications grade optical fiber cable fitted with repeaters spanning the length of an ocean, a laser and a signal processor are used to measure pressure signals over spatial cells as small as 0.5 meters in width based on Rayleigh scattering effects and employing optical time delay reflectometry. The tsunami pressure signals are extracted from the pressure signals generated by wind-generated water waves (having much shorter wavelengths) through signal processing to distinguish between the substantial differences in wavelength, period and propagation speed.
US08284067B2

A delayed power-on function for an electronic device is disclosed. A charging unit charges a rechargeable battery with a pre-charge current when a voltage of the rechargeable battery is less than a voltage threshold value and with a current larger than the pre-charge current when the voltage of the rechargeable battery is greater than the voltage threshold value. A disabling unit can disable power-on when the voltage of the rechargeable battery is less than the voltage threshold value. A user may also be notified when power-on is disabled.
US08284055B2

In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for a Radio Frequency ID (RFID) tag that contains multiple Radio Frequency (RF) network nodes that provide enhanced memory capabilities, redundant functionality, and multiple frequency capabilities to the RFID tag using an inter-RF network node communication connection. The inter-RF network node communication may allow the coordination of RFID tag memory and functionality.
US08284048B2

Embodiments of the invention are directed to apparatuses, systems, and methods for automatically activating a consumer device using a sensor capable of detecting an external stimulus and location determination system capable of providing current location data for the consumer device when a user receives a device. The location determination system provides location data, which is sent to the activation server, in response to the sensor actuating. The location data determined at the time the sensor senses the external stimuli is compared to location data stored on the activation server to automatically activate the consumer device.
US08284047B2

A hospital bed has wireless communication circuitry operable to transmit wirelessly bed status data. A surface supported by the bed has wireless communication circuitry operable to transmit wirelessly surface status data. The wireless communication circuitry of the hospital bed and the wireless communication circuitry of the surface communicate with a network independently. A hospital bed with an integrated surface has wireless communication circuitry operable to transmit wirelessly bed status data and surface status data. The wireless bed status data and the wireless surface status data are received by wireless access points of a network of a healthcare facility.
US08284041B2

A system for alerting a responsible party to the presence of an occupant in a passenger compartment of a vehicle includes a vibration sensor detecting movement of an occupant, a microphone detecting sound made by the occupant, a processor configured to receive signals output from the vibration sensor and the microphone and to use a combination of the signals to determine whether the occupant is present, and an alerting device to provide an alert to the responsible party if the processor determines that the occupant is present. The microphone may also be used in a communication or voice-recognition command system. Two or more microphones may be used to locate the sound's source of origin.
US08284039B2

A system, method and device for monitoring a vehicle is provided wherein a vehicle monitoring device regulates its power consumption of a host power source based upon determined states of operation of the vehicle. The power consumption management scheme of the monitoring device utilizes the following modes of operation to regulate power consumption: a work mode, a transport mode, and sleep mode, and a deep sleep mode. The mode of operation of the monitoring device depends on the determined state of vehicle operation. The monitoring device utilizes the various states of operation to power down certain portions of the monitoring device in order to reduce the electric power consumed by the monitoring device. A communication network is adapted to communicate the vehicle data to an end user via an access device. The communication network is also adapted to communicate end-user data via an access device to the monitoring system. The power consumption management scheme of the monitoring device may be remotely configurable by the end user in order to customize the monitoring device's utilization of the stored energy resident within the host power source.
US08284037B2

A method and system are provided in which maintenance vehicles collect information from sensors and operators, forward the collected information to a server, and, in response, receive maps and operator instructions.
US08284034B2

Methods and apparatuses for identifying devices, such as RF tags, are described. In one exemplary embodiment, a reader identifies tags without requiring or determining whether a response to an interrogation was a single response from a single tag or multiple responses from multiple tags. In another exemplary embodiment, a method is performed by a tag in an identification system, and the method includes receiving a first data from a reader, and correlating the first data with a first corresponding portion of the tag's identification code, and specifying a match if the first data matches the first corresponding portion, and receiving second data which, combined with the first data, is correlated with a second corresponding portion of the tag's identification code.
US08284033B2

A method of tracking an object (1) tagged with a radio frequency identification tag (2) having an identification code using a network of readers (3) is described. A reader (3) interrogates the tag (2) by transmitting its identification code. In response to receiving its identification code, the tag identifies itself to the reader. Otherwise, it does not identify itself. The method comprises identifying an expected location of the object and directing one or more selected readers according to the expected location to interrogate the tag using its identification code.
US08284029B2

An identification system and method is disclosed to identify an identity and a position of a radio frequency (RF) device. The RF device generates a response signal when receiving an RF signal. The identification system includes a plurality of antenna units, a switching unit, an RF module and a microcontroller. Each antenna unit has a corresponding identifying area. The switching unit is coupled to the antenna units. The microcontroller controls the switching unit to select at least one antenna unit for transmitting the RF signal generated by the RF module, and determines whether the RF device positions in the corresponding identifying area of the select antenna unit according to whether the selected antenna unit receives the response signal. The microcontroller also identifies the identity of the RF device when the select antenna unit receives the response signal.
US08284028B2

A method of manufacturing an identifiable roof covering incl. the product thereof, comprising the steps of providing a first layer of material, providing a second layer of material onto said first layer of material and arranging a RFID tag onto the first layer of material prior to providing the second layer of material.
US08284023B2

An internal locking system is disclosed, which utilizes electromechanical locking devices to lock and unlock lockable openings.
US08284016B2

The present invention provides an array type chip resistor including: a substrate having a plurality of grooves formed on both sides thereof at equal spaces; lower electrodes formed on both sides of a bottom surface of the substrate; upper electrodes formed on both sides of a top surface of the substrate; side electrodes electrically connected to the upper and lower electrodes; a resistive element interposed between lower electrodes of the bottom surface of the substrate; a protection layer covered on the resistive element, the protection layer having both sides which cover a part of the lower electrodes and the resistive element; leveling electrodes being in contact with the lower electrodes exposed to outside of the protection layer; and a plating layer formed on the leveling electrodes. The array type chip resistor can prevent the resistive element from being damaged due to external impact when mounted since the resistive element is printed inside of the lower electrodes of the bottom surface of the substrate.
US08284015B1

A smooth surface of a control device is achieved by positioning the actual control devices within a sealed housing and having the operator touchable knobs proximity connected to the control devices through the surface of the housing. In one embodiment, the proximity connection is a magnetic connection between the handle mechanism detachably positioned on the outside of the housing and traditional slider potentiometers mounted within the housing. In another embodiment, longitudinal proximity sensors within the housing are used to emulate the physical layout of the slider potentiometers and the movement of handle mechanisms outside the housing create the changing proximity under control of the operator. In all embodiments, the outside handle mechanism easily separates from the housing leaving a relatively smooth outer housing surface which can be easily sanitized. The removed handle mechanism allows for easy cleaning and sanitizing as well as for easy substitution.
US08284013B2

A semiconductor ceramic includes a BamTiO3-based composition, as a main component, having a perovskite structure represented by general formula AmBO3. Part of Ba constituting an A site is replaced with at least an alkali metal element, Bi, and a rare-earth element, and the molar ratio m between the A site and a B site is 0.990≦m≦0.999 (preferably 0.990≦m≦0.995). Preferably, part of the Ba is replaced with Ca, and the content of the Ca when the total number of moles of the elements constituting the A site is 1 mole is 0.042 to 0.20 (preferably 0.125 to 0.175) on a molar basis. A PTC thermistor includes a component body formed of the semiconductor ceramic. Accordingly, there are provided satisfactory rise characteristics even if an alkali metal element is present.
US08284010B2

An inductor includes a coil electrode section in which a first spiral electrode and a second spiral electrode are wound in substantially the same direction, lie in substantially the same plane, and are connected to each other by a connection electrode. The coil electrode section is sandwiched by the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer from both directions substantially perpendicular to the plane. A first protrusion electrode and a second protrusion electrode at ends of the first spiral electrode and the second spiral electrode that are opposite to the connection electrode extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane, have a length at which each of the protrusion electrodes protrudes from the first magnetic layer, and define opposite end electrodes of the inductor. Arranging this low-profile inductor on a mounting circuit board achieves a low-profile DC-DC converter including a two-layer structure.
US08284000B2

A resonator includes: a dielectric block; first and second ground electrodes provided on or in the dielectric block, and disposed to oppose each other; a first via conductor provided in the dielectric block orthogonally to the first and second ground electrodes, and having a short-circuit end connected to the first ground electrode and an open end extending toward the second ground electrode; a second via conductor interdigitally-coupled with the first via conductor, and provided in the dielectric block orthogonally to the first and second ground electrodes, and having a short-circuit end connected to the second ground electrode and an open end extending toward the first ground electrode; a first capacitor electrode provided in the dielectric block, and connected to the first via conductor; and a second capacitor electrode provided in the dielectric block, and connected to the second via conductor.
US08283999B2

In accordance with a representative embodiment, a BAW resonator structure comprises: a first BAW resonator comprising a first lower electrode, a first upper electrode and a first piezoelectric layer disposed between the first lower electrode and the first upper electrode; and a second BAW resonator comprising a second lower electrode, a second upper electrode and a second piezoelectric layer disposed between the second lower electrode and the second upper electrode. The BAW resonator structure also comprises a single-material acoustic coupling layer disposed between the first and second BAW resonators. The single-material acoustic coupling layer comprises an inhomogeneous acoustic property across a thickness of the single-material acoustic coupling layer.
US08283996B2

A duplexer module prevents a transmission signal and a reception signal in the same band from interfering with each other. The duplexer module includes a transmission line, a reception line, and an antenna common line. In addition, the duplexer module includes a plurality of mounting electrodes arranged along the four sides of an outer edge of a mounting surface of a multilayer substrate. The fourth mounting electrode defining a monitoring port is disposed on a side different from a side on which each of the first mounting electrode defining a transmission port, the second mounting electrode defining a reception port, and the third mounting electrode defining an antenna port is disposed. The fourth mounting electrode defining the monitoring port is a mounting electrode used to output a signal of the monitoring line through which a portion of electrical power is transmitted from the transmission line.
US08283995B2

A balanced-output triplexer includes: a first filter provided between an input terminal and a pair of first balanced output terminals; a second filter provided between the input terminal and a pair of second balanced output terminals; and a third filter provided between the input terminal and a pair of third balanced output terminals. All of the first to third filters are provided within a layered substrate. All of the balanced output terminals are disposed to be adjacent to one of the sides of the top surface of the layered substrate and one of the sides of the bottom surface of the layered substrate.
US08283991B1

Provided are assemblies and processes for efficiently coupling wideband differential signals between balanced and unbalanced circuits. The assemblies include a broadband balun having an unbalanced transmission line portion, a balanced transmission line portion, and a transition region disposed between the unbalanced and balanced transmission line portions. The unbalanced transmission line portion includes at least one ground and a pair of conductive signal traces, each isolated from ground. The balanced portion does not include an analog ground. The transition region effectively terminates the analog ground, while also smoothly transitioning or otherwise shaping transverse electric field distributions between the balanced and unbalanced portions. Beneficially, the balun is free from resonant features that would otherwise limit operating bandwidth, allowing it to operate over a wide bandwidth of 10:1 or greater. Assemblies can include RF chokes with back-to-back baluns, and other elements, such as balanced filters, and also be implemented as integrated circuits.
US08283983B2

A frequency calibration method for a programmable oscillator includes the steps of: counting an oversampling number of an oversampling signal and estimating an accumulated bit number of a USB data stream according to the oversampling signal; calculating a difference between the oversampling number and M times of the accumulated bit number when the accumulated bit number is larger than or equal to a predetermined value; and determining a frequency calibration step of the oversampling signal according to the difference. The present invention further provides a frequency calibration device for a programmable oscillator.
US08283976B2

A switching device of a digital amplifier and a method for controlling the same are disclosed. In accordance with the present invention, a linearity is maintain even for a short pulse width since a data signal having a pulse width shorter than a predetermined length. Moreover, when an MLP signal is located at both sides of a compensating signal without overlapping with each other, a problem due to a common mode may be prevented.
US08283972B1

A method of biasing a circuit includes generating a control bias signal based on a difference between a leakage current of a baseline circuit and a reference signal; applying the control bias signal to a charge pump circuit to set a value of a reverse body bias voltage output from the charge pump, the control bias signal providing analog control of a digital clock of the charge pump circuit; and applying the reverse body bias voltage to a body of the baseline circuit.
US08283970B2

A charge pump circuit includes a first power transistor selectively actuated by a first control signal to deliver relatively higher amounts of current to a capacitor and a second non-power transistor connected in parallel with the first power transistor and selectively actuated by a second control signal to deliver relatively lower amounts of current to the capacitor. The charge pump circuit includes a pumped voltage output that is sensed to generate a sensed voltage output. A comparison circuit compares the sensed voltage output to a threshold voltage. A logic circuit receives an output of the comparison circuit and enables the first power transistor and disables the second non-power transistor in a first mode of operation if the comparison is not satisfied. The logic circuit further disables the first power transistor and enables the second non-power transistor in a second mode of operation if the comparison is satisfied. The logic circuit returns from the second mode of operation to the first mode of operation after the comparison is subsequently not satisfied.
US08283965B2

A voltage level shifter is provided for receiving an input signal from an input voltage domain and converting said signal to a shifted signal in a shifted voltage domain. The voltage level shifter has an input, switching circuitry, a pass transistor and an output. The switching circuitry is configured to isolate an output of said pass transistor from said supply voltage rail when said input voltage domain corresponds to a logical zero.
US08283963B2

An output stage, especially a switching output stage for switching inductive loads, having a plurality of individual output stages that are connected in parallel, which include degenerative transistors, in the degenerative path of which one respective Zener diode is present. The electric power during a switching-off process can be distributed in a particularly uniform manner to the individual output stages or transistors by disposing the Zener diodes near the associated transistors so that they are thermally coupled to the respectively associated transistor and their Zener voltage increases with increasing temperature.
US08283957B2

