| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08837135B2 |
Expansion module for interface card, computer case assembly, and computer system
An expansion module for an interface card includes a transfer circuit-board, an expansion slot, a bottom-plate, a lateral-frame, and a latch. The transfer circuit-board has an electrical connector to be inserted into a card slot of a main circuit-board. The expansion slot is disposed on the transfer circuit-board and used for the interface card to be inserted into it, so as to connect the interface card to the main circuit-board. The transfer circuit-board is mounted onto the bottom-plate. The lateral-frame extends from the bottom-plate to define an accommodating space between the bottom-plate and the lateral-frame, and the transfer circuit-board is located in the accommodating space. The latch is pivoted to the lateral-frame and moves between a releasing position and a latching position. The latch has a first clamping element, and at the latching position the latch clamps and fixes the interface card with the first clamping element. |
| US08837134B2 |
Side-push type retractable USB memory stick
A side-push retractable USB memory stick includes a PC board providing a data storage function, an insulative PC board holder accommodating the PC board and having a springy plate located on one lateral side thereof and a press portion outwardly protruded from the springy plate, a housing surrounding the insulative PC board holder and having a sliding slot located on one lateral side thereof for receiving the press portion and enabling the press portion to be operated by an external force to move a metal shield and a USB interface circuit of the PC board in and out of a front opening of the housing. A rear end block closed on a rear open side of the housing, and a front end block press-fitted into the front opening and defining a through hole for passing the metal shield and the USB interface circuit in and out of the housing. |
| US08837132B2 |
Positioning rack module and an electronic device assembly incorporating the same
A positioning rack module for supporting a computer at a backside of a display device includes a movable frame. The movable frame includes a movable frame body to be disposed at the backside of the display device, and a first receiving portion formed in the movable frame body for receiving the computer. The movable frame body is operable to move relative to the display device between a hidden position and an exposed position. The movable frame body is hidden behind the backside of the display device when disposed at the hidden position. The movable frame body extends beyond a lateral side of the display device when disposed at the exposed position. |
| US08837125B2 |
Electric apparatus
A support arm has an attachment hole formed thereon. The support arm has a first side wall and a second side wall both constituting edge of the attachment hole. An engaged convex portion is formed on the second side wall. The first side wall restricts a hook of the front panel from moving in a direction away from the second side wall toward the first wall. The first side wall is elastically deformable such that it swells in the direction. |
| US08837119B2 |
Matrix converter
A matrix converter includes first to third AC reactors connected in series with first- to third-phase outputs of three-phase AC electric power, and a first cooling fan that generates cool air for cooling the first to third AC reactors. The first to third AC reactors are arranged side-by-side in a direction intersecting a direction in which the cool air flows. |
| US08837118B2 |
Transformer instrumentation and metering system
A combined current transformer and metering system is described, having a securable case, two or more current transformers each having a core and secondary windings connected to a secondary circuit, wherein the transformers are mounted within the case. A wiring harness connects the secondary windings of the transformers with shorting current switches for short circuiting the secondary current circuit, and voltage switches for disconnecting a voltage, wherein both sets of switches are mounted on the case. A process of manufacturing the system is described, wherein the transformer cores are positioned within the case, the wiring is connected between the transformer cores and attachment hardware on an upper deck of the case, and insulation medium is inserted within the case. A base plate is described, having rails to hold the system and having a tab at one end, and apertures for a rod positionable between rails at a second end. |
| US08837114B2 |
Solid electrolytic capacitor
A solid electrolytic capacitor is impregnated with a conductive polymer dispersion solution comprising sorbitol. In the capacitor, the hydroxyl group of sorbitol acts as the oxygen source necessary for the anodic oxidation of anodic oxide film when voltage is applied to the solid electrolytic capacitor. Consequently, the oxide film is repaired and withstand voltage property is improved, which is thought to be due to the anodic oxidation that repairs the damage on the oxide film. Superior electric capacitance can further be attained by specifying the sorbitol content in the dispersion solution to be at 60-90 wt %. |
| US08837112B2 |
Multilayer ceramic electronic component and method of fabricating the same
There is provided a multilayer ceramic electronic component, including: a ceramic body including a dielectric layer; a plurality of internal electrodes disposed to face each other within the ceramic body, having the dielectric layer interposed therebetween; and external electrodes electrically connected to the internal electrodes, wherein the ceramic body includes an active layer corresponding to a capacitance forming part and a cover layer formed on at least one of an upper surface and a lower surface of the active layer and corresponding to a non-capacitance forming part, an average thickness of the cover layer is 15 μm or less, the external electrodes include a conductive metal and a glass, and when an area of the external electrodes occupied by the glass is A and an area thereof occupied by the conductive metal is B, 0.05≦A/B≦0.6 is satisfied. |
| US08837110B2 |
Graphene mounted on aerogel
An apparatus having reduced phononic coupling between a graphene monolayer and a substrate is provided. The apparatus includes an aerogel substrate and a monolayer of graphene coupled to the aerogel substrate. |
| US08837106B2 |
Method for controlling an ionization device
A method for controlling an ionization device for ionizing air for the ventilation of motor vehicle interiors. The ionization device releases ions of a first ion type at least intermittently. In addition, the ionization device is operated at least intermittently in at least one regeneration mode. |
| US08837100B2 |
Power supply device for plasma processing
A power supply device for plasma processing, wherein electric arcs may occur, comprises a power supply circuit for generating a voltage across output terminals, and a first switch connected between the power supply circuit and one of the output terminals. According to a first aspect the power supply device comprises a recovery energy circuit connected to the output terminals and to the power supply circuit. According to a second aspect the power supply device comprises an inductance circuit including an inductor and a second switch connected parallel to the inductor. According to a third aspect the power supply device comprises a controller for causing the power supply circuit and the first switch to be switched on and off. The controller is configured to determine a quenching time interval by means of a self-adaptive process. The quenching time interval defines the time interval during which, in an event of an arc, no voltage is generated across the output terminals. |
| US08837099B2 |
Guarded electrical overstress protection circuit
Disclosed embodiments are directed to an electrical overstress protection circuit. The electrical overstress protection circuit may include an intermediate node receiving a reference voltage, a first pair of clamp devices, having opposite polarity, clamping an input signal line to the intermediate node, and a second pair of clamp devices, each clamping the intermediate node to one of two reference potentials. The electrical overstress protection circuit may also include a filter connected to the intermediate node to reduce noise at the intermediate node. |
| US08837097B2 |
Protection, monitoring or indication apparatus for a direct current electrical generating apparatus or a plurality of strings
A protection apparatus is for a direct current electrical generating apparatus. The protection apparatus includes a first terminal; a second terminal; a third terminal; a fourth terminal; at least one current sensor structured to sense current flowing between the first and second terminals or between the third and fourth terminals; a voltage sensor structured to sense a voltage between the first terminal and the third terminal; at least one switch structured to interrupt the current flowing between the first and second terminals or between the third and fourth terminals; and a processor cooperating with the at least one current sensor, the voltage sensor and the at least one switch, and being structured to provide feed forward fault protection for the direct current electrical generating apparatus. |
| US08837095B2 |
DC electrical power system
A DC electrical power system has a power generator converter system, a positive supply rail extending from the converter system, a negative supply rail extending from the converter system, and a midpoint earthing arrangement operatively connecting to the supply rails. The earthing arrangement is connected to earth by a solid earth connection. The network further has a first protective device on one of the supply rails which in case of a fault is operable to interrupt current flowing on that rail, and a second protective device on the earthing arrangement which in case of a fault is operable to interrupt current flowing to earth through the solid earth connection. |
| US08837092B2 |
Magnetic element with biasing structure distal the air bearing surface
An apparatus can be generally directed to a magnetic stack having a magnetically free layer positioned on an air bearing surface (ABS). The magnetically free layer can be biased to a predetermined magnetization in various embodiments by a biasing structure that is coupled with the magnetically free layer and positioned distal the ABS. |
| US08837089B1 |
Magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording including a heater
A magnetic head includes a main pole and a heater for heating the main pole. The main pole is shaped to have a receiving space formed therein for receiving at least part of the heater. The at least part of the heater is received in the receiving space. The main pole includes a first layer and a second layer stacked. The receiving space is sandwiched between the first layer and the second layer. |
| US08837086B2 |
Magnetic recording head, manufacturing method thereof, and magnetic disk device
A magnetic recording head used for microwave-assisted magnetic recording includes: a main pole; a spin torque oscillator provided on the main pole, including a high-speed rotating magnetization layer in which the magnetization is rapidly rotated by a spin torque; a trailing shield provided on the spin torque oscillator; and a sub pole magnetically coupled to the trailing shield provided in a medium-facing surface, extending in a vertical direction to the medium-facing surface. Then, a non-magnetic electrode is provided on the outside of a trailing gap in which the spin torque oscillator is provided with respect to a magnetic material of the main pole, the trailing shield, or the sub pole, to prevent the line resistance variation due to the AMR effect or the eddy current. Thus, the variation of the current flowing to the spin torque oscillator can be controlled to achieve stable oscillation. |
| US08837085B2 |
Write yoke with stabilizing layer
An apparatus is provided that generally relates to a data writer that may be constructed with a write pole coupled to a yoke. The yoke may be configured with a stabilizing layer that stabilizes magnetic domains present in the yoke. In some embodiments, the yoke has first and second sub-yokes. |
| US08837079B1 |
Spindle motor and hard disk drive including the same
There is provided a spindle motor, including: a rotating member including a shaft having a fixing groove disposed in a lower portion thereof, a hub base extending from an upper end of the shaft in an outer radial direction, and a magnet support part extending from an outer edge of the hub base downwardly in an axial direction; a sleeve rotatably supporting the rotating member; and a stopper including a fixed part inserted into the fixing groove and a flange part extending from an end of the fixed part in the outer radial direction, wherein the flange part includes a groove part formed by being recessed inwardly and an extension part extending from the groove part in the outer radial direction. |
| US08837078B2 |
Rotating body for fluid dynamic bearing capable of being thinned and being improved in rotational accuracy and method of producing the rotating body for fluid dynamic bearing
A rotating body for a fluid dynamic bearing used for rotating a recording disk that has been mounted therein include: a rotating shaft portion in which a cylindrical portion that serves as a rotating shaft and a protruding portion extended radially outward from one end of the cylindrical portion are formed integrally with each other; and a hub that is to be connected to the end portion near to the outer circumference of the protruding portion and that has a mounting seat portion on which the recording disk is to be mounted. |
| US08837077B1 |
Computer system and controlling method for hard disk
A computer system and a controlling method for a hard disk are provided. The computer system includes a case, a hard disk, a pressure sensor and a controller. The hard disk is disposed in the case and includes a platter and head, which is used to access the platter in an access range. The pressure sensor is disposed between the hard disk and the case, and is configured to obtain a pressure value. The controller is coupled to the pressure sensor and the hard disk, and is configured to determine if the pressure value is larger than or equal to a threshold. If the pressure value is larger than or equal to the threshold, the controller issues a command to the hard disk, such that the head leaves the access range. Accordingly, the hard disk is prevented from being damaged. |
| US08837075B2 |
Head assembly with head-media spacing control
A head assembly including one or more transducer elements for controlling head-media spacing is disclosed. The assembly includes detection circuitry configured to receive an input detection signal responsive to the spacing between the head and the data storage media and provide an output measure indicative of the head-media spacing. The output signal is utilized by control circuitry to provide a control input to one of a plurality of transducer elements on the head to protrude a localized portion of the head to adjust head-media spacing. |
| US08837074B1 |
Method and system for compensating for track squeeze
A storage device includes a storage medium having a plurality of tracks of data. Reading apparatus for reading a current track of data that has been subject to previous encroachment to an extent from at least one adjacent track of data includes a write head that writes interfering data to the adjacent track of data while intentionally encroaching at least to that extent onto the current track of data, and circuitry that recovers data on the current track of data using the interfering data. A method for reading a current track of data, that has been subject to previous encroachment to an extent from at least one adjacent track of data, includes writing interfering data to the adjacent track of data while intentionally encroaching at least to that extent onto the current track of data, and recovering data on the current track of data using the interfering data. |
| US08837071B2 |
Sensing temperature at a slider protrusion region
An apparatus includes a near-field transducer at or near an air bearing surface of the apparatus. A write pole is disposed at or near the air bearing surface and proximate the near-field transducer, respectively. A thermal sensor is disposed at the air bearing surface and within a protrusion region of the air bearing surface defined relative to at least one of the near-field transducer and the write pole. The thermal sensor is configured to produce a signal indicative of a temperature at the protrusion region. |
| US08837065B1 |
Systems and methods for fast measurement of channel performance metrics such as error margin and off-track recording capability in shingled magnetic recording
Systems and methods for making fast measurements of channel performance metrics such as error margin and off-track recording capability in shingled magnetic recording are provided. One such method involves writing a plurality of shingled tracks on the disk, measuring an off track read capability (OTRC) of each of the plurality of shingled tracks, determining radial endpoints of the measured OTRC for each of the plurality of shingled tracks, determining an approximate radial center for each of the plurality of shingled tracks based on the respective OTRC radial endpoints, and measuring a channel performance metric at a range centered around the approximate radial center for each of the plurality of shingled tracks. In one such case, the channel performance metric involves error margin. One such system includes a processor coupled to a memory, a magnetic transducer, and a test platform, where the processor is configured to perform the method. |
| US08837063B2 |
Color filter and manufacturing method thereof
A method for manufacturing a color filter is provided. The method includes following steps. A substrate is provided. A first filter layer is formed on a first part of a first region and a first part of a second region of the substrate. A second filter layer is formed on a second part of the second region. A third filter layer is formed on a second part of the first region and a third part of the second region. When a white beam is projected on the color filter, the first region and the second region reflect a plurality of color beams. A color filter manufactured through the method is also provided. |
| US08837059B2 |
Image reading apparatus
According to an aspect of the invention, an image reading apparatus includes a substrate, light emitting elements, a catoptrics system, an imaging lens, a lens position fixing unit, and a reflective surface fixing unit. The plurality of light emitting elements is arranged on the substrate in a line and emits light to a surface of an object to be irradiated. The imaging element is disposed on the substrate and receives light reflected from the surface of the object. The first optical system guides the light emitted from the light emitting elements to the surface of the object. The second optical system guides the light reflected from the surface to the imaging element. The second optical system includes a catoptrics system including a first reflective surface and a second reflective surface so that light reflected from the first reflective surface is reflected to the substrate, and an imaging lens. |
| US08837053B2 |
Zoom lens and optical apparatus
A zoom lens includes an aperture diaphragm, and a plurality of lens units including a negative lens unit arranged on a light incident side of the aperture diaphragm, the zoom lens being configured to make variable a focal length by changing an interval in the plurality of lens units. The negative lens unit includes a negative lens having a radial type refractive index distribution and a concave surface on the light incident side. The negative lens has a wavelength dispersion distribution in which a differential value is negative on an optical axis of the zoom lens, and the differential value increases at a position that is more distant from the optical axis. |
| US08837048B2 |
Daylight collection systems and methods
Lighting devices and methods for illuminating the interior of a building with natural daylight are disclosed. In some embodiments, a daylighting apparatus includes a tube having a sidewall with a reflective interior surface, an at least partially transparent light collector with one or more light turning elements, and a light reflector positioned to reflect daylight into the light collector. The one or more light turning elements can turn direct and indirect daylight into the tube so that it is available to illuminate the building. In some embodiments, the tube is disposed between the light collector and a diffuser positioned inside a target area of a building. In certain embodiments, the tube is configured to direct at least a portion of the daylight transmitted through the light collector towards the diffuser. |
| US08837045B2 |
Diffraction phase microscopy with white light
A microscope and methods for obtaining a phase image of a substantially transparent specimen. Light collected from a specimen illuminated by a temporally incoherent source is diffracted into a first order and either the zeroth or first order is low-pass filtered in a Fourier transform plane before the orders are recombined at a focal plane detector. By low pass filtering the first order diffracted beam into a plurality of wavelengths, a spectrally- and spatially-resolved quantitative phase image of the specimen is obtained. |
| US08837043B2 |
Light source arrangement for an illumination device of a medical-optical observation apparatus
A light source arrangement (101) for an illumination device of a medical-optical observation apparatus has an illumination light source (7) and an illumination optical unit (15) for illuminating an observation object (23) with illumination light from the illumination light source (7). The light source arrangement (101) has at least one luminescence emitter (3) as light source and an imaging optical unit (105) that generates an image (7) of the at least one luminescence emitter (3) with a defined magnification scale, which image forms the illumination light source for the illumination device. |
| US08837041B2 |
Magnifying imaging optical system and metrology system with an imaging optical system of this type
A magnifying imaging optical system is disclosed that has precisely three mirrors, which image an object field in an object plane into an image field in an image plane. A ratio between a transverse dimension of the image field and a transverse dimension measured in the same direction of a useful face of the last mirror before the image field is greater than 3. In a further aspect, the magnifying imaging optical system is disclosed that has at least three mirrors, which image an object field in an object plane in an image field in an image plane. A first mirror in the beam path after the object field is concave, a second mirror is also concave and a third mirror is convex. An angle of incidence of imaging beams on the last mirror before the image field is less than 15°. |
| US08837038B2 |
Fiber geometrical management for TEM00 mode pulse energy scaling of fiber lasers and amplifiers
Methods and systems for managing pulse energy scaling are disclosed, including generating electromagnetic radiation; coupling the electromagnetic radiation to a fiber geometrical management system comprising: a tapered fiber comprising: an elliptical or rectangular core centrally positioned within a single or double cladding shell, wherein the core comprises a fiber material and a doped gain medium; an input face wherein the doped core comprises a major axis and a minor axis, wherein the ratio of the major to minor axis at the input face ranges from about 1 to about 100; an output face wherein the doped core comprises a major axis and a minor axis, wherein the ratio of the major to minor axis at the output face ranges from about 1 to about 100; and wherein the major (minor) axis is adiabatically or linearly tapered from the input face to the output face. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08837034B2 |
Sculptural imaging with optical tiles
Structures for representing images comprise a plurality of tile elements which, when illuminated by a light source, each direct an amount of light toward an observer at a viewing location dependent on their orientation angles. The orientation angles of each tile element may be selected based on a characteristic of a corresponding pixel of an image, such that the observer sees a representation of that image created by the varying amount of light directed to the viewing location by the tile elements. |
| US08837030B2 |
Blade drive device and optical equipment
A blade drive device includes: a board including an opening; a first blade movable toward and away from the opening, and including: a first slot; and first and second aperture openings each of which is smaller than the opening; a second blade movable toward and away from the opening and including a second slot; a first drive member including a first drive pin that engages the first slot and that is rotatable about a predetermined position; and a second drive member including a second drive pin that engages the second slot and that is rotatable about a predetermined position. |
| US08837028B2 |
Light scattering element, optical scanning device, and image displaying device
A light scattering element 1 is equipped with a transparent, thin film-like optical element 2 which scatters incident laser light, and a thin film-like piezoelectric element 4, which is sandwiched between two electrodes 3a, 3b and which is laminated on a surface of the optical element 2 that is different from an optical scattering surface 2a. The light scattering element 1 averages a speckle pattern of laser light scatted by the optical scattering surface 2a and emitted therefrom by vibration of the piezoelectric element 4 generated when alternating voltage is applied between the two electrodes 3a, 3b. |
| US08837027B2 |
Optical scanning device and image forming apparatus
An optical scanning device includes: a light source including a plurality of light-emitting elements; a deflector that defects light beams output from the light source; a scanning optical system that condenses the light beams deflected on the deflector onto a surface to be scanned, and includes at least one resin scanning lens and at least one folding mirror disposed behind the at least one resin scanning lens; a light-receiving element to which part of the light beams, which is deflected on the deflector but not used for scanning the surface, enters not via the at least one folding mirror as light-amount monitoring light beams; and a controller that controls a driving signal for the light-emitting elements based on an output signal from the light-receiving element. |
