US08897382B2

The present invention relates to a method for determining precoding weights between a base station and one user equipment in a communication network. The base station is provided with an antenna structure having multiple antennas, and the antenna structure provides coverage in a coverage area. The precoding weights are stored in a codebook available to the base station and the user equipment. The method comprises: selecting to use a part of the coverage area; determining, at the base station, a subset of precoding weights stored in the codebook generating at least one precoding beam within the selected part of the coverage area; and informing the one user equipment of the determined subset of precoding weights generating the at least one precoding beam within the selected part of the coverage area.
US08897379B2

A digital communication system comprising a host and a client, the host calls the client via two transmission lines. The host includes a processor, a first control unit, a second control unit, a high frequency transformer and an interface unit. The digital communication system utilizes the first control unit and the high frequency transformer to modulate outgoing signals. The digital communication system utilizes the second unit and the high frequency transformer to demodulate incoming signals.
US08897361B2

An image processing device is provided that is configured to decode an encoded stream to generate quantized data; set, according to a parameter indicating whether to use the same quantization matrix as a reference quantization matrix which is previously used, a current quantization matrix and inversely quantize the quantized data using the current quantization matrix.
US08897357B2

An image encoding/decoding method and apparatus using coefficients of an adaptive interpolation filter are disclosed including: a coefficient calculator for calculating adaptive interpolation filter coefficient of a current frame; an image encoder for interpolating reference frames using the adaptive interpolation filter coefficient of the current frame and encoding the current frame using the interpolated reference frames; a filter flag encoder for generating and encoding a coefficient-inserted flag or coefficient non-inserted flag as a filter flag according to the adaptive interpolation filter coefficient of the current frame; a coefficient encoder for encoding the adaptive interpolation filter coefficient of the current frame when the filter flag is a coefficient-inserted flag; and a bit stream generator for generating and outputting a bit stream, which includes the encoded current frame and encoded filter flag, and further includes encoded adaptive interpolation filter coefficient of the current frame when the filter flag is the coefficient-inserted flag.
US08897352B2

A method comprises performing a first pass test over a plurality of sets of equalization coefficients to filter the plurality of sets of equalization coefficients to produce one or more filtered sets of equalization coefficients. Each filtered set of equalization coefficients meets a first predetermined threshold. The method also comprises performing a second pass test over the one or more filtered sets of equalization coefficients to determine a final set of equalization coefficients that meets a second predetermined threshold. The second pass test produces more accurate results than the first pass test.
US08897350B2

A phase adjuster arranges phases of waveforms of a complex signal after orthogonal transform. An edge detector detects an edge of the complex signal after phase adjustment. A phase shift detector detects phase shift of an output signal of the edge detector between the in-phase signal and the quadrature signal after the orthogonal transform, and outputs a phase error signal (PE). The oscillator connected to mixers and a shifter to perform the orthogonal transform includes a phase adjustment section adjusting an edge of a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) clock based on the phase error signal (PE) and correcting the phase shift of an original signal.
US08897335B2

A furnace for dehydrating and sintering a porous glass preform includes a core tube that passes through a center portion of a furnace body to accommodate therein the porous glass preform, a heater that is arranged around the core tube in the furnace body to heat the porous glass preform in the core tube, and a core tube weight dividing and bearing means that is arranged at an outer periphery of the core tube to divide and bear the weight of the core tube in its longitudinal direction. The core tube weight dividing and bearing means includes a plurality of collars that is protruded at a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction at the outer periphery of the core tube, a first weight receiving means that supports the collars at the outer periphery of the core tube, and a second weight receiving means that bears the weight of the first weight receiving means.
US08897328B2

The semiconductor laser device of the present invention has a conductive first heatsink member, a conductive first adhesive, and a semiconductor laser element. The first adhesive is disposed on the first heatsink member, and the semiconductor laser element is disposed on the first adhesive. The first adhesive reaches an upper part of the side surface of the first heatsink member under the laser emission surface for laser emission of the semiconductor laser element. The structure further improves heat dissipation of the semiconductor laser element; at the same time, it is effective in obtaining laser light from the semiconductor laser element.
US08897320B2

A frame format for high data throughput wireless local area network transmissions includes a first preamble segment, a second preamble segment, and a variable length data segment. The first preamble segment includes at least one training sequence and a high throughput channel indication. The second preamble segment includes a high data throughput training sequence when the high throughput channel indication is set and includes a null segment when the high data throughput training sequence is not set.
US08897318B2

A network device includes a first transceiver unit, a second transceiver unit and a control unit. The first transceiver unit is utilized for processing a data corresponding to a first physical (PHY) layer via a first interface. The second transceiver unit is utilized for processing a data corresponding to a second PHY layer via a second interface. The control unit is utilized for processing a data corresponding to a media access control (MAC) layer, wherein the control unit connects with at least one of the first transceiver unit and the second transceiver unit with reference to a connection scheme.
US08897312B2

The coexistence of multiple radio systems may depend on the ability of a terminal device to limit interference among competing systems. In a method, a system may detect a potential for interference between a transmitting subsystem of a terminal and a receiving subsystem of a terminal. The method may also include buffering transmission by the transmitting subsystem of the terminal so as to lower a duty cycle of the transmitting subsystem.
US08897310B2

A method and an apparatus for managing domains are provided. The method of managing one or more domains performed by a domain manager located in a home network includes determining whether to register a first device located in the home network to a domain, and providing data required to share content between the first device and a second device registered to the domain according to the determination. In the method and apparatus, content can be shared by connecting the devices with one another including a user, and the burden of content providers for management can be reduced.
US08897307B2

A system and method for packing data over User Packets and packing the User Packets over DVB-S2 Frames, using the DVB-S2-ACM satellite transmission standard.
US08897305B2

Apparatuses and methods for providing an emergency service in a wireless communication system are provided. The method includes allocating a Connection IDentifier (CID) used to transmit the emergency service message, determining a Convergence Sublayer (CS) type for processing the emergency service message, generating a Downlink Channel Descriptor (DCD) message which comprises at least one of the allocated CID and information relating to the determined CS type, and transmitting the generated DCD message to a Mobile Station (MS).
US08897301B2

The distributed switch may include a plurality of chips (i.e., sub-switches) on a switch module. These sub-switches may receive from a computing device connected to a Tx/Rx port a multicast data frame (e.g., an Ethernet frame) that designates a plurality of different destinations. Instead of simply using one egress connection interface to forward the copies of the data frame to each of the destinations sequentially, the sub-switch may use a plurality of a connection interfaces to transfer copies of the multicast data frame simultaneously. The port that receives the multicast data frame can borrow the connection interfaces (and associated hardware such as buffers) assigned to these other ports to transmit copies of the multicast data frame simultaneously.
US08897287B2

A system and method for processing a plurality of requests for a plurality of multi-media services received at a Private Service Exchange (PSX) defined on the system from a plurality of IP-communication devices. The system further includes a media server (MS) coupled to the PSX and to at least one IP Service Control Point (IP-SCP), which is operative to process the plurality of requests for the plurality of multi-media services. The IP-SCP further selectively directs the requests to the media server, which operates to form a preliminary multi-media communication path with a calling communication device. The MS further operates to play a plurality of announcements to the calling communication device over the preliminary multi-media communication path, as well as to collect caller-entered data from the calling communication device over the preliminary multi-media communication path.
US08897285B2

System(s), device(s), and method(s) are provided to characterize a temporary identifier for user equipment (UE) in telecommunication procedure(s) in a wireless communication network. Based on radio technology of at least one serving node that enables at least part of the telecommunication procedure(s), the UE generates a TI and a classifier that discloses the type of the TI. The classifier enables distinguishing a TI value in a first radio technology from a TI value in a second radio technology. In addition the classifier enables a serving node that receives the classifier to identify a logic address of a disparate serving node without restriction in backwards compatibility amongst radio protocols utilized by the wireless communication network.
US08897276B2

A method, an apparatus and a communication system for collision detection for a random access procedure for an uplink data channel. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a module configured to transmit a data transmission on the uplink data channel, and an uplink scheduling and signal generating module configured to select random access parameters for a random access procedure and schedule the data transmission using the random access parameters for the random access procedure. The uplink scheduling and signal generating module is also configured to interrupt the data transmission after a predetermined time interval if the apparatus does not receive a permission signal from a network element during the predetermined time interval.
US08897266B2

Techniques for supporting communication for wireless devices in a wireless network are described. The wireless network may support transmission of control information on a first physical channel having a first minimum SNR for reliable reception. Some wireless devices may require operation at a lower SNR. In an aspect, low SNR operation may be supported by transmitting control information for a lower layer (e.g., Layer 1 or 2) in a protocol stack via an upper layer (e.g., Layer 3) in the protocol stack. This transmission scheme may allow the control information to be transmitted on a second physical channel instead of the first physical channel normally used to transmit the control information. The second physical channel may have a lower minimum SNR than the first minimum SNR. This transmission scheme may also allow the control information to be transmitted multiple times to improve reliability.
US08897265B2

Disclosed are techniques for hosting a communication session in a call server between communication devices. The call server functions as a bridge service between the communication devices joining an original communication link between the first communication device and the call server with a second communication link between the second communication device and the call server. The first communication device includes at least two RF transceivers each capable of communicating with the call server over a separate network using separate telephone numbers. The call server establishes an alternate communication link with the first communication device on an alternate network and joins it with the second communication link before disabling the original communication link to maintain the communication session between the communication devices.
US08897264B2

A method for performing relay node configuration and re-configuration in relay enhanced networks, in particular in a 3GPP LTE-Advanced architecture, wherein the network includes a plurality of eNBs that function as donor eNBs providing wireless access to associated relay nodes, wherein the relay nodes function as eNBs from a UE perspective, is characterized in that the network is divided into clusters such that each cluster includes exactly one donor eNB and that each relay node is associated to at least one donor eNB any point in time, wherein the load of donor eNBs and the handover rates among relay nodes as well as between donor eNBs and relay nodes are monitored and/or estimated, wherein the association of relay nodes to donor eNBs is performed on the basis of the results of the monitoring and/or estimation. Furthermore, an apparatus for performing centralized relay node configuration in relay enhanced networks is disclosed.
US08897262B2

A method and apparatus for relaying communications between a mobile device and a network access node is disclosed. In the method a connection is established between a first relay node of a group of relay nodes and the network access node to serve the mobile device. The mobile device is served by the first relay node and at least one second relay node of the group in wireless connection with the mobile device such that the mobile device remains connected to the network access node via at least one of the first and second relay nodes when one of the first and second relay nodes changes. To maintain the relayed communications for the mobile device after the change in the relay nodes control information is communicated by at least one of said relay nodes on an interface between relevant relay nodes in the group.
US08897257B2

The present invention relates to a method for a context transfer in a communication network including a plurality of heterogeneous access networks, wherein a mobile terminal is attached to one of the access networks. Further, the present invention relates to a context transfer manager performing the method. Moreover, the present invention relates to a mobile terminal specially adapted to perform the provided method for a context transfer. To facilitate a context transfer between heterogeneous access networks, the present invention introduces a context transfer manager generating at least one context based on capabilities and parameters associated to the mobile terminal and capabilities and parameters of the neighboring access networks taking into account the respective access technology. Further the context transfer manager is common to the heterogeneous access networks in the communication network and performs the context transfers related to a particular mobile terminal.
US08897254B2

An apparatus and method for selecting a beam group and a subset of beams in a communication system are disclosed. The method includes: measuring channel state information (CSI) on a downlink from a base station (920); identifying a selected beam group out of a set of beam groups according to a wideband property of the CSI (930); identifying a selected subset of beams in the selected beam group according to at least one subband (940). Wherein the characteristic of the set of beam groups depends on a transmission rank and the number of beams in the selected subset of beams is equal to the transmission rank. The method further includes: generating encoded feedback information identifying the selected beam group and the selected subset of beams for each subband in a double codebook format (950), transmitting the encoded feedback information to the base station. A computer program product comprising the computer program code which is configured to cause the apparatus to implement above operations is also disclosed.
US08897250B2

A radio communication mobile station device reduces the number of blind decoding processes at a mobile station without increasing overhead by report information. The device includes a judgment unit which judges a particular PUCCH to which a response signal corresponding to the downstream line data is to be allocated among a plurality of PUCCH, according to a CCE occupied by PDCCH allocated to a particular search space corresponding to a CCE aggregation size or the PDCCH to which allocation information destined to the local station is allocated among search spaces changing in accordance with the CFI value; and a control unit which controls a cyclic shift amount of a ZAC sequence of the response signal and a block-wise spread code sequence according to a correspondence between CCE occupied by PDCCH allocated to a particular search space and a particular PUCCH resource, the correspondence changing in accordance with the CFI value.
US08897246B2

This invention is related to a terminal apparatus that can normally transmit an upstream response signal. A response signal generating unit (212); generates response signals on the basis of a setting rule in which pattern candidates of success or failure in the reception of downstream allocation control information and downstream data are associated with the phase points of response signals and further in which the phase point of one response signal associated with an arbitrary pattern of success or failure in the reception during the second communication has been set to be identical with the phase points of two response signals associated with pattern candidates for which the pattern of success or failure in the reception at PCC during the first communication is identical with the arbitrary pattern and for which all of the receptions of downstream allocation control information have been failed at SCC.
US08897244B2

Methods, devices, and/or systems related to viral quality of service upgrade are disclosed. Viral quality of service upgrade allows upgrade of communications that are responsive to a priority communication, using an architecture in which the priority communication “infects” devices forwarding the priority communication, so that the forwarding devices may subsequently upgrade priority levels of communications responsive to the priority communication.
US08897243B2

Method and Apparatus for scheduling transmissions of a plurality of user equipments in a radio communications system including the steps of: transmitting by at least two user equipments of said plurality, of channel information to an access node, said access node serving said at least two user equipments, wherein said channel information includes of a channel matrix; said access node upon reception of said channel information, determining a correlation between said at least two user equipments; said access node comparing said determined correlation to a threshold, and said access node scheduling radio resources for said at least two user equipments based on said comparison.
US08897242B2

A method and a system for configuring an enhanced dedicated channel transmission bearer mode are provided by the present invention. The method comprises: in a situation that a first radio network controller (RNC) establishes an enhanced dedicated channel cell over a non-main carrier frequency layer in a predetermined network element, the first RNC configuring an enhanced dedicated channel transmission bearer mode of the predetermined network element, wherein the predetermined network element comprises at least one of the following: a node B connected to the first RNC and a second RNC connected to the first RNC. The present solution solves the problem in the related art that: the radio network controller cannot distinguish the received data from a main carrier and the received data from an auxiliary carrier.
US08897221B2

Space-division multiple access is optimally realized while avoiding inter-network interference.Time usage information for transmission sequence units is exchanged among different networks or non-adjacent equipment, and on the basis of this information, a station that initiates a transmission sequence unit disposes the start time of its own transmission sequence unit in a time slot which is not being used by an adjacent network or adjacent equipment. As a result, multiple wireless networks or wireless communication devices are able to utilize a channel by time division even in cases where exclusive placement of frequency channels is difficult, and efficient space-division multiple access can be realized.
US08897208B2

A space frequency block code signal relaying system is provided. The space frequency block code signal relaying system includes a signal detecting unit which receives, via a radio channel, a source signal sent from a source station and detects the received signal; a relay signal generation unit which generates a relay signal corresponding with the source signal transmitted from the source station to a destination node based on the received signal, the source signal and the relay signal being signals encoded in a Space Frequency Block Code (SFBC) scheme; and a signal transmitting unit which transmits the relay signal to the destination node.
US08897199B2

A relay transmission method and a network node are disclosed. The method includes: receiving configuration information about a relay link subframe, the relay link subframe is configured in subframes in a period equivalent to an integer multiple of one frame, where the relay link subframe takes on a specific HARQ timeline; and performing relay link transmission according to the relay link subframe. The relay transmission method put forward herein meets various constraint conditions of the LTE FDD system in the relay transmission performed according to the selected relay link subframe, and is backward-compatible with the UE in the existing LTE system.
US08897194B2

A method for determining a single frequency network area, applied to a broadcasting and multicasting technology field, includes: determining a cell or a cell cluster with a terminal subscribing to the broadcast multicast service; determining a cell or a cell cluster without a terminal subscribing to the broadcast and multicast service that is neighboring to the cell or the cell cluster with a terminal subscribing to the broadcast multicast service, as an auxiliary cell or an auxiliary cell cluster; selecting the auxiliary cell or the auxiliary cell cluster that satisfies the predetermined conditions, and determining both the selected auxiliary cell or the auxiliary cell cluster and the cell or the cell cluster with a terminal subscribing to the broadcast and multicast service as a single frequency network area. Also, a device for determining the single frequency network area is provided.
US08897188B2

Methods and apparatuses to power off a modem receiver or components of the receiver at a time prior to the end of the frame based on data in the frame being received and properly decoded before the end of the frame. In an aspect, the apparatuses and methods provide power saving in a wireless device, and include receiving data within a frame at a user equipment, determining whether all payload packet data has been correctly decoded prior to an end of the frame, and powering down a receiver component for a portion of a remainder of the frame in response to determining that all payload packet data has been correctly decoded and where a first time period to a next scheduled overhead bit transmission period of a slot in the frame is greater than a second time period corresponding to a warm-up period for the receiver component.
US08897187B2

A wireless communication system is disclosed. A method for transmitting uplink control information in a wireless communication system supporting carrier aggregation and operating in TDD includes: generating a first HARQ-ACK (hybrid automatic repeat request—acknowledgement) set for a first cell using a value M; generating a second HARQ-ACK set for a second cell using the value M; and transmitting a bit value corresponding to a third HARQ-ACK set including the first HARQ-ACK set and the second HARQ-ACK set in an uplink subframe n, wherein M=max(M1, M2), max(M1, M2) representing a value being equal to or larger than not smaller between M1 and M2, wherein M1 corresponds to the number of downlink subframes corresponding to the uplink subframe n in the first cell, and M2 corresponds to the number of downlink subframes corresponding to the uplink subframe n in the second cell, wherein the first cell and the second cell have different UL-DL configurations.
US08897181B2

To comport with specific absorption rate (SAR) requirements for a transmitting multi-radio mobile device, transmissions of the multiple radios may be duplexed to ensure compliance with communication regulations. Duplexing of transmissions may occur if overall transmissions exceed a particular threshold value. The duplexing may be opportunistic or deterministic.
US08897172B1

A system and method for managing an IP telephony network that uses a configuration map for organizing sites in a tree-like hierarchy. The system is capable of managing the addition, removal and movement of IP telephony elements within an IP telephony network and locating services and IP telephony elements within the IP telephony network in an efficient manner.
US08897171B2

A system includes an access node having an associated identifier. The access node is configured to insert the identifier into a network connection request. The system includes an IP edge service node connected to the access node and configured to receive the network connection request. The IP edge service node is further configured to store the inserted identifier and to insert the identifier into an Internet protocol version 6 (IPv6) address request transmitted according to dynamic host configuration protocol version 6 (DHCPv6) through an established network connection based on the network connection request. The system further includes a server configured to receive the IPv6 address request and assign an IPv6 address based on the IPv6 address request.
US08897167B2

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media are provided for monitoring circuit diversity within a communications network. Information is gathered regarding circuits within the communications network. Diversity rules for the circuits are received. The diversity rules may limit the sharing of network resource between primary and secondary circuit pairs. The information regarding the circuits is analyzed to identify violations of the diversity rules. A report on the violations of the diversity rules is generated.
US08897155B2

An information providing apparatus includes: a map information storage unit which maintains map information with which at least one of position information, address information, and names of buildings or shops is associated; a communication parameter obtaining unit which obtains communication parameters associated with the position information; an image information creating unit which creates image information in which the communication parameters associated with the position information are described on the map information; and a display unit which displays the image information created by the image information creating unit.
US08897152B1

A user device establishes a wireless connection with a wireless local area network using a first radio. The user device then deactivates a second radio of the user device based on establishing of the wireless connection with the wireless local area network. Subsequently, the user device determines whether to activate the second radio based on at least one criterion associated with the wireless connection.
US08897151B2

A computer-implemented system is provided for implementing application protocol field extraction. The system includes: an automata generator configured to receive the extraction specification that specifies data elements to be extracted from data packets and generate a counting automaton; and a field extractor configured to receive a data flow and operates to extract data elements from the data packets in accordance with the counting automaton. The extraction specification is expressed in terms of a context-free grammar, where the grammar defines grammatical structures of data packets transmitted in accordance with an application protocol and includes counters used to chronicle parsing history of production rules comprising the grammar.
US08897147B2

Spectrum analysis (SA) capability is included in various communication devices within a communication network. One or more of the devices use the SA information from other devices in the system to determine status of various communication links were devices in the system. One or more processors within one or more devices can identify any actual/existing or expected failure or degradation of the various components within the system. Such components may include communication devices, communication channels or links, interfaces, interconnections, etc. When an actual/existing or expected failure or degradation is identified, the affected components may be serviced or devices within the system may operate to mitigate any reduction in performance caused by such problems. Such SA functionality/capability may be implemented in one communication device or in a distributed manner across a number of devices in a communication system.
US08897143B2

The present invention discloses a method for monitoring Multicast Control Channel (MCCH) notification information, comprising: in a Multicast-Broadcast Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) cell that includes more than two MCCHs, when user equipment (UE) determines that the required MBMS service is not started, the UE further determines whether there is a correspondence relationship between the required MBMS service and the MCCHs, if yes, the UE just monitors the notification information of the MCCH corresponding to the required MBMS service; otherwise, the UE monitors the notification information of all the MCCHs in the MBSFN cell. The invention also discloses a device for monitoring MCCH notification information and user equipment. The present invention guarantees that the UE can timely receive an MBMS service that is not started currently in a cell with overlapped MBSFN areas.
US08897140B1

Methods and apparatus for mitigating congestion by using advanced traffic engineering services in a multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) network and/or a generalized multiprotocol label switching (GMPLS) network are provided. In an example, provided is a method for mitigating congestion in an MPLS network. The method includes monitoring, at a network element, a traffic drop count due to traffic queue overflow on at least one of a traffic queue coupled to a link and a network interface coupled to the link. Then the traffic drop count is converted to a normalized congestion indicator for the at least one of the traffic queue and the network interface. Further, based on the normalized congestion indicator, optimize a route of a label switched path in the MPLS network so the route avoids the link. The provided methods and apparatus advantageously improve throughput, reliability, and availability of traffic engineered MPLS and GMPLS transport services.
US08897135B2

In one embodiment, a method comprises creating, in a computing network, a loop-free routing topology comprising a plurality of routing arcs for reaching a destination device, each routing arc comprising a first network device as a first end of the routing arc, a second network device as a second end of the routing arc, and at least a third network device configured for routing any network traffic along the routing arc toward the destination device via any one of the first or second ends of the routing arc; and load balancing the network traffic along the routing arcs based on traffic metrics obtained at the first and second ends of the routing arcs, including selectively sending a backpressure command to a first one of the routing arcs supplying at least a portion of the network traffic to a congested one of the routing arcs.
US08897131B2

A method and an arrangement for transmitting reference signals in a radio frame in a cellular communication system comprising at least one network node having a measurement bandwidth γ, which is more narrow than a full downlink bandwidth β of said network node. Subframes only carrying reference signals, which are to be transmitted from said network node may be transmitted over a temporarily reduced transmission bandwidth α, which is at least equally wide as the measurement bandwidth Y provided by the network node, and more narrow than the full downlink bandwidth β of the network node. The use of a reduced transmission bandwidth leads to that less reference signals are transmitted, and thereby transmission power will be saved.
US08897123B2

A radio communication terminal (100) includes a correction unit (154) configured to correct data signals by using reference signals included in a received frame from a base station (200), a determination unit (140) for determining whether it is possible to have good radio communication with the base station (200) based on a condition of radio communication with the base station (200), a transmission frame generation unit (110), upon determination that it is possible to perform good radio communication, for generating a transmission frame with a reduced number of reference signals as a notification signal, and a transmission unit (120) for transmitting the notification signal to the base station (200). The correction unit (154) corrects the data signal by using the reference signals included in the received frame in which at least one reference signal is replaced with the data signal, from the base station (200) corresponding to the notification signal.
US08897113B2

A data storage and retrieval system includes a head carriage unit adapted for rotational motion and having multiple heads disposed at a working surface. The system also includes a tape drive unit configured to move a tape media past the working surface of the head carriage unit, the tape media having a width approximately equal to a width of the working surface. As the head carriage unit rotates and the tape moves past the working surface, a first head is configured to write a data track to the tape and a second head is configured to thereafter read the data track, where data read by the second head is for use in verifying data integrity and performing error correction.
US08897111B1

A system for determining a cleanliness of a lens of an optical disc drive. The system includes a controller configured to control movement of the lens of the optical disc drive between a first position and a second position relative to the optical disc. The first position is located a first distance from an outer surface of the optical disc and corresponds to a position causing the lens to focus light on a data layer of the optical disc. The second position is located a second distance, different than the first distance, from the outer surface and corresponds to a position causing the lens to focus light on the outer surface. The controller is further configured to receive a measurement of light reflected by the optical disc while the lens is in the second position and determine the cleanliness of the lens based on the measurement of the light.
US08897110B2

The present invention provides a recording medium reproducing method comprising the steps of: irradiating light onto a recording medium, the recording medium including a data image and a reference pattern, the reference pattern being divided by a plurality of fractional regions, the fractional regions being in invert, rotational and symmetrical relationship; determining information associated to data-image distortion based on the reference pattern; and correcting position of the data image based on the information relating to data-image distortion.
US08897106B2

An objective lens for optical pickup and an optical pickup apparatus having the same are provided. The objective lens for optical pickup includes a light source side lens surface and a disc side lens surface. The light source side lens surface and the disc side lens surface each include an effective region disposed at a central region of the objective lens and a non-effective region disposed outside the effective region. An optical path changing element, disposed in the non-effective region of at least one of the light source side lens surface and the disc side lens surface, changes a path of light incident thereon.
US08897104B1

A method and system test a heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) transducer. The HAMR transducer is optically coupled to at least one laser and has an air-bearing surface. The HAMR transducer includes at least one waveguide, at least one near-field transducer (NFT) and a pole. A portion of the NFT(s) resides at the ABS. The laser(s) are optically coupled to the NFT(s). The method and system include energizing the laser(s) at power(s) while the HAMR transducer is not in proximity to a media. The method and system also include measuring an off-disk protrusion of the portion of the NFT(s) at the ABS while the laser(s) are energized and the HAMR transducer is not in proximity to the media.
US08897103B2

A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk, wherein the head comprises a laser for heating the disk while writing data to the disk. The disk drive receives write commands, and increases a power of the laser to a write power for heating the disk while writing data to the disk. A calibration interval is adjusted based on the power applied to the laser over time, and the write power is calibrated at the calibration interval.
US08897097B2

A satellite signal reception device that can desirably receive satellite signals has a charge state detection circuit 43 and a voltage detection circuit 44 that detect if the satellite signal reception device is outdoors, and a control circuit 40. If the satellite signal reception device is determined to be outdoors based on the detection result from the charge state detection circuit 43 and voltage detection circuit 44, the control circuit 40 operates a GPS reception circuit 30. If an indoor state in which the satellite signal reception device is determined to not be outdoors continues for at least a predetermined specific time, the control circuit 40 operates the GPS reception circuit 30 at a preset scheduled reception time.
US08897094B2

The invention relates to an arrangement for seismic streamers used in the acquisition of seismic data in a marine environment where the spacing between each adjacent pair of streamers is not all the same. Some streamer spacings and/or receiver spacings are larger and some are smaller to provide a higher quality wavefield reconstruction when covering a larger total area or for a similar total area of seismic data acquisition while providing a wavefield that is optimally sampled by the receivers so that the wavefield reconstruction is suitable for subsurface imaging needs.
US08897092B2

A controlling method for a memory storage device is provided. The method includes: disposing a rewriteable non-volatile memory module which is operated at a first working voltage in the memory storage device; and detecting whether the first working voltage is lower than a first voltage threshold. The method also includes: detecting whether a circuit component working voltage is lower than a circuit component voltage threshold; when the first working voltage is lower than the first voltage threshold, setting the memory storage device to stop executing commands from a host system and to stop giving commands to the rewriteable non-volatile memory module; and, when the circuit component working voltage is lower than the circuit component voltage threshold, enabling a reset signal to stop receiving and executing commands from the host system. Therefore, the method can effectively improve the stability of the memory storage device.
US08897090B2

A semiconductor memory device and system are disclosed. The memory device includes a memory, a plurality of inputs, and a device identification register for storing register bits that distinguish the memory device from other possible memory devices. Circuitry for comparing identification bits in the information signal with the register bits provides positive or negative indication as to whether the identification bits match the register bits. If the indication is positive, then the memory device is configured to respond as having been selected by a controller. If the indication is negative, then the memory device is configured to respond as having not been selected by the controller. A plurality of outputs release a set of output signals towards a next device.
US08897088B2

A system on chip (SoC) provides a nonvolatile memory array that is configured as n rows by m columns of bit cells. Each of the bit cells is configured to store a bit of data. There are m bit lines each coupled to a corresponding one of the m columns of bit cells. There are m write drivers each coupled to a corresponding one of the m bit lines. An AND gate is coupled to the m bit lines and has an output line coupled to an input of a test controller on the SoC. An OR gate is coupled to the m bit lines and has an output line coupled to an input of the test controller.
US08897082B2

The data transmission circuit includes: a plurality of local bit line pairs through which data is read simultaneously; a plurality of voltage change detection circuits provided for the plurality of local bit line pairs; a global bit line pair; a plurality of column selection circuits configured to select one of the local bit line pairs and connect the selected local bit line pair to the global bit line pair; and a sense amplifier connected to the global bit line pair. The sense amplifier is controlled by a sense amplifier activation signal to which the outputs of the plurality of voltage change detection circuits are connected, whereby the voltage of a selected read data line pair is amplified using discharge of a non-selected read data line pair, to achieve high-speed read.
US08897080B2

A shift register structure is presented that can be used in fixed or variable rate serial to parallel data conversions. In an 1 to N conversion, data is received off an m-bit serial data bus and loaded into a N by m wide latch, before being transfer out onto an (N×m)-wide parallel data bus. Based on information on how of the N m-bit wide data units are to be ignored, the data will be clocked out at a variable rate. When loading data off the serial bus into the latch, upon refresh the current data is loaded into all N units of the latch, with one less latch being loaded at each subsequent clock. When the content of a unit of latch is to be ignored on the parallel bus, that unit is closed at the same time as the preceding unit so that it is left with redundant data.
US08897079B2