The voltage-controlled oscillator generates a first signal and a second signal having a phase reverse to that of the first signal, frequencies thereof being controlled depending on control voltages. The sub-sampling phase comparator generates first/second sampled voltages by sampling voltages of the first/second signals in each cycle of the reference signal having cycles. The current generating circuit has first/second charge pumps configured to generate first/second current signal depending on supply voltages, the second current signal having a polarity reverse to that of the first current signal. The selection controller selectively carries out a first supply mode for supplying the first and second sampled voltages to the second and first charge pumps and a second supply mode for supplying the first and second sampled voltages to the first and second charge pumps respectively. The loop filter generates the control voltages supplied to the voltage-controlled oscillator by smoothing the composite current signal.
US08283955B2

The present invention relates to a double data rate interface and method for use between a processor and random access memory, comprising a delay line including means for creating a delay in a data strobe signal from the random access memory, the delay line being arranged such that the delay in the data strobe signal is equal to the sum of set-up time and data bus rise time. The interface of includes the delay line comprising the delay locked loop which in turn comprises a ring oscillator. The ring oscillator includes a buffer and a Vernier delay.
US08283952B2

A circuit includes a switching unit, a switching element, and a control unit. The control unit provides at least one supply signal depending on a switching position of the switching element. An advance signal and the supply signal(s) of the control unit are assigned to the switching unit on the input side. The switching unit supplies and controls predetermined components of the switching unit, which are configured to control the switching element in accordance with the advance signal in such a way that the components activate the switching element. The switching unit is also configured to detect the supply signal(s) present once the switching element has been activated and in response thereto to switch to supplying the predetermined components by way of the supply signal(s).
US08283948B2

A sample-and-hold (S/H) circuit is provided. The S/H circuit generally comprises a sampling switch, a sampling capacitor, and a correction network. The sampling switch that receives an analog input signal is actuated and deactuated by a timing signal. The sampling capacitor is coupled to the sampling switch at a sampling node so as to receive the analog input signal when the sampling switch is actuated and to store a voltage of the analog input signal when the sampling switch is deactuated. The correction network has at least one row of varactor cells such that each varactor cell is coupled to the sampling node and wherein each varactor cell in the row receives a reference voltage. Additionally, each varactor cell receives at least one of a plurality of control signals.
US08283943B2

Analog processors for solving various computational problems are provided. Such analog processors comprise a plurality of quantum devices, arranged in a lattice, together with a plurality of coupling devices. The analog processors further comprise bias control systems each configured to apply a local effective bias on a corresponding quantum device. A set of coupling devices in the plurality of coupling devices is configured to couple nearest-neighbor quantum devices in the lattice. Another set of coupling devices is configured to couple next-nearest neighbor quantum devices. The analog processors further comprise a plurality of coupling control systems each configured to tune the coupling value of a corresponding coupling device in the plurality of coupling devices to a coupling. Such quantum processors further comprise a set of readout devices each configured to measure the information from a corresponding quantum device in the plurality of quantum devices.
US08283939B2

A test probe includes a filtering unit and a contact unit. The filtering unit includes an inductive component, a capacitive component, and an insulation component insulates the inductive component from the capacitive component. The contact unit contacts a test point to get a test signal. The filtering unit filters noise from the test signal. The test probe can be assembled and disassembled easily, and parameters of the filtering unit can be changed by changing structure of each component.
US08283924B2

Magnetic resonance imaging techniques are described that utilize bSSFP sequences in which two or more gradient waveforms are interleaved in a “groupwise” fashion, i.e., each waveform is executed consecutively two or more times before switching to the other waveform, where “N” counts the number of times each waveform is executed consecutively. As a result, embodiments of the present disclosure can mitigate steady-state signal distortions or artifacts in interleaved balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) caused by slightly unbalanced eddy-current fields. Related MRI systems are also described.
US08283917B2

A rotating axis of a first driven gear provided with a magnet and a rotating axis of a second driven gear provided with a magnet are orthogonalized with respect to a plane which includes a rotating axis of a rotor having a first gear and a second gear each with a different number of teeth concentrically provided for a flanged gear forming section.
US08283915B2

In a speed reducing electric motor, a speed reducing gear unit has a sensor magnet device, which is fixed to a worm wheel and includes an inner ring magnet, an outer ring magnet and connecting portions. The inner ring magnet is placed along a predetermined first imaginary circle. The outer ring magnet is placed along a predetermined second imaginary circle, which is coaxial with the first imaginary circle and has a diameter that is smaller or larger than that of the first imaginary circle. The connecting portions connect between the inner ring magnet and the outer ring magnet. The sensor magnet device is fixed to the worm wheel by a magnet fixing structure.
US08283911B1

A long range wireless phasing voltmeter determines the phase difference between the time-varying voltage carried on a reference electrical conductor and another, field conductor. The voltage signal from the reference conductor is measured by a reference probe and compared by a first unit in communication with that reference probe to a precision 60 Hz signal generated from a GPS receiver. The phase difference between these, in the form of a nine-bit, audible signal using frequency shift keying to modulate the carrier frequency, is transmitted by the first unit to a second unit perhaps miles away. A receiver in the second unit decodes the signal and uses another precision 60 Hz signal generated from another GPS receiver to re-create a surrogate of the original reference voltage signal. This surrogate signal is forwarded to a meter probe that is measuring the signal on a field conductor. The meter probe can then compare the two signals to determine the phase angle difference between them.
US08283910B1

A long range wireless electrical phasing system using a centrally located beacon to transmit reference phase angle information to any number of locally handheld (Meter Probes) display modules containing a receiver to receive the distant beacon signal and a contact electrode used to contact a local electrical conductor. The display module processes the distant message and local electrical phase information and displays the exact phase angle difference of the local electrical conductor with respect to a distant reference phase.
US08283900B2

A method for controlling a boost converter having a duty cycle includes the steps of receiving an electric current command for the boost converter, measuring a source current for the boost converter, regulating the duty cycle as a function of the electric current command and the source current, subject to a first minimum limit if a rapid change in duty cycle is required above a predetermined threshold and a second minimum limit if the rapid change in duty cycle is not required.
US08283894B2

There is provided a voltage measuring apparatus for measuring a voltage of an assembled battery in which a plurality of unit cells are connected in series. The voltage measuring apparatus comprises: block voltage detection sections, each section measuring a voltage of each block of a plurality of blocks into which the plurality of unit cells are divided; a reference voltage output section provided in each of the voltage detection sections to output a reference voltage; a difference voltage calculating section which calculates a difference voltage between measured values of the reference voltages measured by two block voltage detection sections; a difference voltage determination section which determines whether each of the difference voltages exceeds a given threshold voltage or not; and an abnormality determination section which determines that abnormality occurs in the voltage measuring apparatus when at least one of the difference voltages is determined as greater than the threshold voltage.
US08283893B2

A protection circuit for a battery pack including a rechargeable battery cell having a positive electrode and a negative electrode is disclosed. The protection circuit includes a self-discharge switching device electrically connected to the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the battery cell, and a control unit electrically connected to the battery cell and the self-discharge switching device to turn-on or turn-off the self-discharge switching device according to a temperature of the battery cell.
US08283882B1

Analog control of the pulse width used to control the speed of a voice coil motor may be implemented using a “constant-current-charging-capacitor” configuration where the time needed to charge the capacitor is directly related to how far the actual motor speed is from the target speed. The BEMF voltage, indicative of motor speed, is sampled, and then stored in a storage capacitor, which is allowed to charge/discharge to a target voltage level. The time required to charge/discharge the capacitor to the target voltage is directly proportional to the difference between the BEMF voltage and the target voltage, and may be used directly as the pulse width (i.e., the charging time) in the PWM velocity control system. To avoid larger capacitors, a pulse multiplier circuit can be added, allowing charging/discharging the sampled voltage to the target voltage to be repeated by a number, N, of times.
US08283879B2

A braking controller of a three-phase permanent magnetic brushless DC motor for directly driving a screw pump includes a detection circuit for detecting power supply states of the three-phase permanent magnetic brushless DC motor and a braking circuit for controlling the braking startup according to the power supply states of the three-phase permanent magnetic brushless DC motor. When the motor is supplied with power, the braking circuit is cut off. When the motor is not supplied with power and the screw pump drives the motor to reverse, the braking circuit starts up.
US08283875B2

Holding current circuits and lighting assemblies comprising same are provided. Holding current circuits may be connected to loads to ensure that the load and holding current circuit together draw at least a holding current from a dimmer when the dimmer is in conduction. A holding current circuit may comprise a controlled current source configured to selectively draw current from a dimmer. The controlled current source draws current according to a control signal based on the conduction state of the dimmer and the sum of the currents in a load and the controlled current source. The control signal is generated by a current controller configured to generate the control signal to cause the controlled current source to draw a supplementary current at least as great as the difference between the holding current and the load current when the dimmer is in conduction and the load current is less than the holding current.
US08283872B2

A circuit arrangement for supplying a lamp wattage on a high-pressure gas discharge lamp in the form of an alternating current having an operating frequency, said operating frequency being frequency-modulated within large limits such that no acoustic resonances are embodied in the lamp. Amplitude modulation through the frequency response of an interface is compensated by modulating an amplitude of a supply voltage.
US08283871B2

A method of driving a light source apparatus includes inverting a direct current voltage to generate a first alternating current voltage, transforming the first alternating current voltage into a second alternating current voltage having a voltage level that is greater than a voltage level of the first alternating current voltage, compensating a driving alternating current voltage based on the second alternating current voltage to generate a compensated driving alternating current voltage such that a substantially equal current flows through each light emitting string of a plurality of light emitting string included in the light source apparatus, and rectifying the compensated driving alternating current voltage to apply a driving voltage to the light emitting strings.
US08283869B2

Semiconductor light emitting circuits include semiconductor light emitting diodes that are serially connected between a pair of input terminals. Four layer semiconductor devices, such as Shockley diodes and/or thyristors are also provided, a respective one of which is connected across a respective one of the semiconductor light emitting diodes. The four layer semiconductor devices can allow a string of light emitting diodes to continue to be lit if one light emitting diode fails.
US08283866B2

An electrode-less plasma lamps comprises generally of a bulb containing a gas-fill that is excited to produce light using radio-frequency (RF) energy. In specific embodiments, the use of grounded coupling-elements with integrated bulb assemblies simplifies manufacturability, improves resonant frequency control, and enables the use of solid, partially filled, and hollow lamp bodies. In some embodiments, a method of operating an electrodeless plasma lamp device includes transferring RF energy from the RF source to an input coupling-element and illuminating electromagnetic energy substantially from the length of a gas-filled vessel from discharge of the gas-filled vessel.
US08283863B2

A xenon short arc lamp for a digital projector, includes an anode, a cathode having a cathode main body that is made of tungsten containing electron emissive material, and an arc tube made of silica glass, wherein a supply source of carbon is formed on a metal portion in the arc tube except a tip area of the cathode, and the carbon is supplied to the tip of the cathode through a gaseous phase during lamp lighting, so that a surface layer of the cathode is melt.
US08283856B2

A light-emitting element whose degree of deterioration with driving time is improved and of which emission colors are easily controlled. A light-emitting emitting element having a first electrode, a second electrode, and a layer containing an organic compound located between the first electrode and the second electrode, in which the layer containing the organic compound at least has, from the second electrode side, a light-emitting layer in which a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer are stacked, and a hole-transporting layer provided in contact with the third layer; the first layer contains a first organic compound and a second organic compound; the second layer contains a third organic compound and a fourth organic compound; and the third layer contains the first organic compound and a fifth organic compound.
US08283855B2

A method for synthesizing an anthracene derivative represented by a general formula (G1) is provided, in which a 9-arylanthracene derivative having an active site at a 10-position is subjected to coupling with a carbazole-3-yl-aryl derivative having an active site in an aryl group with the use of a metal or a metal compound, wherein A represents a substituted or unsubstituted phenyl group, wherein D represents any of an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms and a substituted or unsubstituted phenyl group, wherein α represents any of a substituted or unsubstituted phenylene group and a substituted or unsubstituted biphenyl-4,4′-diyl group, and wherein R1 to R9 independently represent any of hydrogen, an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and a substituted or unsubstituted phenyl group.
US08283849B2

A segmented electroluminescent device (100) with resistive interconnect layers (102), each segment (104,104′, 104″) comprising an electroluminescent layer (110) arranged in between a first (106) and a second electrode (108) layer. The segments (104, 104′, 104″) are connected via resistive interconnect layers (102), the resistive interconnect layers having a larger square resistance than the second electrode layer. The resistive interconnect layers (102) add a ballast resistance to the electroluminescent device such that no additional electric ballast is needed. As the electric ballast is divided over multiple layers the problem of a heat management for the electric ballast becomes less important. By adding an isolation layer (122) the surface of the resistive interconnect layers (102) can be increased to almost the whole surface of the electroluminescent device (100). The system of the electrode layer (108), the isolating layer (122) and the resistive layer (102) functions as a capacitor.
US08283847B2

An energy-saving fluorescent lamp with two or more integrated-shaping discharge tubes, automatically formed by a one-shot modelin to a U-tube with a desired curvature. Each of discharge tubes are disposed upon a conveyer for being shipped into a heater and is treated in portions of the discharge tube by one or more said wide flame nozzles of preset temperatures for a preset duration simultaneously into a U-tube with a pair of leg tubes for fitting into a pair of integrated-shaping dies when said mechanic arm opens up said pair of dies for molding into a U-tube with a preset curvature radius.
US08283845B2

In a plane emission device comprising a transparent substrate, a light scattering layer formed on a surface of the transparent substrate, and a luminescent body of organic or inorganic material which is formed on a surface of the light scattering layer and emits light by light or electric energy, efficiency to takeout light to outside is improved. The light scattering layer contains binder and two kinds of fillers, and when a refraction index of the binder is assumed as Nb, a refraction index of one of the two kinds of fillers is assumed as Nf1, and a refraction index of the other is assumed as Nf2, a relationship that Nf2>Nb>Nf1 is satisfied. Since the light scattering layer contains two kinds of fillers, disorder occurs in critical angle when light exits from the light scattering layer to the transparent substrate, incidence rate of light into the transparent substrate rises, and efficiency to takeout the light to outside increases.
US08283842B2

