US08639739B1
Disclosed are various embodiments involving the use of peer-to-peer teams to accomplish a goal. The specification of a joint goal for a peer-to-peer team is facilitated in a given peer, where the peer-to-peer team includes a plurality of peers. Also, communication is facilitated between respective pairs of the peers via a peer-to-peer network. A team control packet is maintained in each peer to indicate a performance of each peer in the peer-to-peer team. Also, the implementation of a plurality of tasks associated with respective ones of the peers is tracked, where the tasks are implemented in concert to achieve the joint goal.
US08639733B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide various communication techniques for communication between a mobile computing device and an accessory. An accessory protocol that is generic to the mobile computing device can be used for some communication. An application executing at the mobile computing device can communicate with the accessory using an application communication protocol. In some embodiments, the application communication protocol can be different from the accessory communication protocol. In other embodiments the application protocol may only be recognized by the application and the accessory. In some embodiments, messages conforming to an application protocol can be communicated between the application and the accessory by packaging the messages inside a message conforming to the accessory communication protocol.
US08639722B2
Ordering content in social networking applications is described. A method includes receiving a plurality of shared content pieces that are viewable and accessible by at least one viewer, wherein the shared content pieces are received from a personal web page owner. The method includes displaying the shared content pieces in an initial order, wherein the displayed shared content pieces are accessed in a viewer order determined by an individual viewer. The method includes receiving and storing the viewer order and an identity of the individual viewer in a data store. The method includes receiving approval from the personal web page owner to change the initial order. The method includes, in response to receiving the approval from the personal web page owner, changing the initial order based at least in part upon at least one of the viewer order and the identity of the individual viewer, thereby providing an adjusted order.
US08639715B1
Rich media search suggestions may be provided to search facility users. Rich media search suggestions may occupy various sizes of search suggestion presentation “real estate,” and may change size, for example, in response to user interaction. A search facility may partially or fully delegate responsibility for providing search suggestions to third party search suggestion providers. Available search suggestion places may be auctioned to interested third party search suggestion providers. Third party search suggestion providers may be responsible for providing search suggestion presentation specifications (e.g., specified with hypertext markup language) for the delegated search suggestion places. Such search suggestion presentation specifications may be provided at bid time and/or in real-time in response to search input by users. Search input by users may be “streamed” in real-time to third party search suggestion providers, and corresponding search suggestions updated in real-time by the third party search suggestion providers in response.
US08639711B2
A method and a system for evaluating data. The method comprises: receiving an Object Constraint Language (OCL) expression-based evaluation request; transforming at least part of the OCL expressions in the evaluation request into query requests; querying relevant data based on the query requests; and evaluating data obtained from the querying based on the evaluation request. The present invention may support evaluation of complex OCL expressions on a mass data set.
US08639693B1
Personal recommendations are provided to users based on a relationship between place listings which with a user has interacted and collections of place listings. The user may interact with a place listing by reviewing the place, or accessing a web page that includes user-reviewed places. The collections of place listings are used to calculate a recommendation score for a candidate listing based on aggregate co-occurrence of the place listing and the candidate listing in the collections. The recommendation scores identify a probability that the user would appreciate the candidate listing based on the user's interaction with the place listing. Justifications may also be provided for display on the user's device to identify the relevance of the recommended listing.
US08639683B2
A system and method for data analysis and digital forensics is provided. The system for data analysis and digital forensics may include: an online data forensic server for collecting and analyzing usage history information from an object device, which is subject to data collection, downloading and collecting data on the Internet based on the usage history information, requesting issuance of a timestamp token for the collected data, and receiving the issued timestamp token; a timestamp token issuing server for issuing the timestamp token for the collected data in response to the request for issuance of the timestamp token and proving the issued timestamp token to the online data forensic server; and a storage device for storing the collected data.
US08639673B2
For column compression of tabular data, similar type data segments are classified into classes for grouping the data segments into compression streams associated with each one of the classes. The compression streams are encoded based on a class-specific optimized encoding operation. The compression streams into one output buffer, wherein the compression streams are extracted.
US08639663B2
In each of a number of passes to deduplicate a data object, a transaction is started. Where an offset into the object has previously been set, the offset is retrieved; otherwise, the offset is set to reference a beginning of the object. A portion of the object beginning at the offset is deduplicated until an end-of-transaction criterion has been satisfied. The transaction is ended to commit deduplication; where the object has not yet been completely deduplicated, the offset is moved just past where deduplication has already occurred. The object is locked during each pass; other processes cannot access the object during each pass, but can access the object between passes. Each pass is relatively short, so the length of time in which the object is inaccessible is relatively short. By comparison, deduplicating an object within a single pass prevents other processes from accessing the object for a longer time.
US08639661B2
Both an edited version of a first image and an original version of the first image are stored at a first computing device. In response to a user request to synchronize images across multiple computing devices, both the edited version of the first image and the original version of the first image are synchronized with a second computing device. A user is allowed to revert to the original version of the first image regardless of on which of the multiple computing devices the edited version was changed.
US08639660B1
A method and apparatus for creating a database replica comprising receiving database information from a source server to create a database replica on a target server. The target server subsequently receives at least one set of update data (e.g., a transaction log) from the source server. Lastly, the target server modifies the database replica in accordance to changes detailed in the at least one set of said update data.
US08639658B1
Techniques relating to data deduplication at the file system level are disclosed. A system may include a block cache configured to store data blocks indicated as being shared by multiple files. The system may be coupled to a storage configured to permanently store data for the multiple files. The computer system may receive a file request, and, upon determining that the file request includes shared data, the computer system may service the request wholly or in part using the block cache. When multiple requests including multiple file identifiers (but referring to the same underlying shared data) are received, a shared (common) file identifier may be used in looking up data for the multiple requests, reducing block cache storage, and improving block cache performance and overall system operation.
US08639654B2
A method for updating speed limit, service stop location, or other attributes for road segments in a digital map (18) by extrapolating probe data from a subset of probe data which has been profiled to have originated from trustworthy probe traces. Probe measurements from a plurality of probes is collected and profiled against known information. From this, a subset of trustworthy probes is identified, comprising those probe traces which observe the known attribute of interest within an acceptable range for a majority of the driving time. These trustworthy probe traces are tracked during travel on other road segments whose attribute data is unknown or unreliable. A specification for the unknown or unreliable attribute on the other road segments can be extrapolated based on the collected information from all of the trustworthy probe traces as they travel that road segment. The digital map (18) can then be updated by setting attribute information in relation to the extrapolated behavior data. If atypical behavior is noticed in areas where there is high confidence of the particular attribute, then all probe measurements may be categorically rejected as unreliable.
US08639653B2
Methods, system, and computer program products for managing batch operations are provided. A method includes defining a window of time in which a batch will run by entering a batch identifier into a batch table, the batch identifier specifying a primary key of the batch table and is configured as a foreign key to a batch schedule table. The time is entered into the batch schedule table. The method further includes entering extract-transform-load (ETL) information into the batch table. The ETL information includes a workflow identifier, a parameter file identifier, and a location in which the workflow resides. The method includes retrieving the workflow from memory via the workflow identifier and location, retrieving the parameter file, and processing the batch, according to the process, workflow, and parameter file.
US08639648B2
The invention concerns a method for determining priority of a data item, the data item being sent from at least one first terminal or service associable with the first terminal to a second terminal and evaluated using a set of first rules associable with the sender of a data item and a set of second rules associable with the recipient of a data item. The invention is characterized in that the data item is associated with at least one tag characterizing the data item, weight factor for the data item is maintained using the set of first rules and the value of the at least one tag, the weight factor of the data item is made adjustable by the set of second rules and the data item is rendered on the second terminal using at least the weight factor information. Also an arrangement implementing the method is disclosed.
US08639631B2
A skill finder service receives directly from a user or through a social networking service a request for help with an asset. The skill finder service finds users skilled in the asset from asset data collected by an asset management service. The skill finder service searches the asset data for assets that match the asset in the request, and for each matching asset, determines the user who owns the matching asset. The skill finder service creates a list of skilled users and sends the list to the requesting user. The requesting user can contact one or more of the skilled users for help with the asset. The skill finder service uses existing data typically obtained by asset data management services to provide a valuable service to users. Further, by using the asset data to find skilled users, the skill finder service lessons or eliminates the need for user-entered expertise listing.
US08639630B2
Methods and systems for providing items of content over a peer-to-peer system are described. Items of content are requested from a central server by a downloading peer, and the central server determines uploading peers from whom the downloading peer may request parts of the content item.
US08639612B2
A trading system is described herein for hosting a collection of one or more electronic exchanges. The collection of electronic exchanges may be made up of separately designated exchanges under one or more authorizing and regulating bodies. The trading system receives from traders bids to purchase and offers to sell a tradeable object listed at one of the electronic exchanges. Then, the trading system directs the bids and offers to the appropriate exchange where the bids and offers may be automatically matched in the corresponding market. The trading system may also be used to take actions in one or more markets that are internal and external to the trading system on behalf of a trader using preprogrammed trading instructions.
US08639609B2
A computer implemented method for determining a margin requirement for a market participant includes maintaining, by a processor associated with an exchange, an exchange account reflecting an exchange position resulting from a trade executed on the exchange for a product available via the exchange, the exchange account being maintained separately from a custodian bank account associated with a custodian bank, the custodian bank account reflecting a repo position resulting from a repo transaction facilitated by the custodian bank between the market participant and a counterparty to the repo transaction. The method further includes receiving data reflective of the repo position via a communication interface between the exchange account and the custodian bank account, and determining the margin requirement for the market participant based on the received data and the exchange position.
US08639602B2
A system for managing funds transfer and banking that facilitates mobile funds transfers, mobile deposits, mobile withdrawal of funds by a user. These operations are conducted with the help of one or more agents, as necessary. The system for managing funds transfer and banking comprises a server to which a user can connect using a first mobile device or a computer/laptop. The server receives a funds transfer request from a first mobile device communicatively coupled to the server and it communicates a first one-time-use token to the first mobile device. The first mobile device is used by a sender of funds in a funds transfer operation. The sender approaches an agent who can facilitate funds transfer, for example by accepting cash/money from the sender and initiating funds transfer.
US08639601B2
A calendar spread futures contract is a forward contract on the intermonth spread of futures contracts. The calendar spread futures contract can be independently traded and accounted for independent of the traditional roll periods of the complementary futures contracts. An open interest holder can hedge against price volatility in the related futures contracts that may occur prior to or during the roll period. In other words, the calendar spread futures contract locks in the current spread between the front-month contract and the first-deferred contract. Buying a calendar spread futures control is equivalent to buying the spread difference between the expiring contract and the second expiry. Selling a calendar spread futures contract is equivalent to selling the spread difference between the expiring contract and the second expiry.
US08639599B1
A system, method, and computer readable medium for usage billing of one or more hosted applications serving one or more clients. The hosted applications are contained within one or more isolated environments or run without isolated environments. The system may include usage billing based on one or more of resources open, amount of data flowing through resources, number of open files, number of transactions, number of concurrent users, number of processes, CPU utilization and memory usage, The system may further include a management interface where administrators may add, remove and configure isolated environments, configure client policies and credentials, and force upgrades. If using isolated environments, the isolated environments may be isolated from other applications and the host operating system on the clients and applications within the isolated environments may run without performing an application-installation on the client.
US08639582B1
Techniques are described for facilitating interactions between computing systems, such as in accordance with usage models that are configured for available services by the providers of the services. In some situations, the services are Web services, and an electronic Web service (“WS”) marketplace is provided via which third-party WS providers make their WSes available to third-party WS consumers who purchase access to those WSes via the electronic marketplace based on configured usage models selected by the consumers. Some or all of the one or more usage models configured for an available WS may each have associated use prices and/or non-price use conditions, and if so access to those WSes using those usage models may be provided only if a consumer requesting access provides appropriate payment and otherwise satisfies the specified use conditions for a selected usage model.
US08639580B1
A method and system are provided that enable partner sites to join in the sale of products/services via an on-line group-buying sale business method. A seller registers a list of products/services to be displayed on partner sites. Customers/visitors who access partner sites may link to one or more on-line group-buying sales conducted on an owner's main site. Accordingly, the method and system enable a super demand aggregation for products/services offered for sale by the on-line group-buying sale business method. The invention provides a partner menu tree that allows partners to pre-select products/categories for display to customers linking to the on-line group-buying sale from their partner site. Sellers may provide particular products, services, categories, and abstract terms to help partners select which products/services to display for customers from among all the on-line group-buying sale products/services. The invention has applicability to sales paradigms other than the on-line group-buying sale business method.
US08639579B2
A call center for handling requests for medical transportation utilizes a system that assists a call center agent by automatically determining, or prompting the agent to ask for, all information needed to assess the level of service required and the effects of any applicable contractual provisions. The system captures information relating to the patient and the requested transportation, and applies service level rules representing the applicable regulatory requirements for medical transportation at the location of the patient to determine the required level of service based on the patient's condition and needs. The system further applies business rules representing the contractual provisions that are applicable to the requested transportation to determine responsibility for the cost of transportation, the authority of the requester to change the level of service or other aspects of the transportation, and the responsibility for the cost of transportation in the event that an aspect of the transportation has been changed.
US08639574B2
To help advertisers to manage their online advertising, some business metric, such as ROI, profit, gross profit, etc., may be estimated and/or tracked with respect to an ad campaign, or a portion of the ad campaign. An advertiser may provide a business metric target, such as a target ROI, a target gross profit, a target profit, etc. An ad delivery system may then adjust information in an ad campaign (or a portion of an ad campaign) in an effort to meet the target. Similarly, an advertiser may provide a goal, such as maximizing or minimizing a business metric. The ad delivery system may then adjust information in an ad campaign (or a portion of an ad campaign) in an effort to meet the goal. The targets or goals may be subject to one or more constraints. The advertiser may provide limits on values of one or more business metrics. The ad delivery system may then turn off, or govern, the delivery of ads if the limits are violated.
US08639573B2
A system and method for providing a commercial game that poses questions to a user related to advertisements that the user views or listens to using a multimedia device such as a computer connected to the Internet. Points may be awarded to the user based on the number of questions answered correctly, the number of advertisements viewed, the length of time advertisements are viewed, the number of attempts at answering each question before providing the correct answer, or other advertiser-selected criteria. Points earned by the user are immediately redeemable for services such as subscription services, movies downloads, Pay-Per-View credits, or for any other tangible or intangible good, service, or reward representing a monetary value. If the user provides an incorrect answer to a question, the user is permitted to watch the advertisement multiple times until a correct answer is provided and points are awarded.
US08639569B2
A use history that at least associates a use subject identifier for identifying a user or a terminal device a user has used with a used item identifier, which is an item identifier for identifying an item used by a user, based on use information is stored in a use history storage section. Based on the use history, a degree of similarity between two item identifiers is calculated and using the degree of similarity, associated data causing a base item identifier, which is an item identifier of a base item, and an associated item identifier, which is an item identifier of an associated item similar to the base item to correspond to each other is created. A change value to change a point value managed for each use subject identifier is calculated.
US08639561B2
Embodiments include a computer system, method and program product for managing a software program installed on a computer hardware system, the software program subject to a software license. A retrieval of data is performed in which the data indicates actual usage of the software program and the computer hardware system, and processor power of the computer hardware system. In addition, a retrieval of licensing data from the software license is performed in which the licensing data indicates a permitted number of or fee for installations of the software program and a permitted amount of or fee for processor power of the computer hardware system in which the software program is installed. Whether to decommission a copy of the software program based on the data indicating actual usage, the licensing data, a projected amount of future usage of the software program, and criticality of the software program is determined and reported.
US08639559B2
Embodiments of the invention relate to performing brand analysis based on user's interactions with search results. In one embodiment, at least one search result list is analyzed. The search result includes a set of items corresponding to at least one search request submitted by at least one user. The set of items in the at least one search result list is determined to include at least one item corresponding to a brand analysis target item, and at least one other item. A selection by the at least one user of one of the brand analysis target item and the other item from the at least one search result list is recorded for the at least one search result list. A brand analysis metric is generated based on the recording. The brand analysis metric indicates a ratio of selections between the brand analysis target item and the other item.
US08639544B1
Identifying potentially unfair practices in content and serving relevant advertisements is described. In one embodiment, identifying potentially unfair practices includes determining whether content includes at least one advertisement, determining a product or service associated with the advertisement, assigning a product risk score, analyzing the advertisement for at least one issue item, and assigning an issue risk score. Identifying potentially unfair practices may further include producing an overall risk analysis and transmitting an instruction to display an indicator of the overall risk analysis. Identifying potentially unfair practices may also include identifying one or more relevant advertisements for display. In one embodiment, serving relevant advertisements includes receiving a search request including one or more words or phrases, identifying one or more relevant advertisements stored in an advertisement database, transmitting an instruction to display the identified relevant advertisements, and analyzing one of the identified relevant advertisements.
US08639542B2
A business process model pertaining to an application product is associated with a set of views that illustrate the realization of the business process in the application product. Further, the business process model is displayed to the user together with the set of views to enhance the user's understanding of the business process provided by the application product.
US08639529B2
In a method for accessing, recording and maintaining the clinical records of medical patients, a database is established for receiving and maintaining comprehensive clinical records of medical patients. The database is remotely accessible by one or more care givers and has software-based programming associated therewith. The database us populated with patients' clinical records and is remotely accessible to electronically retrieve at least a portion of the patient's clinical records. The clinical records are downloaded and displayed for viewing by the caregiver. Advertisements can also be displayed for viewing by the caregiver upon accessing the database.
US08639526B2
Systems and methods are provided for diagnosis of and early treatment adoption for asymptomatic diseases. In one embodiment, an examination system is provided including an input device for entering patient data, a computer including a medium for storing entered data, and a feedback module for providing feedback to an examined patient based on the data entered. A method of using the examination system is also provided in which feedback is provided directly to the patient concurrently with the measurement or other acquisition of a significant data point. Feedback is also provided at the conclusion of the examination in the form of a report, treatment plan, or customized educational materials. In a further embodiment, the patient is an active participant in the examination, recording data points themselves via the input device.
US08639525B2
Disclosed are systems and methods for enabling transfer of a drug from a first drug container to a second drug container including a drug identification component that recognizes a first drug container to retrieve drug identifying data for the drug, a storage medium that stores a site-specific database comprising attributes and associated values for a set of drugs including the drug in the first drug container, a processor that obtains the drug identifying data and the attributes and associated values for the drug and produces information about the drug using the drug identifying data and the attributes and associated values, a rules engine that applies one or more rules to the information about the drug to generate drug handling information, and an output unit that outputs markings comprising the drug handling information in human-readable or machine-readable form, or both, to be associated with the second container.
US08639512B2
A computer-implemented system and method for evaluating the performance of a user using a dictation system is provided. The system and method include receiving a text or transcription file generated from user audio. A performance metric, such as, for example, words/minute or errors is generated based on the transcription file. The performance metric is provided to an administrator so the administrator can evaluate the performance of the user using the dictation system.
US08639501B2
In a method of enhancing spatial audio signals, receiving (S10) an ACELP coded signal comprising a plurality of blocks. For each received block estimating (S20) a signal type based on at least one of the received signal and a set of decoder parameters, estimating (S30) a pitch frequency based on at least one of the received signal and the set of decoder parameters, and determining (S40) filtering parameters based on at least one of the estimated signal type and the estimated pitch frequency. Finally, high pass filtering (S50) the received signal based on the determined filter parameters to provide a high pass filtered output signal.
US08639492B2
The illustrative embodiments provide a computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for accelerating execution of a program, written in an object oriented programming language, in an emulated environment. In response to receiving a request for an accelerated communications session from a guest virtual machine in the emulated environment, a native virtual machine is initiated external to the emulated environment but within the computing device hosting the emulated environment. Thereafter, an accelerated communications link is established between the guest virtual machine and the native virtual machine. The accelerated communications link enables a transfer of managed code between the guest virtual machine and the native virtual machine. The managed code is then executed by the native virtual machine.
US08639477B2
A computer-implemented method for modeling a complete tooth of a patient to facilitate dental and/or orthodontic treatment. The method includes generating a first set of digital data representing a clinical crown; generating a second set of digital data representing a plurality of digital tooth models of a particular tooth type each having a first parameterization; processing the second set of digital data to obtain a third set of digital data representing an average tooth model of the particular tooth type having a second parameterization which is less than the first parameterization; fitting the third set of digital data to the first set of digital data to create a set of digital data representing an interim tooth model; and morphing the set of digital data representing the interim tooth model to substantially mimic the anatomical shape of the clinical crown of the first set of digital data.
US08639474B2
A portable diagnostic module may use a standardized physical interface to connect to a series of sensors. The module can be configured to accept different types of sensor outputs, and to collect the sensed data for use in local or networked analysis to help identify errors and faults before they occur.
US08639464B2
Apparatus and associated systems and methods relate to automated learning of a baseline differential pressure (dP) characteristic to monitor the performance of a field-installed gas flow meter by comparing on-line dP measurements to the learned baseline dP characteristic. In an exemplary embodiment, a first baseline dP characteristic may be learned in a first mode over a first predetermined period of time according to a first set of learning criteria, and a second baseline dP characteristic may be learned in a second mode over a second predetermined period of time according to a second set of learning criteria. The first period of time may be substantially shorter than the second period of time. The first set of criteria may be substantially more relaxed than the second set of criteria. During the second mode, meter performance degradation may be diagnosed by comparing measured dP against the first baseline dP characteristic.
US08639456B2
Technology enabling a user to easily acquire the result of calculating the consumption of fluid used in a fluid discharge device is provided. A fluid consumption calculation device that calculates consumption of a fluid includes an input unit that receives information related to an output object; a discharge control unit that generates discharge data for a fluid used to form the output object using a fluid discharge device; an analysis unit that analyzes the discharge data; a calculation unit that uses information acquired from the analysis unit to calculate consumption of the fluid used to form the output object; and an output unit that generates and outputs output information using information acquired from the calculation unit.
US08639453B2
A self-sufficient structural health monitoring system that can monitor a structure without need for external power input. Embodiments of the invention provide a structural health monitoring system with a power supply integrated within, so that the system relies on itself for operational power. Systems with such an on-board electrical power source, independent of an external power source (and in particular, independent of the power system(s) of the structure being monitored), are much more self-contained and self-sufficient.
US08639447B2
A method for identifying peptides using tandem mass spectrometry takes the spectrum for a peptide to be analyzed and uses a scoring function to score a match between the spectrum and each candidate peptide in a peptide database. The scoring function has a value corresponding to a number of fragment peaks in the spectrum that match fragment peaks in a spectrum of the candidate peptide. Using the match scores, a generating function of the spectrum is computed to determine the number of peptide reconstructions at each value of the scoring function. The generating function is then used to determine the number of candidate peptides for each match score and the probability of a peptide having a given match score to the spectrum. A spectral probability can be determined by calculating the total probability of all peptides with scores equal to or larger than the given match score.
US08639446B1
An apparatus, and related method, for identifying one or more association variables that are associated with a trait are described. During the method, the apparatus may calculate statistical relationships corresponding to a pattern of occurrence of the trait in a group of life forms and patterns of occurrence of compound variables in a set of biological variables of the group of life forms. Then, the apparatus may determine a ranking of a number of occurrences of biological variables in at least a subset of the compound variables that have statistical relationships greater than a statistical confidence value. Next, the apparatus may identify one or more of the biological variables in the set of biological variables as the one or more association variables based on the ranking.
US08639442B2
A method for processing seismic data. The method may include (1) receiving seismic data acquired by an ith seismic sensor of a plurality of seismic sensors and (2) determining an ith value to represent an ith power spectral density curve that corresponds to the seismic data. The method may then repeat steps (1)-(2) for each seismic sensor. The method may then include generating an expected value curve based on the ith value for each power spectral density curve. The method may then compare each ith value to the expected value curve and identify invalid seismic sensors based on the comparison. After identifying the invalid seismic sensors, the method may process the seismic data without seismic data acquired by the invalid seismic sensors to determine one or more locations of hydrocarbon deposits in subterranean geological formations.
US08639422B2
When temperature is low, a low-temperature mode is selected, followed by the activation of the heating mode functionality 25a of a PCU 25. Specifically, the PCU 25 sets the ratio of energy recovered by a capacitor 23 to be equal to or greater than the largest value of the energy recovery ratios of the capacitor 23 in a normal mode (e.g., assist motor 22:capacitor 23=2:8). Thus, more energy is stored on the capacitor 23 than in the normal mode, helping the capacitor 23 generates heat. As a result, the liquid temperature of the coolant is increased, and its viscosity is reduced accordingly. As above, the invention provides a simple cooling system to be mounted on a hybrid working machine, which is capable of preventing decreases in energy efficiency at low temperature.
US08639420B2
A worksite-management system includes a display component and one or more information-processors. The one or more information-processors may be configured to acquire information about a history of travel of one or more non-compactor mobile machines across a terrain surface of a worksite. The one or more information-processors may also be configured to process the acquired information to generate a digital map indicative of compaction of the terrain surface as a function of the history of travel of the one or more non-compactor mobile machines across the terrain surface. Additionally, the one or more information-processors may be configured to present on the display component information related to the compaction of the terrain surface as a function of the history of travel of the one or more non-compactor mobile machines across the terrain surface.
US08639410B1
A system for facilitating assistance requests may comprise at least one subsystem that receives an assistance request from a requester, at least one subsystem that identifies a current location of the requester, and at least one subsystem that identifies members of an assistance network that are within a particular area relative to the current location of the requester.
US08639404B2
Provided is a working machine capable of decreasing a voltage of a DC busbar (DC bus) with a configuration suppressing a degradation in reliability. A hybrid type construction machine as a working machine includes: a DC bus which is connected to a rotation motor via an inverter circuit, a battery which is connected to the DC bus via a step-up/step-down converter and a switch, a controller which drives the inverter circuit and the step-up/step-down converter, a cooling liquid circulating system which includes a pump motor, and an inverter circuit which is connected to the DC bus and driving the pump motor. The controller includes a mode used for decreasing the voltage of the DC bus, and in that mode, the switch enters a disconnection state and the inverter circuit is operated to consume electricity in the pump motor.
US08639396B1
In certain embodiments, a method includes accessing first target information associated with a first target visible to a first UAV at a first time and accessing second target information, received from a neighboring UAV, associated with a second target visible to the neighboring UAV at the first time. The method further includes combining the first target information and the second target information to generate combined target information and determining, based on the combined target information, a predicted location for the first and second targets at a second time. The method further includes determining a planned route for the first UAV for the second time by solving an optimization problem, the optimization problem accounting for the determined predicted location for the first and second targets, kinematic constraints associated with the first UAV and the neighboring UAV, and line-of-sight constraints associated with the first UAV and the neighboring UAV.
US08639394B2
Systems and methods are provided for mitigating optically aimed threats to an aircraft from the ground. A laser beam, having sufficient intensity to interfere with the vision of a human being, is projected from the aircraft over a defined scan pattern at ground level. At least one flight parameter is received. Each flight parameter represents one of a current orientation, position, and motion of the aircraft. The defined scan pattern is adjusted according to at least one flight parameter.
US08639392B2
Disclosed herein are representative embodiments of methods, apparatus, and systems for distributing a resource (such as electricity) using a resource allocation system. In one exemplary embodiment, a plurality of requests for electricity are received from a plurality of end-use consumers. The requests indicate a requested quantity of electricity and a consumer-requested index value indicative of a maximum price a respective end-use consumer will pay for the requested quantity of electricity. A plurality of offers for supplying electricity are received from a plurality of resource suppliers. The offers indicate an offered quantity of electricity and a supplier-requested index value indicative of a minimum price for which a respective supplier will produce the offered quantity of electricity. A dispatched index value is computed at which electricity is to be supplied based at least in part on the consumer-requested index values and the supplier-requested index values.
US08639389B2
A system for controlling voltage on a distribution feeder includes a plurality of capacitor banks that can be connected to or disconnected from the distribution feeder. A first bank is configured to connect to the distribution feeder when a first voltage is below a first lower threshold value and to connect to the distribution feeder when the first voltage is above a first upper threshold value. The first upper threshold and first lower threshold are determined based off an operational set point. The system further includes a sensor configured to measure the first voltage and a controller in operable communication with the plurality of capacitor banks configured to determine the operational state of the first and second capacitor banks and, based on the first voltage, send a first instruction to the first capacitor bank, the first instruction causing the capacitor bank to vary the operational set point.
US08639381B2
An arrangement for creating a set of wafer transfer instructions configured to transfer a wafer between an origination wafer-holding location and a destination wafer-holding location in a plasma cluster tool is provided. The arrangement includes means for receiving a first user-provided location indicator and a second user-provided location indicator on an on-screen graphical representation of the plasma cluster tool. The arrangement also includes means for ascertaining data pertaining to a set of paths between the first user-provided location indicator and the second user-provided location indicator. The arrangement further includes means for forming the set of wafer transfer instructions responsive to the data pertaining to the set of paths, the set of wafer transfer instructions being configured to transfer the wafer along a set of wafer-holding locations associated with one of the set of paths.
US08639380B1
Each load-carrier of a system is always controlled by one of a series of MCUs (monitoring and control units) that are assigned to contiguous regions along guideways. Each carrier is slowed down to maintain a safe distance behind a carrier ahead, or to avoid collision with another carrier when approaching a merge point of a convergent Y-junction or when otherwise desirable. Distance measurements take into account the lengths of carriers and of assigned regions and the counts of speed pulses sent to MCUs since entry of carriers into their respective regions. For merge control, arrival data are developed that include the times and speeds to and at arrival of two carriers at a merge point. Through repeated comparisons of arrival data developed from one carrier with arrival data previously developed and stored as to the other carrier, the one carrier is gradually slowed down as necessary to avoid a collision.
US08639375B2
A system, method and/or computer program product for analyzing a functionality of at least two manufactured products obtain a first characteristic of a first manufactured product. The system acquires a second characteristic of a second manufactured product. The system identifies a common feature between the first characteristic and the second characteristic. The system identifies a distinguishable feature between the first characteristic and the second characteristic. The system determines a cause of a deviation of a functionality in the first manufactured product or the second manufactured product or both manufactured products based on the identified common feature or the identified distinguishable feature or both features.
US08639374B2
There is provided a method of regulating the formulation of a multi-component product comprising a product attribute profile, the method comprising providing a first and second component of the product, each component having a component attribute profile; supplying to a product formulation zone the first component and the second component in a desired ratio and combining the first and second components together to provide the product or a precursor thereof to yield a target product attribute profile; responsive to a change or predicted change in at least one component attribute profile, supplying information concerning the attribute change to a data processing apparatus and calculating with respect to that change an adjustment in the ratio to reduce the deviation of one or more attributes of the product attribute profile from the target product attribute profile. A production system is also provided.
US08639372B2
An electronic lens processing system receives a lens prescription and performs lens calculations to create a work ticket for manufacturing the lens. Information that the system used to create the work ticket, such as data files for lens materials and machine settings for controlling lens manufacturing equipment, are stored. The work ticket includes a form that specifies work ticket calculations and/or a graphic of the lens or lenses to be manufactured. The system displays the work ticket on an electronic screen, and a laboratory technician can select elements from the work ticket to receive supplemental information on those elements to aid in processing the lens or determining why a lens prescription is not manufacturable.