Local bit lines (LBL) are respectively provided for a plurality of sectors, corresponding to each of the global bit lines (GBL). Sector select transistors connect a LBL to a GBLector select lines control the on/off state of the sector select transistors for the corresponding sectors. A plurality of word lines (WL) intersect the local bit lines. Memory cells are located at the intersections between the LBL and the WL. Each memory cell connects a source line with the corresponding LBL and includes an n-channel transistor that is turned on/off by the corresponding WL. A precharge voltage is applied to a charging line. Charging transistors connect the LBL to the charging line. A charging gate line controls the on/off state of the charging transistors.
US08897078B2

Various embodiments include methods, apparatus, and systems for reading an adjacent cell of a memory array in an electronic device to determine a threshold voltage value of the adjacent cell, the adjacent cell being adjacent a target cell, and reading the target cell of the memory array using a wordline voltage value based on the threshold voltage value of the adjacent cell. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are described.
US08897069B2

A semiconductor memory device of the present invention includes a memory cell array configured to include a sensing circuit configured to perform program verifying of the page buffer group selected by the select signal, and configured to output a pass/fail signal corresponding to the page buffer group, a verifying result signal generation section configured to output one or more of a first verifying signal and a second verifying signal in accordance with pass or fail of the program for total page buffer groups by using the pass/fail signal, and a control circuit configured to output the select signals to verify the program after the program is performed, and control operation of the program in response to an output signal of the verifying result signal generation section.
US08897067B2

A memory cell can include at least a first programmable section coupled between a supply node and a first data node; a volatile storage circuit coupled to the first data node; and the programmable section includes a programmable transistor having a first source/drain (S/D) region shared with a first transistor, and a second S/D region shared with a second transistor; wherein the first S/D region has a different dopant diffusion profile than the second S/D region, and the programmable transistor has a charge storage structure formed between its control gate and its channel. Methods of forming such a memory cell are also disclosed.
US08897064B2

Methods for performing parallel voltage and current compensation during reading and/or writing of memory cells in a memory array are described. In some embodiments, the compensation may include adjusting a bit line voltage and/or bit line reference current applied to a memory cell based on a memory array zone, a bit line layer, and a memory cell direction associated with the memory cell. The compensation may include adjusting the bit line voltage and/or bit line reference current on a per memory cell basis depending on memory cell specific characteristics. In some embodiments, a read/write circuit for reading and/or writing a memory cell may select a bit line voltage from a plurality of bit line voltage options to be applied to the memory cell based on whether the memory cell has been characterized as a strong, weak, or typical memory cell.
US08897063B2

Methods and systems for multi-bit phase change memories. Using differential sensing for memory reads provides advantages including improved temperature and drift resilience, improved state discrimination and increased storage density.
US08897059B2

A resistance change memory device includes: a memory cell formed of a variable resistance element and a diode connected in series, the state of the variable resistance element being reversibly changed in accordance with applied voltage or current; and a stabilizing circuit so coupled in series to the current path of the memory cell as to serve for stabilizing the state change of the memory cell passively.
US08897058B2

A method for driving a nonvolatile memory apparatus includes: a data storage preparation step of setting a write control voltage to a first level of voltage; a data storage step of driving a driving transistor through the write control voltage to generate a write current, and storing an external data in a memory cell through the write current; a data detection step of varying the write control voltage by a predetermined level from a preset voltage level, and reading the data stored in the memory cell; and a data verification step of determining whether the stored data coincides with the external data or not, and repeating the data storage step and the data detection step according to a result of the determining.
US08897057B2

A quantum memory component including a quantum dot molecule having first and second quantum dots provided in respective first and second layers separated by a barrier layer; an exciton comprising an electron and hole bound state in said quantum dot molecule, the spin state of said exciton forming a qubit; first and second electrical contacts respectively provided below the first quantum dot and above the second quantum dot; a voltage source to apply an electric field across said quantum dot molecule; a controller to modulate the electric field across the quantum dot molecule, including an information acquiring circuit to acquire information concerning the relationship between fine structure splitting of the exciton and the applied electric field and a timing circuit to allow switching of the exciton from an indirect configuration to a direct configuration at predetermined times derived from the fine structure splitting.
US08897052B2

A DDR SDRAM where unidirectional row logic is associated with and connected to a single memory array instead of being associated with and connected to multiple memory arrays. The unidirectional row logic is located in the outward periphery of its associated array, but is not within a throat region between two arrays. The location of the row logic allows the throat region to include more bidirectional IO circuitry and signal lines servicing two arrays, which increases the performance of the SDRAM. In addition, separate power bussing is employed for the memory arrays and IO circuitry. This prevents noise from the arrays from affecting the IO circuitry and signal lines of the throat region and vice versa.
US08897050B2

Embodiments relate generally to semiconductors and memory technology, and more particularly, to systems, integrated circuits, and methods to implement a memory architecture that includes local bit lines for accessing subsets of memory elements, such as memory elements based on third dimensional memory technology. In at least some embodiments, an integrated circuit includes a cross-point memory array formed above a logic layer. The cross-point memory array includes X-lines and Y-lines, of which at least one Y-line includes groups of Y-line portions. Each of the Y-line portions can be arranged in parallel with other Y-line portions within a group of the Y-line portions. Also included are memory elements disposed between a subset of the X-lines and the group of the Y-line portions. In some embodiments, a decoder is configured to select a Y-line portion from the group of Y-line portions to access a subset of the memory elements.
US08897048B2

A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell block configured to include a plurality of main cells and a plurality of CAM cells, a plurality of page buffers configured to store data to be programmed into the memory cell block, and a Y decoder configured to transfer CAM data to respective page buffers, selected from among the plurality of page buffers, in response to a data determination signal and CAM column addresses whenever the CAM data is inputted in a CAM data input mode.
US08897047B2

An analog associative memory, which includes an array of coupled voltage or current controlled oscillators, matches patterns based on shifting frequencies away from a center frequency of the oscillators. Test and memorized patterns are programmed into the oscillators by varying the voltage or current that controls the oscillators. Matching patterns result in smaller shifts of frequencies and enable synchronization of oscillators. Non-matching patterns result in larger shifts and preclude synchronization of oscillators. The patterns may each include binary data and the pattern matching may be based on discrete shifts. The patterns may each include grayscale data and the pattern matching may be based on continuously-varied shifts. Other embodiments are described herein.
US08897038B2

A secondary-side dynamic load detection system and method rapidly identifies when a dynamic load has been placed on the output (e.g., when an electronic device is re-connected to the switching power converter). Once a dynamic load condition has been detected by the secondary side detector, a dynamic load detection signal is communicated from the secondary side of the switching power converter to a switch controller on the primary side. The switch controller can then quickly adapt switching in response to the dynamic load condition.
US08897035B2

A container unit and a display device including the same are disclosed. The container unit, containing a display unit, may include: a bottom chassis including i) a first portion spaced apart from a rear side of the display unit by a first distance, and ii) a second portion extending from the first portion and spaced apart from the rear side of the display unit by a second distance longer than the first distance, the second portion having a first opening. The display device may further include an insulation frame disposed between the second portion of the bottom chassis and the display panel, and having a second opening which is communicated with the first opening and smaller than the first opening, wherein one end of the insulation frame facing a central portion of the second opening has a chamfered structure at one side edge thereof.
US08897026B2

A locking assembly includes a guiding post and a hollow locking member. The guiding post includes a locking portion. A clamp hook is formed on a flange of the locking portion. The locking member includes an opening end. The locking member sleeves on the locking portion of the locking member, in which at least one clamping depression is formed on an inner wall of the locking member corresponding to the clamp hook, and the clamp hook is clamped in one clamping depression.
US08897025B2

An ultrasonic sensor includes a transceiver block having a transceiver device for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves and a circuit board mounted with an electronic circuit for processing ultrasonic signals transmitted and received through the transceiver device. A housing of the ultrasonic sensor has an opening and a communication hole, and the circuit board is stored into the housing through the opening. The transceiver block is attached to the housing. An electric connector extends through the communication hole of the housing to electrically interconnect the transceiver device and the electronic circuit of the circuit board; and a cover member closes the opening of the housing. The communication hole is sealed by a filler material.
US08897024B2

An assembly sheet includes a plurality of suspension boards and a frame member that integrally supports the suspension boards. On a surface of the frame member, a plurality of identification marks for identifying respective positions of the suspension boards in automatic optical inspection are provided corresponding to the suspension boards.
US08897023B2

An electrical assembly for a motor controller is disclosed that includes an electrical lead. The electrical lead has a conductive trace within an insulating material and that extends a length between first and second ends. An electrical pad is in electrical continuity with and extends from the conductive trace through the insulating material at the first end. The pad includes an aperture providing a securing feature. An electrical component is supported by and integral with the second end, in one example. The electrical component is in electrical continuity with the conductive trace at the second end. A bus bar provides a joint having a first cross-sectional area. The electrical lead is flexible and is removably secured to the joint by the securing feature to provide electrical continuity from a capacitor to the bus bar. The flexible electrical lead has a second cross-sectional area substantially less than the first cross-sectional area.
US08897022B2

A fixing mechanism for fixing a magnetic element on a base wall includes a frame, a retaining member, and a blocker. The frame is adapted to be connected to and is adapted to cooperate with the base wall to define a receiving space for receiving the magnetic element, and an opening communicating with the receiving space for entry of the magnetic element into the receiving space along a first assembly direction. The retaining member is adapted to be connected to the base wall in proximity to the frame. The blocker is engaged to the retaining member, and blocks the opening.
US08897020B2

An integral cable guide for an electronic module is provided. The electronic module includes a top housing with a ridge formed on one side. The top housing is configured to removably couple with a bottom housing to enclose electronic components. The electronic module further includes a receptacle within the top housing configured to receive a removable terminal block (RTB), such that a channel is formed between the ridge and the RTB when the RTB is placed within the receptacle. The channel guides cables coupled to the RTB to an outside edge of the module. The electronic module further includes at least one anchor that provides support for the cables.
US08897013B2

A housing or other enclosure used to facilitate fluid cooling of a circuitry of a battery charger, such as but not limited to a battery charger of the type used to facilitate charging a high voltage vehicle battery with AC energy provided from a utility power grid. The housing may include a groove and seal arrangement operable to seal a fluid coolant chamber used to cool the circuitry from leaking fluid during use.
US08897006B2

First and second units are mounted on a rear side of a housing of a storage system. Either of the first and second units includes a fan. The rear side of the housing includes an upper-tier portion defining an upper-tier opening, and a lower-tier portion defining a lower-tier opening, and the housing further includes a boundary portion that is a boundary between the upper-tier portion and the lower-tier portion, and a shutter unit. The boundary portion includes a first through hole that is a through hole connecting an upper-tier passage and a lower-tier passage. When the fan is operating, if the first unit is removed from the upper-tier portion, the shutter unit blocks the upper-tier passage, and if the second unit is removed from the lower-tier portion, the shutter unit blocks the lower-tier passage.
US08897000B2

A server includes a casing, a motherboard, a power supply unit and a pair of expansion modules. The motherboard is disposed in the casing, and the motherboard includes two slots disposed in the casing. The power supply unit is disposed in the casing and under the motherboard. The expansion modules are disposed in the casing, and each of the expansion modules includes a connecting card and a plurality of expansion cards. When the connecting card is electrically coupled to one of the slots of the motherboard, the expansion modules are disposed at two opposite sides of the motherboard correspondingly.
US08896999B2

A mobile data memory which is designed such that it can be used in an intrinsically safe manner in explosion-prone areas includes a memory device which has a first interface and a second interface for data exchange, wherein the second interface is designed in an intrinsically safe manner and for data exchange with a device, in particular with a sensor, and the first interface is designed for data exchange with data processing equipment, in particular for data evaluation.
US08896993B2

Input device layer and nesting techniques are described. In one or more implementations, an input device includes a pressure sensitive key assembly including a substrate having a plurality of hardware elements secured to a surface. The input device also includes one or more layers disposed proximal to the surface, the one or more layers having respective openings configured to nest the one or more hardware elements therein.
US08896990B2

An electronic device cover includes a protection member and a support. The protection member includes a protection plate. The support member is rotatably mounted to the protection member and includes a support plate. The support member is rotatable between a protection position and a support position relative to the protection member; when the support member is in the support position, the support member supports the protection plate in a stand position, and the protection plate and the support plate define a corner therebetween; when the support member is in the protection position, the protection plate and the support plate are unfolded and define a receiving space.
US08896989B2

A system for providing power and control to devices is described. The system includes a distribution box having connection points to receive power from a power supply and connection points to receive control instructions from a control system. The distribution box includes a plurality of output connection points to provide power and control instructions to the devices of the system. Each output connection point of the distribution box uses the same configuration of power and control conductors. Each device in the system uses a connection box with a connection point that can have the same configuration of power and control conductors as the distribution box. A plurality of cables are configured to connect the connection point on the connection box to a corresponding output connection point on the distribution box.
US08896988B2

A system having electrical equipment integrated on a structure is provided. The system includes at least one electrical equipment located at a spaced apart relationship and mounted on at least one structure. A method is provided for isolation of electrical equipment. The method includes opening and closing a contact by engaging or disengaging one or more terminals of the electrical equipment correspondingly with a supply line or a distribution line by a mechanism for isolation. The mechanism can be a handle or a moving mechanism which is associated with a movement in a vertical direction or horizontal direction or with a movement that provides isolation.
US08896980B2

A method is provided for manufacturing a wind turbine rotor blade in which the blade is formed as a laminated structure by laying a composite material of fibre reinforcement material and/or core material in a mould defining the shape of the blade; evacuating the mould after laying the composite material; introducing a liquid polymer into the evacuated mould and wetting the composite material; curing the liquid polymer after the composite material has been wetted; and removing the mould after curing the liquid. At least one lightning conductor is integrated into the composite material before wetting it with the liquid polymer. Moreover, a wind turbine rotor blade made from a single laminated structure is provided with at least one lightning conductor is integrated into the laminated structure.
US08896973B2

A magnetic head according to an embodiment includes: a spin-torque oscillator comprising a first ferromagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer, a third ferromagnetic layer provided on the opposite side of the second ferromagnetic layer from the first ferromagnetic layer, a first nonmagnetic layer provided between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, a second nonmagnetic layer provided between the second ferromagnetic layer and the third ferromagnetic layer, a first electrode provided on a surface on the opposite side of the first ferromagnetic layer from the first nonmagnetic layer, and a second electrode provided on a surface on the opposite side of the third ferromagnetic layer from the second nonmagnetic layer. Magnetization precession is induced in each of the first through third ferromagnetic layers when current is applied between the first and second electrodes.
US08896966B2

Approaches for a magnetic write head having an adjacent coil architecture, wherein a coil turn is fabricated immediately adjacent to the writer main pole. The adjacent coil portion essentially lies on the main pole, except for a very thin layer of insulation atomically layered in between. The adjacent coil portion is also substantially closer to the wrap-around shield in comparison with conventional coil configurations. Further, the other upper coil portions may be fabricated to essentially lie on the stitch pole, again except for a very thin atomic layer deposited layer of insulation layered between. This adjacent coil configuration provides a writer coil configuration that concentrates the coil structure significantly closer to the main pole surface, as well as concentrates more of the coil structure closer to the main pole tip, providing for a more efficient and faster write head.
US08896965B2

A PMR writer is disclosed that includes at least one of a recessed center section in the write pole trailing edge and a center recessed trailing shield to improve the field gradient at track edge. In all embodiments, there is a non-uniform write gap between the trailing edge and the trailing shield. The recessed portion of the write pole trailing edge and/or center recess of the trailing shield has a thickness from 10 to 40 nm in a down-track direction and a width in a cross-track direction of 20 to 200 nm. The distance between the center recess and a corner of the trailing edge is from 20 to 80 nm. A sequence of steps is provided to fabricate the two embodiments of the present invention.
US08896960B2

A servo track has servo pattern frames including two pairs of parallel transitions, the transitions of each pair spaced apart an equal distance, the first pair at an azimuth angle, the second pair at the opposite azimuth angle. A servo channel receives signals at first times corresponding to a servo read head detecting the transitions of the first pair of parallel transitions of a servo pattern frame, and second times corresponding to the servo read head detecting the transitions of the second pair of parallel transitions. The servo channel determines a relative lateral movement and velocity between the tape and the tape head based on respective functions of the ratio (TD−TC)/(TB−TA), distance d, and constants proportional to the azimuth angle and the trajectory angle.
US08896954B2

A magnetic tape media for storing data includes at least one servo band extending along the magnetic tape media and having servo information encoded by an M-ary alphabet A comprising M>2 different symbols and is arranged in a set of words. Each word of the set of words contains synchronization information, wherein each symbol used for representing the synchronization information is from a set B of m symbols, which set B is a proper subset of the symbols in the alphabet A such that 1≦m
US08896951B2

A magnetic disk according to an embodiment includes: a plurality of data regions each including a plurality of tracks, each of the tracks being arranged to extend in a circumferential direction; a servo region provided between the data regions, the servo region extending in a radial direction, the servo region including: a plurality of guide patterns each extending in the radial direction; and at least one line of dots arranged by post patterns in the radial direction at least on a side of one of adjacent guide patterns, the post patterns being arranged in the radial direction between the adjacent guide patterns.
US08896950B1

A circuit includes an input that receives a current that increases as a tunneling current sensor moves closer to a media. A high gain path is operatively coupled to the input to amplify the received current as a first amplified output. The first amplified output increases until a saturation threshold is attained for the high gain path. Further increases in the received current beyond the saturation threshold are diverted from the input as an overflow current. A low gain path is operatively coupled to the input to amplify the overflow current as a second amplified output. The second amplified output increases with the overflow current as the tunneling current sensor continues to move closer to the media.
US08896949B1

A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk, wherein data is read from the disk to generate a read signal. The read signal is sampled to generate signal samples, and the signal samples are filtered with an equalizer filter to generate equalized samples. The equalized samples are filtered with a general noise whitening filter to generate general noise whitened samples. The general noise-whitened samples are filtered with a bank of data dependent noise whitening filters to generate data dependent noise whitened samples, and a data sequence is detected from the data dependent noise whitened samples.
US08896940B2

The angle of view of an objective optical system is widened, while suppressing generation of lateral chromatic aberration. An objective optical system includes: a first lens group having a negative power; an aperture stop; and a second lens group having a positive power, in this order from an object side. The first lens group includes a negative single first lens, and a cemented lens formed by cementing a positive lens and a negative lens together, provided in this order from the object side. The second lens group includes a positive single fourth lens, and a cemented lens formed by cementing a positive lens and a negative lens together, provided in this order from the object side. The objective optical system satisfies Conditional Formula (1): 15.0<νd(RN)<18.6, wherein νd(RN) is the Abbe's number of the negative lens in the cemented lens within the second lens group with respect to the d line.
US08896939B2

An imaging lens consists of negative first lens, negative second lens of a biconcave shape, third lens of a plano-convex shape having a convex surface directed toward an object side or of a positive meniscus shape having a convex surface directed toward the object side, and a fourth lens of a plano-convex shape having a convex surface directed toward an image side or of a positive meniscus shape having a convex surface directed toward the image side, which are arranged in this order from the object side. Further, the following conditional formula (11) is satisfied: 3.1
US08896937B1

An image capturing lens assembly includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element and a fourth lens element. The first lens element with positive refractive power has a convex object-side surface in a paraxial region thereof and a convex image-side surface in a paraxial region thereof. The second lens element with negative refractive power has a concave object-side surface in a paraxial region thereof and a convex image-side surface in a paraxial region thereof. The third lens element with positive refractive power has a concave object-side surface in a paraxial region thereof and a convex image-side surface in a paraxial region thereof. The fourth lens element with refractive power has a concave image-side surface in a paraxial region thereof. The image capturing lens assembly has a total of four lens elements with refractive power.
US08896935B2

A six-piece optical lens system comprises, in order from the object side to the image side: a first lens element with a positive refractive power having a convex object-side surface; a second lens element with a negative refractive power having a concave image-side surface; a third lens element with a negative refractive power; a fourth lens element with a positive refractive power having a concave object-side surface; a fifth lens element with a positive refractive power having a convex image-side surface; a sixth lens element with a negative refractive power having a concave image-side surface, each of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth lens elements has at least one aspheric surface. Thereby, such a system not only can be applied to a high resolution mobile phone, but also has a wide field of view, big stop, high pixel, high resolution and low height.
US08896931B2

A zoom lens includes a first lens group having a positive refracting power and normally fixed in position, a second lens group having a negative refracting power and movable along an optical axis, and a third lens group having a positive refracting power and normally fixed in position, disposed in order from the object side to the image side. Two thirds or more of lenses of the first to third lens groups are formed from a resin material. The zoom lens satisfies the following conditional expressions (1) and (2): 4.0
US08896928B2

Provided is an electrowetting device capable of performing bright and high-contrast color display. In addition, provided is an electrowetting device capable of performing high-quality display without unevenness.The electrowetting device is an electrowetting display in which each of a pair of substrate constituting one cell has a driving unit. A first substrate that stores a first hydrophobic liquid material in regions surrounded by a first pixel wall, and a second substrate that stores a second hydrophobic liquid material in regions surrounded by a second pixel wall are adhered to each other through a hydrophilic material.
US08896923B2

A corrugated pattern forming sheet exhibiting excellent performance when being used as optical elements, such as an antireflector and a retardation plate is provided. A corrugated pattern forming sheet of the invention includes a resin layer, and a hard layer provided at least in a portion of an outer surface of the resin layer. The hard layer is made of a metal or a metallic compound. The hard layer has a wavelike corrugated pattern. The average pitch of the corrugated pattern is 1 μm or less, and the average depth of the bottom of the corrugated pattern is 10% or more given an average pitch of 100%.
US08896920B2

A reflective polarizer, a method of manufacturing a reflective polarizer, an optical element, and a display device are provided. The reflective polarizer may have excellent thermal and physical durability even when exposed to a light source and external friction. In addition, the method for manufacturing a reflective polarizer may provide a large-sized reflective polarizer without using expensive equipment.
US08896918B2

An instrument and method for scanning at least a portion of a large specimen preferably causes the specimen to move relative to a two-dimensional detector array at a constant speed. The detector array takes one image of the specimen for each line that the detector moves. A controller controls a shutter of the detector array to open to take images and to pass the images to a processor, which is preferably a computer. The instrument takes one partial image of each part of the specimen that is being scanned and then combines those images with other images to produce a contiguous image.
US08896916B2

A system of anti-surveillance security windows having one or more conductive glass substrates and one or more layers incorporating an organic radical cation compound, wherein the layers reflect in the infrared region, is demonstrated. Preferably, the organic radical cation compound is a salt of an aminium radical cation. The security windows may contain one or more layers of a multilayer interference stack of a metal/metal or metal/metal oxide design.
US08896909B2

The technology disclosed relates to improved acousto-optic deflectors (AODs). In particular, it relates to compensation for subtle effects not previously addressed by AOD designers. A shifting center of gravity is described and addressed using advanced power equalisation strategies. Denser writing brushes are provided by using a two-dimensional array of beams with corrections for factors such as angle of incidence at the AOD interface. The compensation and dense brush features can be used separately or in combination.
US08896908B2

An electrophoretic device includes: in an insulating liquid, a plurality of electrophoretic particles; and a porous layer formed of a fibrous structure, the fibrous structure including a plurality of non-migrating particles. The fibrous structure is configured of superposed fibers extending in an identical direction or different directions, and includes a cross-linking section in which the fibers are linked to each other in part or all of contact points between the fibers.
US08896904B2

A method for making a support plate for an electrowetting device includes providing the support plate with a hydrophobic layer; arranging a pattern of hydrophilic material on the hydrophobic layer; and removing a surface layer of the hydrophobic layer by a solvent. The electrowetting device may include a support plate with a hydrophobic layer having a thickness, and a pattern of hydrophilic material arranged on a first area of the hydrophobic layer, the thickness of the hydrophobic layer being larger within the first area than outside the first area.
US08896901B2

An electro-optic device includes a first substrate, a second substrate, an electro-optic layer which is interposed between the second substrate and the first substrate, and a first translucent film, a second translucent film, and a third translucent film which are disposed between the second substrate and the electro-optic layer and are sequentially formed from the second substrate, in which the refractive index of the second translucent film is larger than the refractive index of the second substrate, is smaller than the refractive index of the first translucent film, and is smaller than the third translucent film. A transmittance of incident light of the electro-optic device is intensified using refractive index matching, interference dimming, and anti-scattering.
US08896898B2

An optical deflector including a rotary member supported by a bearing shaft and rotatively driven by a motor for deflecting a plurality of laser beams separated from each other in a rotational axis direction of the rotary member is disclosed. The optical deflector includes a polygon mirror having four sides arranged about the rotational axis direction. Each of the four sides is a continuous plane having a plurality of effective reflection areas separated from each other in the rotational axis direction.
US08896895B2

An image reading apparatus includes: a light amount adjustment portion which performs light amount adjustment on a light source such that the maximum value of the analog output of an image sensor does not exceed the upper limit value of an input voltage range of an A/D conversion portion but approaches the upper limit value; a temperature sensor which measures a temperature; and a storage portion which stores a temperature at the time of the light amount adjustment. When an absolute value of a temperature difference between a temperature stored in the storage portion and the current temperature is less than a threshold value, the light amount adjustment portion does not perform the light amount adjustment whereas when the absolute value is equal to or more than the threshold value, the light amount adjustment portion performs the light amount adjustment.
US08896894B2

A method of making structured microdots (154) for printing plate registration includes forming a first plurality of square spots (156) less than or equal to 11 microns; wherein a first group (157) of the first plurality of square spots is formed in a first pattern (158); and wherein the first pattern is less than or equal to 66 microns and comprises a first microdot.
US08896893B2

The object of the present invention is to provide a light scanning apparatus of a simple arrangement which can reduce print misregistration of respective beams in a main scanning direction in an image region even when an inexpensive imaging optical unit which forms a spot image on the image region of a surface to be scanned, and can form a high-resolution image, and an image forming apparatus using the same.
US08896875B2

Systems and methods are provided for real-time communication (e.g., fax, voice, video) via an IP Network even if a firewall or other restriction element is present or encountered. The real-time nature of the communication is ensured by preestablishing a communication session between a transfer client and a transfer server, between which the firewall or other restriction element is located. Following the preestablishment of the communication session, transmission control messages are exchanged between the transfer server and the transfer client via the preestablished communication session. The preestablished communication session prevents the firewall or other restriction element from blocking or delaying traffic (e.g., fax, voice, video traffic). The preestablished communication session establishes a full duplex communication link without restriction of or by the firewall or other communication restriction element. Accordingly, the firewall or restriction element considers traffic originating from outside of the portion of the IP network where the firewall is located to be in response to a request from the inside the IP Network. Thus, the firewall or restriction element will not act to block or delay the traffic from entry.
US08896872B2

A print control apparatus includes a determination unit and a controller. The determination unit determines, from among plural virtual print controllers each of which controls printing at a printing apparatus associated with the virtual print controller, whether or not any of the virtual print controllers has started operating in the print control apparatus. The controller performs control, in a case where it is determined that none of the virtual print controllers have started operating, such that a state of reception of print command information is set to be a state in which the print command information is not received, and thereafter performs control, in a case where it is determined that any of the virtual print controllers has started operating, such that the state of reception is set to be a state in which print command information is received.
US08896864B2

A plurality of image processing servers in charge of a first-order service individually transmit their server selection information to a plurality of image processing servers in charge of a second-order service, and those in charge of the second-order service individually select one of those in charge of the first-order service as the most preferred server based on the server selection information received therefrom. Similarly, a plurality of image processing servers in charge of a third-order service individually select one of those in charge of the second-order service as the most preferred server based on the server selection information of those in charge of the second-order service received therefrom. Also similarly, an image forming apparatus selects one of a plurality of image processing servers in charge of the final service as the most preferred server based on the server selection information of those in charge of the final service received therefrom.
US08896859B2

A printer includes a print setting folder storage area, a data sending device, a data receiving device, and a print device. The print setting folder storage area may store print setting folders. Each print setting folder may associate print setting data and a print setting folder address. The data sending device may send the print setting folder address of each print setting folder to an information processing device. The data receiving device may receive combination data from the information processing device. The combination data may include a data file and a data file storage command that may include a print setting folder address. Where the data receiving device receives the combination data, the print device may print the data file included in the combination data in accordance with the print setting data associated with the print setting folder address. A scanner may have a similar configuration to the printer.
US08896856B2

An image processing apparatus comprising, a detector unit configured to detect an event that a user logged in to the image processing apparatus logs out, an query unit configured to be operable when said detector unit detects the event, to query the user whether or not to change a setting of a job under execution, and a control unit configured to be operable when the setting of the job is to be changed as a result of the query made by said query unit, to change the setting of the job and then perform a logout, and, when the setting of the job is not to be changed as a result of the query made by said query unit, to restrict the logout.
US08896853B2

Disclosed is an image forming apparatus that makes it possible to suppress the scale enlargement of the electric circuit, so as to make the apparatus highly flexible. The apparatus forms an image based on image data acquired by applying a rendering operation to depiction commands and includes: a converting section to convert input data to the depiction commands; a first rendering section to apply the rendering operation to a first depiction command; a second rendering section to apply the rendering operation to a second depiction command; a reading section to read out first information from the storage section; a determining section to determine whether the first rendering section or the second rendering section should apply the rendering operation to each of the depiction commands; and a control, section to make either the first rendering section or the second rendering section apply the rendering operation to each of the depiction commands.
US08896852B2

A document creating apparatus includes a partial region setting unit, an output control information generating unit, and a printing unit. The partial region setting unit sets partial regions for document data. The output control information generating unit generates output control information regarding the partial regions set by the partial region setting unit. The printing unit prints, onto a printing medium, the document data, position information regarding the partial regions set by the partial region setting unit, and the output control information generated by the output control information generating unit.
US08896846B2

A reflective optical sensor includes at least three light-emitting elements; a lighting optical system that guides light emitted from the light-emitting elements to a toner pattern; and at least three light-receiving elements that receive the beams of light reflected by the toner pattern. The lighting optical system has a lateral magnification m that satisfies m≦P/S, where S is the size of the light-emitting elements and P is the arrangement pitch of the light-emitting elements.
US08896843B2

A method for speckle mitigation in an interferometric distance meter comprises the steps of transmitting optical radiation with at least one wavelength λ to a target to be surveyed, receiving a portion of the optical radiation scattered back by the target in an optical axis (OA), wherein the optical radiation forms a speckle field, converting the received optical radiation into at least one received signal, determining a true distance to the target from the received signal by absolute or incremental interferometric distance measurements. In the method the true pointing direction relative to the optical axis (OA) is determined, wherein the distance error due to speckle effects is corrected.
US08896835B2

A gas measurement apparatus measures a target gas. The gas measurement apparatus includes a light source, a first light receiving apparatus, a first phase-sensitive detection apparatus, an R calculation unit, and a setting unit. The light source oscillates a laser light that has a central wavelength determined by a main current and is modulated according to a modulation current, with the central wavelength being varied. The first light receiving apparatus outputs a detection signal according to an intensity of the laser light transmitted through a standard sample. The first phase-sensitive detection apparatus obtains a second harmonic component oscillated at a harmonic frequency ω2 twice as large as a modulation frequency ω1. The R calculation unit calculates a peak-bottom ratio R. The setting unit sets a width of wavelength modulation of the laser light so that the peak-bottom ratio R satisfies a predetermined condition.
US08896834B2