| US08837019B2 |
Sheet conveying apparatus, image reading apparatus, and image forming apparatus
A sheet conveying apparatus comprising: a first conveying guide; a second conveying guide which is arranged on a downstream of the first conveying guide; a plurality of first convex portions which is provided in the first conveying guide, extends toward the second conveying guide and is arranged in a sheet width direction; a plurality of second convex portions which is provided in the second conveying guide, extends toward the first conveying guide and is arranged in the sheet width direction, wherein the first convex portions and the second convex portions are alternately arranged in the sheet width direction; and a bent portion which is formed between the plurality of second convex portions in the second conveying guide, and bent in a manner such that an upstream end is arranged at a position farther from the sheet conveying path than a downstream end portions of the first convex portions. |
| US08837010B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes: a housing, an image reading section, shaft sections, bearing sections, abutment sections, and abutting sections. The housing is provided with an upper surface section. The image reading section has a first wall, a second wall, a bottom surface and a platen. The image reading section is mounted on the upper surface section of the housing. The shaft sections are installed at the bottom surface and provided with a rotating shaft. The bearing sections are provided at the upper surface section of the housing and the shaft sections are inserted into the bearing sections. The abutment sections are disposed at the upper surface section and arranged to face the bottom surface of the image reading section. The abutting sections are disposed at the bottom surface and are caused by the weight of the image reading section to abut against the abutment sections. |
| US08837006B2 |
Pre-processing of image data for enhanced compression
Embodiments herein provide for a pre-processing stage or mechanism for enhancing data compression of an image by splitting or separating the color channels for pixels into planar data sources. Typically, image data is displayed as an interleaved set of channel types for a color space such that each pixel within an image (such as a bitmap) has one component for each color channel. By separating the interleaved bitmap into a planar representation, each plane can be compressed independently and often times achieve higher compression ratios. This is especially true for channels that are expected to stay fairly constant throughout the bitmap most of the time. The utilization of the above embodiment can be further enhanced through manipulation of channel data or through converting the color space from one form to another. |
| US08837005B2 |
Data transmission apparatus, control method therefor, and storage medium
A data transmission apparatus configured to determine an operation screen to be shifted to from a history screen, with reference to a protocol type read from a transmission history selected on the history screen, an application ID when the transmission is performed, a setting value relating to the operation screen, information about the operation screen that has been displayed before shifting to the history screen, and information about an address that has been already set on the operation screen that has been displayed before the history screen is displayed. |
| US08837003B2 |
Image processing apparatus and method for converting a color image into a monochrome image
An image processing apparatus determines whether a color image is formed by reading an original with a reading unit or input from an external apparatus, and sets a conversion method for converting the color image into a monochrome image such that when an image obtained by monochrome converting the color image is output onto a recording medium, security information included in the color image is difficult to be discriminated by human eyes, if the color image is formed by reading an original. If the color image is input from the external apparatus, the image processing apparatus sets a monochrome conversion method selected by a user. The apparatus then converts the color image into a monochrome image by the set monochrome conversion method. |
| US08837002B2 |
Image forming apparatus performing image forming by superimposing images of at least two colors, image forming system, and color shift correction method
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section, a chart creation section, an input section, and a color shift correction section. The image forming section includes a plurality of image forming units that individually form images of different colors. The chart creation section inputs, to the image forming section, the image data of a chart including first lines containing a reference color and a stepped image located between the first lines and that has second lines containing an adjustment color. The input section receives the input of an adjustment value selected based on a chart formed by the image forming section. In response to the adjustment value, the color shift correction section moves the image forming position of the image forming unit forming the image of the adjustment color with respect to the image forming position of the image forming unit forming the image of the reference color. |
| US08836996B2 |
Image forming apparatus, management method of image forming processing, and computer-readable recording medium on which program is recorded
The embodiment described herein can prompt setting of processing conditions to be set by using a display of a weight value used in a quota function. There is provided an image forming apparatus, including: a residual amount detection unit that detects a residual amount of each disposable product; a residual amount information acquisition unit that acquires residual amount information; a determination unit that determines whether there are the disposable products in which a residual amount is disproportionately small; a weight value setting unit that sets the weight value used for weighting so that the weighting for calculating the processing amount of the image forming processing corresponding to setting conditions not using the disposable products having a disproportionately small residual amount is relatively smaller than the weighting corresponding to other setting conditions; and a display control unit that displays the set weight value on a screen. |
| US08836995B2 |
Method and apparatus for replacing banner pages with document identification information in an image production device
A method and apparatus for replacing banner pages with document identification information in an image production device is disclosed. The method may include receiving a request from a user to cease including a banner page with each printed document, the banner page being separate page containing document identification information, prompting the user to enter document identification information to be printed on the document, receiving the document identification information from the user, receiving a request from the user to print a document, and printing the document with document identification information on one or more pages of the document. |
| US08836991B2 |
Controlling device
A controlling device may determine an output resolution according to one type of file format selected from a plurality of types of file format. The output resolution may be a resolution of image data to be included in a target file of a generation target. The plurality of types of file format may include a first type of file format and a second type of file format. The controlling device may determine a first resolution as the output resolution in a first case where the selected file format is the first type of file format, and determine a second resolution different from the first resolution as the output resolution in a second case where the selected file format is the second type of file format. |
| US08836986B2 |
Purging of print jobs from a print data path
A print controller and associated methods of purging a print data path are disclosed. A print controller comprises a job storage system that receives and stores print jobs, and a print data path, which includes components operable to process print jobs, from the job storage system to print engines. The control system receives registrations from the components for flush job messages, flush path messages, or both. The control system receives a request to purge the print data path, and identifies print jobs being processed in the print data path. The control system transmits flush job messages to the components registering for the flush job messages for each print job instructing the components to purge data for the print jobs. The control system also transmits a flush path message to the components registering for the flush path messages instructing the components to purge data for the print jobs being handled. |
| US08836982B2 |
Image display apparatus, printing system, and program configured to print image projected by the image display apparatus
The printing system includes a computer and an image display apparatus. When receiving the printing condition from the image display apparatus, the computer generates print data based upon a printing condition and image data having a higher resolution among a second image data stored in a second memory in the computer and the first image data stored in a first memory in the computer, which corresponds to the identification information contained in the printing condition, and sends the print data to a printer connected to the computer for printing. |
| US08836981B2 |
Apparatus, system, and method of output distribution, and recording medium storing output distribution control program
An output distribution system extracts user-specific information from job data that is generated in response to an output request, obtains terminal-specific information that identifies a terminal that is associated with a user specified by user-specific information, and transmits drawing data of the job data to an output destination determined based on the identified terminal. |
| US08836980B2 |
Using virtual printers to select printing menu choices from limited resource devices
A method and system include at least one printer, and a computerized print server operatively connected to the printer. The printer is capable of performing a plurality of different operations, and the different operations are enabled and disabled by selection of different menu choices. Further, the computerized print server stores a plurality of virtual printers, and each of the virtual printers comprises a print queue identifying one printer and storing a pattern of the menu choices. Each of the pattern of the menu choices is different in each of the virtual printers. The process of choosing a selected virtual printer from the virtual printers for a print job automatically chooses a selected printer and a selected pattern of menu choices. |
| US08836977B2 |
Managing a resource conservation mode and printing quota
A print manager of a printing device is configured to retrieve a plurality of print options and features to be used to process a particular print job on the printing device, and to determine whether a resource conservation mode is specified for the printing device. In response to determining that the resource conservation mode is specified for the printing device, the print manager identifies, from the plurality of print options, one or more particular print options that are associated with the resource conservation mode, and generates a modified plurality of print options and features by changing a feature for each of the one or more particular print options to implement the resource conservation mode. In the resource conservation mode, the modified plurality of print options and features is used to process the particular print job to reduce an amount of consumable resources used to process the particular print job. |
| US08836970B2 |
Document printing techniques
We describe a portable paperless electronic printer for displaying a printed document on an electronic paper display. The paperless electronic printer includes an input to receive print data from an output of a printer driver of a computerised electronic device, a non-volatile electrophoretic display to provide an electronic paper display of stored said print data for a said document page to mimic said document page when printed on paper; and a processor coupled to said input, to non-volatile memory, and to said non-volatile electrophoretic display and configured to input said print data, to store said data derived from said print data in said non-volatile memory, and to provide to said non-volatile electrophoretic display data for displaying a said document page derived from said stored data. |
| US08836964B2 |
Queued error reconciliation in a document processing environment
The present subject matter relates to a method and system for increasing the throughput of mail processing machines by limiting the number of document processing system stops while effectively allowing errors to be reconciled during the continued operation of the system. More particularly, the present approach involves logging detected errors during an ongoing document processing run. The detected errors are analyzed for priority, and the operator is alerted to take corrective action during run time for specified errors. The reported errors may be reconciled prior to the completion of the document processing run. |
| US08836961B2 |
Information processing apparatus, image reader, file upload system, and non-transitory computer readable medium
An information processing apparatus includes: an acquisition unit that acquires display data, which includes setup information regarding uploading of an image file, from a server apparatus; a display controller that displays a first screen for receiving a start operation of reading of an image on a display according to the display data acquired by the acquisition unit; a detector that detects the start operation while the first screen is displayed by the display; a reading controller that controls an image reading unit to read an image according to the setup information acquired by the acquisition unit when the start operation is detected by the detector, the image reading generating an image file corresponding to the read image; and an upload unit that uploads the image file generated by the image reading unit to the server apparatus. |
| US08836960B1 |
Storing device drivers in imaging devices
Imaging devices incorporating semi-volatile memory are described herein. According to various embodiments, device driver information may be stored in the semi-volatile NAND flash memory. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. |
| US08836959B2 |
Method and apparatus for recognizing characters
A method and apparatus are provided for recognizing characters in a portable terminal with a scan module. Scanned image data is generated by the scan module by scanning a scan target through a scanning-light input/output panel provided on an external surface of the portable terminal as the portable terminal moves across the scan target. Part of the scanned image data is deleted when a current moving speed of the portable terminal is less than a lower limit of an optimal scan speed range, and character recognition is performed on remaining scanned image data. Image data most similar to the scanned image data is detected from a previously stored correction image database when the current moving speed is greater than an upper limit of the optimal scan speed range, and characters corresponding to the detected image data are output as character recognition results. |
| US08836953B2 |
OCT system with phase sensitive interference signal sampling
An OCT system and particularly its clock system generates a k-clock signal but also generates an optical frequency reference sweep signal that, for example, indicates the start of the sweep or an absolute frequency reference associated with the sweep at least for the purposes of sampling of the interference signal and/or processing of that interference signal into the OCT images. This optical frequency reference sweep signal is generated at exactly the same frequency of the swept optical signal from sweep to sweep of that signal. This ensures that the sampling of the interference signal occurs at the same frequencies, sweep to sweep. Such a system is relevant to a number of applications in which it is important that successive sweeps of the swept optical signal be very stable with respect to each other. |
| US08836952B2 |
Optical coherence tomographic imaging method and optical coherence tomographic imaging apparatus
An optical tomographic diagnostic apparatus is characterized by executing a first step (S1) to acquire a wavelength spectrum, a second step (S2) to increase the number of elements of the wavelength spectrum, a third step (S3 and S4) to convert the wavelength spectrum into a wavenumber spectrum and to decrease the number of elements to provide a wavenumber spectrum of equal intervals, and a fourth step (S5) to acquire tomographic information of the object to be inspected from the wavenumber spectrum. As a result, a wavenumber spectrum of equal intervals can be obtained which is faithful to a physical phenomenon, and more accurate tomographic information can be obtained. |
| US08836950B2 |
SAGNAC interferometer-type fiber-optic current sensor
In one embodiment, a Sagnac interferometer-type fiber-optic sensor includes a synchronous detection circuit to carry out synchronous detection of detected light signal with a phase modulation angular frequency of a phase modulator. A signal processing circuit calculates and outputs the magnitude of current to be measured using the signal detected in the synchronous detection circuit. A phase modulator driving circuit controls the driving of the phase modulator. The phase modulator driving circuit controls a phase modulation depth of the phase modulator so that the amplitude of the second-order harmonics and the fourth-order harmonics obtained by carrying out the synchronous detection of the detected light signal with the phase modulation angular frequency becomes the same. |
| US08836947B2 |
Sample analysis element and detecting device
A plurality of metallic nano-body groups that includes metallic nano-bodies which are a size smaller than the wavelength of incident light and are dispersed on a dielectric surface is arranged in one direction at a pitch that resonates with the incident light. A long piece extends on the dielectric surface between adjacent metallic nano-body groups. The long piece is formed of a material having no free electron that performs resonance oscillation with the incident light. Localized surface plasmon resonance occurs in the metallic nano-body by the action of the incident light. Propagating surface plasmon resonance occurs by the action of the pitch. The propagating surface plasmon resonance is combined with the localized surface plasmon resonance. A so-called hybrid mode is established. The long piece is helpful in the establishment of the pitch. |
| US08836946B2 |
Optical device and detection device
An optical device includes a group of projections projecting from a conductor surface of a substrate, and arranged along a first direction at a pitch Px, a dielectric layer covering the conductor surface and the group of projections, and a metal nanostructure having metal nanoparticles each having a size d of the order of nanometers arranged on the dielectric layer along the first direction, assuming that the wavelength of irradiation light is λ, λ>Px>d is fulfilled, and assuming that a maximum value of an arrangement pitch between two of the metal nanoparticles adjacent to each other in the first direction is Qx, Px>Qx is fulfilled. |
| US08836945B1 |
Electronically conducting metal oxide nanoparticles and films for optical sensing applications
The disclosure relates to a method of detecting a change in a chemical composition by contacting a conducting oxide material with a monitored stream, illuminating the conducting oxide material with incident light, collecting exiting light, monitoring an optical signal based on a comparison of the incident light and the exiting light, and detecting a shift in the optical signal. The conducting metal oxide has a carrier concentration of at least 1017/cm3, a bandgap of at least 2 eV, and an electronic conductivity of at least 10−1 S/cm, where parameters are specified at the gas stream temperature. The optical response of the conducting oxide materials is proposed to result from the high carrier concentration and electronic conductivity of the conducting metal oxide, and the resulting impact of changing gas atmospheres on that relatively high carrier concentration and electronic conductivity. These changes in effective carrier densities and electronic conductivity of conducting metal oxide films and nanoparticles are postulated to be responsible for the change in measured optical absorption associated with free carriers. Exemplary conducting metal oxides include but are not limited to Al-doped ZnO, Sn-doped In2O3, Nb-doped TiO2, and F-doped SnO2. |
| US08836944B2 |
Spatially resolved imaging of opto-electrical property variations
Systems and methods for opto electric properties are provided. A light source illuminates a sample. A reference detector senses light from the light source. A sample detector receives light from the sample. A positioning fixture allows for relative positioning of the sample or the light source with respect to each other. An electrical signal device measures the electrical properties of the sample. The reference detector, sample detector and electrical signal device provide information that may be processed to determine opto-electric properties of the same. |
| US08836942B2 |
Optical component with a passive alignment member
Various embodiments of machine vision systems, methods, and devices are disclosed for providing passive alignment of an optical component to an electrical device. One embodiment is a method for passively aligning an optical subassembly to an electrical subassembly. One such method comprises: a machine vision system positioning an optical subassembly relative to an electrical subassembly; the machine vision system capturing an image of the optical subassembly; the machine vision system processing the image to identify an alignment member formed on the optical subassembly; and the machine vision system determining a first position of the optical axis of the optical subassembly based on a second position of the alignment member. |
| US08836937B2 |
Actuatable visual inspection device
A visual inspection device for inspecting interior passages of a system is disclosed herein. In an embodiment, the visual inspection device includes a visual inspection tool and a tube having a lumen disposed therein, the visual inspection tool being disposed at a distal end of the tube. A plurality of actuators are disposed along an axial extent of an exterior of the tube, and a locomotor is disposed on an exterior of the tube. A locator for tracking a location of the visual inspection tool is also provided as part of the visual inspection device. |
| US08836934B1 |
Contamination identification system
A method and apparatus for inspecting a composite workpiece. A response to electromagnetic radiation directed to a surface of the composite workpiece is separated into a number of wavelengths for each of a number of locations on the surface of the composite workpiece. A set of contaminants on the surface of the composite workpiece is identified from the number of wavelengths for the each of the number of locations. A two-dimensional image of the surface of the composite workpiece is generated with a set of graphical indicators indicating the set of contaminants identified from the number of wavelengths for the each of the number of locations on the surface of the composite workpiece. |
| US08836927B2 |
System for improving the dynamic range and reducing measurement uncertainty in fibre optic distributed sensors and fibre optic distributed measurement equipment
The present disclosure is based on distributed amplification based on the Raman Effect, consisting of one or more pump lasers (5) at various wavelengths combined with a variable number of fiber optic reflectors (6). These elements induce in the fiber optic sensor (4) or measurement object the necessary conditions for the propagation of the sensor or measurement equipment signals in virtual transparency mode, improving the signal-to-noise ratio in the sensor and measurement equipment signal, improving the dynamic range and increasing the range of the sensor or measurement equipment by up to 250 km. |
| US08836924B2 |
Sensor apparatus, production method and detection apparatus
A sensor apparatus including at least one analog and one digital circuit component and an analog/digital converter for converting analog signals of the analog circuit component into digital signals for the digital circuit component, and vice versa, wherein the analog circuit component and the digital circuit components include at least one module for electronically implementing a function, and wherein one of the modules of the analog circuit component is embodied as a sensor device for detecting optical radiation and one of the modules of the digital circuit component is embodied as a signal processing device for processing digital signals. In order to enable improved integration into application-based sensor devices, the circuit components including the analog/digital converter are integrated as an integrated circuit in a chip and the chip is manufactured as a semiconductor structure using 1-poly technology. |
| US08836923B2 |
Distance measurement system
A light source transmits detecting light toward an object. The object reflects the detecting light and forms a reflected light. A sensor is used for sensing the reflected light. Then, an exposure control unit coupled to the sensor performs luminance convergence on the reflected light according to luminance of the reflected light sensed by the sensor. And a distance measurement device coupled to the sensor detects a distance between the object and the light source and/or the sensor according to an image position of the reflected light on the sensor. |
| US08836922B1 |
Devices and methods for a rotating LIDAR platform with a shared transmit/receive path