US08639367B2
Provided is a substrate processing system, which comprises a plurality of substrate processing apparatuses configured to process a substrate; and a group management apparatus configured to connect and manage the plurality of substrate processing apparatuses, wherein the group management apparatus includes: a communication part configured to transmit and receive data to and from the plurality of substrate processing apparatuses; a first storage part configured to store the data transmitted through the communication part from the plurality of substrate processing apparatuses; a second storage part configured to store a file prescribing a condition for determining an abnormality of the plurality of substrate processing apparatuses from the data; a display part including a manipulation screen for inputting the condition for determining the abnormality using the data stored in the first storage part or the file stored in the second storage part; a screen control part configured to control the display part to change an abnormality item selection screen displaying a plurality of abnormality items, one of which is to be selected into a registration screen for registering the condition corresponding to one of the plurality of abnormality items selected through the abnormality item selection screen; and a determination part configured to determine the abnormality of the plurality of substrate processing apparatuses by reading from the second storage part and analyzing the data stored in the first storage part based on the condition for determining the abnormality.
US08639357B2
Cardioprotective pacing is applied to prevent and/or reduce cardiac injury associated with myocardial infarction (MI) and revascularization procedure. Pacing pulses are generated from a pacemaker and delivered through one or more pacing electrodes incorporated onto one or more percutaneous transluminal vascular intervention (PTVI) devices during the revascularization procedure. In one embodiment, at least one pacing electrode is constructed as, or incorporated onto, a stent at a distal end portion of a stent catheter.
US08639352B2
A filar includes an inner conductive core that is formed of a low-resistivity material such as silver having a resistivity of less than 20 μΩ per centimeter. A conductive coil is provided around the core to form a filar. This coil is formed of a biocompatible alloy or super alloy having an ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of between 150 kilo pounds per square inch (ksi) and 280 ksi at room temperature. Examples of such alloys include CoCrMo, CoFeCrMo, and CoFeNiCrMo. In one specific embodiment, the alloy is MP35N (CoNiCrMo), which may be low-titanium (“low-ti”) MP35N. One or more such filars may be included within a wire. This wire may be carried by an implantable medical apparatus such as a lead, lead extension, or catheter. The wire may electrically couple elements such as connector electrodes to conducting electrodes or sensors.
US08639345B2
A device for electrostimulation of the eye is provided with a spectacles-like supporting frame (11) which has a nose part (12) and an arrangement (17, 18), connected to the nose part (12), for holding the supporting frame (11) on the head of the patient, wherein at least one stimulation electrode (26, 27) is arranged on the nose part (12). Furthermore, provision is made for at least two electrode holders (22, 23, 24, 25) on the nose part (12), between which electrode holders an interchangeable, wire-shaped stimulation electrode (26, 27) is clamped (FIG. 1).
US08639332B2
A method and device for delivering therapy that includes an electrode to sense cardiac signals and to deliver a therapy, a therapy delivery module coupled to the electrode to deliver a therapy via the electrode in response to the sensed cardiac signals, a sensor emitting light and detecting emitted light scattered by a tissue volume adjacent the optical sensor to generate a corresponding detected light intensity output signal, a control module coupled to the sensor to control light emission of the sensor in response to delivering the therapy, and a controller coupled to the therapy delivery module and the sensor, the controller configured to determine tissue oxygenation measurements in response to the output signal, determine a tissue oxygenation trend in response to the tissue oxygenation measurements, and determine whether the delivered therapy restored cardiac hemodynamic function in response to the determined tissue oxygenation trend.
US08639313B2
Systems and methods for assessment of sleep quality in adults and children are provided. These techniques include an apparatus worn above the forehead containing the circuitry for collecting and storing physiological signals. The apparatus integrates with a sensor strip and a nasal mask to obtain the physiological signals for the user. The form factor of this apparatus is comfortable, easy to self-apply, and results in less data artifacts than conventional techniques for capturing physiological data for analyzing sleep quality. Neuro-respiratory signals are analyzed using means to extract more accurate definitions of the frequency and severity of sleep discontinuity, sleep disordered breathing and patterns of sleep architecture. Biological biomarkers and questionnaire responses can also be compared to a database of healthy and chronically diseased patients to provide a more accurate differential diagnosis and to help determine the appropriate disease management recommendations.
US08639297B2
Discussed are a mobile terminal and an operation control method thereof in which a delay time of the screen lock execution is controlled according to the user's gaze information. The mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include an input unit configured to receive a user input; an execution controller configured to execute screen lock if the user input is not received for a predetermined time T1; and a change controller configured to change the predetermined time T1 based on the user's gaze information.
US08639290B2
Devices and methods are disclosed by which a smart card or UICC that is removably insertable into a wireless terminal will only allow operation in either a specific terminal or a specific set of terminals. A mechanism to restrict the set of terminals that a UICC will operate with based upon logic embedded in a memory within the UICC. The UICC receives specific information from the wireless terminal when the terminal is turned on. If the information received satisfies a plurality of rules or conditions stored within the UICC, the UICC functions normally and the terminal may be registered with the network. If the UICC is inserted in an unsupported terminal, the UICC will refuse to function normally. This provides a deterrent against UICC theft.
US08639285B2
An outdoor broadband unit implements a library of commands to communicate between a wide area network (WAN)-side Long-Term Evolution (LTE) module and a local area network (LAN)-side broadband home router within the outdoor broadband unit. The commands are used for control plane operations to facilitate LTE network sessions for individual devices within a customer premises LAN. In some cases, the commands are also used for communicating with a remote device manager.
US08639277B1
A data message originally addressed to a first mobile device is forwarded to a second mobile device in a wireless telecommunications network. Data messages may include text messages, picture messages, and video messages. In addition to forwarding data messages, other optional data message forwarding features are provided such as a copy feature that allows for a forwarded message to be copied back to the original addressee, and an invisible feature that prevents a data message sender from knowing that a data message has been forwarded by the data message addressee.
US08639255B2
A simulation apparatus according to the present invention performs propagation simulation regarding the radio wave quality of a base station radio wave in a specific area. The apparatus includes: a receiving unit configured to receive, from a plurality of mobile terminals existing in the specific area, measured results of the radio wave quality of a base station radio wave from a base station around the mobile terminal, the field intensity of a GPS wave from a GPS satellite, and a position of the mobile terminal; and a simulating unit configured to identify a mobile terminal having the measured result of the field intensity at or above a predetermined value from the plurality of mobile terminals and correct a propagation equation used for the propagation simulation using the measured result of the radio wave quality at the position of the identified mobile terminal for performing the propagation simulation.
US08639254B2
A femto cell at a customer premises, such as an IP-based femto Base Transceiver System (IP-BTS), can be configured as a “private access” node intended to service a limited set of mobile stations. However, mobile stations not associated with the private femto cell may acquire and lock onto the femto BTS. To avoid service blockages in such cases, the private femto BTS will allow call access attempts by, and call deliveries to, a non-associated mobile station, despite the “private access” configuration. However, upon completion of call set-up, the non-associated mobile station is directed to initiate handoff, from the private femto cell coverage provided by the femto BTS into a cell coverage of a base station of the macro network, to conserve femto cell resources for use in servicing calls of the associated mobile station(s).
US08639249B2
An apparatus and method provides for controlling communications from multiple base stations to a mobile station in a communication system. A mobile station transmitter transmits from the mobile station channel quality indicator data of a first base station. The data is covered with Walsh code assigned to the first base station. A base station receiver receives the transmission of the channel quality indicator data of the first base station. The mobile station transmitter punctures the transmission of the channel quality indicator data of the first base station with null channel quality indicator data, and covers the null channel quality data with Walsh code assigned to a second base station of the multiple base stations to indicate a desire to switch a source of transmission of traffic data from the first base station to the second base station.
US08639247B2
In addition to other aspects disclosed, a radio access network authenticates the identity of an access terminal using a session identifier and another identifier (different from the session identifier). The session identifier and the other identifier are provided by the access terminal.
US08639246B2
A method, terminal and system for cell reselection are disclosed. When in a cell of a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, the terminal receives a message from the LTE system. The message includes a dedicated priority list for the cell reselection. When the terminal camps on a cell of a non-LTE system, the terminal performs inter-system cell reselection in accordance with the dedicated priority list before a valid time of the dedicated priority list expires. With the discloses method, terminal and system, the problems of establishing a dedicated priority list causes too much increased signaling and too high costs for network update in the prior art when perform inter-system cell (re)selection are effectively resolved.
US08639245B2
A system and method for providing updated rules governing the switching of enabled provisioning data supporting a wireless service contract. A mobile device may be initially programmed with a profile data table and priority list index data table to automatically enable provisioning data supporting one of the plurality of service providers stored in a VSIM internal memory unit to conduct a wireless communication when certain operational parameter values are satisfied. The profile data table and priority list index data table may be automatically updated in response to a variety of triggers.
US08639243B2
According to some wireless network standards the size of a neighbor cell list is restricted to a maximum size. The limited size of a neighbor cell list may not reflect the realities of a wireless network deployment, especially for deployments including numerous femto cells clustered in close proximity. Accordingly, as the concentration of macro cells and/or femto cells in an area increases, there lies a challenge to identify and communicate neighbor lists to user devices that reflect the arrangement of a particular portion of the deployment and the needs of the user devices. Various systems, methods and apparatus described herein are configured to provide a user device or a group of user devices a neighbor cell list that includes neighbor cell identifiers chosen from a candidate list.
US08639233B1
Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods to provide data session continuity between wireless networks. In a particular embodiment, a method provides receiving a request to create a data session for a wireless communication device exchanging communications with a wireless local area network via a wireless access point. The method further provides determining an access point identifier for the wireless access point and selecting a control system for a cellular communication network of a plurality of cellular communication networks based on the access point identifier. The method further provides anchoring the data session to the control system.
US08639224B2
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, by a directory service, a call from a user of a mobile phone requesting a number of a communication device associated with a callee. The number is then retrieved from a database by the directory service and then dialed to connect the mobile phone with the communication device. The directory service also sends the number to the mobile phone, the mobile phone being configured to store the number in a storage location. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure.
US08639223B1
A unified alerts message service delivers an alerts message, including content of interest to a user, to a mobile station of the user. Interest information of the user, which defines user's preferences or interests, is inputted by the user to an interface provided by a platform for providing the alerts message service. The platform receives various alerts contents from a number of content providers, and performs a logical matching to find alerts contents that logically match the user's interest information among the received alerts contents. The alerts contents found from the logical matching are sent in one or more mobile messaging service messages including combined alerts contents are sent to a mobile station of the user via a mobile network.
US08639222B2
A message transmission method includes storing message data whose message contents change depending on a value of a parameter in a storage unit, acquiring the value of the parameter based on an operation of a called party when a second terminal device receives a call from a first terminal device, determining the contents of the message based on the acquired parameter value and the message data, and transmitting the message whose contents are determined to the first terminal device.
US08639214B1
The communication device comprising a voice communicating implementer, a payment monetary value data transmitting implementer, a remaining monetary value data updating implementer, an automated supplementary monetary value data adding implementer, and a simultaneous implementation implementer.
US08639213B1
A method, computer programs and a use for automatic identification and classification of land uses. The method including a computing mechanism running in a computer device receiving as inputs, a geographical region R, a plurality of base stations giving coverage to the geographical region R and a call records generated by individuals using the base stations, and performing automatically the identification and classification of land uses by making use of information extracted during a given time period from the call records. The programs include code adapted to perform the approximation of each coverage region when the program is run on a computer, and to perform a comparison when the program is run on a computer.
US08639207B2
An electronic apparatus which is capable of appropriately providing notification about a connecting state and an operating state of a wireless communication unit, and reducing power consumption. Upon receiving a beacon signal from a wireless communication access point with a predetermined period, a notification unit provides notification that the wireless communication unit is linked to the wireless communication access point. Based on a time corresponding to the predetermined period, the wireless communication unit is returned into a first state from a second state in which a smaller amount of power is consumed than in the first state. When the wireless communication unit lies in the second state, the notification unit is intermittently disabled, and when the wireless communication unit returns from the second state into the first state, the notification unit is disabled.
US08639205B2
An exemplary embodiment disclosed comprises a mixer having a plurality of input leads; a first degenerative impedance element coupled to a first input lead of the mixer; a second degenerative impedance element coupled to a second input lead of the mixer; and a local oscillator (LO) system comprising a plurality of duty cycle modes to generate a LO signal for the mixer, the local oscillator system operates in a first duty cycle based on a first gain state of the mixer, and in a second duty cycle based on a second gain state of the mixer.
US08639193B2
A tri-state control mechanism can be implemented for a line driver of a transmitter unit to switch the output impedance of the transmitter unit between a low impedance state in the transmit mode and a high impedance state in the receive mode while minimizing turn-off glitch. It may be determined whether a communication device comprising the transmitter unit is configured in a transmit operating mode or a receive operating mode. If the communication device is configured in the receive operating mode, a first bias voltage can be generated to bias output transistors of the line driver circuit in a sub-threshold state. If the communication device is configured in the transmit operating mode, a second bias voltage can be generated to bias output transistors of the line driver circuit in a saturation state.
US08639191B2
A communication apparatus comprises a communication path capable of conveying communication signals, a communication device adapted to receive or generate VHF or UHF communication signals, and a near field antenna associated with the communication device. The near field antenna is provided sufficiently near to the communication path to couple VHF or UHF communication signals to or from the communication device to the communication path. A HID/IPT system and a communication method are also provided.
US08639187B2
A mobile communication terminal apparatus including: a mobile communication terminal main body; and an extension unit detachable from the mobile communication terminal main body and capable of performing short-range wireless communication with the mobile communication terminal main body when being detached in a separated state from the mobile communication terminal main body.
US08639181B2
A system for communications between a lunar or planetary surface and the Earth may include a first communications satellite adapted to be positioned in a predetermined orbit relative to a celestial body. A first antenna may be mounted on the first communications satellite. The first antenna may include a predetermined beam shape for communications between the first communications satellite and an asset on the lunar or planetary surface. A second antenna may also be mounted on the first communications satellite. The second antenna may include a selected beam shape for communications between the first communications satellite and the Earth. A communications system may be included for relaying communications between the first and second antennas.
US08639179B2
A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product for auto-installing an integrated receiver/decoder (IRD) includes issuing an auto-installation command from the IRD to an outdoor unit (ODU) and receiving a plurality of tones from the ODU in response to the auto-installation command, each tone representing a center frequency of available user bands (UBs). The auto-installation also includes acquiring a UB center frequency by the IRD, requesting the ODU to confirm a UB number corresponding to the acquired UB center frequency, and receiving confirmation from the ODU that a UB number corresponds to the acquired UB center frequency. The auto-installation also includes sending an acceptance of the assigned UB number from the IRD to signal the ODU that it may mark the assigned UB as assigned.
US08639177B2
Learning content may be provided to a user where the learning content may contain learning objectives. A response to the learning content may be received. The response may be analyzed by determining whether the response was the proper response to the learning objectives. If the response was a proper response, less questions on the learning objective may be presented in the future and the if response was an improper response, additional questions on the learning objective may be presented in the future.
US08639176B2
Disclosed herein is a method of analyzing examinee item response data comprising constructing a diagnosis model for reporting skill profiles of examinees, wherein the diagnosis model comprises at least a variable representing unobserved subpopulations, creating an item design matrix, distributing examinees across the unobserved subpopulations, iteratively estimating values for a plurality of variables within the diagnosis model, and reporting the estimated values to a user.
US08639171B2
A fixing device for thermally fixing an unfixed image formed on a recording sheet by passing the recording sheet through a fixing nip. The fixing device has a heat-generating endless belt that includes: a resistive heat layer that generates heat upon receiving electric current; and a pair of electrode layers each disposed along a different one of widthwise edges of the heat-generating endless belt. The resistive heat layer has (i) reduced thickness portions each along a widthwise edge thereof and (ii) a middle portion between the reduced thickness portions. Each reduced thickness portion is thinner than the middle portion and connected to the middle portion with a wall surface upright in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the heat-generating endless belt to define a stair shape. Each electrode layer is disposed on the resistive heat layer to be in contact with a corresponding one of the wall surfaces.
US08639168B2
A gloss-watermark pattern is produced on a rotatable fixing member including a thermoplastic layer having a surface and a selected thickness. Particles having a Young's modulus of at least 1 GPa are applied in a selected deposition pattern to a selected area of a pressure member. The pressure member and the fixing member are pressed together so that the applied particles indent the surface of the fixing member to form the gloss-watermark pattern. The pressure member and the fixing member can then be mechanically separated and a printed image on a receiver can be fixed using the fixing member having the gloss-watermark pattern. A gloss watermark corresponding to the gloss-watermark pattern is thus formed on the printed image.
US08639165B2
A powder container includes a containing portion that is capable of containing powder therein, the containing portion having an opening through which the powder passes; an opening/closing member that is supported by the containing portion so as to be movable between an open position at which the opening is open and a closed position at which the opening/closing member closes the opening; and an engaged portion disposed on a side surface of the opening/closing member with respect to an installation direction, the installation direction being a direction in which the containing portion is removably installed into an apparatus, the engaged portion restraining a movement of the opening/closing member by being engaged with an engaging portion of the apparatus when the containing portion is installed in the apparatus.
US08639154B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member that bears a toner image, and a rotatable and endless intermediate transfer member, wherein a toner image is primarily transferred from the image bearing member to the intermediate transfer member in a first primary transfer part, and a toner image is secondarily transferred from the intermediate transfer member to the image bearing member in a secondary primary transfer part. In addition, a charge member is provided upstream of the first primary transfer part and downstream of the secondary primary transfer part in a rotation direction of the intermediate transfer member to charge residual toner remaining on the intermediate transfer member and not being transferred onto the transfer material in the secondary primary transfer part. The charge member includes a conductive roller whose surface layer is a foamed layer, and in a contact area in which the foamed layer contacts the intermediate transfer member, a space is formed between a part of a surface of the foamed layer and the intermediate transfer member, wherein a size of the space is larger than an average particle size of the residual toner.
US08639147B2
A method for managing the printing of documents on pre-printed media, which includes the steps of: receiving a print job representing a document to be printed; detecting an orientation of a pre-printed media being fed into an image forming apparatus; processing the print job for printing based on the orientation of the pre-printed media; and printing the print job on at least one sheet of the pre-printed media.
US08639143B2
A fixing device includes: a fixing roll that is rotatable; a belt member that is stretched over the fixing roll; a pressurizing roll that pressurizes the fixing roll via the belt member; a belt pressing member that presses an outer surface of the belt member to the pressurizing roll from inside of the belt member on a downstream side at a pressure-contact position between the fixing roll and the pressurizing roll; and a controller that decrease a time difference between a passage time per unit area of a tip region of a recording medium and a passage time per unit area of a succeeding region of the recording medium to pass a pressure-contact portion between the fixing roll and belt pressing member and the pressurizing roll.
US08639137B2
An image forming apparatus includes an intermediary transfer member having an elastic layer; a toner image forming portion for forming a toner image for an image to be carried on the intermediary transfer member; a transfer member, which presses the intermediary transfer member, for transferring the toner image for the image from the intermediary transfer member onto a recording material; a pressing mechanism capable of changing pressure applied from the transfer member to the intermediary transfer member; and a controller for controlling the toner image forming portion so that a length of the toner image for the image on the intermediary transfer member with respect to a rotational direction of the intermediary transfer member is decreased with an increase of the pressure.
US08639136B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying belt for carrying a toner image; an image forming station for forming toner image on the image carrying belt; a sheet feeding belt for feeding a sheet; a transfer member for transferring the toner image from the carrying belt onto the sheet fed on the feeding belt; and a controller for controlling speeds of the carrying belt and the feeding belt. The controller is capable of controlling a relative speed between the carrying belt and the feeding belt at multiple levels. The image forming station forms a first toner pattern on the carrying belt in a state that the relative speed is at a first level, and forms a second toner pattern on the carrying belt in a state that the relative speed is at a second level which is different from the first level. The transfer member transfers the first toner pattern and the second toner pattern onto the sheet carried on the feeding belt.
US08639132B2
A developer recovery container includes a first room that stores a recovered developer; a plurality of linearly obliquely arranged recovery ports facing the first room, a developer removed by a cleaning unit for an intermediate transfer unit and a developer removed by a cleaning unit for a black-image bearing member being dropped in the first room respectively through top one and bottom one of the recovery ports; a second room formed below an area between one of the recovery ports located next to the top recovery port and another recovery port located next to the one recovery port, the developer flowing from the first room to the second room; a conveying unit that conveys the developer in the first room to the second room by a quantity of the developer exceeding a storage limit of the first room; and a sensor that detects the developer in the second room.
US08639127B2
We demonstrate a novel type of data receiver, which has superior performance compared to a standard receiver when an input signal is distorted by timing jitter. A method and apparatus for improved timing jitter tolerance includes sampling an input signal more than once within a bit slot of the input signal and determining, using logic circuitry, from a combination of at least a subset of the samples, a resulting logic state for an output signal.
US08639115B2
A bidirectional optical network, in which an incoming/downstream modulated optical signal(s) of a particular wavelength may carry content from a headend to a subscriber. An incoming/downstream unmodulated continuous wave optical signal(s) from the headend is time-shifted (i.e., time delayed with respect to just received incoming/downstream optical signal(s)), collected, modulated and sent back as return/upstream optical signal(s) from the subscriber to the headend. The return/upstream optical signal(s) may have the same wavelength or a slightly shifted wavelength relative to incoming/downstream optical signal(s). Wavelength, bandwidth, subscriber priority and service (content) provider may be fixed, dynamically, or statistically assigned. A modulated marker optical signal(s) is sent along with a modulated data optical signal simultaneously in a different plane. The modulated data optical signal(s) can therefore be securely delivered to a subscriber(s) according to the marker identification. Furthermore a device can be constructed from a group of components comprising an integrated tunable laser-modulator, a wavelength converter, a cyclic arrayed waveguide grating router, a photonic bandgap cyclic arrayed waveguide grating router, a burst enabled detector in order to electro-optically connect network elements, processors and chipsets on a printed circuit board.
US08639112B2
A transmitter for a communications link is tested by using a (software) simulation of a reference channel and/or a reference receiver to test the transmitter. In one embodiment for optical fiber communications links, a data test pattern is applied to the transmitter under test and the resulting optical output is captured, for example by a sampling oscilloscope. The captured waveform is subsequently processed by the software simulation, in order to simulate propagation of the optical signal through the reference channel and/or reference receiver. A performance metric for the transmitter is calculated based on the processed waveform.
US08639111B2
An exchangeable lens includes a holding portion where twelve lens connector terminals, each connected to one of the twelve body connector terminals and each having a contact area to come into contact with one of the body connector terminals, and at least one auxiliary lens terminal having a contact area are disposed therein so as to form a circular arc pattern relative to the amount center point. An interior angle formed by the contact area of the auxiliary lens terminal and the contact area of the eleventh lens connector terminal at the mount center point is smaller than an interior angle formed by the contact area of the first lens connector terminal and the contact area of the eleventh lens connector terminal at the mount center point.
US08639108B2
In an imaging apparatus including a stepping motor that drives a diaphragm, a favorable moving image exposure control is carried out while reducing electrical power required for holding the diaphragm position. When a rotor and the magnetic poles of a stator do not face each other in a first mode, a control unit of the stepping motor drives the rotor to a facing position, and shuts off the current in a coil. When the diaphragm driving does not occur in a second operation mode, the control unit shuts off the current in the coil at the state where the rotor of the motor and the magnetic poles of the stator face each other. A holding current to be supplied to the motor is shut off in the first and second. The program profile of a diaphragm drive method and an exposure control is switched depending on the type of an imaging lens unit.
US08639107B2
An interchangeable lens includes a diaphragm, a driving unit for driving thereof, an operation member for setting an aperture value thereof, a switching unit for switching the operation member between permission and inhibition, and a control unit for operating, when the interchangeable lens is mounted on a camera main body including no recognition unit to recognize information on the aperture value set by the operation member, the driving unit according to a diaphragm driving command from the camera main body if the switching unit is in a state of inhibiting the operation of the operation member, and operate the driving unit according to the aperture value set by the operation member if the switching unit is in a state of permitting the operation of the operation member, and giving a response to the camera main body in a form of operating the driving unit according to the diaphragm driving command.
US08639103B2
An imaging apparatus whose posture is easily adjustable is provided. The imaging apparatus is configured to include an inclination detector detecting a degree of inclination of one of the imaging apparatus and an image captured by the imaging apparatus relative to a horizontal direction orthogonal to a direction of gravity; a display unit; a first inclination indicator unit allowing the display unit to display an indicator to indicate the degree of inclination according to a detection result from the inclination detector; a second inclination indicator unit notifying via sound according to a detection result from the inclination detector that the degree of inclination is over a predetermined value; and a selector unit allowing at least one of the first and second inclination indicator units to operate.
US08639101B1
A film recorder including a linear diffractive spatial light modulator (LDSLM) and methods of using the same to record a digital image on a strip of photographic film are provided. In one embodiment, the recorder includes: an illuminator including at least one monochromatic light source generating a light beam; a spatial light modulator assembly including at least one linear diffractive spatial light modulator (LDSLM) to receive the light beam from the illuminator and modulate the light beam from the illuminator; a film transport for transporting a photographic film on an imaging plane; and imaging optics disposed in a light path between the LDSLM and the imaging plane to image the light beam simultaneously on a substantially linear portion of the photographic film to record an image on the photographic film. Other embodiments are also provided.
US08639091B2
An advertisement based bidding scheme enables users of data recording devices to bid on the quantity of advertisements they are willing to observe in exchange for recording quality. According to an exemplary embodiment, a data recording device (11, 21, 31) includes a processor (206) operative to receive and process a user bid indicating a quantity of advertisements the user is willing to observe in exchange for a given level of recording quality. A storage medium (203) is operative to record program data in accordance with the given level of recording quality indicated by the user bid. A decoder (204) is operative to decode and enable playback of the recorded program data including the quantity of advertisements indicated by the user bid.
US08639083B2
The present invention relates to a method for recording a video stream on a recording media, e.g. HDD, wherein the video stream has different parental ratings, and to an apparatus for recording a video stream performing such a method.
US08639077B2
The present invention provides a colored coated optical fiber which hardly has an increase in transmission loss even when immersed in water. A colored coated optical fiber according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a glass optical fiber, a primary coating layer covering the glass optical fiber, a secondary coating layer covering the primary coating layer, and a colored layer covering the secondary coating layer. A ratio of a thermal expansion coefficient of a laminate including the secondary coating layer and the colored layer covering the secondary coating layer to that of the secondary coating layer is 0.98 or more and 1.03 or less. A ratio of a glass transition temperature based on a dynamic viscoelasticity within a temperature range from −100° C. to 150° C. of the laminate to that of the secondary coating layer is 0.96 or more and 1.03 or less.
US08639073B2
An optical coupling assembly for coupling light from an optical fiber including an angled tip into a planar waveguide via a waveguide coupling element is provided. In one embodiment, the optical fiber extends along the planar waveguide with the angled tip positioned such that light propagating in the optical fiber is coupled by the waveguide coupling element to propagate in the planar waveguide in counter propagation with respect to a fiber propagation direction. In another embodiment, the optical fiber includes a tapered peripheral portion tapering toward the angled tip and is disposed over the planar waveguide with the tapered peripheral portion extending therealong such that light propagating in the optical fiber is coupled to propagate in the planar waveguide with either forward or counter propagation. Embodiments of the present invention may be part of various photonic integrated circuits and may be manufactured more easily than known optical coupling assemblies.
US08639065B2
The system includes a light-transmitting medium positioned on a base. The light-transmitting medium included a ridge and a slab region. The ridge extends upward from the slab region and defines a portion of a waveguide on the base. The waveguide is configured to guide a light signal through the device. The device also includes an avalanche effect light sensor positioned on the base and configured to detect the presence of the light signal. The light sensor includes a light-absorbing medium positioned on the ridge of the light-transmitting medium such that the light signal is coupled from the light-transmitting medium into the light-absorbing medium. The light-transmitting includes a charge layer located at an interface of the light-transmitting medium and the light-absorbing medium. A multiplication region is formed in the slab regions of the light-transmitting medium such that the multiplication region receives charge carriers from the charge layer during the operation of the light sensor.
US08639063B2
An information processing system stores image files formed by an image forming apparatus in a desired storage position in an information processing terminal through simple operations. The information processing terminal, in accordance with an instruction to incorporate an image file, sends to the image forming apparatus information that includes at least identification information by which to identify a storage destination for the image file, a file name for the data file corresponding to a selected icon and storage position information that indicates the storage position in a folder of a directory in the storage destination in which the data file is to be stored. The image forming apparatus registers the information, and causes a selection key for the registered information to be displayed. A new selection key is created for information to be displayed when new settings information is registered based on the information sent from the information processing terminal.
US08639056B2
A method according to the invention enhances contrast of an image by accessing an original image, and establishing, assigning, or initializing pixel values and pixel coordinates of pixels of the image. Then, a Laplacian pyramid having an integral number of levels is generated for the image. A contrast boost pyramid is generated and applied to the Laplacian pyramid to obtain a modified Laplacian pyramid wherein values in the levels of the Laplacian pyramid are enhanced. An enhanced image is then constructed from the modified Laplacian pyramid.
US08639055B2
A method for calculating an image quality metric for evaluating the quality of a digital image including the steps of denoising the data of the image, identifying edges in the denoised data, determining an edge profile of the edges, determining a grayscale angle for each identified edge in the edge profile that is associated with the edge, and calculating the image quality metric based on a weighted average of the grayscale angles for all the edges.
US08639043B2
Methods are disclosed for classifying different parts of a sample into respective classes based on an image stack that includes one or more images.
US08639032B1
The present invention discloses methods of archiving and optimizing lectures, presentations and other captured video for playback, particularly for blind and low vision individuals. A digital imaging device captures a preselected field of view that is subject to periodic change such as a whiteboard in a classroom. A sequence of frames is captured. Frames associated with additions or erasures to the whiteboard are identified. The Cartesian coordinates of the regions of these alterations within the frame are identified. When the presentation is played back, the regions that are altered are enlarged or masked to assist the low vision user. In another embodiment of the invention, the timing of the alterations segments the recorded audio into chapters so that the blind user can skip forward and backward to different sections of the presentation.
US08639030B2
An image processing apparatus which corrects color balance of an image in image data captured by an image capturing apparatus having a color balance correction function, the apparatus comprises a light source estimation unit configured to estimate a capturing light source of the image based on a color value of an object; a first color conversion unit configured to perform first color conversion of converting, based on the capturing light source and the color value, the image into an image in which color balance correction applied depending on the image capturing apparatus that has captured the image data containing the image is weakened; and a second color conversion unit configured to perform second color conversion for the image having undergone the first color conversion, by using an adaptation rate corresponding to a color value defined based on chromatic adaptation of a man under the capturing light source.
US08639016B2
Embodiments of the invention provide for mobile communication-based verification of the validity of negotiable checks. By verifying the validity of checks on a mobile communication device, the systems and methods provide for on-the-fly check verification regardless of where and/or at what time the check-related transaction occurs. The systems and methods validate the check in terms of insuring that the check is not fraudulent and, in some instances, providing certainty to the payee that the requisite funds currently exist in the related checking account. Additionally, the systems and methods provide for an efficient and readily identifiable means of conveying the outcome of the check verification process.
US08639014B2
In a device and associated method to extract a tissue sample, spatial coordinates of tissue variations in slice images are determined and tested by a forward projection in projection images in order, with tested spatial coordinates, to create revised slice images with a precise localization of a tissue variation.
US08639008B2
Three tier architecture for image-based diagnosis and monitoring application using Cloud is described. The presentation layer is run on the tablet (mobile device), while the business and persistence layer runs on a single cloud or distributed on different Clouds in a multi-tenancy and multi-user application. Such architecture is used for automated data mining application for computing (a) cardiovascular risk, stroke risk using IMT measurement, plaque characterization, (b) computing diagnostic index for benign vs. malignant tissue for ovarian cancer classification (c) benign vs. malignant tissue characterization for prostate cancer and (d) classification of fatty liver disease vs. normal cases. The Architecture is for data mining application.