An object is to provide a lighting apparatus the cost of which is low, which is excellent in terms of heat dissipation capacity, and which does not make a human get burned even in the case where the human directly touches the lighting apparatus.An LED substrate unit (1) is mounted on a metal heat conduction plate (3) with high heat conductivity. Resin heat radiation plates (4, 5) with high thermal emittance and low heat conductivity are adhered to the entire exposure surface of both surfaces of the heat conduction plate (3) except for a portion on which the LED substrate unit (1) is mounted. Thus, a three layer structure is formed of the heat conduction plate and the heat radiation plates provided on both surfaces of the heat conduction plate. Heat discharged from the LED substrate unit (1) is diffused in the heat conduction plate (3) and transmitted to the resin heat radiation plates (4, 5), and the transmitted heat is discharged from the resin heat radiation plates (4, 5) to outer air.
US08283837B2

A piezoelectric actuator comprises a first piezoelectric element pre-polarized towards a first direction and displaceable towards an about orthogonal direction with respect to said first direction, a second piezoelectric element pre-polarized towards a direction about parallel to the first direction and displaceable towards a direction about parallel to said first direction, a relative moving member clamped by displacement of said first piezoelectric element and relatively moves by displacement of said second piezoelectric element.
US08283833B2

A rotor for an electric rotary machine and a method of manufacturing the same are disclosed wherein none of permanent magnets is fixed to a magnetic supporting segment of a magnet support ring in advance and each permanent magnet is assembled separately of the magnet support ring. Prior to the assembling of the permanent magnets, the magnet support ring is preliminarily located on claw-shaped magnetic poles at inner peripheral sides thereof under a state combined with a pair of field iron cores, after which the permanent magnets are inserted to magnet insertion spaces in longitudinal directions. The rotor includes positioning and restricting means for precluding the occurrence of positional displacement of each permanent magnet with respect to each magnet supporting segment of the magnet support ring.
US08283829B2

There is provided an axial gap motor including a rotor rotatable around a rotation axis; and a first stator and a second stator arranged to face each other with the rotor therebetween from both sides of the rotor in the rotation axis direction of the rotor, wherein the rotor includes a plurality of main permanent magnets having magnetizing directions in the rotation axis direction of the rotor and arranged in a peripheral direction of the rotor; a partition member arranged between the main permanent magnets which are adjacent to each other in the peripheral direction of the rotor, the partition member including a nonmagnetic material; and auxiliary permanent magnets having a magnetizing direction that is orthogonal both to the rotation axis direction of the rotor and a radial direction of the rotor, and arranged on both sides of the partition member in the rotation axis direction of the rotor.
US08283828B2

An electric motor comprises a stator and a rotor received in the stator. The stator comprises a shell. The shape of a cross section of the shell perpendicular to the rotor axis is a polygon. The shell comprises a plurality of side walls and arcuate connection portions connecting neighboring side walls. The stator comprises 2n magnets disposed in the arcuate connection portions. The magnets form 2m magnetic poles, where m, n are unequal positive integers. Optionally, m is equal to half or twice n. The permanent magnets of the motor are located in the inner angle of polygon shell. Thus the diameter of rotor can be the greater, and the power density of motor can be increased in the same volume.
US08283827B2

A brushless, liquid or air cooled, direct current motor formed from a three stack stator and three section rotor assembly using an integrated water cooled or air cooled housing and over-molding techniques.
US08283822B2

A connection circuit board includes a main portion and a lead wire connecting portion. The main portion is positioned between an end portion of a motor case body and an end bracket. The lead wire connecting portion projects outwardly from the motor case body. A protective cap including a connecting portion receiving chamber for receiving the lead wire connecting portion of the connection circuit board is attached to the lead wire connecting portion through an engaging structure. An adhesive is filled in the connecting portion receiving chamber of the protective cap. In a small-sized motor of the above configuration, the protective cap can securely be fixed to the motor case.
US08283815B2

The invention relates to an electrical machine (1, 110), which is in particular a synchronous machine, which has a primary part (3, 130) and a secondary part (5, 120), wherein the primary part (3, 130) has a) a first means (9) for producing a first magnetic field and b) a further means (17, 27, 29) for producing a further magnetic field, which in particular is an exciter field, and wherein the first means (9) has at least one winding, and the further means (17, 27, 29) is arranged in the region of an active air gap (21) of the electrical machine between the primary part and the secondary part and has magnetic poles, each having at least one permanent magnet (17).
US08283814B2

A voice coil motor assembly includes a housing, a voice coil motor, a cover, and a transparent board. The voice coil motor is received in the housing. The cover is secured to the voice coil motor and resists the top surface of the housing. The cover includes a top surface defining an aperture. A limiting element protrudes from the top surface of the cover. The transparent board is adhered to the top surface of the cover and covers the aperture. The movement of the transparent board is limited by the limiting element.
US08283812B2

A power providing system includes at least one inductive power outlet configured to be movable behind an extended surface. The inductive power outlet includes a primary inductor configured to couple inductively with a secondary inductor wired to an electric load. The inductive power outlet is mounted upon a positioning mechanism upon which the primary inductor may be moved behind the extended surface.
US08283807B2

A high voltage power supply (HVPS) including first and second high voltage output controllers controlling output of a high voltage output signal; and a plurality of transformers transforming an output signal provided from the first and second high voltage output controller, disposed outside of the first and second high voltage controllers on the substrate, wherein output terminals in the secondary sides of the plurality of transformers are disposed along the edge of the substrate. Therefore, the volume of a system can be minimized by arranging circuits in each component for high voltage output in parallel, and spark and discharge can be reduced by minimizing interference between the primary sides and the secondary sides of the components for high voltage output, thereby preventing damage to a product.
US08283806B2

A high voltage power supply (HVPS) including first and second high voltage output controllers controlling output of a high voltage output signal; and a plurality of transformers transforming an output signal provided from the first and second high voltage output controller, disposed outside of the first and second high voltage controllers on the substrate, wherein output terminals in the secondary sides of the plurality of transformers are disposed along the edge of the substrate. Therefore, the volume of a system can be minimized by arranging circuits in each component for high voltage output in parallel, and spark and discharge can be reduced by minimizing interference between the primary sides and the secondary sides of the components for high voltage output, thereby preventing damage to a product.
US08283800B2

A control system for controlling a position of a window and method thereof are provided. The control system includes a cover at least partially adapted to have a trough, the cover having a interior side and an exterior side, and a first proximity sensor adjacent to the interior side that is configured to detect an object within the first portion of the trough. The control system further includes a second proximity sensor adjacent to the interior side that is configured to detect the object within the second portion of the trough, and a processor in communication with the sensors, and configured to communicate a control signal to the window as a function of the detection of the sensors, wherein the control signal is based upon a most recent detection of the sensors when both sensors are activated within a first time period.
US08283786B2

A method for forming an integrated circuit system includes providing an integrated circuit device; and forming an integrated contact over the integrated circuit device including: providing a via over the integrated circuit device; forming a selective metal in the via; forming at least one nanotube over the selective metal; and forming a cap over the nanotubes.
US08283779B2

A semiconductor device includes a substrate and a plurality of bumps. The substrate is compartmentalized into a bump-free area provided along four sides of the substrate and a bump area which is surrounded by the bump-free area. The plurality of bumps is aligned in the bump area. The plurality of bumps includes a first group of bumps aligned along the four sides and a second group of bumps surrounded by the first group. A first subgroup of bumps included in the first group and aligned along one side of the four sides is shifted with respect to a second subgroup of bumps included in the first group and aligned along an opposing side of the four sides in a direction parallel to the one side.
US08283774B2

A chip on film type semiconductor package includes a film, a plurality of leads formed over the film, a chip formed over the plurality of leads, an under-fill layer filled an space between the chip and the plurality of leads and an insulating heating sheet formed on an opposite side of the film contacting to the plurality of leads, wherein the insulating heating sheet is formed of a compound based on a glass fiber.
US08283763B2

An elastic printed board is provided so that stress applied by the silicon gel is absorbed by the printed board. Further, the printed board is formed to be so narrow that the stress may be escaped. On the other hand, the wires on which a high voltage is applied are patterned on respective printed boards. This serves to prevent discharge through the surface of the same printed board served as current passage. This design makes it possible to hermetically close the power module, prevent intrusion of moisture or contamination as well as displacement, transformation and crack of the cover plate.
US08283757B2

An electronic package is provided. The electronic package comprises a die pad having a die attached thereon. A plurality of leads surrounds the die pad and spaced therefrom to define a ring gap therebetween. At least one first common electrode bar is in the ring gap and substantially coplanar to the die pad, in which at least one of the plurality of leads extends to the first common electrode bar. A molding compound partially encapsulates the die pad and the first common electrode bar, such that the bottom surfaces of the die pad and the first common electrode bar are exposed. A length of the first common electrode bar is substantially equal to a predetermined distance between two pads among a plurality of power or ground pads on a side of the die facing the first common electrode bar. An electronic device with the electronic package is also disclosed.
US08283755B2

A multichip semiconductor device is disclosed in which chips are stacked each of which comprises a semiconductor substrate formed on top with circuit components and an interlayer insulating film formed on the top of the semiconductor substrate. At least one of the chips has a connect plug of a metal formed in a through hole that passes through the semiconductor substrate and the interlayer insulating film. The chip with the connect plug is electrically connected with another chip by that connect plug.
US08283739B2

Electrical energy generation apparatuses, in which a solar battery device and a piezoelectric device are combined in a single body by using a plurality of nano wires formed of a semiconductor material having piezoelectric properties.
US08283735B2

A packaged device includes a device substrate and a packaging unit. The device substrate includes a first surface and a device formed in the device substrate. The packaging unit includes an insulating layer which faces the device substrate. The insulating layer includes a second surface bonded to the first surface. A metal concentration of at least part of a peripheral surface in the insulating layer is higher than a metal concentration of an end surface on the device substrate side in the insulating layer. An outline of the first surface is retreated inward from an outline of the second surface.
US08283729B2

The semiconductor device includes a first MIS transistor including a gate insulating film 92, a gate electrode 108 formed on the gate insulating film 92 and source/drain regions 154, a second MIS transistor including a gate insulating film 96 thicker than the gate insulating film 92, a gate electrode 108 formed on the gate insulating film 96, source/drain regions 154 and a ballast resistor 120 connected to one of the source/drain regions 154, a salicide block insulating film 146 formed on the ballast resistor 120 with an insulating film 92 thinner than the gate insulating film 96 interposed therebetween, and a silicide film 156 formed on the source/drain regions 154.
US08283723B2

A semiconductor device is formed on a semiconductor substrate. The device includes a drain, an epitaxial layer overlaying the drain, and an active region. The active region includes a body disposed in the epitaxial layer, having a body top surface, a source embedded in the body, extending from the body top surface into the body, a gate trench extending into the epitaxial layer, a gate disposed in the gate trench, an active region contact trench extending through the source and into the body, an active region contact electrode disposed within the active region contact trench, wherein a thin layer of body region separating the active region contact electrode from the drain.
US08283722B2

An apparatus is disclosed to increase a breakdown voltage of a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes an enhanced well region to effectively increase a voltage at which punch-through occurs when compared to a conventional semiconductor device. The enhanced well region includes a greater number of excess carriers when compared to a well region of the conventional semiconductor device. These larger number of excess carriers attract more carriers allowing more current to flow through a channel region of the semiconductor device before depleting the enhanced well region of the carriers. As a result, the semiconductor device may accommodate a greater voltage being applied to its drain region before the depletion region of the enhanced well region and a depletion region of a well region surrounding the drain region merge into a single depletion region.
US08283721B2

A semiconductor device (A1) includes a semiconductor layer having a first face with a trench (3) formed thereon and a second face opposite to the first face, a gate electrode (41), and a gate insulating layer (5). The semiconductor layer includes a first n-type semiconductor layer (11), a second n-type semiconductor layer (12), a p-type semiconductor layer (13), and an n-type semiconductor region (14). The trench (3) is formed so as to penetrate through the p-type semiconductor layer (13) and to reach the second n-type semiconductor layer (12). The p-type semiconductor layer (13) includes an extended portion extending to a position closer to the second face of the semiconductor layer than the trench (3) is. Such structure allows suppressing dielectric breakdown in the gate insulating layer (5).
US08283715B2

An integrated circuit with a memory cell is disclosed. The integrated circuit with a memory cell includes: a word line disposed in a word line trench of a substrate; a bit line disposed below the word line in a bit line trench and extending orthogonal to the word line; and, a separating layer disposed above the bit line in the bit line trench that separates the word line from the bit line; wherein an etching rate of the separating layer approaches that of the substrate.
US08283703B2

A solid state Klystron structure is fabricated by forming a source contact and a drain contact to both ends of a conducting wire and by forming a bias gate and a signal gate on the conducting wire. The conducting wire may be at least one carbon nanotube or at least one semiconductor wire with long ballistic mean free paths. By applying a signal at a frequency that corresponds to an integer multiple of the transit time of the ballistic carriers between adjacent fingers of the signal gate, the carriers are bunched within the conducting wire, thus amplifying the current through the solid state Klystron at a frequency of the signal to the signal gate, thus achieving a power gain.
US08283699B2

A transistor comprising an active region, with source and drain electrodes formed in contact with the active region and a gate formed between the source and drain electrodes and in contact with the active region. A first spacer layer is on at least part of the surface of the active region between the gate and the drain electrode and between the gate and the source electrode. The gate comprises a generally t-shaped top portion that extends toward the source and drain electrodes. A field plate is on the spacer layer and under the overhand of at least one section of the gate top portion. The field plate is at least partially covered by a second spacer layer, with the second spacer layer on at least part of the surface of the first active layer and between the gate and the drain and between the gate and the source. At least one conductive path electrically connects the field plate to the source electrode or the gate.
US08283694B2

A GaN substrate on which an epitaxially grown layer of good quality can be formed is obtained. A GaN substrate as a group III nitride substrate has a surface in which the number of chlorine atoms per square centimeter of the surface is not more than 2×1014, and the number of silicon atoms per square centimeter of the surface is not more than 3×1013, wherein a plane orientation of the surface is any of a (0001) plane, a (11-20) plane, a (10-12) plane, a (10-10) plane, a (20-21) plane, a (10-11) plane, a (11-21) plane, a (11-22) plane, and a (11-24) plane of a wurtzite structure.
US08283693B2

Disclosed herein is a light emitting device with a silicone lens. The light emitting device comprises a heat sink. A package body surrounds at least a portion of the heat sink, and a light emitting diode is mounted on the heat sink. Meanwhile, the light emitting diode is covered with a silicone lens molded on the package body. The molded silicone lens can be employed to prevent reduction in light extraction efficiency due to poor bonding between lens and encapsulant.
US08283692B2