A LIDAR device may transmit light pulses originating from one or more light sources and may receive reflected light pulses that are then detected by one or more detectors. The LIDAR device may include a lens that both (i) collimates the light from the one or more light sources to provide collimated light for transmission into an environment of the LIDAR device and (ii) focuses the reflected light onto the one or more detectors. The lens may define a curved focal surface in a transmit path of the light from the one or more light sources and a curved focal surface in a receive path of the one or more detectors. The one or more light sources may be arranged along the curved focal surface in the transmit path. The one or more detectors may be arranged along the curved focal surface in the receive path. |
| US08836919B2 |
Management method and system for exposure apparatus having alarm based on inclination amount and deviation from aligned position
According to one embodiment, a control method for an exposure apparatus is disclosed. The method can include retrieving, from a database, a correction amount of alignment correction at a time of exposure of a wafer and an inclination amount of a wafer stage with respect to an optical axis of an exposure optical system at the time of exposure. The method can include making a determination on the inclination amount based on a predetermined condition. The method can include making a determination on the correction amount based on the predetermined condition. In addition, the method can include issuing an alarm when the inclination amount and the correction amount both satisfy the condition. |
| US08836918B2 |
Dual-stage exchange system for lithographic apparatus
A dual-stage exchange system for a lithographic apparatus comprises a silicon chip stage (10) operating in an exposure workstation (6) and a silicon chip stage (12) operating in a pre-processing workstation (7). Each silicon chip stage (10, 12) is supported by a six-freedom micro-motion stage, respectively. The silicon chip stage (10, 12) and the six-freedom micro-motion stage form a silicon chip stage group. The two silicon chip stage groups are provided on the same rectangular base stage (1) and suspended on an upper surface (2) of the base sage by air bearings. A double-freedom driving unit (21a, 21b, 22a, 22b) is provided on each edge of the base stage (1), respectively. The six-freedom micro-motion stage of the silicon chip stage group has an upper layer driver and a lower layer driver, capable of achieving six-freedom control. The double-freedom driving units (21a, 21b) on the long edges of the base stage are connected with the bases (62) of the six-freedom micro-motion stages, and the double-freedom driving units (22a, 22b) on the short edges of the base stage are connected with the stator coils (63) of the upper layer drivers of the six-freedom micro-motion stages. |
| US08836916B2 |
Illumination system for use in a stereolithography apparatus
The invention concerns an illumination system for use in a stereolithography apparatus, comprising: a planar support; a multilens projector array mechanically supported on the planar support over the array on a plano side, and having a work surface arranged to receive a resin applying device for applying a resin layer, the projector array comprising a stack of optical elements, including a plurality of lenslets adapted to project the LEDs onto the work surface, and a two-dimensional array of individually controllable light-emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged between the planar support and the multilens projector. According to an aspect, the planar support and the plano side are supported on contact zones arranged over substantially the entire plano side; the illumination system thus forming a rigid body. |
| US08836915B2 |
Lithographic apparatus, a method of controlling the apparatus and a device manufacturing method
An immersion lithographic apparatus is disclosed having a projection system configured to direct a patterned beam of radiation onto a substrate and a liquid handling system configured to supply and confine immersion liquid to a space defined between the projection system and a substrate, or a substrate table, or both. A controller is provided to adjust an angle of a lower surface of the liquid handling system relative to the top surface of the substrate during motion of the substrate and/or substrate table relative to the liquid handling system dependent upon a position of the substrate and/or substrate table relative to the liquid handling system and/or a direction of relative movement between the substrate and/or substrate table and the liquid handling system. |
| US08836913B2 |
Lithographic apparatus having an encoder type position sensor system
A lithographic apparatus is disclosed that includes an encoder type sensor system configured to measure a position of a substrate table of the lithographic apparatus relative to a reference structure. The encoder type sensor system includes an encoder sensor head and an encoder sensor target and the lithographic apparatus comprises a recess to accommodate the encoder sensor target. |
| US08836911B2 |
Method and system for producing flat three-dimensional images
A method and system for producing a flat three-dimensional image utilizing acoustic transfer assist. An image is first developed in image bearing material onto the image bearing surface of a rendering device. A three-dimensional plastic sheet can be provided to the transfer section of the rendering device. Transfer of the image can then be accomplished as the plastic sheet comes into contact with the image-bearing surface. The transfer is facilitated by acoustic transfer assist technology associated with the rendering device. |
| US08836906B2 |
Display device with light receiving element under transparent spacer and manufacturing method therefor
An object is to provide a display device which has high visibility and has a touch recognition function with a high degree of accuracy, by combining a liquid crystal layer where liquid crystals are dispersed in a polymer and a light emitting element. In a display device using a liquid crystal layer where liquid crystals are dispersed in a polymer, a light-transmitting spacer is provided so as to overlap with a light receiving element which has a touch recognition function. The light-transmitting spacer can prevent light incident on the light receiving element from being dispersed by the liquid crystals, while maintaining a cell gap in the liquid crystal layer, and thus achieve a touch recognition function with a high degree of accuracy with high visibility. |
| US08836903B2 |
Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display includes first and second substrates, and a liquid crystal layer disposed therebetween. First and second gate lines are disposed on the first substrate. First and second data lines, and a power line are disposed on the first substrate. A first switching element is connected to the first gate line and the first data line, a second switching element is connected to the first gate line and the power line, a third switching element is connected to the second gate line and the second data line, a first pixel electrode is connected to the first switching element, a second pixel electrode is connected to the second switching element, a third pixel electrode is connected to the second switching element, and a fourth pixel electrode is connected to the third switching element, and a gate-on voltage can be simultaneously applied to the first and second gate lines. |
| US08836901B2 |
Substrate for liquid crystal display device including peripheral lines having openings and fabricating method thereof
A liquid crystal display device includes a substrate having a display region and a non-display region. In the display region, the gate line and a data line cross to define a pixel region and a thin film transistor is disposed at the crossing portion of the gate and data lines. The thin film transistor includes a gate electrode and source and drain electrodes. A peripheral line having a plurality of openings is disposed in the non-display region. The openings are slits, rectangles, circles, or triangles. The openings relieve plasma during dry-etching of the peripheral line. A pixel electrode is connected to the drain electrode in the pixel region. |
| US08836899B2 |
Method for attaching protection film of liquid crystal display module and protection film of liquid crystal display module
The present invention provides a method for attaching a protection film of a liquid crystal display module, including the following steps: (1) providing a liquid crystal display module protection film and a liquid crystal display module, wherein the liquid crystal display module protection film includes a protection film body and adhesive layers formed at edges of the protection film body and the liquid crystal display module includes a backlight module, a liquid crystal display panel disposed on the backlight module, and a front bezel disposed on the liquid crystal display panel; (2) aligning the liquid crystal display module protection film with respect to the front bezel of the liquid crystal display module; and (3) attaching the adhesive layers of the liquid crystal display module protection film to the front bezel of the liquid crystal display module so as to cover the liquid crystal display panel. |
| US08836897B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
A liquid crystal display device comprising a liquid crystal cell and a polarizer arranged on at least one outer side of the liquid crystal cell, wherein the liquid crystal cell includes a pair of substrates at least one of which has an electrode and which are arranged oppositely to each other, and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the substrates, and at least one substrate includes at least three color pixels of B, G and R satisfying the following formula (1-1), and the polarizer includes a polarizing element and a film satisfying the following formula (1-2) and containing an optically-anisotropic layer: −20 nm≦{Rth[cell](630)−Rth[cell](440)}≦28 nm, (1-1) 1 nm |
| US08836895B2 |
Display apparatus and method of manufacturing the same
A display apparatus includes a base substrate, a pixel electrode, a plurality of capsular structures, a common electrode and a plurality of color filters. The base substrate includes a plurality of unit pixel regions. Each of the unit pixel regions has a plurality of sub pixel regions. A pixel electrode is formed in each of the sub pixel regions. A plurality of capsular structures is disposed on the base substrate. Each of the capsular structures is formed in each of the unit pixel regions and having a cavity. A common electrode is formed on the capsular structures. A plurality of color filters is formed on the capsular structures. Each of the color filters is formed in each of the sub pixel regions. An opening ratio of the sub pixel regions and light transmittance are relatively high. |
| US08836889B2 |
Transparent display device including a light guide plate formed with a plurality of concave patterns at the lower surface thereof
Disclosed is a transparent display device including a light guide plate formed with a plurality of concave patterns at the lower surface thereof to totally reflect polarized light entered in a lateral direction while transmitting natural light entered from a lower direction therethrough; a light source disposed in a lateral direction of the light guide plate to emit visible light including first and second polarized lights; a first polarizing plate disposed at a lateral portion of the light guide plate to transmit either one of the first and second polarized lights through the light guide plate; a liquid crystal panel for driving liquid crystals to change the phase of the polarized light; and a second polarizing plate for controlling an amount of the polarized light according to the changed phase of the polarized light. |
| US08836888B2 |
Modular light source/electronics and automotive rearview assemblies using the same
A vehicular rearview assembly comprising a light source illuminating the mirror system within the housing of the assembly. The light source is a layered structure including generally co-extensive optical elements such as a light-guiding element that accepts light from light emitters and distributes this light along an area that is not transverse with respect to a display of the assembly. Light distributed and outcoupled through the light-guiding element illuminates the whole display, while radiation from other emitters may traverse the light-guiding element in order to highlight respectively corresponding segments of the display. The display may be configured in a spatially-segmented fashion to increase brightness of displayed indicia. |
| US08836884B2 |
Flat panel display device, stereoscopic display device, and liquid crystal display device
The present invention provides a flat panel display device, a stereoscopic display device, and a liquid crystal display device. The flat panel display device includes a backlight system and a display panel, wherein the backlight system includes a light source, a light homogenization mechanism, and a back frame; the back frame carries the light source and the light homogenization mechanism and the back frame includes at least two assembling pieces. The at least two assembling pieces are joined to form the back frame. The back frame further includes a bracing piece that is set in pawl mating engagement with the assembling pieces. The present invention forms a back frame through joining assembling pieces so that the structure of a mold for back frame is simple, the expenditure for the back frame mold is reduced, the material for the back frame is saved, and the cost is lowered down. Further, through the pawl mating arrangement of the bracing piece and the assembling piece, the bracing piece of the back frame realizes fast mounting and removal. |
| US08836879B2 |
Displays with minimized curtain mura
Displays such as liquid crystal displays may be provided with structures that minimize curtain mura. A display may have upper and lower polarizers. A color filter layer and a thin film transistor layer may be located between the upper and lower polarizers. A liquid crystal layer may be interposed between the color filter layer and the thin film transistor layer. A first optical film layer that includes a birefringent compensating layer may be located between the upper polarizer and the color filter layer. A second optical film layer that is devoid of birefringent compensating layers may be located between the thin film transistor layer and the lower polarizer. A grid of metal signal lines may be used to distribute signals to thin film transistors on the thin film transistor layer. A black mask may be interposed between the grid of signal lines and the thin film transistor layer. |
| US08836877B2 |
Display substrate, display device, and method of manufacturing the display substrate
Provided are a display substrate, a display device, and a method of manufacturing the display substrate. The display substrate includes: a substrate in which a pixel region is defined; a gate electrode and a gate pad are formed on the substrate; a gate insulating layer formed on the gate electrode and the gate pad; a buffer layer pattern overlaps the gate electrode and is formed on the gate insulating layer; an insulating film pattern formed on the buffer layer pattern; an oxide semiconductor pattern formed on the insulating film pattern; a source electrode formed on the oxide semiconductor pattern; and a drain electrode formed on the oxide semiconductor pattern and is separated from the source electrode. |
| US08836876B2 |
Display substrate, method of manufacturing the same and display panel having the same
A display substrate includes a data line disposed on a base substrate, a first pixel electrode disposed at a first side of the data line, a second pixel electrode disposed at a second side of the data line and a storage electrode overlapping with the data line. The storage electrode overlaps with the first pixel electrode by a first overlapping width, and overlaps with the second pixel electrode by a second overlapping width larger than the first overlapping width. |
| US08836873B2 |
Display devices and methods of manufacturing the same
A display device includes a first substrate, a middle layer, a first liquid crystal layer, a second substrate, a pixel part and a second liquid crystal layer. A first common electrode is on the first substrate. The middle layer includes a lenticular array, and a control electrode on the lenticular array. The control electrode faces the first common electrode. The first liquid crystal layer is between the middle layer and the first substrate, and a second common electrode is on a back side of the middle layer. The pixel part includes a plurality of pixel electrodes on the second substrate and facing the second common electrode. The second liquid crystal layer is between the second common electrode and the pixel part. |
| US08836869B2 |
Projection display apparatus
A projection display apparatus includes a display unit adapted to generate an image, a projection unit adapted to project the image generated by the display unit, a control unit adapted to control the image generated by the display unit, a detection unit adapted to issue an output changed depending on an inclination angle of the projection display apparatus, and a storage unit adapted to store a plurality of horizontal reference values corresponding to installed states of the projection display apparatus. The control unit in the projection display apparatus changes the image generated by the display unit in accordance with an output of the detection unit and the selected horizontal reference value. |
| US08836867B2 |
Video/audio signal processing apparatus
A current control portion of this video/audio signal processing apparatus is configured to set the amount of current supplied to a second external device determined by a determination portion to be smaller than the amount of current supplied to a first external device performing prescribed processing determined by the determination portion. |
| US08836866B2 |
Method and system for adapting film judder correction
A TV or monitor with a sensor sensing radiation or light from the surroundings, where a controlling unit, on the basis of the sensed radiation or parameters of a video signal, frame rate converts an original video signal to an up converted video signal by determining additional images for the video signal, the additional images being determined on the basis of the determined radiation/light or parameter of the video signal in order to relatively reduce frame rate conversion generated artifacts when the radiation or light intensity is higher. |
| US08836865B2 |
Method and system for applying content-based picture quality profiles
A method and system are provided in which a video channel is selected from multiple video channels in a video processor. A picture quality profile associated with a content of the selected video channel is received by the video processor to modify a value of one or more picture quality control parameters utilized by the video processor that are mapped to a user level setting. Metadata associated with the content of the selected video channel may be determined and communicated to a server. The server may utilize the metadata to determine a picture quality profile for the video processor. In some instances, environmental conditions associated with a television or display device may be measured and communicated to the server to determine the picture quality profile. For example, the measured environmental conditions may comprise one or more of an ambient light, a sound, a motion, and a temperature measurement. |
| US08836862B2 |
Method of picture control and image processing apparatus thereof
A picture control method and an image processing apparatus thereof are provided. The method includes setting a picture control mode; setting a picture control value in response to the picture control mode; and sensing a change of the picture control value; restoring the picture control value to a previous value if the change of the picture control value is maintained in excess of a certain amount of time. The image processing apparatus includes a picture controller which sets a mode and a value in response to the mode; a memory which stores an initial value of the value; and a controller which senses a change of the value and controls the picture controller to maintain the change of the value for a certain amount of time, and if the change of the value is maintained in excess of the certain amount of time, retrieves the initial value of the value, and controls the picture controller to change the picture control value to a previously unchanged value. |
| US08836861B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing a video signal
Method, apparatus and computer program product for processing a video signal, the video signal comprising a plurality of frames, wherein the frames of the video signal are received at a jitter buffer, and the frames are output from the jitter buffer at a variable output rate to account for jitter in the received frames. Variations in the output rate are controlled in dependence upon the visual information content of the video signal, the visual information content of the video signal being the portion of the video signal that is to be displayed when the video signal is played out. |
| US08836860B2 |
Method and apparatus for converting image rate by using image scaling
A method of converting an image rate by using image scaling includes changing a resolution of an input original image sequence and generating a changed resolution image sequence; determining a first motion vector by estimating motion of a first image by using a plurality of images from the changed resolution image sequence; determining a second motion vector by modifying the first motion vector of the first image to correspond to a resolution of an original image of the original image sequence, where the original image corresponds to the first image; detecting characteristic information of the original image; determining a third motion vector corresponding to the resolution of the original image by compensating the second motion vector based on the detected characteristic information; and converting an image rate of the input original image sequence based on the detected characteristic information of the original image and the third motion vector. |
| US08836857B2 |
System and method for selectively transcoding signal from one format to one of plurality of formats
A device is provided for use with an input signal and a selecting signal. The input signal has a first format, and the selecting signal has a first state and a second state. The device comprises a receiving portion and a transcoder portion. The receiving portion can receive the input signal and output a received signal. The transcoder portion is arranged to receive the selecting signal and can output a first transcoded signal when the selecting signal is in the first state and can output a second transcoded signal when the selecting signal is in the second state. The first transcoded signal is based on the received signal and is in a second format. The second transcoded signal is based on the received signal and is in a third format, wherein the first format is different from the second format, the first format is different from the third format and the second format is different from the third format. |
| US08836853B2 |
Body structure of imaging apparatus
A camera body (1) of the present invention is provided with a concave portion (1A) in which an imaging unit (2) including a rectangular solid shaped case (2a) having an optical system and an imaging device is detachably disposed. When the case (2a) is viewed from a front side in a state where the case (2a) is disposed in the concave portion (1A), the camera body (1) includes a back face portion (1B) having a back face wall (4) located on the back of the case (2a) and facing a back face of the case (2a), a side face portion (1C) having a side face wall (6) facing a side face of the case (2a), and an upper face portion (1D) having an upper face wall (5) facing an upper face of the case (2a). The concave portion (1A) is defined by the back face wall (4), the side face wall (6), and the upper face wall (5), and is open on three sides where the remaining faces of the case (2a) are located at the time of attachment. |
| US08836847B2 |
Capturing images using a switchable imaging apparatus
A method for capturing an image, comprising: providing a switchable imaging apparatus including a display screen having a first display state and a second transparent state, an optical beam deflector switchable between a first non-deflecting state and a second deflecting state, a camera positioned in a location peripheral to the display screen, and a controller; setting the switchable imaging apparatus to the image capture mode by using the controller to set the display screen to the second transparent state and the optical beam deflector to the second deflecting state; using the camera to capture an image of the scene; setting the switchable imaging apparatus to the image display mode by using the controller to set the display screen to the first display state and the optical beam deflector to the first non-deflecting state; and displaying an image on the display screen. |
| US08836846B2 |
Zoom lens and imaging apparatus
A zoom lens includes: first, second, third and fourth lens groups having negative power, positive power, negative power and positive power, respectively, and sequentially arranged from an object side toward an image side. When the magnification at a wide angle side is changed to the magnification at a telescopic side, the first lens group is so moved along an optical axis that the distance between the first lens group and the second lens group decreases, and the second third and fourth lens groups are moved from the image side toward the object side, the third lens group is moved along the optical axis for focusing, and the zoom lens satisfies the following conditional expression (1) −2.0 |
| US08836843B2 |
Image pickup apparatus and lens unit comprising movable focus lens
An image pickup apparatus is arranged to receive from a lens unit a predetermined signal for indicating whether or not a focus lens is movable by a mount of movement corresponding to first information within a predetermined time, if the received predetermined signal indicates that the focus lens is movable by the amount of movement corresponding to the first information within the predetermined time, make first information on the basis of a focus signal generated from an image signal corresponding to charges accumulated during a first period, and if the received predetermined signal indicates that the focus lens is not movable by the amount of movement corresponding to the first information within the predetermined time, make the first information on the basis of a focus signal generated from the image signal corresponding to the charges accumulated during a second period after the first period. |