US08639004B2
A method of performing a retinal examination is described wherein perimetry points are selected in three dimensional imaging data of the retinal tissue. The corresponding points in register with these perimetry points are mapped to an en-face image. These corresponding points are used as stimulus locations for a micro-perimetry examination.
US08639003B2
Method for the noise reduction of CT image data and an image processing system are disclosed, with a scanning of an examination object and generation of at least two CT image data records each taking place on the basis of a different x-ray energy spectrum. In at least one embodiment, a break-down of the data image records into at least two broken-down image data records takes place in each instance, with a lowest local frequency band (f(1)) with the index k=1 and at least one high local frequency band (f(k)) with the index k=2 to N. In at least one embodiment, the determination of the noise into at least one of the image data records per x-ray energy spectrum and calculation of at least one new image data record takes place in each instance by using an unchanged broken-down image data record with the lowest local frequency band and an image data record, generated from a noise-minimized weighted combination of broken-down image data records, which originate from the scannings using different x-ray energy spectra.
US08638984B2
A gesture detection device detects a gesture of a user, which is a movement which is carried out by a hand or by both hands of the user on an existing example of the work piece, or on an image of an existing example of the work piece. An identification device identifies the gesture as a predefined gesture, which represents a symbol. A selection device selects a measurement result in dependence on the identified gesture. The measurement result can then be displayed or marked.
US08638983B2
A digital image processing apparatus and tracking method are provided to rapidly and accurately track a subject location in video images. The apparatus searches for a target image that is most similar to a reference image, in a current frame image in which each pixel has luminance, and other, data, the reference image being smaller than the current frame image, and includes a similarity calculator for calculating a degree of similarity between the reference image and each of a plurality of matching images that have the same size as the reference image and are portions of the current frame image; and a target image determination unit for determining one of the plurality of matching images as the target image using the degree of similarity obtained by the similarity calculator. The similarity calculator calculates the degree of similarity by applying greater weight to the other data than to the luminance data.
US08638970B2
An adapter for attaching to an earphone includes a sleeve capable attaching the adapter to the earphone and an ear portion including a tubular sidewall having a first end attached to the sleeve and a second end opposite the first end. In one embodiment, the tubular sidewall includes an outer surface and a plurality of fins extending outwardly from the outer surface. In another embodiment, the tubular sidewall has an inner surface defining an air channel extending through the sidewall, and the inner surface has a twin cone shape including a converging cone portion extending from the first end and a diverging cone portion extending from the converging cone portion to the second end. In one embodiment, the adapter includes both a plurality of fins, and a twin cone air channel.
US08638964B2
A method for manufacturing a hearing aid component adapted for fitting in the auditory canal of a hearing aid user, the hearing aid component having a covering of resilient material on at least part of its outside surface and having an inner sound conveying part, the method including the steps of acquiring data representing the shape of the auditory canal of the user; forming a three-dimensional computer model of the shape of the hearing aid component based on the acquired data; forming a three-dimensional computer model of a mould for casting the covering; manufacturing the mould in a rapid prototyping process based on the three-dimensional model; casting the covering in the mould; removing the mould from the covering; and forming the hearing aid component by joining the covering with the inner sound conveying part.
US08638962B2
Disclosed is a method of reducing feedback in a hearing aid adapted to be worn by a user, the method comprising the step of: receiving an audio input signal in an input transducer in the hearing aid; wherein the method further comprises the steps of: transforming the input signal into the frequency domain; dividing the audio signal into a plurality of frequency bands; determining a threshold frequency over which a plurality of upper frequency bands lies; multiplying each of the plurality of upper frequency bands by a random phase, thereby obtaining a plurality of phase randomized upper frequency bands; synthesizing the plurality of phase randomized upper frequency bands and the lower frequency bands to an output signal; transforming the output signal into the time-domain; and transmitting the output signal to an output transducer of the hearing aid.
US08638961B2
The invention relates to a method of operating an audio processing device. The invention further relates to an audio processing device, to a software program and to a medium having instructions stored thereon. The object of the present invention is to provide improvements in the processing of sounds in listening devices. The problem is solved by a method comprising a) receiving an electric input signal representing an audio signal; b) providing an event-control parameter indicative of changes related to the electric input signal and for controlling the processing of the electric input signal; c) storing a representation of the electric input signal or a part thereof; d) providing a processed electric output signal with a configurable delay based on the stored representation of the electric input signal or a part thereof and controlled by the event-control parameter. The invention may e.g. be used in hearing instruments, headphones or headsets or active ear plugs.
US08638957B2
There is provided a sound reproduction apparatus including a sub-woofer unit and a plurality of wireless speakers. A method of speaker charging and speaker calibration using the sound reproduction apparatus is also provided. The sub-woofer unit may be configured to perform tasks of both charging a power source in each of the plurality of wireless speakers; and calibrating speaker identity for each of the plurality of wireless speakers. It is advantageous that both of the tasks are performed when the plurality of wireless speakers is coupled to the sub-woofer unit. The speaker identity may include, for example, left front, right front, left rear, right rear, and center.
US08638954B2
An audio signal processing apparatus includes: a first filtering unit which outputs an audio signal while attenuating frequency components except for preset frequency components; a detecting unit which detects a sound volume level; an amplitude limiting unit which calculates an amplitude limiting level corresponding to the sound volume level, and which limits a part of a waveform of the audio signal output from the first filtering unit; a second filtering unit which outputs the audio signal output from the amplitude limiting unit while attenuating frequency components except for preset frequency components including a part of the frequency band of the audio signal output from the first filtering unit, and a part of the frequency band of the harmonics; a compressing unit which compresses a dynamic range of the audio signal; and an adding unit which adds the audio signal output from the compressing unit to the input audio signal.
US08638948B2
The invention relates to multi-channel audio signal processing, in particular to a method of processing a multi-channel audio signal and to a signal processing device. A method of processing a multi-channel audio signal is disclosed, comprising the steps of: receiving an input sum signal (s) representing a sum of a first audio signal and a second audio signal; receiving an input difference signal (d) representing a difference between the first and second audio signals; decorrelating the sum signal to provide a decorrelated sum signal (sd); calculating a first gain (gs) from a cross-correlation of the sum and difference signals (s,d) and the power of the sum signal; calculating a second gain (gsd) from a cross-correlation of the sum and difference signals (s,d) and the power of the sum and difference signals; calculating an output difference signal (d′) from a sum of the first gain (gs) applied to the sum signal (s) and the second gain (gsd) applied to the decorrelated sum signal (sd); and providing an output stereo audio signal (l,r) from a combination of the output difference signal (d′) and the input sum signal (s).
US08638944B2
A countermeasure for differential power analysis attacks on computing devices. The countermeasure includes the definition of a set of split mask values. The split mask values are applied to a key value used in conjunction with a masked table defined with reference to a table mask value. The set of n split mask values are defined by randomly generating n−1 split mask values and defining an nth split mask value by exclusive or'ing the table mask value with the n−1 randomly generated split mask values.
US08638940B2
A control entity communicates with an entity to be controlled so as to effect a control, a secret key being associated with the control entity. These entities share public parameters, a second public parameter being a combination of a first public parameter of the said plurality with the secret key. At the level of the entity to be controlled, a random value is generated, a first message is transmitted to the control entity, this first message comprising at least one value obtained by combining the first public parameter with the random value; and a second message is transmitted to the control entity, this second message comprising at least one value obtained by combining the first random value, a secret key of the entity to be controlled and a value received from the control entity. One of the values included in the first or the second message is based on the second public parameter.
US08638935B2
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for key space division and sub-key derivation for mixed media digital rights management content and secure digital asset distribution. A system practicing the exemplary method derives a set of family keys from a master key associated with an encrypted media asset using a one-way function, wherein each family key is uniquely associated with a respective client platform type, wherein the master key is received from a server account database, and identifies a client platform type for a client device and a corresponding family key from the set of family keys. The system encrypts an encrypted media asset with the corresponding family key to yield a platform-specific encrypted media asset, and transmits the platform-specific encrypted media asset to the client device. Thus, different client devices receive device-specific encrypted assets which can be all derived based on the same master key.
US08638931B2
Systems and/or methods that facilitate descrambling of data communicated between a memory and a host processor are presented. A descrambler component determines the bit order of data signals from a memory device based on pattern information provided to the descrambler component by the memory device during initialization. The descrambler component can receive one or more distinct patterns and can evaluate the data values associated with such patterns for each data line of the memory. The descrambler component can determine the bit order of the data signals based on such patterns and can generate a transformation function that can facilitate rearranging data, which can be received from or sent to the memory device, into a predetermined bit order.
US08638925B1
The availability of one or more agents of an institution to communicate with a user may be determined and reported to the user. An application on a user computing device may provide an indication as to how many agents are currently available to speak with the user and/or a wait time until an agent becomes available. The user computing device may display a call icon that the user may select to place a call to an available agent. The user computing device may display a call icon that the user may select to receive a callback from an available agent. Call volume statistics may be provided to the user and may be used to determine when an agent is most likely unavailable and/or most likely available.
US08638923B1
A method and system for registering a client for a call-pickup service and for executing the call-pickup service for a new call placed to a given communication device. The call-pickup service may carried out, in part, by providing the client with notification of when the new call is placed to the given communication device, the client requesting that the new call be re-routed to a location other than the given communication device, and a server re-routing the new call to the location other than the given communication device. The location other than the given communication device may be the client that registers for the call-pickup service or another location.
US08638920B2
Management of call center call routing is provided. Service calls directed to a call center may be monitored according to a variety of parameters such as associated line of business, date, time, and call volume. Calls directed to an internal call center may be routed to an alternate call center for processing as required or needed by the provider of the internal call center. For each type of incoming service call, a maximum call count or percentage-based call count may be established to facilitate efficient routing of service calls to the internal call center or to an alternate call center to ensure that no more than a specified number of calls are routed to a given call center. Real time and summary reporting may be generated to allow call center management personnel to monitor and manage service call routing to one or more internal and/or alternate call centers.
US08638912B2
A user is provided a temporary account and, in the event they choose to finalize joining a service, the user is permitted to save settings from their temporary account. For example, in some embodiments, the user is permitted to perform various functions, such as, browsing the service, navigating external links, and viewing various pages of other users and groups. This information and links may be transitioned over if the user wishes to establish a permanent account.
US08638910B2
An integrated voicemail system is described that provides “visual voicemail” that overcomes the shortcomings associated with a user having to dial into a voicemail system and navigate through a menu of options using conventional voice and/or standard DTMF signaling-based browsing capabilities. The visual voicemail instead provides, via a client device of the user's choice, a visual presentation of a user's voicemails along with state information of the voicemails. The visual presentation of the voicemails includes a user interface that allows a user to control or manipulate voicemails from the client device, where the manipulation includes playing, pausing, rewinding, fast-forwarding, deleting, and changing a state of each voicemail. The visual voicemail also eliminates the need for a user to periodically call-in to the enterprise voicemail system in order to check for voicemail messages as the messages can be automatically delivered to the user's client device.
US08638908B2
A method for generating a ring tone for a given caller based on a prior conversation with that caller. A portion of a conversation with a given caller is recorded and stored in memory as a ring tone. When a subsequent call is received from the same caller, identified by caller ID, the ring tone is played, alerting the user to the incoming call as well as the context of their prior communication. In alternative embodiments of the invention, a prior textual or video conversation is used as the basis for a ring tone, and/or the ‘ring tone’ is delivered by other than audio means. The invention is capable of implementation in telecommunications systems such as cellular, local exchange, and VOIP, and in combination with other forms of internet-based telecommunication.
US08638907B1
A method, system, and medium are provided for generating a profile for public safety answering platforms. The profile identifies media formats or media format combinations that are supported by the PSAPs at various cell sector locations maintained by a network provider. A network server selects a cell sector and generates test emergency services calls. The test emergency services calls are transmitted to a PSAP but are optimized to reduce a number of test emergency services calls based on media support included in the profile of the PSAP. The PSAP generates a response that indicates whether the PSAP supports a media format identified in the test emergency services call. The PSAP may rely on capabilities of a secondary PSAP to generate the response. The PSAP transmits the response to the network server for storage in the profile.
US08638906B1
Voice user interfaces can be tested using test scripts generated by traversing a graph using a recursive search technique, such as recursive depth first search. Test data to accompany the test scripts can be generated by treating conditions in states of the interface as business rules, and fully exercising each state during traversal of the graph. Actual testing can be performed in a faster than real time manner by providing simulated input from test scripts, as opposed to requiring actual input from human testers. The interfaces can also be tested using a gatekeeper intermediary which provides for easy transitions between testing and deployment.
US08638904B2
Further, the present specification is directed towards personnel screening systems comprising modular components, including detector and source units, where a dual axis scanning beam is employed. In one configuration, the subject under inspection remains stationary and is positioned between two scanning modules. The X-ray source assembly is designed to minimize the overall system footprint while still yielding the requisite field of view, low radiation exposure level, and required resolution. The modular components allow for a compact, light and yet sufficiently rugged overall structure that can be disassembled for ease of transportation and is also simple to reassemble at a required site for inspection.
US08638902B2
A method executed by a circuit for counting electrons in storage cells in an array of at least two storage cells is provided. The method includes providing a storage array of at least two storage cells, and each of said at least two storage cells containing an unknown amount of electrons. A receiving array of at least two receiving cells is provided, where said at least two receiving cells initially contain no electrons. Then, extracting a layer of said electrons from said storage array of cells and inserting said layer into corresponding locations in said receiving array. The method then repeats said steps of extracting and inserting while at least one of said at least two storage cells is not empty. The method counts, for each said storage cell in said storage array, a productive-extraction amount.
US08638899B2
Example embodiments are directed to methods and apparatuses for generating desired isotopes within water rods of nuclear fuel assemblies. Example methods may include selecting a desired irradiation target based on the target's properties, loading the target into a target rod based on irradiation target and fuel assembly properties, exposing the target rod to neutron flux, and/or harvesting isotopes produced from the irradiation target from the target rod. Example embodiment target rods may house one or more irradiation targets of varying types and phases. Example embodiment securing devices include a ledge collar and/or bushing that support target rods within a water rod and permit moderator/coolant flow through the water rod. Other example embodiment securing devices include one or more washers with one or more apertures drilled therein to hold one or more example embodiment target rods in a water rod while permitting coolant/moderator to flow through the water rod.
US08638895B2
In one embodiment, receiving an Ethernet signal over a channel, the Ethernet signal comprising a preamble frame, an idle frame, and a data frame, the preamble frame comprising one or more preamble codes; synchronizing to the Ethernet signal based on the preamble frame; replicating the one or more preamble codes; and training a decision feedback equalizer (DFE) based on the one or more replicated codes, the training enabling the DFE to use decision values at the DFE output to track channel variations.
US08638890B2
A receiver may comprise a complex mixer for converting the modulated signal to a complex modulated signal comprising a first in-phase component and a first quadrature component. The receiver may further comprise a digital demodulator. The digital demodulator may comprise at least one processor circuit programmed for applying a phase differencer for generating an output function in terms of a phase difference of the complex modulated signal. Applying the phase differencer may comprise converting the first in-phase component to a function of a phase difference of the first in-phase component expressed in digital time, and converting the first quadrature component to a function of the phase difference of the first quadrature component expressed in digital time. The at least one processor circuit of the digital demodulator may also be programmed for applying a four quadrant inverse tangent to the output function to generate the information signal.
US08638885B2
Embodiments of a space-time decoder and methods for decoding Alamouti-encoded signals in high-Doppler environments are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. In some embodiments, soft-symbol outputs are generated from received symbols, a channel rate-of-change, and channel coefficients. Maximum-likelihood decoding may be performed to generate hard-symbol outputs from the soft-symbol outputs.
US08638884B2
The data processing unit (15) for a receiver of signals carrying information (1) includes a clock and data recovery circuit (16) on the basis of a data signal (DOUT), and a processor circuit (17) connected to the clock and data recovery circuit. The clock and data recovery circuit is clocked by a local clock signal (CLK) and includes a numerical phase lock loop, in which a numerically controlled oscillator (25) is arranged. This numerically controlled oscillator generates an in-phase pulse signal (IP) and a quadrature pulse signal (QP) at output. The frequency and phase of the pulse signals IP and QP are adapted on the basis of the received data signal (DOUT). The processor circuit is arranged to calculate over time the mean and variance of the numerical input signal (NCOIN) of the numerically controlled oscillator (25), so as to determine the coherence of the data signal if the calculated mean and variance are below a predefined coherence threshold.
US08638879B2
All data symbols used in data transmission of a modulated signal are precoded by switching between precoding matrices so that the precoding matrix used to precode each data symbol and the precoding matrices used to precode data symbols that are adjacent to the data symbol along the frequency axis and the time axis all differ. A modulated signal with such data symbols arranged therein is transmitted.
US08638872B2
Space-Time-State Block Coded MIMO communication system using reconfigurable antennas. One or more antennas are operates in accordance with a Space-Time-State Block Code (STS-BC) to effectuate channel coding of a signal being transmitted wirelessly between communication devices. In accordance with such an STS-BC, one or more antennas (being reconfigurable in nature) of a communication device are reconfigured in different radiation states. From some perspectives, this may be viewed as performing three-dimensional channel coding, in that, in addition to achieving at least time diversity of signals being transmitted (and also potentially including spatial diversity), state diversity may be achieved by adapting one or more characteristics of one or more antennas within the communication device. Such an STS-BC may operate in an open loop configuration without requiring any feedback from another communication device to which signals are transmitted. If desired, feedback may be employed for adaptively modifying an STS-BC (or selecting another STS-BC).
US08638869B2
A communications apparatus accommodated in a communications system for exchange of information between a communications apparatuses by a multicarrier transmission mode using a plurality of subcarriers. The communications apparatus includes a dedicated transmission data generator for each communications apparatus, configured to generate frequency band information indicating which frequency band is to be used for transmission of data information between each communications apparatus; and a transmitter configured to transmit the dedicated frequency band information with dedicated control channel for each communications apparatus by using a specific frequency band which is set from among a plurality of frequency bands assigned to the communications system, in which the specific frequency band is set as a primary band in a frequency band assigned to the communication system.
US08638860B2
Provided is a Vestigial Side Band Digital Television (DTV) transmitter/receiver based on Advanced Television System Committee A/53. The invention provides DTV transmitter/receiver having a dual stream structure through generation of robust data which has a transmission rate a fourth as fast as that of normal data, and a method thereof. The DTV transmitter includes: input means for receiving digital video data stream including normal and robust data; encoding means for performing ¼ rate coding on the digital video data stream so that one bit can be transmitted through two symbols; and transmitting means for modulating/transmitting output signals of the encoding means. This invention can reduce SNR and satisfy TOV of robust data by performing additional FEC on robust data, transmitting/receiving ¼ rate coded robust data, which are capable of transmitting one-bit data for two symbols, and improving decoding ability of an equalizer and a trellis decoder of a DTV receiver.
US08638853B2
Improved video coding is described to encode video data within a sequence of video frames. To this end, at least a portion of a reference frame is encoded to include motion information associated with the portion of the reference frame. At least a portion of a predictable frame that includes video data predictively correlated to said portion of said reference frame is defined based on the motion information. At least said portion of the predictable frame is encoded without including corresponding motion information and including mode identifying data. The mode identifying data indicate that the encoded portion of the predictable frame can be directly derived using at least the motion information associated with the portion of the reference frame.
US08638843B2
To optimize an adaptive equalizer with a simple controlling circuit, the receiving device includes a number counting part counting, in a range of detection having a predetermined width, a sampling result corresponding to the input signal being shaped by an equalizer circuit at a determination timing indicated by a clock signal obtained in a CDR circuit, a zone scanning part scanning the range of detection in a scanning zone including a variation range of the input signal; a coefficient altering part altering an equalizer coefficient set to the equalizer circuit; a peak detecting part detecting a peak value of a number of appearances of the sampling result according to alteration of the equalizer coefficient and scanning of the range of detection; and a coefficient specifying part specifying the equalizer coefficient being used when detecting the peak value in the peak detecting part as a first coefficient.
US08638841B2
A transmitting/receiving system includes two transmitting/receiving apparatuses connected through a transmission cable having two one-direction signal lines. Each apparatus includes a transmitting unit that transmits a signal, a receiving unit that receives a signal, a calculator, a controller, a storage, and an estimating unit. The calculator calculates an Signal to Noise (S/N) ratio of the received signal. The controller controls the calculation by obtaining, as a first value, a strength of a signal caused by a check signal transmitted during absence of a check signal being received, obtaining, as a second value, a strength of a check signal received during absence of a check signal being transmitted, and dividing the second value by the first value. The storage stores relationship between a predetermined transmission-cable S/N ratio and temporal signal fluctuation. The estimating unit estimates temporal signal fluctuation from the calculated S/N ratio and the relationship.
US08638827B2
A high-power semiconductor laser includes a support block, an anode metal plate, a cathode metal plate and a chip. The support block has a step, and the two ends of the support block have bosses, in which there are screw holes. The chip is welded to an insulation plate, which is attached to the support block. The anode metal plate and the cathode metal plate are, respectively, welded with an anode insulation plate and a cathode insulation plate, which are welded on the step of the support block. The cathode of the chip is connected with a metal connecting plate. The metal connecting plate is connected to the anode metal plate and the cathode metal plate. The insulation plate and the anode metal plate are bonded using a gold wire in press-welding.
US08638822B2
A network node, a communication system, and a method for transmitting a clock packet through a tunnel are disclosed. The method includes: encapsulating a tunnel ingress clock packet received at an ingress of a tunnel in an encapsulation mode corresponding to the tunnel, and performing clock correction for the encapsulated clock packet; and sending the corrected clock packet to an egress of the tunnel. The network node for processing a clock packet includes an encapsulating module and a sending module. The communication system includes the network node for processing a clock packet, and further includes an intra-tunnel network node and a tunnel egress network node. According to the present invention, a clock packet is re-encapsulated and transmitted through a tunnel. In the subsequent process of transmitting the clock packet transparently, the node itself serves as a clock reference point, and all network nodes do not need to synchronize time absolutely.
US08638817B2
Consistent with the present disclosure, a communication system is provided in which client data is received and provided in frames for transmission within the system. The frames include an overhead portion as well as locations that include the client data. The frames further include phase data or “virtual justifications” that periodically correct the difference between the phase represented by the data locations in the wrapper and the actual accumulated client phase. The phase data or virtual justifications, however, are decoupled from the data path. Therefore, without complicating the data path, the phase data may be sent more frequently and with finer granularity than the actual justifications. Virtual justifications or phase data are communicated via a “virtual justification control channel” which may part of the frame overhead. Moreover, there is no need for an actual “virtual justification opportunity” in the frame, because no data is actually sent in conjunction with the virtual justifications.
US08638814B2
A computer system and method for transmitting LAN signals over transport systems. LAN signals are generated in any client LAN compliant interface. A transceiver receives the client LAN signal in the LAN format. The client LAN signals are not converted to a SONET transmission format at any time before reaching the transceiver. The transceiver then converts the client LAN signal to an internal electrical LAN signal before re-clocking the internal electrical LAN signal. The re-clocked internal electrical LAN signal is then re-modulated into a second LAN signal. The second LAN signal is then transmitted to a transport system.
US08638812B2
Random access operation is performed under a communication environment in which a plurality of communication modes having different transmission rate coexist with small overhead. A high-grade communication station spoofs information of a packet length and a rate in a decoding portion so that a value of (packet length)/(rate) corresponds to a duration where the communication is hoped to be stopped. The other station receiving the spoofed information receives the rest of the packet with the designated rate during the interval designated by the value of (packet length)/(rate). In this case, the packet length and the rate are not those of actually transmitted packet so that this packet is discarded.
US08638810B2
In various embodiments, communication apparatuses and methods for providing robust communications are disclosed. For example, an exemplary apparatus for use in a communication system employing a plurality of different communication channels may include a first database of channel performance information embedded on a machine-readable and writable medium, wherein the first database includes a plurality of records with each record containing information relating to a wireless channel monitored by a Media Access Controller (MAC), input circuitry configured to receive information from a plurality of MACs monitoring their respective wireless channels such that each record of the first database contains channel performance information for a respective wireless channel, and output circuitry configured to provide the channel performance information to a plurality of applications-level executable programs running on one or more computers.
US08638806B2
A portable data terminal (PDT) adapted to participate in a wireless mesh network including a plurality of peer PDTs can comprise: a PDT module including an encoded information reading (EIR) device, and a mesh point (MP) module communicatively coupled to the PDT module. The MP module can include a microcontroller and at least one wireless communication interface and can be configured to perform IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless station services including authentication, de-authentication, privacy, and MAC service data unit delivery, and IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless distribution system services including association, disassociation, distribution, integration, and re-association. The MP module can be further configured, responsive to receiving a MAC frame addressed to a recipient inside the wireless mesh network, to deliver the MAC frame using the distribution service. The MP module can be further configured, responsive to receiving a MAC frame addressed to a recipient outside of the wireless mesh network, to deliver the MAC frame using the integration service. The MP module can be further configured to route an incoming MAC frame according to its destination address and the frame control field. The MP module can be further configured to cause the PDT module to exit said sleeping state responsive to receiving a mobile management software (MMS) wake-up command.
US08638799B2
A system and method for implementing a VM to identify a data packet for transmission, the data packet including a QoS the data packet is to receive as compared to another QoS that another data packet is to receive. The system and method further includes a SNIC to pull the data packet from the VM based upon the QoS the data packet is to receive. The system and method may also include a link scheduler module to transmit the data packet based upon the QoS the data packet is to receive. The system and method may also include a receiver to receive a management instruction from a network management device, the management instruction to dictate the QoS the data packet is to receive based upon a SLA.
US08638785B2
Method for transmission of data packets by a first station, the packets being intended for a destination node belonging to a network comprising a second station, said packets being transmitted by said first station to said destination node via said second station. In order to simplify the transmission, the method comprises: a routing of a set of at least one of the packets to the second station, a classification associated with the second station, the classification assigning a connection between the first station and the second station to the set of at least one of the packets, a transmission step of the set on the assigned connection.
US08638784B1
A network switch including a first port, a forwarding module, and a queue controller. The first port is configured to receive i) a first frame of data transmitted to the network switch over a first communication channel, and ii) store the first frame of data in a memory. The forwarding module is configured to assign the first frame of data to a second port for transmission from the network switch over a second communication channel. The queue controller is configured to store a first count of a number of buffers of the memory used by the first port. The queue controller is configured to increment the first count i) based on the number of the buffers used to store at least a portion of the first frame of data, or ii) each time one of the buffers is enqueued for at least a portion of the first frame of data.
US08638778B2
A method and apparatus to provide hop-by-hop tracking for a communication network is described. In one embodiment, a router verifies that a next downstream router supports tracking and in response, adds a tracking indicator and a timestamp to the data packet. An end router provides a compilation of all the timestamps back to the originating router.
US08638774B2
A base station for use in a mobile communications network includes a frequency synthesizer for generating signals at desired frequencies and a packet data interface for transmitting and receiving packet data signals over a wide area network. The basestation is configured to determine an elapsed time since it last synchronized the frequency synthesizer to a master device. The basestation is also configured to request synchronization packet data signals from the master device when the elapsed time exceeds a predetermined holdover period.
US08638766B2
The embodiments of the present invention relate to an electronic device and a method of controlling the electronic device. When a mobile terminal enters into or comes out of a network environment including a plurality of electronic devices that may communicate with each other, the electronic device and the method of controlling the electronic device may play contents in association with such an event.
US08638759B2
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate selecting and/or reselecting one or more access points, related cells, or carriers based at least in part on calculating an energy efficiency related to the access points. In particular, the energy efficiency can be based at least in part on an estimated pathloss and/or a level of interference related to communicating with the access points. Moreover, load parameters related to the access point can be received and evaluated in selecting and/or reselecting the access point. Thus, access points can be selected or reselected based on parameters other than forward link transmit power. In addition, pathloss and/or interference levels can be weighed based on access point type to prevent macrocell overloading.
US08638758B2
Embodiments described herein relate to providing variable rate broadcast services with soft handoff in wireless communications. In an embodiment, a plurality of access points (e.g., servicing various cells in a broadcast area) may transmit a broadcast content in accordance with a rate set. The rate set may include a plurality of distinct data rates each associated with a transmission format, configured to allow the broadcast packets transmitted by the access points to be incrementally combined (e.g., on a per-slot basis at a subscribing AT). The data rates and corresponding transmission formats in the rate set may be selected in relation to the supportable data rates of the cells in the broadcast area, as well as the requirements for supporting soft handoff in these cells.
US08638743B2
Aspects are described for reducing interference in wireless systems. In a first embodiment, an uplink acknowledgment region associated with a macro cell is determined, and an assignment of uplink control resources is restricted to a region within the uplink acknowledgment region. A control signal is then transmitted to user equipment via the assignment of uplink control resources. In another embodiment, control signals are received from wireless terminals, which include desired uplink control signals associated with an access point base station, as well as interfering uplink acknowledgement signals associated with macro cells. The control signals may then be regenerated by cancelling the set of interfering signals from the control signals. The desired uplink control signals are then decoded.
US08638741B2
The invention relates to a method for determining a retransmission mode of a retransmission protocol for data transmissions provided to a communication terminal. Furthermore, the invention relates to the operation of the communication terminal, e.g. a user equipment or relay node, to perform such method, as well as a Node B cooperating with the communication terminal. The invention is inter alia applicable to a 3GPP LTE-A system as standardized by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). In order to suggest a mechanism for determining or dynamically configuring a retransmission mode of a retransmission protocol, the invention suggests a control message format that allows a dynamic signaling of the retransmission mode of a retransmission protocol. The control message is designed to comprise a field that can indicate a plurality of different codepoints. The codepoints are divided into at least two subsets, wherein the codepoints of each subset indicate a respective retransmission mode.
US08638737B2
A method and apparatus are provided for use in a wireless communications system to enable dynamic selection of k sub-MAPs, and rates for transmitting these k sub-MAPs within communication frames. The method comprises the steps: a) for at least one communication frame comprised within a first interval of time, retrieving information on statistical distribution of downlink (DL) channel rates for a group of subscriber devices; b) based on that information, selecting k and corresponding transmission rates for k sub-MAPs, to minimize total amount of resources to be allocated for MAP and sub-MAPs transmission within that communication frame comprised within the first time interval and/or within a second interval of time that proceeds the first interval of time; and c) transmitting the k sub-MAPs at the selected corresponding transmission rates in communication frames comprised within the first time interval and/or within the second interval of time that proceeds the first one.
US08638735B2
Quality of Service (QoS) and/or bandwidth allocation can be provided for interactive gaming via a Regional/Access Network (RAN). The RAN can provide end-to-end transport between a Gaming Application Service Provider (GASP) and a Customer Premises Network (CPN) that includes a Routing Gateway (RG). Quality of Service (QoS) and/or bandwidth allocation can be provided by determining different levels of subscription service for different subscribers to an interactive game between a plurality of participants. Different QoS and/or bandwidth allocations can be provided to different gaming traffic flows associated with the different subscribers to the interactive game based on the different levels of subscription service of the different subscribers.
US08638732B2
A method and an apparatus for allocating a resource in a broadband wireless communication system are provided. In the method, a Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) level set and a burst size set to generate a codebook is determined. The codebook is generated using the MCS level set and the burst size set. Resource allocation information is one of generated and read according to the codebook.