In the optical gas sensor of the application, a three-dimensional reaction chamber structure is used to replace the traditional simple structure, so that the performance of the gas sensor can be enhanced in a wafer-level size. Besides, a light source, a reaction chamber and a light detector are integrated into one wafer in an exemplary embodiment, so as to achieve the wafer-level integration. In addition, the optical gas sensor can detect various gases simultaneously and has wide application in fields such as home environment monitoring, industrial safety, and disease diagnosis and treatment.
US08896831B2

A method for the determination of the degree of contamination of an examination object, such as a system for filling liquid foodstuffs, or a component or subsection of a system, in particular a pipe, including measuring a property distribution of a first examination medium before and after passage through the examination object.
US08896830B2

A device for mass spectroscopy comprising a chamber configured to provide an atomization source, a boost device configured to provide radio frequency energy to the chamber, and a mass analyzer in fluid communication with the chamber and configured to separate species based on mass-to-charge ratios is disclosed. In certain examples, a boost device may be used with a flame or plasma to provide additional energy to a flame or plasma to enhance desolvation, atomization, and/or ionization.
US08896820B2

An optical measurement instrument includes: an excitation light source (120) arranged to produce an excitation beam for at least one of samples to be measured and a detector (132) arranged to detect an emission beam emitted by one of the samples to be measured and to produce a detection signal responsive to the detected emission beam. The optical measurement instrument further includes an arrangement for controlling temperature of the samples to be measured. The arrangement includes: one or more temperature sensors (176) for producing one or more temperature signals responsive to temperature of a measurement chamber (170) of the optical measurement instrument, one or more heating resistors (171-175) arranged to warm the measurement chamber, and a controller (177) arranged to control electrical power supplied to the heating resistors on the basis of the one or more temperature signals.
US08896819B2

In a device for optically scanning and measuring an environment, where the device is a laser scanner having a light emitter which, by a rotary mirror, emits an emission light beam, with a light receiver which receives a reception light beam, which, after passing the rotary mirror and a receiver lens which has an optical axis, is reflected from an object in the environment of the laser scanner. The laser scanner also includes a control and evaluation unit which, for a multitude of measuring points, determines the distance to the object. Also, a rear mirror is provided on the optical axis behind the receiver lens, where the rear mirror reflects towards the receiver lens the reception light beam which is refracted by the receiver lens.
US08896816B2

In a projection exposure method for the exposure of a radiation-sensitive substrate arranged in the region of an image surface of a projection objective with at least one image of a pattern of a mask arranged in the region of an object surface of the projection objective, laser radiation having a spectral intensity distribution I(ω) dependent on the angular frequency ω is used. The laser radiation is characterized by an aberration parameter α in accordance with: α := ∫ I ⁡ ( ω ) ⁢ ω 2 ⁢ ⅆ ω ∫ I ⁡ ( ω ) ⁢ ⅆ ω and a coherence time τ in accordance with: τ = ∫ I ⁡ ( ω ) 2 ⁢ ⅆ ω [ ∫ I ⁡ ( ω ) ⁢ ⅆ ω ] 2 The laser radiation is introduced into an illumination system for generating an illumination radiation directed onto the mask, and the pattern is imaged onto the substrate with the aid of a projection objective. The spectral intensity distribution is set so that ατ2≦0.3. The influence of temporally varying speckles on image generation can be reduced by comparison with conventional methods, without simultaneously increasing the influence of chromatic aberrations on image generation.
US08896815B2

A apparatus having a projection system to project a plurality of radiation beams onto a substrate, wherein the plurality of radiation beams includes a first group of one or more radiation beams formed from radiation within a first wavelength range and a second group of one or more radiation beams formed from radiation within a second wavelength range, different from the first wavelength range. The apparatus also has a dispersion element configured such that one or more radiation beams of the first group are incident on the dispersion element at a different angle from the one or more radiation beams of the second group and such that the one or more radiation beams of the first and second group output from the dispersion element are substantially parallel.
US08896809B2

A lithographic apparatus and method is disclosed to reduce the exposure time that a substrate spends within a main lithographic apparatus by pre- (or post-) exposing one or more edge devices on the substrate. Because an edge device does not ultimately yield a useful device, it can be exposed with a lithographic apparatus that has a lower resolution than that used to expose one or more of the other, complete devices produced from the substrate. Therefore, the pre- (or post-) exposure of an edge device can be performed using a less complex, and less expensive, lithographic device.
US08896802B2

A surface light source unit includes, in the following order: a light source; a light collecting sheet having light collection portions on at least one side of the light collecting sheet; and a light transmissive substrate having a flat portion and recesses on at least one side of the light transmissive substrate.
US08896797B2

A liquid crystal display panel having improved lateral visibility. The liquid crystal display panel includes a first substrate including a pixel electrode formed on a pixel area including a first sub-pixel area and a second sub-pixel area; and a second substrate coupled to the first substrate with a liquid crystal layer accommodated between the first substrate and the second substrate, and including a common electrode formed on an area corresponding to the pixel area, wherein the pixel electrode includes a first sub-pixel electrode formed on the first sub-pixel area; a second sub-pixel electrode formed on the second sub-pixel area; and a contact electrode formed between the first sub-pixel area and the second sub-pixel area, and wherein the first sub-pixel electrode and the contact electrode are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance.
US08896796B2

A liquid crystal display panel including a first substrate, a second substrate, a liquid crystal layer and an electrode structure is provided. The liquid crystal layer is located between the first substrate and the second substrate. The electrode structure is disposed on the first substrate and comprises a first and a second sub-electrodes. The first and the second sub-electrodes are separated from each other and respectively comprises first and second branch portions. The first branch portion comprises a plurality of first branch electrodes. Two adjacent first branch electrodes are substantially parallel to each other and separated from each other by a first interval. The second branch portion comprises a plurality of second branch electrodes. Two adjacent second branch electrodes are substantially parallel to each other and separated from each other by a second interval.
US08896795B2

In one embodiment, a liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate and a second substrate. The first substrate includes a first gate line and a second gate line respectively extending in a first direction. A main pixel electrode is arranged between the first gate line and the second gate line and extending in a second direction orthogonally crossing the first direction. A pair of sub-common electrodes respectively faces the first gate line and the second gate line through an insulating layer and extends in the first direction. The second substrate includes a main common electrode electrically connected with the sub-common electrode and arranged on both sides sandwiching the main pixel electrode. A liquid crystal layer is held between the first substrate and the second substrate.
US08896793B2

In a display region, pixel electrodes are arranged with a predetermined pitch in a matrix. Dummy pixel electrodes provided in a dummy display region surrounding the display region are formed from the same layer as the pixel electrodes, and are arranged in an island shape so as to have the same size and pitch as the pixel electrodes. The dummy pixel electrodes are connected to each other via a wire positioned under the pixel electrodes.
US08896790B2

A liquid crystal display according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: a substrate; a partition formed on the substrate and defining a pixel; a plurality of protrusion members formed with the same material as the partition on the substrate, and disposed with a linear plane shape inside the pixel defined by the partition; and a color filter filled inside the pixel defined by the partition. Accordingly, in the liquid crystal display according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of transparent protrusion members are formed in the pixel defined by the partition such that movement of color filter ink dripped through an Inkjet method is controlled such that a color filter may be planarized on the whole surface of the pixel.
US08896784B2

A LCD is provided. The LCD device includes a cover bottom, a light guide panel, a liquid crystal panel, a LED assembly, a guide panel, and a case top. The light guide panel is disposed at the cover bottom. The liquid crystal panel is disposed over the light guide panel to display an image. The LED assembly is disposed at a lateral side of the light guide panel in the cover bottom to irradiate light to a side of the light guide panel. The guide panel guides the light guide panel and supporting the liquid crystal panel, a slide hole, into which the LED assembly is inserted, being formed in the guide panel. The slide hole cover covers the slide hole. The case top is coupled to the cover bottom, and surrounds a top of the liquid crystal panel.
US08896775B2

An electro-optical device includes a pixel electrode provided on a substrate, a transistor provided between the substrate and the pixel electrode, a first capacitor electrode provided between the pixel electrode and the transistor, and be electrically connected to the pixel electrode and the transistor, a second capacitor electrode provided between the pixel electrode and the first capacitor electrode, be located so as to be opposite the first capacitor electrode via a capacitor insulating film, and be supplied with a predetermined electric potential, and a light-shielding film provided between the pixel electrode and the second capacitor electrode, be located so as to be at least partially overlapped by the transistor, and be electrically connected to the second capacitor electrode via a contact hole formed in an insulating film disposed between the second capacitor electrode and the light-shielding film.
US08896772B2

An optical variation device includes a liquid-crystal element having optical properties that control the propagation of light and two substrate plates arranged on either side of the liquid-crystal element. The two substrate plates are covered respectively with first and second control electrodes. Each electrode has a substantially central opening referred to as the optical aperture. The device also has a layer of a material arranged between the electrodes and filling the optical aperture. The material has a surface resistivity of 10 kΩ/square to 10 GΩ/square and at least the first electrode is divided into a plurality of portions forming sub-electrodes suitable for simultaneously receiving different potentials.
US08896766B2

A display apparatus that displays an image by causing a light emitting device to emit light includes a detection unit configured to detect flicker information that indicates a likelihood of occurrence of a flicker based on input image information, and a control unit configured to control both a light emission luminance and a duty ratio of a light emission time of the light emitting device according to the flicker information detected by the detection unit.
US08896763B1

A method for switching channels is applied in a television. A currently watched channel is set as a favorite channel. A return method for switching back to the favorite channel is set according to user input. A comparison object is set according to the set return method and user input. The television is switched from the favorite channel to a different channel. A time for switching back to the favorite channel is determined to whether or not arrive according to the set comparison object and the currently received content of the favorite channel. The television is switched back to the favorite channel when the time for switching back to the favorite channel arrives.
US08896749B2

A lens holder driving device includes a lens holder in which a lens assembly is mounted, a driving coil fixed to the lens holder at outside circumference thereof, a magnet opposite to the driving coil, a yoke including the magnet, an elastic member supporting the lens holder in a direction of an optical axis shiftably, and a base disposed at a lower side of the lens holder. The elastic member includes a lower elastic member which is disposed at a lower side of the lens holder and which includes first and second leaf spring pieces. The first and the second leaf spring pieces have first and second side portions which are electrically connected to first and second end portions of the driving coil by soldering, respectively. Each of the first and the second side portions has a side edge forming portion having a surface in which edges are formed.
US08896748B1

Systems and methods for automatically focusing an image capture device on a page of a document object. A predetermined light pattern is projected onto the page being imaged. The light pattern varies as a function of the separation of the page being imaged from the end page. The light pattern projected onto the page being imaged is sensed. Based on the sensed light pattern, the image capture device is focused on the page being imaged.
US08896747B2

Embodiments are directed towards performing depth estimation within a digital camera system based on interpolation of inverse focus statistics. After an image is captured, various statistics or focus measure may be calculated using, for example, a high pass filter. Depth is estimated by interpolating the inverse of the statistics for three positions of focus for the image. The inverse of the statistics, St(n), may be 1/St(n), or 1/St2(n), or even 1/StZ(n), where Z≧1. Several approaches to interpolating the inverse values of the statistics to obtain a depth estimate are disclosed, including a general parabolic minimum approach, using a parabolic minimum within a progressive scheme, or within a continuous AF scheme. The depth estimate may then be used for a variety of applications, including automatic focusing, as well as converting 2D images to 3D images.
US08896743B2

Embodiments of the invention describe an enclosure for an image capture system that includes an image capture unit and a solid state die to provide focusing capabilities for a lens unit of the image capture unit. The enclosure may electrically couple the solid state die to the image capture unit and/or other system circuitry. The enclosure may further serve as EMI shielding for the image capture system.
US08896742B2

An image pickup apparatus is arranged to perform live view to display enlarged image by deciding a Tv value, an Av value, and an ISO value based on a program diagram for deciding an exposure amount from brightness of an object, when a change instruction of an AF adjustment value used for a live view is provided, while when an operation to start the live view is provided and the change instruction of the AF adjustment value used for the live view is not provided, the apparatus performs live view by deciding the Tv value, Av value, and ISO value based on the program diagram if a photographing mode is not a manual mode, but performs the live view by using the Tv value, Av value, and ISO value set by the user, if the photographing mode is the manual mode.
US08896738B2

The device includes an pixel array part having a plurality of unit pixels, a CDS (correlated double sampling) circuit, and an A/D converter. A pixel signal read from a pixel array part via a signal line is subjected to CDS processing (noise elimination processing) in the CDS circuit, and then this pixel signal is inputted into the A/D converter which performs A/D conversion on the pixel signal. The A/D converter includes a ΔΣ modulator and a digital filter to perform highly accurate A/D conversion. The invention can also be applied to a construction in which an A/D converter is provided at the front stage of the CDS circuit.
US08896735B2

A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel unit in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a matrix pattern; and a pixel signal read-out unit including an AD conversion unit performing AD conversion of a pixel signal read out from the pixel unit, wherein each pixel included in the pixel unit includes division pixels divided into regions in which photosensitivity levels or electric charge accumulating amounts are different from one another, wherein the pixel signal reading unit includes a normal read-out mode and a multiple read-out mode, and wherein the AD conversion unit acquires a pixel signal of one pixel by adding the division pixel signals read out in accordance with the read-out mode while performing AD conversion for the division pixel signals.
US08896730B2

An imager has first and second photosensitive sites and an interpolator located in a semiconductor substrate. The first photosensitive site is configured to receive light having a spectral component, and the second photosensitive site is configured to measure the level of the spectral component in light received by the second photosensitive site. The interpolator is configured to estimate the level of the spectral component in the light received by the first photosensitive site based on the measurement by the second photosensitive site.
US08896724B2

This invention provides for a camera system having a plurality of hand held camera devices connected together in series. Each camera device includes an image input configured to receive image data from a camera device preceding in the series of devices, and an instruction reader configured to read instructions from a card inserted into the camera device, said card having encoded thereon various instructions for the manipulation of the image data. Each camera device also includes a processor unit arranged in communication with the input and the instruction reader, the processor unit configured to perform image manipulation on the image data according to the instructions read from the card. Also included is an image output configured to transmit manipulated image data from the processor to a camera device following in the series of devices, the camera system operatively facilitating a cascade of imaging effects.
US08896721B2

A depth image of a scene may be observed or captured by a capture device. The depth image may include a human target and an environment. One or more pixels of the depth image may be analyzed to determine whether the pixels in the depth image are associated with the environment of the depth image. The one or more pixels associated with the environment may then be discarded to isolate the human target and the depth image with the isolated human target may be processed.
US08896720B2

A hand held image capture device that has a camera with an image sensor to capture a scene viewed by the camera and, a central processor having multiple processing units and an image sensor interface integrated onto a single chip. The image sensor interface is configured to receive data from the image sensor and the multiple processing units being configured for processing in the data. The processing of the data includes detecting faces within the scene.
US08896717B2

Methods for the deployment of an image servicing platform over a mobile wireless network ate described. A mobile multimedia service controller (MMSC) includes a video gateway that is capable of transcoding among different video formats supported by an imaging service platform. The MMSC can be connected over a network to a download server that provides updates to a transcoder application and a video image application.
US08896706B2

A method for providing a mapping from apparent color to actual color for an image capture device including capturing an image of a reference color chart having a plurality of color patches using the image capture device, wherein each color patch has an associated reference color, measuring the apparent color of the plurality of color patches in the captured image, selecting a plurality of control points representing different hue values within a circular hue space, determining an angular offset for each control point such that the distance between a transformed apparent color and the reference color for each color patch is minimized, the angular offset representing a hue correction, wherein interpolation of the angular offsets for the control points provides a mapping from apparent color to actual color for the image capture device.
US08896705B2

A measuring device for measuring a response speed of a display panel is provided. The measuring device includes a microcontroller and at least one photo sensor. The microcontroller provides a control command, according to which a display controller of the display panel provides test pattern to the display panel. The photo sensor senses a test frame displayed corresponding to the test pattern by the display panel, and provides a corresponding sensing signal associated with brightness and a response signal. According to the response signal, the response speed of the display panel is calculated.
US08896697B2

A system and method for compensating for image distortions formed by the motion of a computerized camera system mounted on a moving platform. The camera system includes a camera, wherein the camera acquires a plurality of image frames including images of the environment viewed from within the field of view of the camera. The distortion is formed in the acquired image frame, during and in between image acquisitions. During the image acquisition the camera may be maneuvered in space, typically, in the pan and tilt axis. The method includes the steps of providing camera maneuvering signals, providing sensors for detecting other motions of the camera, computing the pre acquisition aggregated motion vector of the camera, thereby determining the pre acquisition image distortion, and compensating for the determined pre acquisition image distortion by an equivalent vector, in a direction opposite to the direction of the pre acquisition aggregated motion vector.
US08896687B2

A lane departure prevention support apparatus comprises: imaging means for capturing an image of a lane boundary line which defines a traveling lane; vehicle position detecting means for recognizing the lane boundary line in a recognition area of captured image data to detect a host vehicle position within the traveling lane in a width direction; assisting means for performing driver assist using the recognition result of the lane boundary line; displaying means for displaying the recognition result of the lane boundary line; and recognition result display controlling means for displaying an unrecognized lane boundary line according to the host vehicle position, if one of left and right white lines is not recognized, wherein a display of the unrecognized lane boundary line is not such a display which indicates that the lane boundary line is not recognized.
US08896683B2

A device for forming a high-resolution image of an object is provided. The device comprises: an electronic camera for capturing an intermediate image of the object, an illumination system for forming a spatial modulation pattern on the object; and a spatial demodulator for performing a spatial demodulation, which is at least partially matched to the spatial modulation pattern. A method for deriving a high-spatial-resolution image from a set of images captured from a structure of an object is derived, wherein the illumination of the object is spatially-modulated, wherein the illumination of the object has a spatial modulation pattern, which is substantially periodic, wherein one of at least one prevailing orientation of the periodic illumination is arranged substantially perpendicularly to at least one prevailing orientation of the structure of the object.
US08896681B2

According to this invention, there is provided an image pickup unit for an endoscope, including a lens barrel portion includes a movable lens holding barrel that holds the movable lens and is movable to advance and retract and a drive mechanism portion which is disposed at a side surface portion of the lens barrel portion and drives the movable lens holding barrel. The unit has a holding portion which is disposed at the side surface portion of the lens barrel portion and is configured to position and hold the drive mechanism portion, a gap between the lens barrel portion and the drive mechanism portion is filled with an adhesive which is made to have a difference in hardness such that hardness is lower on a proximal end side than on a distal end side.
US08896680B2

An endoscope includes: an image pickup device mounted in a distal end portion of an insertion portion; wiring that transmits a power supply having a plurality of different power supply voltages for driving the image pickup device, a drive signal that drives the image pickup device, an image pickup signal that is outputted from the image pickup device, and a ground level; a substrate on which a connector that relays the wiring is provided; a first voltage comparing portion that compares the plurality of different power supply voltages; a power supply generation portion that generates a plurality of second power supply voltages; a second voltage comparing portion that compares the plurality of second power supply voltages; and a power supply control portion that controls a supply of power to the image pickup device based on comparison results of the first and second voltage comparing portions.
US08896678B2

Described embodiments include a system, method, and computer program product. A described system includes an image coregistration circuit that coregisters a first depiction of a region of interest of a mammalian body part during a first condition by a reference medical image and a second depiction of the region of interest of the mammalian body part during a second condition by a target medical image. The coregistration is at least partially based on the first spatial relationship and on the second spatial relationship. The described system includes a computer-readable media configured to maintain informational data corresponding to the coregistration of the first depiction of the region of interest and the second depiction of the region of interest.
US08896677B2

There are provided an inexpensive imaging device that may perform data transmission promptly and easily, and a transmission/reception system using the imaging device. The imaging device includes, an imaging section, a recording section storing data of images shot by the imaging section, a transmission section transmitting the data stored in the recording section to the outside by radio, and a controller controlling the transmission section to start data transmission after the imaging section finishes image-shooting.
US08896675B2

The present invention relates to a display system for stereoscopic viewing, the system comprising a binocular viewing device, information content, and a display source. The display system is remarkable in that it further comprises electronic components for implementing pieces of software for optimizing the binocular viewing device, the information content, and the display source, said pieces of optimization software together forming a loop for managing various parameters. The wearer of said device can thus view the information content via the binocular viewing device under conditions that are best adapted to the wearer's physiology.
US08896672B2

An image display device for displaying a 3-Dimensional (3D) image and a method for operating the same are disclosed. The image display device includes a user input unit configured to receive an item selection signal for some of one or more items included in a User Interface (UI) image, a control unit configured to generate a detailed image of a selection item selected by the item selection signal as a 3D image, and a display unit configured to display the detailed image. A user can select and receives an UI image or items included therein as a 3D image, and select a 2D/3D mode of the displayed UI image so as to control a sense of depth thereof. If a plurality of UI images is displayed, the image display device can display UI images on multiple layers with senses of depth.
US08896661B2

Optical camera systems for nondestructive internal inspection of online, operating power generation turbines, including gas turbine combustor and turbine sections that are at high operating temperatures in the range of over 600° C. (1112° F.) and which include combustion gas contaminants. The inspection system includes one or more aspheric lenses capable of withstanding continuous operating temperatures above 600° C. The aspheric lenses, alone or in combination with spherical lenses, establish a wider field of view, and require fewer lenses in combination than lens mounts incorporating only spherical lenses. A cooling system incorporated in the inspection system facilitates continuous operation and inhibits lens external surface fouling from combustion gasses.
US08896654B2

Various embodiments of apparatus and/or methods are described for providing communication between multiple content viewers. First video data is captured of a first user located locally with respect to a presentation device and transmitted to a base station located remotely with respect to the presentation device. The base station transmits a composite signal that includes video content provided by a content source communicatively coupled the base station and further includes second video chat data captured of a second user located remotely with respect to the presentation device. The composite signal is responsively presented by the presentation device to the first user.
US08896652B2

Systems and methods for video communication services are presented herein. In particular, systems and methods in which multiple participants can simultaneously create and share video in real-time are presented herein. Other systems and methods are also presented herein.
US08896649B2

An optical scanning device includes: a light source unit; a light deflecting unit that deflects a light beam emitted from the light source unit; a scanning optical device that focuses the light beam deflected by the light deflecting unit on a scanned surface; and a light shielding member. The scanning optical device is provided in a direction in which a sound pressure level of a noise caused by rotation of a rotating polygon mirror included in the light deflecting unit is highest.
US08896647B2

A method is described for producing a character, pattern, symbol and/or image (8) on a substrate (2) by way of pigment particles (1) which are arranged thereon and lose their color effect under the action of a laser (23), wherein different pigment particles (1) with at least three different color effects are arranged on and/or in the substrate (2). The invention is distinguished by the following method steps: (a) production of a color chart (14), in which the individual color effect of individual pigment particles (1) or individual clusters of pigment particles is contained as a function of their spatial coordinate on and/or in the substrate (2); (b) spatially resolved irradiation, which changes the color effect of only individual pigment particles (1) or individual clusters of pigment particles, by way of a laser (23) at a single frequency on the basis of the color chart (14) in order to produce a resulting color effect. Furthermore, the present invention relates to substrates, in particular security documents, produced using a method of this type, and devices for carrying out methods of this type.
US08896639B2

An object of the present invention is to provide a small-sized active matrix type liquid crystal display device that may achieve large-sized display, high precision, high resolution and multi-gray scales. According to the present invention, gray scale display is performed by combining time ratio gray scale and voltage gray scale in a liquid crystal display device which performs display in OCB mode. In doing so, one frame is divided into subframes corresponding to the number of bit for the time ratio gray scale. Initialize voltage is applied onto the liquid crystal upon display of a subframe.
US08896631B2

A method for displaying a 3D image in virtual reality. The method includes defining a hyper parallax transformation matrix based on user eye position, applying the hyper parallax transformation matrix to a scene graph, and displaying hyper parallax of the 3D image. A realistic simulation of parallax of said 3D image is exaggerated.
US08896629B2

The invention relates to a method for ergonomically representing virtual information in a real environment, comprising the following steps: providing at least one view of a real environment and of a system setup for blending in virtual information for superimposing with the real environment in at least part of the view, the system setup comprising at least one display device, ascertaining a position and orientation of at least one part of the system setup relative to at least one component of the real environment, subdividing at least part of the view of the real environment into a plurality of regions comprising a first region and a second region, with objects of the real environment within the first region being placed closer to the system setup than objects of the real environment within the second region, and blending in at least one item of virtual information on the display device in at least part of the view of the real environment, considering the position and orientation of said at least one part of the system setup, wherein the virtual information is shown differently in the first region than in the second region with respect to the type of blending in in the view of the real environment.
US08896626B2

An image processing apparatus includes: a specific sound detecting section which detects a specific sound generated during motion of a specific motion conducted by a target object included in an image group including a plurality of images which continues in a time-series manner; a synthetic image generating section which generates a synthetic image representing transitions of the specific motion; a determination range setting section which sets, as a determination range, a range in the time axis for determination on the generation of the synthetic image on the basis of a user manipulation; and a control section which controls the synthetic image generating section to generate the synthetic image in a case where the specific sound is detected in the set determination range, and not to generate the synthetic image in a case where the specific sound is not detected in the set determination range.
US08896625B2

A method and a system for fusing images in an image processing field are described. The method includes: capturing at least two frames of images having different intensity under different exposure time in the same scene; fusing the images having different intensity values according to an intensity mapping relation between every two frames of images in the images having different intensity values, and obtaining a fused image is, in which the intensity mapping relation represents a corresponding relation between an intensity value of a pixel location in a bright image and that at the corresponding location in a dark image. Through the method and the system for fusing the images according to the present invention, the dynamic range of the image is enhanced, and the fusing process has a desired result and is easy to implement.
US08896621B1

A drawing application provides functionality for assisting the user in performing freehand drawing. The user can place virtual stencils on the screen, and can manipulate the stencils in various ways. The stencils can be used as guides for freehand drawing and/or to transform freehand drawings into more precise shapes. In general, the stencils do not form part of the final graphical document being created (or edited), but are used to assist the creation (or editing) of the document, in a manner that is analogous to the use of physical stencils in when drawing on paper or other physical medium. The stencils can be used for straightening lines, for constraining the effect of drawing or painting, and/or as a visual guide for performing any drawing operations. The user can cause the stencils to be dismissed and/or hidden at any time, so that the graphical document can be viewed without the overlaying stencils.
US08896619B2

An apparatus is provided that includes a processor and memory storing executable instructions that in response to execution by the processor cause the apparatus to at least perform a number of operations. The apparatus is caused to receive a digital image including pixels each of which has a pixel value that has been calibrated according to a first calibration function for calibrating an image for display by a first monitor. The apparatus is caused to transform the pixel value of each of at least some of the pixels to a corresponding transformed pixel value calibrated according to a second calibration function for calibrating an image for display by a second monitor. The apparatus is also caused to cause output of the digital image including the plurality of pixels each of at least some of which has a transformed pixel value, the respective digital image being displayable by the second monitor.
US08896615B2

An image processing device includes: a horizontal resolution converting unit that converts a horizontal resolution of input image data to output horizontal resolution-converted image data; a line memory for the left eye and a line memory for the right eye that store the horizontal resolution-converted image data; a line memory specifying unit that specifies the line memory to store the horizontal resolution-converted image data; a line memory reading unit that reads the horizontal resolution-converted image data from either of the line memory for the left eye and the line memory for the right eye; and a vertical resolution converting unit that converts a vertical resolution of the horizontal resolution-converted image data read by the line memory reading unit to generate output image data.
US08896608B2

The invention relates to a method for providing an animation from prerecorded still pictures where the relative positions of the pictures are known. The method is based on prerecorded still pictures and location data, associated with each still picture, that indicates the projection of the subsequent still picture into the current still picture. The method comprises the repeated steps of providing a current still picture, providing the location data associated with the still picture, generating an animation based on the current still picture and the location data, and presenting the animation on a display. The invention provides the experience of driving a virtual car through the photographed roads, either by an auto pilot or manually. The user may change speed, drive, pan, shift lane, turn in crossings or take u-turns anywhere. Also, the invention provides a means to experience real time, interactive video-like animation from widely separated still pictures, as an alternative to video-streaming over a communication line. This service is called Virtual Car Travels.
US08896595B2

Modifying 2.5D GIS data for a 2D GIS system involves displaying 3D graphic indicia on a display device, the graphic indicia being displayed in a geospatial manner as a function of 2.5D GIS data in a GIS database associated with a 2D GIS system, and further involves modifying the 2.5D GIS data in the GIS database using the 3D graphic indicia displayed on the display device, including mapping user selections relating to the 3D graphic indicia to 2D geo-location coordinates and modifying the 2.5D GIS data based on the 2D geo-location coordinates.
US08896566B2

A display apparatus and method for controlling interference includes a signal receiving unit which receives a signal in an effective frequency band from an input device; a signal processing unit which processes a signal on the effective frequency band to output a user input signal; a display unit which displays an image based on the user input signal; and a diminishing signal generating unit which generates a diminishing signal having a waveform diminishing a noise outside the effective frequency band.
US08896564B2

An improved acoustic touch apparatus that has a logo or application icon applied on the back surface of a propagating substrate which can be viewed through the substrate and an acoustic element situated adjacent the logo or application icon that can compensate for phase velocity shifts of surface acoustic waves in propagating over the logo or application icon.
US08896541B2

A dual keyboard system is presented for use with a tablet computer. Each keyboard is attached to a suction cup via a hinge. The suction cups attach to the display face of the tablet computer. The keyboards can be rotated about the hinge to allow viewing of the full display of the tablet computer without detaching the keyboards. In one embodiment, the hinge is separable, allowing removal of the keyboards completely while leaving the suction cups attached to the tablet computer. In another embodiment, a master keyboard receives keystrokes directly from a slave keyboard as well as from keys located on the master keyboard. The tablet computer communicates only with the master keyboard via a radio frequency link. The slave keyboard communicates with the master keyboard via a radio frequency or infrared link.
US08896539B2

A touch-type keyboard with multiple functions associated with each key which functions are uniquely selected based on finger position. Each of a plurality of mechanical keys are associated with at least three functions. Each key has a surface area for actuation by a user's finger. The surface area is mapped to zones associated with each function. Function actuation is determined by detection of the finger position when the key is actuated. In the event of a finger overlapping multiple zones during actuation, unique function selection is determined at least in part from the pattern of finger overlap with the plural zones.
US08896534B2