Disclosed are a light emitting device and a light emitting device package having the same. The light emitting device includes a light emitting structure that includes a first conductive type semiconductor layer, an active layer on the first conductive type semiconductor layer, and a second conductive type semiconductor layer on the active layer, a first electrode including at least one arm shape and contacted with a portion of the first conductive type semiconductor layer, an insulating layer covering the first electrode, and a second electrode including on at least one arm shape, wherein the second electrode disposes on at least one of the insulating layer and the second conductive type semiconductor layer.
US08283690B2

A nitride-based light emitting device capable of achieving an enhancement in emission efficiency and an enhancement in reliability is disclosed. The light emitting device includes a semiconductor layer, and a light extracting layer arranged on the semiconductor layer and made of a material having a refractive index equal to or higher than a reflective index of the semiconductor layer.
US08283688B2

An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display includes a display substrate assembly including an organic light emitting structure, an encapsulation substrate assembly disposed facing the display substrate assembly, a sealant disposed between the display substrate assembly and the encapsulation substrate assembly to seal the display substrate assembly and the encapsulation substrate assembly with each other, and a substrate deformation protection body disposed between the sealant and the organic light emitting structure.
US08283687B2

Provided are a vertical-type light emitting device and a method of manufacturing the same. The light emitting device includes a p-type semiconductor layer, an active layer, and an n-type semiconductor layer that are stacked, a cover layer disposed on a p-type electrode layer to surround the p-type electrode layer, a conductive support layer disposed on the cover layer, and an n-type electrode layer disposed on the n-type semiconductor layer.
US08283678B2

An optical module can reliably provide monitor light and can facilitate manufacturing by reducing the number of lens surfaces. Based on a surface shape of each first lens surface (14), the relationship in length between the optical path length of the second optical path and the optical path length of the first optical path after reflecting/transmission surface (17) and whether or not second lens surfaces are formed in second surface (4b) based on this relationship in length, the spot diameter of light of each light emitting element (7) to be coupled to the end surface of each optical fiber (3) is made narrower than a spot diameter of monitor light to be coupled to each light receiving element (8).
US08283672B2

Methods for integrating wide-gap semiconductors with synthetic diamond substrates are disclosed. Diamond substrates are created by depositing synthetic diamond onto a nucleating layer deposited or formed on a layered structure including at least one layer of gallium nitride, aluminum nitride, silicon carbide, or zinc oxide. The resulting structure is a low stress process compatible with wide-gap semiconductor films, and may be processed into optical or high-power electronic devices. The diamond substrates serve as heat sinks or mechanical substrates.
US08283671B2

A thin film transistor, a method of fabricating the same, and an organic light emitting diode display device including the same, which allow a size of a grain of a channel region to be increased, can effectively protect the channel region of a semiconductor layer at the time of etching process, and can reduce processing cost. The thin film transistor includes a substrate, a gate electrode disposed on the substrate, a gate insulating layer disposed on the gate electrode, a semiconductor layer pattern disposed on the gate insulating layer and including a channel region, a source region and a drain region, an etch stop layer pattern disposed on the channel region of the semiconductor layer pattern and having a thickness of 20 to 60 nm, and source and drain electrodes disposed on the source and drain regions of the semiconductor layer pattern, respectively.
US08283668B2

A thin film transistor (TFT) includes a substrate, a semiconductor layer disposed on the substrate and crystallized using a metal catalyst, a gate insulating layer disposed on the semiconductor layer, a gate electrode disposed on the gate insulating layer, an interlayer insulating layer disposed on the gate electrode, and source and drain electrodes disposed on the interlayer insulating layer and electrically connected to source and drain regions of the semiconductor layer through contact holes exposing predetermined regions of the source and drain regions of the semiconductor layer formed within the gate insulating layer and the interlayer insulating layer. A metal silicide including a metal that is different from the metal catalyst is present within a region of the semiconductor layer under the contact hole from the surface of the semiconductor layer to a predetermined depth.
US08283658B2

A semiconductor device includes a conductive layer formed in the junction region and a boundary layer arranged to wrap a side and a bottom of the conductive layer.
US08283657B2

A sensor and/or actuator system in which functional circuitry is embedded in an all organic electromechanical transducer device is disclosed. The electromechanical transducer device exploits the behavior of a flexible sensible ionomeric material sheet as effective sensing or actuating member sandwiched between flexible organic electrodes when undergoing a deformation or being polarized at a certain drive voltage applied to the, electrodes, respectively. The completely embedded all organic system is realized with a process exploiting relatively low cost deposition and patterning techniques. The enhanced flexibility makes the all organic device suitable for new applications in fields ranging from biomedical to aerospace industry.
US08283652B2

A vertical light emitting diode (VLED) die includes a metal base; a mirror on the metal base; a p-type semiconductor layer on the reflector layer; a multiple quantum well (MQW) layer on the p-type semiconductor layer configured to emit light; and an n-type semiconductor layer on the multiple quantum well (MQW) layer. The vertical light emitting diode (VLED) die also includes an electrode and an electrode frame on the n-type semiconductor layer, and an organic or inorganic material contained within the electrode frame. The electrode and the electrode frame are configured to provide a high current capacity and to spread current from the outer periphery to the center of the n-type semiconductor layer. The vertical light emitting diode (VLED) die can also include a passivation layer formed on the metal base surrounding and electrically insulating the electrode frame, the edges of the mirror, the edges of the p-type semiconductor layer, the edges of the multiple quantum well (MQW) layer and the edges of the n-type semiconductor layer.
US08283644B2

Provided are improved apparatus and methods for radiative treatment. In some embodiments, a semiconductor processing apparatus for radiative cure includes a process chamber and a radiation assembly external to the process chamber. The radiation assembly transmits radiation into the chamber on a substrate holder through a chamber window. A radiation detector measures radiation intensity from time to time. The assembly includes a gas inlet and exhaust operable to flow a radiation-activatable cooling gas through the radiation assembly.
US08283638B2

A method for preparing an ion source from nanoparticles is provided. The method includes the steps of: providing nanoparticles, vaporizing the nanoparticles from a solid state to a gaseous state, and ionizing the gas to form the ion source. The ion source is prepared by placing solid nanoparticles in a stainless tube, heating and vaporizing the solid nanoparticles into a gaseous state, and ionizing the gas. The gas can be formed at a lower heating temperature than when solid lumps are used because solid nanoparticles have a lower melting point than solid lumps. Thus, the heating temperature is lowered, and the preparing time of the ion source is shortened. Besides, under the same temperature, an ion source prepared from nanoparticles provides higher vapor pressure and allows a higher implantation dose than when the ion source is prepared from solid lumps, thus expanding the applicability of ion implantation technology.
US08283636B2

A high resolution material observation system includes an object having at least one spatial dimension sufficient to support production of near-field infrared emissions, a holder adapted to receive a sample to be observed, the holder further adapted to position the sample in the near-field infrared emissions, and a thermal excitation unit, adapted to be thermally coupled to at least one of the object and the sample. The thermal excitation unit is further adapted to causing black body radiation in either the object or the sample within the infrared spectrum.
US08283635B2

The invention relates to a method for determining the gas quality of a sample gas mixed at least in part with biogas, having the main components CH4, CO2, N2, O2, H2, proceeding from a spectrum of the sample gas determined by means of infrared-spectroscopy measurement methods, under operating conditions, from which the mole ratios of the sample gas are determined by means of correlative methods, and converted to characteristic variables of the gas quality. In this connection, the optical absorption of methane CH4 and carbon dioxide CO2 and the heat conductivity λ of the sample gas are measured, the mole ratio xCH4 is determined from the absorption of the CH4, the mole ratio xCO2 is determined from the absorption of the CO2, the mole ratios of nitrogen xN2, of oxygen xO2 and of hydrogen xH2 that are not detected optically are determined from the mole ratios xCH4, xCO2 and the heat conductivity λ, by means of a correlation calculation λ=F(xCH4,xCO2,xN2,xO2,xH2), whereupon characteristic parameters of the sample gas are calculated from the mole ratios obtained in this way.
US08283634B2

The invention relates to a device for detecting electromagnetic radiation comprising: a resistive bolometer, a biasing circuit capable of biasing said bolometer with a predetermined bias voltage, a rejection module capable of generating a common mode current, a measuring circuit capable of being connected to a bolometer and a rejection module in order to measure the difference between the current flowing through the bolometer when it is biased and the common mode current generated by the rejection module. According to the invention, rejection module comprises: a module for estimating a current that flows through resistive bolometer when it is subjected to the bias voltage and made insensitive to the electromagnetic radiation; and a current generator which is controlled by the estimation module and generates the current estimated by the latter as a common mode current.
US08283630B2

In the dimension measurement of a circuit pattern using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), in order to make it possible to automatically image desired evaluation points (EPs) on a sample, and automatically measure the circuit pattern formed at the evaluation points, according to the present invention, in the dimension measurement of a circuit pattern using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), it is arranged that coordinate data of the EP and design data of the circuit pattern including the EP are used as an input, creation of a dimension measurement cursor for measuring the pattern existing in the EP and selection or setting of the dimension measurement method are automatically performed based on the EP coordinate data and the design data to automatically create a recipe, and automatic imaging/measurement is performed using the recipe.
US08283628B2

An ion mobility spectrometer is disclosed wherein ions are passed through an ion mobility spectrometer (5) and become temporally separated. Ions having a relatively high ion mobility are transmitted by a non-destructive ion gate (6) but ions having a relatively low ion mobility are subsequently trapped within the ion mobility spectrometer (5) when the ion gate (6) is switched so as to prevent ions from being onwardly transmitted. Ions which are transmitted by the ion gate (6) are trapped in a downstream ion trap (7). The ions are then returned back upstream to a second upstream ion trap (4).
US08283624B2

An apparatus for elemental analysis of particles such as single cells or single beads by mass spectrometry is described. The apparatus includes means for particle introduction; means to vaporize, atomize and ionize elements associated with a particle; means to separate the ions according to their mass-to-charge ratio; means to detect the separated ions, means to digitize the output of the means to detect the ions; means to transfer and/or to process and/or record the data output of the means to digitize, having means to detect the presence of a particle in a mass spectrometer; and means to synchronize one of the means for ion detection, data digitization, transfer, processing and recording with the means to detect the presence of a particle. Methods and computer readable code implementing aspects of the apparatus, and for reducing the rates of data generation, digitization, transfer, processing and recording are also described.
US08283613B2

A heat-pipe electric-power generating device capable of converting thermal energy to electrical energy is provided. The device includes a heat pipe and the heat pipe has a sealed internal space that can produce a steam-flow from an evaporating end to a condensing end according to a pressure difference caused by a temperature difference between the ends. A steam-flow electric-power generating device has at least a rotating portion disposed in the internal space for generating electric power when driven by a steam-flow. An electrode structure is used for leading the electric power out. The heat pipe is maintained in a sealed condition. In addition, several heat-pipe electric-power generating devices can be arranged into an array to form a heat electric-power generator or disposed inside an apparatus with a heat source for recycling the conventional waste thermal energy into useful electrical energy.
US08283610B2

Methods and devices for opening and closing a door of a drawer-type cooking device, enabling reduction in operation force by causing a drive mechanism not to put a load during an initial period when the door is opened or closed are provided. When a drawer body is driven by a drive mechanism including an electric motor to reach a stroke end such as a fully closed (opened) position, the drive mechanism is reversely driven only for a distance corresponding to a backlash existing in a transmission mechanism (between a pinion and a rack) and is stopped. When the drawer body is manually operated in the direction away from the stroke end, the drawer body moves without driving the drive mechanism against the inertia or load only for the distance corresponding to the backlash. As a result, the drawer body can start to be manually moved with a light burden.
US08283606B2

A substrate stage includes a stage upon which a wafer is placed, a heater element installed within the stage, an upright support that ranges upright from a bottom of a processing chamber and includes a tubular member that includes a small tube portion, a large tube portion and a middle portion attached to and joins the small tube portion and the large tube portion to one another, an outer heat shield plate disposed so as to surround the outer side of the small tube portion and an inner heat shield plate. The outer heat shield plate and the inner heat shield plate are disposed so that an inner edge of the outer heat shield plate and an outer edge of the inner heat shield plate overlap along the entire circumference.
US08283597B2

The invention provides a compact and economical welding control system having an integrated power section. To this end, a switching module is provided for the power section of a welding control system. The switching module has a switching device, at least one cooling body, a current supply and an insulating element which provides a potential-free coolant arrangement. The invention is advantageous in that the potential-free coolant arrangement allows the coolant bodies to be shortened so that less space is required inside the control system and the control system can therefore have a more compact structure. The invention enables even the requirements in terms of the coolant bodies to be reduced, allowing the use of cost-effective cooling tubes or even cooling pipes that are directly connected to the cooling body.
US08283595B2

A laser beam machining method and a laser beam machining device capable of cutting a work without producing a fusing and a cracking out of a predetermined cutting line on the surface of the work, wherein a pulse laser beam is radiated on the predetermined cut line on the surface of the work under the conditions causing a multiple photon absorption and with a condensed point aligned to the inside of the work, and a modified area is formed inside the work along the predetermined determined cut line by moving the condensed point along the predetermined cut line, whereby the work can be cut with a rather small force by cracking the work along the predetermined cut line starting from the modified area and, because the pulse laser beam radiated is not almost absorbed onto the surface of the work, the surface is not fused even if the modified area is formed.
US08283594B2

A system for supplying fluids to a plasma arc torch includes a single-gas power supply for regulating supply of electrical power to the plasma arc torch and for regulating supply of a first fluid to the plasma arc torch, a flow regulator for regulating supply of a second fluid to the plasma arc torch, and a first pressure-actuated valve disposed between the flow regulator and the plasma arc torch. The pressure-actuated valve shuts off supply of the second fluid to the torch when the first pressure-actuated valve is closed and allows the second fluid to be supplied to the torch when the first pressure-actuated valve is open. The first pressure-actuated valve is structured and arranged to be opened by pressure of the first fluid being supplied to the torch and to be closed when the first fluid is not being supplied to the torch. The system can also include a second pressure-actuated valve in the supply line for the first fluid, which is opened by pressure of the second fluid being supplied to the torch.
US08283591B2