US08638730B2
An apparatus and method for persistent allocation in a wireless communication system are provided. An operation method of a Base Station (BS) includes determining if decoding information for one or more persistent allocations assigned to one or more corresponding Mobile Stations (MSs) is updated, if the decoding information is updated, generating a signaling message to signal the update of the decoding information, and transmitting the signaling message through a DL MAP. The signaling message includes an R_CID and ACID associated with at least one persistent allocation to which the updated decoding information is to be applied.
US08638722B2
A method of operating a network node comprising one or more transmit antennas that are associated with a plurality of antenna ports includes transmitting a first user-equipment-(UE-) specific reference signal on a first antenna port and reusing the first UE-specific reference signal to transmit a second UE-specific reference signal on one of the first antenna port and a second antenna port. The second UE-specific reference signal is orthogonal to the first UE-specific reference signal.
US08638718B2
There are provided a radio base transceiver station and a method of connecting the same to a network, whereby a home radio base transceiver station is connectable in an automated manner to a network (network) of a mobile communications operator and the security is ensured in the reception of information. A network interface section 201 that transmits and receives various types of information with the network of the mobile communications operator; a mobile communications operator identifying section 202 that identifies an authorized mobile communications operator; a VPN (Virtual Private Network) setting section 203 that sets up a VPN with a network of the authorized mobile communications operator; an installation location recognizing section 204 that recognizes an installation location of the radio base transceiver station; a surrounding environment recognizing section 205 that recognizes a surrounding environment; a recognition result notifying section 206 that notifies theses recognition results to the network; and a connection setting section 207 that connects the radio base transceiver station to an upper node and sets up an operation parameter based upon configuration data supplied from the network.
US08638717B2
Systems and methods for maintaining a communication session. A gateway supports both a local access point (AP) and a virtual AP. The local AP is accessible only to an “owner” of the gateway. The virtual AP (VAP) is accessible to devices associated with the owner of the gateway and to roaming Wi-Fi devices. A datastore conveys information about the roaming Wi-Fi devices to the VAP to permit them to access the VAP without the need for manual configuration of the VAP. A roaming Wi-Fi/cellular device may communicate with a gateway via a tunnel to maintain session connectivity during roaming. A session may be initiated on one network, such as a Wi-Fi network or a cellular network, handed off to another network, such as a cellular network or a Wi-Fi network, and then returned to network on which the session was initiated.
US08638716B1
The present invention involves providing secure Voice Over IP (VOIP) communications to a mobile communications device. Specifically, the disclosed systems and methods enable a standard remote communications device (e.g., a cellular telephone) to utilize the Secure Communications Interoperability Protocol (SCIP) as designed by the U.S. Department of Defense. The invention provides SCIP access to users without requiring specific hardware configurations to be built into, or added to, the remote communications device. The remote communications device is equipped with software that emulates what was previously accomplished through a hardware configuration in order to facilitate secure VOIP communications over standard mobile communication devices.
US08638698B2
A method, transceiver integrated circuit (IC), and communications device that employs a PIN Diode switch in connection with a transceiver integrated circuit in order to provide a highly linear path for simultaneously transmitted signals in a multi-band wireless communications device. A high linearity switch (HLS) utility/controller configures the PIN diode switch for switching between dual and single transmission modes. In the dual transmission mode, both a series PIN diode and a shunt PIN diode of the switch are biased to an on-state. A first transceiver generates and simultaneously transmits different transmission signals occupying different frequency bands to at least one antenna by utilizing a highly linear circuit path that includes the series PIN diode. In single transmission mode, both diodes are biased to an off-state which allows a second transceiver to transmit a single transmission signal to at least one antenna via a switch path with a low insertion loss impact.
US08638689B2
A communication apparatus functioning as a master device denies participation by new communication apparatuses in a network in communication parameter configuration mode based on participation statuses of communication apparatuses functioning as slave devices in the network. The communication apparatus functioning as a master device establishes the network in communication parameter configuration mode between the communication apparatuses participating in the network, and configures communication parameters.
US08638683B2
A method for generating a frame signal includes monitoring a first frame signal and obtaining a first parameter based on the monitoring result; setting a second parameter based on the type of the first frame signal; when the first frame signal is being input, generating a second frame signal with a bit rate different from that of the first frame signal by determining data and stuff byte positions based on the first parameter and performing frame processing on data and stuff bytes corresponding to the first frame signal based on the determined data and stuff byte positions; and when the first frame signal is not being input, generating the second frame signal by determining the data and stuff byte positions based on the second parameter and performing the frame processing on data and stuff bytes corresponding to a maintenance signal based on the determined data and stuff byte positions.
US08638682B2
Measurements are conducted on one or more carriers in a case where an access terminal supports reception on multiple carriers. Upon determining that an access terminal is capable of concurrently receiving on a given set of carriers, a measurement is conducted on one or more carriers of the set while receiving on or more other carriers of the set. Conversely, upon determining that an access terminal is not capable of concurrently receiving on a given set of carriers, a measurement is conducted on one or more carriers of the set while not receiving on or more other carriers of the set. In addition, data transfers to or from an access terminal on a carrier may be restricted (e.g., data transfers not scheduled or only low priority data transfers scheduled) during one or more subframes before or after the access terminal conducts a measurement on another carrier.
US08638678B2
A method is provided for transmission, by a server in a communication network, of a multimedia message, which includes a video sequence, to a remote terminal. The method includes detecting the video sequence in the message by the server, wherein the method includes the following additional steps: coding by the server of the video sequence in a scalable stream including a base layer and one or more refinement layers, when the video sequence is not already coded in such a stream, storage of at least one of the refinement layers in a storage server, and sending the base layer and of a link to recover the at least one duly stored refinement layer to the remote terminal.
US08638674B2
A system and method for creating, deploying, selecting and associating cloud computing services from many cloud vendors to effectuate a large-scale information technology data processing center implemented in a software only form. Services may be employed from any number of different service providers and user define policies provides for switching to or aggregating different service providers when necessary. Configurations can be created that allow for service provider selection based on user-selectable parameters such as cost, availability, performance and service level agreement terms. The system employs measurement, aggregation, reporting and decision support of system usage and costing, performance, Service level, feature set, to automate the construction, operation and ongoing management of software based cloud. Drag and drop, non list based UI for the construction and modification of clouds implemented and modeled in software.
US08638672B2
Systems and techniques for improved error detection in data communication. A sending station encodes unencoded data to create an encoded message and passes the encoded data to transmission elements for transmission to a destination receiver. At the same time, error detection is performed using copies of the unencoded data and the encoded message. The encoded message is decoded using a decoding procedure identical to that to be used by the destination receiver. The copy of the unencoded data is compared to the decoded copy of the encoded message, and if the copy of the unencoded data does not match the decoded copy, the presence of an error is identified and error recovery procedures are performed.
US08638665B2
A router includes: a flit arrival time management section that records flit arrival time which is the time at which the packet is received for the first time, transmission interval of the packet which are acquired from a control packet transmitted prior to the first transmission of a packet and input and output channels of the control packet and requires a crossbar section for an output channel from which the packet is supposed to be output before the flit arrival time; a switch assignment section that performs arbitration on the output channel request and performs input/output connection relationship setting processing; and a switch assignment verification section that verifies whether a result of the input/output connection relationship setting processing coincides with the actual routing of the packet. The cross bar section performs switching of the arriving packet using a result of the input/output connection relationship processing.
US08638654B2
A method for transmitting a downlink control channel in a mobile communication system and a method for mapping the control channel to physical resources using a block interleaver are provided. In order to transmit a downlink control channel in a mobile communication system, information bits are modulated to generate one or more modulation symbols according to a specific modulation scheme, the modulation symbols are interleaved using a block interleaver, and the interleaved modulated symbols are mapped to resource elements allocated for transmission of at least one control channel in a subframe, thereby transmitting the at least one control channel.
US08638652B2
A station is disclosed that is configured for signal transmission in an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) system. The station includes a processor configured to fix a subcarrier spacing to a predetermined value for one or more subframes in all available bandwidths. The station further includes a transmitter configured to transmit a signal having the fixed subcarrier spacing, regardless of a frame structure of the one or more subframes. According to certain embodiments, the predetermined value may be divided evenly by at least one channel raster. The predetermined value may be 12.5 KHz, according to certain embodiments. Alternatively, the predetermined value is 6.25 KHz for one or more low mobility mobile stations, and/or the predetermined value is 25 KHz for one or more high mobility mobile stations. The station may be a mobile station or a base station configured for uplink and downlink transmission.
US08638644B2
The acoustic radiating membrane (1) is for assembly in a music box or a striking watch. The membrane includes a first sheet (2) having a certain number of cells (5), which is secured to a first face of a second sheet (3) which has no cells. The membrane may also include a third sheet (4) having a certain number of cells (6) which is fixed to a second face of the second sheet (3). The shape and dimension of the cells are adapted according to the type of material and the note or notes to be radiated by the membrane with uniform amplification within the audible frequency band. The cells (5, 6) of the first and third sheets are configured in a honeycomb arrangement to occupy most of the surface of the membrane, for the uniform amplification and efficient radiation of the note or notes produced.
US08638641B2
The trajectory of at least one marine animal emitting sound signals in the form of series of clicks, such as a cetacean, is passively determined. During successive processing time windows, raw analog signals are acquired from a plurality of hydrophones disposed in a marine environment and converted into digital data. Digital data filtering eliminates spurious noises and keeps the data, for each pair of hydrophones and each processing window, that corresponds to potential values (TDOAs) for the time-difference of arrival of the sound signals at two different hydrophones. For each hydrophone pair, the consistency of the TDOAs is checked and a number of filtered and mutually-consistent TDOAs are selected. Based on the filtered and mutually-consistent TDOAs, the successive instantaneous positions of the click sources are determined by means of nonlinear regression, and the trajectory of at least one marine animal in the environment is deduced in real time.
US08638632B2
Memory devices and methods are disclosed, such as devices configured to store a number of access line biasing patterns to be applied during a memory device operation performed on a particular row of memory cells in the memory device. Memory devices are further configured to support modification of the stored bias patterns, providing flexibility in biasing access lines through changes to the bias patterns stored in the memory device. Methods and devices further facilitate performing memory device operations under multiple biasing conditions to evaluate and characterize the memory device by adjustment of the stored bias patterns without requiring an associated hardware change to the memory device.
US08638628B2
Systems, apparatus, memory devices, sense amplifiers and methods are provided, such as a system that includes an input node, a first transistor having a gate that couples to the input node, and a second transistor having another gate that couples to the input node. In one or more embodiments, the second transistor has a greater activation voltage threshold than does the first transistor and the first transistor amplifies a signal that is present on the input node. In one such embodiment, after the first transistor amplifies the signal, the second transistor maintains the amplified signal on the input node while the first transistor is deactivated.
US08638624B2
Methods of programming a memory, memory devices, and systems are disclosed, for example. In one such method, each data line of a memory to be programmed is biased differently depending upon whether one or more of the data lines adjacent the data line are inhibited. In one such system, a connection circuit provides data corresponding to the inhibit status of a target data line to page buffers associated with data lines adjacent to the target data line.
US08638621B2
A semiconductor memory device including a bit line connected to a memory cell and a sense amplifier configured to drive a voltage level of a global bit line in response to a voltage level of the bit line. The sense amplifier provides data that is complementary to data stored in the memory cell to the global bit line and provides the complementary data of the global bit line to the memory cell during an active operation of the memory cell.
US08638620B2
A Random Access Memory (RAM) and method of using the same are disclosed. The RAM includes a plurality of memory cells arranged in columns and in rows with each memory cell coupled to at least one word line and at least one bit line. The RAM includes a plurality of switches with at least one of the switches coupled between two of the memory cells to allow data to be copied from one of the two memory cells to the other of the two memory cells. In another aspect, the two memory cells can be considered a dual bit cell that contains a copying mechanism. There are two interleaved memory planes, assembled from bit cells that contain two bits of information. One bit is the primary bit that corresponds to the normal RAM bit. The second bit is able to receive a copy and hold the primary value. When the copying mechanism is over, the two memory planes may act as two completely independent structures.
US08638617B2
A switching circuit comprises a control and bias stage configured for receiving a first input voltage signal, a second input voltage signal and a selection signal and for generating therefrom a first bulk bias signal substantially equal to the first input voltage signal or to the second input voltage signal depending on the selection signal. The switching circuit further comprises a switching stage connected to the control and bias stage, including a transistor having a bulk terminal, and configured for receiving the bulk bias signal and generating an output signal having the first input voltage signal when the selection signal indicates the selection of the first input voltage signal or having the second input voltage signal when the selection signal indicates the selection of the second input voltage signal. The bulk bias signal is electrically coupled to the bulk terminal of the transistor.
US08638616B2
A nonvolatile storage device includes: a plurality of memory mats each including a plurality of memory cells; a plurality of plate electrodes each provided for every individual one of the memory mats and each used for applying a voltage to the memory cells; a power-supply section configured to apply a voltage to each of the plate electrodes; a switch circuit having a plurality of switches provided between the power-supply section and each of the plate electrodes and between the plate electrodes; and a control section configured to control the switch circuit in order to disconnect the plate electrodes from the power-supply section and to connect the plate electrodes to each other in order to carry out electrical charging and discharging operations among the plate electrodes.
US08638610B2
The invention provides a semiconductor storage device which can restrain the uneven high voltage applied to the storage unit and can provide the high voltage with high precision. The semiconductor storage device includes a storage unit array, a Y decoder circuit, a X decoder circuit, a sense amplifier circuit, a Y gate circuit, a high voltage generating circuit, a high voltage regulator circuit, and a voltage adjusting circuit. The voltage modifying data for adjusting the potential of the anode of the zener diode so as to adjust the high voltage applied to the storage unit array is written into the storage unit array. The voltage modifying data is used to adjust voltage by the voltage adjusting circuit.
US08638603B2
A method for a data storage system is disclosed. The method includes providing a memory cell array, and providing N blocks in a first region of the memory cell array, N being an integer greater than 1. Each cell of each block of the N blocks is configured to store no more than N−1 bits of data. The method further includes providing a block in the second region of the memory cell array. Each cell of the block in the second region is configured to store N bits of data. The method additionally includes configuring the data storage system so that when data is programmed to the memory cell array, N pages of the data are initially stored in N respective blocks of the first region of the memory cell array, and then the N pages of the data are stored in the block of the second region.
US08638594B1
Integrated circuits with memory elements are provided. A memory element may include a storage circuit coupled to data lines through access transistors. Access transistors may be used to read data from and write data into the storage circuit. An access transistor may have asymmetric source-drain resistances. The access transistor may have a first source-drain that is coupled to a data line and a second source-drain that is coupled to the storage circuit. The second source-drain may have a contact resistance that is greater than the contact resistance associated with the first source-drain. Access transistors with asymmetric source-drain resistances may have a first drive strength when passing a low signal and a second drive strength when passing a high signal to the storage circuit. The second drive strength may be less than the first drive strength. Access transistors with asymmetric drive strengths may be used to improve memory read/write performance.
US08638580B2
Switching device controllers, drive circuits, power converters and related methods are disclosed. One example controller for a switching device includes a drive circuit for controlling the switching device and an auxiliary circuit coupled to the drive circuit. The auxiliary circuit includes an input for receiving a waveform having alternating first and second intervals. The auxiliary circuit is configured to energize the drive circuit during the first intervals and de-energize the drive circuit during the second intervals. One example method of energizing and de-energizing a drive circuit for a switching device includes receiving a waveform having alternating first and second intervals, energizing the drive circuit during the first intervals, and de-energizing the drive circuit during the second intervals.
US08638574B2
A semiconductor control device can include a current detection signal input terminal, a feedback signal input terminal, a driving signal output terminal and a voltage adjusting circuit that delivers a voltage similar to a voltage of a primary winding of the flyback transformer to the current detection signal input terminal. The device can also include an oscillator circuit connected to the feedback signal input terminal; a one-shot circuit connected to the oscillator circuit, an RS flip-flop circuit that generates a driving signal to be delivered to the driving signal output terminal. A bottom detection section can receive a one-shot signal from the one-shot circuit, the current detection signal, and an output signal from the RS flip-flop circuit, and detect a bottom of the current detection signal to set the RS flip-flop circuit based on the detected bottom detection signal.
US08638570B2
An electromagnetic interference (EMI) shield apparatus includes a shell, a hub, a shield member, a partition plate, a resilient member, and a cover. The hub is rotatably mounted within the shell. The shield member is wrapped around the hub. The partition plate is fastened to and rotatable together with the hub. The cover covered on an open end of the shell. The resilient member is connected between the partition plate and the cover to drive the hub to rotate to reel the shield member. The shield member is made of EMI shield material.
US08638569B2
A first connector has a plurality of terminals arranged in the direction along a first pattern, and the first pattern is connected to a terminal disposed far from an image sensor in the plurality of terminals of the first connector. A second connector has a plurality of terminals arranged in the direction along a second pattern, and the second pattern is connected to a terminal disposed closer to an image processing circuit in the plurality of terminals of the second connector.
US08638568B2
A mounted circuit card is disclosed that has a housing with a circuit card assembly (“CCA”) attached to the housing with adhesive along at least an edge portion of the CCA, where the assembly includes at least one jagged edge portion of the CCA in contact with the adhesive, or at least one channeled portion of the housing in contact with the adhesive, or a combination of both a jagged edge portion of the CCA and channeled portion of the housing in contact with the adhesive.
US08638562B2
The present invention provides a combinative power device. In one aspect, the combinative power device of the present invention includes an AC-to-DC module including a first joint portion; and a DC-to-DC module having a second joint portion and coupled to the AC-to-DC module by the second joint portion with the first joint portion electrically, wherein the DC-to-DC module acts as a removable module which can be removable from the AC-to-DC module to enable the AC-to-DC module to cooperate with different types of the DC-to-DC module.
US08638561B2
An electrical enclosure wherein an electrical component can be moved between various positions (e.g., connected, disconnected, test, etc.) without opening an enclosure door. The electrical enclosure supports a component for movement between a withdrawn position, a test position, and an inserted position. A handle is accessible by an operator from an exterior of the enclosure and is configured to move the component between the respective positions without having to open the enclosure. The handle is integral with the enclosure and thus an operator needs no special tool or other device to effect movement of the electrical component between its respective positions.
US08638557B2
A mobile electronic device holder includes an upper holder frame shell, a bottom holder frame shell attached to the bottom side of the upper holder frame shell, three first clamping members respectively slidably mounted in respective sliding ways of the bottom holder frame shell for holding a mobile electronic device, a gear wheel rotatable to move the first clamping members in and out of the upper and bottom holder frame shells, a retractable second clamping member slidably mounted in one sliding way of the bottom holder frame shell and adjustable to one of a series of length.
US08638553B1
A data center includes one or more racks, one or more computing devices coupled to at least one of the racks, and one or more air moving devices. The computing devices include heat producing components. The computing devices may be inclined in the rack such that the lower ends of the computing devices are at a lower elevation than the higher ends of the computing devices. The air moving devices can move air from the lower end of the inclined computing devices to the higher end of the inclined computing devices such that heat is removed from heat producing components in the inclined computing devices.
US08638552B1
A docking station for a Macintosh laptop computer having a receiving sleeve and a base plate, the receiving sleeve including a spring lever to guide the inserted laptop to interconnect with a series of specifically arranged connecting heads, said connecting heads configurable to a specific Macintosh laptop computer upon a parallelepiped contact plate disposed within the receiving sleeve. The spring lever is a cylindrical member having a first and second finger projected radially therefrom that rotate the cylindrical member when a laptop is inserted into the receiving sleeve, in turn rotating a third finger upward which engages an eject button. A Macintosh laptop computer is thus rapidly and easily interconnected with peripheral devices by placement into the receiving sleeve.
US08638547B2
A multifunctional emergency rescue device includes a main control circuit, a selection switch, an indicator lamp, an annunciator, a battery unit, a connection port module, an external power input socket and output socket. The main control circuit contains a micro control unit (MCU), a power sensing unit, a rectifier and regulator unit, a monitoring unit, and a vibration induction unit. When the selection switch is switched to a first working mode, recharging, rescue, a stable operation to a car electric system are performed. When a second working mode is switched to, electronic devices are recharged at the USB port and the LED lighting lamp illuminates. When a third working mode, an emergency mode, is switched to, the vibration induction unit generates a signal determined by the MCU to drive the annunciator to generate an alarm sound, achieving functions of emergency calling, disaster calling and burglar-proof calling.
US08638546B2
An electronic apparatus includes: a first casing; a second casing; a hinge section which includes a first turning shaft provided at one end portion of the first casing and a second turning shaft provided at one end portion of the second casing and connects the first and second casings so as to be able to be opened or closed in a range from a folded state to a back-to-back state through the first and second turning shafts; a display section provided on one face of the second casing; and a displacement section which displaces the display section to the other end side of the second casing in the folded state and the back-to-back state of the first and second casings and displaces the display section to one end side of the second casing in a spread state of the first and second casings.
US08638543B2
A laminated chip electronic component includes: a ceramic body including internal electrodes and dielectric layers; first and second external electrodes formed to cover both end portions of the ceramic body in a length direction; an active layer in which the internal electrodes are disposed in an opposing manner, while having the dielectric layers interposed therebetween, to form capacitance; upper and lower cover layers formed on upper and lower portions of the active layer in a thickness direction, the lower cover layer having a thickness greater than that of the upper cover layer; and additional electrode layers disposed irrespective of a formation of capacitance within the lower cover layer.
US08638542B2
A capacitor includes a dielectric substrate and a large number of filamentous conductors formed to penetrate through the dielectric substrate in a thickness direction thereof. An electrode is connected to only respective one ends of a plurality of filamentous conductors constituting one of groups each composed of a plurality of filamentous conductors. The electrode is disposed in at least one position on each of both surfaces of the dielectric substrate, or in at least two positions on one of the surfaces. Further, an insulating layer is formed on each of both surfaces of the dielectric substrate so as to cover regions between the electrodes, and a conductor layer is formed on the corresponding insulating layer integrally with a desired number of electrodes.
US08638537B2
A line protection system described herein provides reliable electro-mechanical connections between system components, reduces mechanical stresses on a disconnector, assures more effective disconnection of a failed arrestor, and is lower in cost than existing systems. The line protection system includes a surge arrestor, a disconnector coupled to the surge arrestor, and a line lead coupled to the disconnector. The line lead generally is a high strength cable and/or the line protection system generally does not include a shunt bypass assembly. Upon exposure to a high voltage condition, the disconnector actuates and separates the line lead from the system.
US08638535B2
A system comprises a package with top and bottom surfaces, a plurality of high-power transient voltage suppressors arranged within the package, and a robust lead frame. Each of the transient voltage suppressors has first and second major surfaces substantially perpendicular to the top and bottom surfaces of the package. The lead frame comprises leads connected to the major surfaces of the transient voltage suppressors. Each of the leads has a thickness greater than about 0.015 inches (or 0.381 mm) in a mounting portion, in order to dissipate heat from the transient voltage suppressors and to resist vibration-induced stress on the package.
US08638532B2
A system and method for controlling an over current protection trip point for a voltage regulator includes an input for receiving a monitored operating parameter of the voltage regulator. Control logic responsive to this input generates a digital current control signal. A digital to analog controller converts the digital current control signal to an analog current control signal and this analog current control signal is used for controlling a current source for generating a current that establishes the over current protection trip point of the voltage regulator.
US08638527B2
A signaling method and apparatus for providing two write assist components for perpendicular thin film heads writing to high coercivity media is disclosed. The two components provided by the present invention include a media writing assist component and a head switching assist component. Circuit wiring configurations and waveforms for driving an auxiliary half coil are disclosed. These include configurations for connecting the auxiliary half coil in parallel with the main data coil, or connecting the auxiliary half coil to the thermal flight control system. Provision for both common mode signals as well as differential mode signals are disclosed. RF sinusoidal waveforms between 1 and 5 GHz have been found suitable for head switching assist functions for either symmetric current feed and common mode current configuration, or asymmetric current feed and differential mode current configuration. RF sinusoidal waveforms between 10 and 50 GHz have been found suitable for media writing assist functions for either asymmetric or symmetric current feed and differential mode configuration. Data derived signals obtained by passing the data pulse train though high pass filtration has been found to provide both head switching assist and media writing assist functionality. Data derived signals can be used with or without the RF signals.
US08638523B2
A system provides tape having at least one longitudinal data track and a tape head operative to move along a single axis line lateral to the data track. The storage tape moves across the tape head. The tape head moves along the axis line such that a write element of the tape head intersects the data track and writes data to a section of the data track. A controller determines that the storage tape is skewed. In response to determining that the storage tape is skewed, the controller determines a position along the axis line and a time to move the tape head such that the read elements intersects the section of the data track. At the determined time, the tape head pauses writing of data and moves to the position along the axis line. The tape head reads the section of the data track to verify the written data.
US08638522B2
According to one embodiment, an information recorder includes: a determination module; a storage module; a reader; and a writer. The determination module determines whether a position of a head for writing data is off a target track of a recording medium. The storage module temporarily stores therein data written by the head. The reader reads, if it is determined that the head is positioned off the target track, first data written in a sector which is considered overwritten by the head positioned off the target track among sectors of an adjacent track adjacent to the target track, from the storage module. The writer writes, if it is determined that the head is positioned off the target track, the first data into a sector positioned later than the sector into which data is written at the time the head is positioned off the target track.
US08638520B2
A magnetic recording apparatus includes: a magnetic disk; a drive device; a magnetic disk control device; a buffer; and a flag management table. The buffer reads data of a specific block unit from a designated read range on the magnetic disk. The flag management table stores a pointer indicating the read location of the buffer for data of each of the block units and a management flag for the pointer. The magnetic disk control device sets the management flag of the pointer corresponding to a given block unit when the data of the given block unit is read to the buffer.
US08638518B2
The disclosure is directed to a method for creating a remnant magnetization on a magnetic tape medium. The magnetic tape is first substantially demagnetized, e.g., erased, by an erasure unit having multiple magnetic elements of alternating polarity. The erased magnetic tape is then passed by a bias magnet that creates a remnant magnetization on the magnetic tape. The remnant magnetized magnetic tape is then passed through a servo write head that writes servo patterns to the remnant magnetized magnetic tape. The bias magnet may be housed within the erasure unit or within a bias unit, and the distance between the bias magnet and the tape path of the magnetic tape may be adjustable to create the desired remnant magnetization on the magnetic tape. The remnant magnetization created on the magnetic tape may be greater than 20 percent to reduce defects in the servo pattern written to the magnetic tape.
US08638516B2
An information handling system includes a free fall sensing system having an amplifier and sampling circuit, a sampling data analyzer, a sampling clock duration controller, and a sampling clock generator. The amplifier and sampling circuit is configured to sample data signals from the free fall sensor based on an initial sampling signal and based on a variable sampling signal. The sampling data analyzer is configured to compare a magnitude of sampled data point to a predetermined magnitude, to output an alert signal when the magnitude of the sampled data point is below the predetermined magnitude. The sampling clock duration controller is configured to vary a duration and a frequency of a sampling signal control in response to the alert signal. The sampling clock generator is configured to send a variable sampling signal to the amplifier and sampling circuit in response to the variation of the duration and the frequency of the sampling signal control.
US08638513B1
A method for reading a current track of data from a storage device includes using a first read head to read the current track of data and at least a first portion of at least one adjacent track of data, using at least a second read head to read at least a portion of the current track of data and at least a second portion of the at least one adjacent track of data, and decoding the data read from the current track, including processing signals from the first read head and the at least a second read head, to at least partly remove, from the signal from the first read head, contributions from the first portion of the at least one adjacent track of data. The decoding may include deriving expressions relating contributions from the current and adjacent tracks, and solving the expressions using least-mean-square analysis.
US08638512B1
A disk controller for a hard disk drive includes a disk formatter interfaced via an NRZ bus to a read channel for the disk. The disk formatter includes an LFSR accumulator coupled to the NRZ bus, as well as an LSFR generator that generates synthetic test data for the disk formatter. Under control of a test flag which signifies a test mode, the LSFR generator generates synthetic test data, which is used by the disk formatter to drive the NRZ bus. The LSFR accumulator accumulates data on the NRZ bus, together with data on servo information and sector information. An interface is provided through which the accumulated information is provided to test equipment, for offline analysis of the accumulated information, so as to confirm proper operation of the disk subsystem and/or to detect failures therein.
US08638510B2
A VCM (voice coil motor) is disclosed, the VCM including: a rotor including a lens-fixing hollow holed bobbin including a coil discharge unit formed from a peripheral upper end to a peripheral bottom end facing the peripheral upper end, and a coil block arranged at a periphery of the bobbin and including a cylindrically wound coil; a stator including a magnet facing the coil block and a yoke fixing the magnet; a case including a bottom case arrange with the bobbin and an upper case coupled to the bottom case and having an opening at a portion corresponding the bobbin; and an elastic member elastically supporting an upper end of the bobbin and a bottom end facing the upper end of the bobbin, wherein a distal end of the coil arranged at an upper end of the coil block employs the coil discharge unit to be discharged to a bottom end of the bobbin.
US08638506B2
A photographic optical system includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit having positive refractive power, a second lens unit having negative refractive power configured to move in an optical axis direction to perform focusing, and a third lens unit having positive or negative refractive power, wherein the position of an optical element (A) satisfies a predetermined condition.
US08638502B2
The present invention relates generally to an arcuate liquid meniscus lens with a meniscus wall. Some specific embodiments include a liquid meniscus lens with a meniscus wall essentially in the shape of a conical frustum, a cross section of which is non-spherical. Embodiments may also include a lens of suitable size and shape for inclusion in a contact lens.
US08638499B2
An image display apparatus includes an image forming device, a collimating optical system, and an optical device. The optical device includes a light guide plate, a first deflecting member that deflects light incident on the light guide plate, and a second deflecting member that deflects the light, which propagates in the light guide plate by total reflection, a plurality of times. The first and second deflecting members are provided in the light guide plate. Light having one wavelength emitted from at least one pixel satisfies the following condition: 2t·sin θ−2≦WY≦2t·sin θ+2 where an axial direction of the light guide plate is the Y-direction, WY represents the width in the Y-direction of the light incident on the light guide plate, t represents the thickness of the light guide plate, and θ represents the total reflection angle.
US08638490B1
A diffractive MicroElectroMechanical systems and a method of fabricating the same are provided. In one embodiment, the method comprises: depositing a sacrificial layer onto a substrate; depositing a first structural layer on the sacrificial layer and patterning the structural layer to form a patterned structural layer including plurality of actuators; conformably depositing a sacrificial film on the patterned structural layer; depositing a second structural layer on the sacrificial film; planarizing the second structural layer to expose the sacrificial film and the plurality of actuators; and removing the sacrificial layer and sacrificial film to release the plurality of actuators, each of the plurality of actuators separated from the second structural layer by a thickness of the conformal sacrificial film. Other embodiments are also provided.
US08638489B2
Techniques and configurations are provided to generate multiple coherent optical subcarriers. A laser source generates as output a light beam at a carrier frequency. A multicarrier generator is provided that is coupled to the laser source and comprises one or more dual carrier generators each configured to modulate the light beam at the same modulation frequency or different modulation frequencies so as to output a plurality of light beams each at a different subcarrier frequency that is offset from the carrier frequency. The multicarrier generator generates the plurality of light beams on individual outputs, e.g., fibers, without the need for an optical demultiplexing filter.
US08638487B2
Certain example embodiments of this invention relate to electrochromic (EC) devices, assemblies incorporating electrochromic devices, and/or methods of making the same. More particularly, certain example embodiments of this invention relate to improved EC materials, EC device stacks, high-volume manufacturing (HVM) compatible process integration schemes, and/or high-throughput low cost deposition sources, equipment, and factories.
