| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US07852653B2 |
Content addressable memory
Systems, devices, and methods, including executable instructions are provided for content addressable memory (CAM). One method includes defining the CAM into an array of data words having M rows and N columns, with each of N and M being greater than one. The data words of the CAM are arranged according to a 2-dimensional priority scheme. Data words outside a selected 1×M column are masked to be ignored in determining a match, and the CAM is searched. Each search includes N compare cycles and each compare cycle having a different 1×M column selected. A highest priority match per compare cycle is pipelined from a priority encoder with the pipelined matches arranged to communicate a priority order in a first dimension of the 2-dimensional priority scheme. |
| US07852649B2 |
Power supply with a feedback circuit relieving spikes
In a feedback circuit of a power supply, an electrical level of an output voltage is stabilized corresponding to changes of an electrical level of a pulse width modulation signal, and effects, which are caused by spikes, on passive elements are decreased to a lowest degree. The electrical level of the output voltage is stabilized by storing a voltage corresponding to a low-to-high electrical level of the PWM signal with a capacitor, by discharging the stored voltage with a high-to-low electrical level of said PWM signal, and by regulating a discharging path of the stored voltage with a diode, which is not conducted. The abovementioned disposition may be utilized on various power-consuming devices, a duty cycle of each of which is controlled with a PWM signal, for stabilizing output voltages of said power-consuming devices, and for reducing effects, which are caused by spikes, on passive elements inside said power-consuming devices. |
| US07852647B2 |
Switching power supply digital control circuit protecting from magnetic saturation effects
A switching power supply apparatus includes a transformer or an inductor, a switching element connected to the transformer or the inductor and configured to perform switching of an input power supply, and a switching control circuit including a digital control circuit configured to sample voltage values and/or current values and control on and off of the switching element in accordance with the voltage values and/or current values. The number of points of sampling is set to n or more points, where n is an integer greater than 3, in an ON period of the switching element except at around a turn-on point or a turn-off point of the switching element. The presence or absence of magnetic saturation of the transformer or the inductor is detected on the basis of whether or not a slope of change in current value over time is larger than a predetermined value, and circuit operation is protected from the effect of magnetic saturation. Thus, the presence or absence of magnetic saturation can be rapidly and precisely detected without the influence of switching noise. |
| US07852645B2 |
Circuit and associated method for reducing power consumption in a power transformer
A method and circuit is provided for reducing power consumption in a power transformer, typically incorporated into an electrical or electronic device such as a consumer device. In an embodiment, a detection/isolation circuit is coupled to an input of a power transformer/rectifier via a switching device. The switching device can be, for example, a solid state relay. The detection/isolation circuit is configured to sense the occurrence of no-load conditions in the power transformer and responsively disengage the power transformer from a coupled source of power (e.g., wall outlet) via the coupled switching device. |
| US07852642B2 |
Full digital soft-start circuit and power supply system using the same
A full digital soft-start circuit adapted for a power supply system is provided. The full digital soft-start circuit includes a ring oscillator, a pulse generator, a counter, and a multiplexer. The ring oscillator generates a plurality of clock signals which are different in phase, while equivalent in duty cycle and frequency. The pulse generator generates a plurality of pulse signals with different duty cycles. The counter generates a multi-bit counting signal. The multiplexer determines whether to transmit the pulse signals generated by the pulse generator so as to generate an output pulse which becomes stable as time going on. |
| US07852639B2 |
Low-loss rectifier with optically coupled gate shunting
A rectifier circuit (400) is provided. The rectifier circuit is comprised of a plurality of field effect transistors (102, 104, 106, 108) coupled together to define a rectifier circuit. The rectifier circuit is also comprised of a control circuit (600) and a switching device (420, 430, 440, 450). The switching device is configured to selectively disable a conduction channel extending between a source and a drain of at least one of the field effect transistors in response to the control circuit to prevent a shoot-through current in the rectifier circuit. |
| US07852637B2 |
Bi-positional expansion card retainer
A one-piece expansion card retainer may be installed in either of two positions to accommodate both full-height and low-profile expansion cards. The bi-positional expansion card retainer exerts flexional force on an expansion card to help maintain the expansion card in its proper position during shipment of an electronic device. |
| US07852636B2 |
Electronic device and dummy connector thereof
An electronic device includes a shell, a printed circuit board, and a dummy connector. The shell defines a through hole and accommodates the printed circuit board. The dummy connector includes a main body and a grounded portion. The main body includes a projection engaging the through hole. The grounded portion extends from the main body and is electrically fixed to the printed circuit board to be grounded. |
| US07852635B1 |
Multi-connection via
The present invention provides a PWB for attaching electrical components thereto. One aspect of the PWB includes multiple PWB insulating layers having conductive traces therebetween. The PWB has an interconnect opening located in the multiple PWB insulating layers that intersect at least a portion of the conductive traces. The interconnect opening has ledges therein, wherein each of the ledges separates a first group of the conductive traces from a second group of the conductive traces. The present invention also provides a method of making the PWB and also provides a power converter implementing the edge plate interconnects. |
| US07852634B2 |
Semiconductor element, method of manufacturing semiconductor element, multi-layer printed circuit board, and method of manufacturing multi-layer printed circuit board
An intermediate layer 38 is provided on a die pad 22 of an IC chip 20 and integrated into a multilayer printed circuit board 10. Due to this, it is possible to electrically connect the IC chip 20 to the multilayer printed circuit board 10 without using lead members and a sealing resin. Also, by providing the intermediate layer 38 made of copper on an aluminum pad 24, it is possible to prevent a resin residue on the pad 24 and to improve connection characteristics between the die pad 24 and a via hole 60 and reliability. |
| US07852632B2 |
Heat dissipation module and detachable expansion card using the same
A heat-dissipation module dissipating heat for a heat-generating element on circuit board and including a heat-transferring base, a base, a first heat-dissipation unit, a heat pipe and a second heat-dissipation unit is provided. One surface of the heat-transferring base contacts the heat-generating element. The base is connected to the other surface of the heat-transferring base and has a heat-transferring block. The first heat-dissipation unit has a first fin assembly provided on the base. The first heat pipe is embedded in the heat-transferring base, one end thereof passes through the first heat-dissipation unit, and the other end thereof passes through the heat-transferring block. The second heat-dissipation unit has a second fin assembly and a second heat pipe passing through the second fin assembly and actively connected to the heat-transferring block along a route. The second heat-dissipation unit is suitable to move relative to the first heat-dissipation unit along the route. |
| US07852629B2 |
Suspension device for a superconducting magnet heat shield enclosure
A suspension device mounts a superconducting magnet heat shield enclosure that encompasses a low-temperature container, that encompasses a superconducting magnet and holds coolant for cooling the superconducting magnet. The low-temperature container has an outer heat shield layer and an inner heat shield layer. A vacuum jacket encompasses the heat shield enclosure and has an outer vacuum shell and an inner vacuum shell. A first set of suspension parts connects the outer vacuum shell with the low-temperature container, and a second set of suspension parts connects the outer heat shield shell with the low-temperature container. Since the second set of suspension parts connect the heat shield enclosure directly with the low-temperature container, this reduces the relative movement between the two parts, thus alleviating the streaking phenomenon in a magnetic resonance image, if the superconducting magnet is part of a magnetic resonance imaging system. |
| US07852628B2 |
Cooling device and electronic apparatus having the cooling device
A cooling device including: a fan configured to rotate and produce airflow; a fan case accommodating the fan, the fan case having an outlet for discharging the airflow produced by the fan; a heat exchanger having an inlet disposed to oppose the outlet of the fan case, the inlet being configured to take in the airflow discharged from the outlet; a wire disposed between the heat exchanger and the fan case to stretch along an end face of the inlet of the heat exchanger, the wire having a first end being fixed to a fulcrum and a second end; and a wire driving mechanism configured to swing the wire about the fulcrum to scrape the end face of the inlet of the heat exchanger by the wire. |
| US07852622B2 |
Deployable display apparatus for vehicle
A vehicle has a personnel compartment including a necessary driving volume. A deployable display apparatus provides a plurality of visual display units to a vehicle. The vehicle has a personnel compartment including a necessary driving volume. At least one display housing is provided. Each display housing is configured to support at least one visual display unit. The visual display unit is configured to selectively provide visual information to an operator. At least one mounting arm has spaced-apart first and second arm ends. The first arm end is stationary relative to a base surface. The second arm end is attached to the display housing. The mounting arm is configured to selectively move the display housing between stowed and deployed positions such that at least one display housing, when in the deployed position, at least partially occupies the necessary driving volume, and the display housing, when in the stowed position, is wholly outside the necessary driving volume. |
| US07852621B2 |
Computer with a rotary module driven by magnetic forces
A computer includes a housing whereon an opening is formed, and a containing space is formed inside the housing. The computer further includes a rotary module installed inside the containing space in a rotatable manner, a first magnetic component connected to an end of the rotary module, a second magnetic component disposed on a side of the first magnetic component for attracting or repulsing the first magnetic component so as to switch the rotary module in a first position or in a second position, and a switch for converting magnetic field of the second magnetic component so that the second magnetic attracts or repulses the first magnetic component. |
| US07852619B2 |
Information center for an appliance
An information center for an appliance has an image display and a base with support features for selective mounting to an appliance. The base further has a connector for receiving data, wherein the connector can receive data and the image display can display the data regardless of whether the information center is mounted to an appliance. |
| US07852618B2 |
Function extending assembly and portable terminal having the same
A function-extending assembly and a portable terminal having the same. The function-extending assembly includes a body to which a terminal body is detachably mounted, and having a module mounting unit; function-extending modules detachably mounted to the module mounting unit, and providing one or more functions relating to the terminal body; and a user input unit disposed on the module mounting unit, and receiving a user input information as manipulating units installed at the function-extending modules are handled. Since a plurality of function-extending modules having various functions are applied to the function-extending assembly in a replaceable manner, various extended functions are provided to the portable terminal serving as a single device. |
| US07852616B2 |
Power source for diagnostic instruments
A power source device for diagnostic instruments is adapted for a connection of different types of illuminating devices and includes an active control unit for controlling an operating state of a power source in dependence on a type of a connected one of the illuminating devices. |
| US07852615B2 |
Electrolytic capacitor anode treated with an organometallic compound
An electrolytic capacitor that contains an anodically oxidized anode that is incorporated with an additional metallic element is provided. More specifically, the metallic element is built into the valve metal pentoxide of the dielectric layer. In one particular embodiment, the addition of the metallic element results in a niobium pentoxide dielectric that contains closely packed units of O atoms, Nb6 octahedral, and metal atoms (“A”) that serve as counter cations. The use of relatively small electropositive metal atoms (A″) helps fill the tetrahedral (e.g., Al, Si, Ti, Mg, or Mn), octahedral (e.g., Nb, V, Mg, or Mn) and trigonal bipyramid (e.g., V, Nb) interstices of the crystals. The stability of capacitor leakage current may be improved by variation in this crystal structure. |
| US07852614B2 |
Solid electrolytic capacitor and process for fabricating same
The invention provides a solid electrolytic capacitor wherein the anode has a dielectric oxide film of a structure less susceptible to damage due to mechanical stresses and which is diminished in leakage current and less prone to short-circuiting, and a process for fabricating the capacitor. The capacitor of the invention comprises an anode of aluminum having a dielectric oxide film formed over a surface thereof from amorphous alumina, and is characterized in that a plurality of tunnel-shaped etching pits are formed in the anode. The process of the invention for fabricating the solid electrolytic capacitor includes the steps of forming a plurality of tunnel-shaped etching pits in an aluminum material, effecting anodic oxidation by immersing the aluminum material in an electrolytic solution containing oxalic acid or the like, and effecting anodic oxidation by immersing the aluminum material in an electrolytic solution containing boric acid or like inorganic acid or a salt thereof or containing adipic acid or like organic acid or a salt thereof and applying a voltage at least three times the rated voltage of the capacitor. |
| US07852610B2 |
Flameproof apparatus using non-grounded energy-limiting barrier
A device intended to meet flameproof approval requirements is configured to have two compartments separated by an energy-limiting barrier. The first compartment of the device houses the wiring terminations that bear ignition-capable energy and, therefore, must be flameproof. The energy-limiting barrier is configured to limit the energy that can reach the second compartment to a level that is not ignition capable. This allows the second compartment to be safe without meeting the flameproof requirements, and allows user-interface elements such as switches and indicators to be designed in a more cost-effective manner. |
| US07852609B2 |
Electrical power strip
An electrical power strip has a base, a power cord and a control module. The base has at least one primary receptacle and at least one secondary receptacle. The control module is connected to the power cord and has two power input terminals, at least one primary contact set, a voltage regulating circuit, a current indicating circuit, a comparator, a driving circuit and at least one secondary contact set. The two power input terminals are connected to the power cord. The voltage regulating circuit is connected to the two power input terminals and outputs a regulated voltage. The current indicating circuit is connected to the primary contact set and the voltage regulating circuit to output direct current. The comparator checks for the regulated voltage and the direct current and then outputs a control signal. The control signal applies power to the secondary contact set. |
| US07852605B2 |
Arc-flash hazard protection system for three-phase electrical distribution system
An arc-flash hazard protection system for a three-phase electrical distribution system having a plurality of switchgear interconnected with a plurality of distribution buses is disclosed. The protection system includes a plurality of first and second current transformers in signal communication with respective first and second phases of each of the plurality of switchgear, and a bus differential relay connected to receive output signals from each of the first and second current transformers of each of the plurality of switchgear to establish a bus differential protection scheme utilizing only two of the three available phases for each of the plurality of switchgear. The bus differential relay includes a processor responsive to computer executable code when executed thereon to provide a relay trip output signal to each of the plurality of switchgear in response to the bus differential protection scheme of the respective switchgear indicating an imbalanced three-phase current distribution thereat indicative of an arc-flash condition. |
| US07852599B2 |
Apparatus, system, and method for tape drive head
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for a tape drive head. An upper servo element reads an upper servo track conforming to a specified format. A lower servo element reads a lower servo track conforming to the specified format. A mid servo element reads a mid servo track. The mid servo element is disposed between the upper servo element and the lower servo element. Sixteen legacy read elements are disposed between the upper server element and the lower servo element. The legacy read elements read legacy data tracks conforming to the specified format. At least eight incremental read elements are interleaved between the legacy read elements. One incremental read element is adjacent to each legacy read element on a side of the legacy read element away from the mid servo element. |
| US07852592B1 |
Spiral slope approximation of spiral patterns written to a disk of a disk drive
A disk drive that approximates spiral slope in spiral patterns is disclosed. The disk drive includes a disk having at least one spiral pattern that extends radially across the disk, a head to read a portion of the at least one spiral pattern, and a processor to approximate a spiral slope of the portion of the at least one spiral pattern. The processor approximates the spiral slope of the portion of the at least one spiral pattern by implementing operations including: reading amplitude values for the portion of the at least one spiral pattern; determining an amplitude value distribution based on the amplitude values; determining a curve-fitted function for the amplitude value distribution; and determining an approximate spiral slope based on the curve-fitted function. |
| US07852590B1 |
Solid state memory decommissioner
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for easily, quickly and permanently decommissioning an electronic data storage device by thoroughly exposing the device to a strong field of microwave energy thereby eliminating any possibility of retrieving data from the device. The magnetron is operated as peak power and pulsed for the time needed to assure data destruction. |
| US07852588B1 |
Disk drive adjusting gain of shock detector relative to resonant frequency amplitude
A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk, a head actuated radially over the disk, and control circuitry including a shock detector. The control circuitry is operable to detect a resonant frequency amplitude (RFA) of the shock detector, adjust the shock detector in response to the RFA, and take protective action in response to the shock detector. |
| US07852585B1 |
Preamp circuit including a loopback mode for data storage devices
A method for testing operation of a preamplifier circuit includes generating a first symbol, converting the first symbol into a write signal, transmitting the write signal to a write signal input of the preamplifier circuit, and looping the write signal back to a read signal output of the preamplifier circuit. |
| US07852584B2 |
Head IC, read circuit, and media storage device
A head IC adjusts an amplitude level of head read signals with regard to scattering in head output characteristics, so as to conform to the input dynamic range of the read channel AGC. An AGC amplifier is provided in a head IC connected to a read channel, and the feedback response speed of the AGC circuit of the head IC is set to be substantially slower than the feedback response speed of the AGC circuit of the read channel. Within the head IC, the amplitude of signals from the head is automatically adjusted, enabling adjustment of the input signal level to the input dynamic range of the AGC amplifier of the read channel. The AGC circuit of the head IC has no effect on the faster AGC operation of the AGC circuit of the read channel. |
| US07852582B2 |
Method for determining wear of a data storage medium and data storage device
The invention relates to a method of determining wear of a data storage medium actively by performing a read operation on the data storage medium and detecting a read signal, comparing the read signal to at least one wear threshold; and determining a wear level of an area of the data storage medium based on the comparison. The wear threshold is lower than a detection threshold, wherein the detection of the read signal above the detection threshold indicates the presence of stored data. |
| US07852581B2 |
Method and system for measuring spacing in a perpendicular magnetic recording
PMR spacing is measured by writing a pattern on a magnetic storage layer in non-return-to-zero notation, reading the pattern from the magnetic storage layer, analyzing a first harmonic component of the pattern that has a first amplitude, analyzing a second harmonic component of the pattern that has a second amplitude, measuring a ratio between the first and the second amplitudes of the first and second harmonic components, and determining a first spacing based on the ratio. In another embodiment, spacing is measured by analyzing a third harmonic component on the magnetic storage layer that has a third amplitude, measuring a difference in the amplitudes of the second and the third harmonic components while varying the first spacing and taking the ratio of the difference of the two each harmonic components. |
| US07852575B2 |
Lens apparatus and imaging taking apparatus using the same
Data related to an object distance which is sent from a camera apparatus is captured. A focus lens position instructed value CL is calculated based on an object distance instructed value CD and a zoom position information value ZP. An object distance returned value PL to be transmitted to the camera apparatus is obtained based on a current lens position CF and the zoom position information value ZP. Whether the focus lens position instructed value CL is equal to the lens position CF or not is determined. When the focus lens position instructed value is not equal to the lens position, a focus lens is moved in accordance with the focus lens position instructed value CL is performed. When the focus lens position instructed value is equal to the lens position, lens driving processing is not performed. |
| US07852569B2 |
Internal focusing zoom lens
An internal focusing zoom lens includes a stationary barrel including a focus-guide cam groove; a zoom cam ring including a focus-shift cam groove and rotated about an optical axis during zooming; a focus cam ring including a focus cam groove and rotated about the optical axis and moved in the optical axis direction to move a focusing lens group during focusing; and a focus correction ring for moving the focus cam ring in the optical axis direction by rotation of the zoom cam ring. The focus correction ring includes a focus correction cam-follower engaged in the focus-shift cam groove, the focus cam groove and the focus-guide cam groove. A position of the focus correction cam-follower in the focus cam groove changes via the focus-shift cam groove and the focus-guide cam groove in accordance with the rotation of the zoom cam ring during zooming. |
| US07852567B1 |
Zoom lens system
A zoom lens system includes a positive first lens group, a negative second lens group, a positive third lens group, and a positive fourth lens group, in this order from the object;upon zooming from the short focal length extremity to the long focal length extremity, the first to the fourth lens groups move along the optical axis of the zoom lens system in a manner so that the distance between the first lens group and the second lens group increases, the distance between the second lens group and the third lens group decreases, and the distance between the third lens group and the fourth lens group increases; wherein the zoom lens system satisfies the following condition: 13.50 |
| US07852560B2 |
Display incorporating reflective polarizer
A display includes a liquid crystal display panel, an optical cavity producing substantially collimated light and a birefringent reflective polarizer. |
| US07852558B2 |
Three-dimensional image display device, portable terminal device, display panel and fly eye lens
In a three-dimensional image display device for displaying color three-dimensional images, a fly eye lens, a display panel, and a light source are provided in this order from the observer side. A display panel has four pixels arrayed in a (2×2) matrix correlated with one lens element of the fly eye lens. In the event that j is a natural number, a pixel magnifying projection width e in a second direction is set in a range of the following expression according to mean interpupillary distance Y of the observers. e 3 ≠ Y 2 × j |
| US07852557B2 |
Stereoscopic sheet structure
An object of the present invention is to provide a stereoscopic sheet structure in which a three-dimensional design appears to be changing by changing the angle of observation, the stereoscopic sheet structure being a stereoscopic sheet structure that has: a convex lens assembly which is formed on one surface of a sheet member and in which a plurality of convex lenses are arranged; and a repeating design portion in which a plurality of design units are arranged on a focal plane of the convex lenses at arrangement intervals and/or in arrangement directions different from those of the convex lenses, and which has a continuously deformed design portion in which the arrangement intervals and arrangement directions of the design units regularly change while satisfying the condition of 0.95≦DN˜N+1/DN+1˜N+2≦0.95 and −1≦θ≦+1. It should be noted that the D is an interval between adjacent design elements, and the θ is an intersection angle that is formed between a straight line connecting adjacent design elements and a straight line connecting one of the adjacent design elements to a design element adjacent thereto. |
| US07852555B2 |
Spectroscopy of exoplanets from a ground-based telescope
In a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an optical device comprises a telescope and a pipescope arranged as a spatial filter to light propagated through the telescope, to confine a field of view to θDL. |
| US07852554B2 |
Cryogenic immersion microscope
A cryogenic immersion microscope whose objective lens is at least partially in contact with a liquid reservoir of a cryogenic liquid, in which reservoir a sample of interest is immersed is disclosed. When the cryogenic liquid has an index of refraction that reduces refraction at interfaces between the lens and the sample, overall resolution and image quality are improved. A combination of an immersion microscope and x-ray microscope, suitable for imaging at cryogenic temperatures is also disclosed. |
| US07852553B2 |
Microscope illumination apparatus
A microscope illumination apparatus, which has at least three kinds of light sources, each of a different emission wavelength region and a different figure and size of the light-emitting section, and supplies emitted light from individual light sources as illumination light for observing a specimen to the microscope body, includes collimator lenses converting incident rays into parallel rays, arranged on the exit sides of the individual light sources; a path sharing means introducing light emerging from the collimator lenses into a common optical path; an imaging lens, placed on the common optical path, forming images of the individual light sources introduced into the common optical path through the path sharing means at a common position; and an optical fiber placed so that the entrance end face of the optical fiber is located at a position where the images of the individual light sources are formed through the imaging lens. |
| US07852552B2 |
Observation apparatus provided with immersion objective lens
An observation apparatus for observing an observation object mounted at an observation position on a stage through an immersion objective lens placed below the observation object. The observation apparatus has a liquid pouring device, constructed to be relatively movable with respect to the immersion objective lens, pouring a liquid on a top lens surface of the immersion objective lens from the upper side of the immersion objective lens at a distance from the observation position on the stage; and a position control device automatically adjusting relative positions of a liquid pouring position of the liquid pouring device and the immersion objective lens and automatically adjusting relative positions of the immersion objective lens on which the liquid is poured by the liquid pouring device and a desired observation position on the stage. |
| US07852547B2 |
Electro-wetting display panel and method of manufacturing the same
An active matrix type electro-wetting display panel includes an array substrate that includes the switching devices and pixel electrodes, an opposite substrate having a common electrode and a conductive colored liquid filled in the spaces corresponding to the pixel electrodes to control light transmissivity according to the potential differences between the pixel electrodes and the common electrode. |
| US07852544B2 |
Separable modulator
A separable modulator architecture is disclosed. The modulator has a mirror suspended from a flexible layer over a cavity. The flexible layer also forms supports and support posts for the mirror. An alternative separable modulator architecture has a mirror suspended over a cavity. The modulator is supported by supports and support posts. The support posts comprise a flexible layer over support post plugs. A bus structure may be formed upon the flexible layer arranged over the support posts. |
| US07852538B2 |
Hologram recording apparatus and hologram recording method
At the time of varying the angle of a scan mirror for varying the angle of incidence of a reference beam on a hologram recording material, the angle of a slit is also varied in conjunction, whereby the beam diameter of the reference beam is varied by the slit so that the irradiation range on the hologram recording material will be constant without being varied according to the variation in the incidence angle of the reference beam. This ensures that the area of irradiation of the hologram recording material with the reference beam can always be kept constant, even when the incidence angle of the reference beam is varied at the time of recording holograms by the angle multiplex recording system. |
| US07852537B2 |
Optical recording medium and method of manufacturing the same
An optical recording medium includes a first substrate having a groove on the side of an outer peripheral portion thereof; a second substrate in contact with the first substrate in the outer peripheral portion; and a recording layer being disposed in a gap between the first substrate and the second substrate and forming a void in cooperation with the first substrate at the portion of the groove. |
| US07852532B2 |
Image forming apparatus and image forming method
An image forming apparatus including: an outputting section to output a chart which has a gradation pattern in a low-density area, the gradation pattern including patches, each of the patches having a density; a reading section to read-in the density of each of the patches; a calculating section to calculate, based on the density, an adjusting value to conduct a gamma correction; and an output adjusting section to conduct an adjustment of an output in the low-density area based on the calculated adjusting value. |
| US07852529B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image printer, and method of image processing performed by the image processing apparatus
An image processing apparatus includes a print region storing section, image data producing section, image region detecting section, comparing section, deciding section, and image data processing section. The image data producing section stores a print region of a medium. The image data producing section produces image data. The image region detecting section detects an image region of the image data. The comparing section compares the print region with the image region, and outputs a comparison result. The deciding section determines based on the comparison result whether the image data should be printed in a borderless printing mode. The image data processing section processes the image data such that the image data is ready to print, the image data being processed when the comparison result indicates that the image data should be printed in the borderless printing mode. |
| US07852528B2 |
Image reading apparatus including auto document feeder
Provided is an image reading apparatus including a scanning unit having a flat glass plane and a scanning module, and an auto document feeder (ADF) having a contact member. The contact member has a body unit that faces the scanning unit while interposing the flat glass plane therebetween and biases the document toward the flat glass plane, and a plurality of elastic ribs that elastically bias the body unit toward the flat glass plane and which are integrally formed with the body unit. |
| US07852525B2 |
Surface illumination unit and transparent original reading apparatus
There is provided an image reading apparatus that can read a plurality of images without troublesome operations by a user, in which a small-size light source with a small electric power consumption is used as an illumination light source used for reading an image of a transparent original. A surface illumination light source having a size large enough to illuminate one image among a plurality of images included in a transparent original is moved sequentially to positions at which the illumination light source can illuminate the respective images. Each image is read while the illumination light source is kept stationary at the position of the image. In addition, at the position of each image, the transparent original is pressed against an original table of the image reading apparatus. |
| US07852523B2 |
Scanner module and image scanning apparatus employing the same
Disclosed are a scanner module and an image scanning apparatus employing the same. The scanner module includes a light source generating light to be irradiated onto an object and a light guide member extending in correspondence with a width of the object. The light guide member has a reflective surface defined by a plurality of reflective grooves, some of which arranged to be non-parallel with other ones. Light is effectively diffused and/or scattered in the width direction of the light guide member by the reflective grooves, allowing a uniform light distribution across the scanning width. |
| US07852520B2 |
Scanner control device and scanner device
A scanner device includes a function for generating image data by rotating an image scanned from an original document according to necessity. The scanner device includes a display processing unit and a confirmation accepting unit. The display processing unit displays a first image pattern indicating a set status of a scanned original document, and a second image pattern indicating a direction of image data when the original document under the set status in the first image pattern is scanned and rotated by a prescribed rotation condition. The confirmation accepting unit accepts a confirmation for executing an image data generation processing under a prescribed rotation condition. |
| US07852514B1 |
Mixed color groups
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implemented for creating and manipulating groups of color swatches that represent the results obtained by mixing multiple inks, such as multiple spot inks or spot inks and process inks. A mixed color group is defined based on data representing two or more colors, representing inks, and color parameters for each of the colors. The mixed color group includes mixed color swatches that each represent a mixture of amounts of two or more colors. The amounts of colors for each of the mixed color swatches are defined according to a function of the color parameters of the colors. The invention allows a user to create and modify swatches representing a spectrum of mixed colors from a combination of spot colors and/or process colors. |
| US07852512B2 |
Color image processing device and medium employed for the same
A color image processing device configured to process input color image data includes a specifying unit configured to specify a gray region including a gray axis within a color gamut of the input color image data in a color space, a first setting unit configured to set a first gray stabilization region away from the gray axis in the color space so as to satisfy a predetermined condition, and a first transferring unit configured to transfer each color within the gray region specified by the specifying unit into the first gray stabilization region. |
| US07852507B2 |
Method, apparatus, and program for processing image description data
An image description data processing method is provided for execution in an apparatus including a holding unit configured to hold image description data described in an image description language including one of a page description language and a structured language. The method includes acquiring first image description data from the holding unit; extracting a description of a first rendering command from the acquired first image description data; calculating the description of the first rendering command to replace the description of the first rendering command with a description of a second rendering command; and storing second image description data containing the description of the second rendering command in the holding unit. |
| US07852502B2 |
Management system, image processing apparatus and method for acquiring print job history information
The present invention makes it possible to uniquely manage the use of peripherals over a wide range or in two or more bases. The present invention controls whether all job information, managed by a management apparatus, is acquired from the management apparatus managing information on data processing, performed by a device, as job information, or additional job information among job information managed by the management apparatus is acquired. |
| US07852497B2 |
Method of controlling printing control apparatus
An object of this invention is to perform optimal printing settings considering the features of the output method of a virtual printer in a system which performs printing processing using a plurality of printers. In a group printer driver UI (12), printing settings are done for items which are common between all printers concerning “redirect on error” printing, and each printer is assigned with the priority of a redirect destination candidate in “redirect on error” printing. A printer driver UI (16) for printing settings unique to a printer designated to the highest priority is displayed in a window together with the display of the group printer driver UI (12). |
| US07852490B2 |
Implanting optical cavity structures
An implantable product includes an optical cavity structure with first and second parts, each of which can operate as an optical cavity. The first part includes a container with at least one opening through which bodily fluid can transfer between the container's interior and exterior when the product is implanted in a body. The second part includes a container that is closed and contains a reference fluid. The implantable product can also include one or both of a light source component and a photosensing component. Photosensed quantities from the first part's output light can be adjusted based on photosensed quantities from the second part's output light. Both parts can have their light interface surfaces aligned so that they both receive input light from a light source component and both provide output light to a photosensing component. |
| US07852486B2 |
Wavelength and intensity monitoring of optical cavity
According to various illustrative embodiments, a device, method, and system for measuring optical fine structure of lateral modes of an optical cavity are described. In one aspect, the device comprises at least one photodetector arranged to detect an output of the optical cavity in a lateral direction thereof. The device also comprises an analyzer coupled to an output of the at least one photodetector and arranged to analyze at least a portion of signals produced in the at least one photodetector by at least a portion of the lateral modes of the optical cavity. The device also comprises a processor arranged to determine the optical fine structure of the at least the portion of the lateral modes of the optical cavity based on an output of the analyzer. |
| US07852483B2 |
Method and system for sensing light using an interferometric element having a coupled temperature sensor
Certain embodiments of the invention provide a light sensor comprising at least one interferometric element that absorbs light in at least one wavelength. The interferometric element comprises a first surface and a second surface substantially parallel to the first surface. The second surface is spaced a gap distance from the first surface in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first surface. The light wavelength absorbed is dependent on the gap distance. The interferometric element further comprises a temperature sensor. The temperature sensor is responsive to changes in temperature of at least a portion of the interferometric element due to absorption of light by the interferometric element. |
| US07852482B2 |
Sub-micron surface plasmon resonance sensor systems
A sensor for detecting the presence of a target analyte, ligand or molecule in a test fluid, comprising a light transmissive substrate on which an array of surface plasmon resonant (SPR) elements is mounted is described. A multi-channel sensor for detecting the presence of several targets with a single microchip sensor is described. A multi-channel sensor including collections of SPR elements which are commonly functionalized to one of several targets is also described. The detectors sense changes in the resonant response of the SPR elements indicative of binding with the targets. |
| US07852481B2 |
Apparatus and method for measuring optical property