A welding apparatus includes a first electrode tip; a second electrode tip opposing the first electrode tip; and an electrically conductive part which is provided so as to be freely interposed between the second electrode tip and a work and ensures electrical conduction between the second electrode tip and the work when the electrically conductive part is interposed between the second electrode tip and the work, the electrically conductive part including an electrically conductive member one side of which opposes the work with a presence of a void space from the work when the electrically conductive member is interposed between the second electrode tip and the work, and against which the second electrode tip is abutted on another side thereof, and a pair of electrically conductive abutment members which are provided integrally with the electrically conductive member in such a manner as to extend toward the work, and distal ends of which are abutted against the work, a position of abutment of the electrically conductive member against the second electrode tip being positioned between the pair of abutment members.
US08283581B2

An integral keyboard assembly is provided. The integral keyboard assembly includes a top casing, a keyboard module, and a support plate. The first surface of the top casing is defined a keyboard bonding area where a plurality of openings is arranged as a keyboard structure distribution. The keyboard module includes multiple keys with interspaces formed therebetween. Each of the keys is inserted into a corresponding one of the openings. The support plate is coupled to the top casing so that the keyboard module is sandwiched between the top casing and the support plate. By implementing the present invention, the keyboard assembly has better integrity and space impression. Furthermore, the keyboard module is provided with improved support by utilizing the support plate.
US08283576B2

A control box arrangement including at least one control box, the inside of which is sub-divided, or can be sub-divided, into a plurality of compartments which are arranged one above the other and can be closed in a sealing manner by associated doors with a peripheral sealing arrangement acting on the inside of the doors. The doors are connected, by one of the vertical sides thereof, to a frame of the control box in question by hinges in an articulated manner, and can be closed by a closing mechanism on the opposite vertical side. A first hinge section is fixed to a vertical section of the frame by a fixing section, and the door is mounted on an articulated section of the first hinge section in an articulated manner by a second hinge section applied thereto. A variable structural division of the inside of the control box and a corresponding arrangement of the doors is enabled if, in the closed state, the fixing section is arranged inside the peripheral sealing arrangement, while the articulated section is arranged outside the sealing arrangement.
US08283572B2

A printed circuit board includes a reference layer configured to connect to a power or a ground and a dielectric layer stacked on the reference layer. The dielectric layer includes a component surface opposing the reference layer. The component surface forms a differential pairs, a protection runner, and a power runner. The differential pairs include a substantially linear part. The protection runner is intervened between the linear part and the power runner, and is substantially parallel to the differential pairs. The length of the protection runner is approximately equal to that of the linear part. Each of the two ends of the protection runner forms a via that electrically connects the protection runner to the reference layer.
US08283570B2

A semiconductor assembly includes a multilayer wiring board including at least three insulating layers, first, second and third insulating layers and a semiconductor device attached to one principal surface of the first insulating layer. The first, second and third insulating layers are stacked in this order. The multilayer wiring board further includes a heat-insulating member made of a material having a lower thermal conductivity than the insulating layers. The heat-insulating member is disposed between the first and second insulating layers or next to the first insulating layer at a side opposite to the one principal surface.
US08283567B2

A flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) simultaneously coupled to both surfaces of a substrate structure, e.g., a touch screen panel is provided. The FPCB includes a main substrate unit having a first pad unit and an auxiliary substrate unit extending from the main substrate unit to one side of the first pad unit. The auxiliary substrate unit includes a first substrate unit positioned parallel with the first pad unit along a first direction, a second substrate unit including a second pad unit, the second substrate unit spaced apart from the first substrate unit in a second direction, orthogonal to the first direction, and a plurality of third substrate units extending along the second direction between the first and second substrate units.
US08283564B2

A termination tool for terminating multiple wires to a two part electrical connector assembly composed of a wire arrangement manifold and a jack housing is provided by the present disclosure. The termination tool includes a main tool body having a termination housing provided thereon including a first cavity, a second cavity and a passage extending between the first and second cavities. The first cavity has an open side to receive and is shaped to removably retain a wire arrangement manifold, the second cavity having an open side to receive and being shaped to removably retain a jack housing, and the passage being sized to allow, in use, the wire arrangement manifold to pass therethrough from the first cavity to the second cavity and having cutting means provided on opposing sides of its end proximate to the first cavity.
US08283556B2

A nanowire-based photonic device and an array employ nanowires connecting between coaxially arranged electrodes in a non-uniform manner along a vertical extent of the electrodes. The device includes a pair of the electrodes separated by a circumferential gap. The nanowires chaotically emanate from an inner electrode of the pair and connect across the circumferential gap to an outer electrode of the pair. The array includes an outer electrode having an interconnected pattern of cells and inner electrodes, one per cell, arranged coaxially with and separated from the outer electrode by respective circumferential gaps. The nanowires chaotically emanate from the inner electrodes and connect across the respective circumferential gaps of the cells to the outer electrode. The device and the arrays further include a semiconductor junction between the electrodes.
US08283554B2

An apparatus for obtaining radiant energy has first and second photovoltaic receivers. A primary curved reflective surface is disposed to reflect incident polychromatic radiation toward a first focal plane. A spectral separator is disposed between the first focal plane and the primary curved reflective surface. The spectral separator has a dichroic separating surface, convex with respect to the incident reflected polychromatic radiation and treated to reflect a first spectral band toward the first photovoltaic receiver and to transmit reflected polychromatic radiation outside the first spectral band. The spectral separator also has a curved separator reflective surface, convex with respect to the light transmitted through the dichroic separating surface and treated to reflect at least a portion of the light transmitted through the dichroic separating surface toward the second photovoltaic receiver.
US08283553B1

A system and method for generating electrical power from a heat source utilizing both photonic and thermal conversion are disclosed. Specifically, power is generated by coupling photon converters to thermoelectric pairs in a way such that the thermoelectric pairs gain not only the charge carriers (holes and electrons) generated by the photons absorbed by the photon converters, but also the charge carriers generated by excess heat in the photon converters and an added thermal gradient generated by excess energy in the absorbed photons. Heat exchanger variations for such a system are also disclosed. Specifically, heat exchangers with and without photon emitters are disclosed and variants of refractive indices for heat exchanger systems are disclosed.
US08283552B2

A module for removable insertion into a stringed instrument body, the body having a transverse cavity extending from a lateral edge. A first fixation device is attached to the body in the cavity and having electrically conductive contact members. The module includes a base configured to engage the cavity as the module travels along an axis of movement into the cavity. The pickup module assembly having a base slidably inserted into the cavity along an axis from the lateral edge between removed and inserted positions. A plurality of pickups are carried by the base in operative proximity to the strings. A second fixation device is attached to the base and positioned to slideably engage the first fixation device when the base is in the inserted position. First and second electrical connectors are electrically coupled to the plurality of pickups and connected to the second fixation device. The first and second electrical connectors are positioned to sequentially engage the first and second contact members when the base is moved toward the inserted position. The first or second electrical connector being a détente that engage the first fixation device and releaseably engage the first fixation device to limit lateral movement of the base away from the inserted position.
US08283551B2

Apparatus and method for seasoning stringed musical instruments comprises an electric vibration generator coupled to a string cradle. The string cradle is detachably attachable to the strings of the instrument through a plurality of flanges extending between the strings.
US08283546B2

An input sequence of musical notes is converted to a melodic contour by detecting note interval changes, e.g., in semitones, between consecutive musical notes in the sequence and mapping the detected note interval changes to corresponding change codes in a defined set of change codes, which have non-uniform step sizes for quantizing note interval changes. Correspondingly, a system, such as a local and/or a remote computer system system (e.g., a web-based melody search server) compares input melodic contours with a database of stored melodic contours to determine matching information, which can be provided to the users that generated the input sequences of musical notes. The system may be configured to search computer networks to identify audio files for representation in the database of stored melodic contours. Further, an embodiment provides for a graphical keyboard for entry of musical note sequences and/or provides for receiving such sequences through a MIDI port.
US08283545B2

The teachings described herein are generally directed to a system, method, and apparatus for learning music through an educational audio track embodied on a computer readable medium. The system can comprise components including a processor, an input device, a database, a transformation module, an emulation recording module, an integration engine, an output module, and an output device, wherein each component is operable in itself to perform it's function in the system and operable with other system components to provide a system to a user for learning music.
US08283541B2

A ligature is provided for use in a mouthpiece system for attaching a reed to a mouthpiece of a woodwind musical instrument. The ligature is constructed from overlapping layers of flexible strap to define pockets holding rigid bars. The ligature ends and rigid bars are brought together to form a loop that is placed over the mouthpiece and reed. A threaded closure mechanism is used to tighten the ligature around the mouthpiece. Within the interior of the loop, a rigid, weighted cradle is attached to the flexible strap by rivets. The cradle contains a plurality of identical cradle members stacked together in a laminated manner.
US08283534B2

According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH565013. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH565013, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH565013 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH565013.
US08283530B2

The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1023171. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1023171. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1023171 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1023171 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US08283528B1

A novel soybean variety, designated XB45Y10 is provided. Also provided are the seeds of soybean variety XB45Y10, cells from soybean variety XB45Y10, plants of soybean XB45Y10, and plant parts of soybean variety XB45Y10. Methods provided include producing a soybean plant by crossing soybean variety XB45Y10 with another soybean plant, methods for introgressing a transgenic, mutant trait, and/or native trait into soybean variety XB45Y10, methods for producing other soybean varieties or plant parts derived from soybean variety XB45Y10. Soybean seed, cells, plants, germplasm, breeding lines, varieties, and plant parts produced by these methods and/or derived from soybean variety XB45Y10 are further provided.
US08283522B2

The subject invention provides novel plants that are not only resistant to 2,4-D, but also to pyridyloxyacetate herbicides. Heretofore, there was no expectation or suggestion that a plant with both of these advantageous properties could be produced by the introduction of a single gene. The subject invention also includes plants that produce one or more enzymes of the subject invention “stacked” together with one or more other herbicide resistance genes. The subject invention enables novel combinations of herbicides to be used in new ways. Furthermore, the subject invention provides novel methods of preventing the development of, and controlling, strains of weeds that are resistant to one or more herbicides such as glyphosate. The preferred enzyme and gene for use according to the subject invention are referred to herein as AAD-12 (AryloxyAlkanoate Dioxygenase). This highly novel discovery is the basis of significant herbicide tolerant crop trait and selectable marker opportunities.
US08283519B2

The invention relates to plant transcription factor polypeptides, polynucleotides that encode them, homologs from a variety of plant species, variants of naturally-occurring sequences, and methods of using the polynucleotides and polypeptides to produce transgenic plants having advantageous properties, including improved cold and other osmotic stress tolerance, as compared to wild-type or reference plants. The invention also pertains to expression systems that may be used to regulate these transcription factor polynucleotides, providing constitutive, transient, inducible and tissue-specific regulation.
US08283500B2

An azeotrope comprising desflurane (CF3CFHOCF2H) and hydrogen fluoride (HF). The azeotrope can be prepared by fractionally distilling a crude mixture of desflurane and HF. Purer desflurane can be readily and easily separated from the azeotrope. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader quickly to ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the appended issued claims.
US08283497B2

The present invention relates to novel tricyanoborates of the general formula Catn+[B(CN)3(XR1)]—n, wherein R1 is C1-6 alkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, C6-10 aryl or benzyl; X is oxygen or sulfur; and Catn+ is a cation with n being 1 or 2, which is selected from the group consisting of an inorganic cation and an organic cation; and also their preparation and use.
US08283493B2

Process for the production of acetic acid by (a) introducing methanol, methyl acetate, dimethyl ether and/or methyl iodide and carbon monoxide into a first reaction zone containing a liquid reaction composition comprising a carbonylation catalyst, optionally a carbonylation catalyst promoter, methyl iodide, methyl acetate, acetic acid and water, (b) withdrawing at least a portion of the liquid reaction composition together with dissolved and/or entrained carbon monoxide and other gases from the first reaction zone, (c) passing at least a portion of the withdrawn liquid reaction composition to a second reaction zone, wherein at least a portion of the dissolved and/or entrained carbon monoxide is consumed, (d) passing at least a portion of the liquid reaction composition from the second reaction zone into a flash separation zone to form a vapor fraction, which comprises acetic acid, methyl iodide, methyl acetate and low pressure off-gas, comprising carbon monoxide; and a liquid fraction, which comprises carbonylation catalyst and optional carbonylation catalyst promoter, and (e) passing the vapor fraction from the flash separation zone to one or more distillation zones to recover acetic acid product. The temperature of the liquid reaction composition withdrawn from the first reaction zone is in the range of 170 to 195° C.; and the temperature of the liquid reaction composition passed from the second reaction zone to the flash separation zone is at least 8° C. greater than the temperature of the liquid reaction composition withdrawn from the first reaction zone.
US08283491B2

The present invention is directed to an isomerized alpha olefin sulfonate and a method of making the same wherein the isomerized alpha olefin sulfonate is derived from sulfonating an isomerized alpha olefin with sulfur trioxide in the presence of air thereby producing an isomerized alpha olefin sulfonic acid, wherein the isomerized alpha olefin is derived from the isomerization of C12-C40 normal alpha olefins; and neutralizing the isomerized alpha olefin sulfonic acid with a source of a mono-valent cation.
US08283486B2

Disclosed are a radiation-polymerizable functional group-containing organosilicon compound, including (A) a norbornane skeleton structure, (B) a hydrolyzable silyl group bonded directly to the norbornane skeleton structure, and (C) a radiation-polymerizable functional group bonded to the norbornane skeleton structure, either directly or via a carbon atom, a hetero atom, or a combination thereof, and a method of producing the radiation-polymerizable functional group-containing organosilicon compound. Also disclosed are a haloalkyl group-containing organosilicon compound, including (D) a norbornane skeleton structure, (E) a hydrolyzable silyl group bonded directly to the norbornane skeleton structure, and (F) a haloalkyl group, which is bonded directly to the norbornane skeleton structure and either contains or does not contain a hetero atom, and a method of producing the haloalkyl group-containing organosilicon compound. These organosilicon compounds are useful as silane coupling agents having superior heat resistance stability.
US08283483B2

A polymerisable ethylenically unsaturated macromonomer being the reaction product of: i) an adduct formed from the reaction of an unsaturated non-mineral oil reacted with an enophile having an acid, ester or anhydride moiety and ii) an ethylenically unsaturated monomer having a moiety reactive with the acid, ester or anhydride moiety of the enophile and iii) a chain extender material having at least two moieties reactive with the acid, ester or anhydride moiety of the enophile.
US08283481B2