US08638478B2
An image reading apparatus includes: a moving body on which a catch receiving portion is formed and which is movable in a predetermined direction; a fixing body on which a catching portion is formed to catch the catch receiving portion, and which is movable in a direction substantially orthogonal to the predetermined direction; a first position retaining portion for engaging a projected portion, formed on either one of a housing and the fixing body, with a first recessed portion formed on the other so that the fixing body can be retained in a position in which the catching portion catches the catch receiving portion; and a second position retaining portion for engaging the projected portion with a second recessed portion, formed on either the housing or the fixing body on which the first recessed portion is formed.
US08638469B2
A printing apparatus which prints an image on a medium, including a head which discharges ink droplets from nozzles, wherein the medium is transparent, two pieces of image data are prepared, one piece of image data is selected from the two pieces of image data to set the selected image data to one of a first image and a second image, the other piece of image data is set to the other of the first image and the second image, the image data set to the first image is subjected to a processing to be mirror image data, and the head prints the mirror image of the first image on the medium, prints a background image on the mirror image of the first image, and prints a real image of the second image on the background image.
US08638466B2
In an image network system used for network print service which receives an order for printing or the like by using a communication network such as the Internet, there are provided a center server capable of providing service which is different depending upon points given to a customer according to an order track record, at a time of using the system, capable of suitably setting a storage capacity and a storage period of an image for a user without placing a burden on the user while importance is placed on an operational efficiency of the system, capable of allowing a user to upload images as many as possible in an album, and useful for prompting an order, and an image network system including the center server.
US08638464B2
A management apparatus according to the present invention controls whether history information is requested when it is specified that an image forming apparatus as an acquisition target of the history information is in a power saving state. When a return notification from the power saving state is issued after the image forming apparatus as the target requests previous history information, even in the power saving state of the image forming apparatus, the request is issued. The request is not issued when the image forming apparatus does not issue the return notification after the image forming apparatus as the target requests previous history information.
US08638462B2
In an image display apparatus, when image data is transferred from an LCD controller to an LCD through a transmission cable having a plurality of signal lines and is displayed on a screen, the image data is divided sequentially by a plurality of lines from a front line so as to correspond to the number of signal lines and allocates the divided image data to the signal lines such that image data of which signal change is larger is allocated to a signal line which is closer to the ground line to transfer the image data. Therefore, the entire radiation noise which is generated can be reduced while maintaining quality of signals.
US08638454B2
An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a reading section configured to read an original document, a printing section configured to perform duplex printing including printing N sheets on first sides thereof and subsequently printing M sheets on second sides thereof when printing an image of the original document read by the reading section, wherein M is equal to or smaller than N, a determination section configured to calculate a preparation time required to generate print data based on a copy setting which affects the preparation time, and configured to determine the value of N, wherein the determination section determines a smaller value as the value of N, as the preparation time is longer, and a control section configured to control the printing section to perform the duplex printing in accordance with the value of N determined by the determination section.
US08638453B2
A measurement system comprising an elongated member, a distal member connected to an end of the elongated member, the distal member having one or more register members to define a reference point(s), and a beam measurement device mounted to the distal member and configured to generate a beam at least a portion of the beam having a first axis essentially perpendicular to the reference point(s), the beam measurement device determining distance data based on the reflection of at least a portion of the beam.
US08638448B2
An apparatus for determining surface topology of a portion of a three-dimensional structure is provided, that includes a probing member, an illumination unit, a light focusing optics, a translation mechanism, a detector and a processor.
US08638446B2
A laser scanner or a laser tracker includes a light source that emits a light beam within an environment, and a data capture component that captures the light beam reflected back to the laser scanner or tracker from the environment. The laser scanner or tracker also includes a projector integrated within a body of the laser scanner or tracker or mounted to the body of the laser scanner or tracker at a predetermined location, the projector being operable to project visible information onto an object located within the environment, the projected visible information being indicative of images, data or information, the projected visible information being at least one of design intent information, information acquired by the laser scanner or tracker, or guidance to an operator.
US08638430B2
In the inspection of a defect in a fine concave-convex pattern, a spectral waveform of a detection area of an inspection object is detected, area determination as to which area section determined by a pattern type of the inspection object the detection area belongs to is performed, a feature calculation equation and a determination index value which correspond to a determined area section and vary according to defect type is selected, feature calculation on the spectral waveform data in accordance with the selected feature calculation equation is performed, and a calculated feature value and the selected determination index value are compared to perform determination processing according to defect type.
US08638429B2
Provided are a defect inspecting method and a defect inspecting apparatus, wherein defect detecting sensitivity is improved and also haze measurement is performed using polarization detection, while suppressing damages to samples. The defect inspecting apparatus is provided with a light source which oscillates to a sample a laser beam having a wavelength band wherein a small energy is absorbed, and two independent detecting optical systems, i.e., a defect detecting optical system which detects defect scattered light generated by a defect, by radiating the laser beams oscillated by the light source, and a haze detecting optical system which detects roughness scattered light generated due to roughness of the wafer surface. Polarization detection is independently performed with respect to the scattered light detected by the two detecting optical systems, and based on the two different detection signals, defect determination and haze measurement are performed.
US08638426B2
There is provided a system for detecting distant seaborne objects by an airborne vehicle, including a seeker head having an axis in the direction of flight, a sensor mounted on the seeker's head, the sensor being operative to transmit towards the sea surface a laser radiation beam of selected wavelength and to receive from the sea water surface radiation reflected from the sea water surface and from a seaborne object, and a computing unit for differentiating between the reflection received from the sea water surface and from the seaborne object. A method for detecting distant seaborne objects by an airborne vehicle is also provided.
US08638425B2
A method of increasing signal-to-noise ratio of a distance-measuring device includes a light-emitting component emitting a detecting light to a measured object during an emitting period for generating a reflected light, a delay period after the light-emitting component emitting the detecting light, a light-sensing component sensing the energy of the reflected light to generate a light-sensing signal, and obtaining a measured distance between the distance-measuring device and the measured object according to the energy of the detecting light and the light-sensing signal. Since the measured distance is longer than a predetermined shortest measured distance, the method can accordingly calculate a proper delay period for ensuring that the reflected light reaches the light-sensing component after the delay period. In this way, the light-sensing component does not sense the background light during the delay period, so that the signal-to-noise ratio of the light-sensing signal is improved.
US08638423B2
A laser range finder includes: a light source emitting light from a linear light-emitting portion with making a divergent angle of the light larger in a transversal direction of the light-emitting portion than in a longitudinal direction thereof; an objective lens projecting the light onto a target object and converging reflection light; a partial reflection member disposed between the light source and the objective lens and having a partial reflection surface composed of a transmitting area transmitting light emitted from the light source and receiving areas reflecting reflection light; and a photodetector detecting the reflection light reflected by the receiving areas; wherein the light source and the partial reflection member are disposed with making the longitudinal direction of the light-emitting portion disposed substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the transmitting area as seen along an optical axis.
US08638422B2
An exposure method includes a first step for measuring position information of a substrate while controlling a substrate stage to move the substrate stage in a state that an optical path space is filled with a liquid under a predetermined condition; a second step for obtaining a movement control accuracy of the substrate stage based on a result of the measurement; a third step for determining an exposure condition, for exposing the substrate, based on the obtained movement control accuracy; and a fourth step for exposing the substrate based on the determined exposure condition. This makes it possible to satisfactorily expose the substrate at the time of exposing the substrate based on the liquid immersion method.
US08638419B2
A method and apparatus for cleaning the inside of an immersion lithographic apparatus is disclosed. In particular, a liquid supply system of the lithographic apparatus may be used to introduce a cleaning fluid into a space between the projection system and the substrate table of the lithographic apparatus. Additionally or alternatively, a cleaning device may be provided on the substrate table and an ultrasonic emitter may be provided to create an ultrasonic cleaning liquid.
US08638417B2
A fluid handling structure configured to supply immersion liquid to a space defined between a projection system and a facing surface facing the fluid handling structure is disclosed. An undersurface of the fluid handling structure has a supply opening configured to supply fluid toward the facing surface, a plurality of extraction openings configured to remove fluid from between the fluid handling structure and the facing surface, and a protrusion between the supply opening and the extraction openings.
US08638413B2
A liquid crystal display according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a substrate, a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix on the substrate where each pixel includes a switching element, a plurality of gate lines that are connected to the switching elements and extend in a row direction, and a gate driver that is connected to the gate lines and is formed on the substrate as an integrated circuit. In the liquid crystal display, the gate driver includes a first region and a second region that is not aligned with the first region.
US08638410B2
The present invention provides a display panel and a display apparatus using the same. The display panel comprises a first substrate, a second substrate, a liquid crystal layer, a first polarizer, a second polarizer, a half (½) wave plate and a quarter (¼) wave plate. The liquid crystal layer is formed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The first polarizer is disposed at an outer side of the first substrate. The second polarizer is disposed at an outer side of the second substrate. The half wave plate is disposed on the first polarizer. The quarter wave plate is disposed on the half wave plate. The invention can improve a chromatic dispersion problem of a 3D display.
US08638407B2
A liquid crystal display (LCD) system is provided. The LCD system includes a light-passable plate, an LCD panel and a controller. The light-passable plate is configured to allow natural light to pass through the light-passable plate; and the LCD panel is coupled to the light-passable plate and is configured to receive the natural light passing through the light-passable plate. Further, the controller is coupled to the LCD panel to control the LCD panel such that the natural light passing through the light-passable plate is used as backlight for operation of the LCD panel. The light-passable plate structurally supports the LCD panel in addition to providing the natural light to the LCD panel.
US08638399B2
A touch display device including a display, a touch panel and a transparent shielding layer is provided. The touch panel is disposed on the display, and includes a substrate and touch sensors positioned thereon. The transparent shielding layer is set between the display and the touch sensors of the touch panel, and includes an edge region and a central region wherein the impedance of the edge region is less than or equal to that of the central region.
US08638398B2
A cursor control method for controlling a cursor on an image display includes: providing at least two reference points for generating light of a predetermined spectrum and defining a predetermined area; providing an image sensor pointing inside the predetermined area; receiving the light of the predetermined spectrum by the image sensor to form a digital image; identifying positions and shapes of the images of the reference points on the digital image to form a first parameter; performing distance and angle compensations on the first parameter; moving the aiming point of the image sensor inside the predetermined area to form a second parameter; and calculating an displacement of the images of the reference points on the digital image according to the compensated first and second parameters so as to accordingly control the cursor. The present invention further provides a cursor control apparatus.
US08638393B2
An image conversion apparatus and method for converting a progressive image into an interlaced image in an image processing system are provided. A controller determines a number of frames to be used to convert a progressive image into an interlaced image. A converter generates an interpolated image for the progressive image according to the determined number of frames, and converts the progressive image into an interlaced image using the interpolated image.
US08638391B2
An image sensor assembly includes: an image sensor; a support plate disposed on a back surface of the image sensor; a first frame which includes a first hole which is open allowing incident light onto the image sensor and is disposed on a front surface of the support plate to enclose at least a side edge of the image sensor; an optical filter disposed in the first hole to block a part of the incident light; a second frame which includes a second hole which is open to allow light to be incident onto the optical filter and is disposed in front of the first frame; a front plate which is disposed in front of the second hole to contact a front surface of at least a side edge of the second frame; and a vibrator which is combined with at least a side edge of the front plate.
US08638383B2
A correlated double sampling circuit includes a delta-sigma modulator, a selection circuit, and an accumulation circuit. The delta-sigma modulator is configured to receive an input signal, delta-sigma modulate the input signal, and output a modulation signal. The selection circuit is configured to invert the modulation signal and selectively output one of the modulation signal and an inverted modulation signal in response to a selection signal corresponding to an operation phase. The accumulation circuit is configured to generate a first accumulation result by performing an accumulation process on one of the modulation signal and the inverted modulation signal in a first operation phase, and generate a second accumulation result by performing the accumulation process on the first accumulation result and the other one of the modulation signal and the inverted modulation signal in a second operation phase.
US08638369B2
A portable electronic device includes a digital imaging subsystem with a lens having an optical axis. A case encloses and supports the digital imaging subsystem in a first defined positional relationship to the case. A removable panel is coupled to the case and held in a second defined positional relationship to the case that covers the digital imaging subsystem without the removable panel being directly connected to the digital imaging subsystem. An optical component is supported by the removable panel such that the optical component is aligned with the optical axis and alters optical characteristics of the digital imaging subsystem. The device may include a power supply and an electronic control system coupled to the digital imaging subsystem and the power supply enclosed in and supported by the case. Electrical connectors may couple the power supply and the electronic control system to an electrical component on the removable panel.
US08638367B1
A television signal and image processing system that superimposes an indicator of the fall line of a golf green adjacent the hole on the green image to be televised to the viewer. This process is achieved by generating and storing typographical maps of the greens on a golf course and generating and storing the locations of the holes on those greens, the locations of the holes are then merged with topography of the individual greens, and then the high (above the hole) and low (below the hole) fall lines are calculated in xyz coordinates, and synthesized arrows having the same coordinates are then applied to the merged topography with one arrow on the high side of the hole point downwardly on the fall line in three dimensions and a second arrow on the low side of the hole also pointed downwardly.
US08638362B1
An acoustic video camera system uses acoustic data acquisition systems to produce digital video imagery capable of interfacing with host equipment that operates using standard video formats compatible with video images obtained using optical systems. The acoustic video camera comprises an Acoustic Imager, a Digital Image Compression Component, an I/O and Processing component, and, optionally, an Image Analytics Component. System analytics may provide automated target identification and tracking. All of these components may be incorporated in a submersible acoustic imaging unit having communications capability for interfacing with a host display and control system.
US08638353B2
Some embodiments provide an architecture for establishing multi-participant video conferences. This architecture has a central distributor that receives video images from two or more participants. From the received images, the central distributor generates composite images that the central distributor transmits back to the participants. Each composite image includes a set of sub images, where each sub image belongs to one participant. In some embodiments, the central distributor saves network bandwidth by removing each particular participant's image from the composite image that the central distributor sends to the particular participant. In some embodiments, images received from each participant are arranged in the composite in a non-interleaved manner. For instance, in some embodiments, the composite image includes at most one sub-image for each participant, and no two sub-images are interleaved.
US08638351B2
A thermal printer having a thermal head with a heat element that heats a recording medium and forms a print dot by energizing the heat element generates a first energizing pulse that energizes continuously during a first period for forming a print dot when the recording medium conveyance speed is greater than a specific threshold value; and generates a second energizing pulse that alternates during the first period between energizing for a second period that is shorter than the first period and de-energizing for a third period when the recording medium conveyance speed is less than or equal to the threshold value.
US08638349B1
An apparatus includes a head transducer configured to interact with a magnetic recording medium and a heater configured to thermally actuate the head transducer. A thermal sensor at or near the head transducer is configured to produce a sensor signal. Circuitry is coupled to the heater and configured to cause an oscillation in heater power. The heater power oscillation causes an oscillation in the sensor signal. A detector is coupled to the thermal sensor and configured to detect head-medium contact using the oscillating sensor signal and heater power.
US08638342B2
Various techniques are provided herein for the demosaicing of images acquired and processed by an imaging system. The imaging system includes an image signal processor and image sensors utilizing color filter arrays (CFA) for acquiring red, green, and blue color data using one pixel array. In one embodiment, the CFA may include a Bayer pattern. During image signal processing, demosaicing may be applied to interpolate missing color samples from the raw image pattern. In one embodiment, interpolation for the green color channel may include employing edge-adaptive filters with weighted gradients of horizontal and vertical filtered values. The red and blue color channels may be interpolated using color difference samples with co-located interpolated values of the green color channel. In another embodiment, interpolation of the red and blue color channels may be performed using color ratios (e.g., versus color difference data).
US08638330B1
Systems and methods for approximating terrain data representing a water surface are disclosed. A computer-based geographical information system for approximating terrain data representing a water surface is provided. The system includes a mesh simplifier and a surface inversion corrector. The mesh simplifier simplifies initial water surface and water bottom meshes. The surface inversion corrector corrects simplified water surface and/or water bottom meshes to avoid having a water bottom surface incorrectly appear above a corresponding water surface in a display view. In one example, the mesh simplifier simplifies the initial water surface mesh while accounting for water/land boundaries. The mesh simplifier also simplifies the initial water bottom mesh while accounting for geographic features and/or water/land boundaries. A computer-implemented method for approximating terrain data representing a water surface is provided. In further embodiments, systems and methods for altering tile information received at a client device are provided.
US08638329B2
Described are computer-based methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, for auto-stereoscopic interpolation. A first two dimensional image and a second two dimensional image are received. A reduced pixel image is generated for each of the first and second two dimensional images, wherein each reduced pixel image comprises a reduced pixel size that is less than the original pixel size. Boundary information is calculated for each of the first and second two dimensional images. A depth map is calculated for the first and second reduced pixel images, wherein the depth map comprises data indicative of three dimensional information for one or more objects in the first and second reduced pixel images. A depth map is calculated for the first and second two dimensional images based on the boundary information for each of the first and second two dimensional images and the depth map of the first and second reduced pixel images.
US08638328B2
Systems and methods for visualizing multiple volumes of three-dimensional data. A graphics card is used for voxel intermixing, pixel intermixing and image intermixing, which produces a final-combined image of the three-dimensional data in real time.
US08638325B2
An apparatus and method for automatically controlling screens displayed on two display units installed in a mobile terminal are provided, in which, an event is identified, if an event occurs, and on and off states of the display units are controlled, if the event is identified as a control operation of the display units corresponding to a user's key input. If the event is identified as a control operation of the display units corresponding to an operation of a sensor, the display units are automatically controlled corresponding to rotation of the mobile terminal.
US08638324B2
In a display device, a line inversion driving chip inverts an image data to a data voltage having a positive polarity and a data voltage having a negative polarity based on positive and negative gammas alternately applied at every period, and alternately outputs a first data voltage having a first polarity and a second data voltage having a second polarity at a period less than or equal to a 1H period. A display panel includes a plurality of pixels receiving the first and second data voltages from the line inversion driving chip to display an image. Each pixel row includes first and second pixel groups receiving the first and second data voltages, respectively, and the first and second pixel groups are alternately arranged in each pixel row. Thus, the display device may be driven in a dot inversion method.
US08638320B2
Stylus orientation detection is disclosed. In an example, the orientation of a stylus relative to a contacting surface, e.g., a touch panel, can be detected by detecting a capacitance at one or more locations on the stylus relative to the surface, and then using the capacitance(s) to determine the orientation of the stylus relative to the surface. In another example, the orientation of a stylus relative to a contacting surface, e.g., a touch panel, can be detected by first detecting the orientation of the stylus relative to a reference, detecting the orientation of the contacting surface relative to the reference, and then calculating the orientation of the stylus relative to the contacting surface using the two detected orientations.
US08638317B2
Disclosed herein is a display apparatus including: a display panel having a display function and a light-receiving/imaging function; a first image processing section configured to generate a detection signal that indicates whether a to-be-detected object has been detected based on a result of first image processing performed on an image taken by the light-receiving/imaging function; a second image processing section configured to perform second image processing on the image processed by the first image processing section, the second image processing having a heavier processing load than the first image processing; and a control section configured to control an operation of the second image processing section in accordance with the detection signal generated by the first image processing section, and, when it is determined that the processing by the second image processing section is not necessary, control the second image processing section to enter a sleep state.
US08638315B2
A virtual touch screen system that helps interacting with a computer application on the computer display wherein the system is comprised of: a touchpad connected to the computer and detects a finger position on its surface; a virtual touch screen which is a small window that appears on the computer display presenting a graphical user interface that enables interacting with the computer application; and a virtual spot which is a small circle that appears on the virtual touch screen representing the position of the finger on the touchpad wherein moving the finger on the touchpad manipulates the virtual spot to move on the virtual touch screen to interact with the graphical user interface.
US08638312B2
A method for controlling a file browser executing on a computing device is disclosed. A user interface touch sensor is configured to be responsive to at least one angle of contact with at least one finger. A change in an angle of the finger with respect to the surface of the touch sensor is measured by the touch sensor to produce measured data. Real-time calculations on the measured data are performed to produce a measured-angle value. The measured-angle value is used to control the value of at least one user interface parameter of the file browser. At least one aspect of the file browser changes in response to the angle of the position of the finger with respect to the surface of the touch sensor.
US08638311B2
A display device and a data displaying method thereof are disclosed. The device includes at least one sensor including a touch sensor to generate touch events according to touch events, a flexible sensor to generate a bend signal to detect bend events, and a pressure sensor to generate a pressure signal to detect pressure events, a storage unit to store a function table, and a controller to control the components of the device. The function table is configured to define control operations to reproduce currently output contents based on the touch events, the bend events, the pressure events, and events combined thereof.
US08638309B2
Disclosed are an apparatus, method, and medium for providing a user interface for file transmission. The apparatus includes a motion perception (recognition) module perceiving (recognizing) a motion input to the user interface and identifying a position of the perceived (recognized) motion, a motion execution module executing a motion corresponding to the perceived motion and the identified position of the perceived motion and modifying components of the user interface according to the executed motion, and a communication module transmitting a file to a transmission target based on the perceived motion and the identified position of the perceived motion. The components of the user interface may include a file list region, a transmission target region, and an execution region.
US08638296B1
A method of calibration and a calibration machine is provided for calibrating sensory controls of an ultrasonic navigation system. It can include an enclosure for containing a paired device group to minimize air flow therein, one or more holder mechanisms for rigidly mounting the paired devices at specific and adjustable orientations, and a rail system for holding the one or more holder mechanisms at specific locations within the enclosure. A computer communicatively coupled to the calibration machine can precisely adjust actuators for configuring the distances and orientations of the holding mechanisms and control a transmission and reception of the paired devices for calibrating the paired devices.
US08638293B2
A method for responding operations includes: intercepting a press-down event of a pointer equipment to obtain press-down position and time of the pointer equipment; intercepting a moving event of the pointer equipment to obtain a current position where the pointer equipment moves and time when the pointer equipment moves to the current position; calculating to obtain residence time, movement speed and movement direction of the pointer equipment according to the press-down position and time as well as the current position where the pointer equipment moves and the time when the pointer equipment moves to the current position; judging whether the current gesture is a dragging gesture or a scrolling gesture according to the residence time, movement speed and movement direction, executing a dragging operation if the current gesture is the dragging gesture, and executing a scrolling operation if the current gesture is the scrolling gesture.
US08638291B2
To provide a hold-type display device without a problem of motion blur and a driving method thereof. The length of a period for displaying a blanking image in one frame period is controlled in accordance with a control parameter showing the degree of motion blur, and the level of a signal supplied to a display element is changed in accordance with the length of the period for displaying the blanking image. Accordingly, the hold-type display device without a problem of motion blur and the driving method thereof can be provided.
US08638281B2
A display apparatus including a display panel, a plurality of light sources provided below the display panel to emit light, and an optical plate provided between the display panel and the light sources to diffuse light are disclosed according to one or more embodiments. The optical plate comprises a base including a plurality of regions having different thicknesses, and a convex pattern formed on the base.
US08638280B2
Disclosed is a display apparatus comprising an active matrix display section including a plurality of signal lines and scan lines, arranged in a matrix on a substrate, and a plurality of pixels and active elements arranged at intersections of the signal and scan lines, a scan line driving circuit for driving the scan lines and a signal line driving circuit for driving the signal lines. The display section has a non-rectangular shape. The active elements that make up the scan line driving circuit and/or the signal line driving circuit are formed by the same manufacturing process as that for forming the active elements in the active matrix display section. The scan line driving circuit and/or the signal line driving circuit are each a set of circuit units having the same function. These circuit units are arranged to conform to and extend around the outer circumference of the non-rectangular display section.
US08638277B2
To compensate for a change of light emission intensity caused by deterioration of a light emitting element, provided is a display device including a drive element (T1) which controls a drive current to be supplied to a light emitting element (EL) in accordance with a data signal representing a target luminance of the light emitting element (EL). The light emitting element (EL) emits light in accordance with a current flowing through the light emitting element (EL). The data signal is corrected in accordance with a voltage applied at both terminals of the light emitting element (EL) so that the drive current to be supplied to the light emitting element (EL) increases with an increase in an amount of a voltage drop of the light emitting element (EL).
US08638272B2
An array antenna includes: a plurality of first antenna elements arrayed at specified element intervals on a plane of a board; a plurality of second antenna elements arrayed at the element intervals in parallel to an array direction of the first antenna elements on the plane; a first power supply circuit for supplying electric power to the respective first antenna elements by a line branched at a first branch point on the plane; and a second power supply circuit for supplying electric power to the respective second antenna elements by a line branched at a second branch point shifted by a specified distance in the array direction with respect to the first branch point on the plane.
US08638264B2
A radar antenna system comprises a base. A center support is coupled to the base on a first end. A radar array is pivotally coupled to a second end of the center support. At least two actuators are provided for pivoting the radar array about the center support, altering its azimuth position.
US08638263B2
A technique to extend antenna coverage pattern of a planar antenna array. In one instance a reflector is disposed above the planar antenna array and in another instance a lens element is disposed above the planar antenna array. The reflection or refraction of RF signals allows antenna coverage pattern to be extended in a horizontal direction parallel to the planar surface of the antenna array and beyond a coverage pattern that is typically not available, without such reflection or refraction of the RF signal.
US08638250B2
An amplifier, a fully-differential amplifier and a delta-sigma modulator are disclosed. The disclosed amplifier includes a front-end gain stage, an AC-coupled push-pull output stage and a compensation circuit. The compensation circuit is coupled between the front-end gain stage and an output terminal of the amplifier. The AC-coupled push-pull output stage uses an AC-coupled capacitor (which is a passive two terminal electrical component rather than a stray or parasitic capacitance of a transistor) to couple the front-end gain stage to a gate of a top or bottom transistor of a push-pull structure introduced in the AC-coupled push-pull output stage, and uses a resistance component to couple a gate of the top or bottom transistor (depending on which one is coupled to the AC-coupled capacitor) to a bias voltage level.
US08638242B2
Methods and systems for digital control utilizing oversampling.
US08638239B2
The present invention relates to a system (1) and an associated method for managing audio warning messages in an aircraft.The system (1) comprises a plurality of monitoring systems (10, 20) capable of detecting the establishment of at least one warning condition (CA), and comprises a central broadcasting module (40), to which each of the monitoring systems is connected and which is capable of broadcasting an audio message (SIG) corresponding to a detected warning condition.In particular, in this system (1), the said central broadcasting module (40) comprises means (402, 420) for determining at least one priority warning condition among the warning conditions detected by the monitoring systems, and means (410, 430) for generating at least one audio message (SIG) corresponding to the at least one determined priority warning condition, in order to broadcast it.
US08638234B2
A desktop computer includes a host portion, a network interface card and a first interface. The network interface card includes a first pin, a second pin, and a third pin. The first interface includes a fourth pin connected to both the second and third pins of the network interface card, and a fifth pin connected to the first pin. The screen includes a second interface connected to the first interface, a first LED, and a second LED. The second interface includes a sixth pin connected to the fourth pin, and a seventh pin connected to the fifth pin. The seventh pin is connected to a power supply through the first LED. The sixth pin is connected to the power supply through the second LED. When there is communication through a network connection, the first LED and the fourth LED to flash synchronously.
US08638228B2
Systems and methods are discussed for providing sensor enhanced safety, recovery, and movement evaluation systems. Sensors that monitor user activity and behavior are worn by a user and/or placed in the user environment. Data from the sensors are processed to obtain a safety, recovery, and/or activity evaluation. Based on the evaluation, recommendations or adjustments to the terms of an insurance policy covering the user, the user's employer, or a facility providing health care to the user to accurately reflect the risks associated with the user, employer, and/or facility.
US08638226B2
In a method and a device for determining a leak in at least one system component (2.1 through 2.n) and/or a state of a system component (2.1 through 2.n) of a system, at least one section of one or more system components (2.1 through 2.n) is monitored optically. Sound emissions occurring in or on at least one of the system components (2.1 through 2.n) are detected, analyzed and localized, wherein acoustically localized sound emission areas of the affected system component (2.1 through 2.n) are also optically detected and analyzed.
US08638225B1
The present invention is directed to a circuit device configured to monitor a sensor device. The sensor device is configured to measure a predetermined physical parameter and provide a sensor output signal corresponding to the predetermined physical parameter. The circuit device includes a sampling circuit configured to sample the sensor output signal to obtain a predetermined number (N) of sensor output signal samples. an analog multiplication circuit to generate one of a plurality of predetermined digital sequences. and an analog integrator circuit. configured to add the N multiplication products to generate an analog signal power estimation value which corresponds to a degree of correlation between the sensor output signal and the selected predetermined digital sequence.
US08638211B2
A single platform for controller functionality for each of security, monitoring and automation, as well as providing a capacity to function as a bidirectional Internet gateway, is provided. Embodiments of the present invention provide such functionality by virtue of a configurable architecture that enables a user to adapt the system for the user's specific needs. Embodiments of the present invention further provide for remote access to the configurable controller, thereby providing for remote monitoring of the state of a dwelling and for remote control of home automation.
US08638208B2
There is provided a method for generating turn-signal sound of a vehicle and a device using the method which can output from a speaker the turn-signal sound close to operating sound of a mechanical relay. The method outputs a pulse signal for turn-signal sound having varying frequency and duty ratio from a PPG port of a CPU, integrates the pulse signal for turn-signal sound using an integration circuit to convert into an analog signal for turn-signal sound which is outputted to a speaker. The method also outputs a pulse signal for alarm having the constant frequency and duty ratio, integrates the pulse signal for alarm sound using an integration circuit to convert into an analog signal for alarm sound. Then the analog signals for turn-signal sound and for alarm sound are summed up and outputted to the speaker to produce simultaneously the turn-signal sound and the alarm sound.
US08638205B2
A device is provided for preventing a collision between a pivoting element of a vehicle, with an obstacle located in its pivoting area, with a control unit which controls the pivoting movement of the vehicle pivoting element and with a lighting device which is coupled to the pivoting movement and emits light into the pivoting area. Depending on the reflection of the emitted light on the obstacle the control units intervenes in the pivoting movement.
US08638204B2
A driver assistance system includes, but is not limited to at least one environment sensor, an evaluation unit for identifying a potential hazardous traffic situation, and at least one actuator that can be activated by said evaluation unit for executing a warning intervention or a hazard-mitigating intervention according to the degree of hazard of the traffic situation identified by the evaluation unit. The evaluation unit is set up to distinguish at least three degrees of hazard of a potentially hazardous traffic situation and upon determining a degree of hazard that goes beyond that of the hazard-mitigating intervention, to trigger an emergency intervention of the actuator.
US08638202B2
A method of providing a notification following a passive, keyless start of a vehicle when a keyfob for the vehicle is not within a passenger compartment of the vehicle. Where a motor is started using a passive keyless start (PKS) system having a keyfob transceiver within the keyfob and a vehicle transceiver (VT) within the vehicle, the absence of the keyfob may be determined by the failure to receive an accurate response signal from the keyfob transceiver following the transmission of a vehicle challenge signal from the vehicle transceiver. Upon this determination, a notification may be provided directly or indirectly to the vehicle user via a wireless carrier system.
US08638201B2
The wildlife dislodging device outputs sound signal while a frequency is changed to a different frequency stepwise, and suddenly outputs a sound signal pulse of a high frequency in changing the frequency.