A human-machine interface involves plural spatially-coherent visual presentation surfaces at least some of which are movable by a person. Plural windows or portholes into a virtual space, at least some of which are handheld and movable, are provided by using handheld and other display devices. Aspects of multi-dimensional spatiality of the moveable window (e.g., relative to another window) are determined and used to generate images. As one example, the moveable window can present a first person perspective “porthole” view into the virtual space, this porthole view changing based on aspects of the moveable window's spatiality in multi-dimensional space relative to a stationary window. A display can present an image of a virtual space, and an additional, moveable display can present an additional image of the same virtual space.
US08896528B2

A control device includes: a receiver for receiving first information regarding the movement of a casing, and second information regarding whether to reflect the first information on the movement of coordinate values; a storage unit for storing a whole-screen region including a real-screen region, and a virtual-screen region set around the real-screen region; a generator for generating the coordinate values within the whole-screen region based on the first information; a switcher for switching a first state in which the coordinate values are movable, and a second state in which the coordinate values are immovable, based on the second information; a determining unit for determining which of the real-screen region or the virtual-screen region the coordinate values belong to; and a coordinate-value control unit for controlling the coordinate values so as to move the coordinate values within the virtual-screen region to the position of predetermined coordinate values within the real-screen region.
US08896525B2

A portable terminal includes two display element provided respectively on two housings; and detection element provided on one of the two housings and that detects the posture of the housing that is provided with the detection element. The portable terminal places first and second reference point on respective display screens of the two display element such that the spatial distance of the first and second reference point in a free space is constant, and calculates the open angle between the two housings based on the length of a perpendicular line drawn from the first reference point to the open axis, the length of a perpendicular line drawn from the second reference point to the open axis, and the length of the spatial distance; and corrects the detected detection value based on the calculated open angle and notifies an application executed on other housing of the corrected value.
US08896522B2

A computer-implemented method and system for controlling various electronic devices by recognition of gestures made by a user within a particular space defined in front of the user are provided. An example method may comprise generating a depth map of a physical scene, determining that a head of the user is directed towards a predetermined direction, establishing a virtual sensing zone defined between the user and a predetermined location, identifying a particular gesture made by the user within the virtual sensing zone, and selectively providing to the electronic device a control command associated with the particular gesture. The particular gesture may be performed by one or more characteristic forms provided by the user within the virtual sensing zone being in an active state. The characteristic forms are forms reliably distinguishable from casual forms by means of computer vision and having certain attributes, which can reliably reflect user intent.
US08896515B2

A backlight apparatus includes a first backlight part and a second backlight part. The first backlight part includes a plurality of first lamps. The second backlight part includes a plurality of second lamps. At least one first lamp of the first lamps is disposed between two second lamps of the second lamps.
US08896506B2

Brightness irregularities that develop in a light emitting device due to is persion among pixels in the threshold values of TFTs used for supplying electric current to light emitting devices become obstacles to improved image quality of the light emitting device. As an image signal input to a pixel from a source signal line, a desired electric potential is applied to a gate electrode of a TFT for supplying electric current to an EL device, through a TFT having its gate and drain connected to each other. A voltage equal to the TFT threshold value is produced between the source and the drain of the TFT 105. An electric potential in which the image signal is offset by the amount of the threshold value is therefore applied to the gate electrode of the TFT. Further, TFTs are disposed in close proximity to each other within the pixel, so that dispersions in the TFT characteristics do not easily develop. A desired drain current can thus be supplied to the EL device even if there is dispersion in the threshold values of the TFTs among pixels, because this is offset by the threshold value of the TFT.
US08896504B2

An organic light emitting display capable of reducing power consumption in a standby mode to increase the use time of a battery and a method of driving the same. The organic light emitting display includes a pixel unit for displaying an image by utilizing a plurality of frames and in accordance with data signals and scan signals; a data driver for outputting the data signals; a scan driver for outputting the scan signals; and a controller for controlling the data driver and the scan driver so that, in at least one frame of the plurality of frames, the scan signals are not transmitted to the pixel unit.
US08896503B2

The present invention sets power supply drive signals DS[1] and DS[2] at a power supply voltage Vcc in a timesharing for odd lines and their subsequent even lines and sets a write signal WS to correspond to the time division setting, thereby sharing a scan line of the write signal WS between the odd lines and the subsequent even lines.
US08896502B2

A display device includes a display unit, a horizontal drive circuit, and a vertical drive circuit, the display unit including pixels in a matrix formation, as well as respective signal lines and scan lines via which the drive circuits drive the pixels. Each pixel includes a light-emitting element, a hold capacitor, a write transistor, and a drive transistor. Mobility fluctuations in the drive transistor are compensated for by successively setting the voltage of the signal line to an intermediate voltage and to a tone voltage. In addition, the intermediate voltage is varied in accordance with the tone voltage as well as with the distance from the input terminal of a write signal to a respective pixel. The device thereby compensates for mobility fluctuations in the drive transistor and prevents shading due to irregularities in the waveform of the write signal.
US08896491B1

A cross-type transmission module is provided, including a first circuit board, a second circuit board, a first positioning structure, a second positioning structure and a base. The first circuit board includes a first antenna. The second circuit board includes a second antenna. The second circuit board intersects the first circuit board. The first V-shaped groove and a second V-shaped groove are formed between the first circuit board and the second circuit board. The first V-shaped groove is opposite to the second V-shaped groove. The first positioning structure is disposed in the first V-shaped groove, and is connected to the first circuit board and the second circuit board. The second positioning structure is disposed in the second V-shaped groove, and is connected to the first circuit board and the second circuit board. The first positioning structure and the second positioning structure are secured to the base.
US08896490B2

A core assembly comprising first and second core members each having a rectangular body around which an X-axis coil and a Y-axis coil are wound, and flanges integrally and diagonally extending from the body; and a bobbin having an annular portion and projections diagonally extending therefrom; the projections of the bobbin being provided with terminal members connected to coil ends of the X-axis coil, the Y-axis coil and the Z-axis; the annular portion of the bobbin acting as a space for disposing the first core member from one side, and providing a space receiving at least partially the body of the second core member from the other side, such that the body of the first core member is at least partially adjacent to the body of the second core member; and a space for winding the Z-axis coil being provided between the projections of the bobbin and the flanges of the second core member.
US08896488B2

Antennas are provided for electronic devices such as portable computers. Multiple resonating elements may be formed on a flexible antenna resonating element substrate. The flexible antenna resonating element substrate may have a first antenna resonating element at one end and a second antenna resonating element at an opposing end. The flexible antenna resonating substrate may be wrapped around a dielectric carrier and mounted within an electronic device under an inactive display region and above a dielectric housing window. Conductive structures such as conductive housing structures may form antenna ground. The resonating elements and antenna ground may form first and second antennas. A parasitic antenna resonating element may form part of the first antenna.
US08896487B2

Antennas are provided for electronic devices such as portable computers. An electronic device may have a housing in which an antenna is mounted. The housing may have an antenna window for the antenna. The antenna window may be formed from dielectric or from antenna window slots in a conductive member such as a conductive wall of the electronic device housing. An antenna may have an antenna resonating element that is backed by a conductive antenna cavity. The antenna resonating element may have antenna resonating element slots or may be formed using other antenna configurations such as inverted-F configurations. The antenna cavity may have conductive vertical sidewalls and a conductive rear wall. The antenna cavity walls may be formed from conductive layers on a dielectric antenna support structure.
US08896483B2

Method of automatic target angle tracking by sum-and-difference monopulse radar covers radiolocation sphere and specifically monopulse direction finding systems. It can be used in order to increase guidance accuracy, for example, for anti aircraft missiles and of unmanned aerial vehicles to radar targets such as: radio beacons; aerial vehicles reflecting the radio signal that illuminates them; aerial vehicles and ground-based devices radiating radio signals and jamming signals. The aim of the method consists in the assurance of reliability and stability and in the enhancement of guidance accuracy of automatic target angle tracking due to elimination of automatic tracking losses and great errors arising during the influence of the signals of orthogonal polarization or polarization close to it.The proposed method provides full protection from polarization jamming for all types of monopulse radars.
US08896481B2

A method using an antenna arrangement. The antenna arrangement includes a switched transmission antenna array with a number of transmission antennas, which radiate a radar transmission signal one after the other corresponding to a predetermined switching sequence. A first receiving antenna and a second receiving antenna receive the transmitted radar signals and reflected by at least one radar target. A first set of received signals by the first receiving antenna during the switching sequence of the transmission antenna array; receiving a second set of received signals by the second receiving antenna simultaneously with receiving the first set of received signals by the first receiving antenna during the switching sequence of the transmission antenna array; and from these signals the angular position of the at least one radar target based on the first set and the second set of received signals using an ESPRIT method is determined.
US08896478B2

A successive approximation analog-to-digital converter (SAR ADC) includes a capacitor array and a comparator. The capacitor array has M capacitors which are arranged to perform capacitor switching operations sequentially, wherein a sum of capacitance values of the M capacitors is equal to (2N−1) unit capacitors, M>N, and M and N are both positive integers. The comparator is arranged for comparing an output of the capacitor array and an analog input sequentially.
US08896477B2

An edge detector includes flip-flops receiving phase signals of a ring oscillator, a resetter canceling the reset states of the flip-flops at the edge timing of an input signal, and a logical operator performing a logical operation on output signals of the flip-flops. A phase state detector detects a phase state of the ring oscillator occurring at the edge timing of the input signal based on the output signals of the flip-flops. A time-to-digital converter converts an edge interval between the input signal and an output signal of the logical operator into a digital value. A latch latches a value of a counter counting the number of cycles of an output signal of the ring oscillator, at the edge timing of the input signal. An operator calculates a digital value of a received signal from output signals of the latch, the phase state detector, and the time-to-digital converter.
US08896474B2

An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is described. This ADC converts an analog signal into a digital value using a two-pass digitization process. In a first operation, coarse digitization is performed by an averaging converter based on a set of references. Then, in a second operation, fine digitization is performed by either another averaging converter or the same averaging converter based on a subset of the set of references that is progressively closer to an instantaneous value of the analog signal. For example, the coarse digitization may be performed by a low-resolution ADC stage and the fine digitization may be performed by a sigma-delta ADC, such as a single-bit sigma-delta ADC. Moreover, the other averaging converter may use dynamic element matching to shuffle reference elements used to generate the subset. In this way, the ADC may provide high resolution with reduced nonlinearity and quantization noise.
US08896469B2

A system and method of selecting a letter for display in a communication device having a display and a reduced-key keyboard is provided. One of the plurality of keys on the reduced-key keyboard is selected and a default letter associated with the selected key is displayed. A backspace key is selected to display a cursor in the position of the default letter on the display. The key associated with the default letter is selected again and an alternate letter associated with the selected key is displayed in place of the default letter.
US08896467B2

Methods and an appropriately setup communication unit for positioning in vehicle-to-surroundings communication are described, wherein the method involves a first sensor (S1) of a first communication subscriber using a transmission and reception unit to emit a challenge pulse, to which a transmission and reception unit of a second sensor (S2) of a second communication subscriber responds with a response pulse. The response pulse is received and evaluated by the first sensor (S1) and positioning is performed. In order to achieve reliable cooperative sensor communication, the transmission and reception units of the first and second sensors (S1, S2) use a frequency band (SCH2) which is reserved for vehicle-oriented safety applications.
US08896466B2

In one aspect of the method for displaying an image on a screen of a cockpit of an aircraft, control means: control a first display on the screen of an image comprising a background; and then control a second display so that, in at least one zone of the image that is determined independently of the background, the background presents a non-zero second mean luminance that is less than a first mean luminance that it presented during the first display. In another aspect, the control means control the display on the screen of an image comprising a background in such a manner, that at least in a zone of the image that is determined independently of the background, the background presents non-zero mean luminance that is less than mean luminance of the remainder of the background.
US08896460B2

The present invention provides a lighting fixture including a light source, a light source controller, and an external controller plug. The light source controller controls power to the light source. The external controller plug allows an external controller to selectively engage a power source to the light source controller.
US08896459B2

An apparatus includes an interior component, movably attached to an exterior component. Rotation of the exterior component causes an actuation piece to activate a circuit provided to either the interior or exterior component. Activation of the circuit causes sound to be played from a speaker provided to either the interior or exterior component. Also included is a hollow portion provided to the interior component, of sufficient diameter to fit a bottle top therein. Also, the apparatus includes a grip, provided on the hollow portion and operable to fixedly engage the bottle top at least when the exterior component is rotated. Rotation of the exterior component relative to the interior component causes engagement of the interior component by the exterior component, such that the interior component is caused to rotate in concert with the exterior component, further causing rotation of the bottle top which the grip fixedly engages.
US08896447B2

A programmable security system and method for protecting an item of merchandise includes a programming station, a programmable key and a security system. The programming station generates a security code and communicates the security code to a memory of the programmable key. The programmable key initially communicates the security code to a memory of the security device and subsequently operates the security device upon a matching of the security code in the memory of the security device with the security code in the memory of the programmable key. The programmable key may also transfer power via electrical contacts or inductive transfer from an internal battery to the security device to operate a lock mechanism. The security code may be communicated by wireless infrared (IR) systems, electrical contacts or inductive transfer. A timer inactivates the programmable key and/or the security device after a predetermine period of time. A counter inactivates the programmable key after a predetermined maximum number of activations.
US08896444B1

A system includes a gaming table, at least one light sensor, an electronic system, and a central computer. The gaming table includes a tabletop covered by a fabric. The at least one light sensor is positioned in proximity to a player position at the gaming table. In addition, the at least one light sensor is positioned beneath the fabric to detect light intensity through the fabric. The electronic system is communicably coupled to the at least one light sensor. Furthermore, the electronic system is operable to detect changes in light intensity at the at least one light sensor. The central computer is communicably coupled to the electronic system. Additionally, the central computer is operable to perform at least one operation based on a status of the at least one light sensor.
US08896442B1

A system and method for locating, tracking, and monitoring resource in large-scale facilities is disclosed herein. The system is based on a sensor network and is efficient, scalable, and requires only short-range communication. The system allows for sensor-to-sensor communication as well as the traditional sensor-to-anchor communication to effectively eliminate long-range communications. In order to perform resource localization and tracking, the present invention pairs each resource with an inexpensive, low-powered sensor possessing minimal communication and computation capabilities. The sensors communicate with only nearby resources or anchors and those resources communicate with their nearby resources or anchors until a wireless, linked network of resources and anchors is formed.
US08896440B2

An event-triggered dynamic landmark creation system includes a management system and tracking devices attached to mobile objects. Each tracking device is configured to wirelessly transmit information pertaining to current time, identification and location of tracking devices, and status of mobile objects. The management system is configured to wirelessly communicate with each tracking device and is operable: to receive information transmitted from each tracking device; in response to occurrence of an initial event respecting status of a first mobile object, to create a non-physical dynamic landmark about the first mobile object relative to location of a first tracking device attached thereto; and in response to occurrence of successive subsequent events respecting location of a second tracking device attached to a second mobile object, to record a visit of the second mobile object within the dynamic landmark about the location of the first mobile.
US08896433B2

In a method and apparatus for assisting the driver of a vehicle in maintaining a traffic lane limited by traffic lane markings, the traffic lane markings and the position of the vehicle in the traffic lane are detected. Upon an actual or impending change of traffic lanes a lane change warning is output to the driver of the vehicle in a first step, and a course correcting actuating intervention counteracting the lane change is carried out in a second step. The actuating intervention is carried out only if the change of traffic lanes is impermissible due to the type of traffic lane marking to be crossed during the traffic lane change, or if the lane change is not possible without danger due to collision-endangering objects present on the side of the traffic lane.
US08896431B2

Before a vehicle is parked, a signal is received from at least one of a base station and a location determination system. It is determined when the signal fails to meet at least one predetermined criteria. When the signal fails to meet the at least one predetermined criteria, a warning message is formed and presented to an operator of the vehicle.
US08896424B2

A dosing system and a method for dosing a medium, having a dosing control unit (4), at least one exchangeable container (2) containing a medium to be dosed, and a dosing valve (3, 3′) that can be connected to the container (2), wherein at least one part of the dosing valve (3, 3′) that comes into contact with the medium is designed as an exchangeable system component (7, 10) and has a machine-readable code for identification purposes, wherein at least one container (2), as an exchangeable system component (2), has a machine-readable code for identification purposes, wherein the exchangeable parts (2, 7, 10, 19) that come into contact with the medium are designed as disposable parts, and wherein the dosing control unit (4) is connected with a communication unit (5) to read the codes, and wherein the communication unit (5) has a unique read connection (22) to each exchangeable system component (2, 7, 10, 19) or its code.
US08896422B2

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for tracking an object. An identification signal is received that identifies an identification tag associated with the object to be tracked. The identification signal is stored in memory of a cellular phone. When an incoming call is received at the cellular phone, then the information associated with the identification signal is uploaded to a network database. When an outgoing call is placed from the cellular phone, then the information associated with the identification signal may also be uploaded to the network database.
US08896421B2

A wide area radio frequency identification (RFID) system includes: a first RFID cell and a second RFID cell. The first RFID cell and the second RFID cell each include a reader and tags. The readers access the tags using ultra-wide band signaling. The RFID cells each include: a communications interface operable to communicate with a network operations center, and a communications gateway which supports direct communications between RFID cells. The method includes accessing the second RFID cell from the first RFID cell, and the accessing is performed using the communications gateway that can cover a range of at least five hundred meters.
US08896420B2

An RFID tag including a transmitting/receiving unit, a memory and a control unit. A first identification code, a second identification code, a password, and a set of data are stored in the memory. If the set of data is under protection, the set of data is accessible only when a verification procedure corresponding to the password is successfully performed. If the transmitting/receiving unit receives a request for accessing the second identification code, the control unit shall check whether the request includes the first identification code. As long as the checking result of the control unit is yes, even if the set of data is under protection and the verification procedure fails or the verification procedure is not successfully performed, the control unit shall still transmit the second identification code via the transmitting/receiving unit.
US08896414B2

The invention relates to synchronizing settings in a home control system such as settings for lighting scenes in a lighting system with a plurality of light units. A basic idea of the invention is to synchronize settings such as lighting scene settings in a home control system with a network of devices such as light units and multiple control devices for controlling the network devices. An embodiment of the invention provides a device (Sync) for synchronizing settings in a home control system comprising a memory (12) for storing settings of one or more of devices (L1-L9) of the home control system, a communication unit (14) for receiving signals (16) from and transmitting signals (18) to control devices (RC3-RC 4) of the home control system, and a processor (10) for synchronizing stored settings in the home control system upon receipt of a signal (16) from a control device (RC3, RC4) of the home control system by transmitting a synchronization signal (18). Thus, all control devices may have access to all settings. Particularly, a user may control all settings with one control devices and does not have to remember which settings are stored in which control device.
US08896405B2

A coil-type electronic component having a coil inside or on the surface of a base material, characterized in that the base material of the coil-type electronic component is constituted by a group of soft magnetic alloy grains whose main ingredients are iron, silicate and chromium, and that an oxide layer is formed on the surface of each soft magnetic alloy grain, where the oxide layer is produced as a result of oxidization of the grain and has more chromium than the alloy grain, and this oxide layer has a two-layer structure constituted by an inner layer whose main ingredient is chromium oxide and an outer layer whose main ingredient is iron-chromium oxide, and the outer layers of soft magnetic alloy grains are inter-bonded.
US08896392B2

A transmission system transmits a signal from a transmission terminal to a reception terminal via a pair of transmission lines. The transmission terminal side of the transmission lines is connected to a first resistor having a predetermined resistance value depending on the characteristic impedance of the transmission lines.
US08896391B2

An embodiment of the present disclosure provides an impedance matching circuit including a matching network. The matching network includes a first port and a second port, and one or more variable reactance components. The one or more variable reactance components are operable to receive one or more variable voltage signals to cause the one or more variable reactance components to change an impedance of the matching network. At least one of the one or more variable reactance components includes a first conductor coupled to one of the first port or the second port of the matching network, a second conductor, and a tunable material positioned between the first conductor and the second conductor. Additionally, at least one of the first conductor and the second conductor are adapted to receive the one or more variable voltage signals to cause the change in the impedance of the matching network. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
US08896377B1

An apparatus is provided that includes first and second ICs configured to communicate using a plurality of differential signal lines. The apparatus includes a common mode suppression circuit having a plurality of common mode voltage adjustment circuits, each configured to provide a low impedance path for common mode signals and a high impedance path for differential AC signaling, thereby suppressing the effect of common mode transients between the voltage domains. The plurality of common mode voltage adjustment circuits each have components that are impedance matched up to an impedance-tolerance specification. The common mode suppression circuit also includes an AC coupling circuit configured to be less dependent on impedance mismatch, beyond the impedance-tolerance specification, by cross coupling the impedance differentials from each of the differential signal lines through the AC coupling circuit and to one of the common mode voltage adjustment circuits.
US08896374B2

Exemplary embodiments are directed to devices and methods for sharing an energy storage element within an electronic device. A device may include a plurality of transmit paths. The device may further include a voltage supply including an energy storage element coupled to each transmit path of the plurality of transmit paths.
US08896370B2

A voltage regulator bypass circuit to control bypass of a voltage regulator of an integrated circuit device, the voltage regulator bypass circuit including a first voltage detector, a second voltage detector, and circuit. The first voltage detector to detect that a core circuitry voltage level is above a first threshold and to assert a first detect signal at an output in response to the detection. The second voltage detector to detect that an unregulated supply voltage is above a second threshold and to assert a second detect signal at an output in response to the detection. The circuit having a first input coupled to the output of the first voltage detector and a second input coupled to the output of the second voltage detector, the circuit to bypass the voltage regulator in response the output of the latch being cleared.
US08896369B2

The present invention provides a switching device capable of further minimizing the ON resistance of a switching element. Switching element has hole injecting unit that includes injecting electrode which is directly connected to semiconductor substrate. Injection driving unit of driving unit is connected to injecting electrode and source electrode of switching element, and applies an injection voltage Vin between injecting electrode and source electrode. Injection driving unit injects holes from hole injecting unit to a hetero-junction interface of semiconductor substrate, by applying the injection voltage Vin exceeding a threshold value to switching element. Because the injected holes pull the equivalent amount of electrons to the hetero-junction interface, concentration of the 2-dimensional electron gas as the channel region becomes high, and the ON resistance of switching element 10 becomes small.
US08896364B2

A gate control device for a semiconductor device includes at least one power supply module, at least one optical communication interface for receiving optical signals from two valve control units and converting them to electric signals for supply to a corresponding power supply module, where in normal operations mode one valve control unit is an active valve control unit and the other is a standby valve control unit, where the optical signal of an active unit energizes the gate control device and provides semiconductor device controlling data, a semiconductor device control module and a reliability control module that performs selection of active valve control unit.
US08896363B2

The present invention discloses an analog switching circuit having a first terminal receiving an input signal, a second terminal providing an output signal and a control terminal receiving a switching control signal. The analog switching circuit has a first logic circuit providing a first control signal and a second control signal based on the switching control signal; an NMOS and a PMOS coupled between the first terminal and the second terminal, and controlled by the first control signal and the second control signal respectively; a first control circuit controls the backgate voltage of the NMOS based on the input signal and the switching control signal; and a second control circuit controls the backgate voltage of the PMOS based on the input signal and the switching control signal.
US08896359B1

The temperature compensated timing signal generator comprises a crystal oscillator that generates a reference time signal, and a divider circuit that receives the reference time signal as input and outputs a coarse time unit signal, the coarse time unit signal having an actual frequency deviating from a desired frequency as a function of temperature of the crystal oscillator. The signal generator also includes a high frequency oscillator that generates an interpolation signal having a frequency greater than the frequency of the crystal oscillator. A finite state machine computes a deviation compensating signal as a function of the temperature signal, the signal comprises an integer part representative of an integer number of pulses to be inhibited or injected in the divider circuit and a fractional part representative of how much the output of a new time unit signal pulse should further be delayed to compensate for any remaining deviation.
US08896355B1

A variable-frequency input clock signal and a reference clock signal are compared during a frequency-compare interval to generate a value that indicates a ratio of their frequencies. The frequency-ratio value is then applied to configure a wide-range frequency-locking oscillator for operation with a narrowed input frequency range. Because the narrowed input frequency range is targeted to the input clock frequency, the wide-range oscillator is able to rapidly lock to a frequency multiple of the input clock frequency. Because the frequency-compare interval is also brief, an extremely fast-locking, clock-multiplying operation may be effected over a relatively wide range of input clock frequencies.
US08896349B2

A low voltage detector (100) includes a power supply voltage monitor circuit (110) that produces a voltage VSP related to a first a power supply voltage, and a voltage generator (105), which includes a plurality of self-cascode MOSFET (SCM) structures (101-103) in a cascade configuration, that generates a reference voltage Vxm. A voltage comparator (140) outputs an output signal in response to a differential between Vxm and VSP, wherein Vxm and VSP have proportional to absolute temperature behavior (PTAT) over temperature with respect to a second power supply voltage. The output signal changes state when the first power supply voltage equals a trip point of the comparator. Each SCM structure is sized to provide a rate of change with temperature of the PTAT behavior of Vxm that matches a rate of change with temperature of the PTAT behavior of VSP.
US08896346B1

A self-modifying FPGA system includes an FPGA and a configuration memory coupled to the FPGA for providing the FPGA with configuration data including SAFE configuration data and dormant configuration data. The SAFE configuration data is initially loaded to the FPGA and the FPGA is configured to a safe operating mode. Upon a determination to proceed to a next step of self modification, dormant configuration data contained in the configuration memory is loaded into the FPGA and the FPGA is configured to a secure operating mode.
US08896343B2

An adjustable impedance circuit includes a calibration module, an impedance module, a first switch module and a second switch module. The calibration module is arranged to generate a calibration signal. The impedance module has a plurality of impedance elements. The first switch module is coupled to the calibration module, and is arranged to receive the calibration signal and make a first portion of the impedance elements be selectively coupled between a differential input port and at least one reference voltage according to the calibration signal. The second switch module is coupled to a common-mode voltage output node, and is arranged to receive a control signal and make a second portion of the impedance elements be selectively coupled between the common-mode voltage output node and the differential input port according to the control signal.
US08896341B2

An integrated circuit device comprising at least one calibration module for calibrating an impedance of at least one on-die interconnect line driver in order to adaptively match an impedance between the at least one on-die interconnect line driver and at least one on-die interconnect line conjugated thereto. The at least one calibration module is arranged to receive an indication of an output signal of the at least one line driver, compare the received indication of an output signal to a reference signal and detect a presence or an absence of a voltage overshoot of the output signal of the at least one line driver, and upon detection of a presence or an absence of a voltage overshoot of the output signal of the at least one line driver, cause the adjustment of power supply of the at least one line driver, to be decreased or increased correspondingly.
US08896333B2

A shutdown apparatus and method for use in conjunction with automatic test equipment (ATE) is provided. A unit under test (UUT) is inserted into an ATE receiver that couples the UUT to at least one electronic device during test and extracted from the ATE receiver after test. The shutdown apparatus comprises an electro-mechanical interface that inserts the UUT into the receiver prior to test and extracts the UUT from the receiver after test A shutdown module is coupled to the electronic device and to the electro-mechanical interface and connects the electronic device to the receiver after insertion of the UUT into the receiver and disconnects the electronic device from the receiver prior to extraction of the UUT from the receiver.
US08896319B2

A light emitting device control circuit controls a light emitting array which includes a plurality of light emitting device strings. Each light emitting device string includes a first terminal which is connected to a common node, a second terminal, and a plurality of light emitting devices connected in series. The light emitting device control circuit includes: a short detection circuit, coupled to the second terminals to receive second terminal signals from the second terminals, generating comparison signals according to whether the second terminal signals are higher than a reference signal, and generating a short detection signal according to whether a number of the comparison signals is between a first setting value and a second setting value.
US08896318B2

Disclosed are advances in the arts with novel methods and apparatus for detecting faulty connections in an electrical system. Exemplary preferred embodiments include basic, ASIC, AC, DC, and RF monitoring techniques and systems for monitoring signals at one or more device loads and analyzing the monitored signals for determining fault conditions at the device loads and/or at the main transmission lines. The invention preferably provides the capability to test and monitor electrical interconnections without fully activating the host system.
US08896313B2

Disclosed is an electromagnetic receiver assembly for marine electromagnetic surveying, the electromagnetic receiver assembly comprising an elongated housing and receiver electrodes mounted at separate points along the elongated housing. An embodiment may include an electromagnetic receive assembly that includes an elongated housing, wherein the elongated housing defines an interior chamber. The electromagnetic receiver assembly may further include receiver electrodes configured to be in contact with water when in operation, wherein the receiver electrodes are mounted at separate points along the elongated housing. The electromagnetic receiver assembly may further include sensor electronics disposed in the interior chamber and electrically coupled to the receiver electrodes. The electromagnetic receiver assembly may be configured for deployment on or near a bottom of a body of water.
US08896312B2

An NMR measuring system with an NMR probehead has at least one cooling device (5a, b) generating a vibration spectrum of individual selective frequencies. The cooling device is mechanically connected to a vibration absorber (9a, 9b) having an oscillating mass element (27), whose resonance frequency is adjusted to the vibration frequency of the cooling device and/or to one of its harmonics. The cooling device has a cooling head which is thermally connected to an NMR resonator of the probehead via a flexible mechanical element. A vacuum housing of the probehead is designed in two parts which are mechanically connected via at least one damping element (30a-d). The lower part and the upper part of the vacuum housing are additionally mechanically flexibly connected to each other in a vacuum-tight fashion via a corrugated bellows (8a, 8b). The system minimizes sidebands in NMR spectra.
US08896310B2

Methods of fastening a cage with a fastening system in an MRD. One method includes: assembling: a plurality of pole pieces; a plurality of side magnets, the side magnets substantially enclosing the pole pieces and thereby defining a magnetic envelope and enclosed volume therein; a plurality of side walls, the side walls substantially enclosing the side magnets; a plurality of face walls and a plurality of fastening rods; and passing a plurality of fastening rods through at least one of the side magnets and at least one of the pole pieces and fastening them in an effective measure, such that the rods physically interconnects at least one pair of side walls.
US08896307B2

According to an embodiment of a method, a first readout gradient field is determined in such a way that a distortion caused by a non-linearity of the first readout gradient field and a distortion caused by a B0 field inhomogeneity are essentially cancelled at a first location of a field of view of the magnetic resonance facility. Moreover, a second readout gradient field is determined in such a way that a distortion caused by a non-linearity of the second readout gradient field and a distortion caused by a B0 field inhomogeneity are essentially cancelled at a different second location of the field of view. Finally, a multiecho sequence is performed, wherein first magnetic resonance data is captured using the first readout gradient field after a 180° pulse and second magnetic resonance data is captured using the second readout gradient field after a further 180° pulse.
US08896305B2