A compound of formula (I): wherein: R1 is —SR10, —O—C(O)—R11, —NR12R13, where R10 is a C1-8-alkyl group or a phenyl group unsubstituted or substituted by a C1-4-alkyl group, R11 is a thiophenenyl, furanyl or pyrrolyl group, R12 is H or a C1-4-alkyl group and R13 is a C1-8-alkyl group or a phenyl group unsubstituted or substituted by a C1-4-alkyl group; R2 is H or a C1-4-alkyl group; R3 and R4 are independently H or C1-4-alkyl groups; R5 and R6 are independently H, OH or OR14, or taken together are ═O, where R14 is a protecting group; R7 is H or a C1-4-alkyl group; and, R8 is H, R9 is OH and R15 is H, or R15 is H and R8 and R9 taken together are —O—, or R9 is OH and R8 and R15 taken together form a bond; and, R18 and R19 are both H, or R18 and R19 taken together form a bond, or a plant physiologically acceptable salt thereof is useful for inhibiting 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED) in a plant or seed and is therefore useful for regulating ABA biosynthesis in the plant or seed.
US08283480B2

The present invention relates to a photo-curable perfluoropolyether group-containing acrylate compound represented by the following formula (1): X1—[Z—Rf—Z—X2]v—Z—Rf—Z—X1  (1) wherein Rf is a divalent perfluoropolyether group; X1 is a group represented by the following formula (2): R2 is a group represented by the following formula (4): X2 is a group represented by the following formula (5): and Z is a divalent organic group.
US08283470B2

A method for the preparation of solifenacin by reacting quinuclidin-3-ol and bis (aryl) carbonate to form (3R)-1-azabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-3-yl 4-aryl carbonate of formula (IVa); and treating (3R)-1-azabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-3-yl 4-aryl carbonate of formula (IVa) with (1S)-1-phenyl- 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline of formula (V) in an inert atmosphere to form a Solifenacin base, which is converted into its pharmaceutically acceptable salts. The invention also provides a compound, (3R)-1-azabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-3-yl 4-aryl carbonate of formula (IVa), which is used as an intermediate for the preparation of Solifenacin base and a process for the preparation thereof.
US08283458B2

The present invention relates to DNA sequences encoding Vmp-like polypeptides of pathogenic Borrelia, the use of the DNA sequences in recombinant vectors to express polypeptides, the encoded amino acid sequences, application of the DNA and amino acid sequences to the production of polypeptides as antigens for immunoprophylaxis, immunotherapy, and immunodiagnosis. Also disclosed are the use of the nucleic acid sequences as probes or primers for the detection of organisms causing Lyme disease, relapsing fever, or related disorders, and kits designed to facilitate methods of using the described polypeptides, DNA segments and antibodies.
US08283452B2

Described are methods for separating hemagglutinin (HA) antigens, comprising the steps of applying a reduced and derivatized antigen preparation comprising solubilized HA antigens and a detergent in a pH controlled solution, on a Reversed-Phase High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (RP-HPLC) column; and eluting the HA antigens from the column with an ion pairing agent in an organic mobile phase. The invention further relates to quantifying methods using the methods for separating the antigens with the further step of measuring the peak area of the eluted antigen in a chromatogram resulting from the elution step.
US08283449B2

A conjugate protein comprising an IL-2 and a soluble TGF-beta type II receptor type B and its use in cancer immunotherapy are described.
US08283448B2

IL-28A, IL-28B, IL-29, and certain mutants thereof have been shown to have antiviral activity on a spectrum of viral species. Of particular interest is the antiviral activity demonstrated on viruses that infect liver, such as hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus. In addition, IL-28A, IL-28B, IL-29, and mutants thereof do not exhibit some of the antiproliferative activity on hematopoietic cells that is observed with interferon treatment. Without the immunosuppressive effects accompanying interferon treatment, IL-28A, IL-28B, and IL-29 will be useful in treating immunocompromised patients for viral infections.
US08283443B2

The present invention provides a method for purifying a protein, includes the step of: contacting a fusion protein of a first protein and a second protein with a bivalent cation-containing solution, the fusion protein being adsorbed to a silicon oxide-containing substance, the first protein being capable of binding to the silicon oxide-containing substance in a solution containing 0.1M sodium chloride. With this arrangement, it is possible to easily produce large quantity of proteins which are high in purity without sacrificing activity of the proteins.
US08283419B2

This invention relates to a process to functionalize propylene co-oligomer comprising contacting an alkene metathesis catalyst with a heteroatom containing alkene, and a propylene a co-oligomer having an Mn of 300 to 30,000 g/mol comprising 10 to 90 mol % propylene and 10 to 90 mol % of ethylene, wherein the oligomer has at least X % allyl chain ends, where: 1) X=(−0.94 (mol % ethylene incorporated)+100), when 10 to 60 mol % ethylene is present in the co-oligomer, and 2) X=45, when greater than 60 and less than 70 mol % ethylene is present in the co-oligomer, and 3) X=(1.83*(mol % ethylene incorporated)−83), when 70 to 90 mol % ethylene is present in the co-oligomer. This invention also relates to a process to functionalize propylene homo-oligomer comprising contacting an alkene metathesis catalyst with a heteroatom containing alkene, and a propylene homo-oligomer, comprising propylene, wherein the oligomer has: at least 93% allyl chain ends, an Mn of about 500 to about 20,000 g/mol, an isobutyl chain end to allylic vinyl group ratio of 0.8:1 to 1.2:1.0, and less than 100 ppm aluminum.
US08283413B2

The present invention is drawn to an aqueous emulsion composition. The composition includes an aqueous phase and a hydrophobic phase dispersed in the aqueous phase, which includes a plurality of hydrophobic monomers. The monomers are acid-functionalized and hydrophobic, with less than 10% solubility in water. In one aspect, the monomers can be aromatic. Such monomers can be polymerized with other monomers to form latex particulates. A latex can include latex particulates dispersed in an aqueous fluid medium. In one embodiment, latex particulates can include from about 0.1 wt % to about 25 wt % of polymerized hydrophobic acid-functionalized monomer, and at least one other polymerized film-forming monomer. The latex can be formulated as an ink-jet ink.
US08283412B2

Matrixes doped with semiconductor nanocrystals are provided. In certain embodiments, the semiconductor nanocrystals have a size and composition such that they absorb or emit light at particular wavelengths. The nanocrystals can comprise ligands that allow for mixing with various matrix materials, including polymers, such that a minimal portion of light is scattered by the matrixes. The matrixes are optionally formed from the ligands. The matrixes of the present invention can also be utilized in refractive index matching applications. In other embodiments, semiconductor nanocrystals are embedded within matrixes to form a nanocrystal density gradient, thereby creating an effective refractive index gradient. The matrixes of the present invention can also be used as filters and antireflective coatings on optical devices and as down-converting layers. Processes for producing matrixes comprising semiconductor nanocrystals are also provided. Nanostructures having high quantum efficiency, small size, and/or a narrow size distribution are also described, as are methods of producing indium phosphide nanostructures and core-shell nanostructures with Group II-VI shells.
US08283411B2

Esters of cyclohexane polycarboxylic acids are used as plasticizers for polyvinyl chloride to enable products with comparable mechanical properties to be obtained using less polyvinyl chloride. Use of these esters also produces formulations with increased stability to ultra-violet light, improved low temperature properties, lower viscosity and improved processability as well as reduced smoke on burning. The esters of cyclohexane polycarboxylic acids may be used alone or in admixture with other plasticizers when the esters of cyclohexane polycarboxylic acids may act as viscosity depressants. Fast fusing plasticizers may also be included. The formulations are particularly useful in the production of a range of goods from semi-rigid to highly flexible materials and are particularly useful in the production of medical materials such as blood bags and tubing.
US08283400B2

An adhesive and method for hot melt adhesive application. The adhesive comprises polyolefin base polymer and from 1 to 15 wt % of a at least two wax components, based on the total weight of the polyolefin base polymer and the at least two wax components, wherein the at least two wax components comprise a first wax component having a relatively low weight average molecular weight at least 1000 g/mole less than a second wax component having a relatively high weight average molecular weight. The adhesive may have at least 50% fiber tear at 25° C., and a characteristic set time of less than 3 seconds. The adhesive may also include from 1 to 10 wt % of at least one functionalized polyolefin.
US08283393B2

The instant invention is a device for producing dispersions and method of producing dispersions. The device for producing dispersions includes a first stator, a second stator, a shell encasing the first stator and the second stator, a rotor being disposed therebetween the first stator and the second stator thereby forming a first chamber and a second chamber, at least one first inlet port into the first chamber, and at least one outlet port out of the second chamber. The device may optionally include at least one additional second inlet port into the second chamber. The method of producing a polyurethane dispersion includes the following steps: (1) providing a device for producing a dispersion including a first stator, a second stator, a shell encasing the first stator and the second stator, a rotor being disposed therebetween the first stator and the second stator thereby forming a first chamber and a second chamber, at least one first inlet port into the first chamber, at least one outlet port out of the second chamber; and optionally one or more additional second inlet ports into the second chamber; (2) introducing a prepolymer phase and an aqueous phase into the first chamber via the first inlet ports; (3) emulsifying the prepolymer phase in the aqueous phase; (4) thereby producing a prepolymer emulsion; (5) introducing a chain extender agent into the emulsion in the second chamber via the second inlet port; (6) chain extending the prepolymer; and (7) thereby producing a polyurethane dispersion.
US08283390B2

Disclosed herein is a foam that includes a polysiloxane block copolymer; the polysiloxane block copolymer including a first block that comprises a polysiloxane block and a second block that includes an organic polymer; the second block not containing a polysiloxane; the polysiloxane block being about 5 to about 45 repeat units; the foam having average pore sizes of less than or equal to about 100 nanometers.
US08283387B2

Process for converting carbon oxide(s) and hydrogen containing feedstocks to oxygen containing hydrocarbon compounds, in the presence of a particulate catalyst, by reacting carbon oxide(s) and hydrogen in the presence of a particulate catalyst in a conversion reactor to form products containing oxygen containing hydrocarbon compounds. Ether(s) selected from ethyl, propyl and butyl ether are added and reacted inside the conversion reactor.
US08283386B2

Method of operating a three-phase slurry reactor includes feeding at a low level at least one gaseous reactant into a vertically extending slurry body of solid particles suspended in a suspension liquid, the slurry body being contained in at least two vertically extending shafts housed within a common reactor shell, each shaft being divided into a plurality of vertically extending channels at least some of which are in slurry flow communication and the slurry body being present in at least some of the channels. The gaseous reactant is allowed to react as it passes upwardly through the slurry body present in at least some of the channels of the shafts, thereby to form a non-gaseous and/or a gaseous product. Gaseous product, if present, and/or unreacted gaseous reactant is allowed to disengage from the slurry body in a head space above the slurry body.
US08283383B2

Compounds of the formula I: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein, R1 is optionally substituted phenyl or optionally substituted pyridinyl, and R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8 and R9 are as defined herein. Also disclosed are methods of using the compounds for treating diseases associated with P2X3 and/or a P2X2/3 receptor antagonists and methods of making the compounds.
US08283376B2

The invention relates to the use of substituted 2-aminotetralins of general formula (I) as a medicament for the preventive treatment of Parkinson's disease.
US08283375B2

The disclosure herein provides a compound of formula 1. The disclosure also provides a method of synthesizing the compound of formula 1. The compound of formula 1 or its pharmaceutical acceptable salts, as well as polymorphs, solvates, and hydrates thereof may be formulated as pharmaceutical composition. The pharmaceutical composition of compound of formula 1 or the final compound may be formulated for non-invasive peroral, topical (example transdermal), enteral, transmucosal, targeted delivery, sustained release delivery, delayed release, pulsed release and parenteral methods. Such compositions may be used to treat chronic pain manifested with chronic diseases or its associated complications. The compound may also be offered as a kit.
US08283374B2

The present invention relates to processes for preparing (3-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-isoindol-1-yl)acetylguanidine derivatives of the formula I via 3-hydroxy-2,3-dihydro-1H-isoindol-1-one derivatives or 3-(2-carbamoylphenyl)-acrylic ester derivatives as intermediates, to a process for optical resolution, and to intermediates of the process according to the invention.
US08283367B2

The present invention provides boronic acid compounds, boronic esters, and compositions thereof that can modulate apoptosis such as by inhibition of proteasome activity. The compounds and compositions can be used in methods of inducing apoptosis and treating diseases such as cancer and other disorders associated directly or indirectly with proteasome activity.
US08283366B2

The present invention relates to compounds of Formula I or pharmaceutically acceptable salts, solvates or formulations thereof. Compounds of Formula I inhibit HIV-integrase enzyme and are useful for preventing and treating of HIV infection, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), AIDS-related complex (ARC), hepatitis C, and other diseases and conditions caused or mediated by HIV infection.
US08283365B2

This invention relates to modulation of the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) by a compound of formula (I) or a salt thereof
US08283363B2

The present invention relates to novel carboxamide compounds and their use for the manufacture of a medicament. The carboxamide compounds are inhibitors of calpain (calcium dependant cysteine proteases). The invention therefore also relates to the use of these carboxamide compounds for treating a disorder associated with an elevated calpain activity.The carboxamide compounds are compounds of the general formula I in which R1, R2, R3a, R3b, R4, Q, Y, A and X have the meanings mentioned in the claims and the description, the tautomers thereof and the pharmaceutically suitable salts thereof. In particular, the compounds have the general formula Ia and Ib in which R1, r, R2b, R3a, R3b, R4, Y and X have the meanings mentioned in the claims, including the tautomers thereof and the pharmaceutically suitable salts thereof. Of these compounds those are preferred wherein Y is a moiety CH2—CH2, CH2—CH2—CH2, N(Ry#)—CH2, N(Ry#)—CH2—CH2 or CH═CH—CH═, each optionally having 1 or 2 H-atoms replaced with identical or different radicals Ry, wherein Ry and Ry# have the meanings mentioned in the claims.
US08283362B2

Compounds of formula in free or salt or solvate form, where Ar is a group of formula Y is carbon or nitrogen and R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, X, n, p, q and r are as defined in the specification, their preparation and their use as pharmaceuticals, particularly for the treatment of obstructive or inflammatory airways diseases.
US08283359B2