US08638200B2
This disclosure describes systems and methods for monitoring and evaluating ventilatory parameters, analyzing those parameters and providing useful notifications and recommendations to clinicians. That is, modern ventilators monitor, evaluate, and graphically represent a myriad of ventilatory parameters. However, many clinicians may not easily identify or recognize data patterns and correlations indicative of certain patient conditions, changes in patient condition, and/or effectiveness of ventilatory treatment. Further, clinicians may not readily determine appropriate ventilatory adjustments that may address certain patient conditions and/or the effectiveness of ventilatory treatment. Specifically, clinicians may not readily detect or recognize the presence of Auto-PEEP during volume ventilation of a non-triggering patient. According to embodiments, a ventilator may be configured to monitor and evaluate diverse ventilatory parameters to detect Auto-PEEP and may issue suitable notifications and recommendations to the clinician when Auto-PEEP is implicated. The suitable notifications and recommendations may further be provided in a hierarchical format.
US08638199B2
Systems and methods are operable to communicate information to a direct current (DC) powered electronic device. An exemplary embodiment receives alternating current (AC) power with an AC information signal modulated thereon, converts the received AC power to DC power, demodulates the received AC information signal to determine information, modulates the information onto the transmitted DC power as a DC information signal, transmits the DC power with the DC information signal over a DC connector to the DC powered electronic device, detects the DC information signal on the modulated DC power at the DC powered electronic device, demodulates the DC information signal from the received DC power, and determines the information at the DC powered electronic device based upon the demodulated DC information.
US08638195B2
A method and device for selecting one or more transponders, in particular backscatter-based transponders, from a plurality of transponders by a base station, which method is based on a slotted ALOHA method, in which the base station defines numbered time slots and a random number generated in a given transponder determines a time slot when the transponder transmits its transponder-specific identification to the base station. The random number is generated in a given transponder with the aid of a random number generator, the relevant random number generator is switched into a counter operating mode after reception of a selection command transmitted by the base station, while a count state of the random number generator is decremented or incremented when the base station transmits the start of a time slot, the relevant transponder transmits a transponder-specific identification to the base station if the count state of its random number generator is equal to a predetermined value, and the relevant random number generator is then switched back into the operating mode for random number generation.
US08638187B2
An inductor includes a core formed of a magnetic material and a foil winding wound at least partially around or through at least a portion of the core. A first end of the winding extends away from the core to form an extended output tongue configured and arranged to supplement or serve as a substitute for a printed circuit board foil trace. A second end of the winding forms a solder tab. At least a portion of the extended output tongue and the solder tab are formed at a same height relative to a bottom surface of the core. Another inductor includes a core formed of a magnetic material, a winding wound at least partially around or through at least a portion of the core, and a ground return conductor attached to the core. The core does not form a magnetic path loop around the ground return conductor.
US08638180B2
A method for manufacturing a piezoelectric vibrator is provided. The piezoelectric vibrator includes: a package in which a first substrate and a second substrate are superimposed so as to form a cavity therebetween; extraction electrodes which are formed on the first substrate so as to be extracted from the inner side of the cavity to an outer edge of the first substrate; a piezoelectric vibrating reed which is sealed in the cavity and electrically connected to the extraction electrodes at an inner side of the cavity; and outer electrodes which are formed on an outer surface of the package so as to be electrically connected to the extraction electrodes at the outer side of the cavity. The method includes: a bonding film forming step of forming a bonding film on at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate using a low-melting-point glass so as to bond the two substrates; a mounting step of electrically connecting the piezoelectric vibrating reed to the extraction electrodes formed on the first substrate; and a bonding step of superimposing the first substrate and the second substrate onto each other with the bonding film disposed therebetween while heating the bonding film to a predetermined bonding temperature to thereby bond the two substrates by the bonding film.
US08638179B2
Micromechanical resonating devices, as well as related methods, are described herein. The resonating devices can include a micromechanical resonating structure, an actuation structure that actuates the resonating structure, and a detection structure that detects motion of the resonating structure. A bias structure separated from the mechanical resonating structure is provided to tune a resonance frequency of the mechanical resonating structure.
US08638177B2
An optical module for an atomic oscillator using a quantum interference effect includes a light source adapted to emit light including a fundamental wave having a predetermined wavelength, and sideband waves of the fundamental wave, a wavelength selection section receiving the light from the light source, and adapted to transmit the sideband waves, a gas cell encapsulating an alkali metal gas and irradiated with light transmitted through the wavelength selection section, and a light detection section adapted to detect an intensity of light transmitted through the gas cell, and the wavelength selection section including an optical filter section adapted to transmit light having a wavelength within a predetermined wavelength range, and an optical filter characteristic control section adapted to vary the wavelength range of light to be transmitted by the optical filter section.
US08638176B1
A slew rate enhancing system includes first and second modules. The first module is configured to generate a first output signal in response to complementary first and second input signals. The second module is configured to generate a second output signal in response to the first and second input signals. The first module is configured to switch between tracking the first input signal and not tracking the first input signal during each half cycle of the first input signal based on values of the first input signal, the second input signal, and a predetermined threshold of the first module. The second module is configured to switch between tracking the first input signal and not tracking the second input signal during each half-cycle of the second input signal based on values of the first input signal, the second input signal, and a predetermined threshold of the second module.
US08638174B2
The invention relates to a digital signal generator for providing one or more phases of a local oscillator signal for use in digital to analogue converters and harmonic rejection mixers. Embodiments disclosed include a local oscillator signal generator (200) for a mixer of a radiofrequency receiver, the signal generator (200) comprising a bit sequence generator (201) having a plurality of parallel output lines (203), a digital signal generator (202) having a serial output line (204) and a plurality of input lines connected to respective output lines (203) of the bit sequence generator (201) and a clock signal input line (205), wherein the digital signal generator (202) is configured to provide an output bit sequence on the serial output line (204) at a rate given by a clock signal provided on the clock signal input line (205) and a sequence given by a sequence of bits from the bit sequence generator (201) on the plurality of input lines (203).
US08638173B2
A method of calibrating a phase-locked loop (PLL) while maintaining lock includes detecting that a control signal to an oscillator in a PLL has exceeded a threshold value while the PLL is locked to an input signal. In response, an operating current of the oscillator is adjusted to return the control signal below the threshold value while maintaining lock of the PLL to the input signal. Adjusting the operating current includes slowly varying an output current of a calibration circuit coupled to the PLL, enabling the PLL to maintain lock to the input signal during adjustment of the operating current.
US08638172B2
A local oscillator of an embodiment includes a digitally-controlled oscillator, a phase data generator, a subtractor, a loop filter, a multiplier, and a coefficient calculator. The digitally-controlled oscillator variably controls an oscillation frequency of an oscillation signal by using a first oscillator control value. The oscillation frequency is equal to a product of the first oscillator control value multiplied by an amount of change in the oscillation frequency per unit first oscillator control value. Set frequency data is calculated by dividing a set frequency by a reference frequency of a reference signal. The multiplier outputs the first oscillator control value obtained by multiplying a normalized control value from the loop filter by a first coefficient. The coefficient calculator divides, by the set frequency data, the first oscillator control value which makes the oscillation frequency roughly equal to the set frequency, and sets the quotient as a new first coefficient in the multiplier.
US08638171B2
The invention relates to high power radiofrequency amplifiers, in particular to amplifiers having output impedance matching networks, exemplary embodiments of which include a radiofrequency amplifier having an active device mounted on a substrate within a device package, the amplifier having an output impedance matching network comprising a high pass network provided at least partly on the active device and a low pass network having a first inductive shunt connection between an output of the active device and a first output lead and a second inductive shunt connection between the output of the active device and a second output lead, wherein part of the second output lead forms an inductance contributing to the inductance of the low pass network.
US08638170B2
A headphone driver amplifier operative from a single DC voltage supply, coupled directly to the headphone speakers without the need for DC coupling capacitors used for preventing DC reaching the headphones. An onboard power supply generates a negative voltage rail which powers the output amplifiers, allowing driver amplifier operation from both positive and negative rails. Since the amplifiers can be biased at ground potential (0 volts), no significant DC voltage exists across the speaker load and the need for DC coupling capacitors is eliminated.
US08638168B1
Systems and methods for power amplification using multiple digital amplifiers are provided. A power amplifier includes a first digital amplifier configured to process a digital input signal to generate a first analog output signal. The first analog output signal is configured to have a magnitude corresponding to amplitude information of the digital input signal. The power amplifier further includes a second digital amplifier configured to process an adjusted digital input signal to generate a second analog output signal. The second analog output signal is configured to have a magnitude corresponding to amplitude information of the adjusted digital input signal. An adjustment module configured to adjust amplitude information and phase information of the digital input signal generates the adjusted digital input signal. The digital input signal is adjusted to control a relationship between the first analog output signal and the second analog output signal.
US08638154B2
A mode determination circuit is configured to determine whether there is a status change of the electric system associated with a frequency variation of a system control clock, and a clock change circuit is configured to change the system control clock from a system clock to a monitoring clock based on a determination result obtained by the mode determination circuit.
US08638142B2
The present invention provides ABS precision improving means under ADPLL environment or environment close to the ADPLL environment and realizes shortening of process time of the ABS. In a digital frequency comparator in an ABS circuit, a DFF for storing an initial phase difference in a DPE signal output from a DPFD is prepared. Immediately after start of ABS operation, a DPE signal output from the DPFD is recorded as a signal expressing an initial phase difference in an internal circuit of the DPFD into the DFF. After that, the digital frequency comparator performs ABS by using a signal obtained by subtracting the initial phase error recorded in the DFF from an input DPE signal, thereby realizing high-speed and stabilized ABS operation.
US08638139B2
A phase locked loop (PLL) based frequency sweep generator and methods for performing a frequency sweep are disclosed. In one implementation, the frequency sweep generator includes a circuit configured to generate a signal having a saw-tooth wave frequency ramp. The saw-tooth wave frequency ramp includes a rising portion and a resetting portion. The resetting portion has a shorter duration than the rising portion and includes a plurality of steps for decrementing the frequency of the signal.
US08638133B2
Disclosed is an electronic circuit. The electronic circuit includes a transistor having a control terminal to receive a drive signal, and a load path between a first and a second load terminal. A voltage protection circuit is coupled to the transistor, has a control input, is configured to assume one of an activated state and a deactivated state as an operation state dependent on a control signal received at the control input, and is configured to limit a voltage between the load terminals or between one of the load terminals and the control terminal. A control circuit is coupled to the control input of the voltage protection circuit and is configured to deactivate the voltage protection circuit dependent on at least one operation parameter of the transistor and when a voltage across the load path or a load current through the load path is other than zero.
US08638131B2
In examples, apparatus and methods are provided that mitigate buffer slew rate variations due to variations in output capacitive loading, a fabrication process, a voltage, and/or a temperature (PVT). An exemplary embodiment includes an inverting buffer having an input and an output, as well as an active resistance series-coupled with a capacitor between the input and the output. The resistance of the active resistance varies based on a variation in a fabrication process, a voltage, and/or temperature. The active resistance can be a passgate. In another example, a CMOS inverter's output is coupled to the input of the inverting buffer, and two series-coupled inverting buffers are coupled between the input of the CMOS inverter and the output of the inverting buffer.
US08638122B2
A metastability-hardened storage circuit includes at least one inverting circuit. The inverting circuit has a logical input. The logical input of the inverting circuit is split into a pair of physical inputs.
US08638120B2
Aspects of the invention provide for improving a success rate of an engineering design change (ECO) for an integrated circuit. In one embodiment, aspects of the invention include a method for improving a success rate of an engineering design change (ECO) for an integrated circuit, including: identifying a plurality of spare latches within the integrated circuit; determining an input driver for each of the spare latches; and replacing each input driver with a programmable gate array, such that the programmable gate array is programmed to a functionality of the input driver.
US08638114B2
A wafer test probe for testing integrated circuitry on a die is disclosed. The wafer test probe includes a membrane core. The wafer test probe also includes circuitry within the membrane core. The circuitry within the membrane core includes at least one portion of an inductor. The wafer test probe further includes a probe tip.
US08638113B2
A wafer-scale probe card for temporary electrical contact to a sample wafer or other device, for burn-in and test. The card includes a plurality of directly metallized single-walled or multi-walled nanotubes contacting a pre-arranged electrical contact pattern on the probe card substrate. The nanotubes are arranged into bundles for forming electrical contacts between areas of the device under test and the probe card. The bundles are compressible along their length to allow a compressive force to be used for contacting the probe card substrate to the device under test. A strengthening material may be disposed around and/or infiltrate the bundles. The nanotubes forming the bundles may be patterned to provide a pre-determined bundle profile. Tips of the bundles may be metallized with a conductive material to form a conformal coating on the bundles; or metallized with a conductive material to form a continuous, single contact surface.
US08638112B2
An input device is disclosed, including a first drive electrode comprising a resistive material and a first sense electrode disposed proximate to the first drive electrode. The input device further includes a processing system which is coupled with the first drive electrode and the first sense electrode. In one embodiment, the processing system is configured for electrically driving a first end of the first drive electrode and electrically driving a second end of the first drive electrode to cause a change in a voltage gradient along a length of the first drive electrode. In such an embodiment, the change in the voltage gradient generates a first electrical signal in the first sense electrode. The processing system also acquires a first measurement of the first electrical signal and determines positional information along the length of the first drive electrode based upon the first measurement, wherein the positional information is related to an input object.
US08638111B2
A measurement system is disclosed for determining a sulfur concentration in a liquid, such as a liquid fuel. The measurement system includes a first electrode that is at least partially coated with zinc oxide and, more specifically, zinc oxide microstructures. The zinc oxide microstructures have a crystal lattice structure that is oriented in the (002) plane. The first electrode may be connected to an electrometer which, in turn, may be connected to a second electrode. The second electrode may be disposed on a common substrate with the first electrode or may be in the form of a plate disposed substantially parallel to the first electrode.
US08638107B2
A transcapacitive sensing device has and ohmic seam which sections a plurality of transmitter electrodes and also sections a plurality of receiver electrodes. A processing system is communicatively coupled with the transmitter electrodes and the receiver electrodes and configured to: transmit a first transmitter signal with a first transmitter electrode disposed on a first side of the ohmic seam; transmit a second transmitter signal with a second transmitter electrode disposed on a second side of the ohmic seam; receive a first response corresponding to said first transmitter signal with a first receiver electrode disposed on the first side of the ohmic seam; and receive a second response corresponding to said second transmitter signal with a second receiver electrode disposed on the second side of the ohmic seam.
US08638104B2
A method for determining spatial distribution of fluid injected into a subsurface rock formation includes injecting the fluid into the rock formation. The fluid includes therein electrically conductive solid particles dispersed in an electrolyte. An electromagnetic response of the formation is measured. The measured electromagnetic response is used to determine spatial distribution of the injected fluid.
US08638099B2
A method for reducing magnetic resonance temperature measurement errors, which is used for the high-intensity focused ultrasound device for monitoring magnetic resonance imaging includes obtaining a magnetic resonance phase diagram as a reference image before the high-intensity focused ultrasound device heats the heating area; obtaining another magnetic resonance phase diagram as a heating image during or after the heating process of the high intensity focused ultrasound device; calculating the temperature changes in the heating area according to said heating image and reference image. The method further includes measuring the magnetic field changes caused by the position changes of the ultrasonic transducer of said high-intensity focused ultrasound device, and then compensating for the temperature changes according to said magnetic field changes. The present invention can significantly reduce the temperature errors caused by the position changes of the ultrasonic transducer.
US08638096B2
A computer implemented method for magnetic resonance imaging is provided. A 3D Fourier Transform acquisition is performed with two phase encode directions, wherein phase code locations are chosen so that a total number of phase encodes is less than a Nyquist rate, and closest distances between phase encode locations takes on a multiplicity of values. Readout signals are received through a multi-channel array of a plurality of receivers. An autocalibrating parallel imaging interpolation is performed and a noise correlation is generated. The noise correlation is used to weight a data consistency term of a compressed sensing iterative reconstruction. An image is created from the autocalibration parallel imaging using the weighted data consistency term. The image is displayed.
US08638082B2
A control circuit for a switching supply, include: a first control circuit that selects one of a first signal to switch a boost mode and a step-down mode and a second signal to control an on-period of a switch based on an input voltage, the switch provided between a terminal to which the input voltage is applied and an inductor; and a second control circuit that controls the switching supply based on an output voltage and the selected one of the first signal and the second signal.
US08638076B2
Hysteretic performance with fixed frequency may be achieved in controlling a power/voltage regulator, by adapting fixed frequency PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) to current-mode hysteretic control. In steady state, the current waveform may be inferred without having to measure the current. In current-mode control, the current may be adjusted proportional to the error voltage. The change in load current may be related to the change in duty-cycle, and the change in duty-cycle may be related to the error voltage, with the change in duty-cycle expressed as a function of the error voltage, to establish current-mode control. This current-mode control may be adapted to perform current-mode hysteretic, if instead of duty-cycle, the same duty-cycle or current shift was effected by a change in phase. A fraction of ripple current (Forc) may be defined as a specified fraction of the peak-to-peak ripple current, establishing a linear relationship between the Forc and the ripple current.
US08638075B2
An apparatus and method for supplying power to circuits of an integrated circuit (IC) from the wasted power in low-swing high-speed differential line drivers used in the IC, is disclosed. In a high speed line driver the load resistors of the driver are connected to a power supply, either the local power supply or the receiver power supply. DC power for the driver is supplied through these resistors. A large portion of this power, supplied from the power supply is wasted in the DC set-up circuit of the differential line driver. It is proposed to use this wasted power to power selected circuits of an IC. The use of this wasted power from the drivers for powering the circuits reduces the overall power dissipation of the system.
US08638063B2
A charging system and method that improves utilization of available AC power during onboard charging of energy storage systems of electric vehicles. An onboard charging method for an energy storage system of an electric vehicle, the method using an AC power source, includes a) establishing a maximum DC charging current for the energy storage system responsive to a control signal indicating real-time available current/power from the AC source; and b) controlling a charging system to provide an actual DC charging current, up to the maximum DC charging current, to the energy storage system.
US08638058B2
In positioning control of a machine in which residual vibrations are caused due to a low mechanical rigidity, residual vibrations are suppressed within an allowable positioning error, and a positioning time period required for the positioning control is shortened.Based on information of operation conditions and residual vibrations, the amplitude of the residual vibrations of the machine is predicted before execution of positioning, and based on a result of the prediction, a first servo controller (11) which performs positioning control in which suppression of residual vibrations of the machine is not considered or a second servo controller (12) in which suppression of residual vibrations of the machine is considered is automatically selectively used.
US08638055B2
A power supply system of a transport system includes: a direct-current intermediate circuit; a motor bridge connected to the direct-current intermediate circuit, for supplying power between the direct-current intermediate circuit and the motor that moves the transport appliance; and also an energy storage and a direct-current converter based on indirect power transmission connected between the energy storage and the direct-current intermediate circuit, for controlling the power supply between the energy storage and the direct-current intermediate circuit. The direct-current converter based on indirect power transmission includes: a controllable solid-state switch, for disconnecting the power supply occurring from the energy storage.
US08638050B2
In one embodiment, a DC power supply unit includes a DC power supply source; a load circuit connected to an output end of the DC power supply source; a load state detection device to detect a load voltage or an electric quantity corresponding to the load voltage; and a control device to receive the detected output of the load state detection device. The control device controls a maximum output voltage of the DC power supply source so that the voltage difference between the maximum output voltage of the DC power supply source and the load voltage at the time of normal operation falls within a predetermined range in which arc discharge is suppressed.
US08638045B2
Embodiments described herein provide a LED lighting system and method. A transformer has a primary winding and a secondary winding. A plurality of LED strings are coupled to the secondary winding of the transformer. At least one switch is coupled to at least one of the plurality of LED strings. A controller is coupled to the at least one switch and configured to control the operation of the at least one switch such that current flows through the plurality of LED strings in an alternating manner.
US08638042B1
A lamp ballast is provided for igniting and operating an HID lamp. A buck inverter circuit includes a pair of high-frequency and a pair of low-frequency switches. A capacitor and an inductor are series-connected between a first node between the low frequency switches and a second node between the high frequency switches. A lamp igniting circuit is coupled between the first node and a first lamp output terminal, and a second lamp output terminal is coupled to a third node between the capacitor and the inductor. A control circuit turns on and off the switches to regulate low frequency square wave voltage generated across the lamp output terminals to be less than an input DC voltage from the positive rail, wherein the buck inverter operates in either of a critical discontinuous mode or a discontinuous mode during an open circuit operation, and in a critical discontinuous mode during other operations.
US08638040B2
In the case of an electronic ballast (1) for operating a lamp (10) or an operating device for illumination means, having mains terminals (5) for connecting the ballast (1) or operating device to a current supply, output terminals (6) for connecting a lamp or light source to the ballast (1) or operating device and a control unit (4) for controlling and/or regulating an operating voltage delivered to the lamp (LA) or light source via the output terminals (6), external control information (Vprog) for programming or configuring the operating behavior of the operating device is delivered to the control unit (4) via a programming input, and stored in a memory (4a) associated with the control unit (4). In accordance with the invention, the programming input is formed by means of the mains terminals (5) and/or the output terminals (6) of the ballast (1) or of the operating device (2), which are connected internally with the control unit (4).
US08638038B2
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a plurality of light-emitting diode (LED) modules in series are monitored. When an LED module is detected as failing or operating inadequately, a bypass switch removes the particular LED module from the series and the voltage provided to the series is modified. When the LED modules are detected as having too high of a temperature, the current provided to the LED modules is limited.
US08638036B2
A wireless light sensor, being part of a lighting system, has a sensor element generating a light measuring signal, a microcontroller coupled to the sensor element, and a radio communication device coupled to the microcontroller. The microcontroller has an active mode and a sleeping mode. The light sensor further has a wake-up circuit which determines a rate of change of the light measuring signal, when the microcontroller is in the sleeping mode. The wake-up circuit brings the microcontroller from the sleeping mode into the active mode, when the rate of change of the light measuring signal exceeds a predetermined threshold.
US08638031B2
An organic electroluminescence device having two electrodes and a plurality of organic layers between the two electrodes, in which the organic layers include a light emitting layer that emits light when an electric field is applied between the two electrodes. The device further includes a plurality of metal fine particles, which generates a local plasmon by light emitted from the light emitting layer, inside of at least either one of the electrodes or adjacent to a side of the electrode facing the organic layers and inside of a conductive organic layer, and at least some of the plurality of metal fine particles are disposed adjacent to the light emitting layer. Here, as the metal fine particles, particles having a scattering cross section σS which is larger than an absorption cross section σA thereof with respect to light emitted from the light emitting layer are used.
US08638019B2
An electric motor includes a stator made up of individual segments disposed in the circumferential direction, each individual segment including a core stack around which a winding is provided and at whose axial terminal regions end caps are provided, the winding being produced by a winding wire, an end cap including at least one dome, in particular for delimiting the region of the winding, a wire inlet duct for rerouting the winding wire being provided in the base region of the dome, grooves being provided on the end cap, the distance of one groove with respect to the radially following groove and the diameter of the curvature of the respective groove being smaller than the diameter of the winding wire.
US08638011B2
Various aspects of invention provide portable power manager operating methods. One aspect of the invention provides a method for operating a power manager having a plurality of device ports for connecting with external power devices and a power bus for connecting with each device port. The method includes: disconnecting each device port from the power bus when no external power device is connected to the device port; accessing information from newly connected external power devices; determining if the newly connected external power devices can be connected to the power bus without power conversion; if not, determining if the newly connected external power devices can be connected to the power bus over an available power converter; and if so, configuring the available power converter for suitable power conversion.
US08638008B2
A method and a modular direct current power distribution system. A distribution panel may receive alternating current power with a voltage range between 200 volts and 15000 volts. A modular rectifier may convert the alternating current power from the distribution panel to direct current power with a range of 250 volts to 600 volts. An end feed box may receive alternative energy power from an alternative energy power source. A power pathway module may distribute the direct current power from the modular rectifier to a set of information and communication technology equipment. An electrical protection system may guard against electrical damage.
US08637992B2
A microelectronic package can include a substrate having a first surface and a plurality of substrate contacts at the first surface and a microelectronic element having a front surface and contacts arranged within a contact-bearing region of the front surface. The contacts of the microelectronic element can face the substrate contacts and can be joined thereto. An underfill can be disposed between the substrate first surface and the contact-bearing region of the front surface of the microelectronic element. The underfill can reinforce the joints between the contacts and the substrate contacts. A joining material can bond the substrate first surface with the front surface of the microelectronic element. The joining material can have a Young's modulus less than 75% of a Young's modulus of the underfill.
US08637988B2
There is provided a semiconductor device comprising, a first metal pattern formed at a first metal level and extending in a first direction, a second metal pattern formed at the first metal level, extending in a second direction that is different than the first direction, and disposed on a side of the first metal pattern to be separated from the first metal pattern, a first via structure formed on the first metal pattern, a third metal pattern formed at a second metal level that is different than the first metal level and electrically connected to the first metal pattern by the first via structure, and a first pad electrically connected to the first metal pattern and a second pad electrically connected to the third metal pattern.
US08637983B2
An integrated circuit (IC) product includes a redistribution layer (RDL) having at least one conductive layer configured to distribute electrical information from one location to another location in the IC. The RDL also includes a plurality of wire bond pads and a plurality of solder pads. The plurality of solder pads each includes a solder wettable material that is in direct electrical communication with the RDL.
US08637979B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor chip having a first main surface and a second main surface; a stacked structure on which the semiconductor chip is disposed; and a cooling body on which the stacked structure is disposed. The stacked structure includes a first thermal conductor fixed to the cooling body, an insulator disposed on the first thermal conductor, and a second thermal conductor disposed on the insulator and having the semiconductor chip disposed thereon. The first main surface of the semiconductor chip opposite to the second main surface in contact with the stacked structure is sealed with an insulation material. At least a part of the first thermal conductor protrudes outwardly of the insulation material in plan view.
US08637977B2
A method and apparatus of packaging a semiconductor device with a clip is disclosed. The clip defines a first contact region and a second contact region on a same face of the at least one clip. The chip defines a first face, and a second face opposite to the first face, the first contact region being attached to the first face of the chip and the second contact region being located within a same plane with the second face of the clip.
US08637962B2
Semiconductor dice comprise at least one bond pad on an active surface of the semiconductor die. At least one blind hole extends from a back surface of the semiconductor die opposing the active surface, through a thickness of the semiconductor die, to an underside of the at least one bond pad. At least one quantity of passivation material covers at least a sidewall surface of the at least one blind hole. At least one conductive material is disposed in the at least one blind hole adjacent and in electrical communication with the at least one bond pad and adjacent the at least one quantity of passivation material.
US08637958B2
A structure and method for forming isolation and a buried plate for a trench capacitor is disclosed. Embodiments of the structure comprise an epitaxial layer serving as the buried plate, and a bounded deep trench isolation area serving to isolate one or more deep trench structures. Embodiments of the method comprise angular implanting of the deep trench isolation area to form a P region at the base of the deep trench isolation area that serves as an anti-punch through implant.
US08637956B2
A shallow isolation trench structure and methods of forming the same wherein the method of formation comprises a layered structure of a buffer film layer over a dielectric layer that is atop a semiconductor substrate. The buffer film layer comprises a material that is oxidation resistant and can be etched selectively to oxide films. The layered structure is patterned with a resist material and etched to form a shallow trench. A thin oxide layer is formed in the trench and the buffer film layer is selectively etched to move the buffer film layer back from the corners of the trench. An isolation material is then used to fill the shallow trench and the buffer film layer is stripped to form an isolation structure. When the structure is etched by subsequent processing step(s), a capped shallow trench isolation structure that covers the shallow trench corners is created.
US08637950B2
A semiconductor device has first wiring layers and a plurality of dummy wiring layers that are provided on the same level as the first wiring layers. The semiconductor device defines a row direction, and first virtual linear lines extending in a direction traversing the row direction. The row direction and the first virtual linear lines define an angle of 2-40 degrees, and the dummy wiring layers are disposed in a manner to be located on the first virtual linear lines. The semiconductor device also defines a column direction perpendicular to the row direction, and second virtual linear lines extending in a direction traversing the column direction. The column direction and the second virtual linear lines define an angle of 2-40 degrees, and the dummy wiring layers are disposed in a manner to be located on the second virtual linear lines.
US08637949B2
A method includes forming a wafer assembly of a semiconductor wafer and a light transmissible optical wafer which are fixed to each other, cutting the wafer assembly at a spacer unit to individually divide the wafer assembly into a plurality of camera modules each comprising a sensor chip and a lens chip bonded to each other by a spacer, forming a light shieldable mask film to determine a lens aperture of each of plural lens units on the light transmissible optical wafer; forming a groove in the light transmissible optical wafer that reaches the spacer unit and filling the groove with a light shieldable resin to form a light shieldable resin layer; and cutting the light shieldable resin layer at a width less than the groove to individually divide the camera modules in each of which the light shieldable resin layer is provided at a side of the lens chip.
US08637948B2
A photovoltaic device including a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface, the second surface being opposite to the first surface; a first passivation layer on the first surface; and a second passivation layer on the second surface, wherein each of the first passivation layer and the second passivation layer comprises an aluminum-based compound, is disclosed. A method of preparing a photovoltaic device, the method including: forming a semiconductor substrate to have a first surface and a second surface, the second surface being opposite to the first surface; forming an emitter region and a back surface field (BSF) region at the second surface; and forming a first passivation layer on the first surface and a second passivation layer on the second surface, wherein the first passivation layer and the second passivation layer are formed concurrently, is also disclosed.
US08637943B1
An integrated multi-axis mechanical device and integrated circuit system. The integrated system can include a silicon substrate layer, a CMOS device region, four or more mechanical devices, and a wafer level packaging (WLP) layer. The CMOS layer can form an interface region, on which any number of CMOS and mechanical devices can be configured. The mechanical devices can include MEMS devices configured for multiple axes or for at least a first direction. The CMOS layer can be deposited on the silicon substrate and can include any number of metal layers and can be provided on any type of design rule. The integrated MEMS devices can include, but not exclusively, any combination of the following types of sensors: magnetic, pressure, humidity, temperature, chemical, biological, or inertial. Furthermore, the overlying WLP layer can be configured to hermetically seal any number of these integrated devices.
US08637939B2
A semiconductor device includes a channel layer formed over a substrate, a gate formed over the channel layer, junction regions formed on both sides of the channel layer to protrude from the substrate, and a buried barrier layer formed between the channel layer and the junction regions.
US08637935B2
A method for forming a semiconductor device comprises: forming at least one gate stack structure and an interlayer material layer between the gate stack structures on a semiconductor substrate; defining isolation regions and removing a portion of the interlayer material layer and a portion of the semiconductor substrate which has a certain height in the regions, so as to form trenches; removing portions of the semiconductor substrate which carry the gate stack structures, in the regions; and filling the trenches with an insulating material. A semiconductor device is also provided. The area of the isolation regions may be reduced.
US08637932B2
In a semiconductor integrated circuit sandwiched between a pair of a first impact resistance layer and a second impact resistance layer, an impact diffusion layer is provided between the semiconductor integrated circuit and the second impact resistance layer. By provision of the impact resistance layer against the external stress and the impact diffusion layer for diffusing the impact, force applied to the semiconductor integrated circuit per unit area is reduced, so that the semiconductor integrated circuit is protected. The impact diffusion layer preferably has a low modulus of elasticity and high breaking modulus.
US08637916B2
A semiconductor device with mini silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (mini-SONOS) cell is disclosed. The semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate; a shallow trench isolation (STI) embedded in the semiconductor substrate; a logic device partially overlapping the STI; and a SONOS cell formed in the overlapped region of the logic device and the STI.