A permanent or variable magnetic field circulation sensor including apparatus for magnetic excitation further including at least one elongated excitation coil extending around an elongated supple magnetic core and including a supple magnetic material with low relative magnetic permeability having a supple or flexible matrix in which magnetic particles are dispersed, an excitation current generation unit coupled to the excitation coil to generate an excitation magnetic field in the core over substantially the entire length of the coil, apparatus for measurement including: at least one magnetic measuring transducer magnetically coupled to the apparatus for magnetic excitation, a measuring unit connected to the magnetic measuring transducer and suitable for providing a measurement of magnetic field circulation in the core.
US08896302B1

A method for measuring magnetic induction intensity of a magnetic field using a short cavity fiber laser, includes the steps of: a) arranging the short cavity fiber laser, where the short cavity laser has sequentially coupled laser diode pumping source, a wavelength division multiplexer, a fiber Bragg grating, an active optical fiber and a loop mirror; b) fixing the short cavity fiber laser on a magnetostrictive material; c) disposing the short cavity fiber laser and the magnetostrictive material in the magnetic field to be measured, and matching the stretching direction of the magnetostrictive material with the direction of the magnetic field to be measured; d) measuring the drift amount of longitudinal mode output by the short cavity fiber laser; and e) calculating the magnetic induction intensity of the magnetic field to be measured.
US08896296B2

A hinged electric cable harness component is provided for use with a relative angle sensing device that has a sensor that is contained in a housing that includes a communication hole. The hinged electric cable harness component includes an electric cable holding member that is fitted with the communication hole of the housing and holds an electric cable. The hinged electric cable harness component also includes an outer component that is arranged at a position outside the electric cable holding member in the communication hole of the housing, and that has, at inside thereof, a penetration hole through which the electric cable passes. The outer component has a pair of opening and closing components that is joined by a hinge and opens and closes the penetration hole by relative rotation.
US08896292B2

A system and method for analyte measurement is provided. The system includes: a transimpedance amplifier including: at least one operational amplifier including a first input coupling to a reference voltage, a second input coupling to a sensor for sensing the analyte, and an output; and at least one passive circuit element having a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal of the at least one passive circuit element coupling to the second input of the at least one operational amplifier, and a circuit for adjusting a gain of the transimpedance amplifier for the measurement of the analyte. The method includes: monitoring a level of the output of the at least one operational amplifier for the measurement of the analyte; and adjusting a gain of the transimpedance amplifier during the measurement of the analyte.
US08896286B2

A cable identification system is provided. The cable identification system includes a multiconductor cable with an electrical connector secured to at least one end. The electrical connector is adapted to connect a plurality of conductors in the cable to a mating connector. The cable identification system further includes a signal generator adapted to connect the electrical connector to the mating connector. The signal generator is configured to select an unused conductor from the plurality of conductors and generate and transmit a unique signal over the selected conductor in the cable. The cable identification system further includes a portable device configured to detect the unique signal when positioned adjacent the cable at any point along the cable.
US08896281B2

A method for controlling a switching voltage regulator that includes generating a feedback voltage that is proportional to the output voltage of the voltage regulator; generating a voltage proportional to the duty-cycle of the inductor charging and discharging phases as a function of the difference between the feedback voltage and a reference voltage; and adding a dominate pole and two zeros to the function used to generate the voltage proportional to the duty-cycle of the inductor charging and discharging phases.
US08896275B2

A rotary electric machine for a vehicle that is capable of starting synchronous rectification through switching elements after having ensured absence of a short circuit fault. The rotary electric machine includes a multi-phase armature winding, a switching element set that includes a plurality of pairs of upper-arm and lower-arm switching elements to form a bridge rectification circuit together with the armature winding, an on/off-timing setter that sets on/off-timing of each switching element, a switching element driver that drives each switching element at the on/off-timing set by the on/off-timing setter; and a synchronous control start determiner that determines timing when an energization period for the upper-arm switching element and an energization period for the lower-arm switching element occur alternately as start timing of the synchronous rectification.
US08896274B2

A charger calibrating device and a calibrating method thereof. The device comprises a control module and a processing module. The control module controls a charger to be calibrated to perform a first stage charging and a second stage charging on an electronic device. The processing module performs an adjusting process according to the second stage charging time for adjusting the high level period of the PWM signal in the charging circuit of the charger. In the adjusting process, generating an updated high level period by adding or decreasing a preset adjusting amplitude, and decrease the preset adjusting amplitude by half to generate an updated adjusting amplitude. The processing module terminates the calibrating process after repeating the aforementioned calibrating loop a preset number of times.
US08896273B2

Lower order control devices control plural battery cells configuring plural battery modules. An input terminal of the low order control device in the highest potential, an output terminal of the low order control device in the lowest potential, and a high order control device are connected by isolating units, photocouplers. Diodes which prevent a discharge current of the battery cells in the battery modules are disposed between the output terminal of the low order control device and the battery cells in the battery module on the low potential side. Terminals related to input/output of a signal are electrically connected without isolating among the plural low order control devices.
US08896257B2

There is provided a motor control device configured to control an energization state of a coil of each phase for driving a stepping motor having multiple phase coils. The motor control device includes a measuring unit configured to measure a back electromotive voltage induced at a coil of a phase for which energization is stopped, among the multiple phase coils, an acquiring unit configured to acquire temperature information on temperature of the stepping motor or on temperature corresponding to the temperature of the stepping motor, and a detecting unit configured to detect whether the stepping motor is out of step or not based on a result obtained by the measuring unit and the temperature information acquired by the acquiring unit.
US08896248B2

A control system for a motor includes an inverter coupled to the motor. The control system further includes a microcontroller coupled to the inverter. The microcontroller includes a processor programmed to measure an input voltage and acquire a back EMF voltage of the motor. The processor is also programmed to control the inverter to regulate the motor voltage based on the input voltage and the back EMF voltage to facilitate controlling the motor.
US08896242B2

A robotic mount is configured to move an entertainment element such as a video display, a video projector or a staircase. The robotic mount is movable in three-dimensions, whereby the associated entertainment element is moveable in three-dimensional space. In one embodiment, a unitary display comprises a plurality of closely spaced individual displays which are mounted to robotic mounts, whereby the configuration of the unitary display may be altered by changing the position of one or more of the displays relative to the others.
US08896238B2

The present invention relates to a circular particle accelerator capable of modulating the particle beam current exiting the circular particle accelerator. The circular particle accelerator includes: an ion source for generating the particle beam; Dee electrode and counter-Dee electrode separated from each other by gaps for accelerating the particle beam, the counter-Dee electrode being grounded; a generator capable of applying an alternating high voltage to the Dee electrode, so as it is possible to have an electric field between the gaps; means for measuring the current intensity of the particle beam exiting the circular particle accelerator. It also comprises a regulator capable of modulating the Dee electrodes voltage amplitude (VD) by comparing a given set point (I0) of the current intensity of the particle beam and the measured value of the current intensity (I′M) of the particle beam.
US08896235B1

An LED lighting system powered by an AC power source comprising a rectifier module configured to provide a rectified output to a first group of LED devices and a second group of LED devices electrically coupled to the first group of LED devices. A current monitor module electrically coupled to the first group and to the second group of LED devices is configured to determine a first current level using a drawn current level signal associated with the first group of LED devices and a second current level using a reference current level signal associated with the second group of LED devices. The current monitor module is electrically coupled to a temperature sensing module that is configured to generate at least one compensation factor based at least in part on a temperature. The compensation factor is used to control (directly or indirectly) current through the LED devices.
US08896231B2

A bleed circuit is applied to a transformer based on a bleed-on time and a bleed-off time determined by monitoring an output voltage waveform of the transformer.
US08896226B2

A power supply apparatus for applying a method of supplying a loading with an electric power within a predetermined range of a default power, which includes a driving unit, a voltage sensing unit, and a feedback control unit. The driving unit receives power from a power source, and supplies the loading with a working voltage and a working current; the voltage sensing unit detects the working voltage; the feedback control unit keeps a plurality of reference voltages, wherein each two neighboring reference voltages are defined to have a voltage section therebetween. The feedback control unit sends a current signal to the driving unit according to the working voltage and a slope parameter of the voltage section which the working voltage falls in, and the driving unit supplies the working current according to the current signal to maintain the electric power in the predetermined range of the default power.
US08896222B2

According to one embodiment, a power supply device includes a rectifying circuit configured to rectify an alternating-current power supply and a power-supply-voltage converting section. The power-supply-voltage converting section includes a plurality of power-supply-voltage converting circuits provided between the rectifying circuit and a plurality of output sections to which loads are respectively connected. Switching elements configured to convert a power supply voltage rectified by the rectifying circuit and supply the power supply voltage to the loads are provided in the plurality of power-supply-voltage converting circuits. The switching elements of the plurality of power-supply-voltage converting circuits are set to at least two different switching frequencies and turned on and off with the respective switching frequencies fixed.
US08896208B2

The present invention includes one embodiment containing an LED lighting assembly containing: a troffer; a bulbless and/or tubeless sub-housing; one or more solid state lighting units contained within the troffer and actuated by alternating current power; a night light contained within the bulbless sub-housing and operably communicating with the solid state lighting units, the night light actuated in the absence of light from the solid state lighting units; one or more light emitting diodes contained within the night light; and a battery source for powering the night light in the event of power interruption.In yet another embodiment of the invention, a replaceable lighting unit contains: a bulbless and/or tubeless sub-housing. One or more light emitting diodes are contained within the sub-housing. A battery source may be contained within the sub-housing, and the battery source may be configured to selectively power the light emitting diodes with direct current energy.
US08896205B1

A quartz light includes a lamp base having two grooves, and a light capsule located above the lamp base and having a projection disposed in a compartment of the light capsule, a metal electrode engaged in the compartment of the light capsule and engaged over the projection for forming two downwardly dependent limbs, two molybdenum foils engaged in the compartment of the light capsule and electrically connected to the limbs of the metal electrode, and two lead wires electrically coupled to the molybdenum foils and each having an external end portion extended out of the light capsule and engaged through the grooves of the lamp base and extended out of the lamp base, and secured to the lamp base by heat sealing the lamp base onto the lead wires.
US08896203B2

Provided is a display apparatus and a method of manufacture. The display apparatus includes a first substrate with a plurality of organic electroluminescence devices, a second substrate with a color filter, the second substrate facing the first substrate, and an adhesive layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate so as to cover the plurality of organic electroluminescence devices, the adhesive layer being made of a material selected from the group consisting of a phenol resin, a melanin resin, an unsaturated polyester resin, an epoxy resin, a silicon resin and a polyurethane resin.
US08896179B2

A motor comprising a stator having a plurality of magnetic poles disposed in a circumferential direction along an outer periphery thereof, a rotor disposed rotatably around the outer periphery of the stator, and a magnet disposed in a circumferential direction along an inner periphery of the rotor. The stator is formed by laminating sheet-like plates. A plurality of the sheet-like plates including an outermost layer of this laminated body comprises a flat portion substantially perpendicular to the magnet, and an extended portion bent to a direction substantially parallel to the magnet. A part of the sheet-like plate having the extended portion disposed to the outermost side is formed into a thickness smaller than thicknesses of the other parts.
US08896168B2

An electric machine comprises an outer casing (2), a rotor and a stator (3) having at least one polar expansion (5) and at least one winding (8) having an annular shape and placed around the polar expansion (5). The casing (2) has a plurality of protrusions (13) each of which holds, by supporting, a corresponding portion (12) of a stator winding (8) to enable heat exchange between the winding (8) and the protrusion (13). Each portion (12) of the winding (8) is electrically insulated from the respective protrusion (13).
US08896157B2

The power supply includes a first power connector, a power conversion circuit, a control unit and a detection circuit. The first power connector includes a plurality of power terminals and a first detecting terminal. The power conversion circuit is coupled to the power terminals of the first power connector for converting an input voltage into an output voltage. The control unit is coupled to the power conversion circuit for controlling an operation of the power conversion circuit. The detection circuit is coupled to the control unit and the first detecting terminal of the first power connector for detecting if the first detecting terminal is connected or disconnected with a predetermined voltage terminal and correspondingly generating a power transmission status signal to the control unit. When the detection circuit detects the first detecting terminal is disconnected with the predetermined voltage terminal, the power transmission status signal is under a disabled status and the control unit controls the power conversion circuit not to generate or output the output voltage to the load according to the power transmission status signal.
US08896149B2

An electric power converting system includes a common DC power supply, and a plurality of inverter sets operated mutually independently to one another, and supplied with electric power from the common DC power supply. Each inverter set has an inverter circuit and a main circuit capacitor. The system further includes a plurality of first and second switching circuits. Each first switching circuit is provided between the common DC power supply and each inverter set, and each second switching circuit is provided in each inverter set for discharging charges in the main circuit capacitor.
US08896148B2

One embodiment relates to an apparatus that includes at least one circuit block and a voltage source configured to supply a first voltage to the at least one circuit block. The apparatus also includes a power delivery unit configured to be selectively activated based on a whether a quantity of power is to be delivered from the power delivery unit to the circuit block. A control unit is configured to, upon a change in power consumption of the at least one circuit block, activate the auxiliary power delivery unit to deliver the quantity of power to the circuit block. The auxiliary power delivery unit can quickly supply large currents since it does not necessarily rely on slow control loops using voltage sensing. Rather, the auxiliary power delivery unit often delivers pre-calculated current profiles to respond to the timing characteristic of the change of power consumption and of the voltage regulator.
US08896144B2

A wind turbine energy storage system includes a hollow wind turbine tower shaft having a top end and a bottom end covered by top and bottom end caps respectively to form a tank. A compressor is coupled to the wind turbine for compressing air into the tank through a high pressure pipe and valve assembly. The compressed air stored in the tank can be released on demand or on a fixed schedule. A method of storing energy in a wind turbine is also disclosed.
US08896137B2

A solid-state image pickup device includes: a silicon layer; a pixel portion formed in the silicon layer for processing and outputting signal charges obtained by carrying out photoelectric conversion for incident lights; an alignment mark formed in a periphery of the pixel portion and in the silicon layer; and a contact portion through which a first electrode within a wiring layer formed on a first surface of the silicon layer, and a second electrode formed on a second surface opposite to the first surface of the silicon layer through an insulating film are connected, wherein the alignment mark and the contact portion are formed from conductive layers made of the same conductive material and formed within respective holes each extending completely through the silicon layer through respective insulating layers made of the same material.
US08896133B2

A semiconductor device has a first substrate and first conductive pillars formed over the first substrate. Second conductive pillars are formed over the first substrate alternating with the first conductive pillars. The second conductive pillars are vertically offset with respect to the first conductive pillars. First BOT interconnect sites are formed over a second substrate. Second BOT interconnect sites are formed over the second substrate alternating with the first interconnect sites. The second interconnect sites are vertically offset with respect to the first interconnect sites. The first substrate is mounted to the second substrate such that the first conductive pillars are aligned with and electrically connected to the first interconnect sites and the second conductive pillars are aligned with and electrically connected to the second interconnect sites. An underfill material is deposited between the first and second substrates. The first substrate can be a flipchip type semiconductor device.
US08896130B2

A multi-chip stack structure and a method for fabricating the same are provided. The method for fabricating a multi-chip stack structure includes disposing a first chip group comprising a plurality of first chips on a chip carrier by using a step-like manner, disposing a second chip on the first chip on top of the first chip group, electrically connecting the first chip group and the second chip to the chip carrier through bonding wires, using film over wire (FOW) to stack a third chip on the first and the second chips with an insulative film provided therebetween, wherein the insulative film covers part of the ends of the bonding wires of the first chip on the top of the first group and at least part of the second chip, and electrically connecting the third chip to the chip carrier through bonding wires, thereby preventing directly disposing on a first chip a second chip having a planar size far smaller than that of the first chip as in the prior art that increases height of the entire structure and increases the wiring bonding difficulty.
US08896122B2

Schottky barrier semiconductor devices are provided including a wide bandgap semiconductor layer and a gate on the wide bandgap semiconductor layer. The gate includes a metal layer on the wide bandgap semiconductor layer including a nickel oxide (NiO) layer. Related methods of fabricating devices are also provided herein.
US08896118B2

An electronic assembly includes a copper pillar attach substrate that has a dielectric layer and a solder resist layer overlying the dielectric layer. The solder resist layer has a plurality of solder resist openings. A plurality of parallel traces are formed on the dielectric layer. Each trace has a first end portion, a second end portion and an intermediate portion. The first and second end portions of each trace are covered by the solder resist layer and the intermediate portions are positioned in the solder resist openings. Each of the intermediate portions has at least one conductive coating layer on it and has a height measured from the dielectric layer to the top of the topmost conductive coating layer that is at least as great as the solder resist layer thickness.
US08896117B2

A semiconductor device bonded by an anisotropic conductive film, the anisotropic conductive film including a conductive adhesive layer and an insulating adhesive layer stacked thereon, an amount of reactive monomers in the conductive adhesive layer being higher than an amount of reactive monomers in the insulating adhesive layer.
US08896110B2

Embodiments of the present disclosure describe techniques and configurations for paste thermal interface materials (TIMs) and their use in integrated circuit (IC) packages. In some embodiments, an IC package includes an IC component, a heat spreader, and a paste TIM disposed between the die and the heat spreader. The paste TIM may include particles of a metal material distributed through a matrix material, and may have a bond line thickness, after curing, of between approximately 20 microns and approximately 100 microns. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
US08896102B2

Die structures for electronic devices and related fabrication methods are provided. An exemplary die structure includes a diced portion of a semiconductor substrate that includes a device region having one or more semiconductor devices fabricated thereon and an edge sealing structure within the semiconductor substrate that circumscribes the device region. In one or more embodiments, the edge sealing structure includes a conductive material that contacts a handle layer of semiconductor material, a crackstop structure is formed overlying the sealing structure, wherein the crackstop structure and the edge sealing structure provide an electrical connection between the handle layer and an active layer of semiconductor material that overlies a buried layer of dielectric material on the handle layer.
US08896100B2

A III nitride structure includes a film 108 having a surface composed of a metal formed in a predetermined region on the surface of a substrate 102, and a fine columnar crystal 110 composed of at least a III nitride semiconductor formed on the surface of the substrate 102, wherein the spatial occupancy ratio of the fine columnar crystal 110 is higher on the surface of the substrate 102 where the film 108 is not formed than that on the film.
US08896097B2

Provided are a method of manufacturing a capacitor capable of achieving a high dielectric constant property and a low leakage current, a capacitor, and a method of forming a dielectric film used in the capacitor. The capacitor is fabricated by forming a lower electrode layer on a substrate; forming a first TiO2 film having an interface control function on the lower electrode layer; forming a ZrO2-based film on the first TiO2 film; performing an annealing process for crystallizing ZrO2 in the ZrO2-based film, after forming the ZrO2-based film; forming a second TiO2 film which serves as a capacity film on the ZrO2-based film; and forming an upper electrode layer on the second TiO2 film.
US08896089B2

Interposers for semiconductor devices and methods of manufacture thereof are disclosed. In one embodiment, an interposer includes a substrate, a contact pad disposed on the substrate, and a first through-via in the substrate coupled to the contact pad. A first fuse is coupled to the first through-via. A second through-via in the substrate is coupled to the contact pad, and a second fuse is coupled to the second through-via.
US08896082B1

An integrated circuit-solar cell device comprising a well region of a first dopant type, a solar cell including: (i) a first region disposed in or on the well region, wherein the first region is of the first dopant type, and (ii) a second region disposed outside the well region, wherein the second region is of a second dopant type. The device further includes an integrated circuit including: (i) a first transistor of a first type disposed in or on the well region, and (ii) a second transistor of a second type disposed in or on the first major surface of the substrate and outside the well region. Power management circuitry selectively and electrically couples the solar cell to the battery when the integrated circuit is in an inactive mode.
US08896080B2

The present invention provides a sealing material for a solar cell that seals a solar cell element of a solar cell in a short time in the production of a solar cell module, thereby enabling efficient production of solar cell modules. The sealing material for a solar cell of the present invention has a feature of containing 100 parts by weight of a modified butene-based resin that is produced by graft-modifying a butene-ethylene copolymer having a butene content of 1 to 25% by weight with maleic anhydride and has a total content of the maleic anhydride of 0.1 to 3% by weight, and 0.1 to 15 parts by weight of a silane compound having an epoxy group.
US08896077B2

An optoelectronic device comprising an optically active layer that includes a plurality of domes is presented. The plurality of domes is arrayed in two dimensions having a periodicity in each dimension that is less than or comparable with the shortest wavelength in a spectral range of interest. By virtue of the plurality of domes, the optoelectronic device achieves high performance. A solar cell having high energy-conversion efficiency, improved absorption over the spectral range of interest, and an improved acceptance angle is presented as an exemplary device.
US08896071B2

A technique for isolating electrodes on different layers of a multilayer electronic device across an array containing more than 100000 devices on a plastic substrate. The technique comprises depositing a bilayer of a first dielectric layer (6) of a solution-processible polymer dielectric and a layer of parylene (9) to isolate layers of conductor or semiconductor on different levels of the device. The density of defects located in the active area of one of the multilayer electronic devices is typically more than 1 in 100000.
US08896068B2

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes the steps of: (a) forming a gate electrode on a substrate, forming source/drain regions and a channel forming region in the substrate, and forming on the source/drain regions a first interlayer insulating layer equal in height to the gate electrode; (b) forming in the first interlayer insulating layer groove-shaped first contact portions connected to the source/drain regions; (c) forming a second interlayer insulating layer on a whole surface; (d) forming hole-shaped second contact portions in portions of the second interlayer insulating layer on the first contact portion; and (e) forming on the second interlayer insulating layer wires connected to the second contact portions.
US08896057B1

A semiconductor structure comprises a substrate having a first conductive type; a deep well having a second conductive type formed in the substrate and extending down from a surface of the substrate; a first well and a second well respectively having the first and second conductive types formed in the deep well, and extending down from the surface of the substrate; a gate electrode formed on the substrate and disposed between the first and second wells; an isolation extending down from the surface of the substrate and disposed between the gate electrode and the second well; a conductive plug including a first portion and a second portion electrically connected to each other, and the first portion electrically connected to the gate electrode, and the second portion comprising at least two fingers penetrating into the isolation, and the fingers spaced apart and electrically connected to each other.
US08896055B2

This description relates to a fin field-effect-transistor (FinFET) including a substrate and a fin structure on the substrate. The fin structure includes a channel between a source and a drain, wherein the source, the drain, and the channel have a first type dopant, and the channel comprises at least one of a Ge, SiGe, or III-V semiconductor. The FinFET further includes a gate dielectric layer over the channel and a gate over the gate dielectric layer. The FinFET further includes a nitride spacer on the substrate adjacent the gate and an oxide layer between the nitride spacer and the gate and between the nitride spacer and the substrate.
US08896041B2

Embodiments are directed to providing a spin hall effect (SHE) assisted spin transfer torque magnetic random access memory (STT-MRAM) device by coupling a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) to a SHE material, and coupling the SHE material to a transistor. Embodiments are directed to a spin transfer torque magnetic random access memory (STT-MRAM) device comprising: a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) coupled to a spin hall effect (SHE) material, and a transistor coupled to the SHE material.
US08896025B2

A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a recess to an AlGaN layer by etching, the AlGaN layer having an Al composition ratio of 0.2 or greater, the recess having a bottom having an RMS roughness less than 0.3 nm, forming a first Ta layer having a thickness of 4 nm to 8 nm on the bottom of the recess, and annealing the first Ta layer to make an ohmic contact in the AlGaN layer.
US08896017B2

A vertical structure light-emitting device includes a conductive support, a light-emitting semiconductor structure disposed on the conductive support structure, the semiconductor structure having a first semiconductor surface, a side semiconductor surface and a second semiconductor surface, a first electrode electrically connected to the first-type semiconductor layer, a second electrode electrically connected to the second-type semiconductor layer, wherein the second electrode has a first electrode surface, a side electrode surface and a second electrode surface, wherein the first electrode surface, relative to the second electrode surface, is proximate to the semiconductor structure; and wherein the second electrode surface is opposite to the first electrode surface, and a passivation layer disposed on the side semiconductor surface and the second semiconductor surface.
US08896015B2

LED packages and their fabrication techniques are disclosed to provide LED package with improved thermal dissipation based on one or more thermally conductive channels or studs. In one implementation, a LED package includes a plastic body structured to have a hole that penetrates through the plastic body; a metal contact formed on the plastic body at one side of the hole to cover the hole; a LED mounted to the metal contact at a location that spatially overlaps with the hole; and a stud formed in the hole in contact with the metal contact at a first end of the stud and extending to an opening of the hole at a second end of the stud, the stud being formed of a thermally conductive material to transfer heat from the LED through the metal contact and the stud to dissipate the heat at the opening of the hole via the second end of the stud.
US08896013B2

High density multi-chip LED devices are described. Embodiments of the present invention provide high-density, multi-chip LED devices with relatively high efficiency and light output in a compact size. An LED device includes a plurality of interconnected LED chips and an optical element such as a lens. The LED chips may be arranged in two groups, wherein the LED chips within each group are connected in parallel and the groups are connected in series. In some embodiments, the LED device includes a submount, which may be made of ceramic. The submount may include a connection bus and semicircular areas to which chips are bonded. Wire bonds can be connected to the LED chips so that all the wire bonds are disposed on the outside of a group of LED chips to minimize light absorption.
US08896012B2

A light-emitting diode includes a substrate, a first semiconductor layer above the substrate, an active layer above the first semiconductor layer, a second semiconductor layer above the active layer, wherein the active layer is between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer a trench penetrating through the second semiconductor layer and the active layer to expose the first semiconductor layer a first electrode disposed at a bottom of the trench, wherein the first electrode includes at least one first finger, an insulating layer covering the first electrode, and a second electrode including at least one second finger on the insulating layer, wherein the second finger overlaps with the first finger and the second finger has a width smaller than that of the trench.
US08896007B2

A semiconductor light-emitting device comprises a light-emitting epitaxial structure, a first electrode structure, a light reflective layer and an resistivity-enhancing structure. The light-emitting epitaxial structure has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The first electrode structure is electrically connected to the first surface. The light reflective layer is disposed adjacent to the second surface. The resistivity-enhancing structure is disposed adjacent to the light reflective layer and away from the second surface corresponding to a position of the first electrode structure.
US08896003B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide separate optical devices operable to couple to a separate LED, the separate optical device comprising an entrance surface to receive light from a separate LED when the separate optical device is coupled to the separate LED, an exit surface opposite from and a distance from the entrance surface and a set of sidewalls. The exit surface can have at least a minimum area necessary to conserve brightness for a desired half-angle of light projected from the separate optical device. Furthermore, each sidewall is positioned and shaped so that rays having a straight transmission path from the entrance surface to that sidewall reflect to the exit surface with an angle of incidence at the exit surface at less than or equal to a critical angle at the exit surface.
US08895995B2

A radiation dosimeter includes a semiconductor substrate and a buried insulator layer disposed on the semiconductor substrate. The buried insulator layer has a plurality of charge traps. A semiconductor layer is disposed on the buried insulator layer. The semiconductor layer has an emitter, an intrinsic base, and a collector laterally arranged with respect to one another. In response to radiation exposure by the radiation dosimeter, positive charges are trapped in the plurality of charge traps in the buried insulator layer, the amount of positive charge trapped being used to determine the amount of radiation exposure. A method for radiation dosimetry includes providing a radiation dosimeter, where the radiation dosimeter includes a lateral silicon-on-insulator bipolar junction transistor having a buried insulator layer; exposing the radiation dosimeter to ionizing radiation; determining a change in one of the collector current and current gain of the radiation dosimeter; and determining an amount of the radiation dose based on the change in one of the collector current and current gain.
US08895988B2

An electrostatic discharge device and an organic electro-luminescence display device having the same are provided. The organic electro-luminescence display device includes an electrostatic discharge device including a metal pattern having an island shape on a substrate, an insulating layer on the metal pattern, a semiconductor pattern on the insulating layer, the semiconductor pattern corresponding to the metal pattern, a first electrode overlapping one end of the semiconductor pattern, and a second electrode overlapping the other end of the semiconductor pattern, and spaced from the first electrode, thereby preventing a current leakage, a signal distortion and a signal cross-talk to improve the reliability.
US08895984B2

The present invention relates to a capacitor having a configuration in which capacitors are coupled in series to each other. The capacitor formed on a substrate according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: a polysilicon layer doped with an impurity; a first insulation layer formed on the polysilicon layer; a first metal layer formed on the first insulation layer and including first and second areas; a second insulation layer formed on the first metal layer; and a second metal layer formed on the second insulation layer and coupled to the second area of the first metal layer. The second metal layer is overlapped with at least a part of the first area of the first metal layer.
US08895983B2

By controlling the luminance of light emitting element not by means of a voltage to be impressed to the TFT but by means of controlling a current that flows to the TFT in a signal line drive circuit, the current that flows to the light emitting element is held to a desired value without depending on the characteristics of the TFT. Further, a voltage of inverted bias is impressed to the light emitting element every predetermined period. Since a multiplier effect is given by the two configurations described above, it is possible to prevent the luminance from deteriorating due to a deterioration of the organic luminescent layer, and further, it is possible to maintain the current that flows to the light emitting element to a desired value without depending on the characteristics of the TFT.
US08895982B2

An organic light-emitting display apparatus in which electrical communication between an opposing electrode and an electrode power supply line can be more easily checked without adding an additional process in a manufacturing process, and a method of manufacturing the organic light-emitting display apparatus, is provided. The organic light-emitting display apparatus includes thin film transistors and pixel electrodes electrically connected to the thin film transistors in an active area of a substrate, an opposing electrode in the active area and a dead area of the substrate, an electrode power supply line in the dead area of the substrate and having a surface contacting the opposing electrode and configured to supply power to the opposing electrode, and a test line in the dead area of the substrate separated from the electrode power supply line and contacting the opposing electrode.
US08895981B2

A multichip module (MCM) has redundant I/O connections between its dice. That is, the number of inter-die I/O connections used is larger than the number of connections ordinarily used to provide connectivity between the dice. Defective connections are discovered through testing after MCM assembly and avoided, with signals being rerouted through good (e.g., not defective) redundant connections. The testing can be done at assembly time and the results stored in nonvolatile memory. Alternatively, the MCM can perform the testing itself dynamically, e.g., at power up, and use the test results to configure the inter-die I/O connections.
US08895980B2

The present invention discloses a tunneling current amplification transistor, which relates to an area of field effect transistor logic devices in CMOS ultra large scale semiconductor integrated circuits (ULSI). The tunneling current amplification transistor includes a semiconductor substrate, a gate dielectric layer, an emitter, a drain, a floating tunneling base and a control gate, wherein the drain, the floating tunneling base and the control gate forms a conventional TFET structure, and a doping type of the emitter is opposite to that of the floating tunneling base. A position of the emitter is at the other side of the floating tunneling base with respect to the drain. A type of the semiconductor between the emitter and the floating tunneling base is the same as that of the floating tunneling base. As compared with the conventional TFET, the tunneling current amplification transistor of the present invention can increase the on-current of the device effectively and increase the driving capability of the device.
US08895976B2