A series of thieno[2,3-b]pyridine derivatives which are substituted in the 2-position by a substituted anilino moiety, being selective inhibitors of human MEK (MAPKK) enzymes, are accordingly of benefit in medicine, for example in the treatment of inflammatory, autoimmune, cardiovascular, proliferative (including oncological) and nociceptive conditions.
US08283357B2

The present invention provides a compound of general Formula (I) having histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitory activity, a pharmaceutical composition comprising the compound, and a method useful to treat diseases using the compound.
US08283355B2

Pyrimidine deriviatives are ubiquination inhibitors that inhibit the ubiquitin ligase activity, particularly of POSH polypeptides, are useful for the treatment of viral infections and neurological disorders.
US08283354B2

The present invention relates to compounds useful as inhibitors of voltage-gated sodium channels. The invention also provides pharmaceutically acceptable compositions comprising the compounds of the invention and methods of using the compositions in the treatment of various disorders.
US08283350B2

The invention generally relates to compositions and methods for reducing capillary permeability. The compositions comprise highly selective alpha-2 adrenergic receptor agonists, at low concentrations, such as below 0.05% weight by volume. The compositions preferably comprise brimonidine. The compositions preferably have pH between about 5.5 and about 6.5.
US08283348B2

The present invention relates to novel 1-benzyl-3-hydroxymethylindazole derivatives according to formula (I) described in the claims, and to a pharmaceutical composition comprising them, together with a pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle. In addition, the present invention relates to the use of 1-benzyl-3-hydroxymethylindazole derivatives for the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition that is active in the treatment of diseases based on the expression of MCP-1, CX3CR1 and p40, and to their use in a method for treating or preventing diseases based on the expression of MCP-1, CX3CR1 and p40.
US08283347B2

A non-leaching mediator may include a compound having the general formula (I): and salts thereof, where n is about 9, and X is a halogen; a compound having the general formula (II): and salts thereof, where n is about 9, and X is a halogen; and/or a compound, having the general formula (III): and salts thereof, where n is about 8, and X is a halogen.
US08283346B2

The described invention relates to novel human immunodeficiency virus protease inhibitors, pharmaceutical compositions containing at least one such inhibitor, methods of preparing such inhibitors, and methods of utilizing such inhibitors to treat HIV and HIV-related disorders.
US08283345B2

Disclosed are azetidine analogues of nucleosidase and nucleoside phosphorylase inhibitors, the use of these compounds as pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical compositions containing the compounds, methods of treating certain diseases using the compounds, processes for preparing the compounds, and intermediates useful in the preparation of the compounds.
US08283344B2

The invention is directed to a method of treating severe neutropenia, and in particular, cyclic neutropenia (CN) or severe congenital neutropenia (SCN), in a patient in need of such treatment comprising: administering a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of Formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
US08283341B2

A method for providing neuroprotection to a patient in need of neuroprotection, comprising administering a neuroprotective-effective amount of a compound of formula I in which X is an oxygen atom or an ═N—OH group, R is selected from the group consisting of A is a hydrogen atom or together with B a carbon-carbon bond, B is a hydrogen atom, a hydroxy group or together with A a carbon-carbon bond, C is a hydrogen atom or together with D a carbon-carbon bond, D is a hydrogen atom or together with C a carbon-carbon bond, E is a hydrogen atom or together with F a carbon-carbon bond, F is a hydrogen atom or together with E a carbon-carbon bond, or an addition salt with a pharmaceutically acceptable acid.
US08283338B2

The present invention provides a postprandial GIP secretion inhibitor comprising potassium alginate as an active ingredient. The postprandial GIP secretion inhibitor of the present invention is useful as a medicine or a food product. The present invention also provides use of potassium alginate for the manufacture of a postprandial GIP secretion inhibitor. The present invention also provides a method for inhibiting postprandial GIP secretion, which comprises administering potassium alginate to a subject in need thereof or causing a subject in need thereof to consume potassium alginate.
US08283329B2

A process is provided of introducing an RNA into a living cell to inhibit gene expression of a target gene in that cell. The process may be practiced ex vivo or in vivo. The RNA has a region with double-stranded structure. Inhibition is sequence-specific in that the nucleotide sequences of the duplex region of the RNA and of a portion of the target gene are identical. The present invention is distinguished from prior art interference in gene expression by antisense or triple-strand methods.
US08283326B2

The invention relates to a crystalline form of 4-(β-D-glucopyranos-1-yl)-1-methyl-2-[4-((S)-tetrahydrofuran-3-yloxy)-benzyl]-benzene, to a method for the preparation thereof, as well as to the use thereof for preparing medicaments.
US08283325B2

A variety of compositions that include a metal oxide, films and batteries comprising one or more of the compositions, and methods of making the same.
US08283324B2

The present invention is related to the development of peptides derived from the sequence HYRIKPTFRRLKWKYKGKFW (SEQ ID NO.: 13), showing amino acid substitutions, these peptides unable to bind to the lipopolysaccharides and bearing anti-tumoral and immunomodulatory capacities. These peptides alone or in combination are useful to treat cancer, and also in synergy with conventional therapies.
US08283319B2

The present invention relates to the therapeutic application of the Kazal-type serine protease inhibitor Infestin or domains thereof or modified Kazal-type serine protease inhibitors based on Infestin homologs, which prevent the formation and/or stabilization of three-dimensional arterial or venous thrombi by interfering with proteins involved in activation of the so-called intrinsic coagulation pathway. The present invention also relates to the use of Kazal-type serine protease inhibitors or fragments thereof or modified Kazal-type serine protease inhibitors in the treatment or prophylaxis of a condition or disorder related to arterial thrombus formation, i.e. stroke or myocardial infarction, inflammation, complement activation, fibrinolysis, angiogenesis and/or diseases linked to pathological kinin formation such as hypotonic shock, edema including hereditary angioedema, bacterial infections, arthritis, pancreatitis, or articular gout, Disseminated Intravasal Coagulation (DIC) and sepsis.
US08283316B2

The invention is directed to novel cellular factor-containing solution compositions (referred to herein as “CFS” compositions), including novel sustained-release cellular factor-containing solution compositions (referred to herein as “SR-CFS” compositions), methods of making such novel compositions and uses thereof.
US08283313B2

A method of increasing hematopoietic stem cell production is disclosed. The method includes administering a TPO mimetic compound to a subject. Pharmaceutical compositions including a TPO mimetic compound and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier are also disclosed.
US08283302B2

The invention comprises a hard surface cleaning composition including an environmentally friendly, surfactant derived from renewable bio-based resources. The cleaning composition includes a mixture of alkyl polypentosides and alkyl polyglucosides having primarily between 8 and 11 carbon atoms as a surfactant, an acid source, an optional solvent, a water conditioning agent and water. The hard surface cleaner is preferably substantially free of alkyl phenol ethoxylates and is effective at removing food soils including 20% protein.
US08283288B2

The present invention provides a thermal transfer receiving sheet comprising a sheet-like support, an image receiving layer containing, as a main component, a dye-dyeable resin formed on one surface of the sheet-like support, and a back surface coating layer containing an adhesive resin formed on the other surface of the sheet-like support, wherein the back surface coating layer contains a polyvinyl pyrrolidone resin in an amount of 1 to 50% by weight based on the total solid content of the back surface coating layer.
US08283277B2

The present invention relates to a coating material comprising (A) at least one binder as component (A) and (B) at least one photocatalytically active particle comprising a core composed of at least one first substance having a diameter of 0.1 to 1 μm and at least one envelope at least partly surrounding the core and composed of at least one second substance having an average layer thickness of 0.1 to 10 nm as component (B).
US08283275B2

A carbon nanotube, a method of preparing the same, a supported catalyst including the same, and a fuel cell using the supported catalyst are provided. The method of preparing the carbon nanotube includes: depositing a metal catalyst in single wall nanotubes and growing multi wall nanotubes over the single wall nanotubes using the metal catalyst. The carbon nanotubes of the present invention have satisfactory specific surface area and low surface resistance. Thus, the carbon nanotubes perform remarkably better than a conventional catalyst carrier. Accordingly, the carbon nanotubes, when used as a catalyst carrier of an electrode for a fuel cell, can improve the electrical conductivity of the fuel cell. In addition, a fuel cell employing the electrode has excellent efficiency and overall performance.
US08283267B2

A fabric for bedding which includes a woven fabric having warp yarns and filling yarns woven to provide a smooth fabric surface. One of the warp or filling yarns being at least 40% by weight of the fabric of continuous filament nylon, and the other of the warp or filling yarns being from about 0% to 60% by weight of the fabric of continuous filament polyester or nylon having non-round filament cross sections. An antimicrobial substance is topically applied or inherently available in the fabric.
US08283262B2

A method for depositing a layer on a semiconductor wafer using chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The method includes providing a chamber having an inlet opening and an outlet opening and a channel joining the inlet opening and the outlet opening, wherein the channel is bounded at the bottom by a plane and at the top by a window transmissive to thermal radiation. A semiconductor wafer is disposed so that a surface of the semiconductor lies in the plane, wherein the window has a center region disposed over the semiconductor wafer and an edge region surrounding the center region and not disposed over the semiconductor wafer. A distance between the plane and the window varies across the chamber, the distance being greater at the edge region than at the center region. A tangent applied to a radial profile of the distance at a boundary between the center region and the edge region forms an angle with the plane of not less than 15° and not more than 25°. A deposition gas is conducted through the channel from the gas inlet opening over the semiconductor wafer to the gas outlet opening, wherein a speed at which the deposition gas is conducted varies over the semiconductor wafer according to the varying distance between the plane and the window.
US08283258B2

Methods and etchant compositions for wet etching to selectively remove a hafnium aluminum oxide (HfAlOx) material relative to silicon oxide (SiOx) are provided.
US08283257B2

Systems and methods for oscillating exposure of a semiconductor workpiece to multiple chemistries are disclosed. A method in accordance with one embodiment includes sequentially exposing a portion of a semiconductor workpiece surface to a first chemistry having a first chemical composition and a second chemistry having a second chemical composition different than the first. Prior to rinsing the portion of the workpiece surface, the portion is sequentially exposed to the first and second chemistries again. The first and second chemistries are removed from the portion, and, after sequentially exposing the portion to each of the first and second chemistries at least twice, and removing the first and second chemistries, the portion is rinsed and dried.
US08283246B2

The invention involves mounting a solder resin composition (6) including a solder powder (5a) and a resin (4) on the first electronic component (2); arranging such that the connecting terminals (3) of the first electronic component (2) and the electrode terminals (7) of the second electronic component (8) are facing each other; ejecting a gas (9a) from a gas generation source (1) included in the first electronic component (2) by heating the first electronic component (2) and the solder resin composition; and inducing the flow of the solder powder (5a) in the solder resin composition (6) by inducing convection of the gas (9a) in the solder resin composition (6), and electrically connecting the connecting terminals (3) and the electrode terminals (7) by self-assembly on the connecting terminals (3) and the electrode terminals (7). Through this are provided a flip chip packaging method that enables connecting, with high connection reliability, electrode terminals of a semiconductor chip wired with narrow pitch and connecting terminals of a circuit board, and a bump formation method for packaging on a circuit board.
US08283245B2

In one example, a method for fabricating a solar cell comprising a first electrode, a first-type layer, an intrinsic layer, a second-type layer and a second electrode is disclosed. At least one of the second-type layer, the intrinsic layer and the first-type layer is formed as a crystallized Si layer by an inductively coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition (ICP-CVD) device using mixed gas including hydrogen (H2) gas and silane (SiH4) gas, the mixed gas having a silane gas (SiH4) in a ratio of 0.016 to 0.02.
US08283244B2

A one-transistor dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cell includes a transistor which has a first source/drain region, a second source/drain region, a body region between the first and second source/drain regions, and a gate over the body region. The first source/drain region includes a Schottky diode junction with the body region and the second source/drain region includes an n-p diode junction with the body region.
US08283236B2

Some embodiments include capacitors. The capacitors may include container-shaped storage node structures that have, along a cross-section, a pair of upwardly-extending sidewalls. Individual sidewalls may have a narrower segment over a wider segment. Capacitor dielectric material and capacitor electrode material may be along the narrower and wider segments of the sidewalls. Some embodiments include methods of forming capacitors in which an initial container-shaped storage node structure is formed to have a pair of upwardly-extending sidewalls along a cross-section, with the sidewalls being of thickness that is substantially constant or increasing from a base to a top of the initial structure. The initial structure is then converted into a modified storage node structure by reducing thicknesses of upper segments of the sidewalls while leaving thicknesses of lower segments of the sidewalls substantially unchanged. Capacitor dielectric material and capacitor electrode material are formed along the modified storage node structure.
US08283234B2

An array is formed by a plurality of cells, wherein each cell is formed by a bipolar junction selection transistor having a first, a second, and a control region. The cell includes a common region, forming the second regions of the selection transistors, and a plurality of shared control regions overlying the common region. Each shared control region forms the control regions of a plurality of adjacent selection transistors and accommodates the first regions of the plurality of adjacent selection transistors as well as contact portions of the shared control region. Blocks of adjacent selection transistors of the plurality of selection transistors share a contact portion and the first regions of a block of adjacent selection transistors are arranged along the shared control region between two contact portions. A plurality of biasing structures are formed between pairs of first regions of adjacent selection transistors, for modifying a charge distribution in the shared control region below the biasing structures.
US08283229B2

Methods of fabricating vertical channel transistors may include forming an active region on a substrate, patterning the active region to form vertical channels at sides of the active region, forming a buried bit line in the active region between the vertical channels, and forming a word line facing a side of the vertical channel.
US08283226B2

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a first cap film over gate electrodes formed in a first active region and a second active region, etching the first cap film over the first active region, forming a second cap film over the gate electrodes formed in the first active region and the second active region, etching the second cap film over the first active region, etching the first active region using the gate electrodes to form concave portions in the first active region, and embedding a semiconductor material in the concave portions.
US08283223B2

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: forming a gate insulating film over a semiconductor substrate; forming a mask that has an opening at a position corresponding to the gate insulating film formed in an NMOSFET forming region and covers the gate insulating film; forming a first metal layer over the gate insulating film disposed in the NMOSFET forming region and the mask formed in a PMOSFET forming region; and performing a heat treatment to thermally diffuse a metal material forming the first metal layer into the gate insulating film formed in the NMOSFET forming region.
US08283222B2