US08637905B2
The invention relates to a semiconductor device and a fabrication method thereof. A semiconductor device according to an aspect of the invention comprising: a semiconductor layer on a substrate; an isolation layer on the semiconductor layer; a source and a drain which are in contact with the semiconductor layer, each of the source and the drain comprises multiple fingers, and the multiple fingers of the source intersect the multiple fingers of the drain; and a gate on the isolation layer, the gate is located between the source and the drain and comprises a closed ring structure which encircles the multiple fingers of the source and the drain.
US08637900B2
A structure includes first and second silicon controlled rectifiers (SCRs) formed in a substrate. The first and the second SCRs each include at least one component commonly shared between the first and the second SCRs.
US08637888B2
Disclosed is a semiconductor light emitting element (1), which includes: an n-type semiconductor layer (140); a light emitting layer (150), which is laminated on one surface of the n-type semiconductor layer (140) such that a part of the surface is exposed, and which emits light when a current is carried therein; a p-type semiconductor layer (160) laminated on the light emitting layer (150); a multilayer reflection film (180), which is configured by alternately laminating low refractive index layers (180a) and high refractive index layers (180b) that have a refractive index higher than that of the low refractive index layers (180a) and also have transparency with respect to light emitted from the light emitting layer (150), and which is laminated on the exposed portion of the n-type semiconductor layer (140), the exposed portion being on one side of the n-type semiconductor layer; an n-conductor portion (400), which is formed by penetrating the multilayer reflection film (180), and which has one end thereof connected to the exposed portion of the n-type semiconductor layer (140); and an n-electrode (310), which is laminated on the multilayer reflection film (180), and which has the other end of the n-conductor portion (400) connected thereto. Thus, light extraction efficiency is improved in the semiconductor light emitting element mounted by flip-chip bonding.
US08637866B2
A thin film transistor includes, as a buffer layer, a semiconductor layer which contains nitrogen and includes crystal regions in an amorphous structure between a gate insulating layer and source and drain regions, at least on the source and drain regions side. As compared to a thin film transistor in which an amorphous semiconductor is included in a channel formation region, on-current of a thin film transistor can be increased. In addition, as compared to a thin film transistor in which a microcrystalline semiconductor is included in a channel formation region, off-current of a thin film transistor can be reduced.
US08637863B2
One object is to provide a transistor including an oxide semiconductor film which is used for the pixel portion of a display device and has high reliability. A display device has a first gate electrode; a first gate insulating film over the first gate electrode; an oxide semiconductor film over the first gate insulating film; a source electrode and a drain electrode over the oxide semiconductor film; a second gate insulating film over the source electrode, the drain electrode and the oxide semiconductor film; a second gate electrode over the second gate insulating film; an organic resin film having flatness over the second gate insulating film; a pixel electrode over the organic resin film having flatness, wherein the concentration of hydrogen atoms contained in the oxide semiconductor film and measured by secondary ion mass spectrometry is less than 1×1016 cm−3.
US08637862B2
A device housing is provided. The device housing includes a substrate, a silicon dioxide film formed on the substrate, and a zinc oxide film formed on the silicon dioxide film. The silicon dioxide film has micrometer sized structures. The zinc oxide film has nanometer sized structures. A method for making the device housing is also described there.
US08637858B2
Organic electroluminescent devices and components containing the organic electroluminescent devices are provided herein. The organic electroluminescent devices include a substrate, a first light emitting unit, a second light emitting unit, a first electrode, and a second electrode. The light emitting units are positioned between the first and second electrode. The light emitting units have light emitting regions containing various emitter materials.
US08637857B2
An organic light-emitting diode, organic solar cell or switching element comprising at least one substituted carbazole derivative of the general formula (I), (II) or (III) in which X is NR4, O, S or PR4; Y is NR5, O, S or PR5; where at least one of the symbols X and Y is NR4 or NR5; substituted carbazole derivatives of the formula (I), (II) or (III); a light-emitting layer comprising at least one substituted carbazole derivative of the general formula (I), (II) or (III) and at least one emitter material; the use of substituted carbazole derivatives of the general formula (I), (II) or (III) as matrix material, hole/exciton blocker material and/or electron/exciton blocker material and/or hole injection material and/or electron injection material and/or hole conductor material and/or electron conductor material in an organic light-emitting diode, an organic solar cell or in a switching element, and a device selected from the group consisting of stationary visual display units, mobile visual display units, illumination units, keyboards, garments, furniture and wallpaper comprising at least one inventive organic light-emitting diode.
US08637856B2
An embodiment relates to an electronic component that may consist of an organic LED or organic solar cell, that comprises at least one substrate, one active layer provided between a first and a second electrode and having an active layer protected from dioxygen and the water vapor of the air by the second electrode that encapsulates the active layer.
US08637855B2
An organic light emitting device having a light emitting unit that includes an anode layer, a second wire, an insulating layer, first and second organic light emitting layers and a cathode layer is provided. The anode layer includes first and second sub-electrodes and a first wire connecting the first and second sub-electrodes that are arranged in a first direction. The second wire is disposed between the first and second sub-electrodes. The insulating layer is disposed on the first and second sub-electrodes and the second wire, and has a plurality of openings to expose the first sub-electrode, the second sub-electrode and the second wire. The first and second organic light emitting layers are disposed in two openings. The cathode layer is disposed on the first and second organic light emitting layers, and the cathode layer fills another opening to electrically connect to the second wire through the another opening.
US08637853B2
The present invention relates to an opto-electronic device comprising a first layer and a second layer on a substrate, characterized in that the first layer comprises an electrode material containing fluorine-containing groups and the second layer comprises a polymer containing fluorine-containing groups, where an adhesive fluorine-fluorine interaction exists between some of the fluorine-containing groups of the first layer and of the second layer. The invention furthermore relates to the use of the opto-electronic device and to a process for the production of the opto-electronic device according to the invention.
US08637845B2
Optimized electrodes for ReRAM memory cells and methods for forming the same are discloses. One aspect comprises forming a first electrode, forming a state change element in contact with the first electrode, treating the state change element, and forming a second electrode. Treating the state change element increases the barrier height at the interface between the second electrode and the state change element. Another aspect comprises forming a first electrode in a manner to deliberately establish a certain degree of amorphization in the first electrode, forming a state change element in contact with the first electrode. The degree of amorphization of the first electrode is either at least as great as the degree of amorphization of the state change element or no more than 5 percent less than the degree of amorphization of the state change element.
US08637844B2
The present invention, in one embodiment, provides a method of producing a PN junction the method including at least the steps of providing a Si-containing substrate; forming an insulating layer on the Si-containing substrate; forming a via through the insulating layer to expose at least a portion of the Si-containing substrate; forming a seed layer of the exposed portion of the Si containing substrate; forming amorphous Si on at least the seed layer; converting at least a portion of the amorphous Si to provide crystalline Si; and forming a first dopant region abutting a second dopant region in the crystalline Si.
US08637839B2
The present embodiments relate to a method for operating a particle therapy system. The particle therapy system includes a particle generation device, a beam generating device for generating a particle beam from at least one portion of the generated irradiation particles, a measuring device for automatically measuring a particle beam intensity of the particle beam, and a particle beam influencing device. The particle beam influencing device is configured to adjust the particle beam intensity as a function of the measured particle beam intensity and a predefined setpoint value for the particle beam intensity.
US08637828B2
The present invention provides a radiation detection element that allows repairing of a defect portion, and that minimizes the number of pixels from which charges cannot be read out when repaired. Namely, in two adjacent pixels that are connected to a signal line having a defect portion where a defect has occurred and that are adjacent to the defect portion, the signal lines and the parallel lines are short-circuited to configure a parallel circuit parallel to the defect portion.
US08637819B2
Provided is a cross-section processing and observation apparatus, including a control portion for repeatedly executing a process including slice processing by an ion beam and acquisition of a SIM image by a secondary electron emitted from a cross-section formed by the slice processing, in which the control portion divides an observation image into a plurality of areas, and finishes the process when a change has occurred between an image in one area of the plurality of areas and an image in an area, which corresponds to the one area, of an observation image of another cross-section acquired by the process.
US08637815B2
Methods and analysers useful for time of flight mass spectrometry are provided. A method of separating charged particles comprises the steps of: providing an analyser comprising two opposing mirrors each mirror comprising inner and outer field-defining electrode systems elongated along an axis z, the outer system surrounding the inner and defining therebetween an analyser volume, the mirrors creating an electrical field within the analyser volume comprising opposing electrical fields along z, the strength along z of the electrical field being a minimum at a plane z=0; causing a beam of charged particles to fly through the analyser, orbiting around the z axis within the analyser volume, reflecting from one mirror to the other at least once thereby defining a maximum turning point within a mirror; the strength along z of the electrical field at the maximum turning point being X and the absolute strength along z of the electrical field being less than |X|/2 for not more than ⅔ of the distance along z between the plane z=0 and the maximum turning point in each mirror; separating the charged particles according to their flight times; and ejecting at least some of the charged particles having a plurality of m/z from the analyser or detecting the at least some of charged particles having a plurality of m/z, the ejecting or detecting being performed after the particles have undergone the same number of orbits around the axis z.
US08637814B2
A novel system and methods for accelerating analytes including, without limitation, molecular ions, biomolecules, polymers, nano- and microparticles, is provided. The invention can be useful for increasing detection sensitivity in applications such as mass spectrometry, performing collision-induced dissociation molecular structure analysis, and probing surfaces and samples using accelerated analyte.
US08637813B2
A system and method for laser desorption of an analyte from a specimen and capturing of the analyte in a suspended solvent to form a testing solution are described. The method can include providing a specimen supported by a desorption region of a specimen stage and desorbing an analyte from a target site of the specimen with a laser beam centered at a radiation wavelength (λ). The desorption region is transparent to the radiation wavelength (λ) and the sampling probe and a laser source emitting the laser beam are on opposite sides of a primary surface of the specimen stage. The system can also be arranged where the laser source and the sampling probe are on the same side of a primary surface of the specimen stage. The testing solution can then be analyzed using an analytical instrument or undergo further processing.
US08637805B2
A miniaturized optical encoder capable of obtaining a sufficient amount of light in the light receiving element is provided. An optical encoder 1 includes a scale 2 having a scale track 2′ and a readhead 3 having a light source 31 that emits light to the scale track 2′, a scale-side lens 32 that transmits the light emitted from the light source 31 to the scale track 2′, and a light receiving element 33 that receives the light reflected by the scale track 2′ through the scale-side lens 32. The light source 31 is arranged between the scale-side lens 32 and the light receiving element 33. An optical axis Lsrc of the light source 31 is matched with an optical axis Ls of the scale-side lens 32 in a reading direction of the scale 2 and is separated from an optical axis Ls of the scale-side lens 32 by a predetermined distance D in a direction perpendicular to the reading direction of the scale 2.
US08637801B2
A driver assistance system for a vehicle includes an imager and a control having an image processor. The imager is disposed at or proximate to an in-cabin portion of a windshield of a vehicle and has a forward field of view to the exterior of the vehicle through the vehicle windshield. The driver assistance system identifies objects in the forward field of view of the imager via processing of captured image data by the image processor. At least in part responsive to processing of captured image data by the image processor, a determination is made that the vehicle is being operated in an urban environment. Responsive to the determination that the vehicle is being operated in an urban environment, operation of a driver assistance function of the vehicle is inhibited.
US08637795B2
In general, this disclosure describes example techniques for a flexible heater system to automatically configure itself to operate over different input supply voltages. The flexible heater system may include a flexible heater that includes a first heater element and a second heater element. The flexible heater system may also include a switch circuit that may automatically couple the first heater element and the second heater element in a first configuration when an input supply voltage is at a first voltage level. The switch circuit may also automatically couple the first heater element and the second heater element in a second configuration when the input supply voltage is at a second voltage level.
US08637794B2
A heating plate for a substrate support assembly in a semiconductor plasma processing apparatus, comprises multiple independently controllable planar heater zones arranged in a scalable multiplexing layout, and electronics to independently control and power the planar heater zones. A substrate support assembly in which the heating plate is incorporated includes an electrostatic clamping electrode and a temperature controlled base plate. Methods for manufacturing the heating plate include bonding together ceramic or polymer sheets having planar heater zones, power supply lines, power return lines and vias.
US08637791B2
A heating system for heating an interior room may include a radiator member for generating heat, a wall member being positioned in a space relationship to the radiator member and a device member being positioned between the radiator member and the wall member. The device member will have two inner radiant barriers of silver aluminized material protected by paint or lamination. The device member may include an attachment member to attach the device member to the wall member, and the device member may include an inclined surface. The device member may include a horizontal surface, and the device member may include an inclined surface and a horizontal surface. The inclined surface may extend to an edge of the horizontal surface, and the device member may include a substantially flat back surface. The attachment member may be a layer of adhesive, and the attachment member may cover the perimeter of the back surface of the device member. The attachment member may only cover a portion of the back surface of the panel member. The device member may encapsulate air for insulation.
US08637790B2
A transportable heating assembly for converting a fluid bearing structure on a vehicle into a heatable fluid bearing structure is provided with a relay system for receiving power and distributing electrical currents, a power system for supplying power to the relay system, and at least one heating cable for receiving electrical currents distributed from the relay system.
US08637782B2
A printed wiring board has a first switch contact pattern, a second switch contact pattern, and a cutting portion that cuts a plating bar formed thereon. A metal dome is arranged to be in contact with the first switch contact pattern and allows the first switch contact pattern and the second switch contact pattern to be conductive by being deformed. A first sheet attached to the printed wiring board via an adhesive has a first opening portion formed in a region where the metal dome is arranged and a second opening portion formed in the region where a cutting portion is formed. A second sheet is attached to the first sheet via the adhesive to cover the first opening portion and the second opening portion.
US08637767B2
A first device useful as a support base for utility poles, which integrates an anti-theft security system directed to prevent theft of power supply wires used in underground power distribution systems. The security system includes a dual internal conduit system for housing the wires and at least two head bolts inserted in an individual lateral straight conduit. Similarly, a second device includes a mold having an inverted T-shaped housing for the wires and a head bolt inside the upright conduit section of said inverted T-shaped housing. In both devices, the wires are moved in an angled position and secured by tightening the corresponding bolt.
US08637757B2
A music application guides a user with some musical experience through the steps of creating and editing a musical enhancement file that enhances and plays in synchronicity with an audio signal of an original artist's recorded performance. This enables others, perhaps with lesser musical ability than the original artist, to play-along with the original artist by following melodic, chordal, rhythmic, and verbal prompts. The music application accounts for differences in the timing of the performance from a standard tempo by guiding the user through the process of creating a tempo map for the performance and by associating the tempo map with MIDI information of the enhancement file. Enhancements may contain MIDI information, audio signal information, and/or video signal information which may be played back in synchronicity with the recorded performance to provide an aural and visual aid to others playing-along who may have less musical experience.
US08637752B2
A strap mounted instrument stand includes a pair of hingedly connected plates. The stand is movable between a closed position, in which the plates lie against one another in a generally flat configuration, and an open position, in which the plates are disposed at an angle with respect to one another. A bracket extends in a generally normal direction from one of the plates to support a musical instrument when the stand is in the open position. A securement member secures the plates together in the closed position. Releasing the securement member allows the stand to move to the open position. The stand holds a musical instrument, such as a guitar, in an upright position when not in use.
US08637751B1
A novel maize variety designated X85A667 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof, produced by crossing Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. proprietary inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprises crossing hybrid maize variety X85A667 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X85A667 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X85A667, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X85A667. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X85A667.
US08637744B1
A novel soybean variety, designated XB47T12 is provided. Also provided are the seeds of soybean variety XB47T12, cells from soybean variety XB47T12, plants of soybean XB47T12, and plant parts of soybean variety XB47T12. Methods provided include producing a soybean plant by crossing soybean variety XB47T12 with another soybean plant, methods for introgressing a transgenic trait, a mutant trait, and/or a native trait into soybean variety XB47T12, methods for producing other soybean varieties or plant parts derived from soybean variety XB47T12, and methods of characterizing soybean variety XB47T12. Soybean seed, cells, plants, germplasm, breeding lines, varieties, and plant parts produced by these methods and/or derived from soybean variety XB47T12 are further provided.
US08637733B2
This invention is in the field of biotechnology, in particular, this pertains to polynucleotide sequences encoding membrane bound O-acyltransferase genes and the use of these acyltransferases for altering fatty acid profiles in oilseed plants. Methods for increasing elongation and desaturation conversion efficiencies are also disclosed.
US08637732B2
This invention relates to an isolated nucleic acid fragment encoding a Myb-related transcription factor. The invention also relates to the construction of a chimeric gene encoding all or a portion of the Myb-related transcription factor, in sense or antisense orientation, wherein expression of the chimeric gene results in production of altered levels of the Myb-related transcription factor in a transformed host cell.
US08637731B2
The present invention features Nicotiana nucleic acid sequences such as sequences encoding constitutive, or ethylene or senescence induced polypeptides, in particular cytochrome p450 enzymes, in Nicotiana plants and methods for using these nucleic acid sequences and plants to alter desirable traits, for example by using breeding protocols.
US08637728B2
A nonwoven material including at least two layers integrated into each other, for use as a body facing sheet in an absorbent article. The first layer includes spunlaid filaments and the second layer includes staple fibers. The staple fibers have a thickness ≦1.5 dtex, and the filaments have a thickness ≧2.5 dtex. Further, an absorbent article, such as a sanitary napkin, panty liner, incontinence protector or diaper can include the nonwoven material as a body facing sheet.
US08637710B2
The present invention provides a process for efficiently producing an alkylated aromatic compound in good yield, by a cross-coupling reaction between an alkyl halide and an aromatic magnesium reagent. A process for producing an aromatic compound represented by Formula (1): R—Ar′ (1) wherein R is a hydrocarbon group, and Ar′ is an aryl group; the process comprising: reacting a compound represented by Formula (2): R—X (2) wherein X is a halogen atom, and R is as defined above, with a magnesium reagent represented by Formula (3): Ar′—MgY (3) wherein Y is a halogen atom, and Ar′ is as defined above, in the presence of a catalyst for cross-coupling reactions comprising an iron compound and a bisphosphine compound represented by Formula (4): wherein Q is a divalent group derived from an aromatic ring by removing two hydrogen (H) atoms on adjacent carbon atoms; and each Ar is independently an aryl group.
US08637709B2
Preparing a primary amine by alcohol amination of alcohol with ammonia and elimination of water includes reacting, in a homogeneously catalyzed reaction, a mixture of alcohol, ammonia, nonpolar solvent, and catalyst, in a liquid phase, to obtain a product mixture. The process then includes phase separating the product mixture into a polar product phase and a nonpolar product phase, and separating off the nonpolar product phase. At least some of the nonpolar phase returns to the homogenously catalyzed reaction. The process further includes separating off amination product from the polar product phase. At least some of the catalyst is in the nonpolar phase, and the catalyst accumulates in the nonpolar phase.
US08637708B2
A process for preparing N-[(1R)-1-(1-naphthyl)ethyl]-3-[3-(trifluoromethyl)-phenyl]propan-1-amine of formula hydrochloride salt of formula (I) i.e. Cinacalcet.HCl and its intermediate of formula (IX)
US08637707B2
The present invention relates to a process for preparing substituted 2-aminobiphenyls and to a process for preparing (Het)arylamides of such 2-aminobiphenyls.
US08637705B2
The compounds of general formula (I) wherein: R1 is hydrogen, phenyl, C1-6 alkyl which can be further substituted with R3, R3 is 5- or 6-membered aromatic or heteroaromatic ring system which can be further substituted with benzyl or hydroxyl groups; R2 is OR4, NHR4, R4 is hydrogen, C1-6 alkyl or benzyl n is an integer from 1 to 12 or the salts of compounds mentioned which can form gels with commercial fuels, organic solvents and water.
US08637702B2
Compound selected from 4-(2(S)-benzoylamino-3-naphthalen-2-yl-propionylamino)-N-hydroxy-benzamide and benzo[1,3]dioxole-5-carboxylic acid [1(S)-(4-hydroxycarbamoyl-phenylcarbamoyl)-2-naphthalen-2-yl-ethyl]-amide, for use in the treatment of a HIV infection. The compound is administered in combination and/or in temporal proximity with at least one anti-retroviral agent.
US08637697B2
Method and system for forming an anhydrous sterilant. In one embodiment, anhydrous peracetic acid is combined with carbon dioxide, wherein the carbon dioxide is in one of a liquid, solid, and supercritical state.
US08637692B2
The present invention is directed to a manufacturing process for 1,2-diamino-cyclohexane-platinum(II) complexes, specifically to a manufacturing process for oxaliplatin.The process is straightforward, economical and applicable to industrial production. It comprises the reaction of (DACH)PtCl2 with silver sulfate (Ag2SO4) and the subsequent reaction of the resulting Pt sulfate complex (DACH)Pt(aq)2SO4 with barium oxalate (BaC2O4) or an equimolar mixture of barium hydroxide and oxalic acid to yield oxaliplatin in high purity with a low silver and low nitrate content.
US08637691B2
The present techniques relate to catalyst compositions, methods, and polymers encompassing a Group 4 metallocene compound comprising bridging η5-cyclopentadienyl-type ligands, typically in combination with a cocatalyst, and a activator. The compositions and methods presented herein include ethylene polymers with low melt elasticity.
US08637669B2
The present invention relates to an improved method of preparing adefovir dipivoxil of Formula 1. The method of the present invention is characterized by using dimethylsulfoxide as a reaction solvent, and comprises a process of preparing adefovir dipivoxil of Formula 1 by allowing adefovir of Formula 2 to react with chloromethylpivalate at a reaction temperature of 30 to 50° C. under the presence of dimethylsulfoxide and triethylamine solvents.
US08637666B2
A method of preparing a compound represented by Structural Formula (I): or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein the variables of Structural Formula (I) are as described in the specification and claims, comprises the step of: a) cyclizing a compound represented by Structural Formula A: under suitable reductive cyclization conditions to form a compound represented by Structural Formula B: wherein R10 is LG1 or —X1R1, and -LG1 is a suitable leaving group; and b) optionally, when R10 of Structural Formula (B) is LG1, further comprising the step of replacing the -LG1 of Structural Formula (B) with —X1R1 to form the compound represented by Structural Formula (I).
US08637665B2
A compound of general formula 9, useful as potential antitumor agents against human cancer cell line and a process for the preparation of Pyrrolo[2,1-c] [1,4]benzodiazepine-benzothiazole or benzoxazole conjugates linked through piperazine of general formula 9 wherein: R, R1=H, F, OCF3, Cl, OMe; R2=OCH3 or H; n1 n2=3, 4; x=S or O.
US08637658B2
Bis-diazo, triaryl and aryldiazo-N-arylphenazonium quencher moieties, substituted with electron-withdrawing and electron-donating substituents which induce polarity in the delocalized aryl/diazo ring systems, are useful as labels when attached to biomolecules such as polynucleotides, nucleosides, nucleotides and polypeptides. The quencher moieties are non-fluorescent and accept energy transfer from fluorescent reporter labels by any energy-transfer mechanism, such as FRET.Fluorescence quencher compositions are useful in preparing quencher labeled biomolecules for various molecular biology assays based on fluorescence detection.
US08637657B2
The present invention relates to methods of inhibiting S. aureus comprising inhibiting siderophore-mediated iron uptake, for example, staphyloferrm-mediated iron uptake Such methods of inhibiting S. aureus include the inhibition of staphyloferrm A- and staphyloferrm B-mediated uptake either by inhibiting expression or activity of staphyloferrm A and B or by inhibiting transport of staphyloferrm A and B The methods as provided would be useful for treating S. aureus infection.
US08637645B2
The invention provides monoclonal antibodies and related binding proteins that bind specifically to the envelope glycoprotein of H5 subtypes of avian influenza virus (“AIV”). The monoclonal antibodies and related binding proteins are useful for the detection of H5 subtypes of AIV, including the pathogenic H5N1 subtypes. Virus may be detected in formalin preserved, paraffin embedded specimens as well as frozen specimens and biological fluids. Accordingly, the invention provides for the diagnosis and surveillance of dangerous viral infections.
US08637632B2
A method for producing a binder resin comprises polycondensing a polycondensable monomer by using a polycondensation catalyst that comprises: at least one of compounds of formula (I) or (II); and at least one of compounds represented of formula (III) or (IV), wherein weight ratio of total amount of the compounds of formula (I) or (II) to total amount of the compounds of formula (III) or (IV) is from 5:95 to 95:5: wherein R1 represents a C8-C20 straight-chain alkyl group; R2 represents a monovalent organic group; and number n of substituents R2 represents an integer of from 0 to 4; R3—SO3H (II) wherein R3 represents a C8-C20 straight-chain alkyl group; wherein R4 represents a C8-C20 branched alkyl group; R5 represents a monovalent organic group; and number m of substituents R5 represents an integer of from 0 to 4; and R6—SO3H (IV) wherein R6 represents a C8-C20 branched alkyl group.
US08637629B2
The present invention relates generally to polyurethane compositions; and more preferably to thermoplastic polyurethane compositions. In one embodiment, the polyurethane compositions of the present invention have high moisture vapor transmission rates and are suitable for film applications (e.g., breathable films). In one embodiment, the polyurethane compositions of the present invention are prepared from the reaction of a mixed polyol component, a polyisocyanate component, a chain extender, and optionally at least one suitable catalyst, wherein the mixed polyol component is formed by a combination of one or more poly(ethylene oxide) polyols and one or more copolymer polyols, where the resulting mixed polyol component comprises from about 3 to about 30 weight percent of a copolymer polyol and about 70 to 97 weight percent of poly(ethylene oxide) polyol.
US08637625B2
Propylene copolymer (a) comprising at least 1-butene as a comonomer, (b) having a comonomer content in the range of 1.0 to 3.0 wt.-%, (c) having a xylene soluble fraction equal or below 2.5 wt.-%, and (d) being partially crystallized in the β-modification.
US08637621B2
A hydrogel soft contact lens which is superior in extended-wearability, lens movement, wear comfort, and which does not adhere to a cornea when worn is provided. The lens provided can be a silicone hydrogel contact lens which contains units of hydrophilic siloxane monomers and amide-group-containing monomers having an N-vinyl group.
US08637619B2
Preparation of high-reactivity isobutene homo- or copolymers with a content of terminal vinylidene double bonds per polyisobutene chain end of at least 50 mol % and a polydispersity of preferably 1.05 to less than 3.5, by polymerizing isobutene or an isobutene-comprising monomer mixture in the presence of an aluminum trihalide-donor complex effective as a polymerization catalyst or of an alkylaluminum halide-donor complex, especially of an aluminum trichloride-donor complex, said complex comprising, as the donor, an organic compound with at least one ether function or a carboxylic ester function.
US08637614B2
Epoxy reactive liquid modifiers include acrylate functionalized compounds, acrylamide functionalized compounds, oxalic amide functionalized compounds, actoacetoxy functionalized urethanes and acetoacetoxy functionalized polyalkenes. The reactive liquid modifiers are incorporated into epoxy resin compositions comprising a curable epoxy resin, an amine curing agent, and the reactive liquid modifier, wherein the reactive liquid modifier is polymerized to form at least one of an interpenetrating polymer network and a semi-interpenetrating polymer network with the curable epoxy resin.
US08637607B2
Disclosed are polyethylene blends and films. The blend comprises from 1 to 99%, based on the weight of the blend, of a medium density polyethylene (MDPE) and from 1 to 99% a polyolefin selected from the group consisting of high density polyethylene (HDPE), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene, polybutene, and mixtures thereof. The MDPE is made by high pressure, free radical polymerization and has a density within the range of greater than 0.928 to 0.940 g/cm3 and an MI2 within the range of 0.1 to 1 dg/min. The shrink films made from the blend have strong contraction force and low creep.
US08637603B2
A polysiloxane resin composition contains: a first polysiloxane having an average compositional formula of R4a(OR5)b(OH)cSiO(4-a-b-c)/2; a second polysiloxane different from the first polysiloxane and selected from cyclic polysiloxane, linear polysiloxane with a weight average molecular weight of less than 3000, and a combination thereof; a white pigment; an inorganic filler; and a catalyst.
US08637596B2
The invention relates to a flame retardant composition comprising at least one radiation curable polymer precursor and at least one halogenated flame retardant which is soluble in the composition and their use to make fire resistant glass laminates.
US08637587B2
Release agents with increased affinity toward nano-imprint lithography template surfaces interact strongly with the template during separation of the template from the solidified resist in a nano-imprint lithography process. The strong interaction between the surfactant and the template surface reduces the amount of surfactant pulled off the template surface during separation of a patterned layer from the template in an imprint lithography cycle. Maintaining more surfactant associated with the surface of the template after the separation of the patterned layer from the template may reduce the amount of surfactant needed in a liquid resist to achieve suitable release of the solidified resist from the template during an imprint lithography process. Strong association of the release agent with the surface of the template facilitates the formation of ultra-thin residual layers and dense fine features in nano-imprint lithography.
US08637585B2
Photoinitiator compounds comprising both a photoactive moiety and an amine functionality, bonded to a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane, which photoinitiator is represented by formula (1) or (1′) wherein n is 2m; m is an integer of 2 to 30; the sum of n′+a is an integer 4-60; n′ is an even-numbered integer; a is an even- or uneven-numbered integer; and for example different A C1-C12alkyl, or a photoactive moiety Q1, or a group of formula (2); E for example is a direct bond, L is linear or branched C1-C3alkylene, preferably propylene; R1 and R2 for example are a photoactive moiety Q, or C2-20alkyl; Q is for example a group of formula (4); Z2 is for example C1-C6alkylene which is unsubstituted or substituted by one or more OR6; and R6, R12, R13 and R14 for example are hydrogen; are especially suitable as low-migrating photoinitiators.
US08637579B2
A first object of the invention is a process for thickening of an aqueous composition, through the introduction into the said composition for thickening of at least one polymer, characterized in that the said polymer contains at least one anionic monomer, which is an organophosphate monomer.
US08637578B2
Methods and reagents for the formation of disulfide bonds, particularly in proteins, peptides and amino acids. The methods and reagents are particularly useful for the controlled glycosylation of proteins, peptides and amino acids. The methods utilize thiosulfonate or selenenylsulfide compounds as reagents or intermediates. Some proteins and peptides comprising selenenyl-sulfide groups also form part of the invention.
US08637574B2
The present invention relates to salts of 3-pentylphenylacetic acid and their pharmaceutical uses. Particular aspects of the invention relate to the use of those salts in the prevention and/or treatment of various diseases and conditions in subjects, including the prevention and treatment of (i) blood disorders, (ii) renal disorders and renal disorder complications; (iii) inflammatory-related diseases; and/or (iv) oxidative stress related disorders.
US08637571B2
Membrane transporter-targeted therapeutic agents and methods of making and using the same.
US08637568B2
In one aspect, the invention relates to compounds of formula I: where Y, R1, R2, n, and Q are as defined in the specification, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The compounds of formula I are serotonin reuptake inhibitors. In another aspect, the invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds; methods of using such compounds; and processes and intermediates for preparing such compounds.
US08637558B2
The present invention relates to novel thiazolidinedione derivatives expressed by the following formula (I) and the uses thereof. More specifically, the present invention relates to novel thiazolidinedione derivatives expressed by the following formula (I) and a pharmaceutical composition comprising the same. The novel thiazolidinedione derivatives of formula (I) according to the present invention can be effectively used for the prevention or treatment of cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal disease and renal disease by inhibiting the activity of 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) that decomposes prostaglandins as well as useful for the prevention of hair loss and the stimulation of hair growth, and osteogenic stimulation and wound healing.