An optical property measuring apparatus and an optical property measuring method of the invention determine a specified optical property of a sample by using a distribution function indicating a distribution of the amounts of reflected light incident on an optical sensor along a coordinate axis defined on a light-sensing surface of the optical sensor. Therefore, even when the optical sensor is a light-sensing device provided with a relatively small number of photosensitive elements, it is possible to measure the specified optical property regardless of a position error of the sample, if any, and reduce errors in measurement values caused by such a sample position error. |
| US07852474B2 |
Spectral analysis unit with a diffraction grating
A spectral analytical unit for acting on a parallel light bundle having different wavelengths. The spectral analytical unit includes a diffraction grating on which the light bundle falls, the diffraction grating splitting the different wavelengths through diffraction in first spectral directions defining a light bundle diffraction order 1 without recycle, and the diffraction grating bending the light bundle in second directions defining a light bundle diffraction order 0 without recycle, a detector line made up of a plurality of elements, optics for focusing the split light bundle diffraction order 1 without recycle on the detector line, evaluation electronics connected to the detector line for obtaining data related to a created spectrum, and a deflecting device wherein the diffraction order 0 light bundle without recycle meets on the deflecting device which is so directed and positioned that this light bundle falls on the diffraction grating thereby creating a reflected diffraction order 1 light bundle with first recycle and a reflected diffraction order 0 light bundle with first recycle whereby the diffraction order 1 without recycle and the reflected diffraction order 1 light bundle with first recycle each of a part wavelength range are impressed through the optics on a single element of the detector line. |
| US07852472B1 |
Systems and methods for spectroscopy using opposing laser beams
A spectroscopy system uses a probe laser beam and an opposing excitation laser beam, i.e., running opposite to a direction of the probe laser beam, but transmitted co-linearly with one another along a same optical path. A thermal lens effect acting on the probe laser beam allows for controlling alignment of the two laser beams and allows for supplementary measurements of parameters for the spectroscopy system based on geometric analysis of detected image signals. The alignment of the two laser beams is controlled by detection of the probe laser beam with respect to the effects of the excitation laser beam on a medium through which the two laser beams are passing. |
| US07852470B2 |
System and method for improved biodetection
A portable substance identification system and method are configured to identify at least one detection target faster and with greater accuracy than is possible using prior substance identification systems and/or prior substance identification techniques. An embodiment of the portable substance identification system includes a portable substance identification device containing a Raman spectrometer, and a collection stem that includes a dry collector. One or more reservoirs for a liquid medium and/or a reagent can be formed in a cartridge that is configured to couple with a portable substance identification device. The cartridge has a chamber in which the reagent, liquid medium, and a detection target picked up by the dry collector are mixed. A magnet, positioned at a slant angle, can be used to form at least one pellet of aggregated magnetic particles within a pellet forming area of the chamber. The pellet is formed to maximize its surface area. |
| US07852461B2 |
Dual mode depth imaging
Dual mode depth imaging system and method is provided, the system comprising a first and second image sensors and a processor able to switch between a first mode of depth imaging and a second mode of depth imaging according to at least one predefined threshold. The method comprising providing depth sensing by Time of Flight if the distance of the sensed object from the camera is not below a first threshold and/or if a depth resolution above a second threshold is not required, and providing depth sensing by triangulation, if the distance of the sensed object from the camera is below the first threshold and/or if a depth resolution above the second threshold is required. |
| US07852459B2 |
Inspection method and apparatus, lithographic apparatus, lithographic processing cell and device manufacturing method
A scatterometer has a radiation source capable of emitting radiation in distinct first and second wavelength ranges. An adjustable optical element is provided to effect a chromatic correction as necessary according to which wavelength range is in use. A single scatterometer can thereby effect measurements using widely separated wavelengths. |
| US07852445B2 |
Liquid crystal display device and terminal device that uses same
In a liquid crystal display device, a liquid crystal layer is provided between a principal substrate and an opposing substrate that are disposed so as to face each other, and a shared electrode and a pixel electrode, which is a parallel electrode pair formed in the shape of a comb, are formed on the surface of the principal substrate that faces the opposing substrate. Orientation films are also formed on the opposing surfaces of the principal substrate and the opposing substrate. The electrodes of the parallel electrode pair are formed so that the width thereof is smaller than the thickness of the liquid crystal layer. The orientation of the liquid crystal molecules between the electrodes is thereby changed by an electric field generated by the parallel electrode pair, and the orientation of liquid crystal molecules disposed above the electrodes is changed in the same direction as in the liquid crystal molecules between the electrodes in accordance with the change in orientation of the liquid crystal molecules between the electrodes. A high degree of transmittance can thereby be achieved by a simple electrode structure in an in-plane switching liquid crystal display device. |
| US07852441B2 |
Liquid crystal panel and liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal panel of the present invention comprises at least: a liquid crystal cell comprising a liquid crystal layer containing a liquid crystal molecule that is oriented in homogeneous alignment with no electric field applied thereto; a first polarizer placed on one side of the liquid crystal cell; a first optical element placed between the liquid crystal cell and the first polarizer; and a second polarizer placed on the other side of the liquid crystal cell, wherein the first optical element is substantially optically isotropic, the liquid crystal cell has an initial alignment direction that is substantially parallel to the direction of an absorption axis of the first polarizer, and the absorption axis of the first polarizer is substantially perpendicular to an absorption axis of the second polarizer. The liquid crystal panel shows less discoloration of images even when the screen is viewed from oblique directions. |
| US07852435B2 |
Light-condensing film, liquid-crystal panel and backlight as well as manufacturing process for light-condensing film
A conventional liquid crystal display comprises a number of components, so that a manufacturing cost cannot be reduced. Furthermore, a large-area substrate has problems in shipping. According to this invention, a liquid-crystal panel is prepared by forming individual optically functional films, a TFT device and a light-emitting device on a long thin film and then laminating the film by a transfer process. A base film to be a substrate in a liquid-crystal panel preferably has a thickness of 10 μm to 200 μm, a curvature radius of 40 mm or less as a measure of flexibility and a coefficient of thermal expansion of 50 ppm/° C. or less. Furthermore, it more preferably gives a variation of ±5% or less in mechanical and optical properties to a thermal history at 200° C. |
| US07852430B1 |
Light guide spacers for backlighting a reflective display
Light guide spacers for backlighting a reflective display. Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a reflective display assembly for an electronic device which is disposed above a backlight device. A light guide extends through the reflective display to conduct light from the backlight device, through the reflective display, and to a top surface of the reflective display. The display assembly may be used with a handheld computer system. |
| US07852427B2 |
Back bezel assembly for a backlight module
A back bezel assembly for a backlight module is provided. The back bezel comprises a first board and a second board, which are assembled at the edges thereof to form a continuous board. The thermal conductivity of the second board is less than that of the first board. A light source and an inverter are disposed at the opposite sides with respect to the second board, so the second board isolates the heat, generated from the light source device, from being conducted toward the inverter. |
| US07852418B2 |
Display apparatus including multiple storage electrodes having specific shapes
A display apparatus includes a substrate, in which first and second pixel areas are defined. A first pixel electrode including a first main pixel electrode and a first sub-pixel electrode is formed in the first pixel area and a second pixel electrode including a second main pixel electrode and a second sub-pixel electrode is formed in the second pixel area. Adjacent outer contour parts of the first and second pixel electrodes, which face each other, have shapes different from and corresponding to each other, the area ratio of the first main pixel electrode to the first sub-pixel electrode being the same as the area ratio of the second main pixel electrode to the second sub-pixel electrode. |
| US07852413B2 |
Image display apparatus and control method thereof
An image display apparatus that receives an input of a video signal and displays an image based on the video signal, includes: a copyguard detecting unit that detects whether or not the video signal is copyguarded; and a brightness adjusting unit that adjusts the brightness of the image on the basis of a detection result obtained by the copyguard detecting unit. |
| US07852408B2 |
Fractional phase-locked loop for generating high-definition and standard-definition reference clocks
A programmable fractional phase-locked loop for generating a 148.50000 MHz high-definition television reference clock and a 148.35164 MHz high-definition reference clock from a 27 MHz crystal is disclosed. To generate the 148.50000 MHz reference clock, the fractional phase-locked loop is multiplied by 11/2, and to generate the 148.35164 MHz reference clock, the fractional phase-locked loop is multiplied by 500/91. Inside the fractional-phase locked loop however, the fraction 11/2 is represented by a denominator that is an integral power of 2, and the fraction 500/91 is represented by a denominator that is an integral multiple of 91. |
| US07852407B2 |
Digital broadcast receiver and method for processing caption thereof
A digital cable broadcast receiver and a method for automatically processing caption data of various standards and types, is disclosed. The digital broadcast receiver includes: a demultiplexer for dividing a received broadcast stream into video data, audio data, supplementary information; a controller for determining whether caption data included in the video data is digital caption data or analog caption data on the basis of caption information included in the supplementary information, and outputting a control signal according to a result of the determining; a digital caption decoder for extracting and decoding digital caption data from the video data according to the control signal; and an analog caption decoder for extracting and decoding analog caption data from the video data according to the control signal. |
| US07852404B2 |
Information signal processor, method for processing information signal, image signal processor and image display apparatus using the same, coefficient seed data production device used in the same, method for producing coefficient seed data set and information-providing medium
An information signal processor that is well suitable for use in conversion of an SD signal into an HD signal. The pixel data set corresponding to an objective position in the HD signal is extracted selectively from the SD signal. Class CL to which pixel data set of the objective position belongs is then obtained using the pixel data set. A coefficient production circuit produces coefficient data sets Wi for each class based on coefficient seed data sets and values of picture quality adjusting parameters h and v. A tap selection circuit selectively extracts the data sets xi from the SD signal and then, a calculation circuit produces the pixel data sets of the objective position in the HD signal using the data sets xi and the coefficient data sets Wi. It is thus possible to save on the storage capacity of the memory. |
| US07852403B2 |
Electronic device with image capturing device
An electronic device comprises a body, a first image capturing element, a cover and a arm. The body comprises a first surface and a second surface, with the first surface opposite to the second surface. The first image capturing element is disposed on the first surface. The cover is connected to the body, movable between a first cover position and a second cover position, wherein the cover covers the first image capturing element when the cover is in the first cover position, and the first image capturing element is actuated when the cover is in the second cover position. The arm is connected to the cover, pivoting between a first position and a second position, wherein when the arm is in the second position, a recording medium is received on a first end of the arm, and the first image capturing element captures an image data therefrom. |
| US07852401B2 |
Photographing apparatus and photographing method for exposure control during continuous photographing mode
An apparatus and method that can maintain the number of photographed images obtained per second (frame rate) while ensuring sufficient exposure of a subject. The photographing apparatus and method can include an exposure portion for repeatedly performing an exposure at intervals of a predetermined unit exposure time, an image data storing portion temporarily storing unit image data generated by the exposure of the exposure portion, and an image combiner reading and combining a group of unit image data corresponding to a predetermined exposure time from the image data storing portion in synchronization with a photographing start timing of a continuous photographing period that is set in advance, to generate a combined image. |
| US07852400B2 |
Image pickup apparatus having a movably controllable neutral-density filter
An image pickup apparatus which is capable of preventing light diffraction from being caused by a density step or a thickness step of a filter, thereby preventing degradation of resolution during still image shooting, and securing the dynamic range of exposure control during both moving image shooting and still image shooting. In the image pickup apparatus, an image pickup element converts light incident thereon from a lens into an electric signal. A diaphragm mechanism changes the amount of light incident on the image pickup element. An ND filter covers an aperture of the diaphragm mechanism such that the aperture can be opened and closed, thereby adjusting the amount of light incident on the image pickup element after passing through the aperture. A controller controls a closing operation of the ND filter for closing the aperture, such that the closing operation is performed at different speeds between when a gradation portion of the ND filter covers the aperture and when a transparent portion of the ND filter covers the aperture. |
| US07852391B2 |
Substitution of defective readout circuits in imagers
An imaging system configured with readout circuit redundancy is disclosed. Pixel data from a particular column can be steered around a defective readout circuit to an operational readout circuit. Thus, larger imaging arrays which are generally more prone to common column circuitry defects are enabled. In addition, imaging systems configured with significant on-chip signal processing, which are also more prone to common column circuitry defects, are enabled. The occurrence of lost pixel data from an entire column is eliminated or otherwise reduced, thereby increasing overall operability and yield of the imaging system. The system can be implemented on a single chip or a chip set. |
| US07852389B2 |
Solid-state image pick-up device having primary color and gray color filters and processing means therefor
In a single plate type solid-state image pickup device having a color filter with primary color filters, gray filters are disposed at specific pixels of the arrangement of the primary color filters, whereby variation of the sense of resolution with respect to color can be prevented, and outline emphasis is applied to achieve an excellent image. |
| US07852387B2 |
Apparatus and method for correcting blurred images
In an image processing apparatus that performs image processing on an image supplied from an imaging apparatus that captured an original image and that performed gamma processing on the original image to generate the image to be supplied to the image processing apparatus, inverse gamma processing means performs inverse gamma processing on the image supplied from the imaging apparatus so that the image has characteristics the same as characteristics of the original image, which corresponds to the image before the image was subjected to the gamma processing in the imaging apparatus, and correction processing means performs correction processing on the image subjected to the inverse gamma processing using the inverse gamma processing means so that blur in the image is corrected. |
| US07852378B2 |
Image processor and face detector using the same
An image processor is provided, which has the capability of detecting an object such as a human face from an image taken against the sun with high accuracy. An image signal provided from an image pickup unit is adjusted at an analog gain by an image adjuster. An out of the image adjuster is converted into a digital, and store in a memory. A feature of the object is extracted from this digital image data to detect an object area in the image. When the object area is not detected, an analog-gain controller sends that the image signal provided from the image pickup unit is adjusted at a different analog gain. Thus, the treatment of detecting the object area is repeated at different analog gains. |
| US07852376B2 |
Image-based method and system for building spherical panoramas
The invention relates to building spherical panoramas for image-based virtual reality systems. The image-based spherical panoramas can be navigated in any desired view direction (360-degrees) by suitable three-dimensional image browsers or viewers. The method and system also includes computing the number of photographs required to be taken and the azimuth angle of the center point of each photograph for building a spherical environment map representative of the spherical panorama. The method and system also includes an algorithm for computing the accurate azimuth angles of these taken photographs and seaming them together to build the spherical environment map. |
| US07852375B2 |
Method of stabilizing an image sequence
A method of stabilizing an image sequence, said method comprising the following phases: estimating a first global motion vector comprising a first motion component in a predetermined direction that has associated with it a first respective amplitude and a first respective direction, said first vector being representative of the motion with respect to a reference image of a first image consisting of a pixel matrix, associating said first component with either a wanted motion or an unwanted motion, compensating said first component when it is associated with an unwanted motion, characterized in that the association phase comprises a phase of comparing the first amplitude of said component with a threshold compensation value T comp hor assigned to the predetermined direction, said first component being associated with an unwanted or wanted motion whenever the first amplitude is, respectively, smaller than said threshold value T comp hor or greater than/equal to it. |
| US07852374B2 |
Image-pickup and associated methodology of dividing an exposure-time period into a plurality of exposures
An image-pickup device including an image-pickup element converting an optical image of a subject into an electrical signal is provided. The image-pickup device includes a detection unit which detects brightness of the subject, a first determination unit determining an exposure-time period on the basis of the detected brightness, a second determination unit determining a divided-time period used for dividing the exposure-time period into a plurality of sections, an image-pickup-timing-control unit which divides the exposure-time period by the divided-time period, exposes the image-pickup element a plurality of times, and generates a plurality of time-division-image data items, and a combining unit which generates still-image data by combining the generated time-division-image data items with each other. |
| US07852373B2 |
Anti-shake apparatus including calculation of angular velocity
An anti-shake apparatus comprises an angular velocity sensor and a controller. The angular velocity sensor detects an angular velocity. The controller controls the angular velocity sensor and performs an anti-shake operation based on the output signal from the angular velocity sensor. The controller calculates an angular velocity signal, based on the output signal from the angular velocity sensor before a predetermined period which is longer than a predetermined time interval and the output signal from the angular velocity sensor after the predetermined period, at the predetermined time interval, during the predetermined period. |
| US07852368B2 |
Method and apparatus for composing images during video communications
Disclosed is a method of composing images during video communications. The method includes receiving a first image, capturing a second image by an image capture device of a terminal, composing a third image using the first image and the second image, and storing the third image in the terminal. |
| US07852359B2 |
Protective overcoat transfer compensation
Observable matte-finish indicia on a printer medium having a matte finish includes the steps creating a matte image-viewing area; creating a glossy finish region within the image-viewing area; creating indicia having a matte finish within the glossy region. The printing medium has a dye-receiving element; and the steps of controlling the specularity of the image-viewing area, the glossy region, and the indicia include the step of imagewise-heating a donor element comprising a support having thereon a laminating patch of overcoat material, the donor being in contact with the dye-receiving element to thereby thermally transfer a layer of overcoat material to the printing medium, the overcoat material layer being transferred using a predetermined energy level within the image-viewing area and the indicia in order to create a matte finish and using a different energy level within the glossy region to create a gloss finish. |
| US07852358B2 |
Display device with control of steady-state current of a generation circuit
A display device for displaying display data includes a display panel having pixel sections in a matrix form, a scanning circuit which selects a line of the pixel sections, a generation circuit which generates a plurality of gray-scale voltages based on a reference voltage, and a selection circuit which selects a gray-scale voltage corresponding to the display data from the plurality of gray-scale voltages, and outputs the gray-scale voltage thus selected to a pixel section of the display panel. The generation circuit one of increases and decreases a steady-state current of the generation circuit at a second period within one scanning period of the scanning circuit. |
| US07852353B1 |
Encoding a transparency (alpha) channel in a video bitstream
Disclosed herein is a technique for delimiting the alpha channel at the NAL layer in codecs like H.264 to facilitate the optional nature of the alpha channel. In coded video sequences that include alpha, there is one alpha picture for every primary coded (e.g., luma-chroma) picture, and the coded alpha picture is contained in the same access unit as its corresponding primary coded picture. The alpha coded slice NAL units of each access unit are sent after the NAL units of the primary coded picture and redundant coded pictures, if any. The presence or absence of the alpha NAL units does not affect the decoding of the remaining NAL units in any way. |
| US07852349B2 |
Image display method and image display apparatus
There is described an image display apparatus that includes an image data processing section to convert (n+m)-bit monochromatic image data to a n-bit color display image-data group, based on a predetermined correlation, and a color image display section to display a color image on it, based on the n-bit color display image-data group. The image data processing section includes: a candidate selection section to select “H” sets of signal-values out of all combinations of signal-values included in the n-bit color display image-data group as the candidate color display signal-value sets; a signal value decision section to determine a color display signal-value set, to be correlated with the (n+m)-bit monochromatic image data, from among the “H” sets of candidate color display signal-value sets; and a correlation establishing section to establish the correlation between the (n+m)-bit monochromatic image data and the n-bit color display image-data group. |
| US07852343B2 |
Burst memory access method to rectangular area
The information processing device in the present invention includes a memory 1 which is a DRAM featuring a burst mode, and burst-transfers data at successive column addresses, masters (13), (14), and (15) which issue access requests, and a command processing unit (11) which converts an access address that is included in the access request issued from each master. One or more of the masters access an M×N rectangular area where M and N are integers, and the command processing unit (11) converts access addresses so that a column address of data at the (K+m)th column, where K and m are integers and m≦M, of an Lth line, and a column address of data at a Kth column of an (L+n)th line, where L and n are integers and n≦N, become successive. |
| US07852342B2 |
Remote client graphics rendering
A server computer hosts one or more application programs that are accessed by a client computer. Higher-level graphics commands describing graphics images are received from the application programs. The server computer determines whether the client computer is able to generate graphics using the higher-level graphics commands or generates graphics using relatively lower-level graphics commands. The server computer sends higher-level or relatively lower-level graphics commands depending on whether the client computer generates graphics using higher-level or relatively lower-level graphics commands. |
| US07852341B1 |
Method and system for patching instructions in a shader for a 3-D graphics pipeline
A method and system for patching instructions in a 3-D graphics pipeline. Specifically, in one embodiment, instructions to be executed within a scheduling process for a shader pipeline of the 3-D graphics pipeline are patchable. A scheduler includes a decode table, an expansion table, and a resource table that are each patchable. The decode table translates high level instructions to an appropriate microcode sequence. The patchable expansion table expands a high level instruction to a program of microcode if the high level instruction is complex. The resource table assigns the units for executing the microcode. Addresses within each of the tables can be patched to modify existing instructions and create new instructions. That is, contents in each address in the tables that are tagged can be replaced with a patch value of a corresponding register. |
| US07852338B1 |
Velocity drag: shape preservation of simulated objects in computer animation
A method for preserving the shape of simulated objects includes receiving the velocity of a location associated with a simulated object and a velocity associated with a reference object. While the difference between the velocity of the location associated with the simulated object and the velocity of the location associated with the reference object does not exceed a predetermined threshold, one or more forces are generated to act on the simulated object to minimize the difference between the velocity of the location associated with the simulated object and the velocity of the location associated with the reference object. |
| US07852335B2 |
Volume rendering processing distribution in a graphics processing unit
An intersection of a cut plane with a proxy geometry representing a scan volume is determined with a processor. The intersection is simplified, such as identifying a quadrilateral or triangle most closely enclosing the intersection. The vertex processor of a GPU deforms a reference grid and determines Cartesian coordinates and the texture coordinates for grid points of the reference grid as a function of the input intersection. The vertex processor provides coordinates for data for subsets of cut planes. The fragment processor inputs the texture coordinates and retrieves the data from the texture memory. The data is blended. The blended subsets are then blended together in the frame buffer of the GPU. |
| US07852332B2 |
Medical image processing and display apparatus including associated processing and control methods
Range information associated with the range of an image group of a plurality of image which is to be displayed is designated. The designated range information is stored. Image processing is performed for each image of the image group corresponding to the stored range information to generate a display image group. The images of the generated display image group are switched to display an image on a display unit. |
| US07852331B2 |
High-voltage ternary driver using dynamic ground
Systems and methods for implementing a ternary driver that provides three voltage levels: a high positive voltage, a high negative voltage and a zero voltage. The ternary driver utilizes a dynamic ground to maintain the mid-level zero voltage level at approximately zero volts allowing for voltage regulation during high voltage scenarios. The dynamic ground can be activated when the measured voltage is outside user defined reference voltage levels. |
| US07852328B2 |
Data input method and apparatus, and liquid crystal display device using the same
For a data input method and apparatus capable of latching data from a memory by using a clock of optimal timing, and a liquid crystal display device using the same, a clock of an optimal margin is set by reading out check data stored in a memory, and the check data read out from the memory is latched and generated according to the set clock of the optimal margin. |
| US07852325B2 |
RF pulse synchronization for data acquisition operations
Data acquisition from a touch-surface input unit may be disrupted during the generation of radio frequency (“RF”) pulses. To mitigate this problem, touch-surface data acquisition is temporarily halted during RF pulse generation. Data collected prior to temporarily halting is retained, with subsequently acquired data being added to prior collected data. |
| US07852323B2 |
Touch screens
A touch screen control system comprising a touch screen (14) having first (50) and second conductive layers (52) arranged to be brought together by touching of the screen (14). A detection system (20, 30) is arranged to detect a contact position at which the screen (14) is touched by monitoring electrical signals from at least one of the layers (50, 52). The system further comprises an antenna (26), and the detection system includes a proximity sensing signal generator arranged to generate a proximity sensing signal to be transmitted between the antenna (26) and the first layer (50) via a user (40) of the system. The detection system is further arranged to receive the transmitted proximity sensing signal and determine therefrom the distance between a part (46) of the user and the touch screen (14). |
| US07852322B2 |
Portable computer
A portable computer includes a main body casing having an opening formed at a center part thereof, and a first panel and a second panel which are provided in opposite sides of the opening, a display part which displays an image through the opening, and a first input button group and a second input button group which are selected from a character input keyboard of a computer interface, and are respectively provided in the left panel and the right panel. |
| US07852318B2 |
Acoustic robust synchronization signaling for acoustic positioning system
A position detection system comprising positional element and positioning device, wherein the positional element transmits a continuously modulated acoustic waveform and a synchronization signal that is a sequence of at least two synchronization packets, each bearing timing data for the continuously modulated acoustic waveform. Additionally, the synchronization signal uses time hopping to support concurrent positioning of a plurality of positional elements. |
| US07852316B2 |
Image processing method of pointer input system
The present invention relates to an image processing method of a pointer input system. In the image processing method, a color channel image is generated from an image pickup device, so that image processing capability, the image processing efficiency and the data transmitting speed of the pointer input system are enhanced. |
| US07852311B2 |
Liquid crystal display and drive circuit thereof
A liquid crystal display of this invention includes a plurality of scan lines, a plurality of data lines, and pixels provided at each intersection of the plurality of scan lines and the plurality of data lines. The liquid crystal display further includes a plurality of pixel groups constituted of the pixels provided at each intersection of the consecutive plurality of data lines and one of the plurality of scan lines, in which signals of the same polarity are outputted to all data lines included in each of the plurality of pixel groups by a time-sharing drive that sequentially outputs signals, and reversed polarity signals are outputted to the plurality of pixel groups adjacent to each other, so that signals with polarities inverted after each frame are outputted to the data lines included in the pixel groups. |
| US07852309B2 |
Scan driver and organic light emitting display device having the same
Provided is a scan driver that supplies a scan signal to an organic light emitting display device (OLED). The scan driver includes transistors of the same conductivity type. To generate individual scan signals, the scan driver includes samplers, each of which samples an input signal in synchronization with a clock signal or an inverted clock signal; and an OR gate and a NAND gate, each of which performs a logical operation on output signals of adjacent samplers and generates a scan signal. The samplers, the OR gate and the NOR gate include transistors of the same conductivity type. |
| US07852308B2 |
Source driver and driving method thereof
A source driver for an LCD device. The source driver comprises a controller generating a pair of signals complimentary to each other, each of the signals toggling at a predetermined frame period, and an output buffer generating a data-line drive signal that is offset by positive and negative offset values in response to the pair of signals. |
| US07852303B2 |
Liquid crystal display and drive circuit thereof
A liquid crystal display of this invention includes a plurality of scan lines, a plurality of data lines, and pixels provided at each intersection of the plurality of scan lines and the plurality of data lines. The liquid crystal display further includes a plurality of pixel groups constituted of the pixels provided at each intersection of the consecutive plurality of data lines and one of the plurality of scan lines, in which signals of the same polarity are outputted to all data lines included in each of the plurality of pixel groups by a time-sharing drive that sequentially outputs signals, and reversed polarity signals are outputted to the plurality of pixel groups adjacent to each other, so that signals with polarities inverted after each frame are outputted to the data lines included in the pixel groups. |
| US07852302B2 |
Liquid crystal display having pixel units each having two sub-pixels and operation method thereof
A pixel unit in the present invention is divided into two sub-pixels. Each sub-pixel includes a thin film transistor, a liquid crystal capacitor and a storage capacitor. The two transistors respectively located in different sub-pixels are connected to different scan lines. One of the two transistors is connected to the data line through another transistor. Therefore, two different pixel voltages are formed in a pixel. |
| US07852294B2 |
Plasma display apparatus and driving method thereof
A plasma display apparatus and a driving method thereof are provided. The apparatus includes: an electrode pair having a first electrode and a second electrode, and a third electrode intersecting with the electrode pair; and a first electrode driver, a second electrode driver, and a third electrode driver for applying a driving signal to the respective electrodes, wherein the first electrode driver applies a waveform ramping-up up to a reset voltage during a reset period and falling down to a base voltage substantially without a ramp down. |
| US07852291B2 |
Method of driving plasma display panel and apparatus thereof
Disclosed is a method of driving a plasma display panel and apparatus thereof enabling to minimize power consumption for driving the plasma display panel. 1. The present invention includes the steps of generating a reset discharge by supplying ramp waves so as to equalize cells in the plasma display panel in a reset period, supplying selected specific ones of the cells with a scan voltage pulse swinging between a lowest voltage levels of the reset discharge and a data pulse of a voltage level lowered as much as a negative voltage level of the scan voltage pulse, generating an address discharge by the scan voltage pulse and data pulse applied to the selected cells in an address period, and maintaining the address discharge for a sustain period. |
| US07852285B2 |
Display device comprising a holding member
A display device for presenting optic content, comprises a holder device and a plurality of rod-shaped display elements, said display elements comprising a plurality of illuminants. The display elements are held by the holder device and a display area for presenting the optic content is formed by the plurality of display elements. The holder device comprises a plurality of holder elements interconnected by connecting devices such that the holder device is variable in shape, so that a variation of the shape of the holder device allows for the variation of the shape of the display area. The invention is characterized in that the holder device holds the display elements only at a first end of the latter. |
| US07852284B2 |
Modular computer system
A computer system composed of a storage and control unit including components for receiving and processing input data signals and components for producing output signals based on the input data signals; an input/output unit including components for generating input signals and output components for providing a display based on output signals; and a wireless link between the units for conducting data signals from the components for generating input signals to the components for receiving and processing input signals and for conducting output signals from the components for producing output signals to the output components. |
| US07852283B2 |
Rod antenna device
A device of a rod antenna comprising a supply transformer and first and second beam elements, wherein both beam elements are provided with a ferrite material. |
| US07852282B2 |
System and method for excluding electromagnetic waves from a protected region
A module for receiving one or more electromagnetic waves moving along a path in a direction of propagation. The module includes a first electrically conductive strip disposed in a first pattern and a second substantially electrically conductive strip disposed in a second pattern. The first and second strips are positioned substantially parallel to each other and spaced apart, and are electrically connected to each other. The first and second patterns are substantially opposite to each other, so that current passing through the first and second strips generates respective electromagnetic fields which are substantially opposed to each other. The first strip is positionable in the path of the electromagnetic wave and substantially transverse to the direction of propagation, to provide a protected region from which said at least one electromagnetic wave is substantially excluded. |
| US07852280B2 |
Broadband structurally-embedded conformal antenna
An antenna comprising a crossed pair of center-fed end-loaded bent-dipole radiators which are structurally embedded into a properly loaded cavity. Broadband, dual independent polarized, and hemisphere field-of-view coverage with low RCS characteristics is provided with this antenna. |
| US07852279B2 |
Polarization-independent angle of arrival determination system using a miniature conformal antenna
A miniature conformal antenna is provided with a polarization-independent output by using quadrature elements at the mouth of a cavity and by processing the RHCP and LHCP outputs of the elements to arrive at a polarization-dependent solution; and then correcting the angle of arrival result by electronically rotating the antenna, measuring the amplitude difference between element pairs at various angles, generating an amplitude difference curve and deriving an angular correction factor therefrom. |
| US07852274B2 |
Communications trailer
A mobile satellite communication trailer comprising a frame, an antenna assembly coupled to the frame comprising a feed boom, a reflector dish coupled to the feed boom, and at least one bumper coupled to the feed boom intermediate the feed boom and the reflector dish. A shock isolator is positioned intermediate the frame and the feed boom. The mobile satellite system further comprises at least three adjustable stabilizing legs providing rigid support for said antenna assembly when said antenna assembly is in a transmission position, said stabilizing legs being convertible between said transmission position and said transport position, wherein one of said at least three adjustable stabilizing legs is moveably connected to said trailer front portion and at least two of said at least three adjustable stabilizing legs are moveably connected to at least one of said satellite antenna assembly and said trailer frame proximate said satellite antenna assembly. |
| US07852272B2 |
Wireless unit antenna apparatus and mobile wireless unit
The present invention provides an antenna apparatus for a wireless unit, the antenna apparatus exhibiting a reduced specific absorption rate (SAR) without an additional component for reducing the SAR, which is the amount of energy of an electromagnetic wave absorbed by a human body. The antenna apparatus comprises a board 114 serving as a ground plate of an antenna, a first antenna element 102 transmitting and receiving an electromagnetic wave in a first frequency band and provided on the board 114 through the first feeder 107, and a second antenna element 110 transmitting and receiving an electromagnetic wave in a second frequency band and provided on the board 114 through the first feeder 111, wherein the total of an electrical length between the first and second feeders 107 and 111, an electrical length of the first antenna element 102, and an electrical length of the second antenna element 110 is larger than a half wavelength of the first frequency band and equal to or smaller than one wavelength of the first frequency band. |
| US07852270B2 |
Wireless communication device