| US08836842B2 |
Capture mode outward facing modes
Methods and devices for selectively presenting a user interface in a dual screen device. More particularly, the method includes a change in the display mode of a multiple screen device while the device is in an image capture mode. The device may present different information on the two screens based on several factors including the mode of the image capture feature, the orientation of the device, and/or the state of the device. |
| US08836841B2 |
Electronic apparatus
When complicated functions are provided to an electronic apparatus, the number of menu items to be set and guide items to be reference by a user increases. A user can become lost when searching through the menu items to be set and guide items to be referenced from among items in a hierarchical configuration grouped in categories and displayed in the display section. The electronic apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention comprises a processing section that performs processing; a display section that performs display; and a control section that, when a change in biometric information of a user is obtained, causes the display section to display a display screen that includes at least one of a setting screen and a guide screen relating to the processing of the processing section. |
| US08836839B2 |
Organic pixels including organic photodiode, manufacturing methods thereof, and apparatuses including the same
Provided is an organic pixel, which includes a semiconductor substrate including a pixel circuit, an interconnection layer having a first contact and a first electrode formed on a semiconductor substrate, and an organic photo-diode formed on the interconnection layer. For example, the organic photo-diode includes an insulation layer formed on the first electrode, a second electrode and a photo-electric conversion region formed between the first contact, the insulation layer and the second electrode. The photo-electric conversion region includes an electron donating organic material and an electron accepting organic material. The organic photo-diode may further include a second contact electrically connected to the first contact. The horizontal distance between the second contacts and the insulation layer may be less than or equal to a few micrometers, for example, 10 micrometers. |
| US08836834B2 |
Arangement of circuits in pixels, each circuit shared by a plurality of pixels, in image sensing appratus
In an image sensing apparatus having a plurality of unit cells, each including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements and a common circuit shared by the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, arranged in either one or two dimensions, the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements are arranged at a predetermined interval. |
| US08836827B2 |
Method of processing image signals and related method of image capture
A method of processing image signals comprises determining whether each of multiple units of input pixel data received from an image sensor is bad pixel data generated by a bad pixel of the image sensor or normal pixel data generated by a normal pixel of the image sensor, and performing interpolation to generate image data corresponding to the bad pixel using only normal pixel data and omitting bad pixel data. |
| US08836826B2 |
Image signal processing apparatus and image signal processing method
An image signal processing apparatus includes an imaging unit having an imaging element to conduct photoelectric conversion on incident light from a subject and output an electric signal, a defective pixel detection unit for detecting a defective pixel in the imaging element, a defective pixel correction unit for correcting the detected defective pixel, an image signal correction unit for conducting image signal correction every arbitrary area on a signal supplied from the defective pixel correction unit, a system control unit for generally controlling those units, and a temperature measurement unit for measuring temperature in the vicinity of the imaging element. The system control unit controls a detection condition to be used when the defective pixel detection unit detects a defective pixel, i.e., one or more of an exposure time, a defective pixel detection threshold, and a gain, by using information of the temperature obtained from the temperature measurement unit. |
| US08836815B2 |
Imaging apparatus and method of calculating white balance gain
A WB gain calculation unit 24 determines a light source of a Surface A on the basis of color distribution of the Surface A and a black body locus AD, determines a light source of a Surface B on the basis of color distribution of the Surface B and a black body locus BD and determines a light source of a Surface AB on the basis of color distribution of the Surface AB and a block body locus ABD and calculates the white balance gains on the basis of the determined light sources. |
| US08836813B2 |
Image processing device and image processing method
In a first filtering processing step, RAW data of a source image is subjected to a pixel-based filtering process along a first array direction to divide the RAW data into a first luminance data and a first color carrier data. In a first luminance distribution equalization processing step, the luminance distribution of the first luminance data in the first array direction is corrected to be uniform to produce a second luminance data. In a first color array reproduction processing step, the first color carrier data is re-synthesized with the second luminance data to produce a first multiple-color array data. In a second filtering processing step, the first multiple-color array data is subjected to a pixel-based filtering process along a second array direction to divide the first multiple-color array data into a third luminance data and a second color carrier data. In a second luminance distribution equalization processing step, the luminance distribution of the third luminance data in the second array direction is corrected to be uniform to produce a fourth luminance data. In a second color array reproduction processing step, the second color carrier data is re-synthesized with the fourth luminance data to produce a second multiple-color array data. |
| US08836804B2 |
Video synthesizing apparatus and program
The invention provides data for display on the display area for a child frame when the child frame is synthesized and displayed on the parent frame in picture-in-picture playback in order to give the displayed area of the child frame in conformity with the video content in the parent frame, as well as providing a video display apparatus etc. for displaying the child frame at an appropriate displayed position using the data for display. A video display apparatus 1 includes: decoders 101 and 103 for decoding two sets of video data; a synthesizer 105 for synthesizing the decoded videos to output; an input unit 108 for commanding display/non-display of the child frame; a processing controller 109 for controlling the operations of decoders 101 and 103 in accordance with the command; and a position designator 110 which receives the command and the data for display, and time information and designates the displayed position of the child frame to the synthesizer 105. The position designator 110 determines the displayed position of the child-frame video in accordance with displayable time information of the child-frame video and information on the displayed area or displayable area depending on time, included in the data for display. |
| US08836802B2 |
Method of defining camera scan movements using gestures
Some embodiments relate to a method of displaying items on a touch-sensitive display. The method includes showing a camera on the touch-sensitive display and detecting contact with the camera on the touch-sensitive display. The method further includes manipulating the camera based on a gesture conducted on the touch-sensitive display, wherein the gesture includes making contact with the touch sensitive display at a plurality of locations. The plurality of locations are arranged in a pattern that defines operation of the camera. Other embodiments relate to a method that includes showing a menu on the touch-sensitive display that includes a plurality of camera movement operations and detecting contact with the camera on the touch-sensitive display. The method further includes detecting contact with the menu on the touch-sensitive display to select a particular camera movement operation and manipulating the camera based on a gesture conducted on the touch-sensitive display. |
| US08836796B2 |
Method and system for display characterization or calibration using a camera device
In a class of embodiments, a method and system for characterizing a display device using a camera device (e.g., a consumer grade, mobile camera device) to sense light emitted by the display device during display of one or more test images, and to generate measurement data characterizing the display and/or calibration data useful for calibrating the display device. In some embodiments, the display device is adjusted or calibrated manually in response to such calibration data, for example by user actuation of display device controls in response to calibration data indicative of display setting recommendations. In some embodiments, the test image(s) are embedded in a video stream (e.g., overlaid on arbitrary video content). For example, test images including appropriate timing information and calibration sequences are embedded in a video stream for display by the display device. In some embodiments, the user is prompted to align the camera device (e.g., to position the camera device such that light emitted from a test image at least substantially fills the camera field of view). |
| US08836787B2 |
Image generating apparatus and image display system
When displaying a peripheral image in the case where a traveling speed of a vehicle is lower than a predetermined threshold value, it is possible to provide a user with a state of a necessary area of the vehicle without switching a display mode. In an image display system, when the traveling speed of the vehicle drops to below a predetermined threshold value such that an operation mode shifts into a front mode, the display mode becomes a front/side mode that simultaneously displays both a front area and a side area of the vehicle at the time that the front mode is started. A screen presented in the front/side mode can respond to various circumstances such as approaching an intersection, passing by another vehicle, and moving a vehicle toward a roadside. Accordingly, a user can monitor a state of a necessary area around the vehicle, without switching the display mode. |
| US08836784B2 |
Automotive imaging system for recording exception events
A motor vehicle system for automatically reporting exception events, comprising: one or more digital cameras, at least one digital camera having a primary function; an image memory system for storing digital images; means for detecting exception events; and a wireless communications system for communicating with a central reporting service. A program memory stores executable instruction for causing a processor to perform the steps of: using at least one of the digital cameras to periodically capture digital images at a specified capture frequency; storing the periodically captured digital images in the image memory for a specified period of time; and receiving input from the means for detecting an exception event. In response to the detection of an exception event a communication link is opened to the central reporting service using the wireless communications system, and one or more of the captured digital images are transmitted to the central reporting service. |
| US08836777B2 |
Automatic detection of vertical gaze using an embedded imaging device
A method of detecting and applying a vertical gaze direction of a face within a digital image includes analyzing one or both eyes of a face within an acquired image, including determining a degree of coverage of an eye ball by an eye lid within the digital image. Based on the determined degree of coverage of the eye ball by the eye lid, an approximate direction of vertical eye gaze is determined. A further action is selected based on the determined approximate direction of vertical eye gaze. |
| US08836775B2 |
Stereoscopic image display device and driving method thereof
A stereoscopic image display device includes a patterned retarder including a first retarder transmitting light incident from odd numbered display lines of the pixel array so as to be modulated into first polarized light, and a second retarder transmitting light incident from even numbered display lines so as to be modulated into second polarized light, and a data conversion unit converting input side-by-side type 3D image data into line-by-line type 3D image data, performing a weighted average for luminance signals of odd and even data which are vertically adjacent to each other in left image data of the side-by-side type 3D image data, and performing the weighted average for luminance signals of odd and even data which are vertically adjacent to each other in right image data of the side-by-side type 3D image data. |
| US08836774B2 |
Operation method of shutter glasses based 3D display device
The present invention relates to an operation method of shutter glasses based 3D display device, which alternatively supplies left-eye and right-eye frame signals to a liquid crystal panel to drive the liquid crystal panel, which cooperate with illumination of a scanning back light unit and timing control of the shutter glasses to simulate left and right eyes respectively with left-eye and right-eye signals for perception of a 3D image, wherein in a period of a current frame signal, duty time of each of blocks of the back light unit is located between the time when liquid crystal corresponding to the block completely responds after being driven by the current frame signal and the time when the liquid crystal corresponding to the block starts to respond as being driven by a subsequent frame signal, and the duty time of each of the blocks is divided into duty1, a duty time that precedes completion of response of liquid crystal, and duty2, a duty time that succeeds the completion of response of liquid crystal, luminance of each of the block in duty1 period and duty2 period being respectively adjusted so that each of the blocks has a luminance of liquid crystal corresponding thereof that is equal to a target luminance for both duty1 period and duty2 period. The operation method of shutter glasses based 3D display device according to the present invention alleviates after image caused by crosstalk between left and right eyes without shortening the duty time of each block of BLU. |
| US08836772B2 |
3D shutter glasses with frame rate detector
Active shutter 3D glasses with multiple optical detectors, such as photodiodes, are described that detect a frame rate of a 3D television or other 3D display by using independent component analysis. The detected frame rate is used to update a clock onboard the 3D glasses that times the active shutters, thereby synchronizing the shutters to the 3D display. A switch can reverse the shutters in case the left eye/right eye images are shown oppositely. |
| US08836771B2 |
Apparatus, systems and methods for shared viewing experience using head mounted displays
Systems and methods are operable to share a viewing experience of a free viewpoint format media content event. An exemplary embodiment receives the free viewpoint format media content event, receives unique geometric orientation information from each one of a plurality of head mounted displays (HMDs), determines a unique viewpoint location for each one of the plurality of HMDs based upon the geometric orientation information received from each one of the plurality of HMDs, determines a unique viewpoint area for each one of the plurality of HMDs based upon the determined unique viewpoint location, and communicates each one of the unique viewpoint areas to the associated one of the plurality of HMDs. |
| US08836769B2 |
3D model display apparatus with array modulator
A 3D image display apparatus is disclosed which includes a ray modulator which emits a directive ray in a time series manner based on parallax image information, a scanner which deflects the ray from the ray modulator and scans a predetermined plane two-dimensionally with the deflected ray, a light emitting point distributor which is arranged on a light emission side of the scanner to form a plurality of light emitting points, and a light emitting point multiplexer which is arranged on the light emission side of the light emitting point distributor to form a plurality of secondary light emitting points with rays from individual ones of the light emitting points, to enable stereopsis with a super multi-view region at a high resolution. |
| US08836768B1 |
Method and system enabling natural user interface gestures with user wearable glasses
User wearable eye glasses include a pair of two-dimensional cameras that optically acquire information for user gestures made with an unadorned user object in an interaction zone responsive to viewing displayed imagery, with which the user can interact. Glasses systems intelligently signal process and map acquired optical information to rapidly ascertain a sparse (x,y,z) set of locations adequate to identify user gestures. The displayed imagery can be created by glasses systems and presented with a virtual on-glasses display, or can be created and/or viewed off-glasses. In some embodiments the user can see local views directly, but augmented with imagery showing internet provided tags identifying and/or providing information as to viewed objects. On-glasses systems can communicate wirelessly with cloud servers and with off-glasses systems that the user can carry in a pocket or purse. |
| US08836764B2 |
Method and measuring assembly for determining the wheel or axle geometry of a vehicle
In a method for determining a wheel or axle geometry of a vehicle, the following steps are provided: illuminating a wheel region with structured and with unstructured light during a motion of at least one wheel and/or of the vehicle; acquiring multiple images of the wheel region during the illumination, in order to create a three-dimensional surface model having surface parameters, a texture model having texture parameters, and a motion model having motion parameters of the sensed wheel region; calculating values for the surface parameters, the texture parameters, and the motion parameters using a variation computation as a function of the acquired images, in order to minimize a deviation of the three-dimensional surface model, texture model, and motion model from image data of the acquired images; and determining a rotation axis and/or a rotation center of the wheel as a function of the calculated values of the motion parameters. |
| US08836762B2 |
Optronic system and method dedicated to identification for formulating three-dimensional images
The invention relates to an optronic system for identifying an object including a photosensitive sensor, communication means and a computerized processing means making it possible to reconstruct the object in three dimensions on the basis of the images captured by the sensor and to identify the object on the basis of the reconstruction. The photosensitive sensor is able to record images of the object representing the intensity levels of an electromagnetic radiation reflected by the surface of the object captured from several observation angles around the object and the communication means are able to transmit the said images to the computerized processing means to reconstruct the object in three dimensions by means of a tomography function configured to process the images of the object representing the intensity levels of an electromagnetic radiation reflected by the surface of the object. The invention also relates to a method of computerized processing for object identification by reconstruction of the object in three dimensions. The invention is applied to the field of target detection, to the medical field and also microelectronics, for example. |
| US08836760B2 |
Image reproducing apparatus, image capturing apparatus, and control method therefor
An image reproducing apparatus for reproducing a stereoscopic image shot by a stereoscopic image capturing apparatus, the image reproducing apparatus comprises: an input unit which inputs image data of the stereoscopic image and additional data recorded in association with the image data; an acquisition unit which acquires depth information indicating a depth of a point of interest in the stereoscopic image set, during shooting, on the basis of the additional data; a generation unit which generates images to be superimposed on right and left images of the stereoscopic image, the images to be superimposed having parallax corresponding to the depth indicated by the depth information, on the basis of the depth information; and a display output unit which combines the right and left images of the stereoscopic image with the images to be superimposed, and outputs the combined right and left images of the stereoscopic image to a display apparatus. |
| US08836757B2 |
3D image providing device, display device, and method thereof
A 3D-image providing device comprises: an index selection unit for selecting at least one index frame set from 3D-image data including plural frame sets; and a thumbnail generation unit for obtaining left and right images for the selected index frame set and generating a thumbnail frame set based on the obtained left and right images, wherein the frames included in the thumbnail frame set satisfy conditions that the sizes and resolution thereof are respectively small and low compared to the frames included in the index frame set. Accordingly, the 3D-image providing device generates 3D-thumbnails from the left and right images of the 3D-image data to provide 3D images considered when moving to a user-desirable reproduction time point. Also, the 3D-image supply device merges the 3D-thumbnails with 3D-broadcasting images or 3D-contents and displays the merged image. Consequently, the image providing device minimizes viewer confusion when perceiving 3D-images and increases user satisfaction. |
| US08836755B2 |
Two dimensional media combiner for creating three dimensional displays
A three-dimensional (3D) display device combining two-dimensional (2D) images from two image sources to create a 3D image. The 3D display device utilizes a beam combining film that includes a prismatic front surface and a planar back surface. The film transmits light striking its back surface at particular incidence angles. A first 2D image source provides a foreground image and a second 2D image source to provide a background image. First and second liquid crystal displays may be arranged with display surfaces proximate to top and bottom edges of the beam combining film and at angular offsets to emit light corresponding with a 2D image stream onto the back surface of the beam combining film at one of the film's incidence angles. The 2D image streams striking the back surface of the film are combined by the film and transmitted from the front surface as a single autostereoscopic video image. |
| US08836752B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing high security video session
A method and apparatus for allowing trials and court proceedings to occur in a virtual manner using a one way video session and a two way voice session are disclosed. During the trials or court proceedings, the defendants and their testimony can be viewed by judges and jurors who remain in isolated rooms with their identities masked. Judges and attorneys can verbally intercede during the proceedings via a two way voice session but the video session for the duration of the trial is one way. |
| US08836749B2 |
Security monitoring system with combined video and graphics display
A remote location having at least one monitoring device is monitored via a temporary communication channel so that an image from the remote location is displayed at a monitoring location along with a graphic signal that depends on the source of the image. Scrutiny information is sent from the remote location to the monitoring location, including the image. The graphic signal may represent a map of the remote location, and may include text providing helpful information relating to the remote location. In some cases, the temporary communication channel is provided at least in part through an online computer service. In some cases, the communications interface is a wireless communications interface. |
| US08836746B2 |
Pixel clock generator, optical scanner and image forming device incorporating same
A pixel clock generator device includes a high frequency clock generator, a phase shift data generator to generate phase shift data for controlling a phase shift amount of a pixel clock, a phase shift data pattern generator to read the phase shift data from the phase shift data generator, generate a pattern of the phase shift data for output, and when outputting a same phase shift data pattern for consecutive scan lines, generate, for a next scan line, a phase shift data pattern in which a pixel clock at a position moved by a random number of pixel clocks from a phase-shift position of a pixel clock in a phase shift data pattern for a current scan line is phase-shifted, and a pixel clock generator to generate, on the basis of a high frequency clock, a pixel clock phase-shifted in accordance with the generated phase shift data pattern. |
| US08836741B2 |
Image forming apparatus
According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus having an image forming function to form an image on a recording medium, and an image erasing function to erase an image formed on a recording medium is provided. The image forming apparatus has an erasing unit which erases the image formed on the recording medium under an erasing condition changeable in accordance with whether or not erasable coloring material used in the image formed on the recording medium is predetermined coloring material, when the image erasing function is performed. |
| US08836740B2 |
Printer