Manufactured is a transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer, a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer overlapping with part of the oxide semiconductor layer, a gate insulating layer overlapping with the oxide semiconductor layer, the source electrode layer, and the drain electrode layer, and a gate electrode overlapping with part of the oxide semiconductor layer with the gate insulating layer provided therebetween, wherein, after the oxide semiconductor layer which is to be a channel formation region is irradiated with light and the light irradiation is stopped, a relaxation time of carriers in photoresponse characteristics of the oxide semiconductor layer has at least two kinds of modes: τ1 and τ2, τ1<τ2 is satisfied, and τ2 is 300 seconds or less. In addition, a semiconductor device including the transistor is manufactured.
US08895964B2

A technology having resistance to moisture and oxygen, and in which the occurrence and expansion of non-light-generating portions, such as dark spots, are suppressed is provided. An organic EL element in which an organic functional layer including at least one or more light-emitting layers is arranged between a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the organic functional layer includes a bipolar charge generation layer which generates electrons and holes, and one of the first electrode and the second electrode is a hole-receiving electrode.
US08895956B2

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor light emitting device includes an n-type first semiconductor layer, a p-type second semiconductor layer and a light emitting layer. The light emitting layer is provided between the first and second semiconductor layers, and includes a plurality of barrier layers including a nitride semiconductor and a well layer provided between the barrier layers and including a nitride semiconductor containing In. The barrier layers and the well layer are stacked in a first direction from the second semiconductor layer toward the first semiconductor layer. The well layer has a p-side interface part and an n-side interface part. Each of the p-side and the n-side interface part include an interface with one of the barrier layers. A variation in a concentration of In in a surface perpendicular to the first direction of the p-side interface part is not more than that of the n-side interface part.
US08895951B2

This disclosure provides a method of fabricating a semiconductor device layer and an associated memory cell. Empirical data may be used to generate a hysteresis curve associated with deposition for a metal-insulator-metal structure, with curve measurements reflecting variance of an electrical property as a function of cathode voltage used during a sputtering process. By generating at least one voltage level to be used during the sputtering process, where the voltage reflects a suitable value for the electrical property from among the values obtainable in mixed-mode deposition, a semiconductor device layer may be produced with improved characteristics and durability. A multistable memory cell or array of such cells manufactured according to this process can, for a set of given materials, be fabricated to have minimal leakage or “off” current characteristics (Ileak or Ioff, respectively) or a maximum ratio of “on” current to “off” current (Ion/Ioff).
US08895946B2

Source-collector modules for use with EUV lithography systems are disclosed, wherein the source-collector modules employ a laser-produced plasma EUV radiation source and a grazing-incidence collector. The EUV radiation source is generated by first forming an under-dense plasma, and then irradiating the under-dense plasma with infrared radiation of sufficient intensity to create a final EUV-emitting plasma. The grazing incidence collector can include a grating configured to prevent infrared radiation from reaching the intermediate focus. Use of debris mitigation devices preserves the longevity of operation of the source-collector modules.
US08895945B2

The present invention relates to a dose-measurement device for ion implantation, the device comprising a module CUR for estimating implantation current, a secondary electron detector DSE, and a control circuit CC for estimating the ion current by taking the difference between said implantation current and the current from said secondary electron detector. Furthermore, said high-energy secondary electron detector comprises a collector COL, P supporting exactly three mutually insulated electrodes: a first repulsion electrode G1, A1, T1 for repelling charges of a predetermined sign that are to be repelled, said electrode being provided with at least one orifice for passing electrons; a second repulsion electrode G2, A2, T2 for repelling charges of the opposite sign that are to be repelled, said electrode also being provided with at least one orifice for passing electrons; and a selection electrode G3, A3, T3, this electrode also being provided with at least one orifice for passing electrons.
US08895931B2

The invention comprises an apparatus comprising a water-proof housing assembly comprising a housing (20) and a display panel (10, 32), and incorporating an enclosure (30) containing electrical apparatus, wherein said display panel is formed from a clear material (16) encapsulating a visual display (12) and/or a light-source (34) and said apparatus is capable of operating in water at a pressure of at least 300 bar without ingress of water into the enclosure. The apparatus may be used as an instrument or a lighting unit in sub-sea environments. The invention comprises further a light-source attachment for a powered apparatus comprising a light source embedded within a block of clear material (16) and means for mounting said block on the powered apparatus such that a connector connects the light source to a power source within the powered apparatus.
US08895928B2

In some embodiments, apparatus and systems, as well as methods, may operate to receive radiation at an active detector of a pair of radiation detectors to provide a first signal proportional to an intensity of the radiation, to receive none of the radiation at a blind detector of the pair of radiation detectors to provide a second signal proportional to the reception of no radiation, and to combine the first signal and the second signal to provide an output signal representing the difference between the first signal and the second signal. The pair of radiation detectors may comprise thermopile detectors. Combination may occur via differential amplification. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US08895915B2

A mass spectrometer is disclosed having a mass analyzer with a mass-to-charge dispersive element for separating ions according to their mass-to-charge ratios along a dispersive plane and an ion deflector to deflect ions leaving the mass analyzer in the dispersive plane. A shielding arrangement, located between the dispersive element and the ion deflector is arranged to define the portion of the beam to be deflected by the ion deflector. The deflected beam is steered onto a beam defining aperture, located at the focal plane of the mass analyzer is detected by at least one ion detector, located downstream from the beam defining aperture.
US08895912B2

An imaging phantom for contrast imaging calibration. The phantom includes a body defining at least one cavity having a directional configuration corresponding to at least one pre-determined direction of motion of the phantom. The phantom also includes at least one imaging capsule configured to match and be contained in the at least one cavity. The imaging capsule comprises a material having an imaging contrast different from that of the body.
US08895909B2

The invention provides a photosensitive resin composition that includes titanium black, a photopolymerizable compound, a resin A having an acid value of from 70 mgKOH/g to 250 mgKOH/g, a resin B having an acid value of from 26 mgKOH/g to 65 mgKOH/g, a photopolymerization initiator, and a solvent, the photopolymerization initiator including an oxime photopolymerization compound.
US08895904B1

An emergency shutoff system for a cooking appliance deactivates a cooking appliance upon the detection of smoke or rapidly rising heat. Three (3) embodiments are provided, depending on the presence of a gas or an electric model, each further comprises a combination heat and smoke detector located on the ceiling immediately above the appliance. The detector is connected to a control panel at the rear of the stove by a section of low voltage wiring. The control panel activates a shunt trip mechanism in the case of an electrically-powered stove or closes a low voltage solenoid valve in the case of gas-powered stove. Such features greatly reduce the affects of a fire at the cooking appliance should one occur.
US08895901B2

The invention relates to a pipeline for carrying a molten salt, with a pipe wall that is stable with respect to the temperatures occurring. A heating conductor (21) is provided inside the pipeline (5) for heating, the heating conductor (21) preferably not lying against the inner wall of the pipeline (5).
US08895900B2

The nano particle generator includes a body, a heating unit to heat a material received in the body such that the material is evaporated, a channel extending through the body such that a fluid to condense the evaporated material flows along the channel, and an insulating member to prevent heat generated from the heating unit from being transmitted to the body. The heating unit heats the material while the heating unit is in direct contact with the material, and the heating unit is in point or line contact with the insulating member. The heating unit has a plurality of locating parts formed therein such that the material is located in the locating parts. Different materials are located in the locating parts, and the locating parts are heated to temperatures at which the respective materials are evaporated in the same time.
US08895891B2

Vascular treatment and methods include a plurality of self-expanding bulbs and a hypotube including interspersed patterns of longitudinally spaced rows of kerfs. Joints between woven structures and hypotubes include solder. Woven structures include patterns of radiopaque filaments measurable under x-ray. Structures are heat treated to include at least shapes at different temperatures. A catheter includes a hypotube including interspersed patterns of longitudinally spaced rows of kerfs. Heat treating systems include a detachable flange. Laser cutting systems include a fluid flow system.
US08895886B2

Disclosed is a method for affixing a metal cladding to a metal base. The method includes: heating the metal cladding and a surface of the metal base with a heating device to create a molten metal pool having molten metal cladding layered upon molten metal base material in the metal base; stabilizing a temperature gradient of the molten metal pool with a laser beam directed into the molten metal pool; and cooling the molten metal pool to affix solidified cladding to the metal base.
US08895884B2

A tank type vacuum circuit breaker uses a columnar or cylindrical insulation rod at a connection portion between an operating mechanism unit and a vacuum valve. The insulation rod is connected to the operating mechanism unit and the vacuum valve by rod-shaped pins. To prevent the insulation rod itself from falling, connection is made by shifting phases of the pins 90 degrees, respectively, each pin being connected to the operating mechanism unit and the vacuum valve. Accordingly, the falling of the insulation rod, the use of an insulation support tube and an insulation support for ensuring mechanical strength, are avoided. Further fastening of those supports by bolts or the like is not needed. Increases in the number of components, the size of the shape of assembly members around the insulation rod, and weight due to such increases, are prevented.
US08895880B2

A reciprocating tool includes a toggle switch that is turned on or off by tilting a lever, and a switch lever in a motor housing. The switch lever includes an engagement frame into which the lever is inserted, and can slide in a tilting direction. The switch lever is slid to tilt the lever to an ON position or an OFF position through a sliding operation of the switch lever from the outside. An engagement portion of the switch lever on a side closer to the ON position of the lever is provided with a slanted guide surface that guides the lever in the ON position to the OFF position when the toggle switch is attached into an upper housing having the switch lever attached thereto.
US08895879B2

In a lever switch device, a holder is assembled in and fixed to a cylindrical lever body formed by combining halved lever bodies and the holder supports two rotating knobs so as to allow the rotating knobs to rotate. Further, a circuit board is mounted on the holder, and both main surfaces of the circuit board face the rotating knobs, respectively. The rotating knob is exposed to the outside at the end of the cylindrical lever body in the axial direction, and the rotating knob is exposed to the outside through window portions formed at the cylindrical lever body. Sliders are mounted on the rotating knobs, respectively, one slider can come into contact with and be separated from contact patterns formed on the main surface, and the other slider can come into contact with and be separated from contact patterns formed on the main surface.
US08895877B2

A new bushing for strain reducing electrical fittings is disclosed. The bushing increases the pull-out performance of the fitting by including a textured area where the bushing comes into contact with the cable. The textured area may be created by affixing solid particles to the bushing so that the friction between the bushing and cable is increased.
US08895875B2

Provided are a braided shield member, a manufacturing method of a braided shield member and a wire harness which make it possible to demonstrate shielding performance sufficiently. The braided shield member constituting the wire harness includes a tubular body part and a tubular terminal part. The braided shield member is formed so that the terminal part is formed in a two-folded structure of an outside terminal part and an inside terminal part. Further, the braided shield member is formed so that metal wires are in a loose state inside stitches of the outside terminal part.
US08895873B2

A printed wiring board includes a core insulation layer including a resin and having a via conductor through the core insulation layer, a first conductive layer formed on the core layer and including a copper foil and a plated film, an interlayer insulation layer formed on the first layer and including a resin, the interlayer layer having a via conductor through the interlayer layer, and a second conductive layer formed on the interlayer layer and including a copper foil and a plated film. The first layer includes a conductive circuit, the core and interlayer layers have dielectric constants of 4.0 or lower for signal transmission at frequency of 1 GHz and thermal expansion coefficient of 85 ppm/° C. or lower at or below Tg, and the foil of the first layer has thickness greater than thickness of the foil of the second layer.
US08895871B2

A circuit board has a plurality of circuit board layers that are arranged one over the other, and that each include an electrically insulating base material having a glass transition temperature greater than or equal to 170° C. The circuit board layers each further have at least one thermally conductive layer applied to the base material. Several vias extend through respective ones of the circuit board layers to connect thermally conductive layers of different circuit board layers, such that the vias and the thermally conductive layers form a thermally conductive bridge from a topmost circuit board layer to a bottommost circuit board layer.
US08895865B2

The embodiments relates generally to the use of conductive connections for electrically grounding a series of conductive substrates. More specifically the embodiments teach configurations of conductive connections that do not overly constrain relative motion between the connected conductive substrates. Conductive pressure sensitive adhesive is used to attach opposing ends of the conductive connectors to the conductive substrates. A substrate portion of the conductive connectors is scored by a cutting device such as a die cutter to reduce rigidity of the substrate portion.
US08895862B2

A substrate structure for carrying plural heat generating elements is provided. The substrate structure includes a board, a patterned metal layer and plural heat dissipating channels. The board has an upper surface. The patterned metal layer is disposed on the board and includes a first electrode, a second electrode, plural first pads and plural second pads. The first pads and the second pads are alternatively disposed on the upper surface in parallel. Parts of the first (second) pads are electrically connected to the first (second) electrode. The other parts of first pads and the other parts of second pads are electrically connected to each other. Each first pad and the adjacent second pad define a device bonding area. The heat generating elements are respectively disposed in the device bonding areas. There are multiple trenches between the two adjacent device bonding areas. The heat dissipating channels are disposed in the trenches.
US08895859B2

A cover may include a plurality of first fastening mechanisms disposed adjacent to one another along a first edge and a plurality of second fastening mechanisms disposed adjacent to one another along a second edge. Each second fastening mechanism may correspond to one of the first fastening mechanisms to connect to the corresponding first fastening mechanism when the cover is bent about the axis.
US08895858B2

A cable is provided containing one or more polymeric elements for reduction of crosstalk. The cable includes a plurality of unshielded twisted pairs, each of which is an insulated conductor pair twisted around one another, each having a different lay length. A jacket encloses the plurality of unshielded twisted pairs, where an unshielded twisted pair, has the longest lay length among the plurality of unshielded twisted pairs is positioned within the center of the jacket such that an axis of the twisted pairs that has the longest lay length substantially coincides with the central longitudinal axis of the cable. A plurality of bumper elements are disposed within the jacket in the interstices between said plurality of unshielded twisted pairs, where the bumper elements are profiled polymer structures.
US08895856B2

A compression connector and assembly include an elongated, interiorly hollow tube, and at least one tubular sleeve, the tube including a first material exhibiting a first axial extrusion rate and the sleeve including a second material exhibiting a second axial extrusion rate, wherein the sleeve wall thickness is selected such that, when inserted into the tube and subjected to mechanical compression in a direction substantially orthogonal to the tube's exterior surface, deforms so that the first and second materials extrude axially at substantially the same rate. In some exemplary embodiments, the sleeve wall thickness may be selected to be thin, or the sleeve may include a multiplicity of axially spaced-apart corrugations formed in at least one exterior or interior surface. The assembly may include stranded composite wires, optionally with a tape covering only a portion of the composite wires. A method of making the compression connector is also described.
US08895844B2

A method for forming a solar cell having a plasmonic back reflector is disclosed. The method includes the formation of a nanoimprinted surface on which a metal electrode is conformally disposed. The surface structure of the nanoimprinted surface gives rise to a two-dimensional pattern of nanometer-scale features in the metal electrode enabling these features to collectively form the plasmonic back reflector.
US08895841B2

A photovoltaic device includes a silicon substrate, an intrinsic layer, a carbon nanotube structure and a first electrode. The silicon substrate has a front surface and a rear surface. The intrinsic layer is disposed on the front surface of the silicon substrate. The carbon nanotube structure is disposed on the intrinsic layer. The first electrode is disposed on the rear surface of the silicon substrate.
US08895836B2

The dual axis solar tracker apparatus and method uses an azimuth actuator to adjust the azimuth of an attached solar panel and an elevation actuator to adjust the elevation of a panel seat holding the solar panel to track the azimuth and elevation of the sun as it moves through the sky. The panel seat rotatably supports the solar panel with two pins, and a support structure supports the panel seat with an elevation tracking pivot. The actuators are controlled with an actuator controller circuit that is controlled by a microcontroller. The microcontroller uses information about latitude, longitude, time of day and date to control the actuators and track the motion of sun without the need for sensors.
US08895834B1

An assembly is disclosed for adjusting the position of a solar array or device to enable it to maintain a desired solar energy reception throughout each day's operation of the assembly. Solar panels are mounted on a first axle and a second axle, and the axles are mutually orthogonal. The assembly also includes a first motor for rotating the array and the panels relative to the first axle in a direction providing azimuth angle position adjustment and a second motor for rotating the array and the panels and the second axle in a direction providing elevation angle position adjustment. The motors are electrically connected to and powered by their respective solar panels. Divider circuits control the current fed into the motors to control the rotational movement in order to control the azimuth and elevation orientation of the panels and also control the orientation of the array so that it continually faces the sun throughout the diurnal operation of the assembly and so that it maintains the desired degree of solar energy reception throughout the day. The orientation of one of the panels enables it to reposition the assembly for operation at each successive sunrise.
US08895833B2

According to one embodiment, a thermoelectric device is provided with thermoelectric elements and formed of a material capable of exhibiting the thermoelectric effect and a first electrode located at end portions of the thermoelectric elements. The first electrode includes an electrode member, a soaking member having electrical conductivity, located between the electrode member and the thermoelectric elements, and including facing portions facing the thermoelectric elements and folded portions folded back at peripheral edges of the facing portions so as to lie on the opposite side to the thermoelectric elements, and an elastic member located on the opposite side of the facing portions to the thermoelectric elements, at least a part of the peripheral edge of the elastic member being held between the folded portions and the facing portions of the soaking member.
US08895832B2

The present invention aims at providing a thermoelectric device which can be prevented from being destroyed by thermal stresses, and a thermoelectric module using a plurality of such thermoelectric devices. The thermoelectric device in accordance with the present invention comprises an element for transforming energy between thermal energy and electric energy and a pair of electrodes connected to both end parts of the element, while the element is provided with a stress alleviating part for alleviating a stress caused by a temperature difference between the both end parts. Therefore, when generating electricity by using the thermoelectric device, the stress alleviating part can alleviate the stress caused by the temperature difference between both end parts of the element and restrain the element from being destroyed by the thermal stress.
US08895829B2

A music playing movement display device includes CPU displaying a music playing movement image on a display unit based on music playing information, movement information, and structural data stored in RAM. the CPU determines whether to perform display of a music playing technique based on a music playing technique flag of the music playing information stored in the RAM, and, when determining to perform the display of the music playing technique, allows to change a display mode of the image corresponding to the music playing technique, compared to a display mode of a image corresponding to that of a case of not displaying the music playing technique.
US08895825B2

The present invention provides methods and devices for attenuating sound emanating from a harmonica when played while practicing or performing by a player. The methods and devices include a sound blocking and reflecting means and, optionally, a sound absorbing means.
US08895818B2

This disclosure describes screening a population of transgenic plants derived from plant cells transformed with recombinant DNA for expression of proteins with homeobox domains to identify plant cells of specific transgenic events that are useful for imparting enhanced traits to transgenic crop plants. Traits include enhanced nitrogen use efficiency, increased yield, enhanced water use efficiency, enhanced tolerance to cold stress and/or improved seed compositions. Also disclosed are transgenic seeds for growing a transgenic plant having the recombinant DNA in its genome and exhibiting the screened enhance trait. Also disclosed are methods for generating seed and plants based on the transgenic events.
US08895814B2

A novel soybean variety, designated XB22Z13 is provided. Also provided are the seeds of soybean variety XB22Z13, cells from soybean variety XB22Z13, plants of soybean XB22Z13, and plant parts of soybean variety XB22Z13. Methods provided include producing a soybean plant by crossing soybean variety XB22Z13 with another soybean plant, methods for introgressing a transgenic trait, a mutant trait, and/or a native trait into soybean variety XB22Z13, methods for producing other soybean varieties or plant parts derived from soybean variety XB22Z13, and methods of characterizing soybean variety XB22Z13. Soybean seed, cells, plants, germplasm, breeding lines, varieties, and plant parts produced by these methods and/or derived from soybean variety XB22Z13 are further provided.
US08895806B2

A DNA molecule is provided which comprises a sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 1 having an open reading frame from base pair 211 to base pair 1740 or having at least 50% homology to the above-indicated sequence, or hybridizing with the above-indicated sequence under stringent conditions, or comprising a sequence which has degenerated to the above-indicated DNA sequence because of the genetic code, the sequence coding for a plant protein having fucosyltransferase activity or being complementary thereto.
US08895794B2

We provide a process for producing high quality gasoline blending components, comprising: a) operating an alkylation reactor in an alkylate mode wherein a gasoline blending component is made having a RON of 90 or higher; and b) operating the alkylation reactor in a distillate mode wherein a second gasoline blending component and a distillate product is made, and wherein the second gasoline blending component has a RON of 85 or higher. Also, we provide an alkylation process unit, comprising: a control system connected to an alkylation reactor, that enables the alkylation reactor to operate in both an alkylate mode that produces a gasoline blending component having a RON of 90 or higher and in a distillate mode that produces a second gasoline blending component having a RON of 85 or higher.
US08895793B2

The process converts ethylene in a dilute ethylene stream and dilute benzene in an aromatic containing stream via alkylation to heavier hydrocarbons. The catalyst may be a zeolite such as UZM-8. The catalyst is resistant to feed impurities such as hydrogen sulfide, carbon oxides, and hydrogen and selectively converts benzene. At least 40 wt-% of the ethylene in the dilute ethylene stream and at least 20 wt-% of the benzene in the dilute benzene stream can be converted to heavier hydrocarbons.
US08895791B2

The present invention relates to a method of regenerating a ruthenium catalyst suitable for hydrogenation, which comprises flushing the catalyst with inert gas in a regeneration step until the original activity or part of the original activity has been attained. The method is particularly useful for ruthenium catalysts which are used for the hydrogenation of aromatics.
US08895779B2

A process for making MAA from a clarified DAA-containing fermentation broth includes (a) distilling the broth to form an overhead that includes water and ammonia, and a liquid bottoms that includes MAA, at least some DAA, and at least about 20 wt. % water; (b) cooling the bottoms to a temperature sufficient to cause the bottoms to separate into a DAA-containing liquid portion in contact with a MAA-containing solid portion that is substantially free of DAA; (c) separating the solid portion from the liquid portion; and (d) recovering the solid portion.
US08895778B2

The invention provides energy efficient depolymerization of polyesters such as post-consumer polylactic acid. Ultrasonic induced implosions can be used to facilitate the depolymerization. The expanding market of polylactic acid-based plastic products, such as water bottles and packaging materials, has raised concerns of contaminating the recycling stream, which is largely filled with petroleum-based plastics. Thus the development of an energy efficient and economically viable PLA recycling process is urgently needed. Post consumer PLA was exposed to methanol as the suspension media in the presence of organic or ionic salts of alkali metals such a potassium carbonate and sodium hydroxide as depolymerization catalysts to provide high quality lactic acid monomers in high yield.
US08895771B2

The invention is directed to methods of making organic compounds by metathesis and hydrocyanation. The method of the invention may be used, for example, to make industrial important organic compounds such as diacids, diesters, acid-amines, acid-alcohols, acid-nitriles, ester-amines, ester-alcohols, and ester-nitriles.
US08895761B2

Pyrandione, thiopyrandione and cyclohexanetrione compounds, which are suitable for use as herbicides.
US08895760B2

A process for the synthesis of 100% optically pure L(+)-lactide catalyzed by zinc and tin metal catalysts of less than 150 micron particle size is disclosed. The L-lactide obtained was further purified to obtain lactide of 100% optical purity and acid impurities less than 10 meq/kg.
US08895758B2

Novel forms of [R—(R*,R*)]-2-(4-fluorophenyl)-β,δ-dihydroxy-5-(1-methylethyl)-3-phenyl-4-[(phenylamino)carbonyl]-1H-pyrrole-1-heptanoic acid hemi calcium salt designated Form XX, Form XXI, Form XXII, Form XXIII, Form XXIV, Form XXV, Form XXVI, Form XXVII, Form XXVIII, Form XXIX, and Form XXX, characterized by their X-ray powder diffraction, solid-state NMR, and/or Raman spectroscopy are described, as well as methods for the preparation and pharmaceutical composition of the same, which are useful as agents for treating hyperlipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, osteoporosis, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and Alzheimer's disease.
US08895745B2

The invention relates to new bicyclic heterocyclic derivative compounds, to pharmaceutical compositions comprising said compounds and to the use of said compounds in the treatment of diseases, e.g. cancer.
US08895743B2

Provided herein are novel methysergide derivatives and compositions thereof. In other embodiments, provided herein are methods of treatment, prevention, or amelioration of a variety of medical disorders or symptoms thereof, such as, migraine and Parkinson's disease using the compounds and compositions disclosed herein. In still other embodiments, provided herein, such as, for example, are methods for antagonizing the 5-HT2B receptor without agonizing the 5-HT2B receptor using the compounds and compositions disclosed herein. In still other embodiments, provided herein such as, for example, are methods of agonizing the 5-HT1A receptor using the compounds and compositions disclosed herein.
US08895737B2

This disclosure is directed to: (a) processes for preparing a compound and salts thereof that, inter alia, are useful for inhibiting hepatitis C virus (HCV); (b) intermediates useful for the preparation of the compound and salts; (c) pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compound or salts; and (d) methods of use of such compositions.
US08895734B2

The present invention provides a novel class of peptide nucleic acid derivatives, which show good cell penetration and strong binding affinity for nucleic acid.
US08895733B2

The invention relates to new derivatives of formula (I), wherein the substituents are as defined in the specification; to processes for the preparation of such derivatives; pharmaceutical compositions comprising such derivatives; such derivatives as a medicament; such derivatives for the treatment of chronic pain.
US08895732B2

Method for the chromatographic separation of compounds of the formula (I), in which R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6 have the meanings indicated in Claim 1, and acid-addition salts thereof, characterized in that the separation is carried out on a chiral ion-exchanger material.
US08895727B2

Disclosed is the synthesis of [18F]flumazenil that is useful in imaging epileptic lesions by PET (positron emission tomography). A method for preparing [18F]flumazenil by reacting a diaryliodonium salt precursor with the positron-emitting radionuclide fluorine-18. [18F]flumazenil can be prepared from the diaryliodonium salt precursor in the presence of kryptofix2.2.2./potassium carbonate(K2.2.2./K2CO3) and TEMPO in dimethylformamide (DMF) at a high yield.
US08895707B2

Proteins, including monoclonal antibodies, that have been retained on hydroxyapatite resins for purposes of protein separation, purification, or both, are eluted from the resins by a elution buffer that contains controlled amounts of calcium and phosphate ions. The buffer allows elution to be performed in repeated runs at an acidic pH without deterioration of the resin.
US08895706B2

The present invention relates to chromatography matrices including ligands based on one or more domains of immunoglobulin-binding proteins such as, Staphylooccus aureus Protein A (SpA), as well as methods of using the same.
US08895694B2

The invention relates to protracted Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) derivatives and therapeutic uses thereof. The GLP-1 derivative of the invention comprises a modified GLP-1(7-37) sequence having a total of 2-12 amino acid modifications, including Glu22 and Arg26, and being derivatised with an albumin binding residue or pegylated in position 18, 20, 23, 30, 31, 34, 36, 37, or 39. These compounds are useful in the treatment or prevention of diabetes type 2 and related diseases. The compounds are potent, stable, have long half-lives, a high affinity of binding to albumin, and/or a high affinity of binding to the extracellular domain of the GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R), all of which is of potential relevance for the overall aim of achieving long-acting, stable and active GLP-1 derivatives with a potential for once weekly administration.
US08895693B2

An electron-donating polymer including a repeating unit A with a repeating unit represented by Chemical Formula 1 and at least one of repeating units represented by Chemical Formulae 2-4.
US08895691B2

Polymers for photoresists and monomers for incorporation into those polymers are disclosed. The polymers comprise at least two components: an acid labile component and a photolytically stable and acid-stable component. The polymers may also contain a third, photoacid generator (PAG) component. The acid-labile component is based on the presence of a readily cleavable oxygen-carbon bond that usually occurs in a sterically hindered ether or ester.
US08895689B2

An alkyd resin formed by reacting waste cooking oil, one or more aromatic polycarboxylic acids, aliphatic polycarboxylic acids, or esterified polymerization products, and one or more polyols.
US08895679B2

An imine phenol compound having Structure I: wherein O and N represent oxygen and nitrogen respectively; R comprises a halogen, a hydrocarbyl group, or a substituted hydrocarbyl group; R2 and R3 can each independently be hydrogen, a halogen, a hydrocarbyl group, or a substituted hydrocarbyl group; and Q is a donor group. A method comprising contacting a catalyst composition with a monomer under conditions suitable for the formation of a polymer wherein the catalyst composition comprises a metal salt complex of an imine (bis)phenolate compound, a solid oxide, and an optional metal alkyl and wherein the metal salt complex of an imine (bis)phenolate compound has Structure XIV where M is titanium, zirconium, or hafnium; OEt2 is ethoxide, R comprises a halogen, a hydrocarbyl group, or a substituted hydrocarbyl group; and R2 comprises hydrogen, a halogen, a hydrocarbyl group, or a substituted hydrocarbyl group.
US08895677B2

A polyamide block copolymer that includes a first segment including a repeating unit represented by Chemical Formula 1, a repeating unit represented by Chemical Formula 2, or a combination thereof; and a second segment including a repeating unit represented by Chemical Formula 3. The variables R1 to R15, and n1 to n8 are defined herein.
US08895674B2

A method disclosed for making a side-chain dendrimer vesicle. The method includes the steps of: At first, there is provided a random copolymer with a narrow distribution of molecular weights by active polymerization and chemical modification. Then, chemical modification is executed to graft various generations of dendrimers to the random copolymer to provide a side-chain dendritic random copolymer with various generations. Two steps of emulsification are taken to induce macromolecular self-assembling of the side-chain dendritic random copolymer solution to form the macromolecular vesicle. The side-chain dendrimer includes C10˜C18 hydrophobic alkyl chains.
US08895668B2

A cycloolefin resin composition which controls the flexibility of a cycloolefin resin and may be molded in an environment having a temperature exceeding about 140° C. is provided. A cycloolefin resin film, a cycloolefin resin preform and the like are provided utilizing the cycloolefin resin composition including two or more cycloolefin copolymer resins having Tg values different from each other by about 10° C. or more, and the storage modulus of about 120° C. (E′120) relative to the storage modulus of about 50° C. (E′50), namely E′120/E′50 is set within the range of about 0.15 to about 0.65.
US08895664B2

Provided is a curable composition and its use. The curable composition may exhibit excellent processability and workability. The curable composition has excellent light extraction efficiency, crack resistance, hardness, thermal and shock resistance and an adhesive property after curing. The curable composition may provide a cured product exhibiting stable durability and reliability under severe conditions in a long time, and not inducing whitening and surface stickiness.
US08895659B2