A wireless communication device including an antenna-integrated module which realizes a high-end antenna having an improved antenna efficiency includes a mounting board having a through hole whose cross-sectional shape is rectangular; and an antenna-integrated module mounted on the mounting board so as to cover over the through hole, a patch antenna, which radiates radiation wave, being provided on a surface of the antenna-integrated module, which surface is exposed in the through hole, an annular grounding sheet being provided between the antenna-integrated module and the mounting board so as to surround the patch antenna, and the through hole having a longer side whose length satisfies λ/2≦a≦λ, where λ is a wavelength of the radiation wave. |
| US07852269B2 |
Ultrawideband communication antenna
According to the ultrawideband communication antenna, since surfaces of the antenna element are coated with the first resin layer and the second resin layer each of which is mixed with the nonmagnetic metal powder and has an insulating property and a high specific inductive capacity, the size is largely reduced. Further, since the nonmagnetic metal powder is used, the first resin layer and the second resin layer are free from a loss of magnetism generated therein, thereby enabling to maintain a loss of the antenna to a low level. |
| US07852266B2 |
Apparatus and method for collaborative location awareness based on weighted maximum likelihood estimation
Provided is an apparatus and method for collaborative location awareness based on weighted maximum likelihood estimation (MLE), which is configured to improve accuracy of location awareness between nodes in estimating a location of a blind node. The method includes exchanging location awareness information with a reference node and a location-estimated blind node among peripheral nodes when location awareness is requested, performing location estimation based on weighted MLE, performing location calculation by using the location awareness information and an estimate obtained through the location estimation, and providing location awareness results of blind nodes. |
| US07852262B2 |
Wireless mobile indoor/outdoor tracking system
This invention is a wireless mobile indoor/outdoor tracking system. It is designed to track the absolute position of all nodes in a network indoors and outdoors. The system uses GPS positioning when a signal is available and RF ranging when it is unavailable. When indoors, a minimum of three network nodes must receive a GPS signal to determine absolute position. A mesh network is used to make the system mobile and to create an avenue for data to be transmitted to a remote base station. |
| US07852261B2 |
Tracking waveform selection for multi-function radar
The present invention relates to tracking waveforms in radar which minimizes the dwell time and energy in a tracking waveform while maintaining a specified track positional accuracy and consequently velocity accuracy. The present invention provides a method and apparatus for selecting a tracking waveform in a radar apparatus comprising determining a target range rate; determining a signal strength; determining the radiated frequency of the subsequent transmitted tracking waveform; and modifying the energy and pulse repetition frequency used on subsequent tracking waveforms on the basis of the determined target range rate, signal strength and next transmitted tracking waveform frequency. |
| US07852257B2 |
Anti-interference microwave motion sensor
A microwave motion sensor for protecting an area comprises an oscillator configured to generate a plurality of microwave signals, a random pulse generator configured to set a random pulse period for each transmitted microwave signal, an antenna configured to transmit the microwave signals and to receive reflected signals, and a signal processor coupled to the antenna through other circuitry, said signal processor is configured to process the reflected signals to determine a presence of a moving object in the protected area. |
| US07852251B2 |
Digital radio system and method of operation
A digital radio system comprises a mixer and an analog-to-digital converter communicative coupled to the mixer. The mixer generates an intermediate frequency signal based at least in part upon a radio frequency signal and a local oscillator signal, wherein the intermediate frequency signal comprises a signal of interest having a particular bandwidth. The analog-to-digital converter generates a digital signal by quantizing the intermediate frequency signal using a sampling frequency that is greater than twice the bandwidth of the signal of interest and less than the frequency of the intermediate frequency signal. |
| US07852248B1 |
Analog-to-digital converter (ADC) with reduced jitter sensitivity and power consumption
In one embodiment of the present invention, at least at one stage of a Sigma-Delta analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is disclosed to include means for receiving a voltage at least one of the inputs of an operational amplifier, the operational amplifier having at least one output coupled to the at least one of the inputs via an at least one integration capacitor, means for transforming the voltage to a current and means for integrating the current on the at least one of the integration capacitors, during integration time and varying the resistance of at least one of a variable resistors coupled to the operational amplifier during integration time. |
| US07852247B2 |
Mixed-signal filter
One embodiment of the invention includes a mixed-signal filter. The mixed-signal filter comprises an analog signal path configured to process a first analog signal and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to convert the processed first analog signal to a digital signal. The mixed-signal filter also comprises a programmable digital feedback filter configured to filter the digital signal and a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) configured to convert the filtered digital signal to a second analog signal. The mixed-signal filter further comprises a signal combiner configured to combine an analog input signal of the mixed-signal filter and the second analog signal to generate the first analog signal. |
| US07852240B2 |
Variable length encryption
A communication system using two computers. The first computer takes a textual string in the open, and, using a varying length representation, associates each character within the textual string to a varying length digital representation. The resulting digital string is then broken into prescribed lengths and the resulting character string is communicated to a second computer. The second computer breaks the character string into the underlying bit map and converts back to the textual string in the open using the varying length representation. |
| US07852239B2 |
Method and system for processing multi-rate audio from a plurality of audio processing sources
One or more circuits in a mobile phone may be utilized for up sampling two or more audio signals to a same data sampling rate. Each audio signal, such as digital audio, voice, and polyringer, for example, may be received at one of a plurality of data sampling rates and one or more of the following wireless standards: WCDMA, HSDPA, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, and/or Bluetooth. Audio signals may be equalized and/or compensated with an FIR filter before up sampling or with an IIR filter to reduce overall processing latency. Multiple half-band interpolation operations may perform the up sampling. The first half-band filter may be replaced by an IIR filter to reduce overall processing latency. A gain of the up-sampled data may be adjusted to reduce noise effects. The channels of the up-sampled audio signals may be mixed and later further up sampled for subsequent communication to an output device. |
| US07852238B2 |
Balanced disparity frame sync
A coder is fed with pre-coded data such that the absolute value of the RDS of the code words as produced by the coder is limited. This is achieved by ensuring that in a group of 2 code words the RDS of the first code word is compensated by the RDS of the second conde word. The RDS at the end of the second code word is then zero and the excursions of the RDS from the start of the first code word until the end of the second code word are limited because there are only a limited number of bits that can contribute to an increase of the absolute value of the RDS. This principle can easily be applied to the 17PP coder. |
| US07852236B2 |
Aircraft synthetic vision system for approach and landing
An aircraft synthetic vision system (100) is provided for increasing data input to a pilot (109) during approach and landing flight operations, and includes a runway assistance landing system (114) and a plurality of databases (106, 108, 110, 112) which may include, for example, a terrain database (106), an obstacle database (112); and a validated runway database (110). The processor (104) detects the likelihood of an error in determining the altitude from at least one of the runway assistance landing system (114), the plurality of databases (106, 108, 110, 112), and identifies the error. The processor (104) further determines augmented coordinates, and a processor (104) generates symbology commands to a first display (116) for displaying a runway environment in response to data provided to the processor (104) from each of the runway assistance landing system (114), the plurality of databases (106, 108, 110, 112), and the processor (104). |
| US07852235B1 |
High integrity computing via input synchronization systems and methods
A method of comparing output information from dissimilar processors includes storing a task in a first memory and storing the task in a second memory at substantially the same time as the first memory. The time of the storing being is controlled by a first arbitration logic and a second arbitration logic. The method also includes receiving the task by a first processor from the first memory and receiving the task by a second processor from the memory at substantially the same time as the first processor. The time being received is controlled by a first arbitration logic and a second arbitration logic. The second processor being dissimilar to the first processor. The method further includes computing a first output by the first processor based on the task and computing a second output by the second processor based on the task. The method still further includes, synchronizing the first and second outputs so that the first and second outputs are output at substantially the same time. The synchronizing is controlled by the first and second arbitration logic. |
| US07852233B2 |
Driver notification system, device, and associated method
Devices, systems, and methods are provided for alerting a driver that a potential hazard is in the vicinity of the driver's vehicle. In general, activation signals transmitted from a vehicle are received at a potential hazard, and hazard signals are, in response, transmitted from the potential hazard to the vehicle. The hazard signals provide an indication of the potential hazard to the driver so that he may be aware of the potential hazard and react accordingly. The indication may be provided to the driver visually, such as on a display of the vehicle, and/or audibly, such as in the form of an audible alert issued by a speaker. The hazard signals may also include one or more characteristics of the potential hazard to provide more information about the potential hazard to the driver, such as the type of potential hazard and/or the degree of danger associated with the potential hazard. |
| US07852232B2 |
Downhole tool adapted for telemetry
A cycleable downhole tool such as a Jar, a hydraulic hammer, and a shock absorber adapted for telemetry. This invention applies to other tools where the active components of the tool are displaced when the tool is rotationally or translationally cycled. The invention consists of inductive or contact transmission rings that are connected by an extensible conductor. The extensible conductor permits the transmission of the signal before, after, and during the cycling of the tool. The signal may be continuous or intermittent during cycling. The invention also applies to downhole tools that do not cycle, but in operation are under such stress that an extensible conductor is beneficial. The extensible conductor may also consist of an extensible portion and a fixed portion. The extensible conductor also features clamps that maintain the conductor under stresses greater than that seen by the tool, and seals that are capable of protecting against downhole pressure and contamination. |
| US07852227B2 |
Synthetic smoke generator and smoke detector tester using such a generator
The present invention relates to an electrically operated device for generating synthetic smoke and also to a hazard detector tester utilizing such a device. The device comprises a collapsible container provided with vaporisable liquid and a tube, one end of which is immersed in the liquid and the other end of which is provided with an electrical heater for vaporising the liquid in the other end of the tub in order to generate smoke. A peristaltic pump is used to pump the liquid through the tube. |
| US07852226B2 |
Spectroscopic portal for an adaptable radiation area monitor
A detection system operating on a scalable Radiation Sensor Unit (RSU) data stream employs a detection module triggering an alarm based on fee dynamic temporal features of gross count. Two spectroscopic buffers, one holding a long-term background and one holding the integrated detection event data are passed on for identification. The detector data incorporates sets of counts measured at channelized gamma energies. Each multi-channel data set is reduced to highly accurate peak locations. The absolute energy of the peaks is determined using innovative techniques and the background peaks and other secondary peaks are eliminated to provide a concise list of corrected source peak locations and intensities. This, together with spectral region analysis results is used with pattern recognition algorithms to identify fee source isotope or combination of isotopes from a standard library. |
| US07852225B2 |
Driver alert system for the steering wheel of a motor vehicle
A driver alert system for the steering wheel of a motor vehicle includes a vibration module with an eccentric mass and a driving device for rotating said eccentric mass about a rotational axis. The vibration module is arranged such that the rotational axis of the eccentric mass is essentially parallel to the steering column axis. |
| US07852222B2 |
Method and system of asset identification and tracking for enterprise asset management
A system and method for managing enterprise assets located at geographically distributed sites utilizing wireless tag technologies. The method includes storing in a database information relating to each asset, wherein the stored information includes cost of each asset and cost of service for each asset. The method further includes tracking and storing information relating to servicing of the assets, including the cost of servicing. Information relating to the assets is then displayed to a user of the system. |
| US07852216B2 |
Backscattering different radio frequency protocols
The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for backscattering different radio frequency protocols. In some implementations, a radio Frequency (RF) tag includes an antenna and a storage module. The antenna is configured to receive an RF signal from any of a plurality of readers. Each reader is associated with a different protocol having different time durations. The storage module is coupled to the antenna and configured to store energy associated with the RF signal. In addition, the storage module substantially maintains a voltage in the tag during any of the different time durations independent of an internal power supply. |
| US07852214B2 |
Reader board assembly circuit, system, and method for identifying a digital device among multiple digital devices
The present invention provides an electronic circuit for detecting, identifying, and/or activating a digital device, including a touch-and-hold connector configured to hold an object of interest, the digital device coupled to the touch-and-hold connector, for example, wherein the digital device has a unique digital registration number, a microcontroller that reads the unique digital registration number of the digital device, a storage receptacle configured to selectively receive the touch-and-hold connector, a light-emitting source coupled to the storage receptacle and associated with the touch-and-hold connector, and an electrical power source. |
| US07852212B2 |
Alarm system interaction with a movable barrier operator method and apparatus
A secure communication link (24) is provided between a movable barrier operator (23) and a peripheral alarm system (20). Information conveyed via this link is used by one, the other, or both such elements to further inform or direct their respective actions. |
| US07852211B2 |
Mobile surveillance and security system, surveillance and security system having a mobile surveillance and security unit, and methods of operating the same
A mobile surveillance and/or security unit. The unit includes a trailer, a tower mounted to the trailer, a plurality of apparatus positioned on the tower, and at least one power source configured to provide power to the plurality of apparatus. In addition, at least one of the plurality of apparatus is a communication apparatus. |
| US07852201B2 |
Apparatus and method for determining the remaining useful life of a transmission filter
A vehicle has a transmission, a transmission filter, and a controller having an algorithm or method for predicting the remaining useful life of the filter. The algorithm or method uses a sensor to detect an operating event of the transmission, such as a completed shift event or zero transmission output speed event, and increases a stored value of an accumulated distance and time variable. A shift sensor is operable for comparing a detected speed ratio of the transmission to a stored threshold speed ratio for determining the completed shift event. The remaining useful filter life is predicted using one or more look up tables using the values of the accumulated distance and time variables. The accumulated distance is calculated in part by dividing a prior recorded accumulated distance value by a ratio of an output speed of the transmission to an actual vehicle speed. |
| US07852200B2 |
Remote service audible arming state annunciation
This invention relates to accessing security systems through a communication system such as the Internet, a LAN or a WAN, using a virtual remote keypad application which includes an audio capability to enhance user understanding of the security system's status. The virtual remote keypad application receives status information from the user's security system and audibly announces a change in status to the user. |
| US07852198B2 |
RF tag
Various embodiments and methods relating to a radio frequency (RF) tag storing custom settings of an electronic device are disclosed. |
| US07852197B2 |
System and method for inhibiting detection of deactivated labels using detection filters having an adaptive threshold
A method, system and computer program product for inhibiting detection of deactivated tags. The method, system and computer program product include receiving a signal that includes environment noise from at least one tag, extracting signal detection information that includes a signal detection energy value from the received signal, extracting signal deactivation information that includes a signal deactivation energy value from the received signal, and determining a failure to deactivate ratio that corresponds to the signal detection energy value divided by the signal deactivation energy value. Generation of an alarm event is inhibited upon the failure to deactivate ratio being less than the selectable threshold and generating a noise factor to adjust a selectable threshold. |
| US07852196B1 |
Systems and methods for electronic premises access
Systems and methods for electronic premises access are disclosed. Some method embodiments comprise receiving a credential at a portal to a secure premises, identifying an issuing authority of the credential, electronically validating the credential with the issuing authority, and permitting entry to the secure premises if the credential is valid. Other method embodiments comprise receiving an identity credential and information indicating that there is an emergency at a portal to a secure premises, performing a cursory validation of the identity credential, permitting entry to the secure premises if the identity credential appears valid, identifying an issuing authority of the identity credential, and electronically validating the identity credential with the issuing authority, wherein permitting entry to the secure premises occurs before identifying the issuing authority of and electronically validating the identity credential. |
| US07852195B2 |
Authentication of source, plus, for goods and services system, method, and components
A unique identifier is created for each article (clothing, accessories, jewels, fragrances, manufactures, etc.) for which the provider of the article desires to authenticate its Brand source to the party acquiring the article to substantiate to that acquiring party that they are receiving a genuine article. The unique identifier is so provided from a secure third party that also stores the unique identifier, possibly with other historical information, in a secure data base accessable only by authorized parties. The unique identifier may be provided on tags to be carried by the respective article or it may be applied directly to the article as by direct part marking from the material of the article and when so provided it includes a brand source identifier of the party providing the unique identifier as an additional protective measure. The unique identifier furthermore may be provided as an encoded, imageable symbology such as a “Data Matrix”. |
| US07852187B2 |
Compact electromagnetic component and multilayer winding thereof
An electromagnetic component has a multilayer winding. The multilayer winding has a stack body. The stack body has multiple sub-stacks and at least one second metal ring, each of which is interposed between two adjacent sub-stacks of the stack body. Each sub-stack has identical upper and lower first metal rings. Further, each second metal ring has identical upper and lower half rings. Therefore, the multilayer winding only uses two forms of the metal rings, so manufacturing costs will be decreased. |
| US07852186B2 |
Coil transducer with reduced arcing and improved high voltage breakdown performance characteristics
Disclosed herein are various embodiments of coil transducers and galvanic isolators configured to provide high voltage isolation and high voltage breakdown performance characteristics in small packages. A coil transducer is provided across which data or power signals may be transmitted and received by primary and secondary coils disposed on opposing sides thereof without high voltage breakdowns occurring therebetween. At least portions of the coil transducer are formed of an electrically insulating, non-metallic, non-semiconductor, low dielectric loss material. The coil transducer may be formed in a small package using, by way of example, printed circuit board, CMOS-compatible and other fabrication and packaging processes. |
| US07852182B2 |
Pendulum drive system for personal care appliances
The actuator (10, 90) of a personal care appliance, such as a toothbrush (11), which includes a housing member (12), a double E shaped yoke assembly (14, 52) with two electrical coils (36, 38) wound around the opposing E shaped sections. An armature (28) extends adjacent the top of the yoke assembly (14, 52), extending beyond the edges thereof. The armature (28) further includes side portions which extend adjacent the sides of the E shaped yoke (52), with each side portion including two spaced magnets which are aligned with the coils (36, 38) when the actuator (10, 90) is in a rest position. Power is supplied from a battery source, and a programmable control assembly (46) applies power to the coils (36, 38) in a selected manner to produce axial and/or tangential or complex movement of the brushhead workpiece (33) at the end of an output shaft extending from the armature (28). |
| US07852179B2 |
Relay with automated overtravel adjustment
An electromagnetic relay has a relay coil, an armature, a pusher and a contact system. The armature is actuated by the relay coil, and linked to the pusher to drive the pusher to operate the contact system. A set of stationary contact springs and a set of moveable contact springs have a gap separating them. The moveable contact springs connect to the pusher and to a pivot point. The stationary springs have a notch therein adjacent to the base structure portion. The pusher movement causes the stationary contact springs and the moveable contact springs to engage or disengage, and to automatically adjust the overtravel angle of the stationary contact springs relative to the moveable contact springs by bending the stationary contact spring at the notch of the stationary contact spring. |
| US07852178B2 |
Hermetically sealed electromechanical relay
An electromechanical relay includes an armature and an inner core at least partially surrounding at least a portion of the armature. The armature is slidably movable relative to the inner core. A coil at least partially surrounding at least a portion of the inner core. The relay also includes a stationary contact held in a ceramic header and a movable contact connected to the armature via a shaft. The movable contact is movable between an open position wherein the movable contact does not engage the stationary contact and a closed position wherein the movable contact engages the stationary contact. The relay also includes a housing having an open end and a chamber. The chamber contains the armature, the inner core, the coil, the movable contact, and at least a portion of the stationary contact. The housing forms a portion of a magnetic circuit of the relay. The ceramic header is circumferentially welded to the housing adjacent the open end such that the chamber of the housing is hermetically sealed. |
| US07852175B2 |
Circuit board defined by transmission line patterns disposed within trenches and covered by a conformal layer
A circuit board is provided, and a method for manufacturing the same, suitable for use in high frequency circuits, and comprising a planar pattern of transmission line conductors for linking components formed on or within the circuit board, the transmission line conductors being formed within a corresponding pattern of trenches arranged so that the conductors lie beneath a finished surface of the circuit board which is polished flat to permit one or more cover boards to be bonded thereto. |
| US07852173B2 |
Reflection-type bandpass filter
This invention provides a reflection-type bandpass filter for ultra-wideband wireless data communication, in which are provided, on the surface of a dielectric substrate, a center conductor and side conductors, provided on both sides of the center conductor, securing a prescribed distance between conductors with non-conducting portions intervening therebetween. The center conductor width or the distances between conductors, or both, are distributed non-uniformly in a length direction of the center conductor. |
| US07852171B2 |
Filter-attenuator chip device
A microchip device is disclosed that combines a signal attenuator and a frequency filter. An embodiment of the device includes an input contact, an output contact, and a ground contact formed on the surface of a substrate. Resistive elements formed on the substrate interconnect the contacts. At least the input contact includes a gap pattern formed therein that is dimensioned and arranged such that the input contact provides a reactive impedance characteristic. The combination of the resistance of the resistive elements and the reactive impedance characteristic of the input contact are selected to provide attenuation and frequency filtering of a high frequency signal input to the microchip device. A method of manufacturing the filter-attenuator microchip device is also described. |
| US07852170B2 |
Adaptive impedance matching apparatus, system and method with improved dynamic range
An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising an RF matching network connected to at least one RF input port and at least one RF output port and including one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements; a voltage detector connected to the at least one RF output port via a variable voltage divider to determine the voltage at the at least one RF output port and provide voltage information to a controller that controls a bias driving circuit which provides voltage or current bias to the RF matching network; a variable voltage divider connected to the voltage detector and implemented using a multi-pole RF switch to select one of a plurality of different resistance ratios to improve the dynamic range of the apparatus; and wherein the RF matching network is adapted to maximize RF power transferred from the at least one RF input port to the at least one RF output port by varying the voltage or current to the voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements to maximize the RF voltage at the at least one RF output port. |
| US07852169B2 |
High speed interconnection system having a dielectric system with polygonal arrays of holes therein
Fundamental interconnect systems for connecting high-speed electronics elements are provided. The interconnect systems consists of signal line, dielectric system with open trench or slot filled up with air or lower dielectric loss material, and the ground plane. The signal line could be for example, microstripline, strip line, coplanar line, single line or differential pairs. The interconnect system can be used for on-chip interconnects or can also be used for off-chip interconnects. The fundamental techniques provided in this invention can also be used for high-speed connectors and high-speed cables. |
| US07852167B2 |
Third overtone crystal oscillator
A third overtone crystal oscillator has an oscillator IC and a crystal element accommodated in a container. The IC includes transistor grounded at its emitter, a first capacitor connected to the base of the transistor via a DC blocking capacitor and to the ground potential, and a second capacitor connected between the collector of the transistor and the ground potential. Both ends of the crystal element are connected to non-grounded ends of the first and second capacitors, respectively. A spiral inductor forming a parallel resonant circuit together with the first capacitor, is provided at the container, using a printing process, for example, being independent of the IC. The parallel resonant frequency of the parallel resonant circuit is set higher than the oscillation frequency at the fundamental wave of the crystal element, and lower than the oscillation frequency at the third overtone of the crystal element. |
| US07852165B2 |
Capacitive-degeneration double cross-coupled voltage-controlled oscillator
A capacitive-degeneration double cross-coupled voltage-controlled oscillator is provided. The capacitive-degeneration double cross-coupled voltage-controlled oscillator includes a main cross-coupled oscillating unit including an oscillation transistor pair cross-coupled to first and second output nodes of a resonating unit to perform an oscillation operation; and an auxiliary cross-coupled oscillating unit including a positive-feedback transistor pair cross-coupled to the first and second output nodes and the transistor pair of the main cross-coupled oscillating unit and a degeneration capacitance connected between emitters of the positive-feedback transistor pair so as to increase a negative resistance of the main cross-coupled oscillating unit. Accordingly, it is possible to increase a maximum attainable oscillation frequency and to decrease an input capacitance. |
| US07852159B2 |
Method for adaptive biasing of fully differential gain boosted operational amplifiers
An adaptive biasing technique improves fully differential gain boosted operational amplifiers transient characteristics and reduces power consumption. An adaptive biasing module includes a bias generation module and a bias replication module. The bias generation module generates a first control signal (VCMNB) and the first control signal is applied as an output common mode of a differential booster (inside the bias replication module). The bias replication module is coupled to the bias generation module for equalizing a common mode of the differential booster with the first control signal (VCMNB). |
| US07852158B2 |
Operational amplifier
An operational amplifier includes, between an input and an output of an operational amplifier (an operational amplification stage) 10, a feedback capacitor 34 connected in negative feedback, a phase control circuit 100 having a resistor element (a resistor unit) 30 connected in series to the feedback capacitor 34. Load capacitors (load units) 32 are connected on the output side of the operational amplifier 10 and driven by an output signal from the operational amplifier 10. In a case that the capacitance values of the load capacitor 32 and 33 are increased and the phase margin of the operational amplifier becomes excessive in comparison with the optimum value, a resistance value RO of the resistor element 30 is increased to control the phase margin of the operational amplifier so as to fall within the optimum range, and thus accelerated settling properties are realized. This invention thus provides a phase control circuit applicable even to a single-stage operational amplifier, and by enhancing the properties of the operational amplifier itself and enabling the phase margin to be controlled, realizes accelerated settling properties even in a case that a transient response is deteriorated. |
| US07852157B2 |
Differential amplifier
A differential amplifier includes a differential amplifier section to generate a current composed of a differential-mode current and a first common-mode current according to a differential-mode component and a common-mode component of an input signal, a common-mode current generator section to generate a common-mode current according to the common-mode component of the input signal, and a current amplifier section to receive the current and the common-mode current, amplify a difference between the current and the common-mode current and output a result. |
| US07852155B2 |
Class-D amplifier and method therefor
In one embodiment, a class-D amplifier (11) is configured to form first (DP) and second (DN) PWM signals each having a duty cycle that is proportional to a received analog input signal (12) and responsively to enable a switch (31, 32) to short the outputs (13, 14) of the class-D amplifier (11) together responsively to some states of the first (DP) and second (DN) PWM signals. |
| US07852152B2 |
Nth order tunable low-pass continuous time filter for fiber optic receivers
According to one embodiment of the invention, a circuit comprising a plurality of operational transconductance amplifiers (OTAS) is described. The first OTA has differential input and differential output. The second OTA also has differential input, where a first output of the first OTA is coupled to the first differential input of the second OTA, which is an inverting input. A second output of the first OTA is coupled to the second input of the second OTA, which is a non-inverting input. The first differential output being coupled to a first input of the first OTA and the second differential output being coupled to a second input of the first OTA for negative feedback and current biasing. |
| US07852151B2 |
Variable gain amplifier
A method of varying the gain of an amplifier and an amplifier array are provided. The amplifier array includes two or more amplifier stages (201, 202) connected in parallel with each amplifier stage having a gain control means. Input signal means (203, 204) are provided for each amplifier stage with the input signals of the amplifier stages being of different amplitude. Means for enabling and disabling an amplifier stage (216) are provided and means for summing the outputs of the enabled amplifier stages obtain an output signal (212). The gain of the amplifier array has a range from a low gain setting with a first amplifier stage (202) enabled, through increasing gain settings as the gain of the first amplifier stage is increased from a minimum to a maximum gain, a second amplifier stage (201) can then be enabled in addition to the first amplifier stage and the gain of the second amplifier stage increased from a minimum to a maximum gain, further amplifier stages are enabled as available up to a maximum gain setting for the amplifier array. Each amplifier stage that is enabled has a decreasingly attenuated input signal and a final amplifier stage to be enabled has a full input signal (203). |
| US07852150B1 |
Switching amplifier driven by a controlled power supply
The invention relates to a switching amplifier comprising at least one pulse modulator arranged for modulating at least one input utility signal into at least one pulse modulated signal and at least one switching power stage arranged to establish at least one amplified utility signal on the basis of said at least one pulse modulated signal and a power signal, said power signal being delivered by a tracking power supply at least partly controlled by said at least one input utility signal, characterized in that said switching amplifier is arranged to process said at least one input utility signal according to a correction signal established by a correction signal estimator on the basis of a supply information signal derived from said tracking power supply.According to the present invention an advantageous switching amplifier enabling use of a tracking power supply is provided. Thereby the many benefits of switching amplifiers can now be obtained together with the benefits of utilizing a tracking power supply. Among many things, this reduces power consumption, reduces EMI noise and enables using more of the dynamic range available for the utility signal during the pulse modulation. The last advantage further renders noise introduced by the power supply and the switching output stage less significant, as the signal-to-noise ratio in the power stage is greatly improved due to the utilization of the full dynamic range enabled by using a tracking power supply. |
| US07852145B2 |
Semiconductor device having power supply system
A semiconductor device is provided which includes: a first semiconductor integrated circuit; a ground line and a power supply line trough which electric power is supplied to the first semiconductor integrated circuit; and a variable impedance component which is connected between the ground line and the power supply line. |
| US07852141B2 |
Circuit arrangement for selective generation of an analog current output value or an analog voltage output value
A circuit arrangement is described for selectively generating an analog current output value or an analog voltage output value as a function of an analog input value. Optionally, the analog current output value or the analog voltage output value may also be a function of an input base value or a signed input correction value. The circuit arrangement includes a current control unit, a voltage control unit, a current output source is triggered by the current control unit, and a voltage output source triggered by the voltage control unit. The current output source and voltage output source of the circuit arrangement may be triggered in parallel and are connected in series on the output side. |
| US07852132B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit
A semiconductor integrated circuit comprises a PLL (Phase Locked Loop (PLL) circuit configured to generate a control voltage in response to a frequency of a reference clock signal, and to generate a PLL clock signal having a frequency that corresponds to a level of the control voltage, and a voltage controlled oscillator configured to oscillate an output clock signal in response to the PLL clock signal, and to allow the PLL clock signal to have a frequency that corresponds to a level of the control voltage. |
| US07852130B2 |
Voltage detection circuit and voltage detection method
Disclosed herein is a voltage detection circuit including: a voltage detection section; a first voltage determination section; and a second voltage determination section. |
| US07852128B2 |
Driving circuit for capacitive load and liquid injecting apparatus
A driving circuit for a capacitive load includes a driving signal generating unit that generates a driving signal for driving the capacitive load by using a pair of driving transistors. A power source voltage generating unit generates high-voltage and low-voltage power source voltages that are higher and lower, respectively, than the voltage of the driving signal and applies the voltages to collectors of the driving transistors. The power source voltage generating unit includes a pair of power source transistors and a capacitor. The low-voltage power source voltage is generated in an output side of the power-source transistor pair as a voltage that is in a voltage region lower than that of the driving signal and follows the driving signal. The high-voltage power source voltage is output from a high-voltage terminal of the capacitor, is in a voltage region higher than that of the driving signal, and follows the driving signal. |
| US07852125B2 |
Switching circuit arrangement
A switching circuit arrangement includes a field effect transistor and circuitry for biasing the gate voltage of the field effect transistor, e.g., forcing the gate voltage of the field effect transistor under a certain threshold. Reverse recovery and gate bounce are simultaneously mitigated. The biasing circuitry includes a biasing diode connected in series to the gate of the field effect transistor to bias the gate voltage of the field effect transistor. A clamping field effect transistor unit is connected between the gate of the field effect transistor and the source of the field effect transistor to force the gate voltage of the field effect transistor under a certain threshold. |
| US07852124B2 |
Low noise correlated double sampling amplifier for 4T technology
A correlated double sampling circuit and method for providing the same are disclosed. The circuit may include an amplifier, a plurality of capacitors, and a switch matrix. The amplifier provides a reset voltage replica and a signal voltage replica. The switch matrix controls a plurality of switches to perform correlated double sampling over at least three phases. The first phase for sampling the reset voltage replica on a first and second capacitors. The second phase for sampling the reset voltage replica and the kTC noise on a third capacitor. The first phase producing a thermal kTC noise from the first and second capacitors. The third phase for subtracting a charge representing the signal voltage replica, the kTC noise and the reset voltage replica, combined, from the charge sampled in the second phase to provide an output voltage. The method for providing low noise correlated double sampling includes controlling the plurality of switches to provide the at least three phases. |
| US07852116B2 |
IC output signal path with switch, bus holder, and buffer
An electronic integrated circuit includes a signal path connected between the functional logic (15) thereof and an external output terminal. The signal path includes a switch (S), a bus holder circuit (121B), and an output buffer (19). |
| US07852114B2 |
Nonvolatile nanotube programmable logic devices and a nonvolatile nanotube field programmable gate array using same
Field programmable device (FPD) chips with large logic capacity and field programmability that are in-circuit programmable are described. FPDs use small versatile nonvolatile nanotube switches that enable efficient architectures for dense low power and high performance chip implementations and are compatible with low cost CMOS technologies and simple to integrate. |
| US07852107B1 |
Single event upset mitigation