A printer comprises a print head, a discharge port, a display portion, and a processor. The processor displays a head marker indicating a position of the print head and a discharge port marker indicating a position of the discharge port on the display portion in correspondence to a positional relationship of the print head and the discharge port. The processor also displays, in real-time on the display portion, an image of the print medium on which the print image has been printed, in accordance with the printing by the print head, such that the image is initially displayed in a state in which a start edge of the image is aligned with the head marker when the printing by the print head starts, and a position of the initially displayed image is moved toward the discharge port marker in accordance with progress of the printing by the print head. |
| US08836738B2 |
Drive control method for a media processing device, and a media processing system
A drive control method for a media processing device prevents increasing the media production time even when a printhead cleaning process is performed before the printing process. When a media production command is input, the preprocessing time required until the printing process starts is calculated based on the media production command. If the total of the preprocessing time plus the time passed since the last cleaning process is greater than or equal to a specified time, the cleaning process is started. If the elapsed time will reach the specified time after the media production command is output and before the printing process starts, the cleaning process runs parallel to the write process. Increasing the media production time by the time required for the cleaning process is thus prevented. |
| US08836734B2 |
Display burn-in prevention device and method with motion analysis
Provided is a display device including a video signal analysis block (110) for analyzing a video signal and determining a type of video from an analysis result, a function control block (120) for controlling a gain value of the video signal according to the type of video, a video signal control section (122) for adjusting the video signal on the basis of the gain controlled by the function control block, and a display panel (300), having a plurality of pixels arranged to self-emit light according to the video signal, for displaying a video on the basis of the video signal adjusted by the video signal control section (122). |
| US08836732B2 |
Image display device
An image display device includes a plurality solid-state light sources, a modulator configured to modulate light from a plurality of solid-state light sources, and an image display device configured to generate from a frame of image data, a plurality of subframes each further divided into subfields, and to display the plurality of subframes. The modulator turns off light output from all the solid-state light sources for the duration of one or more of the plurality of subframes, whereby it is possible to reduce motion blur arising from a hold-type display device, in which after-images remain on the retina of a person's eyes when viewing moving objects. |
| US08836730B1 |
Methods and systems for modifying a display of a field of view of a robotic device to include zoomed-in and zoomed-out views
Methods and systems for modifying a display of a field of view of a robotic device to include zoomed-in and zoomed-out views are provided. In examples, the robotic device may include a camera to capture images in a field of view of a robotic device, and distance sensors which can provide outputs that may be used to determine a distance of the robotic device to an object in the field of view of the robotic device. A display of the field of view of the robotic device can be generated, and as the distance decreases, the display can be modified to include a zoomed-in view of the object. As the distance increases, the display can be modified to include a zoomed-out view of the object. An amount of zoom of the object may be inversely proportional to the distance. |
| US08836727B2 |
System level graphics manipulations on protected content
At least certain embodiments of the present disclosure include a method to manipulate graphics with protected content. In some embodiments, a composite engine of a computing system retrieves data within a region within a frame buffer holding pixels of an image displayed on a display device of the computing system. The region corresponds to an area of interest within the image, and the data retrieved includes pixels forming a portion of the image in the area of interest and protected content associated with the image. The composite engine may re-composite the area of interest with the pixels retrieved to produce an enlarged version of the portion of the image in the area of interest, without exposing the protected content to applications outside of the window server. |
| US08836726B1 |
Automatic scaling of axes for displaying moving data
Exemplary embodiments can include methods, devices, and executable instructions for autoscaling displays containing moving data (e.g., data that changes with respect to time). Embodiments make use of counters and an algorithm to autoscale a display in a manner that can approximate the behavior of a user. For example, embodiments may autoscale a display under conditions that would cause a typical user to manually autoscale the display. |
| US08836722B2 |
Protecting screen information
A method, computer program product, and system for protection screen information is described. A method may comprise determining, via a computing device, if there is a screen protection rule, the screen protection rule based upon, at least in part, at least one of an application rule for protecting a portion of a screen region, and a process rule for protecting the portion of the screen region. The method may further comprise modifying, via the computing device, the portion of the screen region based upon, at least in part, at least one of the application rule, and the process rule. |
| US08836720B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method
Units which respectively acquire information on an aberration generated by a display optical system and information on an aberration generated by a vision correction optical system used by an observer are arranged. Aberration correction is executed based on the two aberrations. An aberration generated by a combination of the display optical system and the vision correction optical system used by the observer can be appropriately corrected for each observer. |
| US08836718B2 |
Method for providing user interface in portable terminal
A method for providing a UI in a portable terminal shows background images corresponding to physical states, such as the temperature, or of a physical layout of buildings, roads, etc. The method for providing a UI in a portable terminal, includes: collecting environmental information around the portable terminal; extracting an image set corresponding to the collected environmental information, and image change information; sensing a tilted state of the portable terminal; and changing and displaying the extracted image according to the sensed tilted state of the portable and the extracted image change information. |
| US08836710B2 |
Memory management system and method
There is provided a method and apparatus for managing memory in a system for generating 3-dimensional computer images. The image is subdivided into a plurality of rectangular areas. A memory is provided and a page of the memory is allocated for storing object data for objects in the image. Object data for objects in the image are then written to the allocated page of memory. Finally, a bit mask for the allocated page of memory is compiled, the bit mask indicating the rectangular areas having object data stored in the allocated page of memory. A rectangular area of the image can then be rendered by deriving data for display from the object data stored in the memory, for objects in that rectangular area. Once the rectangular area has been rendered, the bit mask for each page of memory which stored, before the step of rendering, object data for that rectangular area, is updated so that the bit mask no longer indicates that rectangular area. |
| US08836708B2 |
Device for the parallel processing of a data stream
A device for processing a data stream originating from a device generating matrices of Nl rows by Nc columns of data includes K computation tiles and interconnection means for transferring the data stream between the computation tiles. At least one computation tile includes: one or more control units to provide instructions, n processing units, each processing unit carrying out the instructions received from a control unit on a neighborhood of Vl rows by Vc columns of data, a storage unit to place the data of the stream in the form of neighborhoods of Vl rows by (n+Vc−1) columns of data. The storage unit includes a block of shaping memories of dimension Vl×Nc and a block of neighborhood registers of dimension Vl×(n+Vc−1), an input/output unit to convey the data stream between the interconnection means and the storage unit on the one hand, and between the processing units and the interconnection means on the other hand. |
| US08836707B2 |
Animations
At least certain embodiments of the present disclosure include a method for animating a display region, windows, or views displayed on a display of a device. The method includes starting at least two animations. The method further includes determining the progress of each animation. The method further includes completing each animation based on a single timer. |
| US08836706B2 |
Triggering animation actions and media object actions
A request may be received to trigger an animation action in response to reaching a bookmark during playback of a media object. In response to the request, data is stored defining a new animation timeline configured to perform the animation action when playback of the media object reaches the bookmark. When the media object is played back, a determination is made as to whether the bookmark has been encountered. If the bookmark is encountered, the new animation timeline is started, thereby triggering the specified animation action. An animation action may also be added to an animation timeline that triggers a media object action at a location within a media object. When the animation action is encountered during playback of the animation timeline, the specified media object action is performed on the associated media object. |
| US08836705B2 |
Generating a graphic for application to a surface to produce a plaque
A method, processing system, and/or computer program product for generating a graphic for application to a surface to produce a plaque. In one aspect, the method includes, in a processing system: receiving, from a user, first location data indicative of a first location; receiving, from the user, second location data indicative of a plurality of second locations; determining for each second location, a displacement pair, each displacement pair being indicative of: a distance between the first location and the respective second location; and a direction of the respective second location relative to the first location; and generating, using each displacement pair, graphical data indicative of a graphic for application to a surface, wherein the graphical data is indicative of the distance and direction of each second location relative to the first location. |
| US08836697B2 |
Real-time 3D dose visualization system
A method of presenting a progress of a treatment planning includes determining dose information based on a treatment model, determining objective information that is associated with the treatment model, using the dose information and the objective information to determine a three-dimensional graphic that indicates with how well an objective of the treatment planning is met, wherein the three-dimensional graphic is determined using a processor, and displaying the three-dimensional graphic in a screen. |
| US08836696B2 |
Random accessible lossless parameter data compression for tile based 3D computer graphics systems
A method and apparatus are provided for compressing vertex parameter data in a 3D computer graphic system, where the vertex parameter data is a data block relating to a plurality of vertices used for rendering an image. The data relating to each vertex includes multiple byte data relating to at least one parameter. The parameters include X, Y and Z coordinates and further coordinates for texturing and shading. Decompression is also provided for decompressing vertex parameter data thus compressed. These are able to access randomly the compressed data, rather than having to read a stream of data. |
| US08836693B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing program
A course CR is set in a virtual space SP along which a player character CH can move. The player character moves freely on the course, as long as it does not run off the course. In the course, a reference moving path is set indicating a standard moving path of the player character. A camera path of a virtual camera is set along the reference moving path. In the reference moving path, a object corresponding position (CP) is determined corresponding a position (CH(X,Y,Z)) of the player character in the virtual space. A position corresponding to the object corresponding position and a photographing condition are determined for the virtual camera. |
| US08836692B2 |
Image display device capable of switching for 2D mode and 3D mode
An image display device includes a display panel which selectively displays a 2D image and a 3D image and includes a plurality of pixels, a patterned retarder for dividing light from the display panel into first polarized light and second polarized light, and a control voltage generation circuit which generates a 2D control voltage at an off-level and generates a 3D control voltage alternately having a slight-on level and the off-level every predetermined period of time. The slight-on level is higher than the off-level and is lower than a full-on level. Each pixel includes a main display unit including a first pixel electrode and a first common electrode and a subsidiary display unit including a second pixel electrode, a second common electrode, and a discharge control switch. |
| US08836687B2 |
Driving method for bistable display
A driving method for a bistable display device includes setting a first duration and a second duration according to a frame period; applying a first voltage to a light valve layer in the first duration according to display data, so as to transform the light valve layer from a first state to a second state; and applying a second voltage in the second duration to the light valve layer in the second duration for the light valve layer to transform to the first state. Since the light valve layer of the bistable display device is already at the first state prior to displaying the next image, the light valve layer is not required to reset when switching displayed images, hence reducing the total number of frames required to display each image. |
| US08836686B2 |
Display device
To provide a display device in which rewriting of only a given section of an image can be achieved or to simplify the configuration of a circuit including wirings in a display device in which partial driving can be performed. A shift of a selection signal in a shift register included in a scan line driver circuit and supply of a selection signal to scan lines are controlled independently of each other, so that rewriting of only a given section of an image can be achieved. The above operation is realized by providing a wiring that supplies a signal representing a clock signal or a fixed potential. Therefore, the configuration of the circuit including the wiring can be simplified in the display device including the wiring while partial driving can be performed. |
| US08836681B2 |
Method and device for reducing effect of polarity inversion in driving display
This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for reducing artifacts in an image generated by a display device. In one aspect, data is written to a display and a position of display elements is maintained based on the application of a bias voltage pattern. The bias voltage pattern includes alternating polarities along one dimension in a pattern having a first frequency spectrum, and alternating polarities along a second dimension in a pattern having a second frequency spectrum that is different than the first frequency spectrum. At least one of the first and second frequency spectrums may include a plurality of frequency components. |
| US08836673B2 |
Photo-sensor type input apparatus for identifying different types of input events simultaneously, and related display apparatus thereof
A photo-sensor type input apparatus includes an upper substrate, a bottom substrate, at least one first photo sensing device, and at least one second photo sensing device. The bottom substrate is correspondingly disposed below the upper substrate. The first photo sensing device is disposed on the bottom substrate and arranged to detect a received first type input event. The second photo sensing device is disposed on the bottom substrate and arranged to detect a received second type input event. A light sensing ability of the first photo sensing device is different from a light sensing ability of the second photo sensing device. |
| US08836671B2 |
Position detection device, electronic apparatus, and display device
A display device includes a screen on which an image is displayed, and a position detection device including a light emitting section adapted to emit an irradiation light beam along the screen, a light receiving section adapted to receive a reflected light beam caused by an object reflecting the irradiation light beam, and a detection section adapted to detect position information of the object based on a light reception result of the light receiving section, wherein the position detection device has detection accuracy of the position information of the object varying in accordance with a position of the object in a direction intersecting the screen. |
| US08836669B1 |
High resolution capacitance to code converter
An integration circuit including a first capacitor is operatively coupled to a comparator. The comparator is configured to compare a first capacitor voltage of the first capacitor to a reference voltage and produce a first comparator output based on the comparison. A current generator is operatively coupled with the integration circuit and configured to balance charge on the first capacitor. A control unit is operatively coupled to the comparator and the current generator and configured to balance charge on the first capacitor by sensing the first comparator output and controlling the current generator based on the first comparator output. |
| US08836651B2 |
Touch panel
A touch panel includes a plurality of driving lines, a plurality of sensing lines and a plurality of sensing units. The sensing lines are arranged intersecting with the driving lines. The sensing units are arranged in an array, and each of the sensing units is electrically coupled to a corresponding one of the driving lines and a corresponding one of the sensing lines. The driving lines or the sensing lines only pass through a single side of the touch panel. |
| US08836650B2 |
Touch-sensing display device
A touch-sensing display device includes a display panel, a touch panel, a driver unit, and a flexible printed circuit board. The touch panel is disposed on the display panel, and the driver unit is disposed on the display panel to provide driving signals and drive the display panel and the touch panel. The flexible printed circuit board connects the display panel to a system main board. |
| US08836641B1 |
Head mounted display and method of controlling therefor
The present specification relates to a head mounted display (HMD) and a method of controlling therefor, and more particularly, to a method of updating information displayed in the HMD by recognizing opening and closing of eyes of a user wearing the HMD. |
| US08836640B2 |
System and method for generating a representative computerized display of a user's interactions with a touchscreen based hand held device on a gazed-at screen
A system and method of interacting with a smartphone application displayed over a remote display gazed at by a user including a normal mode of operation which may be the default, a hovering mode of operation which may be triggered by a trigger event, and a release event which reverts from hovering mode to normal mode. An enhanced hovering ability is typically provided while hovering, in that a predetermined set of operative gestures is enabled, such that a range of predetermined gestures is available for operating purposes while hovering. |
| US08836638B2 |
Silent speech based command to a computing device
Presented is a method for executing a command on a computing device. A computing device receives a first command and a second command, wherein the second command is, optionally, silent speech. The first command and the second command are combined to provide a final command to the computing device for execution. |
| US08836637B2 |
Counter-tactile keypad
A touch-based user interface for an electronic device, including a housing including electronic circuitry, a plurality of buttons mounted within a first area on a first side of the housing, and a screen mounted on a second area of a second side of the housing, the second side being opposite to the first side, and the second area being opposite to at least a portion of the first area, wherein the electronic circuitry is operative (i) to display on the screen at least one user interface control element that corresponds respectively to at least one button, each such user interface control element having a command associated therewith, and (ii) to perform the command associated with a designated user interface control element when its corresponding button is pressed. A method and a computer-readable storage medium is also described and claimed. |
| US08836636B2 |
Driving method of electrophoretic display device, electrophoretic display device, and electronic apparatus
An electrophoretic display device has a display unit including electrophoretic particles that are interposed between a pair of substrates; each pixel including a pixel electrode and a memory circuit, and a switch circuit connected between the pixel electrode and the memory circuit; and first and second control lines connected to the switch circuits. When a ratio of black color pixel data in image data is 50% or more of the image data, the following three-step image display driving action is performed: an image signal input step in which the pixel data is input as an image signal to the memory circuit; a first image display step in which all the pixels are set to black color; and a second image display step in which a white color portion is displayed by inputting a potential to one control line and electrically disconnecting the other control line. |
| US08836634B2 |
Stereoscopic image display and method for driving the same
A stereoscopic image display and a method for driving the same are disclosed. The stereoscopic image display includes a display panel that displays a 2D image data in a 2D mode and displays a 3D image data in a 3D mode, a backlight unit providing light to the display panel, a timing controller that supplies a left eye image data during a data addressing period of a (2N−1)th frame period and supplies a right eye image data during a data addressing period of a 2Nth frame period in the 3D mode, where N is a natural number, and a backlight controller generating a backlight control signal for controlling light sources of the backlight unit so that the light sources of the backlight unit are turned on during a vertical blanking interval of each of the (2N−1)th frame period and the 2Nth frame period in the 3D mode. |
| US08836632B2 |
Shift register and touch device
A touch device includes gate lines, pixels, sense control lines and sense units. Each pixel is connected to one of the gate lines and is decided whether to receive data according to a voltage on the gate line. Each the sense unit is connected to one of the sense control lines and is decided whether to perform a touch sense operation according to a voltage on the sense control line. The touch device further includes a shift register string including cascade-connected shift registers. Each shift register has first and second output terminals. The first output terminal provides an output to one of the gate lines according to a first clock signal to control the voltage on the gate line. The second output terminal provides an output to one of the sense control lines according to a second clock signal to control the voltage on the detection control line. |
| US08836631B2 |
Scan driving circuit with a shift register and electroluminescent display using the same
A scan driving circuit having a shift register unit with a plurality of stages, each stage includes an input terminal; an output terminal; first, second, and third clock terminals; a first transistor in communication with the input terminal and the second clock terminal, the first transistor configured to transfer the input signal according to a signal from the second clock terminal; a switch section in communication with the input terminal, the output terminal, and the first clock terminal, the switch section configured to receive the input signal from the first transistor and transfer a first exterior voltage signal to the output terminal according to the input signal and a signal from the first clock terminal; and a storage section configured to receive and store the input signal from the first transistor, and to transfer a signal from the third clock terminal to the output terminal according to the input signal. |
| US08836625B2 |
Display device and apparatus and method for driving the same
A display device including a liquid crystal display unit and a controller displays an image using a liquid crystal. The controller extracts a compensation data from a gray compensation look-up table (LUT) corresponding to a temperature interval including a peripheral temperature of the display device to output the compensation data to the liquid crystal display unit as a compensated gray data. When the gray compensation LUT does not exist, the controller extracts the compensation data from the gray compensation LUT corresponding to the temperature interval approximating the peripheral temperature to generate the compensated gray data. The gray compensation LUT as a default and a calculated gray compensation LUT may be used to provide the compensated gray data optimized for the response speed of the liquid crystal according to variance in temperature, while reducing a memory capacity of a ROM and a RAM inside the timing controller and an external EEPROM. |
| US08836623B2 |
ESD protection device of LCD display