The invention relates to a polypropylene composition showing a high melt flow rate and simultaneously high stiffness and a process for the production thereof. The invention further relates to a material comprising the inventive polypropylene.
US08895658B2

The present invention relates to a grafted pigment dispersing polymeric additive for opacifying pigments, prepared by polymerizing monomers in the presence of a polymeric pigment dispersant. The polymeric pigment dispersant has low molecular weight, high acid number and is dissolvable in alkali solution. When incorporated into paint compositions, hiding is improved with less opacifying pigments.
US08895656B2

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a cold seal adhesive material is disclosed. The cold seal adhesive material includes a latex emulsion comprising between 15 to 65 percent of the adhesive by weight and ammoniated water. The adhesive viscosity is between 10 and 450 centipoise at 25 degrees Celsius, the density is between 8.0 and 9.0 pounds per gallon at 25 degrees Celsius, and the basicity is between 9.5 and 12 pH. The adhesive is adapted to be applied as a film on a substrate by a modified flexographic printing press process at a rate of at least 1,750 square feet per minute of the substrate without agglomeration of the adhesive, where the film has a film weight between 0.01 and 0.04 grams per square inch of the substrate and must be compressed with a sealing pressure to produce a cohesive bond between two or more adhesive regions.
US08895655B2

[Problem to be Solved] The present invention has an object to provide an automotive lamp extension molding comprising a resin composition having a low specific gravity, being excellent in the balance of heat resistance and fluidity, and being excellent in gloss and brightness feeling of the surface of the molded article. [Solution] The automotive lamp extension molding according to the present invention comprises a resin composition comprising 50 to 95 mass % of a polyphenylene ether (A), and having a specific gravity in the range of 1.00 to 1.12. The reduced viscosity (measured at 30° C. using a chloroform solvent) of the (A) component is preferably 0.25 to 0.45 dl/g, and more preferably 0.25 to 0.38 dl/g.
US08895653B2

There is provided an acrylic adhesive composition which comprises: (A) a vinyl polymer comprising a homopolymer or a copolymer of an alkyl (meth)acrylate having a C4 to C14 alkyl group; (B) an organophilic layered double hydroxide organically treated with an organic anion; and (C) a crosslinking agent. Therefore the obtained adhesive composition has sufficient adhesiveness to an object, excellent heat resistance and excellent adhesive properties particularly at higher temperatures, and is substantially free from variations in adhesiveness.
US08895649B2

Disclosed herein is a flame retardant composition comprising 10 to 90 weight percent of a linear polycarbonate; 5 to 50 weight percent of a polysiloxane-polycarbonate copolymer; where the polysiloxane-polycarbonate copolymer comprises 10 weight percent or more of polysiloxane and where the molecular weight of the polysiloxane is 30,000 grams per mole or greater; and 1 to 20 weight percent of a phosphazene compound; where all weight percents are based on the total weight of the composition.
US08895645B2

A modified-asphalt composition prepared by introducing a diene end-capped block copolymer with a molten asphalt composition, where the block copolymer is defined by the formula α-(D-V-d)x where each D is independently a polydiene block, each V is independently a vinyl aromatic block, each d is a polydiene end cap, α is a coupling moiety, and x is an integer from 2 to 10.
US08895642B2

The buoyancy control material for subsea main pipelines and high-density buoyancy control material for subsea main pipelines are suggested predominantly for use while manufacturing pipes for subsea pipeline installations. Creation of a buoyancy control material with a density greater than 2800 kg/m3 and the required mobility is an engineering problem solved by this invention. The buoyancy control material for subsea main pipelines contains cement, filler, plasticizing agent and water.
US08895639B2

An ink set is provided which includes a first ink containing a first pigment, water, and a glycol ether having an HLB value, measured by Davies method, in the range of 4.2 to 8.0, and a second ink substantially not containing the glycol ether. The second ink contains a second pigment and water.
US08895638B2

An ultraviolet ray curable ink jet composition of the present invention is characterized by being adapted to be ejected using an ink jet method and containing: a polymerizable compound; metal particles subjected to a surface treatment; and a substance A having a partial structure represented by the following formula (1), where R1 is a hydrogen atom, an oxygen radical, a hydrocarbon group or an alkoxy group, and each of R2, R3, R4 and R5 is independently a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group.
US08895635B2

The present invention relates to foam products made with blowing agent compositions comprising at least one hydrochlorofluoroolefin (HCFO) used in the preparation of Namable thermoplastic compositions. The HCFOs of the present invention include, but are not limited to, 1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene (HCFO-1233zd), particularly the trans-isomer, 2-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene (HCFO-1233xf), dichloro-fluorinated propenes, and mixtures thereof. The blowing agent compositions of the present invention are used with coblowing agents including carbon dioxide, atmospheric gases, hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), hydrofluoroolefins (HFO), alkanes, hydrofluoroethers (HFE), and mixtures thereof. Preferred HFCs used as coblowing agents in the present invention include, but are not limited too, 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134a), 1,1-difluoroethane (HFC-152a), 1,1,1-trifluoroethane (HFC-143a), pentafluorethane (HFC-125), difluoromethane (HFC-32). The blowing agent compositions are useful in the production of low density insulating foams with improved k-factor.
US08895633B2

The cross-linked polyaminocarboxylates for the removal of metal ions from aqueous solutions of the present invention are cross-linked anionic polyelectrolytes CAPE 6 and CAPE 9, containing pH-responsive amino acid residues. The cross-linked anionic polyelectrolytes have been synthesized via cycloco-polymerization and ter-polymerization of a diallylammonioethanoate monomer (90 mol %) and a cross-linker, 1,1,4,4-tetraallylpiperazinium dichloride (10 mol %) in the absence of SO2 (CAPE 6) and in the presence of SO2 (CAPE 9), respectively. For the sorbents CAPE 6 and CAPE 9, the efficiency of Cu2+ removal at an initial metal concentration of 200 ppb was found to be 77.5% and 99.4%, respectively. Treatment of real wastewater samples spiked with Cu2+ ions showed the excellent ability of the cross-linked anionic polyelectrolytes to adsorb metal ions.
US08895624B2

According to the invention there is provided a compound of formula (I): wherein R1, R2, R3 and n have meanings given in the description, or a pharmaceutically acceptable solvate, salt or prodrug thereof for use in the treatment of osteoporosis and/or osteopenia.
US08895622B2

A method of treating pain, e.g., acute post-operative pain, by administering to a human patient(s) a therapeutically effective dose of tramadol intravenously over a prolonged time period is disclosed. In certain embodiments, the dose is intravenously administered in a time period from about 10 minutes to about 3 hours, preferably from about 10 minutes to about 30 minutes. In other embodiments, intravenous doses are administered at suitable time intervals over a time period from about 3 hours to 48 hours.
US08895616B1

Disclosed are compositions comprising amantadine, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and one or more excipients, wherein at least one of the excipients modifies release of amantadine. Methods of administering the same are also provided.
US08895607B2

The present invention relates to a compound of Formula (I) or (II) or a salt thereof, wherein R is described herein. The compounds are novel hydroxy-proline analog inhibitors of the ASCT1 and ASCT2 neutral amino acid transporters.
US08895606B2

The present invention relates to (S)-proline sulfonamide compounds of formula (I) wherein R1 and R2 are as described in the description, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, for use in the prevention or treatment of diseases or disorders related to the orexin system. The present invention also relates to the use of (S)-proline sulfonamide compounds of formula (II) as pharmaceuticals, to pharmaceutical compositions comprising compounds of formula (II), and especially their use in the prevention or treatment of diseases or disorders related to the orexin system.
US08895587B2

The present invention provides compounds of formula (I) wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, G1, n, A1, A2, A3, A4, Y1, Y2, and Y3 are as defined in the claims. The invention also relates to processes and intermediates for preparing these compounds, to insecticidal, acaricidal, nematicidal and molluscicidal compositions comprising these compounds and to methods of using these compounds to control insect, acarine, nematode and mollusc pests.
US08895586B2

Disclosed are compounds, compositions and methods for the prevention and/or treatment of diseases which are pathophysiologically mediated by the neurokinin (NK1) receptor. The compounds have the general formula (I):
US08895583B2

This inventions relates to compounds having the structure Formula I and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof which are soluble guanylate cyclase activators. The compounds are useful for treatment or prevention of cardiovascular diseases, endothelial dysfunction, diastolic dysfunction, atherosclerosis, hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, angina pectoris, thromboses, restenosis, myocardial infarction, strokes, cardiac insufficiency, pulmonary hypertonia, erectile dysfunction, asthma bronchiale, chronic kidney insufficiency, diabetes, or cirrhosis of the liver.
US08895582B2

Chemical entities that modulate smooth muscle myosin and/or non-muscle myosin, pharmaceutical compositions and methods of treatment of diseases and conditions associated with smooth muscle myosin and/or non-muscle myosin are described.
US08895574B2

A benzyloxypyrimidine derivative represented by the formula (I) wherein R1 is an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, a haloalkyl group, a haloalkenyl group, a haloalkynyl group, an alkoxyalkyl group and the like; R2 and R3 are each a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group and the like; X is an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, a haloalkyl group, a haloalkenyl group, a haloalkynyl group, a trialkylsilyl group and the like; A is a oxygen atom and the like, and m is an integer of 0-5, or a salt thereof, and an agrohorticultural insecticide containing the compound as an active ingredient and a method of use thereof.
US08895570B2

The invention provides the compound of formula (I) and pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, pharmaceutical compositions containing the compound and the use of the compound in therapy.
US08895568B2

The present disclosure relates to 1- or 2-(4-(aryloxy)-phenyl)ethylamino-oxy- or sulfanyl) pteridines and 1- or 2-(4 Jheteroaryloxy)-phenyl)ethylamino-, oxy- or sulfanyl)pteridines and their use as agrochemicals and animal health products. The disclosure provides compounds of Formula (I-A) and Formula (I-B).
US08895564B2

Provided is a novel compound which simultaneously inhibits both NMDA receptors and ASIC1a, which are associated with neurodegenerative disease and so on, and thus is useful for the prevention and treatment of various nervous system diseases. A biguanide derivative represented by the following general formula (1), a salt thereof, or a hydrate of the derivative or the salt: wherein, X1 represents a halogen atom, R1 represents an alkyl group, an optionally substituted aryl group, or an optionally substituted aralkyl group.
US08895556B2

The invention relates to a compound of Formula I: and/or a pharmaceutically-acceptable salt, hydrate, solvate, tautomer, optical isomer, E-isomer, Z-isomer, or combination thereof, wherein the remaining substituents are described herein; and a composition comprising the thiosemicarbazone and/or the semicarbazone. The invention also relates to a method of administration of a thiocarbazone and/or a semicarbazone; and use thereof to treat a cancer.
US08895552B2

Provided is a compound represented by formula (1) or a pharmacologically acceptable salt thereof. (In the formula, A is C6-10 arylene, etc.; R1a, R1b and R1c each independently is a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a C1-4 alkyl group, a C1-4 alkoxy group, etc.; R2 is an optionally substituted C6-10 aryl group, an optionally substituted 5- to 12-membered monocyclic or polycyclic heteroaryl group, an optionally substituted C7-16 aralkyl group, etc.; m is 0, etc.; n is an integer of 0 to 2.)
US08895546B2

The invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising one or more benzodiazepine drugs for nasal administration, methods for producing and for using such compositions.
US08895542B2

Disclosed is a medicinal cream that includes flisidic acid which is made in situ under an oxygen-free environment using sodium fusidate. The fusidic acid is made by dissolving the sodium fusidate in a co-solvent under inert gas purging and under vacuum, and converting the sodium fusidate to fusidic acid in situ by adding an acid under stirring, The disclosed medicinal cream also includes a biopolymer and a cream base comprising at least one of each of a primary and secondary emulsifier, a waxy material, and water.
US08895538B2

The present invention relates to a topical pharmaceutical composition that comprises the combination of an antimicrobial, a glucocorticoid, an antimycotic and pharmaceutically acceptable vehicles or excipients; the method for producing the composition and the use of said composition for treating localized dermatosis ailments.
US08895535B2

Compounds of the formula I in which R1, R2, R3 and R4 have the meanings indicated in Claim 1, are inhibitors of methionine aminopeptidase and can be employed for the treatment of tumors.
US08895533B2

The invention relates to a compound, comprising a) a first starch derivative selected from the group consisting of hydroxyalkyl starch, carboxyl alkyl starch, ester starch and arbitrary mixtures thereof, wherein the starch derivative has a mean relative molar mass Mw1 and a degree of molar substitution MS1, and b) a second starch derivative selected from the group consisting of hydroxyalkyl starch, carboxyl alkyl starch, ester starch and arbitrary mixtures thereof, having a mean relative molar mass Mw2 and a degree of molar substitution MS2, characterized in that Mw1 is greater than Mw2 (Mw1>Mw2) and MS2 is greater than MS1 (MS2>MS1).
US08895528B2

The present invention relates to antisense oligonucleotides that modulate the expression of and/or function of Atonal homolog 1 (ATOH1), in particular, by targeting natural antisense polynucleotides of Atonal homolog 1 (ATOH1). The invention also relates to the identification of these antisense oligonucleotides and their use in treating diseases and disorders associated with the expression of ATOH1.
US08895527B2

The present invention relates to antisense oligonucleotides that modulate the expression of and/or function of Transcription factor E3 (TFE3) and/or Insulin Receptor Substrate 2 (IRS2) polynucleotides, in particular, by targeting natural antisense polynucleotides of Transcription factor E3 (TFE3) and/or Insulin Receptor Substrate 2 (IRS2). The invention also relates to the identification of these antisense oligonucleotides and their use in treating diseases and disorders associated with the expression of TFE3 and/or IRS2.
US08895521B2

Pharmaceutical compositions are disclosed that are of use for the treatment of uveitis. These compositions include a suppressive oligonucleotide. These compositions including an immunosuppressive oligonucleotide can be used for the treatment of uveitis, including anterior, posterior, and diffuse uveitis.
US08895516B2

Saccharide-protein conjugates having a new type of linker are described. The conjugates comprising the new linker are prepared from modified saccharides comprising a moiety of the formula (I): -A-N(R1)-L-M wherein: A is a bond, —C(O)— or —OC(O)—; R1 is selected from H or C1-C6 alkyl; L is a C1-C12 alkylene group; and M is a masked aldehyde group. The new linker is especially useful for preparing conjugates of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A saccharide. Conjugates having this new linker have improved immunogenicity compared to other types of conjugates.
US08895506B2

The present invention is directed to stabilizing Bone Morphogenetic Protein in various lyophilized formulations and compositions. The present invention comprises formulations primarily including trehalose as an excipient for lyophilized compositions and their subsequent storage and reconstitution, and can also optionally include other excipients, including buffers and surfactants.
US08895500B2

The present invention relates to a modified human tumor necrosis factor receptor-1 polypeptide which is capable of binding to a tumor necrosis factor in vivo or ex vivo, or to a fragment thereof. The modified human tumor necrosis factor receptor-1 polypeptide or the fragment thereof according to the present invention exhibit improved binding affinity to the tumor necrosis factor.
US08895498B2

The present invention relates generally to novel GIP analogs and GIP hybrid polypeptides with selectable properties, useful as agents for the treatment and prevention of metabolic diseases and disorders, for example those which can be alleviated by control plasma glucose levels, insulin levels, and/or insulin secretion, positive inotropic effects, reduction of catabolic effects, slowing of gastric emptying. Such conditions and disorders include, but are not limited to, hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease, eating disorders, critical care, insulin-resistance, obesity, and diabetes mellitus of any kind, including type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes.
US08895495B2

The present invention relates to a class of fragrance precursor compounds comprising one or more of the compounds derived from the reaction of X—OH and an aldehyde or ketone, the fragrance precursor compounds being of the formula X—O—C(R)(R*)(OR**) wherein R is a C6-24 alkyl group, a C6-24 aralkyl group or a C6-24 alkaryl group; R* is H or a C6-24 alkyl group, a C6-24 aralkyl group or a C6-24 alkaryl group; R** is H or X; X—O representing a moiety derived from X—OH, and wherein X—OH is a compound selected from the group consisting of surfactants, fabric softeners, softener precursor ester amines, softener precursor amido amines, hair conditioners, skin conditions, saccharides and polymers. In a second aspect it relates to a method of preparing such precusors. Further the invention relates to compositions, comprising the precursor of the invention.
US08895493B2

The need for a stable, compact composition providing improved fabric care benefit, that is also convenient to use, can be met by incorporating a cationic cellulose polymer into a non-aqueous composition, using a non-aqueous dispersant. Such compositions have good physical stability, with little or no clumping of the cationic polymer in particulate form.
US08895492B2

This application relates to a dilutable aqueous liquid cleaning composition, typically a dishwashing liquid, which comprises a plurality of surfactants, the surfactants including surfactant active components comprising from greater than 30% to up to 55% by weight, based on the weight of the composition, wherein the composition has a viscosity of 100 to 500 mPas as measured at 25° C., and the composition is dilutable with water to form a non-gelling diluted composition having up to six times the volume of the undiluted composition and a viscosity within the range of 100 to 1600 mPas as measured at 25° C. at any dilution up to the six times dilution.
US08895489B2

The invention provides a grease composition for hub unit bearing, containing (a) an aromatic diurea thickener, (b) a base oil, (c) a metal salt of oxidized wax, (d) diphenyl hydrogen phosphate, and (e) at least one rust preventive selected from the group consisting of sulfonate rust preventives and carboxylic acid rust preventives. The grease composition of the invention shows excellent anti-fretting properties at low temperature, and at the same time, exhibit excellent rust preventing properties.
US08895488B2

A sliding structural member is provided which achieves a good low frictional property. A DLC film 2 containing hydrogen is provided on one member 11 between members sliding against each other, and the one member and a counterpart member 12 are combined in such a way that the DLC film 2 provided on the one member 11 slides against the counterpart member via a lubricant 3 to which organic molybdenum compound and compound containing zinc and sulfur are added as an additive. A root mean square roughness of a surface of the DLC film 2 is set in a range from 5 nm or more to 25 nm or less, and hydrogen content of the DLC film 2 is set in a range from 4.5 at % (atomic %) or more to 30 at % or less.
US08895482B2

Degeneration of shale caused by oxygen in aqueous drilling, fracturing and completion fluids is minimized by introducing imidazolines modified so that they will be attracted efficiently to pyrites in the shale, thereby forming a protective coating on the pyrites. Inhibiting oxidation of the pyrites sharply reduces physical degradation of the shale in the presence of drilling, fracturing and completion fluids carrying oxygen. The imidazoline is an ionic salt or a beatine.
US08895478B2

The invention relates to novel polymers derived from: (A) at least one N-vinyl amide-based unit and/or at least one acrylamide-based unit, and (B) at least one unit comprising: (i) at least one hydroxyl group, and/or (ii) at least one functional group convertible to a hydroxyl group wherein at least one group is converted to hydroxyl functionality in the final polymer product, wherein the polymer comprises at least one ester group. The polymers and compositions are used in oilfield applications, such as an inhibitor of gas hydrates and/or a kinetic inhibitor of gas hydrates. The polymer can assume alternating, block, and/or random configurations of the repeating units, with at least one ester group.
US08895477B2

A method for preparing lignin graft copolymer comprising: reacting lignocellulosic materials with an acrylic compound by bulk condensation under nitrogen atmosphere in the presence of a non-oxidizing strong organic acid as catalyst; separating the reaction mixture to obtain a solid phase mainly containing lignocellulosic materials and a liquid phase containing lignin graft copolymer and unreacted acrylic compound; and removing solvent from the liquid phase to obtain the lignin graft copolymer.
US08895466B2

The present invention discloses an active metallocene catalyst system prepared with a hafnium-based metallocene catalyst system and an activating agent comprising an aluminoxane and a sterically hindered Lewis base.
US08895465B2

This invention provides activator precursor compositions and activator compositions. The activator precursor compositions are formed from a support material, an organoaluminum compound, and polyfunctional compounds having at least two aromatic groups in which at least two of said aromatic groups each has at least one polar moiety thereon. The activator compositions are formed from a support material, an organoaluminum compound, an aluminoxane, and a polyfunctional compound having at least two aromatic groups in which at least two of said aromatic groups each has at least one polar moiety thereon. Also provided are catalyst compositions, processes for forming catalyst compositions, and polymerization processes utilizing the catalyst compositions of this invention.
US08895457B2

To provide a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, including: forming a thin film different from a silicon oxide film on a substrate by supplying a processing gas into a processing vessel in which the substrate is housed; removing a deposit including the thin film adhered to an inside of the processing vessel by supplying a fluorine-containing gas into the processing vessel after executing forming the thin film prescribed number of times; and forming a silicon oxide film having a prescribed film thickness on the inside of the processing vessel by alternately supplying a silicon-containing gas, and an oxygen-containing gas and a hydrogen-containing gas into the heated processing vessel in which a pressure is set to be less than an atmospheric pressure after removing the deposit.
US08895454B2

In an etching method of a multilayer film including a first oxide film and a second oxide film, a high frequency power in etching an organic film is set to be higher than those in etching a first and second oxide films, and high frequency bias powers in the etching of the first and second oxide films are set to be higher than that in the etching of the organic film. In the etching of the first and second oxide films and the organic film, a magnetic field is generated such that horizontal magnetic field components in a radial direction with respect to a central axis line of a target object have an intensity distribution having a peak value at a position far from the central axis line, and a position of the peak value in the etching of the organic film is closer to the central axis line.
US08895451B2

A method for etching with a laser beam having a predetermined wavelength an area of a layer of a first material, said area being deposited at the surface of at least two second materials, includes: depositing a layer of a third material on the layer of the first material, the first and the third materials having a chemical affinity on application of the laser beam greater than the chemical affinity during said application between the first material and each of said at least two second materials; and applying the laser beam to an area of a free surface of the layer of third material vertically above the area of the layer of first material with a fluence of said laser beam causing the separation of said area.
US08895450B2

Embodiments described herein provide a semiconductor device and methods and apparatuses of forming the same. The semiconductor device includes a substrate having a source and drain region and a gate electrode stack on the substrate between the source and drain regions. In one embodiment, the method includes positioning a substrate within a processing chamber, wherein the substrate includes a source and drain region, a gate dielectric layer between the source and drain regions, and a conductive film layer on the gate dielectric layer. The method also includes depositing a refractory metal nitride film layer on the conductive film layer, depositing a silicon-containing film layer on the refractory metal nitride film layer, and depositing a tungsten film layer on the silicon-containing film layer.
US08895443B2

Provided are methods of depositing N-Metals onto a substrate. Some methods comprise providing an initiation layer of TaM or TiM layer on a substrate, wherein M is selected from aluminum, carbon, noble metals, gallium, silicon, germanium and combinations thereof; and exposing the substrate having the TaM or TiM layer to a treatment process comprising soaking the surface of the substrate with a reducing agent to provided a treated initiation layer.
US08895435B2

The method of forming a polysilicon layer is provided. A first polysilicon layer with a first grain size is formed on a substrate. A second polysilicon layer with a second grain size is formed on the first polysilicon layer. The first grain size is smaller than the second grain size. The first polysilicon layer with a smaller grain size can serve as a base for the following deposition, so that the second polysilicon layer formed thereon has a flatter topography, and thus, the surface roughness is reduced and the Rs uniformity within a wafer is improved.
US08895428B2

Disclosed is a manufacture method of the thin film transistor array, comprising depositing a first transparent conductive layer and a first metal layer to perform patterning for forming a common electrode, a gate electrode and a transparent electrode array; depositing an insulating layer, an active layer, an ohmic contact layer and a second metal layer to perform patterning for forming a source and a drain; depositing a second transparent conductive layer to perform patterning for forming a source contact layer, a drain contact layer and a pixel electrode array connected to the drain contact layer. The present invention simplifies the manufacture process, saves the cost and time for the manufacture.
US08895427B2

A zinc oxide transparent electroconductive oxide has been difficult to use as a substrate having a transparent electrode because the oxide, when configured as a thin film, because of increased resistivity due to air and/or moisture exposure. Though doping can inhibit increase of resistance to some extent, there has been difficulty in selecting a type and an amount of a doping substance and because doping causes high initial resistance. A substrate having a transparent electrode with stable resistivity against various environments is produced by a magnetron sputtering method using a target composed of a zinc oxide transparent electroconductive oxide containing 0.50 to 2.75% silicon dioxide by weight relative to the oxide.
US08895424B2

A process for forming a Schottky barrier to silicon to a barrier height selected at a value between 640 meV and 840 meV employs the deposition of a platinum or nickel film atop the silicon surface followed by the deposition of the other of a platinum or nickel film atop the first film. The two films are then exposed to anneal steps at suitable temperatures to cause their interdiffusion and an ultimate formation of Ni2Si and Pt2Si contacts to the silicon surface. The final silicide has a barrier height between that of the Pt and Ni, and will depend on the initial thicknesses of the Pt and Ni films and annealing temperature and time. Oxygen is injected into the system to form an SiO2 passivation layer to improve the self aligned process.
US08895422B2

Production of an integrated circuit including an electrical contact on SiC is disclosed. One embodiment provides for production of an electrical contact on an SiC substrate, in which a conductive contact is produced on a boundary surface of the SiC substrate by irradiation and absorption of a laser pulse on an SiC substrate.
US08895414B1

A method of forming an amorphous silicon film includes: forming a seed layer on a surface of a base by heating the base and supplying an amino silane-based gas to the heated base, forming the amorphous silicon film with thickness for layer growth on the seed layer by heating the base and supplying a silane-based gas containing no amino group to the seed layer on the surface of the heated base, and decreasing a film thickness of the amorphous silicon film by etching the amorphous silicon film formed with thickness for layer growth.
US08895409B2

A semiconductor wafer includes a die, an edge seal, a bond pad, a plating bus, and trace. The die is adjacent to a saw street. The edge seal is along a perimeter of the die and includes a conductive layer formed in a last interconnect layer of the die. The bond pad is formed as part of metal deposition layer above the last interconnect layer or part of the last interconnect layer. The plating bus is within the saw street. The trace is connected to the bond pad and to the plating bus (1) over the edge seal, insulated from the edge seal, and formed in the metal deposition layer or (2) through the edge seal and insulated from the edge seal.
US08895404B2

A method of back-side patterning of a silicon wafer is disclosed, which includes: depositing a protective layer on a front side of a silicon wafer; forming one or more deep trenches through the protective layer and extending into the silicon wafer by a depth greater than a target thickness of the silicon wafer; flipping over the silicon wafer and bonding the front side of the silicon wafer with a carrier wafer; polishing a back side of the silicon wafer; performing alignment by using the one or more deep trench alignment marks and performing back-side patterning process on the back side of the silicon wafer; and de-bonding the silicon wafer with the carrier wafer.
US08895400B2

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a cell region and a peripheral circuit region defined therein. A buried word line is disposed in the substrate in the cell region and has a top surface lower than top surfaces of cell active regions in the cell region. A gate line is disposed on the substrate in the peripheral circuit region. A word line interconnect is disposed in the substrate in the peripheral circuit region, the word line interconnect including a first portion contacting the buried word line and having a top surface lower than a top surfaces of the cell active regions and a second portion that is overlapped by and in contact with the gate line.
US08895397B1

Methods are provided for manufacturing a thin film storage memory cell. The method includes forming a long select gate on a substrate, and forming thin film storage crystals overlying the long select gate and the adjacent substrate. A left and right control gate are formed on opposite sides of the long select gate, and a long select gate center portion is removed to form a left select gate and a right select gate with a gap therebetween. A drain is formed in the substrate underlying the gap, and a left and right source are formed in the substrate aligned with the left and right control gate.
US08895388B2

An object is to provide a technique for manufacturing an insulating layer with favorable withstand voltage. Another object is to provide a technique for manufacturing a semiconductor device having an insulating layer with favorable withstand voltage. By subjecting a semiconductor layer or semiconductor substrate mainly containing silicon to a high density plasma treatment, an insulating layer is formed on a surface of the semiconductor layer or a top surface of the semiconductor substrate. At this time, the high density plasma treatment is performed by switching a supply gas in the middle of the treatment from a gas containing a rare gas, oxygen, and hydrogen, to a gas containing a rare gas and oxygen.
US08895385B2

A method of forming a semiconductor structure includes forming a through-substrate-via (TSV) structure in a substrate. The method includes forming a first etch stop layer over the TSV structure. The method further includes forming a first dielectric layer in contact with the first etch stop layer. The method still further includes forming a second etch stop layer in contact with the first dielectric layer. The method also includes forming a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor structure in contact with the second etch stop layer. The method further includes forming a first conductive structure through the first etch stop layer and the first dielectric layer, wherein the first conductive structure is electrically coupled with the TSV structure and the TSV structure is substantially wider than the first conductive structure.
US08895381B1

A method of forming a semiconductor device that includes providing a substrate including a biaxial strained semiconductor layer that is present directly on a dielectric layer, and patterning the biaxial strained semiconductor layer to provide a first conductivity region of a laterally relaxed semiconductor portion and a second conductivity region of a biaxial strained semiconductor portion, wherein the laterally relaxed semiconductor portion is present over an undercut region in the dielectric layer.A hydrogen anneal is applied to the first and second conductivity region, wherein the laterally relaxed semiconductor portion is relaxed to an unstrained state. A first semiconductor device is formed in first conductivity region and a second semiconductor device is formed in the second conductivity region.
US08895372B2

A three-dimensional (3D) integrated circuit (IC) structure includes a first layer of graphene formed over a substrate; a first level of one or more active devices formed using the first layer of graphene; an insulating layer formed over the first level of one or more active devices; a second layer of graphene formed over the insulating layer; and a second level of one or more active devices formed using the second layer of graphene, the second level of one or more active devices electrically interconnected with the first level of one or more active devices.
US08895370B2

A vertical conduction power device includes respective gate, source and drain areas formed in an epitaxial layer on a semiconductor substrate. The respective gate, source and drain metallizations are formed by a first metallization level. The gate, source and drain terminals are formed by a second metallization level. The device is configured as a set of modular areas extending parallel to each other. Each modular area has a rectangular elongate source area perimetrically surrounded by a gate area, and a drain area defined by first and second regions. The first regions of the drain extend parallel to one another and separate adjacent modular areas. The second regions of the drain area extend parallel to one another and contact ends of the first regions of the drain area.
US08895366B2

A semiconductor package and a fabrication method thereof are disclosed. The fabrication method includes the steps of providing a semiconductor chip having an active surface and a non-active surface opposing to the active surface, roughening a peripheral portion of the non-active surface so as to divide the non-active surface into the peripheral portion formed with a roughened structure and a non-roughened central portion, mounting the semiconductor chip on a chip carrier via a plurality of solder bumps formed on the active surface, forming an encapsulant on the chip carrier to encapsulate the semiconductor chip. The roughened structure formed on the peripheral portion of the non-active surface of the semiconductor chip can reinforce the bonding between the semiconductor chip and the encapsulant, and the non-roughened central portion of the non-active surface of the semiconductor chip can maintain the structural strength of the semiconductor chip.
US08895355B2