In one embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for protecting against single event upsets of a circuit in programmable logic. Configuration memory cells of the programmable logic are configured to implement first and second copies of the circuit. In response to detecting a single event upset of one of the configuration memory cells, an address of the one of the configuration memory cells is determined. The one of the first and second copies of the circuit in which the single event upset occurred is determined from the address of the one of the configuration memory cells. The output from the one of the first and second copies of the circuit in which the single event upset did not occur is selected as an output of the circuit. |
| US07852105B2 |
Winding diagnostic system and method
A winding diagnostic system is provided. The system includes a core having a winding to generate a magnetic flux. A retention device for holding the winding in place is provided. The system further includes a sensor disposed in a sensing relation with the retention device to generate signals related to at least one aspect of the winding. |
| US07852103B2 |
Implementing at-speed Wafer Final Test (WFT) with complete chip coverage
A method, an apparatus and a computer program product are provided for implementing At-Speed Wafer Final Test (WFT) with total integrated circuit chip coverage including high speed off-chip receiver and driver input/output (I/O) circuits. An integrated circuit (IC) chip includes off-chip Controlled Collapse Chip Connection (C4) nodes and a driver and a receiver of the off-chip receiver and driver input/output (I/O) circuits connected to respective off-chip C4 nodes. Through Silicon Vias (TSVs) are added to the connections of the driver and the receiver and the respective off-chip C4 nodes to a backside of the IC chip. A metal wire is added to the IC chip backside connecting the TSVs and creating a connection path between the driver and the receiver that is used for the at-speed WFT testing of the I/O circuits. |
| US07852102B2 |
Method and apparatus for inspecting semiconductor device
The magnitude of an amplitude waveform of an electromagnetic wave generated when irradiating a pulse laser beam to a structure A including diffusion regions provided in the structure of a semiconductor device to be inspected is compared with the magnitude of an amplitude waveform of an electromagnetic wave radiated when irradiating the pulse laser beam to a structure A of a reference device measured in advance, and the detection sensitivity of the electromagnetic wave is corrected (S14). Thereafter, measurement errors caused by variations in the detection sensitivity of electromagnetic waves of an inspecting apparatus are eliminated by inspecting the semiconductor device as an inspection target, so that the quality of the semiconductor device is precisely determined (S16). |
| US07852097B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for improved positioning in a probing system
An improved method and apparatus for automatically and accurately aligning a wafer prober to the bonding pads of a semiconductor device are provided. In one embodiment of one aspect of the invention, a multi-loop feedback control system incorporating information from a number of sensors is used to maintain the desired contact position in the presence of disturbances. Other aspects and other embodiments are also described. |
| US07852096B2 |
Spring-loaded, removable test fixture for circuit board testers
A circuit board tester that uses an axial translation to bring a unit under test (UUT) into physical and electric contact with a series of electrical probes. The element on the tester that comes into contact with the UUT, on the side opposite the probes, is both spring-loaded and removable. For a first configuration in which a UUT has a heat sink, an internal heat sink snaps into the top of the tester. When the UUT is tested, the heat sink on the UUT contacts the internal heat sink and depresses it slightly into the top, under the influence of a spring-loaded support. For a second configuration in which the UUT has no heat sink, a block snaps into the top of the tester, and is spring-loaded through a series of receptacles to a module that contacts the UUT during operation. |
| US07852095B2 |
Device and method for electrical contacting semiconductor devices for testing
A device and method are disclosed for electrical contacting of semiconductor devices for testing. One embodiment provides for testing semiconductor devices or integrated circuits, including a probe card with contact tips for the electrical contacting of the semiconductor devices. The electrical connection of at least one contact tip to the test system is adapted to be switched via a resistively switching memory cell. A resistively switching memory cell in the form of a nano switch is integrated in the electrical connection of the contact tip. |
| US07852089B2 |
Ground-fault detection system for vehicles with a high-voltage power net
A ground-fault detection system and method for detecting loss of electrical isolation in a vehicle or other system that uses a high voltage (HV) power net. The loss of electrical isolation may be determined by charging HV capacitors, then connecting them at different times between the power-net HV wires and the ground (or vehicle chassis), and measuring their remaining charge after a fixed period. The HV system can be regarded as properly isolated from ground or not as a function of the energy lost by the aforementioned capacitors during their connection to the HV power net. |
| US07852088B2 |
High resolution magnetotelluric method for removing static frequency domain
A method for removing a static frequency domain, by (1) installing multiple sampling devices; (2) performing conventional processing whereby obtaining conventional observation curves; (3) adding electric-filed components of two adjacent observation points, those of three adjacent observation points, and adding electric field components of up to n adjacent observation points whereby obtaining electric fields of different polar distance, i.e. a sequence of electric field components of topology points; (4) using the sequence of the electric field components and the encrypted topology points sequence as an observation field value to perform power spectrum analysis and impedance tensor estimate; (5) drawing a resistance-variation of polar distance curve of a single frequency point of the record point; observing and analyzing a variation rule of resistivity, editing and deleting static interference resistance; and (6) repeating the previous step to complete edition of all frequency points of all record points. |
| US07852087B2 |
Removing effects of near surface geology from surface-to-borehole electromagnetic data
A method that involves developing an electromagnetic property model of a near surface area and using this electromagnetic property model and electromagnetic data acquired using one or more electromagnetic transmitters located above the near surface area and one or more electromagnetic receivers located within a wellbore to determine one or more electromagnetic properties of a subsurface area. Also an electromagnetic data acquisition system that includes one or more electromagnetic transmitters capable of being operated on the earth's surface, one or more first electromagnetic receivers capable of being operated within a wellbore and capable of receiving signals from the one or more electromagnetic transmitters, and one or more second electromagnetic receivers capable of being located on the earth's surface near the one or more electromagnetic transmitters and capable of receiving signals from the one or more electromagnetic transmitters. Related embodiments are also described. |
| US07852085B2 |
Receiving device for a magnetic resonance imaging system
A receiving device for an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) system has multiple receiving coils. In the same imaging acceleration direction, a junction region is formed between adjacent receiving coils. An additional receiving coil is arranged on the junction region. The additional receiving coil covers at least partially a line of strong phase variation in sensitivity at the boundary of said junction region. This receiving device alleviates the problem of poor sensitivity to MRI signals in the junction region in the imaging acceleration direction, so as to improve the imaging quality in the junction region, and thus improving the overall imaging quality. |
| US07852079B2 |
Apparatus for low AC loss thermal shielding and method of making same
A apparatus for low AC loss thermal shielding includes a plurality of thermally conducting fibers positioned along a desired direction of heat conduction. The fibers are electrically insulated from each other. The fibers are bonded together with a matrix, and a thermal link connects the bonded fibers to a cryogenic cold head. |
| US07852073B2 |
Method and device for long-range torsional guided-wave inspection of piping with a partial excitation and detection around the pipe circumference
Sensor assemblies and methods are described that facilitate the use of a long-range torsional guided-wave inspection system for inspecting pipes, tubes, or other longitudinal cylindrical structures, with a partial excitation and detection around the pipe circumference. The sensor assemblies comprise a plate-type magnetostrictive sensor probe positioned beneath a compressible/expandable bladder and an inverted U-shaped frame that retain and position the sensor probe against the external wall of the pipe under inspection. Preferably, a magnetostrictive strip is positioned in direct contact with the pipe wall over which the plate magnetostrictive sensor probe is positioned. The probe is preferably curved to match the curvature of the external surface of the pipe. A pad may be positioned between the probe and the magnetostrictive strip to improve compliance with irregular pipe surfaces. The frame (and therefore the sensor assembly) is held in place by a belt that encircles the pipe and may be tensioned in order to pull the frame against the pipe, and through the compressive force associated with the bladder, direct the magnetostrictive sensor probe against the surface of the pipe or against the magnetostrictive strip positioned on the surface of the pipe. Methods are described for placement of the magnetostrictive strip and the positioning of the magnetostrictive sensor probe. |
| US07852072B2 |
Test-device system for independent characterization of sensor-width and sensor-stripe-height definition processes
A test-device system and method for deconvoluting measurements of effects of a sensor-width definition process from measurements of effects of a sensor-stripe-height-definition process in a manufacture of a magnetic sensor. The test-device system comprises a first test device for generating data to characterize a sensor-width-definition process. The test-device system also comprises a second test device for generating data to characterize a sensor-stripe-height-definition process. The test-device system allows independent characterization of a sensor-width parameter and a sensor-stripe-height parameter. |
| US07852068B2 |
Insertion part for a seat belt lock, a lock provided with said insertion part
A switch adapter is integrateable into a seat belt lock and used for monitoring the locking and unlocking state of the lock. The switch adapter includes a monolithic plastic part and is at least two adapter areas which are movable with respect to each other. The first adapter area carries a first switch element and the second adapter area carries a second switch element. The switch adapter is suitably integrateable into the lock of the seat belt which is provided with a frame and a locking element which is movably mounted so as to switch the seat belt buckle between a locking position and an unlocking position. The switch adapter is used for detecting the locking state of the seat belt locking element. For this purpose, the switch adapter and the locking element are actively connectable to each in such a way that the switching state of the switching adapter and the position of the locking element are modifiable only simultaneously. |
| US07852064B1 |
Meter device and method of testing a cut neutral conductor
A meter device for checking the measurements of an electrical meter, such as that used by electrical utilities is provided. The meter device has a base with electrical phase conductors arranged to couple with a meter socket. A housing is attached to the base. Electrical connectors are arranged on the end of the phase conductors within the housing. The electrical connectors are arranged to couple with an electrical meter. One or more lead conductors is also provided. Each lead conductor has a first end coupled to the electrical connector and a second end coupled to the associated phase conductor. Each lead conductor includes a middle portion arranged outside of the housing. |
| US07852059B2 |
Power supply device
A power supply device includes an inductor controlled by switching to be charged or discharged such that a DC input voltage is boosted and a capacitor which smoothes the boosted voltage to generate a DC output voltage. Specifically, the power supply device further includes a transistor connected between the inductor and the capacitor to carry out a rectification function; an output voltage determination circuit which refers to the DC input voltage and the DC output voltage to determine the level of these voltages; and a current control circuit which controls a current flowing through the transistor such that the current has a predetermined value when the output voltage determination circuit determines that the DC output voltage is lower than the DC input voltage. |
| US07852058B2 |
Power supply regulator with digital control
An integrated circuit and method in an integrated circuit for providing electrical power utilizing digital power regulation. Various aspects of the present invention provide an integrated circuit comprising a power supply module that outputs electrical power at an output voltage level. An error determination module may receive a power supply reference signal and a signal indicative of the output voltage level and output a power supply error signal. A digital controller module may receive the power supply error signal, digitally process the power supply error signal, and output a power supply control signal. A power output-monitoring module may monitor the electrical power output from the power supply module and output the signal indicative of the output voltage level. The power supply module may receive the power supply control signal and output the electrical power based, at least in part, on the power supply control signal. |
| US07852056B2 |
Switching regulator
A switching regulator includes an inductor, first and second switches, a first rectifier to allow current flowing from a negative voltage output terminal to a connection node between the inductor and the first switch, a second rectifier to allow current flowing from a positive voltage output terminal to a connection node between the inductor and the second switch, a third switch, a first capacitor connected between the negative voltage output terminal and ground, a second capacitor connected between the positive voltage output terminal and ground, and a controller to control switching operations of the first, second and third switches to make each voltages at the negative and positive voltage output terminals to be corresponding predetermined voltages. The control circuit switches the first and second switches on/off simultaneously to make a sum of absolute values of voltages at the negative and positive voltage output terminals a predetermined voltage value. |
| US07852051B2 |
Current-limiting circuit and method for operating the circuit
A current-limiting circuit for limiting switch-on currents or transients includes a switch, a diode, an inductance, an input with a first connection and second connection, and an output with a first connection and second connection. The second connection of the input is connected via the switch to the junction of an inductance and the anode of a diode and via the inductance to the second connection of the output. The cathode of the diode is connected to the first connection of the input and to the first connection of the output. The switch is preferably an electronic switch controlled to provide clocked current limitation. |
| US07852049B2 |
Dual channel power generation system
A dual channel power generation system comprises: a prime mover; a permanent magnet (PM) dynamoelectric machine that has a PM rotor coupled to the prime mover, two multiphase alternating current (AC) stators that develop electromotive force (EMF) in response to rotation of the PM rotor due to the magnetic flux linkage between the PM rotor and the stators, two control coils that each change the magnetic flux linkage of a respective stator in response to the level of a control current that passes through the control coil; a multiphase AC rectifier for each stator that receives AC power from its respective stator to supply DC power on a respective rectifier bus; a current feedback loop for each rectifier bus; a voltage feedback loop for each rectifier bus; a load-sharing controller responsive to both current feedback loops to develop a voltage regulator reference signal for each rectifier bus that is representative of the value of voltage that its corresponding stator should produce to maintain equal values of current for both rectifier buses; and a voltage regulator for each rectifier bus responsive to its respective voltage feedback loop and voltage regulator reference signal to produce the control current for its respective control coil that changes the magnetic flux linkage of its respective stator to maintain the value of voltage that its corresponding stator should produce to maintain equal values of current for both rectifier buses. |
| US07852044B2 |
Power storage device
In the field of portable electronic devices in the future, portable electronic devices will be desired, which are smaller and more lightweight and can be used for a long time period by one-time charging, as apparent from provision of one-segment partial reception service “1-seg” of terrestrial digital broadcasting that covers the mobile objects such as a cellular phone. Therefore, the need for a power storage device is increased, which is small and lightweight and capable of being charged without receiving power from commercial power. The power storage device includes an antenna for receiving an electromagnetic wave, a capacitor for storing power, and a circuit for controlling store and supply of the power. When the antenna, the capacitor, and the control circuit are integrally formed and thinned, a structural body formed of ceramics or the like is partially used. A circuit for storing power of an electromagnetic wave received at the antenna in a capacitor and a control circuit for arbitrarily discharging the stored power are provided, whereby lifetime of the power storage device can be extended. |
| US07852042B2 |
Method of monitoring and/or controlling or automatically controlling the voltage of at least one group of cells in a compound of cells of an energy storage device
Thus, according to the invention, for monitoring and/or controlling or automatically controlling the voltage of at least one group of cells in a cell compound of an energy storage device, particularly an energy storage device in an onboard power supply system of a motor vehicle, a data communication is carried out between a central logic and a cell group logic by way of the rail line connecting the latter, in which case voltage levels exist between an idle level situated at or above a maximal voltage level, up to which the cell group logic exchanges energy with the rail line for charging or discharging the cell group, and a data level situated above the idle level. |
| US07852039B2 |
Control apparatus for AC rotary machine
A control apparatus is for controlling an AC rotary machine which includes a first and second stator elements and a rotor, in which the first stator element can be turned, or offset, in a circumferential direction relative to the second stator element. The control apparatus includes an actuator for adjusting a voltage induced in a stator coil due to rotation of the rotor by driving the first stator element, a magnetic flux command calculator for calculating a desired magnetic flux amplitude command based on rotating speed of the AC rotary machine, a magnetic flux estimator for estimating magnetic flux amplitude of the AC rotary machine, a speed command calculator for calculating an actuator speed command to be given to the actuator so that the estimated magnetic flux amplitude follows the magnetic flux amplitude command, and an actuator controller for controlling the actuator according to the actuator speed command. |
| US07852037B2 |
Induction and switched reluctance motor
This application describes a motor designed to operate as a reluctance machine at low speeds and as an induction machine at high speeds. The drive waveform is composed of one or more harmonics to be used to match the reluctance pattern of the stator-rotor, causing the rotor to rotate due to the reluctance effect, and one or more other harmonics to induce current in the rotor, causing the rotor to rotate due to the induction effect and the subsequent interaction of the stator and rotor magnetic fields. The two effects are generally not applied simultaneously. |
| US07852036B2 |
Disk playback apparatus and stepping-motor control apparatus
When the magnitude of a traverse signal exceeds a predetermined level, the value of a microstep drive signal is changed by one microstep angle so that the rotation angle of the stepping motor changes in a rotation direction in which the magnitude of the traverse signal decreases. A determination is made as to whether or not the magnitude of the traverse signal becomes a predetermined level or less. When the magnitude of the traverse signal does not become the predetermined level or less, the magnitude of the microstep drive signal is returned to the pre-change value and the value of the microstep drive signal is incremented by an additional microstep angle so that the rotation angle of the stepping motor changes in a rotation direction in which the magnitude of the traverse signal decreases. |
| US07852029B2 |
Control device and control method of boost converter
A control device of a boost converter which includes: an inverter circuit which controls switching to apply current to a stator winding of respective phases of a multi-phase brushless DC motor; and a boost circuit which is provided on an input side of the inverter circuit and has at least a reactor and a switching element, and controls ON and OFF states of the switching element of the boost circuit on the basis of a boost voltage command which is a command for boost voltage output from the boost circuit, the control device is provided with a boost voltage command setting unit which sets the boost voltage command on the basis of counter electromotive voltage of the brushless DC motor and a torque command for the brushless DC motor. |
| US07852026B2 |
Motor drive apparatus and motor drive control method
A protection circuit is configured to change control modes in a drive control process of a drive circuit for a motor when overvoltage is applied to a power source line while the motor is driven. With overvoltage applied, the control process is changed to a control mode to perform forced commutation control. When a predetermined time period passes after the voltage of the power source line returns to a predetermined level, the control process is changed to a sensorless control mode using a position detection circuit. This configuration can provide a motor drive apparatus capable of performing an overvoltage protection operation appropriately even when the sensorless control mode is adopted. |
| US07852018B2 |
Apparatus and method of driving lamp of liquid crystal display device
A method of driving a lamp of a liquid crystal display device includes generating a control signal; generating a first drive signal using the control signal; generating a second drive signal by shifting a voltage level of the first drive signal; selectively outputting one of a high potential supply voltage and a low potential supply voltage in response to the second drive signal; transforming the selectively outputted voltage; and supplying the transformed voltage to a lamp. |
| US07852015B1 |
Solid state lighting system and maintenance method therein
A solid state light module incorporating light emitting diodes (LEDs) disposed on a metal substrate, a solid state lighting system employing such modules, and method of replacing LEDs of the light modules are provided. The metal substrate may allow for lower LED junction temperature and, hence, a longer device lifetime. In addition, the metal substrate may allow for the potential omission of a heat sink, which may reduce light module size, when compared to conventional solid state light emitters. |
| US07852014B2 |
Method and cell for controlling the power factor of a power supply line
A method and system controls the power factor associated with a power supply line. The system includes a control circuit having a power factor control cell connected to the power supply line. The power factor control is performed by modulating the conduction time of a bipolar transistor in the control cell using the storage time of the bipolar transistor, and by regulating the modulation of the conduction time by feedback-driving a control terminal of the bipolar transistor. |
| US07852012B2 |
Circuit apparatus with a high-side buck transistor
A cost-effective driver circuit for an LED background lighting unit includes a buck circuit with an upper transistor is driven via two further transistors. The first transistor is connected with its reference electrode to the positive terminal of a DC voltage source, with its working electrode to the control electrode of the buck transistor and with its control electrode, via a capacitor, to a signal contact, which can be driven externally. The second transistor is connected with its reference electrode to ground, with its working electrode to the control electrode of the buck transistor and with its control electrode to a signal contact, which can be driven externally. The buck transistor can be switched on via a corresponding gate signal at the terminal for the purpose of operating the light-emitting diodes. Advantageously, cost-effective standard transistors for operating voltages below 100 V can be used for the switching controller. |
| US07852011B2 |
Series-type LED lamp strip module
A series-type LED lamp strip module includes a first LED lamp strip module and a second LED lamp strip module. The first LED lamp strip module and the second LED lamp strip module both include a power switch controller, at lease one LED lamp strip, a signal output adaptor, a signal input adaptor, a power plug, and a power socket. The power plug of the second LED lamp strip module is inserted into the power socket of the first LED lamp strip module, and the signal output adaptor of the first LED lamp strip module is electrically connected to the signal input adaptor of the second LED lamp strip module so as to connect the first LED lamp strip module and the second LED lamp strip module. In addition, a microcontroller unit outputs a control signal to lighten light emitting diodes in different types to produce multiple brightness variations. |
| US07852007B2 |
Automobile room lamp system
An automobile room lamp system is provided, which comprises a first circuit having a power source with positive and negative poles, a light emitting diode, a miniature incandescent bulb and a push switch, said light emitting diode, said miniature incandescent bulb and said push switch being connected in series between said positive pole and said negative pole; and a second circuit branching off from said first circuit between said light emitting diode and said miniature incandescent bulb and having a resistor provided on a negative pole side of said poser source, said resistor having a resistance value set at a level to allow said light emitting diode and said miniature incandescent bulb to be lighted with a high intensity when said push switch is closed and to allow said light emitting diode alone to issue dim light when said push switch is opened. |
| US07852006B2 |
Ceramic lamp having molybdenum-rhenium end cap and systems and methods therewith
A lamp comprising an arc envelope and a molybdenum-rhenium end structure coupled to the arc envelope. |
| US07852005B2 |
Fluorescent lamp with external electrode, backlight, and display device
The invention relates to a fluorescent lamp with an external electrode used as a backlight of a liquid crystal display device or others. To reduce invalid parts of the backlight, the length in an axial direction of an external electrode of the fluorescent lamp is required to be reduced. Therefore, a concave portion is provided to the end of the fluorescent lamp with an external electrode, and by forming the external electrode in the concave portion, the total area of the external electrodes is secured. Even if the length in the axial direction of the external electrode is short, discharge is stabilized. Graphite is used for the external electrode; however, graphite in which a water glass component is increased to enhance its mechanical strength is used. |
| US07852003B2 |
Plasma display panel having dimension relationship between width of electrodes and barrier rib pitch
A plasma display panel including a sustain electrode pair comprising an X electrode and a Y electrode that are separated from each other by a discharge gap, and a barrier rib formed on a second substrate facing the first substrate and including first barrier ribs and second barrier ribs that define a discharge cell. Assuming that L is a sum of a width of the discharge gap and widths of the X and Y electrodes, P is a pitch between neighboring second barrier ribs, and H is a height of the first barrier ribs, a value of H satisfies 200×L/P−25≦H (μm)≦200×L/P−5. |
| US07852002B2 |
Filter and plasma display device thereof
A filter and a plasma display device (PDP) having the same may include a plasma display panel, an EMI shielding sheet having a plurality of shielding layers each including three or more thin film layers, and a protection sheet including a base unit having a plurality of grooves formed in one surface thereof and a plurality of pattern units formed in the grooves and having a different refractive index from that of the base unit. |
| US07851998B2 |
Light emitting device with a protective cap and method of forming a light emitting device with a protective cap
Embodiments of the present invention may provide a light emitting device that include a substrate, a pixel portion on the substrate and a metal cap to enclose the pixel portion between the metal cap and the substrate. |
| US07851993B2 |
Organic electro-luminescence display device
An OLED device adapted to improve its life span and reliability is disclosed. The OLED device includes: a first electrode disposed on a substrate; an organic light emission layer disposed on the first electrode; a second electrode disposed on the organic light emission layer; an auxiliary electrode disposed on the second electrode; and a getter electrode, disposed on the auxiliary electrode, to remove at least one of moisture and oxygen. |
| US07851992B2 |
Organic light emitting diode display
An organic light emitting diode (“OLED”) display includes first to third pixels each displaying a different color, wherein each pixel includes a first electrode, a second electrode facing the first electrode, and an emission layer positioned between the first and second electrodes, wherein first electrodes of first and second pixels are a single layer including a conductive oxide, respectively. A first electrode of the third pixel includes a lower first electrode including a conductive oxide, an intermediate first electrode formed on the lower first electrode and including a semitransparent conductor which forms microcavities with the second electrode, and an upper first electrode formed on the intermediate first electrode and including a conductive oxide. A method for manufacturing the OLED is also disclosed. |
| US07851990B2 |
Method for generating low color temperature light and light emitting device adopting the same
A method for generating low color temperature light and a light emitting device adopting the same, comprise a LED component, phosphor capable to be excited by the emission light of the LED component, and a package colloid for encapsulating the LED component and the phosphor, wherein the package colloid is provided with a electrode lead for connecting the LED component with the external power supply, the peak wavelength of emission light of the LED light is 460-500 nm, the peak wavelength of emission light of the excited phosphor is 580-630 nm. The present invention only use one chip and one kind of phosphor to generate the low color temperature light which is of the same effect as that of the minitype tungsten lamp or the high pressure sodium lamp, and is of advantages including energy saving, low cost and environmental protection, etc. The present invention can be widely used in the manufacturing process of LED lamp of low color temperature, especially in the manufacturing the mini LED bulb. |
| US07851988B2 |
Green-emitting LED
Phosphor from the class of the oxynitridosilicates, having a cation M which is doped with divalent europium and having the empirical formula M(1-c)Si2O2N2:Dc, where M=Sr or M=Sr(1-x-y)BaYCax with x+y<0.5 is used, the oxynitridosilicate completely or predominantly comprising the high-temperature-stable modification HT. |
| US07851987B2 |
Color electro-luminescent display with improved efficiency
A full-color electroluminescent display with improved efficiency and increased color gamut that includes substantially complementary yellow and blue light-emitting elements, the chromaticity coordinates of which define the endpoints of a line that intersects a Planckian locus within the interval 0.175<=u′<=0.225 within the Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) 1976 u′v′ chromaticity space. Also included in the display is a green light-emitting element of spectrum having a dominant wavelength between 500 nm and 540 nm and a full width, half maximum spectral bandwidth of 50 nm or less; and a red light-emitting element. |
| US07851982B2 |
Lamp
The invention relates to a lamp having a light source (10) and a sub-assembly comprising a protective sleeve (1) and two frame members, wherein the two frame members (2, 3) are each supporting the sleeve. Each frame member may comprise a clamping spring, which serves as a connection between the frame member and the sleeve. The invention also relates particularly to a lamp with an outer vessel (45), which is a parabolic aluminized reflector, and a light source, which is a ceramic discharge metal halide burner. |
| US07851972B2 |
Vibration actuator
It is an subject of the present invention to provide a vibration actuator in which a plurality of rotors can be driven by a single vibration unit.When a composite vibrator (2) is driven to generate a composite vibration combining a plurality of vibrations, a first stator (3) and a second stator (4) vibrate, thereby causing elliptical movements in corner portions (8) and (9) of the first stator (3) and the second stator (4), respectively. As a result, a first rotor (A) abutting onto and pressurized against the corner portion (8) of the first stator (3) and a second rotor (B) abutting onto and pressurized against the corner portion (9) of the second stator (4) are rotated at the same time. Further, in this case, by selecting vibration modes of the plurality of vibrations constituting the composite vibration, the two rotors (A) and (B) can be rotated in the same direction or in opposite directions with respect to each other. |
| US07851966B2 |
Stator for electric machine with improved efficiency and thermal performance
A stator for an electric machine, having compacted and bonded windings and a ferromagnetic core including an active element and a cooling element. The compacted and bonded windings are inserted in slots between teeth in the active element, and the cooling element mates with the active element at the tips of the teeth to close the slots over the windings. |
| US07851963B2 |
Rotor of an electrical machine and motor with such a rotor
The invention concerns a rotor of an electrical machine, particularly a driving motor for a hermetically enclosed refrigerant compressor with a body (4) comprising a magnetically conductive material, the rotor having a plurality of axially extending slots (5, 6), which are filled with an electrically conductive material. It is endeavored to achieve a good performance. For this purpose, it is ensured that an extension section (7) of a first group of slots (5) extends further radially inwards than a second group of slots (6), and that between two slots (5) of the first group at least one slot (6) of the second group must be arranged, a first flow cross-section being formed between neighboring extension sections (7) at the circumferentially shortest distance (a) between the two extension sections (7), a second flow cross-section being formed between neighboring slots (5, 6) at the circumferentially shortest distance (b) between the slots (5, 6), the first flow cross-section corresponding to the sum of the second flow cross-sections between the two slots (5) of the first group. |
| US07851960B2 |
Synchronous reluctance motor
A synchronous reluctance motor is described. The synchronous reluctance motor includes a core configured to rotate about a central axis and having first and second groups of flux barriers formed therein. Each flux barrier is defined as an opening in the core. Each of the first and second groups includes a first flux barrier and a second flux barrier with the second flux barrier disposed outside the first flux barrier in a radial direction from the central axis of the core. Each of the second flux barriers of the first and second groups has at least two connection parts crossing the opening of the second flux barrier. |
| US07851957B2 |
Magnetic bearing assembly for rotatable support apparatus
A magnetic bearing assembly for a rotatable support apparatus includes a first stationary section, a second section disposed on the first section and a shaft member secured to the base section and passing through the first section. The shaft member defines an axle for rotation for the first section wherein the magnetic bearing assembly is defined by at least one pair of magnets disposed in relation to the shaft member, the at least one pair of magnets including magnetic face surfaces aligned such that a repelling field is established between the at least one pair of magnets, wherein the first section is attached to at least one of the magnets. |
| US07851952B2 |
Voice coil motor with guiding posts and stopping bars
An exemplary voice coil motor includes a hollow stationary magnetic field generator, a movable magnetic field generator, two elastic members, a hollow case and a base. The movable magnetic field generator is received in the stationary magnetic field generator. The two elastic members are adjacent to two ends of the stationary magnetic field generator. The case and the base serve as a package for all of the above elements. The case has a top sheet. The movable magnetic field generator has guiding posts slidably received in the top sheet, and stopping bars. The stopping bars of the movable magnetic field generator are capable of limiting the movement of the movable magnetic field generator toward the top sheet by abutting the top sheet. |
| US07851950B1 |
Power distribution system for data center
A power distribution system for computer systems in a computer room of a data center includes a first transformer and a second transformer. The first transformer transforms three-phase source power to three-phase intermediate power in a set of intermediate power lines. The intermediate power is transmitted in the set of intermediate power lines to a second transformer in or under the computer room. The second transformer transforms the three-phase intermediate power to operating power in a set of operating power lines at an operating phase-to-neutral voltage between about 220 volts and about 260 volts. The output of the second transformer is coupled to power distribution units in server racks in the computer room. |
| US07851945B2 |
System and method of providing power
Circuits and methods of providing power to an electric load are disclosed. The method includes the steps of, for example, generating power via at least first and second parallel power supplies, in response to the first power supply exhibiting an over-voltage, disabling a reverse current threshold on the second power supply, turning off the first power supply when the over-voltage exceeds a threshold value, and continuing to generate power via the second power supply. |
| US07851942B2 |
Circuit arrangement for supplying variable loads from three phases
Disclosed is a circuit arrangement for supplying variable loads (I1, I2, M1, M2, O1, O2, O3) from three phases (L1, L2, L3), with a circuit arrangement having four groups of terminals (A11, A12, A13, A14; A21, A22, A23, A24; A31, A32; A41, A42, A43) for the loads (I1, I2, M1, M2, O1, O2, O3) which are subsequently designated as terminal groups; the circuit arrangement is suitable and set up for supplying the terminals (A21, A22, A23, A24) of the second terminal group from the first phase (L1); the circuit arrangement is suitable and set up for supplying the terminals (A41, A42, A43) of the fourth terminal group from a second phase (L2); the circuit arrangement is suitable and set up for supplying the terminals (A11, A12, A13) of the first terminal group and the third terminal group (A31, A32) from a third phase (L3); the circuit arrangement is suitable and set up for controlling the voltage of the four terminal groups, and exhibits three control loops for this purpose. |
| US07851941B2 |
Method and system for a multiple output capacitive buck/boost converter
Methods and systems for a multiple output capacitive buck/boost converter are disclosed and may include charging one or more input capacitors via an input voltage. One or more output voltages may be generated on a chip by switching the charged input capacitors to output capacitors via a switch array on the chip. The switch array may be controlled via a state machine. A constant current and/or voltage may be generated for the one or more output voltages via one or more current and/or voltage comparators. A variable resistance may be coupled in series with one or more switches in the switch array. The one or more input capacitors may be discrete capacitors external to the chip and/or integrated within the chip. One or more of the output voltages may be greater than the input voltage, or may be less than the input voltage. |
| US07851940B2 |
Methods and apparatus for DC-DC converter having independent outputs
A DC-DC converter includes independent first and second outputs to drive respective first and second loads from a common boost module. In one embodiment, a first linear regulator controls a first controlling device for the first output and a second linear regulator controls a second controlling device for the second output. The load requiring the higher voltage controls the boost module. |
| US07851938B2 |
Midspan powering without the use of data transformers in a power over Ethernet application
A midspan power sourcing equipment (PSE) for operation with power over Ethernet (PoE). The midspan PSE provides powering over wire pairs that are also used for data communication. To reduce costs by the midspan manufacturer, the midspans can be designed without the use of data transformers. Rather, midspans can include transmit/receive couplers that have blocking capacitors and divider trees for the insertion of power. |
| US07851921B2 |
Device mounting board having multiple circuit substrates, and semiconductor module with the device mounting board
To reduce connection defects between a circuit substrate provided on a core substrate and a circuit to be mounted thereon, thereby improving reliability as a multilayered device mounting substrate. The device mounting substrate includes: a first circuit substrate composed of a substrate, an insulating layer formed on this substrate, and a first conductive layer (including conductive parts) formed on this insulating layer; and a second circuit substrate mounted on the first circuit substrate, being composed of a base, a second conductive layer (including conductive parts) formed on the bottom of the base, and a third conductive layer (including conductive parts) formed on the top of the base. Here, the first and second circuit substrates are bonded by pressure so that the first and second conductive parts are laminated and embedded together into the insulating layer. The first and second conductive parts form connecting areas in the insulating layer, thereby connecting the first and second circuit substrates electrically. |