The present invention discloses an ESD protection device of an LCD display. The LCD display includes a plurality of scan lines and a plurality of data lines, the scan lines and the data lines are crossed. The ESD protection device includes a discharging extension part, positioned at ends of the scan lines and the data lines, wherein a width of the discharging extension part is larger than line widths of the scan lines or the data lines; and an electro-static conducting part, positioned in peripheral of the discharging extension part, wherein the electro-static conducting part is close to the discharging extension part without touching the discharging extension part, and the electro-static conducting part is coupled to a common conducting layer to release electro-static charges on the scan lines and data lines via the common conducting layer. The present invention can enormously reduce the ESD damages on the pixel areas. |
| US08836621B2 |
Liquid crystal display apparatus, driving method for same, and driving circuit for same
The liquid crystal display apparatus is provided with a display unit, a video signal driving circuit, a scanning signal driving circuit, a common electrode potential controlling circuit, and a synchronizing circuit. The display unit has a scanning electrode, a video signal electrode, a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged in matrix form, a plurality of switching elements which transmit video signals to the pixel electrodes, and a common electrode. After the scanning signal driving circuit scans the entire scanning electrodes and transmits video signals to the pixel electrodes, the common electrode potential controlling circuit changes the potential of the common electrode into a pulse shape, overdrives video signals, or increases a torque required to return to a state in which no voltage is applied. |
| US08836616B2 |
Semiconductor device and driving method thereof
The invention provides a semiconductor device which performs a write operation of a signal current rapidly to a current input type pixel. Before inputting a signal current, a precharge operation is performed by flowing a large current. After that, a signal current is inputted to perform the set operation. A predetermined potential can be obtained rapidly as the precharge operation is performed before the set operation. The predetermined potential is approximately equal to a potential after completing the set operation. Therefore, the set operation can be rapidly performed and a write operation of a signal current can be rapidly performed. By using two transistors, a gate width W can be long or a gate length L can be short in the precharge operation or the gate width W can be short and the gate length L can be long in the set operation. |
| US08836615B2 |
Driver for controlling a light emitting element, in particular an organic light emitting diode
The present invention relates to a circuit for controlling a light emitting element, in particular an organic light emitting diode. The circuit comprises a capacitor connectable with the light emitting element, charging means for charging the capacitor and a switching means. The switching means is adapted to alternately disconnect the capacitor from the light emitting element and connect the capacitor to the light emitting element. The capacitor is alternately charged and discharged. A charging current or a discharge current from the capacitor drives the current of the light emitting element. Said charging means comprises at least one charging transistor for charging the capacitor. |
| US08836611B2 |
Multi-panel device with configurable interface
A multi-panel device is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, the device includes a first hinge coupled to a first panel and coupled to a second panel. The first panel includes a first display surface and the second panel includes a second display surface. The second hinge is coupled to the second panel and coupled to a third panel that includes a third display surface. The device also includes a sensor coupled to the first hinge to detect a relative orientation of the first panel to the second panel. The device includes a processor responsive to the sensor to detect a device configuration. The processor is configured to adjust a user interface displayed at the first display surface, the second display surface, and the third display surface based on the detected device configuration. |
| US08836610B2 |
Display device and driving method thereof
A display device including: a plurality of display panels being adjacent to each other, each display panel having a display region including a plurality of pixels and a non-display region formed in a circumference of the display region. The display device includes a panel driver which drives the plurality of display panels and a controller which converts an image signal inputted from the outside to correspond to the plurality of display regions and the non-display region disposed between the plurality of display regions, extracts an image signal from the converted image signal corresponding to the respective display regions and supplies the extracted image signal to the panel driver to be displayed on the respective display regions. |
| US08836605B2 |
Embedded antenna
An embedded antenna is disclosed. The embedded antenna comprises a coaxial cable and a grounding connecting part. The coaxial cable comprises a center conductor, an insulating layer and an outer sheath. The center conductor comprises a signal transmission part and a radiating part. The radiating part electrically connects the signal transmission part and provides a resonance frequency. The insulating layer covers the signal transmission part and the radiating part. The outer sheath covers the signal transmission part but not the radiating part. The grounding connecting part electrically connects the system grounding part and the outer sheath. |
| US08836603B2 |
Antenna device
An antenna device includes: a plurality of loop metal wires that form loops out of metal wires and that are radially arranged around a center line; a power feeding portion that feeds power to the loop metal wires or a power receiving portion that receives power from the loop metal wires and that is provided on the center line; and a variable impedance element that is inserted in each of the loop metal wires. |
| US08836598B2 |
Method for formation of radiometric images and an antenna for implementation of the method
A method of radiometric image generation is provided using a series of isochronous revolutions of a multi-beam antenna with a dispersion characteristic. The antenna is combined with a multi-channel receiver with frequency channel separation to form an imaging unit. The method comprising cyclically executing the following phases: two separate calibration phase; using first and second standards; external radiation reception phase; data processing phase and data transformation phase. |
| US08836592B2 |
Vehicle glazing with slot antenna
Laminated vehicle glazing with a conductive panel defining slot antennas between the conductive panel and the metal surround of the vehicle with connecting leads, and a camera or other device in an area where the device and the antenna do not overlap. Locating the device in a different position to the slot antenna reduces the electromagnetic interference that the slot antenna experiences and prevents malfunction of the device where the slot antenna is used to transmit radio signals. |
| US08836586B2 |
Antenna spring structure and electronic device using the same
An antenna spring structure and an electronic device using the same. The antenna spring structure includes an antenna spring provided with an elastic arm and a protruding portion coupled to the elastic arm, a casing having at least one opening and pivotally coupled to an end of the casing; a cover disposed on the antenna spring and having a first positioning groove and a second positioning groove formed on the protruding portion and disposed with an interval apart, a circuit board disposed inside the casing, and at least one conductive component installed on the circuit board and corresponding to at least one opening, and passed through the at least one opening and exposed from the casing. When the antenna spring is switched from a first position to a second position, the at least one conductive component presses the antenna spring. |
| US08836585B2 |
Radio-frequency transponder for marking wood products and method of manufacturing thereof
The invention relates to a transponder for marking wood material and a method of manufacturing thereof. The method comprises embedding an RFID microchip and antenna into a casing essentially consisting of one or more biodegradable materials. According to the invention the embedding step comprises forming the antenna by layering conductive material directly on biodegradable material, and covering the antenna by biodegradable material. By means of the invention, environmentally friendly and pulping-compatible transponders can be manufactured, for example, for aiding the logistics of forest industry. |
| US08836578B2 |
Antenna array
The present application relates to an antenna array that comprises a plurality of antenna elements and a plurality of amplifiers feeding the plurality of antenna elements. A first group of the plurality of antenna elements is arranged in a first column and a second group of the antenna elements is arranged in a second column. A first amplifier of the plurality of amplifiers has a first power rating and a second amplifier of the plurality of amplifiers has a second power rating, the first power rating being different than the second power rating. The first column is arranged symmetrical to the second column about an axis. Amplifiers feeding the first column have a substantially similar power rating to corresponding amplifiers feeding the second column. |
| US08836577B2 |
Wireless sensor network system, information gathering apparatus, sensor device, and connection method for use in wireless sensor network
A wireless sensor network system includes a plurality of sensor devices each having a non-directional antenna, and an information gathering apparatus having an adaptive array antenna and gathering information detected by the plurality of sensor devices. Each sensor device includes a transmitter to transmit a transmission request for connecting to the information gathering apparatus. The information gathering apparatus includes, a first directivity-changing section that, when the information gathering apparatus receives a transmission request from an unconnected sensor device, performs one of changing the adaptive array antenna to be non-directional, and changing a directivity of the adaptive array antenna, and that receives a signal transmitted from one of the unconnected sensor device and the unconnected sensor device and a connected sensor device, and a second directivity-changing section to change the directivity in accordance with a reception state of the signal. |
| US08836573B2 |
Submillimeter radar using phase information
A signal processor (30) for a submillimeter wavelength active radar system (10, 20, 30) processes signals received and downconverted by the radar system, the downconverted signals corresponding to a given pixel of the field of view having time varying amplitude and phase components which have a periodic component which is dependent on content. Information about the content is discriminated from the periodic component. By using phase rather than only amplitude, there is additional information in the downconverted signals. The phase is more sensitive to changes in the content such as objects, background and atmospheric conditions, than amplitude alone. The phase information enables the periodic component to be retained which can be characteristic of the content owing to content flutter, changes in submillimeter standing waves and interference fringes in received reflections of submillimeter illumination if surface layers have a thickness of a number of half wavelengths. |
| US08836572B2 |
Method for detecting precipitation using a radar sensor system for motor vehicles
A method for detecting precipitation using a radar sensor system for motor vehicles designed for locating objects in the surroundings of the vehicle, in which method a locating signal that is a measure of the received power density as a function of the distance is integrated across a specific distance range lying below a limit distance for detecting precipitation. The locating signal is subjected to a filtering procedure before being integrated, the filtering procedure suppressing the peaks caused by located objects so that the filtered signal forms a measure of the noise level as a function of the distance. |
| US08836565B1 |
Analog to digital converter and signal converting method
An analog to digital converter can operate in a sampling mode or in a comparing mode. The analog to digital converter comprises: a comparator; a first capacitor, comprising a first terminal coupled to a first input terminal of the comparator; a second capacitor; a first switch module; a control unit, for controlling the conductive states of the first switch module corresponding to the sampling mode or the comparing mode. The first capacitor samples a value of a first input signal and the second capacitor samples a value of a first reference signal via the first switch module in the sampling mode. The first capacitor and the second capacitor are not coupled to each other in the sampling mode. The first capacitor and the second capacitor are coupled in series via the first switch module in the comparing mode. |
| US08836563B2 |
Analog to digital converter (ADC) with comparator function for analog signals
This disclosure relates to analog to digital converter (ADC) component with a comparator function for analog signals. |
| US08836557B2 |
Sub-Nyquist sampling of short pulses
A method for signal processing includes accepting an analog signal, which consists of a sequence of pulses confined to a finite time interval. The analog signal is sampled at a sampling rate that is lower than a Nyquist rate of the analog signal and with samples taken at sample times that are independent of respective pulse shapes of the pulses and respective time positions of the pulses in the time interval. The sampled analog signal is processed. |
| US08836553B2 |
DSP reciever with high speed low BER ADC
Methods and apparatuses are described for a DSP receiver with an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) having high speed, low BER performance with low power and area requirements. Speed is increased for multi-path ADC configurations by resolving a conventional bottleneck. ADC performance is improved by integrating calibration and error detection and correction, such as distributed offset calibration and redundant comparators. Power and area requirements are dramatically reduced by using low BER rectification to nearly halve the number of comparators in a conventional high speed, low BER flash ADC. |
| US08836550B2 |
System and method for digitally correcting mismatches in multipath ADCs
A system and method of reducing the effects of nonidealities of ADCs in multipath converters is disclosed. The system and method employs a variety of measure and correction blocks to determine statistical properties of the output stream of the multipath converter and to apply corrections to the operation of the subconverters of the multipath converter based upon differences in the measured statistics and expected target values, either explicit or implicit, for those statistics. A variety of examples of possible measure and configuration blocks are disclosed, as is the cascading of the measure and correction blocks to correct multiple errors in the output of the multipath converter. Feedforward (purely digital) and feedback (analog and digital) solutions are both disclosed. |
| US08836549B2 |
Use of logic circuit embedded into comparator for foreground offset cancellation
A system and method are described herein that provide for the calibration of the offset of a comparator on a per-comparator basis. An injection is made to the comparator at determined injection points using a low-power DAC, to calibrate the offset of the comparator. The DAC can be selectively controlled by a digital codeword that is generated based on an output of the comparator and the comparator's offset. Further embodiments of the invention present a system and method for calibrating the offset of a comparator of a flash ADC in each stage of a pipeline ADC. The system and method may provide for the calibration in a manner without affecting the speed of the pipeline ADC or adding significant power to the pipeline ADC. |
| US08836541B2 |
Rotorcraft having lighting equipment with a plurality of headlights operated for landing, winching, and searching
A rotorcraft (1) having on-board lighting equipment for lighting the surrounding environment. The lighting equipment comprises a plurality of headlights (2, 2′, 3, 3′) that are allocated to respective specific lighting functions in landing and in winching. The headlights (2, 2′, 3, 3′) are also operated to perform a searching lighting function. Control means determine which headlights (2, 2′, 3, 3′) are to be operated depending on a lighting function selected by an operator and depending on where the headlights are located on the rotorcraft (1). A search zone (4, 4′) for illuminating is identified by identification means on the basis of a lighting command common to the headlights (2, 2′, 3, 3′). Coordination means cause the headlights (2, 2′, 3, 3′) to converge on the identified search zone (4, 4′), while taking account of their respective locations on the rotorcraft (1). |
| US08836539B2 |
Combined loop type auto-mobile sensor using loop coil and parking information system the same
Provided are a loop type automobile sensing device formed integrally with a small loop coil, which has the automobile sensing sensitivity of a related art loop type automobile sensing device using a large loop coil, so as to greatly facilitate installing and maintaining of the loop type automobile sensing device and to expand the application scope of the loop type automobile sensing device, and a parking information system using the loop type automobile sensing device. In addition, the loop type automobile sensing device integrally formed with the loop coil is provided in plurality as automobile sensors to detect the presence and moving state of an automobile according to a signal from the automobile sensors, to control operations of a plurality of cameras, warning lamps, and display devices installed to a parking lot, and to notify parking information and automobile movement information. |
| US08836524B2 |
Detecting device and battery box using the same
A detecting device is used for detecting a battery leak, a positive terminal of the battery is electrically connected to a first contact, a negative terminal of the battery is electrically connected to a second contact. The detecting device includes a first conductor, a second conductor electrically connected to the second contact, and a warning unit electrically connected between the first contact and the first conductor. The second conductor being electrically connected to the first conductor through electrolyte leaked out of the battery, thus the warning unit will be actuated to produce a warning signal. |
| US08836518B2 |
Predicting the potential for severe weather
Methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, are described for predicting the potential for severe weather. Data associated with lightning activity is received by a computing device. A location, a movement speed, a movement direction, and a lightning rate of one or more cells of lightning activity are determined by the computing device based on the received data. The lightning rate is compared, by the computing device, to a threshold lightning rate. One or more geographical areas at risk are determined by the computing device based on the location, the movement speed and the movement direction of the one or more cells of lightning activity. An alert is issued by the computing device to one or more remote devices monitoring the geographical areas when the lightning exceeds a value of the threshold lightning rate. |
| US08836513B2 |
Communication system incorporated in an ingestible product
The system of the present invention includes a conductive element, an electronic component, and a partial power source in the form of dissimilar materials. Upon contact with a conducting fluid, a voltage potential is created and the power source is completed, which activates the system. The electronic component controls the conductance between the dissimilar materials to produce a unique current signature. The system can also be associated with food and communicate data about ingestion of food material to a receiver. |
| US08836509B2 |
Security device
A security device for protecting stored sensitive data includes a closed housing including an array of conductor paths and tamper detecting means adapted to detect a change in impedance of the array of conductor paths above a predetermined threshold value. |
| US08836508B2 |
Apparatus and method for securing a portable electronic device
Anti-theft protection systems and methods for portable devices, such as portable electronic devices, that are unattended during use. The anti-theft protection systems and methods use a combination of measures including mechanical aspects, such as tethering the device to an object that is difficult to move, and electronic aspects that detect unauthorized movement and or alarm the user or other responsible party if unauthorized movement occurs. |
| US08836499B2 |
Self adapting alert device
Methods and apparatuses are disclosed that allow an electronic device to autonomously adapt one or more user alerts to the current operating environment of the electronic device. For example, some embodiments may include a method comprising providing a plurality of alert devices in an electronic device, determining an operating environment of the electronic device using a sensor of the electronic device, and actuating at least one of the plurality of alert devices that corresponds to the determined operating environment. |
| US08836494B2 |
Lighting device with animated sequential light for a motor vehicle
A lighting device has a first panel, which has an underside and an upper side, and a plurality of lighting elements which illuminate the first panel from the underside. The first panel has a plurality of transparent and non-transparent elements which are arranged one adjacent to the other in an alternating fashion and which each extend completely from the underside to the upper side. The lighting elements are controlled by a control device which is designed to bring about a predefinable spatial brightness profile in a space on the upper side of the first panel. |
| US08836493B2 |
Haptic pedal system
An apparatus for providing haptic feedback to an operator of a vehicle is described including a pedal, torque motor, actuator and controller. The pedal is rotatable between a closed position and an open position. The torque motor applies rotational force to the pedal. The actuator is rotatably positioned between the torque motor and pedal. The controller provides haptic feedback to the operator by sending a haptic signal via the torque motor, actuator and pedal in which rotational force is applied to the pedal to rotate the pedal toward the closed position. |
| US08836491B2 |
Occupant detection
A system and method for detecting an occupant in a vehicle capture successive images from an infrared camera that are analyzed to detect thermal characteristics of an occupant as well as movement. If an operator of the vehicle has exited the vehicle, the vehicle is deactivated, an occupant is detected, and a temperature in the cabin of the vehicle is higher or lower than desired, a report is made to the operator via a mobile phone or key fob. |
| US08836486B2 |
Portable transmitter
A portable transmitter has an inner cover, an outer cover, outer knobs, a cover, a circuit substrate, etc. The cover has projection parts made of elastic material. Each projection part projects toward a corresponding opening part of the outer cover through a corresponding penetration hole of the inner case. The front end of the projection part is contacted to the corresponding outer knob. The opposite part of the projection part is contacted to a corresponding tact switch formed on the circuit substrate while the projection part is elastically deformed and the inner case accommodates the cover. Each of the outer knobs is placed in the corresponding opening part of the outer case while the outer peripheral part of the outer knob is pushed onto the outer peripheral part of the wall surface of the opening part formed in the outer case by repulsive elastic force applied from the cover. |
| US08836483B2 |
Optical remote control system and light source control method therefor
The present invention discloses an optical remote control system, and a method for controlling a light source of the system. The system includes: a light source including a plurality of lighting units, the light source generating at least one light beam; an image sensor receiving an image including the light beam; and a processor determining a number or positions of the lighting units which are activated according to an area of the light beam in the image. |
| US08836481B2 |
Transponders and methods for operating a transponder
In a method for operating a transponder (1, 41), the transponder (1, 4) receives a signal from a transmitter (2, 42). The signal comprises an information about a reference sensitivity and the transponder (1, 41) has an input sensitivity such that the transponder (1, 41) detects only signals above a certain power corresponding to the input sensitivity. In response to the received signal, the input sensitivity of the transponder (1, 41) is adjusted to the reference sensitivity. |
| US08836480B2 |
Radio frequency identification tag and arrangement and method of associating tag data from the tag with code data from an optical code on the tag
A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag includes a substrate, and an optical code and an RFID assembly on the substrate. The optical code is encoded with code data. The RFID assembly contains tag data. The RFID assembly is operative for reading the optical code to obtain the code data, for associating the tag data with the code data, and for sending the associated tag data and the associated code data by radio frequency away from the RFID tag upon interrogation of the RFID tag by an RF interrogator. |
| US08836473B2 |
Dynamic keypad and fingerprinting sequence authentication