A method of arranging a diamagnetic rod includes levitating a diamagnetic rod above a contact line at which a first magnet contacts a second magnet, the first magnet and the second magnet having diametric magnetization in a direction perpendicular to the contact line.
US08895348B2

A solar cell, comprising: a doped silicon substrate, the silicon substrate comprising a front surface and a rear surface; a front phosphorous diffusion layer formed on the front surface; a front anti-reflective layer formed on the front phosphorous diffusion layer; a front metal electrode on the front surface in ohmic contact with the front phosphorous diffusion layer through the front anti-reflective layer; a rear passivation layer formed on the rear surface; a rear metal electrode in a pattern on the rear surface passing through the rear passivation layer; and a rear p+ diffusion area on the rear surface between the rear passivation layer and a boron-doped region of the silicon substrate, the rear p+ diffusion area surrounding the rear metal electrode.
US08895345B2

The present invention provides a dicing method that achieves excellent dicing properties at low costs by removing a metal film through a metal processing operation with a diamond tool and then performing pulse laser beam irradiation. The dicing method is a method of dicing a substrate to be processed, devices being formed in the substrate to be processed, a metal film being formed on one surface of the substrate to be processed. The dicing method includes: placing the substrate to be processed onto a first stage; forming a groove portion by removing the metal film through a metal processing operation with a diamond tool; placing the substrate to be processed onto a second stage; generating a clock signal; emitting a pulse laser beam synchronized with the clock signal to the groove portion of the substrate to be processed; moving the substrate to be processed and the pulse laser beam relative to each other; switching the pulse laser beam between irradiation and non-irradiation of the substrate to be processed on a light pulse basis by controlling passing and blocking of the pulse laser beam with a pulse picker in synchronization with the clock signal; and forming cracks in the substrate to be processed, the cracks reaching the substrate surface.
US08895342B2

Inverted metamorphic multijunction solar cells having a heterojunction middle subcell and a graded interlayer, and methods of making same, are disclosed herein. The present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a solar cell using an MOCVD process, wherein the graded interlayer is composed of (InxGa1-x)yAl1-yAs, and is formed in the MOCVD reactor so that it is compositionally graded to lattice match the middle second subcell on one side and the lower third subcell on the other side, with the values for x and y computed and the composition of the graded interlayer determined so that as the layer is grown in the MOCVD reactor, the band gap of the graded interlayer remains constant at 1.5 eV throughout the thickness of the graded interlayer.
US08895331B2

Provided is a semiconductor light emitting diode having a textured structure formed on a substrate. In a method of manufacturing the semiconductor light emitting diode, a metal layer is formed on the substrate, and a metal oxide layer having holes is formed by anodizing the metal layer. The metal oxide layer itself can be used as a textured structure pattern, or the textured structure pattern can be formed by forming holes in the substrate or a material layer under the metal oxide layer corresponding to the holes of the metal oxide layer. The manufacture of the semiconductor light emitting diode is completed by sequentially forming a first semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second semiconductor layer on the textured structure pattern.
US08895329B2

Disclosed herein are a patterned substrate for a light emitting diode and a light emitting diode employing the patterned substrate. The substrate has top and bottom surfaces. Protrusion patterns are arranged on the top surface of the substrate. Furthermore, recessed regions surround the protrusion patterns. The recessed regions have irregular bottoms. Thus, the protrusion patterns and the recessed regions can prevent light emitted from a light emitting diode from being lost due to the total reflection to thereby improve light extraction efficiency.
US08895328B2

A fabrication method of a light-emitting device comprises providing a growth substrate; forming a protective layer on a first surface of the growth substrate; and forming a first semiconductor layer on a second surface of the growth substrate opposite to the first surface, wherein the coefficient of thermal expansion of the growth substrate is smaller than that of the protective layer and the first semiconductor layer.
US08895324B2

A method of determining an amount of impurities that a contaminating material contributes to high purity silicon including the step of partially encasing a sample of high purity silicon in the contaminating material. The sample encased in the contaminating material is heated within a furnace. A change in impurity content of the high purity silicon is determined after the step of heating, compared to an impurity content of the high purity silicon prior to the step of heating. A furnace for heat treating high purity silicon including a housing that defines a heating chamber. The housing is at least partially formed from low contaminant material that contributes less than 400 parts per trillion of impurities to the high purity silicon during heating at annealing temperatures for a sufficient period time to anneal the high purity silicon, and the furnace contributes an average of less than 400 parts per trillion of impurities to the high purity silicon under the same heating conditions.
US08895319B2

The present invention provides a nanohybrid type nitrogen monoxide detecting sensor and a production method therefor in which the nanohybrid type nitrogen monoxide detecting sensor includes a fluorescent semiconducting quantum dot and a transition metal compound. Employing a nanohybrid structure including semiconducting quantum dot nano-particles combined with a molecule recognizer selectively forming a bonding to nitrogen monoxide, the nitrogen monoxide detecting sensor is enabled to detect an infinitesimal amount of nitrogen monoxide by bringing about photoluminescence upon detection of nitrogen monoxide.
US08895298B2

The invention features methods for separating cells from a sample (e.g., separating fetal red blood cells from maternal blood). The method begins with the introduction of a sample including cells into one or more microfluidic channels. In one embodiment, the device includes at least two processing steps. For example, a mixture of cells is introduced into a microfluidic channel that selectively allows the passage of a desired type of cell, and the population of cells enriched in the desired type is then introduced into a second microfluidic channel that allows the passage of the desired cell to produce a population of cells further enriched in the desired type. The selection of cells is based on a property of the cells in the mixture, for example, size, shape, deformability, surface characteristics (e.g., cell surface receptors or antigens and membrane permeability), or intracellular properties (e.g., expression of a particular enzyme).
US08895291B2

Embodiments described herein generally relate to methods and systems for using an air removal chamber as a control for a process in a cell expansion system. The air removal chamber may be mounted on a fluid conveyance assembly for use with the system. Fluid is pumped into a fluid containment chamber of the air removal chamber, in which the level of fluid in the fluid containment chamber may be monitored through the use of one or more sensors. The sensors are capable of detecting air, a lack of fluid, fluid, and/or a gas/fluid interface, e.g., an air/fluid interface, at measuring positions within the air removal chamber. Protocols for use with the system may include one or more stop conditions. In an embodiment, the stopping of a process is automated based on the detection of air, a lack of fluid, and/or a gas/fluid interface in the air removal chamber.
US08895279B2

A method to recover and harvest nutrients from a liquid stream by incorporating them into microorganisms grown in a rotating photobioreactor. The method further includes optionally integrating the rotating photobioreactor with a composting or biogenic drying process.
US08895275B2

A method for producing an aqueous sugar solution from cellulosic materials comprising the steps of heating ground cellulosic materials with perchloric acid; neutralizing the heated materials with an alkali to yield a salt precipitate; and filtering the salt precipitate off to obtain the aqueous sugar solution.
US08895270B2

Disclosed is a method for producing a β-amino acid comprising a step of synthesizing a β-amino acid from an α-amino acid in the presence of an amino acid aminomutase. In this method, a β-amino acid is precipitated as a solid in the reaction solution.
US08895266B2

The present invention relates to a cell for the production of an antibody molecule such as an antibody useful for various diseases having high antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxic activity, a fragment of the antibody and a fusion protein having the Fc region of the antibody or the like, a method for producing an antibody composition using the cell, the antibody composition and use thereof.
US08895264B2

Nucleases and methods of using these nucleases for modification of an HPRT locus and for increasing the frequency of gene modification at a targeted locus and clones and for generating animals.
US08895262B1

The staining method for identification of flatworms includes placing a sample flatworm specimen on a microscope slide, mounting the flatworm specimen on the slide with a small amount of lactophenol cotton blue (LPCB) stain, waiting two to three minutes for the stain to be absorbed by flatworm tissues, covering the specimen with a cover slip, and examining the stained specimen with a microscope to identify the species-distinctive organs of the flatworm. For permanent mounting, the cover slip may be sealed to the microscope slide by nail polish. The method is effective for trematodes (flukes) and cestodes (tapeworms). Before examination, the specimen may be preserved by obtaining the flatworm from a carrier or host, washing the flatworm in saline and preserving the flatworm in alcohol, e.g. 70% alcohol.
US08895252B2

Enzyme based analyte sensors having radiation stabilizing agents are disclosed and described. More particularly, devices comprising a radiation stabilizing agent and methods for stabilizing sensors to high energy radiation sterilization are disclosed and described.
US08895245B2

The invention relates to inhibition of wild-type and certain mutant forms of human histone methyltransferase EZH2, the catalytic subunit of the PRC2 complex which catalyzes the mono- through tri-methylation of lysine 27 on histone H3 (H3-K27). In one embodiment the inhibition is selective for the mutant form of the EZH2, such that trimethylation of H3-K27, which is associated with certain cancers, is inhibited. The methods can be used to treat cancers including follicular lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Also provided are methods for identifying small molecule selective inhibitors of the mutant forms of EZH2 and also methods for determining responsiveness to an EZH2 inhibitor in a subject.
US08895244B2

Provided are a method and a kit for detecting 5-hydroxymethylcytosine in a nucleic acid. The method is a method for detecting 5-hydroxymethylcytosine in a nucleic acid, comprising the steps of: (1) oxidizing 5-hydroxymethylcytosine in a nucleic acid sample by treating the nucleic acid sample with a tungstic acid-based oxidizing agent comprising peroxotungstic acid, tungstic acid, a salt thereof, or a combination thereof with a reoxidizing agent; and (2) determining the position of the oxidized 5-hydroxymethylcytosine in the nucleic acid sample.
US08895240B2

This invention relates to a method, kit and system for collecting and processing of samples to release and treat DNA and RNA for gene sequence detection. The method described here in provides for rapid and convenient release, and recovery of DNA and RNA from tissues and cellular materials.
US08895233B2

A method of creating a region of index change in a photopolymer includes providing a photopolymer having a photosensitivity to light of a particular wavelength and creating a region of index change in the photopolymer by applying direct write lithography to expose the photopolymer of the region to light that includes the particular wavelength.
US08895225B2

A method of forming patterns includes (a) coating a substrate with a resist composition for negative development to form a resist film, wherein the resist composition contains a resin capable of increasing the polarity by the action of the acid and becomes more soluble in a positive developer and less soluble in a negative developer upon irradiation with an actinic ray or radiation, (b) forming a protective film on the resist film with a protective film composition after forming the resist film and before exposing the resist film, (c) exposing the resist film via an immersion medium, and (d) performing development with a negative developer.
US08895224B2

Lithographic printing plates and processes for preparing the lithographic printing plates are provided. The plates have excellent printing durability, staining resistance and staining resistance over time. The lithographic printing plate precursor includes: a substrate; a photosensitive layer provided on the substrate; and an extra layer optionally provided between the substrate and the photosensitive layer. The photosensitive layer or the extra layer adjacent to the substrate contains (A) a copolymer. The copolymer (A) includes: (a1) a repeating unit of formula (a1-1) below in a side chain, and (a2) a repeating unit having at least one of the structures represented by formulae (a2-1) to (a2-6) shown in the specification in a side chain. L1, Z1, R1, and R21, R22 and R23 in formula (a1-1) and the variables in formulae (a2-1) to (a2-6) are as defined in the specification.
US08895220B2

An emulsion aggregation toner formulation for electrophotography and a method for preparation thereof. The emulsion aggregation toner formulation includes a polyester resin emulsion formed using an extruded polyester binder resin having a broad molecular weight distribution. The extruded polyester binder resin is formed using a plurality of polyester binder resins. Further, the emulsion aggregation toner formulation comprises at least one colorant dispersion and a wax dispersion.
US08895214B2

An optical mask for forming a pattern is provided. The optical mask includes: a substrate including a light blocking pattern formed on portions of the substrate, wherein the light blocking pattern includes a halftone layer and a light blocking layer formed on the halftone layer, and the halftone layer and the light blocking layer overlap such that at least an edge portion of the halftone layer is exposed. A pitch of the light blocking pattern may about 6 μm, and a transmission ratio of the halftone layer may range from about 10% to about 50%.
US08895212B2

In the field of semiconductor production using charged particle beam lithography, a method and system for fracturing or mask data preparation or proximity effect correction is disclosed, wherein base dosages for a plurality of exposure passes are different from each other. Methods for manufacturing a reticle and manufacturing an integrated circuit are also disclosed, wherein a plurality of charged particle beam exposure passes are used, with base dosage levels being different for different exposure passes.
US08895210B2

An aspect of the present embodiment, there is provided a method for fabricating a pellicle, including acquiring a shape of a pellicle frame, deciding a thickness distribution of an adhesive to be coated on the pellicle frame on a basis of the acquired shape of the pellicle frame, and coating the adhesive on the pellicle frame based on the decision of the thickness distribution.
US08895206B2

A porous metal that comprises platinum and has a specific surface area that is greater than 5 m2/g and less than 75 m2/g. A fuel cell includes a first electrode, a second electrode spaced apart from the first electrode, and an electrolyte arranged between the first and the second electrodes. At least one of the first and second electrodes is coated with a porous metal catalyst for oxygen reduction, and the porous metal catalyst comprises platinum and has a specific surface area that is greater than 5 m2/g and less than 75 m2/g. A method of producing a porous metal according to an embodiment of the current invention includes producing an alloy consisting essentially of platinum and nickel according to the formula PtxNi1-x, where x is at least 0.01 and less than 0.3; and dealloying the alloy in a substantially pH neutral solution to reduce an amount of nickel in the alloy to produce the porous metal.
US08895204B2

A water reactive hydrogen fueled power system includes devices and methods to combine reactant fuel materials and aqueous solutions to generate hydrogen. The generated hydrogen is converted in a fuel cell to provide electricity. The water reactive hydrogen fueled power system includes a fuel cell, a water feed tray, and a fuel cartridge to generate power for portable power electronics. The removable fuel cartridge is encompassed by the water feed tray and fuel cell. The water feed tray is refillable with water by a user. The water is then transferred from the water feed tray into the fuel cartridge to generate hydrogen for the fuel cell which then produces power for the user.
US08895195B2

Disclosed is a non-aqueous electrolyte comprising: an acrylate compound; a sulfinyl group-containing compound; an organic solvent; and an electrolyte salt. Also, disclosed is an electrode comprising a coating layer formed partially or totally on a surface thereof, the coating layer comprising: (i) a reduced form of an acrylate compound; and (ii) a reduced form of a sulfinyl group-containing compound. Further, disclosed is an electrochemical device comprising a cathode, an anode and a non-aqueous electrolyte, wherein (i) the non-aqueous electrolyte is the aforementioned non-aqueous electrolyte; and/or (ii) the cathode and/or the anode is the aforementioned electrode.
US08895192B2

A grid plate for a lead acid storage battery including a frame section having a pair of quadrangular contour shape, and longitudinal and lateral grid strands forming a frame section grid. The longitudinal and lateral grid strands have thick strands of smaller thickness than the frame section, and thin strands of smaller width and thickness than the thick strands. Strands adjacent to the thick strands are thin strands, and space allows flow of active material to sides of the thick strands. Ends of the thick strands in the thickness direction are positioned further inward from end faces of the frame section in the thickness direction, and the end portions of one end side of the thin strands in the thickness direction are positioned offset to one end side of the thick strands in the thickness direction, and active material is packed into the reverse surface side of the grid plate.
US08895187B2

Provided is a non-aqueous electrolyte-based, high-power lithium secondary battery having a long service life and superior safety at both room temperature and high temperature, even after repeated high-current charging and discharging. The battery comprises a cathode active material composed of a mixture of lithium/manganese spinel oxide and lithium/nickel/cobalt/manganese composite oxide wherein the cathode active material exhibits the life characteristics that the capacity at 300 cycles is more than 70% relative to the initial capacity, in the provision of satisfying the condition (i) regarding the particle size and the condition (ii) regarding the mixing ratio.
US08895186B2

It is an objective of the present invention to provide a lithium-ion rechargeable battery anode which can control the volume change of a primary particle of a negative-electrode active material other than a carbon-based material and that can prevent cracks due to stress caused by the volume change from occurring and extending. There is provided an anode for a lithium-ion rechargeable battery including a primary particle of a negative-electrode active material, a conductive material, and a binder, the negative-electrode active material including at least one of silicon and tin, and at least one element selected from elements that do not chemically react with lithium, in which holes are present both in an inner core region in the central region of the primary particle of the negative-electrode active material and in a periphery region that covers the inner core region.
US08895179B2

A card battery to charge and/or discharge an external electronic apparatus, the card battery including: a card battery body including a bare cell and a first substrate electrically connected to the bare cell; and a connector including a protection circuit module electrically connected to the card battery body.
US08895178B2

A battery pack including: a bare cell; a holder disposed at an end of the bare cell, having a connection groove on a side surface thereof; a protection circuit board seated in the holder; and an outer case disposed upon a side of the bare cell, having a connection protrusion mated with the connection groove, to secure the holder. Another battery pack includes: a bare cell including an electrode assembly and an cell case to accommodate the electrode assembly, including an outer casing and a inner casing, the cell case having a connection protrusion disposed at an edge of at least one of the outer and inner casings; a holder disposed at an end of the bare cell, having a connection groove to mate with the connection protrusion and thereby secure the holder; and a protection circuit board seated in the holder.
US08895170B2

A battery holder is equipped with a support unit having a battery holding hole, and a holder unit interposed between the battery holding hole and the battery. The holder unit has a first spacer and a second spacer. The first spacer has a support part that supports the battery in the support unit. The second spacer is formed using a material with a lower melting point than the melting point of the material of the first spacer, this is inserted in the heat shielding space, and when the second spacer is melted by heat and flows out from the heat shielding space, the constitution is such that the heat shielding space shifts the heat insulation space.
US08895168B2

A battery is disclosed that includes two contact areas, an electrolyte, and a conductivity mechanism to increase electron conductivity internal to the battery between the two contact areas that, in turn, deactivates the battery. In one embodiment, the conductivity mechanism is triggered external to the battery. In another embodiment, the conductivity mechanism utilizes deactivator material to increase electron conductivity through the electrolyte to deactivate the battery. In yet another embodiment, the conductivity mechanism creates multiple shorts between the two contact areas to deactivate the battery.
US08895164B2

A perpendicular magnetic recording medium, which includes a nonmagnetic substrate, and a first underlayer in the form of a soft magnetic under-layer (SUL), a second underlayer, an intermediate layer, a magnetic recording layer, a protective layer, and a lubricant layer sequentially laminated on the nonmagnetic substrate. The SUL has a plurality of SUL layers including a type-A SUL layer, a plurality of type-B SUL layers including at least two adjacent type-B SUL layers, and a nonmagnetic metal spacer layer disposed between the two adjacent type-B SUL layers. The type-A SUL layer may include a material selected from Co, Fe and Ni, a material selected from Cr, V and Ti, and a material selected from W, Zr, Ta and Nb. Each of the type-B SUL layers is in antiferromagnetic coupling, and may include a material selected from Co, Fe and Ni, a material selected from Cr, V and Ti, and a material selected from W, Zr, Ta and Nb.
US08895152B2

The invention relates to a method for generating at least one electrically contactable area on a polymer which is doped with a conductive substance, wherein a contact material is applied onto the polymer, which has a lower specific resistance at 23° C. than the polymer. According to the invention the contact material is applied onto the polymer so tightly that close contact between the contact material and the conductive substance is achieved. Due to the tight application of the contact material, which has a lower specific resistance than the polymer, the input resistance of the doped polymer is effectively reduced. The invention further concerns a formed body made of a polymer which is doped with a conductive substance, which has at least one contactable area, within which a contact material is applied onto the polymer, which has a lower specific resistance at 23° C. than the polymer. According to the invention the contact material is applied onto the polymer so tightly that it is in close contact to the conductive substance. Such formed body has a significantly reduced input resistance.
US08895144B2

Disclosed are a multifunctional thermal conducting and/or radiating particle simultaneously having at least one of various functions, such as electromagnetic wave absorbing property, flame retardency, antistatic property, insulating property, thermal resistance and electrical conductivity, as well as a thermal conductivity, a composite array having the same and a fabrication method thereof. The multifunctional thermal conducting and/or radiating particle is composed of a core and a shell, wherein the core includes a core particle having a lower thermal conductivity than that of a particle included in the shell, and the shell includes high-thermal conductive particles each having a higher thermal conductivity than that of the core particle.
US08895140B2

Provided is a vinylidene fluoride resin film that has good adhesiveness to a base material, achieves good dispersivity even when a pigment is contained in large amounts, and has excellent thermal stability during a forming process. To a resin component composed of a vinylidene fluoride resin and a methacrylic acid ester resin, a predetermined amount of a titanium oxide surface treated with alumina and silica and a predetermined amount of a fatty acid ester of polyethylene glycol and/or its derivative are added to prepare a vinylidene fluoride resin film. Alternatively, at least a front side layer and a back side layer have such a composition, the front side layer has a combination amount of the vinylidene fluoride resin and the methacrylic acid ester resin of 70:30 to 95:5 in terms of mass ratio, and the back side layer has a combination amount of the vinylidene fluoride resin and the methacrylic acid ester resin of 5:95 to 45:55 in terms of mass ratio. In each case, the total adhesion amount of alumina and silica is 5 to 11% by mass in the titanium oxide relative to the total mass of the titanium oxide.
US08895138B2

An impact resistant composite article has two or more layers of ballistic fabric and ionomer layers disposed between the fabric layers. The ionomer is highly neutralized so that it has essentially no melt flow. A process also for making such a composite article that involves deposition of an aqueous colloid of the ionomer onto the fabric, followed by drying.
US08895128B2

The present invention is an improved corkboard consisting of a small, circular, moveable and removable tack landing pad which is designed to adhere to a flat surface such as a wall or computer by an adhesive strip or to a metal surface like a refrigerator or thing cabinet via a magnetic strip. This landing pad is designed to receive papers of various sizes, shapes, and stock through puncture with a standard push pin tack without damaging walls. The landing pad consists of two components—(1) an outer donut-shaped shell that is sealed at its base and is contoured inward to a narrowing angle at its tack receiving face and (2) an inner foam core. The outer shell operates to both enclose and compress the foam core. This core compression affords the foam greater tack gripping ability as well as enhanced durability by quickly regaining its original shape upon tack removal.
US08895125B2

Multi-layer moulding having a high structural load-carrying capacity with two opposing broad faces and a laterally peripheral end face, containing, in layers, broad face on broad face, layered wood veneers and, lying between the wood veneers, adhesives. The wood veneers are layered in such a way that the grain of at least one of the wood veneers deviates from the grain of one or the other wood veneers by 45° to 90° and in that the grain of the wood veneers deviates by 22.5 to 67.5° with respect to a surface normal to an end face of the moulding.
US08895109B2

The invention describes a coated spring for mattresses that comprises a helical compression spring and a wrapping in the form of a bag containing the spring, wherein the bag containing the spring is injected with a polymeric reaction mixture, which after reacting or curing produces a polymeric foam, preferably of flexible polyurethane up to a desired volume in order to cause the spring to change its flexion or compression properties, as well as the method for its manufacturing and its use in the manufacturing of mattresses of different kinds.
US08895106B2

The present disclosure concerns a process suitable for coating discrete articles with a zinc-rich, fully alloyed layer. A known method for the corrosion-protection of such articles comprises the steps of hot-dip galvannealing, typically followed by painting. This hot-dip process has however to be performed at a high temperature, thereby submitting the articles to severe thermal stress. A novel vacuum deposition process of Zn is therefore presented. It is characterized in that, in the step of contacting the article with metallic Zn vapor, the temperature of the article is equal to or higher than the dew point of the Zn vapor. The process results in a coating having a uniform thickness, even on less accessible surfaces. The surface roughness is well adapted for the adhesion of paint.
US08895105B2

A method of growing carbon nanomaterials on a substrate wherein the substrate is exposed to an oxidizing gas; a seed material is deposited on the substrate to form a receptor for a catalyst on the surface of said substrate; a catalyst is deposited on the seed material by exposing the receptor on the surface of the substrate to a vapor of the catalyst; and substrate is subjected to chemical vapor deposition in a carbon containing gas to grow carbon nanomaterial on the substrate.
US08895093B2

A method for making a jelly confectionery comprising preparing a liquid jelly confectionery composition comprising bulk sweetener and a hydrocolloid gelling agent, cooking the liquid jelly confectionery composition, and depositing the liquid jelly confectionery composition into a mold, wherein the viscosity of the liquid jelly confectionery composition is temporarily modified for a period of time commencing prior to deposition of the liquid jelly confectionery into a mold.
US08895085B2

There is provided agglomerated oil impregnated psyllium husk and to a method for manufacturing the agglomerated oil impregnated psyllium husk. Specifically the present invention provides compositions comprising agglomerates of psyllium husks, wherein the husks have been subjected to treatment with an oily component (e.g. vegetable oil, such as rapeseed oil) prior to a drying process, such as a fluidized bed process, wherein the husks are agglomerated with a saccharide containing aqueous suspension/solution sprayed onto the husks.
US08895067B2

The composition for stimulating an immune response in a subject comprises methyl vinyl ether and maleic anhydride copolymer-based nanoparticles. Said nanoparticles may further contain an allergen or an antigen and/or an immunostimulating agent, which may be contained inside said nanoparticles and/or at least partially coating the surface of said nanoparticles, and optionally a cross-linking agent. The immune response stimulating composition is useful as an adjuvant in immunotherapy and vaccines.
US08895063B2

An oral solid dosage form containing one or several active principle(s) having analgesic properties, the composition of said dosage form being such that it prevents the misuse of said dosage form through the liquid extraction of the active principle(s) contained therein, using commonly available solvents.Said oral solid dosage form containing at least one salt of at least one analgesic active principle, and an anti-misuse system comprising at least one quenching agent, said quenching agent being suitable for inducing complexation of said analgesic active principle salt when the analgesic active principle salt is improperly extracted, notably by a drug abuser, in vitro in solution from said oral solid dosage form.
US08895062B2

The invention provides surface-layer protein coated microspheres for delivery of a therapeutic agent to the intestine. These surface-layer protein coated microspheres generally include a core encapsulated by a microsphere which is coated by surface layer protein. The core includes a therapeutic agent, such as a defensin. The invention also includes methods of making and using the surface-layer protein coated microspheres of the invention for administering therapeutic agents to a subject in need thereof. The invention also includes pharmaceutical dosage units that include the surface-layer protein coated microspheres of the invention. The invention further includes various labeled defensins for use in the study of the properties and actions of defensins, and further includes the use of defensins, particularly HD5α in the treatment of inflammatory conditions of the bowel, such as Crohn's disease.
US08895061B2

The present invention provides compositions comprising carisoprodol or pharmaceutically acceptable salts, esters or derivatives thereof. In certain embodiments, the invention provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising the skeletal muscle relaxant carisoprodol and one or more additional active agents, such as one or more nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The invention further provides methods of use of such compositions in preventing, alleviating and/or treating musculoskeletal pain, muscle spasms, or other non-malignant painful conditions including methods in which the circulating levels of the active pharmaceutical form of carisoprodol are controlled by use of extended- or controlled-release formulations or by strict control of dosage regimen, so as to reduce the level of somnolence observed with other muscle relaxant compositions.
US08895059B2

The invention relates to compositions and methods for reducing cross-linking in the gelatin shell of gelatin capsules by incorporation of free amino acid into the capsule shell and by inclusion of an ester of carboxylic acid either into the capsule filling, and/or into the capsule shell and/or into the lubrication agent, or in combinations thereof. Described are soft gelatin capsules characterized by improved stability as compared with gelatin capsules that do not contain amino acid in the shell and carboxylic acid ester in the filling, shell or in the lubrication agent, or in combinations thereof.
US08895058B2

A method for effecting weight loss by administering a combination of topiramate and phentermine is provided. The phentermine is generally administered in immediate release form, in a daily dose in the range of 2 mg to 8 mg, in combination with a daily dose of topiramate selected to prevent the loss of effectiveness of phentermine alone. Methods for treating obesity, conditions associated with obesity, and other indications are also provided, as are compositions and dosage forms containing low doses of phentermine and topiramate, e.g., 3.75 mg phentermine and 23 mg topiramate.
US08895057B2

The present invention is drawn to novel topiramate compositions as well as methods for effecting weight loss, e.g., in the treatment of obesity and related conditions, including conditions associated with and/or caused by obesity per se. The present invention features an escalating dosing regimen adapted for the administration of topiramate and optionally a sympathomimetic agent such as phentermine or bupropion, in the treatment of obesity and related conditions.
US08895051B2

A flavoring system for a liquid pharmaceutical composition and pharmaceutical compositions containing such flavoring systems are disclosed. Flavoring systems of the invention include at least one sweetening agent, at least two flavored ingredients, and at least one flavor modifier selected from the group consisting of citric acid, sodium citrate, sodium chloride, and mixtures thereof. At least two of the flavored ingredients are selected from the group consisting of a vanilla flavored ingredient, a peppermint flavored ingredient, a menthol flavored ingredient, a cotton candy flavored ingredient, and mixtures thereof. The one or more sweetening agents comprise glycerin, monoammonium glycyrrhizinate, saccharin sodium, acesulfame potassium, high fructose corn syrup, and/or mixtures thereof. Pharmaceutical compositions of the invention include a flavoring system of the invention, a solvent system, and at least one pharmaceutically active agent, such as lopinavir or derivatives thereof, ritonavir or derivatives thereof, or mixtures thereof. Methods for making such liquid pharmaceutical compositions are also disclosed.
US08895050B2

The present invention relates to the discovery that certain non-naturally occurring, non-peptide amide compounds and amide derivatives, such as oxalamides, ureas, and acrylamides, are useful flavor or taste modifiers, such as a flavoring or flavoring agents and flavor or taste enhancer, more particularly, savory (the “umami” taste of monosodium glutamate) or sweet taste modifiers, —savory or sweet flavoring agents and savory or sweet flavor enhancers, for food, beverages, and other comestible or orally administered medicinal products or compositions.
US08895049B2

Biodegradable implants sized and suitable for implantation in an ocular region or site and methods for treating ocular conditions. The implants provide an extended release of an active agent at a therapeutically effective amount for a period of time between 50 days and one year, or longer.
US08895048B2

Substrates and devices for culturing cells are disclosed, along with methods of using the same. The substrates and devices include top surfaces with one or more divots disposed therein. Each divot is defined by an opening in the top surface, a rounded bottom surface spaced from the opening, and an interior side-wall surface extending between the rounded bottom surface and the opening. The top surface of the substrates and devices are optionally walled to form wells containing one or more divots. The substrates and devices may be used for reaggregating cells, for example, to form small islet cell clusters and for high throughput testing methodologies.