| US07851917B2 |
Wiring structure and method of manufacturing the same
A wiring structure includes a first wiring, a first interlayer dielectric film having a first opening, a second wiring formed with a first recess portion on a region corresponding to the first opening, a second interlayer dielectric film having a second opening and a third wiring so formed as to cover the second interlayer dielectric film, wherein an inner side surface of the second opening is arranged on a region corresponding to the first recess portion and formed such that an opening width of a portion in the vicinity of an upper end increases from a lower portion toward an upper portion. |
| US07851915B2 |
Electronic component comprising a titanium carbonitride (TiCN) barrier layer and process of making the same
An electronic component comprising several superimposed layers of materials including a TiCN barrier layer. A process for depositing a TiCN layer in order to obtain an electronic component, where a titanium precursor is chosen from among tetrakis(dimethylamido)titanium and/or tetrakis(diethylamido)titanium and is decomposed on a substrate by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) where the plasma is obtained with a hydrogen-rich gas which can contain nitrogen with at most 5 atomic % nitrogen and at least 95 atomic % hydrogen. |
| US07851913B2 |
Semiconductor device including a power device with first metal layer and second metal layer laterally spaced apart
A semiconductor device exhibits a first metal layer, made of a first metal, with at least one contiguous subsection. At least one second metal layer, made of a second metal, is placed on the contiguous subsection of the first metal layer. The second metal is harder than the first metal. The second metal layer is structured to form at least two layer regions, which are disposed on the contiguous subsection of the first metal layer. The second metal exhibits a boron-containing or phosphorus-containing metal or a boron-containing or phosphorus-containing metal alloy. |
| US07851912B2 |
Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device including: a semiconductor chip; a plurality of electrodes formed on the semiconductor chip and arranged along one side of the semiconductor chip; a resin protrusion formed on the semiconductor chip and extending in a direction which intersects the side; and a plurality of electrical connection sections formed on the resin protrusion and electrically connected to the respective electrodes. |
| US07851909B2 |
Group III nitride based flip-chip integrated circuit and method for fabricating
A circuit substrate has one or more active components and a plurality of passive circuit elements on a first surface. An active semiconductor device has a substrate with layers of material and a plurality of terminals. The active semiconductor device is flip-chip mounted on the circuit substrate and at least one of the terminals of the device is electrically connected to an active component on the circuit substrate. The active components on the substrate and the flip-chip mounted active semiconductor device, in combination with passive circuit elements, form preamplifiers and an output amplifier respectively. In a power switching configuration, the circuit substrate has logic control circuits on a first surface. A semiconductor transistor flip-chip mounted on the circuit substrate is electrically connected to the control circuits on the first surface to thereby control the on and off switching of the flip-chip mounted device. |
| US07851906B2 |
Flexible circuit electronic package with standoffs
A flexible circuit electronic package including a heat sink, a flexible circuit having a semiconductor chip positioned thereon and electrically coupled thereto, and a quantity of heat shrunk adhesive securing the flexible circuit to the heat sink such that the flexible circuit is planar. This package is then adapted for being positioned on and electrically coupled to a circuitized substrate such as a printed circuit board. A method of making this package is also provided. |
| US07851903B2 |
Infrared detector with plurality of metallization between first and second container members
An infrared detector comprises: first and second container members bonded to each other along an annular bonding portion to define a vacuum-sealed inner space, where the second container member has an infrared-transmissive property; an infrared detecting element disposed in the inner space; a first annular metallization layer formed on the bonding portion of the first container member; a second annular metallization layer formed on the bonding portion of the second container member; a solder metal for air-tightly bonding the first metallization layer and the second metallization layer; and a third metallization layer formed in a vicinity of one of the first and second metallization layers such that the third metallization layer overlaps the other of the first and second metallization layers at least partly. |
| US07851899B2 |
Multi-chip ball grid array package and method of manufacture
A BGA package is disclosed including a base IC structure having a base substrate, with an opening running length-wise there through. A first semiconductor chip is mounted face-down on the base substrate so the bond pads thereof are accessible through the opening. The package also includes a secondary IC structure including a secondary substrate, having an opening running there through, and a second semiconductor chip. The second chip is mounted face-down on the secondary substrate so that the bond pads thereof are accessible through the opening in the secondary substrate. An encapsulant fills the opening in the secondary substrate and forms a substantially planar surface over the underside of the secondary substrate. The substantially planar surface is mounted to the first chip of the base IC structure through an adhesive. Wires connect a conductive portion of the secondary IC structure to a conductive portion of the base IC structure. |
| US07851897B1 |
IC package structures for high power dissipation and low RDSon
IC package structures for high power dissipation and low RDSon. The package can be considered an inverted QFN package typically manufactured from a double etched lead frame that is then formed (stamped) to receive the electronic devices for connection and wire bonding to the lead frame leads, followed by potting and dicing. Using a split paddle allows the packaging of multiple, electrically isolated power devices. The package is particularly advantageous for packaging vertical power MOSFET devices. Various embodiments are disclosed. |
| US07851883B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of manufacture thereof
This invention aims at providing an inexpensive semiconductor device having a parasitic diode and lowering an hfe of a parasitic PNP transistor and a manufacturing method thereof. Such semiconductor device includes a P-type silicon substrate and a gate electrode formed above the P-type silicon substrate. The P-type silicon substrate includes an N-type well layer, an N-type buried layer, a P-type body layer, an N-type source layer formed in the P-type body layer, and a drain contact layer formed in the N-type well layer. The P-type body layer and the N-type source layer are formed by self alignment that uses the gate electrode as a mask. The N-type drain contact layer is formed opposite the N-type source layer across the P-type body layer formed below the gate electrode. The N-type buried layer is formed below the P-type body layer. |
| US07851880B2 |
Solid-state imaging device
A solid-state imaging device includes a semiconductor substrate having a foreside provided with an imaging area and an electrode pad, the imaging area having an array of optical sensors, the electrode pad being disposed around a periphery of the imaging area; a transparent substrate joined to the foreside of the semiconductor substrate with a sealant therebetween; underside wiring that extends through the semiconductor substrate from the electrode pad to an underside of the semiconductor substrate; and a protective film composed of an inorganic insulating material and interposed between the semiconductor substrate and the sealant, the protective film covering at least the electrode pad. |
| US07851879B2 |
Imaging device comprising shielding unit which shields light incident from imaging area to optical black area and method of manufacturing the same
An imaging device according to an example of the invention comprises a first photoelectric conversion unit which is formed at an imaging area of a substrate, a second photoelectric conversion unit for black reference observation which is formed at an optical black area between the imaging area of the substrate and a peripheral circuit area where a peripheral circuit is formed, an insulating film which is formed on the imaging area and the optical black area of the substrate, and a shielding unit which is formed by connecting a contact and a interconnect in an accumulating direction of the insulating film from the substrate surface to the insulating film surface. |
| US07851875B2 |
MEMS devices and methods of manufacture thereof
Micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) devices and methods of manufacture thereof are disclosed. In one embodiment, a MEMS device includes a first semiconductive material and at least one trench disposed in the first semiconductive material, the at least one trench having a sidewall. An insulating material layer is disposed over an upper portion of the sidewall of the at least one trench in the first semiconductive material and over a portion of a top surface of the first semiconductive material proximate the sidewall. A second semiconductive material or a conductive material is disposed within the at least one trench and at least over the insulating material layer disposed over the portion of the top surface of the first semiconductive material proximate the sidewall. |
| US07851871B2 |
Semiconductor device and method for fabricating the same
A high-voltage transistor and a peripheral circuit including a second conductivity type MOSFET are provided together on a first conductivity type semiconductor substrate. The high-voltage transistor includes: a low concentration drain region of a second conductivity type formed in the semiconductor substrate; a low concentration source region of a second conductivity type formed in the semiconductor substrate and spaced apart from the low concentration drain region; and a high concentration source region of a second conductivity type having a diffusion depth deeper than that of the low concentration source region. A diffusion depth of the low concentration source region is equal to that of source/drain regions of the MOSFET. |
| US07851869B2 |
Semiconductor constructions
The invention includes methods of forming PMOS transistors and NMOS transistors. The NMOS transistors can be formed to have a thin silicon-containing material between a pair of metal nitride materials, while the PMOS transistors are formed to have the metal nitride materials directly against one another. The invention also includes constructions which contain an NMOS transistor gate stack having a thin silicon-containing material between a pair of metal nitride materials. The silicon-containing material can, for example, consist of silicon, conductively-doped silicon, or silicon oxide; and can have a thickness of less than or equal to about 30 angstroms. |
| US07851867B2 |
Integrated circuit and method of manufacturing the same
An integrated circuit includes: a semiconductor substrate that has a well region containing a first conductivity type impurity; and an enhancement type MOS transistor and a plurality of depletion type MOS transistors, each of which is formed in the well region and has a channel region under a gate electrode. At least one of the depletion type MOS transistors has, in the channel region, an implantation region into which a second conductivity type impurity is implanted so that a threshold voltage is adjusted. The implantation region has the first conductivity type impurity and the second conductivity type impurity. Further, the second conductivity type impurity has a concentration that is higher than a concentration of the first conductivity type impurity. |
| US07851864B2 |
Test structure of a semiconductor device and semiconductor device
A test structure includes a transistor, a dummy transistor and a pad unit. The transistor is formed on a first active region of a substrate. The dummy transistor is formed on a second active region of the substrate and electrically connected to the transistor. The pad unit is electrically connected to the transistor. Plasma damage to the transistor is reduced due to the presence of dummy transistor. |
| US07851861B2 |
MIM capacitor and metal gate transistor
A device includes an embedded MIM capacitor and a transistor formed in parallel with reduced processing steps and improved device performance in different regions of a substrate. The embedded MIM capacitor has a bottom electrode, an insulator layer, a dielectric film, and a top electrode. The substrate has an insulator region. The bottom electrode, having a first conductor, overlies the insulator region. The insulator layer overlies the substrate and the bottom electrode. The insulator layer has an opening connecting parts of the bottom electrode. The dielectric film lines the opening, and is disposed directly on the bottom electrode and sidewalls of the opening. The top electrode, having a second conductor, overlies the dielectric film in the opening. The dielectric film lines sidewalls and bottom of the top electrode. |
| US07851860B2 |
Techniques to reduce substrate cross talk on mixed signal and RF circuit design
An integrated circuit has a buried insulation layer formed over a semiconductor substrate, and a semiconductor mesa formed over the buried insulation layer. A low resistivity guard ring substantially surrounds the semiconductor mesa and is in contact with the semiconductor substrate. The low resistivity guard ring is grounded and isolates the semiconductor mesa from RF signals. |
| US07851859B2 |
Single transistor memory device having source and drain insulating regions and method of fabricating the same
A single transistor floating-body dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device includes a floating body located on a semiconductor substrate and a gate electrode located on the floating body, the floating body including an excess carrier storage region. The DRAM device further includes source and drain regions respectively located at both sides of the gate electrode, and leakage shielding patterns located between the floating body and the source and drain regions. Each of the source and drain regions contact the floating body, which may be positioned between the source and drain regions. The floating body may also laterally extend under the leakage shielding patterns, which may be arranged at outer sides of the gate electrode. |
| US07851858B2 |
MOSFET having SOI and method
Provided is a semiconductor device formed to an SOI substrate including a MOS transistor in which a parasitic MOS transistor is suppressed. The semiconductor device formed on the SOI substrate by employing a LOCOS process is structured such that a part of a polysilicon layer to becomes a gate electrode includes: a first conductivity type polysilicon region corresponding to a region of the silicon active layer which has a constant thickness and is to become a channel; and second conductivity type polysilicon regions corresponding to LOCOS isolation edges in each of which a thickness of the silicon active layer decreases. |
| US07851855B2 |
Semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the same
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate provided with an active region including a gate forming area, a source forming area and a drain forming area. A recess is formed in the gate forming area. A gate is formed over the gate forming area that is formed with the recess and includes an insulation layer formed at an upper end portion of a side wall of the recess that is in contact with the source forming area. A source area and a drain area are formed in the active region on opposite sides of the gate. |
| US07851854B2 |
SiC semiconductor device having bottom layer and method for manufacturing the same
A SiC semiconductor device includes: a substrate; a drift layer on the substrate; a trench on the drift layer; a base region in the drift layer sandwiching the trench; a channel between the base region and the trench; a source region in the base region sandwiching the trench via the channel; a gate electrode in the trench via a gate insulation film; a source electrode coupled with the source region; a drain electrode on the substrate opposite to the drift layer; and a bottom layer under the trench. An edge portion of the bottom layer under a corner of a bottom of the trench is deeper than a center portion of the bottom layer under a center portion of the bottom of the trench. |
| US07851852B2 |
Method of forming a low capacitance semiconductor device and structure therefor
In one embodiment a transistor is formed with a gate structure having an opening in the gate structure. An insulator is formed on at least sidewalls of the opening and a conductor is formed on the insulator. |
| US07851849B2 |
Nonvolatile semiconductor storage device and method for manufacturing same
A nonvolatile semiconductor storage device includes: a plurality of stacked units juxtaposed on a major surface of a substrate, each stacked unit aligning in a first direction parallel to the major surface of the substrate; and a gate electrode aligning parallel to the major surface in a second direction non-parallel to the first direction. Each of the plurality of stacked units includes a plurality of stacked semiconductor layers via an insulating layer. The plurality of stacked units are juxtaposed so that the spacings between adjacent stacked units are alternately a first spacing and a second spacing larger than the first spacing. The second spacing is provided at a periodic interval four times a size of a half pitch F of the bit line. The gate electrode includes a protruding portion that enters into a gap of the second spacing between the stacked units. A first insulating film, a charge storage layer, and a second insulating film are provided between a side face of the semiconductor layer and the protruding portion. |
| US07851837B2 |
Light-collecting device and solid-state imaging apparatus
A solid-state imaging apparatus includes unit pixels arranged in a two-dimensional array. Each unit pixel includes a light-collector and light-receiver. The light-collector includes light-transmitting films that form a refractive index distribution and multiple zones, each of which has a width equal to or shorter than a wavelength of incident light. For each central unit pixel, a center axis of the light-receiver matches a central axis of the light-collector. For each peripheral unit pixel, a central axis of the light-collector is displaced from the central axis of the light-receiver toward the center of the imaging area. The line width of each light-transmitting film of a central unit pixel is different than the line width of each light-transmitting film of a peripheral unit pixel in a same relative position, and the sum of line widths of the central unit pixel differs from the sum of line widths of the peripheral unit pixel. |
| US07851829B2 |
Semiconductor chip module
One aspect includes a sensor chip module including a sensor chip and a module housing accommodating the sensor chip. The module housing defines a mounting plane of the sensor chip module. In one case, an active surface of the sensor chip is inclined with respect to the mounting plane of the sensor chip module. |
| US07851828B2 |
Phase change memory cell with transparent conducting oxide for electrode contact material
The present invention provides a non-volatile phase change memory cell containing an electrode contact layer disposed between a metal electrode layer and a phase change material layer, the electrode contact layer being formed of a transparent conducting oxide-based material which has a high electric conductivity, a low thermal conductivity and a good thermal stability. A non-volatile phase change memory cell according to the present invention may be utilized to reduce the electric power needed for reset and set operation. |
| US07851827B2 |
Back-side trapped non-volatile memory device
Non-volatile memory devices and arrays are described that utilize back-side trapped floating node memory cells with band-gap engineered gate stacks with asymmetric tunnel barriers. Embodiments of the present invention allow for direct tunneling programming and efficient erase with electrons and holes, while maintaining high charge blocking barriers and deep carrier trapping sites for good charge retention and reduces the possibility of damage to the channel/insulator interface. The direct tunneling program and efficient erase capability reduces damage to the gate stack and the crystal lattice from high energy carriers, reducing write fatigue and leakage issues and enhancing device lifespan. Memory device embodiments of the present invention are presented that are arranged in NOR or NAND memory architecture arrays. Memory cell embodiments of the present invention also allow multiple levels of bit storage in a single memory cell, and allow for programming and erase with reduced voltages. |
| US07851826B2 |
Imager system comprising an integrated optical filter arranged between an imager and a transparent plate
A method manufactures semiconductor chips each comprising a component implanted in the semiconductor. The method includes collectively implanting components onto a front face of a semiconductor wafer and fixing the a plate of a transparent material onto the front face of the wafer. Fixing the plate of transparent material is preceded by a step of depositing, on the front face of the wafer, at least one layer of polymer material forming an optical filter. Application is particularly to the manufacturing of imagers. |
| US07851824B2 |
Light emitting device having a composition modulation layer of unequal amounts of at least two elements between an n-type contact layer and a transparent electrode
A light emitting device includes: a light emitting layer; an n-type contact layer made of a compound provided on the light emitting layer; a composition modulation layer provided on the n-type contact layer; and a transparent electrode provided on the composition modulation layer. The composition modulation layer consists of a plurality of elements which constitute the compound. A composition ratio of one of the plurality of elements is higher in the composition modulation layer than in the compound. Alternatively, the light emitting device includes: a light emitting layer; an n-type contact layer made of a compound provided on the light emitting layer; a metal layer provided on the n-type contact layer; and a transparent electrode provided on the metal layer. The metal layer is made of a metal having a lower work function than the compound. |
| US07851822B2 |
Full frame ITO pixel with improved optical symmetry
A charge-coupled device includes a photosensitive region for collecting charge in response to incident light; a first and third gate electrode made of a transmissive material spanning at least a portion of the photosensitive region; and a second gate electrode made of a transmissive material that is less transmissive than the first and third gates and spans at least a portion of the photosensitive region; wherein the first, second and third gates are arranged symmetrically within an area that spans the photosensitive region. |
| US07851821B2 |
Group III nitride semiconductor device, epitaxial substrate, and method of fabricating group III nitride semiconductor device
A group III nitride semiconductor device having a gallium nitride based semiconductor film with an excellent surface morphology is provided. A group III nitride optical semiconductor device 11a includes a group III nitride semiconductor supporting base 13, a GaN based semiconductor region 15, an active layer active layer 17, and a GaN semiconductor region 19. The primary surface 13a of the group III nitride semiconductor supporting base 13 is not any polar plane, and forms a finite angle with a reference plane Sc that is orthogonal to a reference axis Cx extending in the direction of a c-axis of the group III nitride semiconductor. The GaN based semiconductor region 15 is grown on the semipolar primary surface 13a. A GaN based semiconductor layer 21 of the GaN based semiconductor region 15 is, for example, an n-type GaN based semiconductor, and the n-type GaN based semiconductor is doped with silicon. A GaN based semiconductor layer 23 of an oxygen concentration of 5×1016 cm−3 or more provides an active layer 17 with an excellent crystal quality, and the active layer 17 is grown on the primary surface of the GaN based semiconductor layer 23. |
| US07851819B2 |
Transparent heat spreader for LEDs
A heat spreader for an LED can include a thermally conductive and optically transparent member. The bottom side of the heat spreader can be configured to attach to a light emitting side of the LED. The top and/or bottom surface of the heat spreader can have a phosphor layer formed thereon. The heat spreader can be configured to conduct heat from the LED to a package. The heat spreader can be configured to conduct heat from the phosphors to the package. By facilitating the removal of heat from the LED and phosphors, more current can be used to drive the LED. The use of more current facilitates the construction of a brighter LED, which can be used in applications such as flashlights, displays, and general illumination. By facilitating the removal of heat from the phosphors, desired colors can be better provided. |
| US07851812B2 |
Housed optoelectronic component
An electronic device according to the invention includes a housing, a recess containing an optoelectronic component, and a film including a polyimide, which is over the recess covering the optoelectronic component. |
| US07851801B2 |
Pixel structure
A memory cell suitable for being disposed over a substrate is provided. The memory cell includes a poly-silicon island, a first dielectric layer, a trapping layer, a second dielectric layer and a control gate. The poly-silicon island is disposed on the substrate and includes a source region, a drain region and a channel region located between the source and drain regions. The channel region has a plurality of regularly arranged tips thereon. The first dielectric layer is disposed on the poly-silicon island. The trapping layer is disposed on the first dielectric layer. The second dielectric layer is disposed on the trapping layer. The control gate is disposed on the second dielectric layer. The memory cell mentioned above can be integrated into the LTPS-LCD panel or OLED panel. |
| US07851799B2 |
Thin film transistor substrate
A thin film transistor (TFT) substrate includes: a plurality of gate wirings; a plurality of data wirings insulatedly crossing the gate wirings to define a plurality of pixels; a plurality of common voltage lines formed along edges of pixels and mutually connected in an extending direction of the gate wirings; and a plurality of common electrodes formed at the pixel such that the plurality of common electrodes partially overlap with the common voltage line and mutually connected in an extending direction of the data wirings. A uniform common voltage can be stably applied on the entire surface of the TFT substrate. |
| US07851793B2 |
Test structure with TDDB test pattern
A test structure includes a time dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) test pattern formed in a dielectric material on a wafer. The test pattern includes first and second conductive lines formed in the dielectric material. The second conductive line is adjacent to the first conductive line. The first conductive line and the second conductive line are separated by a first minimum distance at a first portion of the TDDB test pattern. The first conductive line and the second conductive line are separated by a second minimum distance at a second portion of the TDDB test pattern. The second minimum distance is greater than the first minimum distance. The second portion is different than the first portion. It also may have a third different portion with a third larger minimum distance between the first and second conductive lines. The TDDB test pattern may have a comb-comb or a comb-serpent structure, for example. |
| US07851789B2 |
Photosensitive resin composition for pad protective layer, and method for making image sensor using the same
The present invention provides a photosensitive resin composition for a pad protective layer that includes (A) an alkali soluble resin, (B) a reactive unsaturated compound, (C) a photoinitiator, and (D) a solvent. The (A) alkali soluble resin includes a copolymer including about 5 to about 50 wt % of a unit having the Chemical Formula 1, about 1 to about 25 wt % of a unit having the Chemical Formula 2, and about 45 to about 90 wt % of a unit having the Chemical Formula 3, and a method of making an image sensor using the photosensitive resin composition. |
| US07851788B2 |
Organic transistor and manufacturing method thereof
To provide an organic transistor which can achieve a reduced leak current from a gate electrode. An organic transistor including a substrate 1, a pair of a source electrode 4 and a drain electrode 5, an organic semiconductor layer 6 provided between the source electrode 4 and the drain electrode 5, and a gate electrode 2 provided in association with the organic semiconductor 6 with a gate insulating layer 3 interposed therebetween, wherein the gate insulating layer 3 has a stacked structure including at least an organic insulating layer 3a and an inorganic barrier layer 3b. |
| US07851786B2 |
Programmable polyelectrolyte electrical switches
An apparatus includes a first solid electrode on a substrate, a polyelectrolyte layer over a part of the first solid electrode, a second solid electrode on a portion of the polyelectrolyte layer, and an anchoring layer on the part of the first solid electrode. The polyelectrolyte layer is either chemically bonded to the anchoring layer or has a thickness of less than about 20 nanometers. |
| US07851784B2 |
Nanotube array electronic devices
The Nanotube Array Ballistic Transistors are disclosed, wherein the ballistic (without collisions) electron propagation along the nanotubes, grown normally to the substrate plane on the common metal electrode, is used for a new class of hybrid (solid state/vacuum) electronic devices. In the disclosed transistors, the array of nanotubes emits electrons into vacuum when electrons gain sufficient energy inside the nanotubes due to ballistic electron movement under the voltage applied to the nanotube ends.In the disclosed devices, planar layer deposition technology is used to form multilayer structures and attach two electrodes to the nanotubes ends.The ballistic transistor can also be used for making a new type of electron-emission display when a phosphor layer is deposited on the anode electrode.The non-ballistic nanotube array transistor, employing field-induced electron emission and the same planar layer deposition technique, is also disclosed, the device being considered to be a transistor approaching terahertz frequency range of operation. |
| US07851783B2 |
Method and apparatus for fabricating a carbon nanotube transistor
A method of fabricating a nanotube field-effect transistor having unipolar characteristics and a small inverse sub-threshold slope includes forming a local gate electrode beneath the nanotube between drain and source electrodes of the transistor and doping portions of the nanotube. In a further embodiment, the method includes forming at least one trench in the gate dielectric (e.g., a back gate dielectric) and back gate adjacent to the local gate electrode. Another aspect of the invention is a nanotube field-effect transistor fabricated using such a method. |
| US07851777B2 |
Memory device including resistance-changing function body
A resistance-changing function body includes an object made of a first substance and interposed between a first electrode and a second electrode, and a plurality of particles made of a second substance and arranged within the object so that an electrical resistance between the first electrode and the second electrode is changed before and after application of a specified voltage to between the first electrode and the second electrode. The first substance makes an electrical barrier against the second substance. With this constitution, by applying a specified voltage to between the first electrode and the second electrode, the electrical resistance can be changed depending on a state of the particles made of the second substance. Also, by virtue of a simple structure, a resistance-changing function body of small size is provided with low cost. |
| US07851771B2 |
Method of constructing chimeric plant by heavy-ion beam irradiation
Petunia explants are irradiated with heavy-ion beams, and the chimeric individuals differentiated from the explants are selected (FSRP method). Then, explants are obtained from the chimeric individuals and subjected to tissue culture, followed by selection of re-differentiated chimeric individuals with stable characters (SSRP method). By these procedures, it becomes possible to create chimeric plants such as variegated petunia efficiently. |
| US07851768B2 |
Ultra high precision measurement tool with control loop
A focused ion beam device is described comprising a gas field ion source with an emitter emitting an ion beam including ions of gas, an ion beam column and a beam current control loop comprising a beam current measurement device. Furthermore, the focused ion beam device may have a sample charge control comprising measuring the sample charge. A method of operating a focused ion beam device is provided comprising applying a voltage between an emitter an electrode, applying gas to the emitter, emitting ions of a gas from the emitter and controlling a beam current by measuring the beam current with a beam current measurement device. |
| US07851763B2 |
Method for improving clinical data quality in positron emission tomography
A method for improving clinical data quality in Positron Emission Tomography (PET). The method provides for the processing of PET data to accurately and efficiently determine a data single-to-noise ratio (SNR) corresponding to each individual clinical patient scan, as a function of a singles rate in a PET scanner. The method relates an injected dose to the singles rate to determine SNR(Dinj),and provides an accurate estimate of a quantity proportional to SNR, similar in function to the SNR(Dinj). Knowledge of SNR(Dinj) permits determination of peak SNR, optimal dose, SNR deficit, dose deficit, and differential dose benefit. The patient dose is fractionated, with a small calibration dose given initially. After a short uptake, the patient is pre-scanned to determine T, S, and R. An optimal does is then determined and the remainder injected. |
| US07851761B2 |
Multi-band terahertz receiver and imaging device
Multi-band polarized receiver-emitter THz domain visualization device that includes a group of elemental receiver units made from a resonant system sensitive to frequency and polarization, a micro-bead solid-state voltage amplifier in the gate of a differential FET system. The detection is based on the carrier perturbation method detected by a set of double gate comparator circuits that further generates an integrated signal driven to a digital analog converter. The signal from here is accessing event-based memory used to generate the 3D images. Multiple detection modules are coupled into a triangular detection element detecting a multitude of frequencies, in a cascade of bands from 2 mm to 1 micron. This THz chromatic detector is integrated in a surface morph array, or in an image area of a focusing device generating a pixel of information with band, amplitude, polarization and time parameters, driving to a complex 3D substance level visualizations. |
| US07851760B2 |
Control and optimization of process for making ethylene oxide
The invention pertains to a method for controlling the Limiting Oxygen Value (LOV) of a reactor for producing ethylene oxide using a tunable diode laser. The sample to be tested is extracted. A method for controlling oxygen analyzer safety shutdown for a reactor for producing ethylene oxide using a tunable diode laser is also described. |
| US07851759B2 |
Infrared imaging apparatus
A representative embodiment of the invention provides an infrared (IR) imaging system adapted to (i) convert an IR image of an object into mechanical displacements of a plurality of movable plates, (ii) use the mechanical displacements to impart a corresponding spatial phase modulation pattern onto a beam of visible light, and (iii) apply spatial filtering to convert the spatial phase modulation pattern into a visible image of the object. |
| US07851758B1 |
Portable multi-function inspection systems and methods
In accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention, a portable inspection system is disclosed to capture inspection data, such as for example an infrared image, sound information, and/or electrical measurement information. The inspection data may be securely recorded (e.g., with an encryption algorithm) along with associated information, which may include for example date, time, system settings, operator identification, and location. |
| US07851756B2 |
Charged particle beam irradiation system
It is to prevent an image drift from occurring caused by a specimen being charged when observing the specimen including an insulating material.A first scan is performed in a predetermined direction on scanning line and in a predetermined sequential direction of scanning lines and a second scan is performed in a scanning direction different from the predetermined scanning direction and in a sequential direction different from the predetermined sequential direction. An image may be created by repeating the process of executing the second scan after executing the first scan and by requiring the arithmetic average of the frames obtained by the second scans. An image may be created by averaging arithmetically at least one frame obtained by the first scan and at least one frame obtained by the second scan. |
| US07851754B2 |
Charged particle beam system
A charged particle beam system wherein the output of the secondary electron detector is detected while the retarding voltage is varied between the values for which the secondary electrons do not reach the sample and the values for which the secondary electrons reach the sample, and the surface potential of the sample is determined on the basis of the relationship between the retarding voltage and the detected output of the secondary electron detector. |
| US07851752B2 |
Ion guide for mass spectrometers
The present invention relates generally to mass spectrometry and the analysis of chemical samples, and more particularly to ion guides for use therein. The invention described herein comprises an improved method and apparatus for transporting ions from a first pressure region in a mass spectrometer to a second pressure region therein. More specifically, the present invention provides a segmented ion funnel for more efficient use in mass spectrometry (particularly with ionization sources) to transport ions from the first pressure region to the second pressure region. |
| US07851735B2 |
Microscope automatic focusing device and method thereof
An auto focus device and method are provided. The device comprises a beam splitter set; a laser emitting device disposed at a first side of the beam splitter set for providing a laser beam to the beam splitter; a lens set disposed at a second side of the beam splitter set and opposing to the testing subject positioned at a third side of the beam splitter set for refracting a reflected beam from a testing subject for generating a light spot; and a photo detecting device disposed with respect to the lens set for receiving the light spot and generating a driving signal. |
| US07851724B2 |
Laser exposure apparatus and laser annealing apparatus
A laser exposure which includes: a laser light source including a multi-transverse mode semiconductor laser; a far-field pattern forming optical system for forming a far-field pattern of multi-transverse mode laser light emitted from the laser light source; a condensing optical system for condensing the laser light emitted from the far-field pattern forming optical system and applying the condensed laser light to a substance to be exposed; and a coherency reducing element disposed in an optical path between the laser light source and the substance to be exposed, for reducing coherency of two wavefront components that are contained in high-order transverse mode light of each order emitted from the laser light source and propagate in substantially symmetrical directions with respect to the optical axis. |
| US07851722B2 |
Optical cracked-grain selector
An optical cracked-grain selector that does not mistakenly identify normal grains of rice having no cracks as cracked grains due to the presence of the embryonic portion and/or surface scratches when optically identifying cracked grains of rice mixed in with material rice grains. An identification part in a cracked grain identification unit obtains a first rice grain image (having an embryonic portion and scratches) based on light passed through the rice grain that is received by a first CCD sensor built into a CCD camera of a photoreaction detection unit and a second rice grain image (having cracks, an embryo portion and scratches) based on light passed through the rice grain received by a second CCD sensor built into the CCD camera, acquires an image of the cracks by calculating a difference in the amount of light between the two rice grain images, and identifies a cracked grain. |
| US07851720B2 |
Capacitive touch switch, circuit configuration for a capacitive touch switch and control device for an electronic domestic appliance with at least one capacitive touch switch
A capacitive touch switch which is used, for example, in a control device for an electronic domestic appliance, includes a sensor area as part of a capacitive sensor element having a capacitance which changes when touched. A measuring electrode, which is coupled to the sensor area, is disposed on a printed circuit board and is at a first potential. An additional electrode, which is disposed near the measuring electrode, likewise on the printed circuit board, is electrically insulated from the measuring electrode and is at a second potential, which is different from the first potential. The additional electrode brings about a shielding of the measuring electrode and thus an output signal of an associated sensor circuit that is less sensitive to interference. A circuit configuration for a capacitive touch switch and a control device for an electronic domestic appliance, are also provided. |
| US07851718B2 |
Electronic equipment
Electronic equipment of the present invention includes a first housing 2 with an elastically deformable thin-wall portion 25 formed as a part of the front wall, an elastically deformable spacer member 4, and a sub board 5 on which switches 51 are mounted. The spacer member 4 includes a plurality of elastic members 41 and a second supporting member 46. Each of the elastic members 41 includes an operating strip 41a that is formed so that when the thin-wall portion 25 is deformed elastically, one surface of the operating strip 41a can be brought into contact with a back surface of the thin-wall portion 25 and the other surface can be pressed against the switch 51. The second supporting member 46 is formed so as to protrude between each of the elastic members 41, and can be brought into contact with the back surface of the thin-wall portion 25 at least when the thin-wall portion 25 is deformed elastically. The elastic members 41 and the second supporting member 46 are formed integrally. With this configuration, the electronic equipment does not cause an operation error in which a plurality of switches are pressed simultaneously. |