A method for fabricating an integrated circuit device is disclosed which includes providing a substrate having first, second, and third regions; and forming first, second, and third gate structures in the first, second, and third regions, respectively. The first, second, and third gate structures include a gate dielectric layer, the gate dielectric layer being a first thickness in the first gate structure, a second thickness in the second gate structure, and a third thickness in the third gate structure. Forming the gate dielectric layer of the first, second, and third thicknesses can include forming an etching barrier layer over the gate dielectric layer in at least one of the first, second, or third regions while forming the first, second, and third gate structures, and/or prior to forming the gate dielectric layer in at least one of the first, second, or third regions, performing an implantation process on the at least one region.
US08283210B2

Chip cracking that occurs when a dicing step using a blade is carried out to acquire semiconductor chips with the reduced thickness of a semiconductor wafer is suppressed. When the semiconductor wafer is cut at the dicing step for the semiconductor wafer, a blade is advanced as follows: in dicing in a first direction (Y-direction in FIG. 12) along a first straight line, the blade is advanced from a first point to a second point. The first point is positioned in a first portion and the second point is opposed to the first point with a second straight line running through the center point of the semiconductor wafer in between.
US08283208B2

In a method of fabricating an integrated circuit device having a three-dimensional stacked structured, the step of fixing many chip-shaped semiconductor circuits to a support substrate or a circuit layer with a predetermined layout can be performed easily and efficiently with a desired accuracy. Temporary adhesion portions 12b of semiconductor chips 13 are temporarily adhered to corresponding temporary adhesion regions 72a of a carrier substrate 73a by way of water films 81. The carrier substrate 73a is then pressed toward a support substrate or a desired circuit layer, thereby contacting connecting portions 12 of the chips 13 on the carrier substrate 73a with corresponding predetermined positions on the support substrate or a circuit layer. Thereafter, by fixing the connecting portions 12 to the predetermined positions, the chips 13 are attached to the support substrate or the circuit layer with a desired layout.
US08283202B2

A method of fabricating a phase change memory element within a semiconductor structure includes etching an opening to an upper surface of a bottom electrode, the opening being formed of a height equal to a height of a metal region at a same layer within the semiconductor structure, depositing phase change material within the opening, recessing the phase change material within the opening, and forming a top electrode on the recessed phase change material.
US08283199B2

Embodiments of the present invention generally provide methods for forming conductive structures on the surfaces of a solar cell. In one embodiment, conductive structures are formed on the front surface of a solar cell by depositing a sacrificial polymer layer, forming patterned lines in the sacrificial polymer via a fluid jet, depositing metal layers over the front surface of the solar cell, and performing lift off of the metal layers deposited over the sacrificial polymer by dissolving the sacrificial polymer with a water based solvent. In another embodiment, conductive structures are formed on the back surface of a solar cell by depositing a sacrificial polymer layer, forming patterned lines in the sacrificial polymer via a fluid jet, depositing a metal layer over the back surface of the solar cell, and performing lift off of the metal layer deposited over the sacrificial polymer by dissolving the sacrificial polymer with a water based solvent, and completing selective metallization of the remaining metal lines.
US08283193B2

A method of manufacture an integrated circuit system includes: forming an insulation region in a base layer; filling an insulator in the insulation region around a perimeter of a main chip region; forming a contact directly on and within planar extents of the insulator; and forming an upper layer over the contact to protect the main chip region.
US08283187B2

One aspect of the present invention provides a device that includes a substrate; a first semiconducting layer; a transparent conductive layer; a transparent window layer. The transparent window layer includes cadmium sulfide and oxygen. The device has a fill factor of greater than about 0.65. Another aspect of the present invention provides a method of making the device.
US08283184B2

In a method for measurement of very small local magnetic fields, in particular of local magnetic stray fields produced by magnetic beads, at least one magnetoresistive element is used. The element includes a hard-magnetic reference layer and a soft-magnetic sensor layer, whose magnetization can be rotated to a parallel position or an antiparallel position with respect to the reference layer magnetization, and whose output signal which can be tapped off is dependent on the position of the sensor layer magnetization with respect to the reference layer magnetization. In this case, the magnetization of the sensor layer is saturated by way of an external saturation magnetic field in a direction at right angles to the reference layer magnetization, after which the magnetic field is switched off or reduced to such an extent that the magnetization of the sensor layer passes through a critical point as it comes out of saturation, at which critical point the rotation direction of the sensor layer magnetization can be influenced via an existing local magnetic field that is to be measured. Magnetoresistive elements are provided in the associated device and, in particular, are connected to form a bridge.
US08283182B2

A sample testing device for testing for the presence of a component of interest in a liquid sample comprises: (a) at least one capillary pathway which has an upstream end and a downstream end and which incorporates a reagent system capable of causing agglutination with said component to be detected (the test capillary); (b) preferably, but optionally, at least one capillary pathway having an upstream end and a downstream end (the control capillary); (c) a sampling region to which the liquid sample is applied and from which the sample is able to enter the upstream ends of the test capillary(s) and if present the control capillary(s); (d) a power source; (c) detection arrangements electrically associated with said power source for detecting the presence of liquid at a downstream region of said testing capillary(s) and if present the control capillary(s); (f) display means operated by said power source for indicating the result of the test; and (g) signal processing means associated with the power source, detection arrangement and display means for evaluating the result of the test and providing said result on the display means. The device may be used for a pregnancy test, more particularly for determining the presence of hCG in urine.
US08283177B2

A method for cleaning a fluidic system of a flow cytometer having a sheath pump to pump sheath fluid towards an interrogation zone and a waste pump to pump the sheath fluid and a sample fluid as waste fluid from the interrogation zone, wherein the sheath pump and/or the waste pump draw sample fluid into the flow cytometer through a drawtube towards the interrogation zone. The method includes controlling the sheath pump and the waste pump to cooperatively flush a fluid out through the drawtube, thereby cleaning the fluidic system of the flow cytometer.
US08283175B2

A test device for determining the concentration of at least one analyte in a sample using a element is proposed. The test device can be used particularly for glucose measurement, in particular blood glucose measurement, cholesterol measurement and/or coagulation measurement. The test device according to the invention comprises a housing with a closed state and an opened state, and a storage device for receiving at least one test element. The at least one test element is typically designed as a strip-shaped test element, and the storage device typically comprises a magazine. The magazine comprises a plurality of cavities, and the test elements are received substantially parallel to one another in the cavities. A measuring device and a dispensing device are also provided. The dispensing device comprises means for conveying the at least one test element from at least one storage position of the storage device during opening of the housing.
US08283171B2

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for transferring an agent into a cell. The method includes the steps of providing an agent outside of a cell and generating a vapor bubble and a plasma discharge between an avalanche electrode and a conductive fluid surrounding the cell. The vapor bubble and plasma discharge generate a mechanical stress wave and an electric field, respectively. The combination of this mechanical stress wave and electric field results in permeabilization of the cell, which in turn results in transfer of the agent into the cell.
US08283130B2

Disclosed are cloning and expression of a plurality of protein fragments of virB10, a Type IV Secretion System (TIVSS) in Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Such recombinant protein fragments are useful in the ELISA detection of anaplasma pathogen. The use of same as kits for ELISA is also disclosed.
US08283129B2

Disclosed herein is a colorectal cancer marker for diagnosing colorectal cancer based on ESM-I overexpression in tissues, cells or body fluids of colorectal cancer patients. Disclosed also is the use of the colorectal cancer marker in the development of therapeutic agents for cancer and in the diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer.
US08283126B2

A composition of matter suitable for use in identifying chemical compounds that bind to voltage-dependent ion channel proteins, the composition comprising a screening protein that comprises an ion channel voltage sensor domain of the ion channel protein immobilized on a solid support.
US08283124B2

The present invention relates to one or more peptides which may be used to test for the presence of antibodies to B. microti. These peptide are selected based on the strength and specificity of the human antibody response to B. microti. These peptides alone or in combination have a variety of uses, for example, as a component of a diagnostic assay or kit.
US08283120B2

A noncontact stirring method, a noncontact stirring apparatus, a method and apparatus for reacting nucleic acid hybridization using the apparatus, a method for detecting nucleic acid in a sample, an apparatus for detecting nucleic acid, a method for detecting antibodies in a sample, and an apparatus for detecting antibodies in minute droplets 1 μmL or less in an electric field are proposed that can be utilized to speed up biodetection processes, hybridization processes in DNA analysis, ELISA antigen fixing processes, blocking processes, antibody-antigen reaction processes and color reaction processes; and pathogen identification, CRP tests, methods of propagating cells or bacilli such as colon bacilli in a liquid culture medium, and chemical analyses.
US08283095B2

It is an object of the present invention to provide a photopolymerization initiator composition having high sensitivity and excellent storage properties, a photosensitive composition containing the photopolymerization initiator composition, and a thiourethane compound preferable for the photopolymerization initiator composition. The thiourethane compound of the present invention has 2 to 6 units each of which contains a moiety represented by the following formula (i) and a moiety represented by the following formula (ii). wherein R1 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, and R2 is —CO—, —COO— or —COOR3— (wherein R3 is an alkylene group of 2 to 6 carbon atoms).
US08283088B2

An object is to provide an electrolyte membrane that maintains excellent cell characteristics for a long time under high temperature and low water retention, as this is the most important point in fuel cells.A process for producing a polymer electrolyte membrane for fuel cells is provided, which process comprises in sequence: forming graft molecular chains by graft-polymerization of a vinyl silane coupling agent on a polymer film substrate that has phenyl groups capable of holding sulfonic acid groups; introducing sulfonic acid groups into phenyl groups contained in the graft molecular chains; and hydrolyzing and condensing alkoxy groups contained in the graft molecular chains so that a silane crosslinked structure is introduced between the graft molecular chains. A polymer electrolyte membrane produced by the process is also provided.
US08283085B2

A fuel cell includes a plurality of fuel cell units, each fuel cell unit including an electrode assembly formed by disposing electrodes on both sides of an electrolyte, a pair of separators that sandwich the electrode assembly, and gas sealing members that are disposed at an outer peripheral portion of the electrode assembly, and that seal respective reaction gas flow passages that are formed between each separator and the electrode assembly. In one of the separators of each of the fuel cell units, a through path is formed that penetrates the separator in the thickness direction thereof, and the through path formed in one of the separators of one of the fuel cell units and the through path formed in one of the separators of adjacent one of the fuel cell units are offset with each other as viewed in the thickness direction of the separators.
US08283079B2

A power generator includes a fuel container adapted to hold a hydrogen containing fuel. A two stage valve is coupled between a fuel cell and a fuel container and between a water reservoir and the fuel container. A pressure responsive actuator is coupled to the two stage valve and the fuel container.
US08283076B2

A microbial fuel cell is provided according to embodiments of the present invention including electricigenic microbes containing at least about 0.075 milligrams of protein per square centimeter of the anode surface area. In particular embodiments, the electricigenic microbes are disposed on the anode such that at least about 90% of the portion of the anode surface area has a layer of electricigenic microbes, the layer greater than about 1 micron in thickness. This thickness is indicative of the layer including at least a first stratum of electricigenic microbes in direct contact with the anode and a second stratum of electricigenic microbes in direct contact with the first stratum such that the second stratum is in indirect contact with the anode.
US08283069B2

A zinc-alkaline battery includes a negative electrode, a positive electrode, a separator, and an electrolyte. The negative electrode contains a zinc alloy powder including 20 to 50 wt % of a micropowder with a particle size of 75 μm or less. In a constant resistance discharge, a time period for the negative electrode potential to rise is shorter than a time period for the positive electrode potential to fall.
US08283067B2

There is provided an electric energy storage device which has a connection structure with a high connection reliability and which can suppress any contact of an outer package body with a connection terminal with a simple structure. The electric energy storage device comprises a battery element 10 retained in an outer package body 20 having a metal layer 21b, a tabular internal lead 31 connected to the battery element 10, a tabular external lead 32, a connection terminal 33 electrically connecting the internal lead 31 with the external lead 32, an internal insulating member 41, and an external insulating member 43. Flanges 33T, 33B at both ends of the connection terminal 33 depress the external insulating member 43, the outer package body 20, and the internal insulating member 41 between the tabular external lead 32 and internal lead 31, and the external insulating member 43 and/or internal insulating member 41 is pressed in between a penetration shaft 33S of the connection terminal 33 and the metal layer 21b.
US08283066B2

Electrochemical battery cells with strip-like electrodes and having a pressure contact between a lead from one of the electrodes and a sidewall of the cell container. An electrochemical cell having a spiral wound electrode assembly having an internal lead in direct pressure contact with a lithium foil negative electrode free of a separate current collector and in contact with an inner portion of the cell container, wherein specified contact between the lead and lithium foil provides current flow between the container and foil.
US08283065B2

A portable electronic device includes a housing, a battery cover, and a latching module. The battery cover has at least one protrusion. The latching module includes an elastic positioning element attached to the housing and a resisting element attached to the elastic positioning element. The at least one protrusion of the battery cover impels the resisting element to deform the elastic positioning element during assembly and disassembly.
US08283058B2

The present invention relates to a cuffing insert for turning in heat resistant superalloys and stainless steels comprising a very fine grained hard substrate and a coating. The substrate comprises WC from about 5 to about 8 wt % Co and from about 0.3 to about 1.5 wt % Cr. In addition to that ppm levels of Ti and Ta are present. The ratio of Me/Co=(at-% Ti+ at-% Nb+ at-% Ta)/at-% Co is lower than or equal to about 0.014−(CW_Cr)*0.008 and higher than about 0.0005. The average sintered WC-grain size is from about 0.5 to about 0.95 μm and CW_Cr from about 0.75 to about 0.95. The cemented carbide body is coated with a PVD TixAl1-xN-coating with an average composition of x being greater than about 0.4 but less than about 0.9, present as a single or multilayer coating with a total thickness of from about 1 to about 6 μm.
US08283055B2

A material for a light-emitting element is represented by a general formula (G1). In the general formula (G1), Ar1 represents a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group having 6 to 13 carbon atoms, Ar2, Ar3, and Ar4 each independently represent a substituted or unsubstituted arylene group having 6 to 13 carbon atoms, R1 to R8 independently represent hydrogen or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, R11 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group having 6 to 13 carbon atoms, and R12 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group having 6 to 13 carbon atoms.