US08637556B2
Provided herein are compounds and compositions for interfering with the association of Myc and Max. These compounds and compositions are useful in methods for inhibiting growth or proliferation of a cell. Methods of inhibiting growth or proliferation of a cell comprise contacting the cell with an amount of a compound that interferes with Myc and Max association effective to inhibit growth or proliferation of the cell.
US08637552B2
This invention pertains to methods for protecting a propagule or a plant grown therefrom from invertebrate pests comprising contacting the propagule or the locus of the propagule with a biologically effective amount of a compound of Formula I, its N-oxide or an agriculturally suitable salt thereof wherein A and B and R1 through R8 are as defined in the disclosure. This invention also relates to propagules treated with a compound of Formula I and compositions comprising a Formula I compound for coating propagules.
US08637539B2
The present invention relates to a therapeutic agent for neuropathic pain containing, as an active ingredient, a compound represented by general formula (I) or a pharmacologically acceptable acid addition salt thereof: (wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, A, and B have the same definitions as those described in the specification), and an animal model produced by administering (+)-4a-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-2-methyl-1,2,3,4,4a,5,12,12a-octohydro-trans-quinolino[2,3-g]isoquinoline. The present invention makes it possible to perform drug treatment for neuropathic pain. The therapeutic effect of a compound against neuropathic pain can also be evaluated.
US08637524B2
The present invention relates to new pyrimidinone inhibitors of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 activity, pharmaceutical compositions thereof, and methods of use thereof
US08637518B2
Compounds of the formula (I), in which Y, R1, R2, R3 and R3′ have the meanings indicated in claim 1, are inhibitors of tyrosine kinases, in particular of Met kinase, and can be employed, inter alia, for the treatment of tumours.
US08637516B2
The invention provides compounds, pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds and methods of using such compounds to treat or prevent diseases or disorders associated with abnormal or deregulated TRK kinase activity.
US08637501B2
Novel MCH-1 receptor antagonists are disclosed. These compounds are used in the treatment of various disorders, including obesity, anxiety, depression, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and psychiatric disorders. Methods of making these compounds are also described in the present invention.
US08637465B2
The present invention relates to the use of peptides that are capable of binding to, and modulating the activity of NCAM. The peptides are peptide fragments of FGFRs. They are derived from two distinct binding sites for binding of the immunoglobulin-like module 2 of FGFR to NCAM F3 modules 1-2. The invention further relates to use of said peptides for the production of a medicament for the treatment of different pathological conditions, wherein NCAM and/or FGFRs play a prominent role.
US08637460B2
The present invention is directed to systems, apparatus and methods for creating derivatives of at least one form of HDL without substantially affecting LDL. These derivatives of HDL are particles with reduced lipid content, particularly reduced cholesterol content. These particles have the capacity to bind cholesterol and are administered to a patient to enhance cellular cholesterol efflux and reduce cholesterol levels in cells, tissues, organs, and blood vessels. The present method is useful for treating atherogenic vascular disease and may be combined with other therapies such as statins, inhibitors of cholesterol absorption, niacin, anti-inflammatories, exercise and dietary restriction.
US08637453B2
The present invention pertains generally to the field of therapeutic compounds, and more specifically to certain pyruvamide compounds of the following formula (for convenience, collectively referred to herein as “PVA compounds”), which, inter alia, inhibit a dust mite Group 1 peptidase allergen (e.g., Der p 1, Der f 1, Eur m 1). The present invention also pertains to pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds, and the use of such compounds and compositions, both in vitro and in vivo, to inhibit a dust mite Group 1 peptidase allergen, and in the treatment of diseases and disorders that are mediated by a dust mite Group 1 peptidase allergen; that are ameliorated by the inhibition of a dust mite Group 1 peptidase allergen; asthma; rhinitis; allergic conjunctivitis; atopic dermatitis; an allergic condition which is triggered by dust mites; an allergic condition which is triggered by a dust mite Group 1 peptidase allergen; and canine atopy.
US08637436B2
A biosensor array, system and method for affinity based assays that are able to simultaneously obtain high quality measurements of the binding characteristics of multiple analytes, and that are able to determine the amounts of those analytes in solution. The invention also provides a fully integrated bioarray for detecting real-time characteristics of affinity based assays.
US08637424B2
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to the processing of hydrocarbon-containing feedstreams in the presence of an interstitial metal hydride comprising a surface, with a metal oxide integrally synthesized and providing a coating on the surface of the interstitial metal hydride. The catalysts and processes of the present invention can improve overall hydrogenation, product conversion, as well as sulfur and nitrogen reduction in hydrocarbon feedstreams.
US08637418B2
A method for treating a catalyst base that comprises a contact area of porous material. A fluid, such as a flue gas stream, can be conducted along the contact area. A catalytically relevant substance is introduced into pores of the catalyst base using a transport fluid and remains on pore wall areas after removal of the transport fluid. The introduction is carried out such that an amount of the catalytically relevant substance relative to the surface remains on the pore wall areas as a function of location within the pore and decreases within the pore after exceeding a specific pore depth. A blocking fluid can first be introduced into pore regions beyond the specific pore depth, thus blocking these regions when transport fluid containing the catalytically relevant substance is introduced.
US08637417B2
A method for treating a catalyst base that comprises a contact area of porous material. A fluid, such as a flue gas stream, can be conducted along the contact area. A catalytically relevant substance is introduced into pores of the catalyst base using a transport fluid and remains on pore wall areas after removal of the transport fluid. The introduction is carried out such that an amount of the catalytically relevant substance relative to the surface remains on the pore wall areas as a function of location within the pore and decreases within the pore after exceeding a specific pore depth. A blocking fluid can first be introduced into pore regions beyond the specific pore depth, thus blocking these regions when transport fluid containing the catalytically relevant substance is introduced.
US08637409B2
An etching method includes: applying a radiation to an etching aqueous solution; and etching a material to be etched by using the etching aqueous solution irradiated with the radiation.
US08637394B2
An integrated circuit package system includes: forming a flex bump over an integrated circuit device structure, the flex bump having both a base portion and an offset portion over the base portion; forming a first ball bond of a first internal interconnect over the offset portion; and encapsulating the integrated circuit device structure, the flex bump, and the first internal interconnect.
US08637392B2
A solder interconnect structure is provided with non-wettable sidewalls and methods of manufacturing the same. The method includes forming a nickel or nickel alloy pillar on an underlying surface. The method further includes modifying the sidewall of the nickel or nickel alloy pillar to prevent solder wetting on the sidewall.
US08637391B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor chip is disclosed. A die having a plurality of die-pads is attached to a substrate in a semiconductor package which includes a plurality of substrate-pads. The method involves forming conductive column bumps of differing volumes extending from the die-pads; attaching each of the column bumps to a corresponding substrate-pad to form a subassembly; and reflowing the subassembly so that the column bumps form robust electrical and mechanical connections between the die pads and the substrate pads.
US08637379B2
A description is given of a method. In one embodiment the method includes providing a semiconductor chip with semiconductor material being exposed at a first surface of the semiconductor chip. The semiconductor chip is placed over a carrier with the first surface facing the carrier. An electrically conductive material is arranged between the semiconductor chip and the carrier. Heat is applied to attach the semiconductor chip to the carrier.
US08637375B2
A method of manufacturing a tunnel field effect transistor is disclosed. The method comprises forming a two-step profile in a silicon substrate (100) using a patterned hard mask (104) covering the higher steps of said profile; forming a gate stack (114, 116) against the side wall of the higher step; forming spacers (122) on either side of the gate stack (118); and implanting a first type impurity (124) in the higher step and an opposite type impurity in the neighboring lower step (120), wherein at least the first type impurity is implanted using an angled implanting step after removing the patterned hard mask (104). In a preferred embodiment, the method further comprises forming a sacrificial spacer (108) against a side wall of a higher step and the side wall of the hard mask (104); further etching the lower step (106, 110) next to said spacer (108) and subsequently growing a further semiconductor portion (112) on said lower step and removing the spacer (108) prior to forming the gate stack. Further disclosed is an IC comprising tunnel transistors manufactured in accordance with this method.
US08637364B2
An amorphous carbon film and an interlayer insulation film are formed in a memory cell region and a peripheral circuit region, respectively. An insulating film is formed on the amorphous carbon film and the interlayer insulation film. A portion of the insulating film that corresponds to capacitors on the amorphous carbon film is removed so that lower electrodes of the capacitors are supported from opposite sides of the lower electrodes. An insulating film pattern continuously extends from the memory cell region to the peripheral circuit region wholly covered with the insulating film pattern. Subsequently, the amorphous carbon film is removed to leave the capacitors supported by the insulating film pattern on both sides of the lower electrodes.
US08637361B2
A semiconductor structure is provided, which includes multiple sections arranged along a longitudinal axis. Preferably, the semiconductor structure comprises a middle section and two terminal sections located at opposite ends of the middle section. A semiconductor core having a first dopant concentration preferably extends along the longitudinal axis through the middle section and the two terminal sections. A semiconductor shell having a second, higher dopant concentration preferably encircles a portion of the semiconductor core at the two terminal sections, but not at the middle section, of the semiconductor structure. It is particularly preferred that the semiconductor structure is a nanostructure having a cross-sectional dimension of not more than 100 nm.
US08637353B2
Methods and systems for altering the electrical resistance of a wiring path. The electrical resistance of the wiring path is compared with a target electrical resistance value. If the electrical resistance of the wiring path exceeds the target electrical resistance value, an electrical current is selectively applied to the wiring path to physically alter a portion of the wiring path. The current may be selected to alter the wiring path such that the electrical resistance drops to a value less than or equal to the target electrical resistance value.
US08637352B2
Ball grid array to pin grid array conversion methods are provided. An example method can include coupling a plurality of solder balls to a respective plurality of pin grid array contact pads. Each of the plurality of solder balls is encapsulated in a fixed material. A portion of the plurality of solder balls and a portion of the fixed material is removed to provide a plurality of exposed solder balls. The exposed solder balls are softened and each of a plurality of pin members is inserted in a softened, exposed, solder ball. The plurality of pin members forms a pin grid array package.
US08637338B2
A method for producing an integrated optical device includes the steps of growing, on a substrate including first and second regions, a first stacked semiconductor layer, a first cladding layer, and a side-etching layer; etching the first stacked semiconductor layer through a first etching mask formed on the first region; selectively growing, on the second region, a second stacked semiconductor layer and a second cladding layer; growing a third cladding layer and a contact layer on the first and second stacked semiconductor layers; and forming a ridge structure. The step of etching the first stacked semiconductor layer includes a step of forming an overhang between the first cladding layer and the first etching mask. The step of forming a ridge structure includes first, second, and third wet-etching steps in which the third cladding layer, the side-etching layer and the first and second cladding layers are selectively etched, respectively.
US08637334B2
A high brightness III-Nitride based Light Emitting Diode (LED), comprising multiple surfaces covered by Zinc Oxide (ZnO) layers, wherein the ZnO layers are grown in a low temperature aqueous solution and each have a (0001) c-orientation and a top surface that is a (0001) plane.
US08637332B2
The present invention provides an optical array module that includes a plurality of semiconductor devices mounted on a thermal substrate formed with a plurality of openings that function as micro-reflectors, wherein each micro-reflector includes a layer of reflective material to reflect light. Such material preferably is conductive so as to provide electrical connection for its associated semiconductor device.
US08637327B2
The invention relates to a method for optimizing the automatic fluorescence pattern recognition in immunodiagnosis. In this method, in addition to or together with the fluorescence dye, one or more other indicator dyes for the identification of relevant structures are incubated before an image is taken with a camera.
US08637323B2
Nitric oxide probes including a compound represented by Formula, I, II, III, IV, V, VI or a combination thereof are provided. Methods of using these nitric oxide probes to detect nitric oxide are also provided.
US08637314B2
The present invention relates generally to reverse-m ice liar system comprising a hydrosoluble therapeutically active agent. Reverse micelles according to the invention are particularly useful to deliver drugs. The present invention also relates to pharmaceutical composition comprising said reverse micelles and methods for preparing the same.
US08637291B2
Methods and compositions are provided for engineering mutant enzymes with reduced star activity where the mutant enzymes have a fidelity index (FI) in a specified buffer that is greater than the FI of the non-mutated enzyme in the same buffer.
US08637285B2
The present invention relates to a method by which a controlled source of heat (preferably a laser 3) generates a pulsating vapor bubble 4 in an enclosed liquid. The pulsating rate (the frequency) is preferably in the ultrasonic region, whereby cavitation occurs in the liquid. The cavitation effect will cause disruption of suspended components such as cells or bacterial spores. The ultrasonic disruption of cellular components is known as lysing by sonication.
US08637282B2
Methods are provided for the efficient fractionation of lignocellulosic biomasses into cellulosic, hemicellulosic and lignin fractions, wherein concentrated organic acid vapors are applied to the biomass at elevated temperatures at the location(s) or near the location(s) where the biomass has been harvested and gathered, to at least partly depolymerize or substantially solubilize the hemicelluloses and lignins in the biomass. The organic acid-treated biomass is in either case then dried and pelletized for extended bulk storage and/or for shipment to a second facility some distance away. The organic acid-treated biomass may be processed into desired chemicals, fuels and/or fuel additives at the local processing site or at a second facility away from the local processing site, or the pelletized material may be used as a ruminant feed locally or at a feedlot some distance removed from the local processing site.
US08637281B2
Lactic acid bacterial (LAB) cells were modified such that they have a specific activity of dihydroxy-acid dehydratase enzyme activity that is increased to about 0.1 μmol min−1 mg−1. LAB cells with even higher activities of 0.2 to 0.6 μmol min−1 mg−1 of DHAD activity were obtained.These modified cells may be used to produce isobutanol when additional isobutanol biosynthetic pathway enzymes are expressed.
US08637280B2
The present invention relates to newly identified genes that encode proteins that are involved in the (bio)synthesis of citric acid. The invention also features polynucleotides comprising the full-length polynucleotide sequences of the novel genes and fragments thereof, the novel polypeptides encoded by the polynucleotides and fragments thereof, as well as their functional equivalents. The present invention also relates to the use of said polynucleotides and polypeptides as biotechnological tools in the production of citric acid from microorganisms, whereby a modification of said polynucleotides and/or encoded polypeptides has a direct or indirect impact on yield, production, and/or efficiency of production of the fermentation product in said microorganism. Also included are methods/processes of using the polynucleotides and modified polynucleotide sequences to transform host microorganisms. The invention also relates to genetically engineered microorganisms and their use for production of citric acid.
US08637278B2
The invention relates to a method for the enzymatic production of emulsifiers containing mono- and diacylglycerides. In a first step a), a mixture of a phospholipid component and a triacylglyceride component is prepared, then in step b) a quantity of an aqueous solution containing a (phospho)lipase is added to the mixture obtained, to produce a water content of the mixture of between 3 and 15 wt. %. In a subsequent step c), the mixture obtained in the previous step is reacted at a temperature ranging between 20° and 80° C. over a period of at least two hours and said mixture is then dried.
US08637270B2
The present invention is generally directed to a fluidized bed detector for continuous detection of biological and chemical materials comprising a fluidized bed of detecting elements suspended in a continuous flow system wherein the detecting elements remain in the system when a first force trying to move the detecting elements to the bottom of the system is balanced with a second opposing force of a flowing gas or liquid trying to move detecting elements to the top of the system and wherein the presence of a target molecule in the flowing gas or liquid disrupts the balance of the first and second forces causing the detecting element to exit the system. The release of the detecting element indicates the presence of the target molecule and may be captured, concentrated, or both for further evaluation by other assays or other means. Also disclosed is the related method of detecting biological and chemical materials using a fluidized bed detector.
US08637268B2
Novel methods are described for measuring the rate of ADAMTS13-mediated cleavage of von Willebrand Factor (VWF) multimers. Through the use of the reagent, ristocetin, the method can advantageously be performed in the absence of an applied shear stress or added denaturing agent. Also described are methods for diagnosing ADAMTS13-associated disorders and methods for providing improved treatment of those disorders by evaluating the efficacy of the treatment using the methods as described.
US08637264B2
Methods of using microarrays to simplify analysis and characterization of genes and their function are provided. Such methods can be used to identify and characterize antibodies having binding affinity for a specific target antigen. A method of determining gene expression at the protein level by contacting an array of characterized or uncharacterized antibodies on a solid surface with one or more proteins and identifying the antibodies to which said protein(s) binds also is provided. This method can be used to compare the protein expression in two different populations of cells, such as normal cells and cancer cells or resting cells and stimulated cells. In addition, a method of determining gene expression at the protein level by contacting a microarray of nucleic acid samples derived from a variety of different sources with one or more nucleic acid probes then identifying the sample or samples to which the probe binds is provided.
US08637243B2
A method for replicating and amplifying a target nucleic acid sequence is described. A method of the invention involves the formation of a recombination intermediate without the prior denaturing of a nucleic acid duplex through the use of a recombination factor. The recombination intermediate is treated with a high fidelity polymerase to permit the replication and amplification of the target nucleic acid sequence. In preferred embodiments, the polymerase comprises a polymerase holoenzyme. In further preferred embodiments, the recombination factor is bacteriophage T4 UvsX protein or homologs from other species, and the polymerase holoenzyme comprises a polymerase enzyme, a clamp protein and a clamp loader protein, derived from viral, bacteriophage, prokaryotic, archaebacterial, or eukaryotic systems.
US08637239B2
The methods and apparatus of the present invention allow the evaluation of inflammation of the esophagus. Measurements may be utilized, for example, to diagnose a disease of the esophagus, to monitor inflammation of the esophagus, or to access the treatment of a disease of the esophagus. In one embodiment, the invention comprises a method for measuring esophageal inflammation comprising deploying a device into the esophagus of a subject, removing the device after a predetermined period of time, analyzing the device for a diagnostic indicator of esophageal inflammation and evaluating the diagnostic indicator to diagnose esophageal inflammation.
US08637236B2
The invention is a novel MECP2E1 splice variant and its corresponding polypeptide. The invention also includes methods of using these nucleic acid sequences and proteins in medical diagnosis and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders or development disorders.
US08637225B2
A method for producing a magnetic recording medium comprising at least a recording layer and a protective film provided on top of a non-magnetic substrate, the method comprising, in the following order, forming a continuous recording layer on the substrate, forming a patterned resist layer, partially removing the recording layer based on a resist pattern, applying an organosilicon compound having an active energy beam-curable functional group onto the recording layer and regions from which the recording layer has been removed, curing the organosilicon compound with an active energy beam, etching the organosilicon compound to expose a magnetic layer, and forming a protective film.
US08637223B2
Negative-Working Lithographic Printing Plate Precursors can be provided with desired contrast coloration after imaging using a coloring fluid that includes a water-insoluble colorant that is soluble in a water-insoluble fatty alcohol. The coloring fluid provides an optical density change in the exposed regions of at least OD2 that is greater than the original optical density of those regions, OD1. The coloring fluid can be applied immediately after imaging and before processing, or it can be applied as part of the developer or processing solution, or it can be applied after processing. The coloring fluid can also be applied to imaged precursors that are designed for either off-press or on-press development.
US08637222B2
A resist pattern forming method including in the following order, (1) a step of forming a film by using a negative chemical-amplification resist composition capable of undergoing negative conversion by a crosslinking reaction, (2) a step of exposing the film, and (4) a step of developing the exposed film by using a developer containing an organic solvent; a developer and a negative chemical-amplification resist composition used therefor; and a resist pattern formed by the pattern forming method.
US08637211B2
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device is disclosed, wherein during the physical design process, a curvilinear path is designed to represent an interconnecting wire on the fabricated semiconductor device. A method for fracturing or mask data preparation (MDP) is also disclosed in which a manhattan path which is part of the physical design of an integrated circuit is modified to create a curvilinear pattern, and where a set of charged particle beam shots is generated, where the set of shots is capable of forming the curvilinear pattern on a resist-coated surface.
US08637203B2
A modular fuel cell system is provided, especially for use in vehicles, with a fuel cell module, which has a stack of a plurality fuel cell elements between a first end plate and a second end plate, with a burner-heat exchanger module, which has a heat exchanger for preheating cathode gas and a burner for reacting fuel cell waste gases. Manufacturing advantages are provided with the first end plate has, on a connection side facing away from the stack, an anode gas inlet opening, a cathode gas inlet opening, an anode waste gas outlet opening and a cathode waste gas outlet opening and if the burner-heat exchanger module has an anode gas outlet opening communicatingly connected to the an anode gas inlet opening, an cathode gas outlet opening communicatingly connected to the an cathode gas inlet opening, an anode waste gas inlet opening communicatingly connected to the an anode waste gas outlet opening and an cathode waste gas inlet opening communicatingly connected to the an cathode waste gas outlet opening.
US08637198B2
A fuel cell system (101) comprising a fuel cell (120) and a reaction container (103), wherein the fuel cell (120) comprises a fuel electrode (121), an air electrode (122) and an electrolyte film (123) and the reaction container (103) comprises a hydrogen storage material (106) and a heater (114) and can supply hydrogen to the fuel cell (120), and wherein a water flow path (109) for supplying water produced in the air electrode (122) to the reaction container (103) is provided.
US08637197B2
The present invention relates to a reversible solid oxide electrochemical cell that may operate in two modes: a discharge mode (power generation) and a charge mode (electrolytic fuel production). A thermal system that utilizes a SOFB and is inclusive of selection of operating conditions that may enable roundtrip efficiencies exceeding about 80% to be realized is disclosed. Based on leverage of existing solid oxide fuel cell technology, the system concept is applicable to energy storage applications on the kW to MW scale.
US08637195B2
Provided is a battery which can prevent deactivation from occurring by avoiding solid deposition at electrodes. The battery includes an anion conductor, a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a first aqueous liquid electrolyte layer and a second aqueous liquid electrolyte layer, wherein the first aqueous liquid electrolyte layer and the positive electrode are present in this sequence on a first surface of the anion conductor, and the second aqueous liquid electrolyte layer and the negative electrode are present in this sequence on a second surface of the anion conductor, and wherein the negative electrode includes a negative electrode active material layer, and the negative electrode active material layer includes a negative electrode active material which can release a metal ion upon discharging.
US08637194B2
The present invention concerns bio-nano power cells and methods of their manufacture and use. More particularly, the present invention relates to the preparation of bio-nano power cells that are biocompatible and capable of producing flash, intermittent, or continuous power by electrolyzing compounds in biological systems.
US08637184B2
The battery includes a positive electrode having a first active material on a positive substrate. The first active material includes LiNixCo1-x-yMyO2 wherein M is chosen from the group consisting of Mn, Al, Mg, B, Ti, and Li, and wherein 0.5≦x≦1 and 0≦y≦0.3. The battery also includes a negative electrode having a second active material on a negative substrate. The second active material includes carbon. The negative electrode is susceptible to damage when a voltage exceeding a Damage Potential Threshold (DPT) is applied to the negative electrode. The DPT is lower than the maximum positive operating potential of the battery. The positive and negative electrodes define a Zero Volt Crossing Potential (ZCP) relative to a reference level when the voltage between the positive electrode and the negative electrode is zero. The positive electrode and the negative electrode are configured such that the value of the ZCP is less than the value of the DPT at a predetermined temperature.
US08637180B2
A battery case material includes a biaxially stretched polyamide film layer as an outer layer, a thermoplastic resin unstretched film layer as an inner layer, and an aluminum foil layer interposed between the two film layers. As the biaxially stretched polyamide film, a biaxially stretched polyamide film having a density of 1,132 to 1,158 kg/m3 is used. In the battery case material, excellent formability can be secured without coating a lubrication giving component, and sufficient volume capacity ratio can be obtained.
US08637175B2
In the present invention, there is provided a battery pack wherein a lock recess for engagement with a lock protrusion formed to protrude from the battery mounting portion side and a detection groove for engagement with a detection protrusion formed to protrude from the battery mounting portion side so as to detect the kind of the battery pack are formed in one or each of mutually opposite side surfaces adjacent to a mount surface for mounting to the battery mounting portion, according to the kind of the battery pack, and the detection groove is formed to be deeper than the lock recess in a direction in the plane of the mount surface.
US08637167B2
Disclosed are an organometallic complex and an electronic device including a light-emitting device having the organometallic complex. The organometallic complex is ortho-metalated by a ligand with a diphenylquinoxaline moiety having an electron-withdrawing group on the phenyl groups. The ability of the organometallic complex to provide a red-emissive light-emitting device with excellent color purity and an extremely long lifetime enables the production of an electronic device with a full-color display portion with excellent color productivity and durability.
US08637166B2
Provided are strain hardened high strength nickel based alloy welds that yield improved properties and performance in joining high strength metals. The advantageous weldments include two or more segments of ferrous or non-ferrous components, and fusion welds, friction stir welds, electron beam welds, laser beam welds, or a combination thereof bonding adjacent segments of the components together, wherein the welds comprise a strain hardened nickel based alloy weld metal composition including greater than or equal to 10 wt % Mo based on the total weight of the nickel based alloy weld metal composition. Also provided are methods for forming the welds from the nickel based alloy weld compositions. The strain hardened high strength nickel based alloy welds are useful in the oil, gas and petrochemical industry in applications for natural gas transportation and storage, oil and gas well completion and production, and oil and gas refinery and chemical plants.
US08637164B2
A silver-coated composite material for movable contact parts, which has: an underlying layer composed of any one of nickel, cobalt, a nickel alloy, and a cobalt alloy at least provided on a part of the surface of a stainless steel substrate; an intermediate layer composed of copper or a copper alloy provided thereon; and a silver or silver alloy layer provided thereon as an outermost layer, wherein a thickness of the intermediate layer is 0.05 to 0.3 μm, and wherein an average grain size of the silver or silver alloy provided as the outermost layer is 0.5 to 5.0 μm.
US08637158B2
The present invention relates to a polymerizable composition and to a method for coating metal surfaces, in particular steel, galvanized and alloy-galvanized steel, and also aluminum and alloys thereof, as protection against corrosion. The polymerizable composition preferably contains less than 10% by weight of portions which are not incorporated in the cured coating. In a further aspect, the invention relates to the use of the claimed composition for coating workpieces consisting of the above-mentioned metals, particularly metal surfaces in blanking lines (coil coating). The present invention therefore also comprises the use of metal surfaces, coated according to the invention, for the production of “white goods” (household appliances), automobile bodies, electronic component housings, and for the building trade and the transport sector.
US08637156B2
Layers of a passivating material and/or containing luminescent centers are deposited on phosphor particles or particles that contain a host material that is capable of capturing an excitation energy and transferring it to a luminescent center or layer. The layers are formed in an ALD process. The ALD process permits the formation of very thin layers. Coated phosphors have good resistance to ambient moisture and oxygen, and/or can be designed to emit a distribution of desired light wavelengths.
US08637154B2
A subject for the invention is to provide a process for ceramic bead production in which ceramic beads with smooth surfaces are obtained by a simpler method without using a complicated process involving, for example, a DC plasma/radio-frequency plasma combination or a two-stage radio-frequency plasma. Another subject is to provide such ceramic beads. The invention relates to a technique in which a preheated raw ceramic material is introduced into a laminar-flow thermal plasma obtained using a high-voltage type direct-current (DC) plasma gun and is cooled and solidified and the resultant ceramic beads are collected. It is preferred that the raw ceramic material should be preheated by passing the raw material through a refractory tube which runs through a furnace, while sending the raw ceramic material with a carrier gas, and that the preheated raw-material powder should be introduced into and treated with the thermal plasma under such conditions that the resultant ceramic beads are discharged from the thermal plasma at a discharge angle of 60° or larger with the thermal plasma. Thus, satisfactory ceramic beads which have smooth surfaces and have few crack defects and few internal void defects are obtained.
US08637149B2
A coated article is described. The coated article includes a substrate, a bonding layer formed on the substrate, a plurality of nickel-chromium-nitrogen layers and a plurality of silver-cerium alloy layers formed on the bonding layer. The bonding layer is a nickel-chromium layer. Each nickel-chromium-nitrogen layer interleaves with one silver-cerium alloy layer. One of the nickel-chromium-nitrogen layers is directly formed on the bonding layer. A method for making the coated article is also described.
US08637148B2
A coated article includes a bonding layer, an iridium layer, a chromium oxynitride layer and a chromium nitride layer formed on a substrate in that order. The substrate is made of die steel.
US08637146B2
A multilayer composite film includes in sequence:a) a biaxially oriented, opaque polyester base layer;b) a non-voided polyester layer on and coextensively in contact with a surface of the base layer; andc) a metal layer on a surface of the non-voided polyester layer opposite the opaque polyester base layer, or on a primer layer on a surface of the non-voided polyester layer opposite the opaque polyester base layer.The film may be prepared by vapor depositing or plasma depositing a metal layer on a surface of a non-voided polyester layer coextensively contacting a biaxially oriented, opaque polyester base layer, or on a primer layer on a surface the non-voided polyester layer.
US08637141B2
A superhydrophilic coating can be antireflective and antifogging. The coating can remain antireflective and antifogging for extended periods. The coating can have a graded refractive index. The coating for wafer-level optics can be for targeted capillary condensation in nanoparticle containing reflow-compatible coatings.
US08637138B2
A thin substrate has a layered structure on one surface, and can also have a layered structure on the other. Each layered structure can include a part of at least one patterned layer that, if patterned by photolithography, would frequently result in damage to the substrate due to fragility. For example, the substrate could be a 3 mil (76.2 μm) or thinner polyimide film and one patterned layer could be a semiconductor material such as vanadium oxide, while another could be metal in electrical contact with semiconductor material. The layer part, however, can be patterned by a printing operation or can include a printed patterned artifact such as an uneven boundary or an alignment. The printing operation can be direct printing or printing of a mask for etching or liftoff or both. The layered structure can include an array of cells, each with layer parts on each substrate surface.
US08637134B1
Vented plastic stretch film and a method of making the film in which elongated reinforcement strips are applied to a base sheet, each reinforcement strip including a cord-like, reinforcement member formed from plastic film and a flat, narrow film strip covering the reinforcement member. Vent holes are formed from slits between the reinforcement members by applying tensional forces to the base sheet.
US08637125B2
Providing a liquid crystal composition satisfying at least one of characteristics such as high maximum temperature of nematic phase, low minimum temperature of the nematic phase, small viscosity, suitable optical anisotropy, large negative dielectric anisotropy, large specific resistance, high stability to ultraviolet light and heat, or having a suitable balance regarding at least two of the characteristics; and an AM device having short response time, large voltage holding ratio, large contrast ratio, long service life and so forth. The liquid crystal composition has a negative dielectric anisotropy and contains a specific two-ring compound having a low minimum temperature as a first component, a specific compound having a large negative dielectric anisotropy as a second component, a specific compound having a low viscosity as a third component, and a specific compound having a large negative dielectric anisotropy as a fourth component. The liquid crystal display device contains the composition.
US08637121B2
A coating method through HVOF spraying that comprises generating a combustion jet in a combustion chamber connected to one end of a barrel while controlling the temperature of the combustion jet by supply of an inert gas to the jet, feeding resin coating materials into the temperature-controlled combustion jet and leading them to pass through the barrel, and spouting the coating particles through a spout port along with the combustion jet therethrough to thereby coat the substrate surface; wherein the length of the barrel, the temperature of the combustion jet and the physical properties of the coating particles are defined so as to satisfy both the following formulae (1) and (2). Numerical Formula 1 α × t r > 0.5 ( 1 ) Numerical Formula 2 2.5 < Tav Tcp < 4.5 ( 2 )
US08637118B2
The present invention relates to a method of production of graphene comprising the following stages respectively: a stage of deposition of a thin layer comprising amorphous carbon on a substrate; a stage of annealing of said thin layer under photonic and/or electronic irradiation, by which a layer comprising graphene is obtained.