| US07851711B2 |
Electronic scales and method for controlling food intake and/or the amount of calories consumed using a sensor and weight-checking routine
Electronic scales to efficiently control the amount of calories consumed include at least one weight or force sensor, a data processing unit having a memory unit, a control and input keyboard and a display device. The scales include an active bearing surface functionally connected to the weight or force sensor(s) and adapted to receive a plate of food or similar container, and the data processing unit is installed with a program which calculates the equivalent calorie value for each meal, in the form of liquid and/or solid food, based on the amount of weighed food and the stored or manually input weight-related calorie content of the meal, finally, the other food of a meal is added to the equivalent calorie content and a total value of calories of the daily consumed meal is calculated. The value is stored, displayed and/or printed out and the storage unit stores pre-programmed desired values. |
| US07851710B2 |
Waterproof and dustproof structure
A waterproof and dustproof structure is applied to a predetermined hole of a circuit board. A connection end of a connector could penetrate the predetermined hole. Moreover, the circuit board has a first surface and a second surface. The waterproof and dustproof structure can cover up the predetermined hole to isolate the first surface and the second surface. The interferences on the first surface may not move to the second surface through the predetermined hole. Therefore, when the connection end of the connector passes through the predetermined hole, the predetermined hole on the circuit board can be sealed via the waterproof and dustproof structure so as to achieve the goal of waterproof and dust prevention. |
| US07851707B2 |
Circuit board and method for manufacturing the same
A circuit board for reducing a transmission loss and a method for manufacturing the circuit board. In the circuit board including a ground layer and power layer facing each other, a wiring layer disposed between the ground layer and the power layer, and an insulating section formed between the ground layer and the power layer so as to sandwich the wiring layer therebetween, a low dielectric loss layer having a dielectric tangent lower than that of the insulating section is formed at least on an upper or lower surface of the wiring layer. According to such a circuit board, the low dielectric loss layer is formed on an interface between the insulating section and the wiring layer, and therefore, a transmission loss in a high frequency region is reduced. |
| US07851698B2 |
Trench process and structure for backside contact solar cells with polysilicon doped regions
A solar cell includes polysilicon P-type and N-type doped regions on a backside of a substrate, such as a silicon wafer. An interrupted trench structure separates the P-type doped region from the N-type doped region in some locations but allows the P-type doped region and the N-type doped region to touch in other locations. Each of the P-type and N-type doped regions may be formed over a thin dielectric layer. Among other advantages, the resulting solar cell structure allows for increased efficiency while having a relatively low reverse breakdown voltage. |
| US07851695B2 |
Stacked-type photoelectric conversion device
The present invention makes it possible to provide a stacked-type thin-film photoelectric conversion device having high photostability, at a high yield rate and significantly reduced production costs. In a stacked-type photoelectric conversion device having an amorphous silicon-based photoelectric conversion unit and a crystalline silicon-based photoelectric conversion unit stacked thereon or vice versa, an amorphous photoelectric conversion layer included in the amorphous photoelectric conversion unit has a thickness of at least 0.03 μm and less than 0.17 μm, a crystalline photoelectric conversion layer included in the crystalline photoelectric conversion unit has a thickness of at least 0.2 μm and less than 1.0 μm, and a silicon oxide layer of a first conductivity type included in the amorphous photoelectric conversion unit and a silicon layer of a second conductivity type included in the crystalline photoelectric conversion unit make a junction. |
| US07851692B2 |
Thermoelectric material, thermoelectric conversion module and thermoelectric power generating device using the same
A thermoelectric material has a composition expressed by (TipHfqZr1-p-q)xCoy(Sb1-rSnr)100-x-y (0.1 |
| US07851691B2 |
Thermoelectric devices and applications for the same
High performance thin film thermoelectric couples and methods of making the same are disclosed. Such couples allow fabrication of at least microwatt to watt-level power supply devices operating at voltages greater than one volt even when activated by only small temperature differences. |
| US07851689B2 |
Systems and methods for the creation and playback of animated, interpretive, musical notation and audio synchronized with the recorded performance of an original artist
A music application guides a user with some musical experience through the steps of creating and editing a musical enhancement file that enhances and plays in synchronicity with an audio signal of an original artist's recorded performance. This enables others, perhaps with lesser musical ability than the original artist, to play-along with the original artist by following melodic, chordal, rhythmic, and verbal prompts. The music application accounts for differences in the timing of the performance from a standard tempo by guiding the user through the process of creating a tempo map for the performance and by associating the tempo map with MIDI information of the enhancement file. Enhancements may contain MIDI information, audio signal information, and/or video signal information which may be played back in synchronicity with the recorded performance to provide an aural and visual aid to others playing-along who may have less musical experience. |
| US07851687B2 |
Illuminated cymbal
An illuminated cymbal, including: a light transmitting cymbal body; top and bottom coverings on opposite sides of portions of the cymbal body; a light source mounted to emit light into the cymbal body, wherein the light source is positioned such that the light is reflected between the top and bottom coverings to reflect radially outwards through the cymbal body to illuminate the cymbal body; and a striking sensor pad mounted on top of the cymbal body. |
| US07851686B1 |
Tuning a musical instrument
Among other things, a tuning device is used with a musical wind instrument. The tuning device includes a linear actuator, a first mounting assembly attached to the linear actuator and adapted for releasable mounting to the first portion of the musical wind instrument to be tuned, a second mounting assembly attached to the linear actuator and adapted for releasable mounting to the second portion of the musical wind instrument to be tuned, a sensor for a frequency of a note played on the musical wind instrument, a comparator of the played frequency to a reference frequency, and a transmitter for issuing a movement signal to the linear actuator for changing spacing between the first and second mounting assemblies to adjust relationship between first and second tubular portions, and for ceasing the movement signal when the comparator determines that the played frequency has approximately matched the reference frequency. |
| US07851676B1 |
Stress tolerant plants and methods thereof
The present invention provides a method and DNA molecules that when expressed in a plant produces transgenic plants with improved abiotic stress tolerance. The invention includes plant expression vectors comprising the DNA molecules, and plants containing such DNA molecules. |
| US07851675B2 |
Stress resistant plants
Stress tolerance in plants and plant cells is achieved by using nucleotide sequences encoding enzymes involved in the NAD salvage synthesis pathway and/or the NAD de novo synthesis pathway e.g. for overexpression in plants. |
| US07851670B2 |
Method for selection of transformed cells
The invention provides methods for the selection of transgenic cells. The invention relates to the unexpected finding that cells expressing a gene conferring tolerance to auxin-like herbicides such as dicamba may be directly selected from non-transgenic cells using auxin-like herbicides as a selective agent. In this manner, plants exhibiting tolerance to auxin-like herbicides can be directly produced without the need for separate selectable markers. |
| US07851669B2 |
Flexible absorbent article with improved body fit
An absorbent article that has a thin, conformable absorbent core where the core has at least two layers, each including a different superabsorbent material, and each being typically substantially free of cellulosic fibers, is described. The absorbent article has a Circular Bend Flexibility of less than about 15 N. The core includes a storage layer and an acquisition/storage layer each a specific basis capacity of and absorption efficiency. |
| US07851666B2 |
Components of articles including contrasting printed blocks
The present invention relates to disposable absorbent articles including one or more discrete components. Representative discrete components include the nonwoven layer of the outer cover, the absorbent core, the bodyside liner, fasteners, ears and attachment panels. The discrete components include a material having a Surface Topographic Variance value of 30 micrometers or greater. The material includes a printed block having a Printed Block Sensor Value that is about three times greater than a Sensor Value for the area of the material outside of the printed block. |
| US07851665B2 |
Catalyst comprising a zeolite with structure type NES and a zeolite with structure type EUO, and use in isomerizing C8 aromatic compounds
A catalyst is described comprising at least one zeolite with structure type EUO, at least one zeolite with structure type NES, at least one metal selected from metals from groups IIIA, VIIB, VIIB and VIII and at least one porous mineral matrix. The catalyst of the invention is used in a process for isomerizing a feed comprising aromatic compounds containing 8 carbon atoms per molecule. |
| US07851659B2 |
Method for producing benzaldehyde compound
A method is provided for producing a benzaldehyde compound represented by the formula (2): wherein Q1 and Q2 represent a hydrogen atom etc., including the step of reacting a compound represented by the formula (1): wherein X represents a chlorine atom etc., and Q1 and Q2 are respectively the same meaning as above, with a secondary nitroalkane and a base in the presence of an alkali metal iodide. |
| US07851658B2 |
Palladium-catalyzed carbon-carbon bond forming reactions
A novel palladium-mediated carbon-carbon bond forming reaction has been discovered using DNA-templated chemistry. The inventive reaction involves the palladium-mediated coupling of a terminal alkyne with an alkene to form an enone. A catalytic amount of palladium may be used in the reaction if an oxidant is present. The reactions is also compatible with a variety of organic solvent as well as aqueous solution. Both intermolecular and intramolecular reactions have been demonstrated. This novel carbon-carbon bond forming reaction is particularly useful in the synthesis of macrocycles. Kits, reagents, catalysts, solvents, oxidants, salts, acids, instructions, and other materials useful in the practice of the inventive reaction are also provided. |
| US07851657B2 |
Synthetic process for anticancer drug fluorapacin and trisulfide derivatives
The invention provides a synthetic and manufacturing process for the preparation of the anticancer drug, fluorapacin, bis(4-fluorobenzyl)trisulfide, and related trisulfide derivatives on large scale. Also provided are processes for the purification and isolation of fluorapacin having high purity and improved stability. |
| US07851656B2 |
Method for producing organic phosphorous compounds containing halogens
Method of producing compounds of the general formula XPR2(OR1) Ia where X is chlorine, bromine or iodine and R1 is an organic radical, by reacting compounds of the general formula X2PR2 II, in which X has the meaning given above and R2 is an organic radical, with compounds of the general formula R1OH III, in which R1 has the meaning given above, to give a mixture IV, in that a) the postreaction is carried out at a temperature of from 50 to 240° C. and a pressure of from 0.001 to 0.9 bar, b) from the mixture IV the compounds Ia are separated off from the compounds PR2(OR1)2 Ib and, if appropriate, the compounds II and c) compounds Ib and, if appropriate, unreacted compounds II are returned to the synthesis stage. |
| US07851652B2 |
Biological buffers with wide buffering ranges
Amines and amine derivatives that improve the buffering range, and/or reduce the chelation and other negative interactions of the buffer and the system to be buffered. The reaction of amines or polyamines with various molecules to form polyamines with differing pKa's will extend the buffering range, derivatives that result in polyamines that have the same pKa yields a greater buffering capacity. Derivatives that result in zwitterionic buffers improve yield by allowing a greater range of stability. |
| US07851648B2 |
Method for the continuous production of isocyanates
The invention relates to a process for preparing polyisocyanates by reacting organic amines with phosgene, wherein the reaction is carried out in at least three stages, with the first stage being carried out in a mixing apparatus, the second stage in at least one residence apparatus and the third stage in at least one separation apparatus and the pressure in each successive stage being lower than that in the previous stage. |
| US07851646B2 |
Process for producing arylsulfur pentafluorides
Novel processes for preparing arylsulfur pentafluorides are disclosed. Processes include reacting at least one aryl sulfur compound with a halogen and a fluoro salt to form an arylsulfur halotetrafluoride. The arylsulfur halotetrafluoride is reacted with a fluoride source to form a target arylsulfur pentafluoride. |
| US07851641B2 |
Compounds useful for treating neurodegenerative disorders
As described herein, the present invention provides compounds useful for treating or lessening the severity of a neurodegenerative disorder. The present invention also provides methods of treating or lessening the severity of such disorders wherein said method comprises administering to a patient a compound of the present invention, or composition thereof. Said method is useful for treating or lessening the severity of, for example, Alzheimer's disease. |
| US07851640B2 |
Catalytic enantioselective synthesis of flavanones and chromanones
Various chromanone, flavanone and abyssinone compounds as can be prepared enantioselectively using a chiral thiourea catalyst. |
| US07851636B2 |
Heteroaryl-ureas and their use as glucokinase activators
This invention relates to compounds of formula (I) which are activators of glucokinase and thus may be useful for the management, treatment, control, or adjunct treatment of diseases, where increasing glucokinase activity is beneficial. |
| US07851635B2 |
Mitotic kinesin inhibitor
A mitotic kinesin Eg5 inhibitor which comprises a thiadiazoline derivative represented by the general formula (I) or a pharmacologically acceptable salt thereof as an active ingredient: [wherein R1 represents a hydrogen atom and the like, R2 represents a hydrogen atom, —C(═W)R6 (wherein W represents an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom, and R6 represents substituted or unsubstituted lower alkyl and the like) and the like, R3 represents —C(═Z)R19 (wherein Z represents an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom, and R19 represents substituted or unsubstituted lower alkyl and the like) and the like, R4 represents substituted or unsubstituted lower alkyl and the like, and R5 represents substituted or unsubstituted aryl and the like] and the like are provided. |
| US07851631B2 |
Biphenyl compounds useful as muscarinic receptor antagonists
This invention provides compounds of formula I: wherein a, b, c, d, m, n, p, r, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, and W are as defined in the specification. The compounds of formula I are muscarinic receptor antagonists. The invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds, processes and intermediates for preparing such compounds and methods of using such compounds to treat pulmonary disorders. |
| US07851630B2 |
Hydronopol substituted benzimidazolone and quinazolinone derivatives as agonists on human ORL1 receptors
The invention relates to a group of hydronopol substituted benzimidazolone and quinazolinone derivatives which are agonists on human ORL1 (nociceptin) receptors. The invention also relates to the preparation of these compounds, to pharmaceutical compositions containing a pharmacologically active amount of at least one of these novel benzimidazolone and quinazolinone derivatives as an active ingredient, as well as to the use of these pharmaceutical compositions for the treatment of disorders in which ORL1 receptors are involved.The invention relates to compounds of the general formula (1) wherein the symbols have the meanings as given in the description. |
| US07851620B2 |
Methods for preparing diazonamides
This invention relates to novel macrocyclic lactams intermediates useful for the preparation of diazonamide analogs. This invention also relates to a novel electrochemical oxidative cyclization for the preparation of such macrocyclic lactams, and their further elucidation to provide diazonamide analogs. |
| US07851618B2 |
Aminated complex-type sugar chain derivatives and process for the production thereof
An aminated complex-type oligosaccharide derivative of the formula (1) wherein R1 is H—(CO)—CH2X, —NH—(CO)—(CH2)b—CH2X, isothiocyanate group, —NH—(CO)a—(CH2)b—CO2H or —NH—(CO)a—(CH2)b—CHO, X being a halogen atom, a being 0 or 1, b being an integer of 1 to 4, R2 and R3 are a hydrogen atom or a group of the formulae (2) to (5) and may be the same or different, except for the case where both R2 and R3 are hydrogen or the formula (5), and the case where one of R2 and R3 is a hydrogen atom, with the formula (5) serving as the other thereof. |
| US07851616B2 |
Development of asthma therapy with rAAV-mediated AMCase shRNA
The invention provides small interfering RNA (siRNA) and their carriers that could treat asthma in mammalian through inhibiting acidic mammalian chitinase (AMCase) gene expression. The invention further provides a composition comprising siRNA of the present invention and a carrier. The invention also provides a method for treating asthma of a subject. |
| US07851613B2 |
Recombinant expression cassettes with a fungal 3′ termination sequence that function in plants
The present invention provides recombinant expression cassettes comprising a fungal 3′ termination sequence which is functional in a plant. The recombinant expression cassettes comprise a plant promoter operably linked to a coding sequence having a stop condon, and the fungal termination sequence. The fungal 3′ termination sequence is heterologous to the coding sequence. The fungal 3′ termination sequence comprises structural features including a cleavage site, a positioning element, and an upstream element. The present invention also comprises methods for construction of the plant expression cassettes and introducing the cassettes into plant cells. |
| US07851610B2 |
Transporter protein
A novel protein which has an activity to transport hydantoin compounds is described, as well as a recombinant expressing this transporter protein. From Microbacterium liquefaciens strain AJ3912, a novel gene was discovered to encode a protein which is able to transport hydantoin compounds. A recombinant with an excellent ability to uptake hydantoin compounds is obtained by introducing and expressing the novel gene, called mhp, using gene recombination techniques. |
| US07851604B2 |
Transcriptional regulator
Genes each encoding a novel transcriptional regulator having a bromodomain have been successfully isolated from a human testis cDNA library using primers prepared based on an EST sequence found using the bromodomain sequence of the transcriptional regulator. These genes are structurally analogous to each other. |
| US07851601B2 |
Monoclonal antibody capable of binding to heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor
Medicaments for treating diseases related to HB-EGF escalation are in demand. The present invention provides a monoclonal antibody or an antibody fragment thereof which binds to a cell membrane-bound HB-EGF, a membrane type HB-EGF and a secretory HB-EGF. |
| US07851600B2 |
Anti-CCR5 antibody
The invention is directed an anti-CCR5 antibody which comprises (i) two light chains, each light chain comprising the expression product of a plasmid designated pVK:HuPRO140-VK (ATCC Deposit Designation PTA-4097), and (ii) two heavy chains, each heavy chain comprising an expression product of either a plasmid designated pVg1:HuPRO140 HG2-VH (ATCC Deposit Designation PTA-4098) or a plasmid designated pVg1:HuPRO140 (mutB+D+I)-VH (ATCC Deposit Designation PTA-4099) or a fragment thereof which binds to CCR5 on the surface of a human cell. |
| US07851597B2 |
Maize cellulose synthases and uses thereof
The invention provides isolated cellulose synthase nucleic acids and their encoded proteins. The present invention provides methods and compositions relating to altering cellulose synthase levels in plants. The invention further provides recombinant expression cassettes, host cells, and transgenic plants comprising said nucleic acids. |
| US07851594B2 |
Human cytokine receptor
Cytokines and their receptors have proven usefulness in both basic research and as therapeutics. The present invention provides a new human cytokine receptor designated as “Zcytor16.” |
| US07851593B2 |
Binding proteins as biosensors
The invention is directed to compositions of mutated binding proteins containing reporter groups, analyte biosensor devices derived therefrom, and their use as analyte biosensors both in vitro and in vivo. |
| US07851589B2 |
Polypeptide derived from the ryanodine receptor that inhibits calcium leakage
A polypeptide exhibiting the effect of inhibiting Ca2+ leakage in a target cell, the polypeptide having the amino acid sequence of any of SEQ ID NOs: 3 to 9 or an amino acid sequence obtained through deletion, insertion, substitution, or addition of one or more amino acids in the aforementioned amino acid sequence; a polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide; and a pharmaceutical composition containing, as an active ingredient, the polypeptide or an expression product of the polynucleotide. |
| US07851584B2 |
Process for preparing monomer complexes
Disclosed are processes for preparing monomer complexes that include contacting 2,3,5,6-tetraminopyridine free base in water with 2,5-dihydroxy terephthalic acid dipotassium salt to form an aqueous mixture, and adjusting the pH of the aqueous mixture to within the range of from about (3) to about (5) to precipitate the monomer complex. Processes of polymerizing the monomer complexes, polyareneazoles, filaments and yarns are also disclosed. |
| US07851582B2 |
S-(α, α′-disubstituted-α″-acetic acid)—substituted dithiocarbonate derivatives for controlled radical polymerizations, process and polymers made therefrom
Dithiocarbonate derivatives are disclosed, along with a process for preparing the same. The dithiocarbonate compounds can be utilized as initiators, chain transfer agents and/or terminators in controlled free radical polymerizations. The dithiocarbonates can be used to produce polymers having narrow molecular weight distribution. Advantageously, the compounds of the present invention can also introduce functional groups into the resulting polymers. The dithiocarbonate compounds have low odor and are substantially colorless. |
| US07851581B2 |
Film forming composition with spreading properties
A film forming composition with spreading properties derived from an aqueous emulsion comprising (I) colloidal silica core/silicone shell particles consisting of (a) 90 wt % to 10 wt % cores of colloidal silica and (b) 10 wt % to 90 wt % shells of polyorganosiloxane; (II) a polyalkyleneoxide modified trisiloxane; (III) an emulsifier package consisting of at least one anionic surfactant, and (IV) the salt of an acidic polymerization catalyst. The composition may include optional ingredients useful in Personal Care, Hair Care, Skin Care, Agricultural, and Home Care applications. |
| US07851579B2 |
Carbazolyl polymers for organic electronic devices
Compositions comprising at least one phosphorescent organometallic compound and a polymer comprising structural units of formula II are useful in organic light emitting devices wherein R1, R2, and R4 are independently at each occurrence a C1-C20 aliphatic radical, a C3-C20 aromatic radical, or a C3-C20 cycloaliphatic radical; wherein R3 and R5 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, triphenylsilyl, t-butyl, mesityl, diphenyl phosphine oxide, and diphenyl phosphine sulfide; and a, b and d are independently 0 or an integer ranging from 1 to 3. |
| US07851576B2 |
Polymer and cement admixture using the same
The present invention provides a novel polymer, and a mixture and a cement admixture thereof. The cement admixture has higher dispersibility compared to the previous ones. The novel polymer of the present invention has a different structure from the conventional copolymers used for cement admixtures, using an unsaturated carboxylic acid monomer and an unsaturated polyalkylene glycol monomer as the monomer components.The novel polymer of the present invention basically contains a polyalkylene glycol chain and a polymer segment bonded to the chain. Another type of the novel polymer of the present invention contains two polyalkylene glycol chains and a polymer segment connecting the chains. In these polymers, at least one of unsaturated monomers constituting the polymer segment is an unsaturated carboxylic acid monomer or an unsaturated polyalkylene glycol monomer. The cement admixture of the present invention comprises a polymer, made from these monomers, or a mixture thereof. |
| US07851573B2 |
Aqueous polytetrafluoroethylene emulsion, polytetrafluoroethylene fine powder and porous material obtained therefrom
To provide an aqueous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) emulsion which does not substantially contain ammonium perfluorooctanoate, and which is obtained by emulsion polymerization. Further, to provide a PTFE fine powder which is obtained from the aqueous PTFE emulsion and is excellent in a paste extrusion processability, and a porous material. An aqueous polytetrafluoroethylene emulsion obtained by carrying out emulsion polymerization of tetrafluoroethylene alone or together with another copolymerizable monomer in an aqueous medium, wherein a fluorinated emulsifier of the formula (1): CF2CF2(O)mCF2CF2OCF2COOA wherein X is a hydrogen atom or a fluorine atom, A is a hydrogen atom, an alkali metal or NH4, and m is an integer of 0 or i, is used in an amount of from 1,500 to 20,000 ppm, based on the final yield of polytetrafluoroethylene. |
| US07851571B2 |
Hybrid copolymers
Hybrid copolymers for use as anti-sealant and dispersant. The polymers are useful in compositions used in aqueous systems. The polymers include at least one synthetic monomeric constituent that is chain terminated by a naturally occurring hydroxyl containing moiety. A process for preparing these hybrid copolymers is also provided. |
| US07851566B2 |
Interconnected loop reactors
The present invention describes a reactor comprising two interconnected loops wherein the growing polymer flows continuously in circuit from the first loop to the second loop through a First pipe and back to the first loop through a second pipe. It also discloses process for polymerising olefins in two interconnected loop reactors. |
| US07851565B2 |
Stabilized polymeric thiol reagents
Disclosed are water soluble polymeric reagents comprising the structure POLY-[Y—S—W]x, where POLY is a water soluble polymer; Y is a hydrocarbon-based spacer group, x is 1 to 25, and S—W is a thiol, protected thiol, or thiol-reactive derivative. Preferably, the water soluble polymer is a PEG polymer. Also disclosed are conjugates of such polymeric reagents with pharmaceutically relevant molecules, and methods of their formation and use. |
| US07851564B2 |
Silicone resin composition
A silicone resin composition is provided, which includes an alkenyl group-containing polysiloxane represented by the following average composition formula (PSA(1)), a hydro group-containing polysiloxane represented by the following average composition formula (PSA(2)), two kinds of polysiloxane, both having opposite ends sealed with a vinyl group, which are represented by the following formulas (PSC(1) and PSC(4)), and a hydrosilylating catalyst: |
| US07851562B2 |
Water-soluble silicon-containing polymer, making method, coating composition, and coated article
A water-soluble silicon-containing polymer is provided comprising recurring units having formula (1) wherein 10≦m≦260, 1≦n≦100, X is an alkylene chain which may have an alkyl substituent, R is H, alkyl or acetyl, and “a”=1, 2 or 3. The polymer has more than one primary amino group per hydrolyzable silyl group, affording an increased number of reaction sites with organic resins and forming a firm bond therewith. |
| US07851552B2 |
Polymer composition with elastomeric properties at wide temperature ranges and process for the preparation thereof
The invention relates to a polymeric composition having elastomeric properties over wide temperature ranges, of the type that comprises polymers and/of copolymers which are derived from substituted or non-substituted vinylaromatic monomers and compatible, homogeneous diene monomers. The inventive composition is based on stereoregular polymers and does not require the use of compatibilizer agents. The invention further relates to the method of obtaining said compositions and of hydrogenating same without the need for additional catalysts or methods. |
| US07851549B2 |
Curable polyester latex made by phase inversion emulsification
A process for preparing a curable polyester based emulsion is provided in embodiments, containing one or more unsaturated polyesters and one or more photoinitiators obtained by a phase inversion process, in which the particle size and particle size distribution is controlled by process parameters, such as solvent, solvent ratio, neutralization ratio of the resin and temperature. |
| US07851546B2 |
Liquid plasticizing resin and use of such a resin
One subject of the invention is a liquid plasticizing resin intended to be coated. The liquid plasticizing resin is a methyl methacrylate/butyl methacrylate copolymer diluted in a suitable solvent. The solvent includes xylene; 2-methoxy-1-methylethyl acetate; ethylbenzene; 4-methyl-2-pentanone; n-butyl acetate; and alkylbenzyl ester. Another subject of the invention is the use of such a resin for protecting surfaces exposed to adverse weather conditions, light or chemical agents. |
| US07851544B2 |
Copolymers comprising three segments of different ion density, processes for preparing them and use thereof
The invention relates to copolymers comprising three segments of different ion density, the fraction of the ionic monomers in each segment being from 1 to 100 mol %, the second and third segment containing ethylenically unsaturated monomers of the respectively preceding segment, and the copolymers being preparable by means of a monofunctional initiator by way of NMP or RAFT. The invention further relates to a process for preparing copolymers and to their use as dispersants. |
| US07851543B2 |
Amphiphilic polymer capsules and related methods of interfacial assembly
Polymer capsules from amphiphilic graft copolymers comprising reactive, hydrophobic polyolefin backbones, and hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) grafts are produced by self-assembly of the polymers at the oil-water interface, and crosslinking the assembly with bis-cyclooctene PEG derivatives in conjunction with ring-open metathesis polymerization catalysts. The use of the graft copolymer architecture in capsule synthesis provides significant opportunities to tune both the surface properties, in terms of recognition, and the membrane properties, in terms of mechanical strength, encapsulation, and release. |
| US07851541B2 |
Composition and use
A composition containing an anti-microbial agent that comprises a polymeric biguanide, either alone or in combination with at least one other microbiologically active component. The composition also includes an amphoteric co-polymer of the Formula (1): (i) group consisting of quaternary ammonium compounds, [A]m-[B]n-[C]v-[D]yq. Formula (1) |
| US07851537B2 |
Rubber composition for tire and tire
The invention has an object to provide a rubber composition for tire with improved processability and abrasion resistance. The invention relates to a rubber composition for tire, comprising: (a) 5-90 weight parts of a high cis polybutadiene having a cis structure in a proportion of 95 wt % or higher in a microstructure analysis; (b) 90-5 weight parts of a diene-based rubber other than (a); and (c) 1-100 weight parts of a reinforcing agent blended in 100 weight parts of a rubber component including (a)+(b). The high cis polybutadiene is synthesized using a cobalt-based catalyst and satisfies the requirements of: (i) a Mooney viscosity (ML) of 40-49; (ii) a molecular weight distribution [Weight average molecular weight (Mw)/Number average molecular weight (Mn)] of 3.0-3.9; and (iii) a velocity dependence index (n-value) of the Mooney viscosity of 2.3-3.0. |
| US07851536B2 |
Flame-retardant coating
A flame-retardant coating composition, which includes a cross-linked thermosetting polymer and a metal hydroxide. A precursor composition for use in preparing the flame retardant-coating is also presented, wherein the precursor composition includes a cross-linked thermosetting polymer varnish, a metal hydroxide, an alcohol, and water. A method for coating an article with a flame-retardant coating layer and articles incorporating the flame-retardant coating are also presented. |
| US07851532B2 |
Flame retardant thermoplastic polyester resin composition
Disclosed herein is a flame retardant thermoplastic polyester resin composition comprising: (A) about 100 parts by weight of a polyester resin; (B) about 1 to about 60 parts by weight of a cyclic oligomeric phosphazene compound; (C) about 1 to about 50 parts by weight of a melamine compound; (D) about 1 to about 20 parts by weight of a inorganic metal compound; and (E) about 0.1 to about 5 parts by weight of a fluorinated polyolefin resin. The thermoplastic polyester resin composition may further contain a filler (F). |
| US07851529B2 |
Polycarbonate resin composition and molded article
Provided are a polycarbonate resin composition which does not contain halogen and phosphorus as a flame retardant component and which is excellent in a fluidity while maintaining a flame resistance, a heat resistance and an impact resistance and a molded article thereof. |
| US07851528B2 |
Flame-retardant resin processed article
A flame retardant resin treated article that excels in flame retardancy and is free from bleedout. A resin composition comprising a flame retarder of metal phosphinate represented by the general formula: (I) (in the formula, each of R1 and R2 is a C1-C6 alkyl or an aryl group having 12 or less carbon atoms; M is calcium, aluminum or zinc; and when M=aluminum, m=3, and otherwise m=2), a reactive organophosphorus flame retarder having an unsaturated group at its terminal and a resin wherein the total content of metal phosphinate and reactive organophosphorus flame retarder is in the range of 5 to 30 mass % is provided in molded form or coating form. |
| US07851527B2 |
Golf ball material, golf ball, and method for preparing golf ball material
The present invention provides a golf ball material made of an ionomer blend composition of (a) at least one E/X copolymer and/or E/X/Y terpolymer and (b) at least one polyfunctional higher aliphatic acid with two or more functionalities that has a molecular weight of at least about 200 but less than about 1,500, in which components (a) and (b) are neutralized with (c) an oxygen-containing inorganic metal compound. The copolymer and terpolymer of component (a) is one or a mixture of two or more selected from the group consisting of copolymers and terpolymers which is partially neutralized with metal ions, copolymers and terpolymers which are completely neutralized with metal ions, and unneutralized copolymers and terpolymers. The golf ball material has a good thermal stability, flow properties and moldability, making it suitable for injection molding. The material is ideal for forming high-performance golf balls of excellent durability, scuff resistance and optimal hardness, without any loss in the rebound resilience of moldings obtained therefrom. |
| US07851523B2 |
Asphalt waterproof composition containing waste tire chips and bentonite and process for its manufacture
An asphalt waterproof composition containing waste tire chips and bentonite which includes about 10-15 of asphalt, about 20-50 of oil, about 8-12 of filler, about 1-3.5 of elasticity increasing agent, about 25-40 of waste tire chips melting solution, about 0.5-1 of sulfur, about 0.05-1 of sulfur vulcanizing agent, about 0.1-0.4 of antiaging agent, about 10-20 of bentonite, about 1-5 of water soluble high polymer resin by weight, respectively, and the process for the preparation of its manufacture. |
| US07851520B2 |
Thermosetting epoxy resin composition
The thermosetting epoxy resin composition of the present invention includes an aluminum chelate/silanol curing catalyst system, an epoxy resin, and an anion-trapping agent. The anion-trapping agent is preferably an aromatic phenol derivative or an acid anhydride. Examples include bisphenol S, bisphenol A, bisphenol F, and 4,4′-dihydroxyphenol ether, and acetic anhydride, propionic anhydride, maleic anhydride and phthalic anhydride. The aluminum chelate/silanol curing catalyst system is composed of an aluminum chelator and a silane-coupling agent. The aluminum chelator is preferably a latent aluminum chelate curing agent carried by a porous resin obtained through interfacial polymerization of a polyfunctional isocyanate compound. Even when a terminal epoxy resin is contained as the epoxy component of a thermosetting epoxy resin composition containing an aluminum chelate/silanol curing catalyst system, the epoxy resin composition can be configured to cure rapidly at low temperatures without termination of polymerization. |
| US07851518B2 |
Ink receptive particles, material for recording, recording apparatus and ink receptive particle storage cartridge
Ink receptive particles for receiving ink, including: particles P including hydrophilic polymer particles having a ratio of hydrophilic monomer(s) to the total monomer components thereof of from about 10 mol % to about 90 mol %; and hydrophobic polymer particles, attached to at least a part of a surface of the particles P and having a ratio of hydrophilic monomer(s) to the total monomer components thereof of from about 0 mol % to about 10 mol %. |
| US07851513B2 |
Silica-based sols and their production and use
A process for producing aqueous silica-based sols, having an S value from 15 to 25%, mole ratio Si:Al from 20:1 to 50:1, mole ratio Si:X, where X=alkali metal, from 5:1 to 17:1, SiO2 content of at least 5% by weight and containing silica-based particles having a specific surface area of at least 300 m2/g, are disclosed wherein a cationic ion exchange resin having part of its ion exchange capacity in hydrogen form is contacted with an aqueous alkali metal silicate to form a slurry having a pH from 5.0 to 11.5 and/or having particle aggregation or microgel formation corresponding to a S value up to 45%; adjusting the pH using a material comprising an aluminium compound; and separating the resin from the slurry. Further, the use of such silica-based sols in producing paper is disclosed. |
| US07851512B2 |
Composition containing artemisinin for treatment of malaria
The present invention provides a novel combination comprising artemisinin in the form of tablets and related dosage forms for pediatric use, such as granules, suppository, suspension syrup and dry powder, for the treatment of human malarias including multiple-resistant subtertian malaria, tertian malaria and quartan malaria. The combination is comprised of artemisinin, piperaquine and primaquine. Clinical tests in Southeast Asia countries where malaria is epidemic demonstrate that, apart from having high and rapid therapeutic effect possessed by the most excellent domestic and foreign artemisinin-type anti-malarial drugs, the present combination is also featured with shorter course of treatment, less side effect, lower material cost, and more convenience for administration, and its ability of rapidly killing gametophyte and cutting off infection source thereby blocking spreading of malaria is a further improvement. |
| US07851511B2 |
Emulsifier for highly liquid W/O emulsion based on partly crosslinked polyglycerol esters of polyhydroxystearic acid
The present invention relates to polyglycerol partial esters of polyhydroxystearic acid and polyfunctional carboxylic acids which are obtainable by esterification of a polyglycerol mixture with polyhydroxystearic acid where N=1 to 10, preferably 2 to 8, in particular 3 to 5 units and dimer fatty acids which have been obtained by catalytic dimerization of unsaturated fatty acids having 12 to 22 C atoms and have an average functionality of 2 to 3, and/or with aliphatic, linear or branched dicarboxylic acids having a chain length of 2 to 16 C atoms and additionally saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched fatty acids having 6 to 22 C atoms, preferably 12 to 18 C atoms, the degree of esterification of the polyglycerol mixture being between 20 and 75%, preferably 40 to 70%. |
| US07851504B2 |
Enhanced bimatoprost ophthalmic solution
A composition comprising from 0.005% to 0.02% bimatoprost by weight and from 100 ppm to 250 ppm benzalkonium chloride, wherein said composition is an aqueous liquid which is formulated for ophthalmic administration is disclosed herein.A method which is useful in treating glaucoma or ocular hypertension related thereto is also disclosed herein. |
| US07851500B2 |
Aminopyrazole kinase inhibitors
The present invention provides compounds of formula (I) and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. The formula (I) compounds inhibit tyrosine kinase activity thereby making them useful as anticancer agents. |
| US07851498B2 |
Hexahydro-cyclooctyl pyrazole cannabinoid modulators
This invention is directed to a hexahydro-cyclooctyl pyrazole cannabinoid modulator compound of formula (I): and a method for use in treating, ameliorating or preventing a cannabinoid receptor mediated syndrome, disorder or disease. |
| US07851491B2 |
Modified bio-related substance, process for producing the same, and intermediate
A modified bio-related substance, wherein at least one poly(alkylene glycol)oxy group represented by the following formula (1) is combined in a molecule: wherein R is a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 24 carbon atoms, OA1 and OA2 are each an oxyalkylene group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, the groups represented by R are the same or different from each other in one molecule, and the groups represented by OA2 are the same or different from each other in one molecule, n and m are each average number of moles of the oxyalkylene group added, n represents 0 to 1000, and m represents 10 to 1000. |
| US07851489B2 |
Pyridinone compounds
The invention is directed to pyridinone compounds useful for modulating Met kinase, having the following structure: and is further directed to pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compound; and methods for treating proliferative diseases, such as cancer by the administration of this compound. |
| US07851480B2 |
Spiro 2,4-pyrimidinediamine compounds and their uses