Systems and methods for authenticating a user's identity at an ATM are provided. Apparatus for implementing the systems and methods may include a first fingerprint scanner and a second fingerprint scanner. Each of the first fingerprint scanner and the second fingerprint scanner may capture at least a portion of the user's biometric information. The apparatus may also include a first display and a second display. The first display may be located proximal to the first fingerprint scanner. The second display may be located proximal to the second fingerprint scanner. Each of the first display and the second display may be configured to display at least one of a plurality of numerical digits. The apparatus may further include a receiver. The receiver may receive information from the first fingerprint scanner, the information relating to user biometric information input into the first fingerprint scanner. |
| US08836470B2 |
System and method for interfacing facility access with control
A system for interfacing facility access with control employs an electronic bridge that transparently conveys data between functional devices, such as remotely located card readers and door strikes, and a network incorporating a control and monitor computer that has access to a database of user identifications and permissions. The electronic bridge is flexibly configured to accept a wide range of protocols used by the devices and converts messages to data packets without prior knowledge of the length of the message. |
| US08836466B2 |
Monitoring system, device, monitoring method, and monitoring program
In a monitoring system, a first device among devices includes a generating unit that generates third data indicating a string of an identical section when strings each indicated in first data and second data acquired through communications with the devices are identical to each other by a predetermined proportion or more, and a first transmitting unit that transmits the third data generated by the generating unit and information for identifying the third data to a second device included in the devices. The second device includes a second transmitting unit that transmits, when a string indicated in fourth data to be transmitted to the first device includes the string indicated in the third data, fifth data indicating a string obtained by excluding the string indicated in the third data from the string indicated in the fourth data, and the information for identifying the third data to the first device. |
| US08836464B2 |
Explosion-proof and flameproof ejection type safety surge-absorbing module
An explosion-proof and flameproof ejection type safety surge-absorbing module includes a protective member and a surge-absorbing unit. The protective member includes a base and an upper lid coupled with the base. The base has two corresponding partitions extending upwards. The surge-absorbing unit includes a body, two connecting leads, and a resilient metallic plate. The body has two sides defining two electrode surfaces. One of the electrode surfaces is connected with one of the connecting leads. The resilient metallic plate has a first end welded to the electrode surface with a contact component and a second end curved and striding across an outer side of one of the partitions to penetrate through the bottom of the base. When the body of the surge-absorbing unit is overheated due to high temperature caused by a surge, the contact component will melt so the resilient metallic plate is ejected away from the electrode. |
| US08836463B2 |
Voltage converter inductor having a nonlinear inductance value
Single phase inductors have non-linear inductance values, and M-phase coupled inductors having non-linear leakage inductance values. Each inductor includes, for example, at least one of the following: a saturable magnetic element, a gap of non-uniform thickness, a core formed of a distributed gap material, or a non-homogeneous core. A DC-to-DC converter includes an inductor having a non-linear inductance value, a switching subsystem, and an output filer. Another DC-to-DC converter includes an output filter, a coupled inductor having non-linear leakage inductance values, and switching subsystems. |
| US08836461B2 |
Method for making magnetic components with M-phase coupling, and related inductor structures
An M phase coupled inductor includes a magnetic core including a first end magnetic element, a second end magnetic element, and M legs disposed between and connecting the first and second end magnetic elements. M is an integer greater than one. The coupled inductor further includes M windings, where each winding has a substantially rectangular cross section. Each one of the M windings is at least partially wound about a respective leg. |
| US08836460B2 |
Folded conical inductor
A semiconductor inductor structure may include a first spiral structure, located on a first metal layer, having a first outer-spiral electrically conductive track and a first inner-spiral electrically conductive track separated from the first outer-spiral electrically conductive track by a first dielectric material. A second spiral structure, located on a second metal layer, having a second outer-spiral electrically conductive track and a second inner-spiral electrically conductive track separated from the second outer-spiral electrically conductive track by a second dielectric material may also be provided. The first outer-spiral electrically conductive track may be electrically coupled to the second outer-spiral electrically conductive track and the first inner-spiral electrically conductive track may be electrically coupled to the second inner-spiral electrically conductive track. The first outer-spiral conductive track is laterally offset relative to the second outer-spiral conductive track and the first inner-spiral conductive track is laterally offset relative to the second inner-spiral conductive track. |
| US08836457B2 |
Contactless switch structure
A contactless switch structure is provided that may turn on and off an electrical signal in a contactless manner, allow a worn operating portion in the structure to be easily replaced, and prevent decrease of the sensitivity caused by foreign material such as dust. A contactless switch structure according to the invention includes a replaceable member to be detachably set to a target portion to which the contactless switch structure is to be set, the replaceable member having an aperture at an end section thereof and a virtual boundary defined by the aperture at the end section; and a detection element and a detector closely opposed across the virtual boundary in the normal state, the detection element and the detector being placed on the replaceable member side and the target portion side of the virtual boundary, respectively. |
| US08836451B2 |
Wideband high frequency bandpass filter
A wideband high frequency bandpass filter uses a metamaterial transmission line composed of an open-circuit resonator and a short-circuit resonator to realize a bandpass filter at the band of 60 GHz. The bandpass filter has an ultra-wide passband resulting from the coupling of the two resonators in the resonant modes thereof. The ultra wide passband formed by resonance coupling includes a left-handed passband and a right-handed passband. The two passbands jointly provides a passband ranging from 57.4 GHz to 63.6 GHz and having a bandwidth of 6.2 GHz. The stopbands of the bandpass filter are respectively extended downward from 57.4 GHz to the DC current and extended upward from 63.6 GHz to 109.4 GHz. The bandpass filter of the present invention can be applied to wireless transmission at the band of 60 GHz. |
| US08836447B2 |
Tuner and front-end circuit thereof
A tuner includes a plurality of paths, and at least one of the paths includes a front-end filter circuit, an amplifier, and a trace filter. The trace filter includes a varactor and an inductor, which are coupled to an output end of the amplifier. Further, the amplifier and the varactor of the tuner are packed in a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) chip. |
| US08836443B2 |
Integrated circuits with configurable inductors
Integrated circuits with phase-locked loops are provided. Phase-locked loops may include an oscillator, a phase-frequency detector, a charge pump, a loop filter, a voltage-controlled oscillator, and a programmable divider. The voltage-controlled oscillator may include multiple inductors, an oscillator circuit, and a buffer circuit. A selected one of the multiple inductors may be actively connected to the oscillator circuit. The voltage-controlled oscillators may have multiple oscillator circuits. Each oscillator circuit may be connected to a respective inductor, may include a varactor, and may be powered by a respective voltage regulator. Each oscillator circuit may be coupled to a respective input transistor pair in the buffer circuit through associated coupling capacitors. A selected one of the oscillator circuits may be turned on during normal operation by supplying a high voltage to the selected one of the oscillator circuit and by supply a ground voltage to the remaining oscillator circuits. |
| US08836439B2 |
Dynamic frequency tuning of electric and magnetic metamaterial response
A geometrically modifiable resonator is comprised of a resonator disposed on a substrate, and a means for geometrically modifying the resonator. The geometrically modifiable resonator can achieve active optical and/or electronic control of the frequency response in metamaterials and/or frequency selective surfaces, potentially with sub-picosecond response times. Additionally, the methods taught here can be applied to discrete geometrically modifiable circuit components such as inductors and capacitors. Principally, controlled conductivity regions, using either reversible photodoping or voltage induced depletion activation, are used to modify the geometries of circuit components, thus allowing frequency tuning of resonators without otherwise affecting the bulk substrate electrical properties. The concept is valid over any frequency range in which metamaterials are designed to operate. |
| US08836438B2 |
Oscillator element and method for producing the oscillator element
An oscillator element according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a magnetoresistive element having a magnetization free layer, magnetization fixed layer, and a tunnel barrier layer. Provided on the magnetization free layer are a protection layer and an electrode having a point contact section where the electrode is partially in electrical contact with the protection layers. An interlayer insulating film is provided between the electrode and the protection layer. The area of the interface between the magnetization free layer and the tunnel barrier layer is larger than the surface area of the point contact section. Moreover, a portion of the protection layer in contact with the interlayer insulating film has a smaller thickness in a surface normal direction than the portion of the protection layer in contact with the electrode. |
| US08836436B2 |
Ovenized crystal oscillator assembly
An oscillator assembly which, in one embodiment, is an ovenized crystal oscillator assembly including an enclosure defined by a base and a lid which is seated on the base. The components of the oscillator assembly are supported by the base and located under the lid. The base and the lid together define an interior oven and are both preferably made of an insulative thermoplastic material to maximize the heat retention and oven performance of the oscillator assembly. In one embodiment, the lid and the base incorporate a clip for securing the lid to the base. |
| US08836430B1 |
Wideband distributed amplifier with integral bypass
An improved distributed amplifier (200) includes an input transmission line (201) terminated with an input lead configured to accept an input signal and an output transmission line (202) terminated with an output lead configured to output an output signal. A number of parallel amplifier cells (204N) are connected to the input transmission line (201) and the output transmission line (202) that collectively amplify the input signal from the input lead to produce an amplified output signal at the output lead. A bypass switch (212, 300) is connected to the input and output transmission lines (201, 202). The bypass switch (212, 300) is operative to convert either the input transmission line (201, 301) or the output transmission line (202, 302) into a bypass line configured to bypass the parallel amplifier cells (204N) of the distributed amplifier (200) and provide a direct path between the input and output transmission lines (201, 202) to produce a bypassed output signal at the output lead. |
| US08836427B2 |
Folded cascode operational amplifier
A folded cascode operational amplifier is disclosed. The folded cascode operational amplifier includes a first current source, a second current source, and a first voltage terminal connected to the first current source and the second current source. The folded cascode operational amplifier also includes a first input-transistor connected to the first current source in series, and a second input-transistor connected to the second current source in series. Further, the folded cascode operational amplifier includes a tail current source connected to a connection point between the first input-transistor and the second input-transistor, a load current source, and a second voltage terminal connected to the tail current source and the load current source. The folded cascode operational amplifier also includes an output-transistor connected to the load current source, and an output-terminal arranged between the second current source and the second input-transistor and connected to the output-transistor. The second current source is a mirroring current source of the first current source, and a ratio of a current passing through the second current source to a current passing through the first current source is greater than one. |
| US08836424B2 |
Amplifier circuit, method and mobile communication device
An amplifier circuit includes a gain controller, a first amplifier, and a second amplifier which is coupled in series to the first amplifier, the second amplifier comprising a plurality of amplifying units. The gain controller is configured to receive a desired gain value and provide, based on the received desired gain value, a gain adjust signal to the first amplifier, and activate, based on the received desired gain value, a certain combination of amplifying units of the plurality of amplifying units of the second amplifier, such that a combined gain of the first amplifier and the active amplifying units of the second amplifier corresponds to the received desired gain value. |
| US08836421B2 |
Apparatus and method for use with an amplifier circuit
An output network for use with a multi-transistor amplifier circuit comprises N transistors configured to provide a Chireix outphasing behavior. The N transistors coupled to receive different amplitude and/or phase signals relative to a source signal. The output network comprises: a plurality of branches arranged in a hierarchical structure between N input nodes and an output node; at least one branch connection arranged between the input nodes and the output node, wherein each branch connection is arranged to couple first and second branches from an input side to a single branch on an output side. The hierarchical structure is arranged asymmetrically such that at least one branch connection comprises a different number of input nodes ultimately connected to its first branch compared to the number of input nodes ultimately connected to its second branch. |
| US08836420B2 |
Analog circuit and display device and electronic device
The invention provides an analog circuit that decreases an effect of variation of a transistor. By flowing a bias current in a compensation operation, a voltage between the gate and source of the transistor to be compensated is held in a capacitor. In a normal operation, the voltage stored in the compensation operation is added to a signal voltage. As the capacitor holds the voltage according to the characteristics of the transistor to be compensated, the effect of variation can be decreased by adding the voltage stored in the capacitor to the signal voltage. Further, an analog circuit which decreases the effect of variation can be provided by applying the aforementioned basis to a differential circuit, an operational amplifier and the like. |
| US08836419B2 |
PWM comparator and class D amplifier
The present disclosure generally relates to a PWM comparator and a class D amplifier. The PWM comparator described above introduces current feedback mechanism, basing the waveform state of received high frequency triangle signal and the level state of output signal of the PWM comparator, the hysteresis is changing dynamically. In the same resolution, the noise resistance ability of the PWM comparator described above is much better than that of the conventional PWM comparators which has a fixed hysteresis, thus the PWM comparator can work stably even if the duty cycle of output signal is nearly 100%. |
| US08836415B2 |
Voltage control circuit
A control circuit includes a basic input output system (BIOS) chip, an embedded controller (EC), and a regulation unit. The BIOS chip outputs control signals corresponding to various operating frequencies of an electronic element. A digital-to-analog conversion unit of the EC receives the control signals, and outputs different types of analog voltages to the regulation unit. The regulation unit provides a proper voltage to the electronic element in relation to the operating frequency of the electronic element. |
| US08836412B2 |
Charge pump with a power-controlled clock buffer to reduce power consumption and output voltage ripple
A charge pump system includes a charge pump that receives its clock signals, generated by an oscillator circuit, though a clock buffer. The clock buffer is power-controlled to reduce power consumption and output voltage ripple. The buffer is formed of a series of inverter that are connected to the power supply level through a clamping element, such as a transistor whose gate is controlled by a regulation signal based on feedback from the pump's output. |
| US08836411B2 |
Charge pump systems and methods
Digital multilevel memory systems and methods include a charge pump for generating regulated high voltages for various memory operations. The charge pump may include a plurality of pump stages. Aspects of exemplary systems may include charge pumps that performs orderly charging and discharging at low voltage operation conditions. Additional aspects may include features that enable state by state pumping, for example, circuitry that avoids cascaded short circuits among pump stages. Each pump stage may also include circuitry that discharges its nodes, such as via self-discharge through associated pump interconnection(s). Further aspects may also include features that: assist power-up in the various pump stages, double voltage, shift high voltage levels, provide anti-parallel circuit configurations, and/or enable buffering or precharging features, such as self-buffering and self-precharging circuitry. |
| US08836410B2 |
Internal voltage compensation circuit
An internal voltage compensation circuit is provided which includes a power up signal generator configured to generate a power up signal, a select signal generator configured to compare a level of a first external voltage with a level of a second external voltage to generate first and second select signals, wherein the second select signal is generated in response to the power up signal, and a voltage compensation unit configured to electrically connect an internal voltage to the first external voltage or the second external voltage in response to the first and second select signals. |
| US08836409B1 |
Systems and methods for configuring a switch
An apparatus includes: a switch having a first transistor, the first transistor having a gate, wherein the switch is connected between a first pad and a second pad; and a first biasing circuit coupled to the gate of the first transistor, wherein the first biasing circuit is configured for outputting a first voltage, the first voltage being the lowest one of (1) a voltage of the first pad, (2) a voltage of the second pad, and (3) a ground voltage; wherein the gate of the first transistor is driven by the first voltage from the first biasing circuit in response to an enable signal being set for configuring the switch to be off. |
| US08836405B2 |
System and method for synchronizing a local clock with a remote clock
A system for synchronizing a first clock and a second clock includes a receiver associated with the first clock, configured to receive a remote pulse from the second clock. The remote pulse has a pulse repetition frequency and spectral characteristics that are known to the local clock. The system also includes a local pulse emitter configured to create a local pulse at the first clock, and optics configured to align the local pulse and the remote pulse. The system further includes an interferometer configured to create an interference pattern between the local pulse and the remote pulse. A controller is provided that is configured to calculate a time delay between the first clock and the second clock based on the interference pattern between the local pulse and the remote pulse. |
| US08836404B2 |
Circuit for preventing reverse conduction
In one embodiment, a circuit includes a resistance including first and second terminals. The first terminal of the resistance is coupled to ground. The circuit also includes a first switching element including first, second, and third terminals. The first terminal of the first switching element is coupled to an output of an integrated circuit and the second terminal of the first switching element is coupled to a voltage supply of the integrated circuit. Additionally, the circuit includes a second switching element including first, second, and third terminals. The first terminal of the second switching element is coupled to an enable input of the integrated circuit. Furthermore, the second terminal of the second switching element is coupled to the third terminal of the first switching element and to the second terminal of the resistance. Moreover, the third terminal of the second switching element is coupled to the ground. |
| US08836402B2 |
Phase splitter
A phase splitter includes: a first signal path; and a second signal path, wherein the phase splitter outputs an internal signal of the first signal path as a first phase signal, and mixes an output signal of the first signal path with an output signal of the second signal path, thereby outputting a second phase signal having a predetermined phase difference from the first phase signal. |
| US08836400B2 |
Positive edge preset flip-flop with dual-port slave latch
In an embodiment of the invention, a flip-flop circuit contains a 2-input multiplexer, a master latch, a transfer gate and a slave latch. The scan enable control signals SE and SEN of the multiplexer determine whether data or scan data is input to the master latch. Clock signals CKT and CLKZ and retention control signals RET and RETN determine when the master latch is latched. The slave latch is configured to receive the output of the master latch, a second data bit D2, the clock signals CKT and CLN, the retain control signals RET and RETN, the slave control signals SS and SSN. The signals CKT, CLKZ, RET, RETN, SS, SSN and PREN determine whether the output of the master latch or the second data bit D2 is latched in the slave latch. Control signals RET and RETN determine when data is stored in the slave latch during retention mode. |
| US08836398B2 |
Negative edge flip-flop with dual-port slave latch
In an embodiment of the invention, a flip-flop circuit contains a 2-input multiplexer, a master latch, a transfer gate and a slave latch. The scan enable control signals SE and SEN of the multiplexer determine whether data or scan data is input to the master latch. The clock signals CLK and CLKN and retention control signals RET and RETN determine when the master latch is latched. The slave latch is configured to receive the output of the master latch, a second data bit D2, the clock signals CLK and CLN, the retain control signals RET and RETN, the slave control signals SS and SSN. The signals CLK, CLKN, RET, RETN, SS and SSN determine whether the output of the master latch or the second data bit D2 is latched in the slave latch. Control signals RET and RETN determine when data is stored in the slave latch during retention mode. |
| US08836391B2 |
Plesiochronous clock generation for parallel wireline transceivers
A method for plesiochronous clock generation for parallel wireline transceivers, includes: inputting, into at least one decoder, at least one digital frequency mismatch number; decoding, with the at least one decoder, the at least one digital frequency mismatch number to obtain at least one digital frequency divider number that represents a transmit frequency associated with at least one signal; inputting the at least one digital frequency divider number into at least one fractional-N phase lock loop; and utilizing, by the at least one fractional-N phase lock loop, the at least one digital frequency divider number and an analog reference signal produced by a reference oscillator to produce a resultant signal at the transmit frequency; wherein the at least one decoder and the at least one fractional-N phase lock loop are contained on a single integrated circuit. |
| US08836385B2 |
Frequency converter and switching method thereof
A frequency converter includes a comparator, an error computation unit and a calibration unit. The comparator receives a reference voltage signal and a triangle wave signal, and outputs a switching signal. The switching signal is fed back to the error computation unit to calculate an error signal by computing the reference signal and the switching signal. The calibration unit calibrates the triangle wave signal or the reference voltage signal according to the error signal. |
| US08836380B2 |
Bootstrap circuit
A semiconductor device, includes: a first field effect transistor having one terminal to which a first electrical potential is given; a second field effect transistor having one terminal to which a second electrical potential smaller than the first electrical potential is given; a controller that controls each electrical potential of each control terminal of the first field effect transistor and the second field effect transistor; a capacitor element having one end connected to the control terminal of the first field effect transistor, the capacitor element being charged by the control of the controller; and a load element connected between another terminal of the first field effect transistor and another terminal of the second field effect transistor. |
| US08836379B2 |
Clock selection circuit and method