The present invention provides methods of treating or preventing autoimmune diseases with spiro 2,4-pyrimidinediamine compounds, as well as methods of treating, preventing or ameliorating symptoms associated with such diseases. Specific examples of autoimmune diseases that can be treated or prevented with the compounds include rheumatoid arthritis and/or its associated symptoms, systemic lupus erythematosus and/or its associated symptoms and multiple sclerosis and/or its associated symptoms. |
| US07851479B2 |
Use of pyrimidinedione derivative for preventing or treating hepatitis C
A pyrimidinedione derivative of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof exhibits excellent inhibitory activity against hepatitis C virus. |
| US07851468B2 |
Substituted pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines
The present invention is related to chemical compositions, processes for the preparation thereof and uses of the composition. Particularly, the present invention relates to compositions that include substituted heterobicyclic pyrimidines of Formula (I): wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, X, W, and ring A are as defined herein; pharmaceutical compositions of substituted heterobicyclic pyrimidines of Formula (I); and their use in the treatment of chronic neurodegenerative diseases, neurotraumatic diseases, depression and/or diabetes. More particularly, the present invention relates to substituted pyrazolopyrimidines of Formula (I). |
| US07851467B2 |
Carbamate compounds as 5-HT4 receptor agonists
The invention provides novel benzoimidazolone-carboxamide-derived carbamate 5-HT4 receptor agonist compounds of formula (I): wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, a, and b are defined in the disclosure. The invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds, methods of using such compounds to treat diseases associated with 5-HT4 receptor activity, and processes and intermediates useful for preparing such compounds. |
| US07851465B2 |
Compositions and methods relating to novel compounds and targets thereof
The present invention relates to novel chemical compounds, methods for their discovery, and their therapeutic use. In particular, the present invention provides benzodiazepine compounds, and structurally and functionally related compounds, and methods of using such compounds as therapeutic agents to treat a number of conditions associated with the faulty regulation of the processes of programmed cell death, autoimmunity, inflammation, hyperproliferation, vascular abnormalities, and the like. |
| US07851464B2 |
Spirolactam aryl CGRP receptor antagonists
Compounds of formula I: (wherein variables A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, G1, G2, J and K are as described herein) which are antagonists of CGRP receptors and which are useful in the treatment or prevention of diseases in which the CGRP is involved, such as migraine. The invention is also directed to pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds and the use of these compounds and compositions in the prevention or treatment of such diseases in which CGRP is involved. |
| US07851461B2 |
Combination dosage of a cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitor, a vitamin D3 including analogues and metabolites thereof and/or calcium for prevention of epithelial cancer
The present invention relates to a method for prevention of epithelial cancer such as lung, bladder, prostate or gynaecological cancer or the initiation and/or progression of epithelial cancer such as lung, bladder, prostate or gynaecological cancer in a human comprising administering to the human of a combination dosage of a cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitor, a vitamin D3 including analogues and metabolites thereof and/or calcium. In a further aspect the invention relates to a method for reducing the effective dosage of ASA in a chemopreventive treatment of epithelial cancer in a human by co-administration with a non toxic dosage of a vitamin D3 including analogues and metabolites thereof and/or Ca in the form of a combination dosage. In another embodiment the invention relates to the use of a cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitor, a vitamin D3 including analogues and metabolites thereof and/or calcium for the preparation of a medicament for the prevention of epithelial cancer such as lung, bladder, prostate or gynaecological cancer or the initiation and/or progression of epithelial cancer such as lung, bladder, prostate or gynaecological cancer. |
| US07851458B2 |
Cartilage enhancing food supplements and methods of preparing the same
A food supplement, either in the form of a snack bar or a beverage, which contains one or more cartilage enhancing supplements is provided. The cartilage supplements include chondroitin, glucosamine, and hyaluronic acid. The food supplement may additionally be fortified with cetyl myristoleate. The beverage is a mixture of a juice drink base which may include a water-based fruit flavored juice prepared using a pasteurization process at a relatively high temperature and a cartilage supplement solution which includes a cartilage supplement prepared at a relatively low temperature. The beverage may be carbonated, non-carbonated or concentrated. The preferred cartilage supplement is glucosamine, preferably associated with a counter ion, more preferably as glucosamine HCl. The supplement also contains vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and calcium hydroxide powder. |
| US07851455B2 |
MN gene and protein
Identified herein is the location of the MN protein binding site, and MN proteins/polypeptides that compete for attachment to vertebrate cells with immobilized MN protein. Such MN proteins/polypeptides prevent cell-cell adhesion and the formation of intercellular contacts. The MN protein binding site is a therapeutic target that can be blocked by organic or inorganic molecules, preferably organic molecules, more preferably proteins/polypeptides that specifically bind to that site. Therapeutic methods for inhibiting the growth of preneoplastic/neoplastic vertebrate cells that abnormally express MN protein are disclosed. Vectors are provided that encode the variable domains of MN-specific antibodies and a flexible linker polypeptide separating those domains. Further vectors are disclosed that encode a cytotoxic protein/polypeptide operatively linked to the MN gene promoter or a MN gene promoter fragment comprising the HIF-1 consensus binding sequence, and which vectors preferably further encode a cytokine. The MN gene promoter is characterized, and the binding site for a repressor of MN transcription is disclosed. Further, the hypoxia inducibility of the MN gene and the uses of such inducibility are disclosed. |
| US07851454B2 |
Short immunomodulatory oligonucleotides
The invention relates to modulation of the immune system. More particularly, the invention relates to modulating the immune system through the use of oligonucleotide-derived compounds. The invention provides immunostimulatory agents that are less expensive to make than existing immunostimulatory oligonucleotides. The immunostimulatory agents according to the invention can, in preferred embodiments, cause immune stimulation across species lines. |
| US07851453B2 |
Modulation of immunostimulatory properties of oligonucleotide-based compounds by utilizing modified immunostimulatory dinucleotides
The invention relates to the therapeutic use of oligonucleotides as immunostimulatory agents in immunotherapy applications. More particularly, the invention provides immunomers and an immunostimulatory oligonucleotides for use in methods for generating an immune response or for treating a patient in need of immunostimulation. The immunomers and an immunostimulatory oligonucleotides of the invention preferably comprise novel purines. The immunomers according to the invention further comprise at least two oligonucleotides linked at their 3′ ends, internucleoside linkages or functionalized nucleobase or sugar to a non-nucleotidic linker, at least one of the oligonucleotides being an immunomodulatory oligonucleotide and having an accessible 5′ end. |
| US07851451B2 |
Formulations for mediating inflammatory bowel disorders
The invention provides formulations and methods for mediating inflammation, in particular an inflammatory bowel disorder such as necrotizing enterocolitis, and for. Further, the formulations are effective in lowering blood cholesterol and decreasing blood cholesterol absorption. The formulations comprise at least one ganglioside, which may be selected from the group consisting of: GD3, GM1, GM2, GM3, and GD1b. The invention provides a method of treating or preventing inflammatory diseases, such as necrotizing enterocolitis by delivery of at least one ganglioside to a subject in need thereof. Supplementation of foods or liquids with gangliosides, fore example infant formula or infant foods, can be employed according to the invention. |
| US07851445B2 |
Angiogenic heparin-binding epitopes, peptide amphiphiles, self-assembled compositions and related methods of use
Peptide amphiphiles and related compositions comprising sulfated polysaccharides, such as but not limited to sulfated glycosaminoglycans, and methods of use relating to the encapsulation and/or controlled release of angiogenic growth factor(s). |
| US07851443B2 |
Combination comprising combretastatin and anticancer agents
This invention relates to therapeutic combinations comprising VEGF Trap and a stilbene derivative, and to methods for treatment of cancer comprising administration of such combinations. |
| US07851442B2 |
Prevention and reduction of blood loss
Kits containing a dry lyophilized kallikrein inhibitor are described. |
| US07851441B2 |
Water-soluble elastin, process for producing same, and food and medicine containing same
A low-molecular-weight water-soluble elastin having a molecular weight of about 10,000 to 30,000 and a high-molecular-weight water-soluble elastin having a molecular weight of about 30,000 to 300,000 are provided, 79% to 84% of the constituent amino acids of the elastin comprising proline, glycine, alanine, and valine, 2% to 3% comprising aspartic acid and glutamic acid, 0.7% to 1.3% comprising lysine, histidine, and arginine, and 0.2% to 0.4% comprising desmosine and isodesmosine. The low-molecular-weight water-soluble elastin that is obtained may be used in a functional food or a medicine. Such a high-purity water-soluble elastin may be produced by obtaining pure insoluble elastin by subjecting animal body tissue to a collagen removal treatment and then fragmenting the insoluble elastin by means of a solubilizing liquid. It may be produced simply, merely by adjusting the concentration of an alkaline solution and the reaction time without recovering insoluble elastin from the animal body tissue. |
| US07851439B2 |
EFTU inhibitors or aminothiazoles and their uses
Organic compounds that are useful for the treatment, prevention and/or amelioration of diseases are described. |
| US07851438B2 |
Erythropoietin compositions
Methods and materials are provided for the production of compositions of erythropoietin protein, wherein said compositions comprise a pre-selected N-linked glycosylation pattern as the predominant N-glycoform. |
| US07851437B2 |
Drug conjugates and their use for treating cancer, an autoimmune disease or an infectious disease
Drug-Linker-Ligand Conjugates are disclosed in which a Drug is linked to a Ligand via a peptide-based Linker unit. In one embodiment, the Ligand is an Antibody. Drug-Linker compounds and Drug compounds are also disclosed. Methods for treating cancer, an autoimmune disease or an infectious disease using the compounds and compositions of the invention are also disclosed. |
| US07851428B2 |
Normal propyl bromide composition
To stabilize normal propyl bromide by using a novel stabilizer which is friendly to the environment.A composition includes, relative to 100 parts by weight of normal propyl bromide, 0.1 parts by weight to 10 parts by weight of at least one stabilizer selected from the following (A) to (D): (A) 3,4-epoxycyclohexenylmethyl 3′,4′-epoxycyclohexene carboxylate; (B) ε-caprolactone modified 3,4-epoxycyclohexylmethyl 3′,4′-epoxycyclohexane carboxylate; (C) vinylcyclohexene monoxide; and (D) 1,2:8,9-diepoxylimonene. |
| US07851421B2 |
Detergent additives for lubricating oil compositions
An oil-soluble hydrocarbyl phenol aldehyde condensate having the following structure: wherein n is 0 to 10, preferably 1 to 8, more preferably 2 to 6, and most preferably 3 to 5; Y is a divalent bridging group, and is preferably a hydrocarbyl group, preferably having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms; and R is a hydrocarbyl group having from 4 to 30, preferably 8 to 18, and most preferably 9 to 15 carbon atoms. The oil-soluble hydrocarbyl phenol aldehyde condensate has a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of 1250 to 1680, as measured by MALDI-TOF (Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time of Flight) mass spectrometry. |
| US07851420B2 |
Corrosion protection agent for functional fluids water-miscible concentrate and use thereof
A corrosion protection agent for functional fluids is disclosed, comprising 5 to 80 wt. % of at least one fatty acid alkanolamide, based on saturated or unsaturated fatty acids with 10 to 20 carbon atoms, 5 to 80 wt. % of at least one alcohol with 2 to 14 carbon atoms and 5 to 80 wt. % of at least one aromatic moncarboxylic acid or an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid with 10 to 12 carbon atoms, whereby the sum of said components amounts to 100 wt. % and the wt. % is based on the weight of the corrosion protection agent, a water-miscible concentrate, containing said corrosion protection agent, for functional fluids based on water and use thereof for the production of lubricants, abrasive agents, hydraulic fluids and cooling lubricants for metal working and metal cutting. |
| US07851419B2 |
Substantially anhydrous sprayable personal lubricant
This invention relates to personal lubricant compositions that are capable of being sprayed to a targeted area while maintaining lubricity. |
| US07851417B2 |
Process to prepare borozirconate solution and use as cross-linker in hydraulic fracturing fluids
A process to prepare a stable solution of a borozirconate complex is disclosed and use of the solution in oil field applications such as hydraulic fracturing and plugging of permeable zones. The process comprises contacting zirconium complex with alkanolamine, then glycerol and water, then with a boron compound. The solution is particularly suitable for use in a cross-linking composition in hydraulic fracturing and plugging of permeable zones of subterranean formations at temperatures of 275° F. (135° C.) and higher in the formation. |
| US07851411B2 |
α-Cyanoacrylates
α-Cyanoacrylates of the formula I, where: R1 is ORa wherein Ra is hydrogen, substituted alkyl, branched alkyl, branched alkenyl, cycloloalkyl, heterocyclyl, aryl, phenylalkyl or alkylimino; is NRbRc wherein Rb is hydrogen, alkyl which may be substituted, alkenyl, alkynyl; Rc is hydrogen, alkyl which may be substituted alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl, aryl, phenylalkyl or alkylimino; or Rb and Rc form an alkandiyl-chain which may be substituted; or is SRd wherein Rd is hydrogen, alkyl which may be substituted, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl, aryl, phenylalkyl or alkylimino; R2 is alkyl which may be substituted; is alkenyl or alkynyl; R3 is alkyl may be substituted; is alkenyl or alkynyl; R4 is hydrogen, halogen, cyano or alkyl; and their agriculturally useful salts, processes and intermediates for their preparation; and the use of these compounds or of compositions comprising these compounds for controlling undesirable plants are described. |
| US07851410B2 |
Herbicidal composition
The present invention provides an herbicidal composition comprising a first herbicide and a second herbicide in which the first herbicide is 2,4-dinitro-N3,N3-dipropyl-6-(trifluoromethyl)-1,3-benzenediamine and N-[2,4-dichloro-5-[4-(difluoromethyl)-4,5-dihydro-3-methyl-5-oxo-1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl]phenyl]methanesulfonamide and a method of use. |
| US07851409B1 |
Time limited printing method and device
A method of printing a time limited document is disclosed. The method includes the steps of selecting an ink having a fading time, and printing the time limited document using the selected ink. A printer and associated cartridge are also disclosed. |
| US07851408B2 |
Ink absorbing particle, material set for recording and recording apparatus
Ink absorbing particle to absorb an ink includes a polymer. The ink absorbing particles in a TMA needle penetration have a minimum temperature Ts10b of from about 80° C. to about 150° C. at which a needle enters to a depth of 10 μm, a minimum temperature Ts100w of about 40° C. or lower at which a needle enters to a depth of 100 μm when an equivalent amount of water is absorbed, and a minimum temperature Ts400w of about 50° C. or higher at which a needle enters to a depth of 400 μm when an equivalent amount of water is absorbed. |
| US07851406B2 |
Nano-sized palladium-doped cation exchange resin catalyst, preparation method thereof and method of removing dissolved oxygen in water using the same
Disclosed are a nano-sized palladium-doped anion exchange resin catalyst or palladium-doped cation exchange resin catalyst, a preparation method thereof and a method of removing dissolved oxygen in water using the same. The palladium-doped anion exchange resin catalyst exhibits high dissolved oxygen removal efficiency of 99˜99.99%, and the palladium-doped cation exchange resin catalyst exhibits high dissolved oxygen removal efficiency of at least 97%, and further, dissolved oxygen in water can be removed through a catalytic reaction without the use of additional chemicals, thereby discharging no secondary pollutants. This catalyst is environmentally friendly, can be continuously developed, and can prevent the loss of the palladium catalyst, which is expensive, and thus can be efficiently applied to various fields, including semiconductors, power plants, microbial culture, food and pharmaceutical production, and the fermentation industry. |
| US07851405B2 |
Exhaust gas purifying catalyst and manufacturing method thereof
An exhaust gas purifying catalyst that includes noble metal particles, first compounds which support the noble metal particles and suppress movement of the noble metal particles, and second compounds which encapsulate the noble metal particles and the first compounds. The second compounds suppress the movement of the noble metal particles and suppress coagulation of the first compounds following mutual contact of the first compounds. |
| US07851396B2 |
Porous sintered body, method of manufacturing porous sintered body, and method of manufacturing exhaust gas purifying apparatus
A method of manufacturing a porous sintered body includes mixing first silicon carbide particles, second silicon carbide particles, and a pore forming material having an average particle diameter Y μm to obtain a molding material. The first silicon carbide particles have an average particle diameter X μm larger than an average particle diameter of the second silicon carbide particles. Relationships 15≦X, 0.5·X≦Z≦0.9·X, and 0.8·Z≦Y≦1.8·Z are satisfied, wherein Z μm is an average pore diameter of the porous sintered body no less than 10 μm and no greater than 20 μm. The molding material is molded into a molded body. The molded body is degreased to eliminate the pore forming material from the molded body. |
| US07851393B2 |
Glass composition for low temperature sintering, glass frit, dielectric composition and multilayer ceramic capacitor using the same
The invention relates to a glass composition and a glass frit adequate for low temperature sintering agent at 1,100° C. or less, and a dielectric composition and a multilayer ceramic capacitor using the same. The glass composition comprises aLi2O-bK2O-cCaO-dBaO-eB2O3-fSiO2, in which a, b, c, d, e and f satisfy following relationships: a+b+c+d+e+f=100, 2≦a≦10, 2≦b≦10, 0≦c≦25, 0≦d≦25, 5≦e≦20, and 50≦f≦80. |
| US07851392B2 |
Lightweight nonwoven fire retardant barrier
A non-woven flame retardant barrier can be prepared from low denier, charring fibers and substantially free of polymers made from halogenated monomers. The charring fibers can be modified viscose fibers, for example Visil®. The blend of low denier fibers can be, for example, a blend of 1.5 denier fibers and 3.0 denier fibers. |
| US07851391B2 |
Multicomponent fibers comprising starch and polymers
The present invention is directed to multicomponent fibers. The fibers may be in a side-by-side, sheath-core, segmented pie, islands-in-the-sea configuration, or any combination of configurations. Each component of the fiber will comprise destructurized starch and/or a thermoplastic polymer. The present invention is also directed to nonwoven webs and disposable articles comprising the multicomponent fibers. The nonwoven webs may also contain other synthetic or natural fibers blended with the multicomponent fibers of the present invention. |
| US07851383B2 |
Method and system for forming a controllable gate oxide
Method and system for forming gate structure with controllable oxide. The method includes a step for providing a semiconductor substrate and defining a source region and a drain region within the semiconductor substrate. Furthermore, the method includes a step for defining a gate region positioned between the source region and the drain region. Moreover, the method provides a step for forming a first layer overlaying the gate region. The first layer includes silicon nitride and/or silicon oxynitride material. Also, the method includes a step for forming a second layer by subjecting the semiconductor substrate to at least oxygen at a predetermined temperature range for a period of time. The second layer has a thickness less than 20 Angstroms. |
| US07851380B2 |
Process for atomic layer deposition
The present invention relates to a process of making thin film electronic components and devices, such as thin film transistors, environmental barrier layers, capacitors, insulators and bus lines, where most or all of the layers are made by an atmospheric atomic layer deposition process. |
| US07851376B2 |
Compressive nitride film and method of manufacturing thereof
Embodiments of the invention provide a method of forming a compressive stress nitride film overlying a plurality of p-type field effect transistor gate structures produced on a substrate through a high-density plasma deposition process. Embodiments include generating an environment filled with high-density plasma using source gases of at least silane, argon and nitrogen; biasing the substrate to a high frequency power of varying density, in a range between 0.8 W/cm2 and 5.0 W/cm2; and depositing the high-density plasma to the plurality of gate structures to form the compressive stress nitride film. |
| US07851372B2 |
Composition for removing an insulation material, method of removing an insulation layer and method of recycling a substrate using the same
In one aspect, a composition is provided which is capable of removing an insulation material which includes at least one of a low-k material and a passivation material. The composition of this aspect includes about 5 to about 40 percent by weight of a fluorine compound, about 0.01 to about 20 percent by weight of a first oxidizing agent, about 10 to about 50 percent by weight of a second oxidizing agent, and a remaining water. |
| US07851371B2 |
Method for manufacturing semiconductor device
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device of the present invention includes: forming a first film, a second film and a third film in sequence on a silicon substrate; patterning a resist film formed on the third film by conducting an exposure and developing process for the resist film employing an exposure mask including a phase shifter; selectively dry-etching the third film through a mask of the resist film employing the second film as an etch stop to process the third film into a first pattern; further dry-etching the third film employing the second film as an etch stop to partially remove the third film, thereby processing the third film into a second pattern; patterning the second film employing the third film having the second pattern as a mask; and patterning the first film employing the patterned second film as a mask. |
| US07851369B2 |
Hardmask trim method
A method for forming features in a polysilicon layer is provided. A hardmask layer is formed over the polysilicon layer. A photoresist mask is formed over the hardmask layer. The hardmask layer is etched through the photoresist mask to form a patterned hardmask. The patterned hardmask is trimmed by providing a non-carbon containing trim gas comprising oxygen and a fluorine containing compound, forming a plasma from the trim gas, and trimming the hardmask. Features are etched into the polysilicon layer through the hardmask. |
| US07851367B2 |
Method for plasma processing a substrate
A substrate plasma processing apparatus includes a chamber of which an interior is evacuated under a predetermined vacuum condition; an RF electrode which is disposed in the chamber and configured so as to hold a substrate to be processed on a main surface thereof; an opposing electrode which is disposed opposite to the RF electrode in the chamber; an RF voltage applying device for applying an RF voltage with a predetermined frequency to the RF electrode; and a pulsed voltage applying device for applying a pulsed voltage to the RF electrode so as to be superimposed with the RF voltage. |
| US07851366B2 |
Forming a sacrificial layer in order to realise a suspended element
The invention relates to a method of realization of a sacrificial layer, including the steps of: lithography of a resin deposited on a substrate in order to supply a lithographed resist pattern on a substrate zone, the zone having a given size and a given form, the pattern occupying a given volume, annealed according to a thermal cycle of the lithographed resist pattern, the method being characterised in that it includes, according to the resin, the determination of the size and of the form of said zone of the substrate, and the determination of the volume of the resin deposited on said zone so that the thermal cycle annealing supplies a profile chosen from among the following profiles: a planarising domed profile and a “double air gap” profile. |
| US07851361B2 |
Laser ablation to selectively thin wafers/die to lower device RDSON
A laser ablated wafer for a semiconductor device, such as a MOSFET or other power device, and a method of producing such a wafer to achieve a lower electrical resistance are provided. The method includes forming first holes, slots or trenches on a first surface of the wafer and focusing a laser beam to form second trenches on a bottom surface of the wafer, and filling the trenches, for example using aluminum or other metallic filling, to provide conductive electrodes or conductive surfaces for the semiconductor device. In such a wafer each trench on the second surface may be deeper, for example more than one hundred microns deep and tens of microns wide. |
| US07851350B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of forming contact plug of semiconductor device
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method of forming a contact plug of a semiconductor device. According to the method, a first dielectric layer is formed on a semiconductor substrate in which junction regions are formed. A hard mask is formed on the first dielectric layer. The hard mask and the first dielectric layer corresponding to the junction regions are etched to form trenches. Spacers are formed on sidewalls of the trenches. Contact holes are formed in the first dielectric layer using an etch process employing the spacers and the hard mask so that the junction regions are exposed. The contact holes are gap filled with a conductive material, thus forming contact plugs. Accordingly, bit lines can be easily formed on the contact plugs formed at narrow spaces with a high density. |
| US07851349B2 |
Method for producing a connection electrode for two semiconductor zones arranged one above another
A method for producing a connection electrode for a first semiconductor zone and a second semiconductor zone includes producing a trench extending through the first semiconductor zone right into the second semiconductor zone in such a way that the first semiconductor zone is uncovered at sidewalls of the trench and the second semiconductor zone is uncovered at least at a bottom of the trench. The method also includes applying a protective layer to a first one of the first and second semiconductor zones in the trench, and producing a first connection zone in the second of the two semiconductor zones, which is not covered by the protective layer. The method further includes depositing an electrode layer at least onto the sidewalls and the bottom of the trench for the purpose of producing the connection electrode. |
| US07851348B2 |
Routingless chip architecture
A method of creating a unified chip involves performing front-end processing on a first wafer, the front end processing creating multiple devices on the wafer, performing back-end processing on a second wafer, the back end processing creating layers of interconnected metal traces arranged to interconnect at least some of the multiple devices to each other, and bonding the first wafer to the second wafer such that the multiple devices on the first wafer are interconnected to each other by the metal traces of the second wafer. |
| US07851347B2 |
Wire bonding method and semiconductor device
Wire bonding method for reducing height of a wire loop in a semiconductor device, including a first bonding step of bonding an initial ball formed at a tip end of a wire onto a first bonding point using a capillary, thereby forming a pressure-bonded ball; a wire pushing step of pushing the wire obliquely downward toward the second bonding point at a plurality of positions by repeating a sequential movement for a plurality of times, the sequential movement including moving of the capillary substantially vertically upward and then obliquely downward toward the second bonding point by a distance shorter than a rising distance that the capillary has moved upward; and a second bonding step of moving the capillary upward and then toward the second bonding point, and bonding the wire onto the second bonding point by pressure-bonding. |
| US07851346B2 |
Bonding metallurgy for three-dimensional interconnect
A method provides a first substrate with a conductive pad and disposes layers of Cu, TaN, and AlCu, respectively, forming a conductive stack on the conductive pad. The AlCu layer of the first substrate is bonded to a through substrate via (TSV) structure of a second substrate, wherein a conductive path is formed from the conductive pad of the first substrate to the TSV structure of the second substrate. |
| US07851345B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of forming oxide layer on signal traces for electrical isolation in fine pitch bonding
A semiconductor device has a semiconductor die with a solder bump formed on its surface. A contact pad is formed on a substrate. A signal trace is formed on the substrate. The pitch between the contact pad and signal trace is less than 150 micrometers. An electroless surface treatment is formed over the contact pad. The electroless surface treatment can include tin, ENIG, or OSP. A film layer is formed over the contact pad with an opening over the signal trace. An oxide layer is formed over the signal trace. The film layer and surface treatment prevent formation of the oxide layer over the contact pad. The film layer is removed. The solder bump is reflowed to metallurgically and electrically bond to the contact pad. In the event that the solder bump physically contacts the oxide layer, the oxide layer maintains electrical isolation between the solder bump and signal trace. |
| US07851344B2 |
Method of producing a substrate having areas of different hydrophilicity and/or oleophilicity on the same surface
The present invention relates to flexible substrates having on their surface a wetting contrast. The wetting contrast comprises adjacent areas of different hydrophilicity and/or oleophilicity. The present invention further relates to methods of production of such substrates and to methods of producing microelectronic components wherein electronically functional material is deposited onto said substrates.According to a first aspect of the present invention, a method of producing a flexible substrate having a wetting contrast is provided. The method includes the step of forming a first area comprising an inorganic material on a flexible substrate precursor to form a substrate wherein the inorganic material is at least partially exposed at the substrate surface and the first area constitutes a pattern on the precursor surface. |
| US07851343B2 |
Methods of forming ohmic layers through ablation capping layers
A method of forming an ohmic layer for a semiconductor device includes forming a metal layer on a Silicon Carbide (SiC) layer and forming an ablation capping layer on the metal layer. Laser light is impinged through the ablation capping layer to form a metal-SiC material. |
| US07851342B2 |
In-situ formation of conductive filling material in through-silicon via
The formation of electronic assemblies including a die having through vias is described. In one embodiment, a method includes providing Si die including a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, and forming a via extending through the Si die from the first surface to the second surface. The via is formed to have a larger width at the first surface than at the second surface, the larger width at the first surface being no less than 100 microns. The method also includes placing a plurality of particles in the via, wherein at least some of the particles comprise a polymer and at least some of the particles comprise a metal. The method also includes heating the die and the particles in the via to cross-link at least part of the polymer in the via, and cooling the die to solidify the polymer and form a electrically conductive composite including the cross-linked polymer and the metal in the via. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US07851339B2 |
Method of repairing deep subsurface defects in a silicon substrate that includes diffusing negatively charged ions into the substrate from a sacrificial oxide layer
Performance of field effect transistors and other channel dependent devices formed on a monocrystalline substrate is improved by carrying out a high temperature anneal in a nitrogen releasing atmosphere while the substrate is coated by a sacrificial oxide coating containing easily diffusible atoms that can form negatively charged ions and can diffuse deep into the substrate. In one embodiment, the easily diffusible atoms comprise at least 5% by atomic concentration of chlorine atoms in the sacrificial oxide coating and the nitrogen releasing atmosphere includes NO. The high temperature anneal is carried out for less than 10 hours at a temperature less than 1100° C. |
| US07851337B2 |
Method for producing semiconductor substrate
There is provided a method for suppressing the occurrence of defects such as voids or blisters even in the laminated wafer having no oxide film wherein hydrogen ions are implanted into a wafer for active layer having no oxide film on its surface to form a hydrogen ion implanted layer, and ions other than hydrogen are implanted up to a position that a depth from the surface side the hydrogen ion implantation is shallower than the hydrogen ion implanted layer, and the wafer for active layer is laminated onto a wafer for support substrate, and then the wafer for active layer is exfoliated at the hydrogen ion implanted layer. |
| US07851335B2 |
Adhesive composition, adhesive sheet and production method of semiconductor device
The object of the present invention is to provide an adhesive composition that enables to produce conforming products with a high manufacturing yield and without breaking or chipping of the chips in the picking-up step and that enables to stably connect a wire without contaminating a wire pad part disposed at the circumference of a bonding surface during a wire bonding step that is performed after die bonding, even in the case of chips being reduced in a thickness.The adhesive composition of the present invention comprises: (A) an acrylic polymer; (B) an epoxy resin; (C) a thermosetting agent; and (D) a silicone compound having a specific side chain. |
| US07851331B2 |
Bonding structures and methods of forming bonding structures
A semiconductor structure includes a first substrate and a second substrate bonded over the first substrate. The first substrate includes a passivation layer formed over the first substrate. The passivation layer includes at least one first opening exposing a first bonding pad formed over the first substrate. The second substrate includes at least one second opening aligned with and facing the first opening. |
| US07851330B2 |
Methods for fabricating compound material wafers
Methods are disclosed for preparing a reconditioned donor substrate by providing a remainder substrate from a donor substrate wherein the remainder substrate has a detachment surface where a transfer layer was detached and an opposite surface; and depositing an additional layer onto the opposite surface of the remainder substrate to increase its thickness and to form a reconditioned substrate. The reconditioned substrate is recycled as a donor substrate for fabricating compound material wafers. |
| US07851328B2 |
STI stress modulation with additional implantation and natural pad sin mask
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor structure is provided. The method includes forming a hard mask pattern on a semiconductor substrate, wherein the hard mask pattern covers active regions; forming a trench in the semiconductor substrate within an opening defined by the hard mask pattern; filling the trench with a dielectric material, resulting in a trench isolation feature; performing an ion implantation to the trench isolation feature using the hard mask pattern to protect active regions of the semiconductor substrate; and removing the hard mask pattern after the performing of the ion implantation. |
| US07851327B2 |
Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including forming a single-crystalline semiconductor material in a first area and forming a second device isolation pattern on a second area
In a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same, a first insulation layer is removed from a cell area of a substrate and a first active pattern is formed on the first area by a laser-induced epitaxial growth (LEG) process. Residuals of the first insulation layer are passively formed into a first device isolation pattern on the first area. The first insulation layer is removed from the second area of the substrate and a semiconductor layer is formed on the second area of the substrate by a SEG process. The semiconductor layer on the second area is patterned into a second active pattern including a recessed portion and a second insulation pattern in the recessed portion is formed into a second device isolation pattern on the second area. Accordingly, grain defects in the LEG process and lattice defects in the SEG process are mitigated or eliminated. |
| US07851326B2 |
Method for producing deep trench structures
A method for producing deep trench structures in an STI structure of a semiconductor substrate is provided, with the following successive process steps: subsequent to a full-area filling of STI recesses introduced into a semiconductor substrate with a first filler material, a first surface of a semiconductor structure is subjected to a CMP process to level the applied filler material and produce the STI structure; the leveled STI structure thus produced is structured; using the structured, leveled STI structure as a hard mask, at least one deep trench is etched in the area of this STI structure to create the deep trench structures. |
| US07851323B2 |
Phase change material with filament electrode
The present invention, in one embodiment, provides a memory device that includes a phase change memory cell; a first electrode; and a layer of filamentary resistor material positioned between the phase change memory cell and the first electrode, wherein at least one bistable conductive filamentary pathway is present in at least a portion of the layer of filamentary resistor material that provides electrical communication between the phase change memory cell and the first electrode. |
| US07851321B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit devices having high-Q wafer back-side capacitors
Methods are provided for fabricating semiconductor IC (integrated circuit) chips having high-Q on-chip capacitors formed on the chip back-side and connected to integrated circuits on the chip front-side using through-wafer interconnects. In one aspect, a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a front side, a back side, and a buried insulating layer interposed between the front and back sides of the substrate. An integrated circuit is formed on the front side of the semiconductor substrate, an integrated capacitor is formed on the back side of the semiconductor substrate, and an interconnection structure is formed through the buried insulating layer to connect the integrated capacitor to the integrated circuit. |
| US07851311B2 |
Method of manufacturing non-volatile memory device
Non-volatile memory devices and a method of manufacturing the same, wherein data storage of two bits per cell is enabled and the devices can pass the limit in terms of layout, whereby channel length can be controlled. The non-volatile memory device includes gate lines formed in one direction on a semiconductor substrate in which trenches are formed, wherein the gate lines gap-fill the trenches, a dielectric layer formed between the semiconductor substrate and the gate lines, bit separation insulating layers formed between the semiconductor substrate and the dielectric layer under the trenches, and isolation structures formed by etching the trenches, and the dielectric layer and the semiconductor substrate between the trenches in a line form vertical to the gate lines and gap-filling an insulating layer. |
| US07851309B2 |
Selective epitaxy vertical integrated circuit components and methods
Integrated circuit components are described that are formed using selective epitaxy such that the integrated circuit components, such as transistors, are vertically oriented. These structures have regions that are doped in situ during selective epitaxial growth of the component body. |
| US07851300B2 |
Method of fabricating a trench gate MOSFET for maximizing breakdown voltage
A trench gate MOSFET and a fabrication method thereof includes forming a first epitaxial layer over a semiconductor substrate, and then forming a second epitaxial layer formed over the first epitaxial layer, and then forming a body region over the second conductive type second epitaxial layer, and then forming a circular cross-section in a portion of the body region by performing an ion implantation process on the body region such that a bottom area thereof has a circular cross-section. |
| US07851299B2 |
Subgroundrule space for improved metal high-k device
The present invention provides a semiconducting device including a substrate including at least one semiconducting region and isolation regions; a gate structure atop the substrate having a gate dielectric layer positioned on the semiconducting region and a metal layer atop the gate dielectric layer, the gate structure having a width equal to or greater than the width of the at least one semiconducting region; and a contact structure including a base having a first width equal to the width of the gate structure and an upper surface having a second width, wherein the first width is greater than the second width. In one embodiment, the contact structure includes a polysilicon conductor and dielectric spacers, wherein each spacer of the dielectric spacer abuts a sidewall of the polysilicon conductor. In another embodiment, the contact structure includes a polysilicon conductor having a tapered sidewall. |
| US07851293B2 |
Method for forming vertical channel transistor of semiconductor device
A method for forming a vertical channel transistor in a semiconductor device includes providing a substrate, forming pillar patterns extending perpendicular from the upper surface of the substrate, forming a spin on carbon (SOC) layer in a gap region between the pillar patterns, forming photoresist patterns above a resultant structure where the SOC layer is filled to expose a region for an isolation trench, etching the SOC layer between the photoresist pattern barriers to expose the region for the isolation trench, and etching the exposed structure to a certain depth forming the isolation trench. |
| US07851290B2 |
Method of fabricating semiconductor device
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device, in which although a metal layer is included in a gate pattern, the gap-fill characteristic of contact plugs coupled to junctions can be improved and degradation in the data retention characteristic can also be prevented. According to the method, a semiconductor substrate in which lower gate patterns and gate hard mask patterns are sequentially stacked is first provided. Junctions are formed in the semiconductor substrate on both sides of each of the lower gate patterns. A first pre-metal dielectric layer is formed over the semiconductor substrate in which the hard mask patterns and the junctions are formed. Contact holes through which the junctions are exposed are formed in the first pre-metal dielectric layer. Gate trenches through which the lower gate patterns are exposed are formed by removing the hard mask patterns. Upper gate patterns, each including a metal layer, are formed in the gate trenches, and first contact plugs are formed in the contact holes. |
| US07851285B2 |
Non-volatile memory device and method for fabricating the same
A method for fabricating a non-volatile memory device includes forming a charge tunneling layer composed of a hafnium silicate (HfSixOyNz) layer on a semiconductor substrate. A charge trapping layer composed of a hafnium oxide nitride (HfOxNy) layer is formed on the charge tunneling layer. A charge blocking layer composed of a hafnium oxide layer is formed on the charge trapping layer. A gate layer is formed on the charge blocking layer. A non-volatile memory device fabricated by the method is also disclosed. |
| US07851278B2 |
Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same
The present invention provides a semiconductor device formed over an insulating substrate, typically a semiconductor device having a structure in which mounting strength to a wiring board can be increased in an optical sensor, a solar battery, or a circuit using a TFT, and which can make it mount on a wiring board with high density, and further a method for manufacturing the same. According to the present invention, in a semiconductor device, a semiconductor element is formed on an insulating substrate, a concave portion is formed on a side face of the semiconductor device, and a conductive film electrically connected to the semiconductor element is formed in the concave portion. |
| US07851276B2 |
Methods and structures for planar and multiple-gate transistors formed on SOI
A semiconductor device includes an insulator layer, a semiconductor layer, a first transistor, and a second transistor. The semiconductor layer is overlying the insulator layer. A first portion of the semiconductor layer has a first thickness. A second portion of the semiconductor layer has a second thickness. The second thickness is larger than the first thickness. The first transistor has a first active region formed from the first portion of the semiconductor layer. The second transistor has a second active region formed from the second portion of the semiconductor layer. The first transistor may be a planar transistor and the second transistor may be a multiple-gate transistor, for example. |
| US07851275B2 |
Pixel of image sensor and method for fabricating the same
A pixel of an image sensor includes a polysilicon layer, and an active region which needs to be electrically coupled with the polysilicon layer, wherein the polysilicon layer extends over a portion of the active region, such that the polysilicon layer and the active region are partially overlapped, and the polysilicon layer and the active region are coupled through a buried contact structure. |
| US07851274B1 |
Processing technique to improve the turn-off gain of a silicon carbide gate turn-off thyristor
A structure and method for a silicon carbide (SiC) gate turn-off (GTO) thyristor device operable to provide an increased turn-off gain comprises a cathode region, a drift region having an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the drift region overlies the cathode region, a gate region overlying the drift region, an anode region overlying the gate, and at least one ohmic contact positioned on each of the gate region, anode region, and cathode region, wherein the upper portion of the drift region, the gate region, and the anode region have a free carrier lifetime and mobility lower than a comparable SiC GTO thyristor for providing the device with an increased turn-off gain, wherein the free carrier lifetime is approximately 10 nanoseconds. The reduced free carrier lifetime and mobility are affected by altering the growth conditions, such as temperature under which epitaxy occurs. |
| US07851271B2 |
Release film for printed wiring board production
The present invention relates to a mold releasing film for printed circuit board production, which comprises a resin layer (P) containing (A) a polyphenylene ether-based resin in an amount of 50 wt % or more. According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a mold releasing film suitable for production of printed circuit boards, particularly flexible printed circuit boards, which is excellent in mold-releasing property, exhibits little heat shrinkage, hardly imparts wrinkles to printed circuit board products, itself hardly gets wrinkled, and is excellent in contamination resistance since no bleeding-out is observed, and which is also excellent in an anti-moisture absorbing property, shape-following property, less overflow of adhesive, adhesion between multilayer films and slipping property between films. |
| US07851266B2 |
Microelectronic device wafers including an in-situ molded adhesive, molds for in-situ molding adhesives on microelectronic device wafers, and methods of molding adhesives on microelectronic device wafers
A microelectronic device wafer includes an adhesive molded in-situ on the wafer. Adhesives and wafers are positioned in molds and a method that includes drawing in the molds at least a partial vacuum and partially curing the adhesive provides an in-situ molded adhesive that is positioned on the wafer. The adhesives can be in liquid, solid, or other forms prior to molding. During molding, the adhesive can be partially cured by heating or irradiating. |
| US07851264B2 |
Semiconductor device singulation method
The objective of the invention is to provide a semiconductor device manufacturing method with which the generation of burrs can be suppressed while increasing the singulation speed of the package. In a manufacturing method of a QFN package of the present invention, a molding prepared by sealing a lead frame with plural semiconductor chips carried on it en bloc with a resin; the operation comprises the following processing steps: a first singulation processing step S101 in which the molding is half-cut along the cutting plane; a de-flashing processing step S102 in which the burrs on the cut portion of the half-cut molding are removed; and a second singulation processing step S103 in which the de-flashed molding is completely cut along the cutting plane. |
| US07851263B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including (1) providing a metal plate having an upper surface and a back surface, the metal plate including a plurality of lids disposed in matrix, which are defined by a first groove formed from the upper surface, (2) providing a ceramic sheet having an upper surface and a back surface, the ceramic sheet including a plurality of headers disposed in matrix, which are defined by a second groove formed from the back surface, (3) fixing the metal plate on the ceramic sheet by facing the back surface of the metal plate to the upper surface of the ceramic sheet, wherein the first groove is aligned with the second groove, and (4) dividing the metal plate and the ceramic sheet along the first and the second grooves. |
| US07851258B2 |
Method of manufacturing an RFID tag
A method of manufacturing an RFID tag that includes forming an antenna pattern and a reinforcing layer on one surface of a film made of a resin material, applying a thermosetting adhesive onto the reinforcing layer and the antenna pattern, mounting a circuit chip on the antenna pattern via the thermosetting adhesive, pinching the circuit chip and the other surface of the film, and fixing the circuit chip to the antenna pattern by hardening the thermosetting adhesive. The reinforcing layer is formed within a region where the circuit chip is mounted and the circuit chip includes a first protrusion contacting the antenna pattern and a second protrusion contacting the reinforcing layer. |
| US07851256B2 |
Method of manufacturing chip-on-chip semiconductor device
Provided is a method of fabricating a chip-on-chip (COC) semiconductor device. The method of fabricating a chip-on-chip (COC) semiconductor device may include preparing a first semiconductor device with a metal wiring having at least one discontinuous spot formed therein, preparing a second semiconductor device with at least one bump formed on a surface of the second semiconductor device corresponding to the at least one discontinuous spot, aligning the first semiconductor device onto the second semiconductor device, and connecting the at least one bump of the second semiconductor device to the at least one discontinuous spot formed in the metal wiring of the first semiconductor device. |
| US07851251B2 |
Portable optical detection chip and manufacturing method thereof
A portable optical detection chip comprises a substrate, a plurality of avalanche-type photosensitive device modules and a plurality of plane mirrors. The plurality of avalanche-type photosensitive device modules are formed on the substrate, and each of them comprises a plurality of avalanche-type photosensitive devices and a plurality of lenses. Each of the lenses is stacked on one of the avalanche-type photosensitive devices. The plurality of plane mirrors are disposed between the avalanche-type photosensitive device modules. That is, the avalanche-type photosensitive device modules are separated from each other by the plane mirrors. |
| US07851248B2 |
Method for producing a micromechanical component having a thin-layer capping
A capping technology is provided in which, despite the fact that structures which are surrounded by a silicon-germanium filling layer are exposed using ClF3 etching through micropores in the silicon cap, an etching attack on the silicon cap is prevented, namely, either by particularly selective (approximately 10,000:1 or higher) adjustment of the etching process itself, or by using the finding that the oxide of a germanium-rich layer, in contrast to oxidized porous silicon, is not stable but instead may be easily dissolved, to protect the silicon cap. |
| US07851246B2 |
Semiconductor device with optical sensor and method of forming interconnect structure on front and backside of the device
A semiconductor package has a semiconductor die with an optically active region which converts light to an electrical signal. An expansion region is formed around the semiconductor die. A through hole via (THV) is formed in the expansion region. Conductive material is deposited in the THV. A passivation layer is formed over the semiconductor die. The passivation layer allows for passage of light to the optically active region of the semiconductor die. A glass layer is applied to the passivation layer. A first RDL is electrically connected between the THV and a contact pad of the semiconductor die. Additional RDLs are formed on a front and back side of the semiconductor die. An under bump metallization (UBM) layer is formed over and electrically connected to the intermediate conduction layer. Solder material is deposited on the UBM and reflowed to form a solder bump. |
| US07851243B1 |
Nitride based semiconductor optical device, epitaxial wafer for nitride based semiconductor optical device, and method of fabricating semiconductor light-emitting device
In the nitride based semiconductor optical device LE1, the strained well layers 21 extend along a reference plane SR1 tilting at a tilt angle α from the plane that is orthogonal to a reference axis extending in the direction of the c-axis. The tilt angle α is in the range of greater than 59 degrees to less than 80 degrees or greater than 150 degrees to less than 180 degrees. A gallium nitride based semiconductor layer P is adjacent to a light-emitting layer SP− with a negative piezoelectric field and has a band gap larger than that of a barrier layer. The direction of the piezoelectric field in the well layer W3 is directed in a direction from the n-type layer to the p-type layer, and the piezoelectric field in the gallium nitride based semiconductor layer P is directed in a direction from the p-type layer to the n-type layer. Consequently, the valence band, not the conduction band, has a dip at the interface between the light-emitting layer SP− and the gallium nitride based semiconductor layer P. |
| US07851241B2 |
Method for severing brittle material substrate and severing apparatus using the method
There are provided a scribing step of performing scribing in a state in which a protective material is applied on at least one surface of a brittle material substrate, and a first scribing device that performs this scribing step. Accordingly, it is possible to form a vertical crack that reaches deep inside of the substrate, while effectively removing cullets produced at the time of severing the substrate, thus performing precise severing along a scribe line. |
| US07851236B2 |
Film thickness prediction method, layout design method, mask pattern design method of exposure mask, and fabrication method of semiconductor integrated circuit
A film thickness prediction method of predicting a film thickness of a second processed layer after planarization includes the steps of: creating first to third actual measurement databases; obtaining a reference film thickness of a second processed layer formed on a region in which no circuit pattern exists; segmenting a first processed layer to be formed on a substrate into grid-like meshes, and obtaining a pattern area ratio occupied by a circuit pattern to be formed on a first processed layer in each mesh and further obtaining a circumferential length of the circuit pattern in each mesh; obtaining an initial thickness of the second processed layer in each mesh; and predicting the film thickness of the second processed layer after planarization from an initial film thickness predicted value and an amount of planarization Hij of the second processed layer in the mesh. |
| US07851234B2 |
System and method for enhanced control of copper trench sheet resistance uniformity
A method is disclosed for controlling the sheet resistance of copper trenches formed on semiconductor wafers. The method includes forming a plurality of copper-filled trenches on a wafer, measuring the sheet resistance of each of the plurality of copper-filled trenches, and comparing the measured sheet resistance values to a predetermined sheet resistance value. Photolithography steps performed on subsequent wafers are adjusted according to a difference between the measured sheet resistance values and the predetermined value. In one embodiment, this adjustment takes the form of adjusting a photolithographic extension exposure energy to thereby adjust the cross-section of the resulting trenches. |
| US07851233B2 |
E-chuck for automated clamped force adjustment and calibration
The present disclosure provides a semiconductor manufacturing method. The method includes performing a first process to a wafer; measuring the wafer for wafer data after the first process; securing the wafer on an E-chuck in a processing chamber; collecting sensor data from a sensor embedded in the E-chuck; adjusting clamping forces to the E-chuck based on the wafer data and the sensor data; and thereafter performing a second process to the wafer secured on the E-chuck in the processing chamber. |
| US07851229B2 |
Two-phase optical assay with unitized container and double or single sensor systems
Improved single-container, two-phase optical assays for analytes are provided which are faster and require less steps than conventional two phase optical assays. The assays of the invention involve first mixing and incubating an assay mixture including a buffer, solid particles (e.g., agarose beads), an analyte-containing sample, and an affinity agent operable to bind analyte(s) to the solid particles, followed by separation of the mixture into a particle-rich phase and a substantially particle-free phase. In one aspect, the settling step is gravity-induced and is instrumentally monitored to determine when substantially full separation has occurred. Thereafter, the respective phases may be photometrically measured to obtain qualitative and/or quantitative information about the analyte(s). It has been found that measurements taken with only one sensor set before and after settling of the particle-rich fraction give scientifically valid results as a two phase optical assay. |
| US07851228B2 |
Methods for screening agents that modulate presenilin activity and A-β production
The disclosure relates generally to neurodegenerative disorders and more specifically to a group of presenilin/G-protein/c-src binding polypeptides and methods of use for modulating signaling and progression of Alzheimer's disease. |
| US07851227B2 |
Method for carrying out an electrochemical measurement on a liquid measuring sample in a measuring chamber that can be accessed by lines, and corresponding arrangement
Especially in order to carry out the so-called enzyme-coupled DNA hybridization test in a closed cartridge including a microfluid system, using stored dry reagents, the reagents must be dissolved in the microfluid system and transported into the measuring chamber directly before the measurement. During the dissolution of the reagents in water, air cushions that cannot reach the measuring chamber must absolutely be prevented from forming upstream of the reagent liquid. According to an embodiment of the invention, the liquid measuring sample and the liquid reagents are transported in such a way that the air cushion is directed into the waste line and the measuring sample and the reagents are then introduced into the measuring chamber without any air bubbles. In this way, measuring errors can be avoided. |
| US07851225B2 |
Oxidation resistant indicator molecules
Compounds having enhanced oxidation stability are disclosed. The compounds have an aryl boronic acid residue having one or more electron withdrawing groups on the aromatic moiety which contains the boronic acid residue, such that the molecule has enhanced oxidation resistance as compared to a corresponding molecule without the one or more electron withdrawing groups. |
| US07851223B2 |
Method to detect emphysema
Methods to detect emphysema by assessing phospholipid transfer protein in lung lavage are described. |
| US07851209B2 |
Reduction of the hook effect in assay devices
A membrane-based assay device for detecting the presence or quantity of an analyte residing in a test sample is provided. The device utilizes conjugated probes that contain a specific binding member for the analyte of interest. The specific binding member preferentially complexes with the analyte within a test sample when contacted therewith. Excess analyte that remains uncomplexed with the specific binding member undergoes non-specific binding, such as to a hydrophobic domain. As a result, the ability of the uncomplexed analyte to compete with the complexed analyte at the detection zone of the device is restricted. Thus, the incidence of “false negatives” is limited in a simple, efficient, and relatively inexpensive manner. |
| US07851208B2 |
Optical reader system and method for monitoring and correcting lateral and angular misaligments of label independent biosensors
An optical reader system and method are described herein that can detect a lateral and/or angular misalignment of one or more biosensors so that the biosensors can be properly re-located after being removed from and then reinserted into the optical reader system. In one embodiment, the biosensors are incorporated within the wells of a microplate. |
| US07851207B1 |
Multiplex field device to detect and identify a variety of microbial agents simultaneously
The invention relates to methods and devices enabling simultaneous detection of several biological threat agents, including viruses and bacteria. The device includes a plurality of chambers and conduits which can be manually operated to so that reagents and sample are passed through the device and nucleic acid hybridization membranes to permit detection by the naked eye. The device has minimal logistical requirements since it is self-contained and includes all the reagents required to process a sample suspected of containing a variety of biological threat agents, it does not require electrical or other external sources of energy, it is disposable, and it can operated by a soldier or responder without microbiological training or expertise. |
| US07851205B2 |
DNA sensor
A DNA sensor including a p-channel field-effect transistor having as a gate an electrolyte solution and having as a channel a diamond surface which contains a mixture of at least a hydrogen-terminated surface and a surface terminated by an amino group or a molecule with an amino group as an amino termination; a probe DNA constituted of a single-stranded DNA with known nucleotide sequence which is directly immobilized by a linker to the amino termination of the diamond surface; and a target DNA constituted of an unknown single-stranded DNA which is dropped on said diamond surface, wherein the hybridization of the target and probe is ascertained by detecting a shift of the threshold voltage of said p-channel field effect transistor toward positive direction which is due to increase in hole density of the p-channel resulting from doubling the negative electric charge of the phosphate groups upon hybridization. |
| US07851201B2 |
Method and device for measuring multiple physiological properties of cells
A method of analyzing cells disposed in media within a vessel includes the steps of providing a vessel having an original volume of media about the cells, reducing the original volume of media about at least a portion of the cells to define a reduced volume of media, and analyzing a constituent related to the cells within the reduced volume of media. An apparatus for analyzing cells includes a stage adapted to receive a vessel holding cells and a volume of media, a plunger adapted to receive a barrier to create a reduced volume of media within the vessel including at least a portion of the cells, the barrier adapted for insertion into the vessel by relative movement of the stage and the plunger, and a sensor in sensing communication with the reduced volume of media, wherein the sensor is configured to analyze a constituent disposed within the reduced volume. |
| US07851191B2 |
Product and process for transformation of thraustochytriales microorganisms
Disclosed are nucleic acid and amino acid sequences for acetolactate synthase, acetolactate synthase regulatory regions, α-tubulin promoter, a promoter from a Thraustochytriales polyketide synthase (PKS) system, and fatty acid desaturase promoter, each from a Thraustochytriales microorganism. Also disclosed are recombinant vectors useful for transformation of Thraustochytriales microorganisms, as well as a method of transformation of Thraustochytriales microorganisms. The recombinant nucleic acid molecules of the present invention can be used for the expression of foreign nucleic acids in a Thraustochytriales microorganism as well as for the deletion, mutation, or inactivation of genes in Thraustochytriales microorganisms. |
| US07851190B2 |
Biosynthetic gene cluster for leptomycins
Polypeptides and domains of leptomycin polyketide synthase and the nucleic acids encoding them are provided. Methods to prepare leptomycin, leptomycin analogs, and leptomycin derivatives are described, as are methods to prepare other polyketides using the nucleic acids encoding leptomycin polyketide synthase domains or modifying enzymes. |
| US07851188B2 |
Fermentive production of four carbon alcohols
Methods for the fermentative production of four carbon alcohols is provided. Specifically, butanol, preferably isobutanol is produced by the fermentative growth of a recombinant bacterium expressing an isobutanol biosynthetic pathway. |
| US07851185B2 |
Combined thermal devices for thermal cycling
The invention relates to systems and methods including a combination of thermal generating device technologies to achieve more efficiency and accuracy in PCR temperature cycling of nucleic samples undergoing amplification. |
| US07851181B2 |
Neutralizing human anti-IGFR antibody
The present invention includes fully human, neutralizing, monoclonal antibodies against human Insulin-like Growth Factor Receptor-I (IGFR1). The antibodies are useful for treating or preventing cancer in a subject. Also included are methods of using and producing the antibodies of the invention. |
| US07851179B2 |
Method of measuring lipoarabinomannan and application thereof
A method for measuring LAM and a method for detecting an acid-fast bacterium, which comprise at least a step of allowing a Limulus reagent to contact with a LAM-containing sample, a method for removing reactivity of LAM with a Limulus reagent, which comprises at least a step of allowing a predetermined substance to coexist with a LAM-containing sample; a method for measuring Et in a LAM-containing sample and a method for detecting an Et-related disease, which each is a method for measuring an endotoxin using a Limulus reagent, which comprises at least a step of removing reactivity of LAM with a Limulus reagent by the above-described removing method; a method for measuring BG in a LAM-containing sample and a method for detecting mycosis, which is a method for measuring BG using a Limulus reagent which comprises at least a step of removing reactivity of LAM with a Limulus reagent by the described-described removing method; and the like. |
| US07851176B2 |
Lipolytic enzyme variants
The substrate specificity of a lipolytic enzyme can be modified by making alterations to the amino acid sequence in a defined region of the lipolytic enzyme, so as to increase the level of a desired activity or to decrease the level of an undesired activity. Thus, the inventors have developed lipolytic enzyme variants with a modified amino acid sequence with a substrate specificity which can be tailored for specific uses. |
| US07851170B1 |
Hybridomas producing highly specific monoclonal antibodies to detect Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis
Hybridoma cell lines which produce and secrete monoclonal antibodies which selectively bind to Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis have been produced. Cells of M. avium subspecies paratuberculosis in biological samples may be detected and quantified by contacting the sample with the antibodies to form a M. avium subspecies paratuberculosis/antibody immunocomplex when M. avium subspecies paratuberculosis is present, which immunocomplex may then be detected. The monoclonal antibodies also may be incorporated into kits for the detection and quantification of M. avium subspecies paratuberculosis. |
| US07851169B2 |
Compositions and methods for inhibiting squamous cell carcinoma
The present invention relates to compositions and methods for detecting and inhibiting squamous cell carcinoma using agents that target the laminin 5 alpha 3 G4-G5 domain. |
| US07851167B2 |
Compound screening using cardiomyocytes
This invention provides populations human cells of the cardiomyocyte lineage. The cells are obtained by causing cultures of pluripotent stem cells to differentiate in vitro, and then harvesting cells with certain phenotypic features. Differentiated cells bear cell surface and morphologic markers characteristic of cardiomyocytes, and a proportion of them undergo spontaneous periodic contraction. Highly enriched populations of cardiomyocytes and their replicating precursors can be obtained, suitable for use in a variety of applications, such as drug screening and therapy for cardiac disease. |
| US07851166B2 |
Method for detecting mycobacterial infection
A method of detecting a surrogate marker for active tuberculosis involves obtaining first, second and third samples from a subject suspected of having active tuberculosis, diluting the first sample and exposing part of it to an immobilized mycolic acid antigen in a test vessel and part of it to an immobilized mycolic antigen in a control vessel. The second sample is exposed to mycolic acid antigen-containing liposomes and the third sample is exposed to liposomes not containing mycolic acid antigens. The second sample is added to the test vessel and the third to the control vessel and binding of antibodies to the mycolic acid and antigen in both the test and control vessel is detected. The degree of binding between the test and control vessels is compared and lesser binding in the test vessel is an indicator of the presence of antibodies to the mycolic acid antigen. |
| US07851159B2 |
Method for detecting target nucleic acid with specific base sequence and set of nucleic acids for detection
It is intended to provide a method for detecting a target nucleic acid with a specific base sequence existing in a sample mixture with high specificity and sensitivity by utilizing the formation of a hybrid with a complementary strand as a detection principle, and a nucleic acid for the detection. The invention relates to a set of nucleic acids for detecting a target nucleic acid with a specific base sequence comprising a photoligating nucleic acid composed of a nucleic acid (with the proviso that in the nucleic acid, a nucleic acid and a peptide nucleic acid are included) having a group represented by the formula I, II, III, IV or V described in claims at the 5′ end or 3′ end as a base moiety, and a photoligated nucleic acid having a base with a carbon-carbon double bond at the 3′ end or 5′ end as a base moiety capable of photoligating to the photoligating nucleic acid, wherein either of the photoligating nucleic acid and the photoligated nucleic acid has a labeling moiety and the other remaining nucleic acid is immobilized on a substrate, and the method for detecting a target nucleic acid with a specific base sequence by using the set of nucleic acids. |
| US07851154B2 |
GC tag-modified bisulfite genomic DNA sequencing for continuous methylation spectra
The present invention relates to a tag-modified bisulfite genomic sequencing (tBGS) method developed for simplified evaluation of DNA methylation sites. The method employs direct cycle sequencing of PCR products at kilobase scale, without conventional DNA fragment cloning. The method entails subjecting bisulfite-modified genomic DNA to a second-round PCR amplification employing GC-tagged primers. The invention also relates to a method for identifying a patient at risk for lung cancer using the tBGS technique disclosed. |
| US07851153B2 |
DNA binding protein
Methods of screening for compounds which are, for example, capable of modulating amino acid-DNA interaction, modulating DNA replication, modulating cell proliferation, and for identifying compounds which inhibit cellular proliferation caused by cancer, are provided. |
| US07851151B2 |
HNF-1α gene including novel single-nucleotide polymorphism, protein encoded by the HNF-1α gene, and polynucleotide, microarray, kit, and method for diagnosis of MODY3
Provided are a HNF-1 α gene including a novel single-nucleotide polymorphism and a protein encoded by the HNF-1 α gene, a polynucleotide associated with MODY3 diabetes based on the HNF-1 α gene, a microarray and a diagnostic kit including the polynucleotide, and a method for diagnosis of MODY3 diabetes. |
| US07851150B2 |
Detection of small nucleic acids
The present invention relates to compositions and methods for the detection and characterization of interfering RNAs such as micro RNAs (miRNAs) and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and other short nucleic acid molecules. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods for the detection and quantitation of interfering RNA expression. The present invention further provides for the detection of variants and types of miRNAs and siRNAs. |
| US07851147B2 |
Method of determining fatty acid composition of milk
A method of reducing the level of saturated fatty acids relative to the level of unsaturated fatty acids in milk. In particular, the genotyping and/or phenotyping of bovine cows on the basis of the amino acid residue located at position 67 of beta-casein produced in their milk. The invention is based on the finding that there is a correlation between the ratio of saturated to unsaturated fatty acids in milk and the beta-casein variants in milk. |
| US07851146B2 |
Nucleic acid mediated electron transfer
The present invention provides for the selective covalent modification of nucleic acids with redox active moieties such as transition metal complexes. Electron donor and electron acceptor moieties are covalently bound to the ribose-phosphate backbone of a nucleic acid at predetermined positions. The resulting complexes represent a series of new derivatives that are bimolecular templates capable of transferring electrons over very large distances at extremely fast rates. These complexes possess unique structural features which enable the use of an entirely new class of bioconductors and photoactive probes. |
| US07851145B2 |
Na+, K+-ATPase expression in cervical dysplasia and cancer
The present disclosure provides methods of diagnosing cervical dysplasia and cervical cancer by detecting Na+, K+-ATPase expression. For example, it is demonstrated herein that expression of the Na+, K+-ATPase β1-subunit increases in cervical dysplasia and cervical cancer, relative to normal cervical tissue. Also provided are methods of treating cervical dysplasia and cervical cancer by decreasing the biological activity of the Na+, K+-ATPase. For example, therapeutically effective amounts of one or more Na+, K+-ATPase inhibitors can be applied to the cervix to treat cervical dysplasia and cervical cancer. |
| US07851133B2 |
Lithographic printing process
A lithographic printing process which comprises the steps of: imagewise scanning with a laser a presensitized lithographic plate which comprises a hydrophilic support and an image-recording layer containing a polymerization initiator, an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound having no adherence to the hydrophilic support, and an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound having adherence to the hydrophilic support and a molecular structure comprising a polyoxyalkylene group to polymerize the ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compounds within the exposed area; removing the image-recording layer within the unexposed area from the lithographic plate mounted on a cylinder of a printing press; and then printing an image with the lithographic plate mounted on the cylinder of the printing press. A presensitized lithographic plate is also disclosed. |
| US07851131B2 |
Photosensitive adhesive composition, and obtained using the same, adhesive film, adhesive sheet, semiconductor wafer with adhesive layer, semiconductor device and electronic part
A photosensitive adhesive composition comprising: (A) a polyimide having a carboxyl group as a side chain, whereof the acid value is 80 to 180 mg/KOH; (B) a photo-polymerizable compound; and (C) a photopolymerization initiator. |
| US07851129B2 |
Resist composition, resist pattern forming method and compound
This resist composition is a resist composition containing a compound in which a portion or all of hydrogen atoms of phenolic hydroxyl groups in a polyhydric phenol compound (a) having two or more phenolic hydroxyl groups and having a molecular weight of 300 to 2,500 are substituted with at least one selected from the group consisting of acid dissociable dissolution inhibiting groups represented by the following general formulas (p1) and (p2) wherein R1 and R2 each independently represents a branched or cyclic alkyl group, and may contain a hetero atom in the structure; R3 represents a hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group; and n′ represents an integer of 1 to 3. |
| US07851128B2 |
Photosensitive polymer composition, method of forming relief patterns, and electronic equipment
A photosensitive polymer composition, having (a) a polymer selected from polyimide precursors and polyimides having an acid group protected by a protecting group and having no amino group (—NH2) at the end; and (b) a compound that generates an acid when exposed to light and capable of deprotecting the protecting group from the acid group, is employed to form layers of a semiconductor device. |
| US07851127B2 |
Polymer compound, positive resist composition and resist pattern forming method
The present invention relates to a polymer compound comprising at least one constituent unit (a0) selected from the group consisting of constituent units represented by the following general formulas (A0-1), (A0-2), (A0-3) and (A0-4) [wherein R represents a hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group], and a constituent unit (a1) derived from an (a-lower alkyl)acrylate ester having an acid dissociable dissolution inhibiting group. |
| US07851121B2 |
Photosensitive polyimide composition and polyimide precursor composition
There is provided a photosensitive composition including a polyimide or polyimide precursor. The polyimide and polyimide precursor of the present invention includes a group of a first acid-cleavable group, a first base-cleavable group or a first thermally-cleavable group, and another group of a hydrophilic group, or a protected hydrophilic group by a second acid-cleavable group, a second base-cleavable group, or a crosslinkable group. |
| US07851119B2 |
Electrophotographic photoconductor, method for producing the same, image forming process, image forming apparatus and process cartridge
The present invention provides an electrophotographic photoconductor capable of reducing latent electrostatic image stability defects caused by adhesion/adsorption of an electric discharge product formed by a charger in an image forming process, degradation of charge transportability and cleaning defects caused when removing a residual toner. The electrophotographic photoconductor has a conductive substrate, and a photosensitive layer which contains at least a binder, a charge generating material and a charge transporting material and is formed on the substrate, wherein the photosensitive layer contains an injection material composed of at least any one of one wax selected from paraffin waxes, Fisher-Tropsh waxes, polyolefin waxes and a polyorganosiloxane compound in an area from the surface of the photosensitive layer to 50% of the thickness thereof in the thickness direction of the electrophotographic photoconductor, and the content of the injection material is 3% by mass or more to the content of the binder. |
| US07851117B2 |
Liquid developer
It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid developer in which in liquid developers for electrophotography or electrostatic recording obtained using the coacervation method, electric resistance of the liquid developer and the electrophoretic property or the charging characteristic of the toner particles are adequately maintained, and the dispersibility of a pigment and the dispersion stability of the toner particles are good.A liquid developer formed by dispersing colored resin particles comprising at least a pigment, a dispersant and a resin in a hydrocarbon insulating medium using a coacervation method, wherein said dispersant is a carbodiimide compound having at least one basic nitrogen-containing group and at least one polyester side chain introduced through a reaction with a carbodiimide group in its molecule, and said resin is an acid group-containing resin and the acid value of the resin is 1 to 100. |
| US07851114B2 |
Electrostatic latent image bearing member, and image forming apparatus, process cartridge, and image forming method using the same
An electrostatic latent image bearing member is provided including a substrate and a photosensitive layer located overlying the substrate, wherein the outermost layer of the electrostatic latent image bearing member includes a cross-linked resin formed from a cross-linking reaction between a charge transport polyol having a specific formula and an isocyanate compound; and the use of the electrostatic latent image bearing member in an image forming apparatus, a process cartridge, and an image forming method. |
| US07851111B2 |
Imaging belt with nanotube backing layer, and image forming devices including the same
An imaging belt comprises a substrate layer, an outer image layer and an inner anti-curl backing layer. The inner anti-curl backing layer, in turn, includes one or more carbon nanotubes disposed therein, together with an exposed backing layer surface. An image forming device includes the imaging belt. The image forming device is arranged to conductively couple the backing layer surface to an included ground source by means of one or more included conducting backer bars, one or more included grounding brushes, or any combination of included conducting backer bars and grounding brushes. |
| US07851110B2 |
Secure photomask with blocking aperture
A secure photomask including a substrate having one or more pattern layers formed thereon and a blocking aperture disposed below the one or more pattern layers that prevents at least one of unauthorized use and copying of the photomask. |
| US07851109B2 |
Low stress pellicle frames and reticle pellicle assemblies
Low stress reticle pellicle assemblies. In accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention, a pellicle frame of reduced stiffness is employed to reduce the stress a pellicle frame induces in a reticle plate. In other embodiments, a pellicle frame of reduced adhesive surface is employed to reduce the stress a pellicle frame induces in a reticle plate. In accordance with still other embodiments, a stress compensating frame is employed to reduce the cumulative stresses in an assembly comprising the reticle plate, pellicle and stress compensating frame. |
| US07851108B2 |
Mask blank glass substrate manufacturing method, mask blank manufacturing method, mask manufacturing method, mask blank glass substrate, mask blank, and mask
A method of manufacturing a mask blank glass substrate or mask blank that includes a mark forming step, and a mask blank glass substrate or mask blank that includes a mark. The mark is a pit formed by irradiating laser light onto a mirror-like surface in an area, having no influence on transfer, on a surface of the mask blank glass substrate. The pit is used as a marker for individually identifying or managing the mask blank glass substrate. The marker may be correlated with information including at least one of substrate information about the mask blank glass substrate, thin film information about the mask pattern thin film, and resist film information about the resist film. A mask blank glass substrate with marker correlated to at least one of the resist film information and thin film information may be used to manufacture a new mask blank. |
| US07851107B2 |
Fuel cell separator and production method therefor
A low-cost fuel cell separator having a metallic substrate which is able to stably maintain low electric resistance (high electrical conductivity) and high corrosion resistance for a long period is provided. The separator has a metallic substrate having an oxide film forming a surface thereof and made from an oxidization of a metal of the substrate, and an electrically conductive thin film formed on a surface of the oxide film of the substrate. Due to this construction, low electric resistance (high electrical conductivity) is achieved by the electrically conductive thin film. Furthermore, even if the electrically conductive thin film has pinholes, the oxide film substantially prevents or reduces elution from the separator substrate, thereby achieving high corrosion resistance. Still further, since the oxide film is formed by oxidation of the substrate, the oxide film can be formed at a lower cost than an oxide film formed from a different metal. |