The invention provides a clock select circuit and method which uses feedback arrangements between latches in different branches, with each branch for coupling an associated clock signal to the circuit output. An override circuit is provided in one of the feedback arrangements for preventing a latching delay in that feedback arrangement. This enables rapid switching between clocks in both directions. |
| US08836378B2 |
Direct sampling circuit
Provided is a direct sampling circuit in which signal mixing between systems is avoided, even when signal systems in which time sharing is integrated are used together by time sharing. History capacitors (153, 155) are connected at a preceding step to a switched capacitor filter (160) for each system, buffer capacitors (173, 175) are connected at a subsequent step to the switched capacitor filter (160) for each system, and the history capacitors and buffer capacitors, which are connected to a rotation capacitor of the switched capacitor filter (160), are switched for each time-sharing system that is input. |
| US08836376B2 |
Comparator and A/D converter
A comparator includes: a differential amplifier of which operational state is switched in response to a clock-signal, and which outputs a first intermediate-output corresponding to a first input-signal and a second intermediate-output corresponding to a second input-signal; a differential latch circuit of which operational state is switched in response to the clock-signal, and a state of which is changed depending on the first intermediate-output and the second intermediate-output; a first adjuster configured to adjust a threshold of the differential latch circuit with respect to a change of a state of the first intermediate-output and a change of a state of the second intermediate-output; and a second adjuster configured to adjust a threshold variation of the differential latch circuit with respect to a change of a state of the first intermediate-output and a change of a state of the second intermediate-output. |
| US08836372B1 |
Minimizing power consumption in asynchronous dataflow architectures
A digital signal processing apparatus includes a digital circuit device having one or more elements configured to process digital data; a power supply configured to deliver a controllable operating voltage for the one or more elements; control logic configured to receive feedback signals from each of the one or more elements, the feedback signals indicative of a rate at which data is moving through each individual element; and the control logic configured to output a control signal to the power supply so as to cause the power supply to reduce the operating voltage for the one or more elements responsive to a decreasing workload detected therein, and to cause the power supply to increase the operating voltage for the one or more pipelines responsive to an increasing workload detected therein. |
| US08836371B2 |
Systems and methods for reduced coupling between digital signal lines
Methods and systems are disclosed for reduced coupling between digital signal lines. For disclosed embodiments, return-to-zero signaling is dynamically blocked so that high logic levels remain high through entire clock cycles where the next data to be output is also at high logic levels. The dynamically blocked return-to-zero signaling reduces capacitive coupling between digital signal lines, such as clock and data signal lines, that are in close proximity to each other by reducing current flow that would otherwise occur with return-to-zero signaling. The dynamically blocked return-to-zero signaling can be used in a wide variety of environments and implementations. |
| US08836370B2 |
Semiconductor apparatus
A semiconductor apparatus includes a power supply changing unit. The power supply changing unit is configured to receive an enable signal and power supply voltage, generate first voltage or second voltage according to the enable signal, change a voltage level of the second voltage according to a level signal, and supply the first voltage or the second voltage as a driving voltage of an internal circuit, wherein the internal circuit receives a first input signal to output a second input signal. |
| US08836368B2 |
Non-LUT field-programmable gate arrays
New logic blocks capable of replacing the use of Look-Up Tables (LUTs) in integrated circuits, such as Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the new logic block is an AND-Inverter Cone (AIC), which is a binary tree including one or more AND gates with a programmable conditional inversion and a number of intermediary outputs. Compared to LUTs, AICs are richer in terms of input and output bandwidth, because the area of the AICs grows only linearly with the number of inputs. Also, the delay grows only logarithmically with the input count. The new logic blocks can map circuits more efficiently than LUTs, because the AICs are multi-output blocks and can cover more logic depth due to the higher input bandwidth. |
| US08836367B2 |
Signal transceiver and adaptive impedance switch circuit
A signal transceiver includes a connector for receiving a signal, a band-pass filter coupled to the connector for filtering the signal, a front-end module for demodulating the signal and an adaptive impedance switch circuit coupled between the band-pass filter and the front-end module for switching an impedance value between the band-pass filter and the front-end module. |
| US08836364B2 |
Voltage test devices used in LCD panels and a system thereof
A voltage test device used in liquid crystal display (LCD) panels, including test solder pads and test lines, is proposed. The test solder pads are connected to an LCD panel through the test lines. Each of the test lines includes a switch test line and a signal-inputting test line. The voltage test device further includes a first connector. The switch test line includes a first portion of the switch test line and a second portion of the switch test line. The first portion of the switch test line is connected to the second portion of the switch test line through the first connector. The first connector is used for preventing the electric current in excess of a predetermined threshold from flowing inside the LCD panel. Meanwhile, a voltage testing system used in LCD panels is proposed. |
| US08836363B2 |
Probe card partition scheme
A method of probe card partitioning for testing an integrated circuit die includes providing a first probe card partition layout having a first number of distinct sections. Each distinct section uses a distinct probe card for testing. The first probe card partition layout is repartitioned into a second probe card partition layout having a second number of distinct sections. The second number is less than the first number. |
| US08836360B2 |
Semiconductor device including integrated circuit
A semiconductor device that can be manufactured with reduced costs and that includes a first connecting terminal, a second connecting terminal, a third connecting terminal, and a first circuit module configured to operate in response a first signal and a second signal. When a mode signal is in a first state, the first circuit module receives the first signal from the first connecting terminal and receives the second signal from the second connecting terminal. Otherwise, when the mode signal is in a second state, the first circuit module receives the first signal from the first connecting terminal and receives the second signal from the third connecting terminal. A memory module including at least one such memory device may also be provided. |
| US08836355B2 |
Dynamic testing based on thermal and stress conditions
A plurality of sets of test conditions of a die in a stacked system is established, wherein the plurality of test conditions are functions of temperatures of the die, and wherein the stacked system comprises a plurality of stacked dies. A temperature of the die is measured. A respective set of test conditions of the die is found from the plurality of sets of test conditions, wherein the set of test conditions corresponds to the temperature. The die is at the temperature using the set of test conditions to generate test results. |
| US08836353B2 |
Digitally displaying inspection system for ESD protection chip
The present invention provides a digitally displaying inspection system for ESD protection chip, which includes an LVDS connector, a display system, first, second, and the third data lines, a power supply, and a resistor. The first, second, and third data lines each have an end electrically connected to the LVDS connector and an opposite end electrically connected to the display system. The display system includes a logic operation module and a digital display module electrically connected to the logic operation module. The logic operation module is electrically connected to the first, second, and third data lines. When an ESD protection chip is electrically connected to the LVDS connector, the logic operation module samples signals on the first, second, and third data lines and drive, after carrying out logic operations, the digital display module to display character signs, which can identify if the ESD protection chip is incorrectly connected. |
| US08836352B2 |
System and method for using an integrated circuit pin as both a current limiting input and an open-drain output
An integrated circuit comprises at least one pin and has at least one resistor connected between a reference voltage and the at least one pin. Current measurement circuitry applies a voltage across the at least one resistor and measures a current at the at least one pin responsive to the applied voltage in a first mode of operation. The measured current enables determination of a current limit set point for the integrated circuit. In a second mode of operation, the at least one resistor comprises a pull up resistor and the at least one pin that is connected to the at least one resistor comprises an open-drain output. |
| US08836351B2 |
Chloride detection
A high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) capable of performing as a chlorine sensor is disclosed. In one implementation, a silver chloride layer can be provided on a gate region of the HEMT. In one application, the HEMTs can be used for the measurement and detection of chloride in bio-sensing applications. In another application, the HEMTs can be used for the detection of chloride in water for environmental and health applications. |
| US08836349B2 |
Capacitive sensor
A sensor includes a variable capacitor, a fixed capacitor, an inductor, a switch that electrically connects the variable capacitor with the inductor or the fixed capacitor with the inductor, an oscillator that generates a periodic signal, and a controller connected to the switch, the oscillator, and the inductor. The controller operates the switch, identifies a frequency of a first oscillation of the variable capacitor and the inductor based on the periodic signal from the oscillator, identifies a frequency of a second oscillation of the fixed capacitor and the inductor based on the periodic signal from the oscillator, and identifies a capacitance of the variable capacitor based on a ratio of the frequency of the first oscillation to the frequency of the second oscillation. |
| US08836343B2 |
Fuel property detection device and method for determining detection of property of fuel
First, second, and third electrodes are exposed to a fuel passage. The third electrode defines a first gap with the first electrode and defines a second gap with the second electrode. A property detection unit detects a property of fuel according to a summation of a first capacitance of the first gap and a second capacitance of the second gap. A correct-erroneous determination unit determines whether the property detected with the property detection unit is correct or erroneous according to a ratio of the summation and the first capacitance. |
| US08836340B2 |
Assembled battery system and failure detection method of assembled battery system
An assembled battery system is disclosed that includes a plurality of serially-connected battery cells; voltage detecting lines connectable at one ends to electrodes of the battery cells of the assembled battery; electric resistors serially-connected at one ends to the other ends of the voltage detecting lines; capacitors connected to the other ends of the electric resistors, each of the capacitors being configured to electrically interconnect one of the voltage detecting lines and the other voltage detecting line; voltage measuring circuits connected respectively to each of the voltage detecting lines; electrically openable short-circuiting switches arranged between the capacitors and the voltage measuring circuits and parallel-connected to the capacitors; and a monitoring circuit that detects a difference between a first measurement result and a second measurement result with respect to each of the short-circuiting switches and a failure of the voltage detecting lines, the short-circuiting switches or the voltage measuring circuits. |
| US08836336B2 |
Combining different electromagnetic data to characterize a subterranean structure
First electromagnetic data is acquired for a subterranean structure using a first survey technique, and second electromagnetic data is acquired for the subterranean structure using a second, different survey technique in which static positioning of at least one electromagnetic source is employed. The first and second electromagnetic data are combined to characterize the subterranean structure. |
| US08836335B2 |
Multi-capacitor system for electromagnetic logging tool
An apparatus for estimating a property of an earth formation penetrated by a borehole includes: a borehole carrier; a first switchable-magnet; a first energy storage device coupled to the first switchable magnet; a second switchable-magnet; a second energy storage device coupled to the second switchable-magnet; at least one voltage source having a first polarity and a second polarity opposite of the first polarity; and an electrical circuit configured to charge the first energy storage device and the second energy storage device at the same time and to sequentially discharge the first energy storage device and the second energy storage device, the electrical circuit being further configured to charge the first and second energy storage devices to the first polarity and then charge the first and second energy storage devices to the second polarity after the first and second energy storage devices are discharged. |
| US08836331B2 |
Volume hologram resin composition, surface relief hologram resin composition, and hologram layer, hologram transfer foil and brittle hologram label using the same
The major object of the invention is to provide a volume-type hologram resin composition and a surface relief-type hologram resin composition having a high effect of preventing forgery and excellent in foil cutting, as well as a hologram layer and a hologram transfer foil using thereof. To achieve the object, there is provided a volume-type hologram resin composition having at least one kind of photopolymerizable compound, a photopolymerization initiator and fine particles, wherein the fine particles show magnetic resonance. |
| US08836330B2 |
Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and magnetic resonance imaging method
According to one embodiment, an MRI apparatus includes a calculation unit and an imaging unit. The calculation unit calculates “a value of a parameter having an upper limit” for “a plurality of patterns of scan orders for a plurality of scan operations for an object” respectively. The imaging unit generates image data for each of the scan operations by performing the plurality of scan operations based on a result of the calculation. |
| US08836326B2 |
Rotation angle detection device
When the zero-crossing of one of the output signals of magnetic sensors has been detected, a rotation angle computing device identifies a magnetic pole sensed by the first magnetic sensor based on the other two output signals. Subsequently, the rotation angle computing device identifies the magnetic pole sensed by the second magnetic sensor and the magnetic pole sensed by the third magnetic sensor based on the magnetic pole sensed by the first magnetic sensor. After that, the rotation angle computing device corrects the amplitude of the output signal of each magnetic sensor based on the identified magnetic poles respectively sensed by the magnetic sensors. Then, the rotation angle computing device computes the electric angle θe of the rotor based on the corrected output signals. |
| US08836316B2 |
Selectable phase power supply system
A power supply system to provide power for a central processing unit (CPU) includes a bridge circuit, a pulse width modulation (PWM) controller and a pulse adjusting driver circuit. The bridge circuit detects a work state of the PWM controller to obtain a feedback signal output from the PWM controller, and provides the feedback signal to the CPU. The CPU outputs a control signal to the bridge circuit according to a work state of the CPU and the feedback signal, and the bridge circuit outputs a PWM signal to the pulse adjusting driver circuit according to the control signal. The pulse adjusting driver circuit receives a first driving signal provided by an external circuit, and adjusts the first driving signal according to the PWM signal to generate at least one second driving signal to drive the CPU. |
| US08836313B2 |
Constant current source and solid imaging apparatus using the same
A constant current source has a first current source circuit for outputting a first current; a second current source circuit for outputting a second current according to a reference voltage; a current comparison circuit for comparing magnitudes of the first and second currents; and a current adjustment unit for adjusting a current value of the first current output from the first current source circuit in accordance with a comparison result of the current comparison circuit. |
| US08836311B2 |
Power converter with switching circuits
Provided is a power converter having a switching circuit wherein a surge voltage of a plurality of switching elements connected in series is suppressed and loss is not concentrated to a specific switching element. The switching circuit is provided with: a non-latching type switching element having two main terminals and one control terminal; a voltage detecting means which detects a voltage applied between the main terminals of the switching element; a control current supply for supplying the control terminal with a control signal corresponding to the voltage detected by the voltage detector; and a delay device for delaying the control signal. |
| US08836308B2 |
Step-down type DC-DC regulator
A first transistor coupled between a power supply line and an inductor, a second transistor coupled between a source of the first transistor and a reference voltage line, and a third transistor coupled between the source of the first transistor and a load are included, and efficiency deterioration caused by a dead time is improved by keeping a current flow through a current path of an inductor, a load, and the third transistor during the dead time by supplying a voltage which is less than a threshold voltage and approximately the threshold voltage to a gate of the third transistor as a gate voltage. |
| US08836304B2 |
Switching mode power supply with virtual current sensing and associated methods
The present technology is related generally to a switching mode power supply with virtual current sensing. The switching mode power supply comprises a power stage that includes a first power switch and a second power switch coupled in series. The switching mode power supply senses a first current flowing through the first power switch during on-time and provides a virtual current sense signal that is proportional to a second current flowing through the second power switch during on-time. The switching mode power supply further combines the real current sense signal and the virtual current sense signal to form a current sense signal, which is sent to the controller to realize desired control. |
| US08836303B2 |
Active leakage consuming module for LDO regulator
An active leakage consuming module (1001) is to be added to an LDO regulator without modification of the structure of this latter. The module provides a low-power operating mode with reduced current consumption, without impairing an operation of the LDO regulator for higher currents output by said LDO regulator. The module comprises a leakage current path (54) and control means (40, 50) for conducting consumed current below a threshold out of a pull-down path of the LDO regulator. |
| US08836300B2 |
Step-down switching regulator
A step-down switching regulator includes a switching element performing switching in accordance with an input control signal to charge an inductor with an input voltage; a synchronous rectification element performing switching in accordance with an input control signal to discharge the inductor; a power supply circuit part generating and outputting a supply voltage; a capacitor connected to the connection of the switching element and the inductor; a first drive circuit part controlling the switching of the switching element in accordance with an input control signal; a second drive circuit part controlling the switching of the synchronous rectification element in accordance with another input control signal; and a control circuit part generating and outputting the control signals to the first and second drive circuit parts so that the predetermined constant voltage is output from an output terminal, wherein the second drive circuit part is supplied with power from the capacitor. |
| US08836296B2 |
Power conversion apparatus
A three-phase rectification circuit rectifies output voltage of a three-phase AC power supply, a step-up converter circuit steps up the output voltage, and a smoothing device smoothes the stepped-up output voltage. A voltage detection circuit detects output voltage VoL of the smoothing device, and an AC current component detection circuit extracts AC component included in output current of the three-phase rectification circuit and outputs a detection signal ViL corresponding to the AC component. A control circuit calculates a deviation ΔVdc1 (=Vs−VoL−ViL) among an output voltage instruction Vs for output voltage of the step-up converter circuit and detection signals VoL and ViL obtained by the detection circuits, and generates a pulse signal for suppressing the deviation ΔVdc1 to zero, thereby performing PWM control for a switching device of the step-up converter circuit. |
| US08836290B2 |
Battery cell monitoring and balancing circuit
A monitoring circuit for accurately monitoring a voltage level from each of a plurality of battery cells of a battery pack includes an analog to digital converter (ADC) and a processor. The ADC is configured to accept an analog voltage signal from each of the plurality of battery cells and convert each analog voltage signal to a digital signal representative of an accurate voltage level of each battery cell. The processor receives such signals and provides a safety alert signal based on at least one of the signals. The ADC resolution may be adjustable. A balancing circuit provides a balancing signal if at least two of the digital signals indicate a voltage difference between two cells is greater than a battery cell balance threshold. An electronic device including such monitoring and balancing circuits is also provided. Various methods are also provided. |
| US08836288B2 |
Battery heating circuits and methods using transformers
Circuit and method for heating a battery. The heating circuit includes a switch unit, a switching control module, a one-way semiconductor component, a damping component and a transformer. The switching control module is electrically connected with the switch unit. The battery, the damping component, a first winding of the transformer, and the switch unit are connected in a first loop with each other to constitute a battery discharging circuit. The battery, the damping component, a second winding of the transformer, and the one-way semiconductor component are connected in a second loop with each other to constitute a battery charging circuit. |
| US08836287B2 |
Time-domain multiplexing of power and data
Circuits, methods, and apparatus that may allow an electronic device to control a power adapter. One example may provide an electronic system where an electronic device may control a power adapter through a communication channel. Data transferred in the communication channel may include the temperature of the power adapter, the charging capability of the adapter, and other types of data. In one example, power and data may share the same two wires, and the power and data may be time-division multiplexed. That is, the two wires may convey power and data at different times. Another example may include circuitry to detect a connection between the electronic device and the power adapter. Once a connection is detected, power may be transferred from the power adapter to the electronic device. This power transfer may be interrupted on occasion to transfer data between the power adapter to the electronic device. |
| US08836285B2 |
Power management system
Provided is a power management system capable of controlling charge and discharge of storage batteries according to power requirement of load even when handling electric power of large scale. A system controller receives load-related information data including the power requirement of load and storage battery-related information data including a state of a storage battery assembly including multiple storage batteries and creates an overall charge-discharge control instruction for the entire power management system based on the load-related information data and the storage battery-related information data. A hierarchical charge-discharge control apparatus receives the overall charge-discharge control instruction from the system controller and performs charge-discharge control of the multiple storage batteries, classified into hierarchical levels, on a hierarchical level basis. |
| US08836283B2 |
Battery recharging base station
The present invention is related to a rechargeable base station system having a base station connected to a DIN rail assembly. The base station has a base featuring side walls, and a receiving unit rotatably connected to the side walls. The receiving unit has an opened end configured to receive a rechargeable device, and at least one electrical contact which contacts the rechargeable device so as to charge the rechargeable device. The DIN rail assembly has power connection elements that provide power from a power source to the base station when the base station is attached to the DIN rail assembly. The base station can include a battery which provides power to charge the rechargeable device when power from the power source is interrupted. Multiple base stations can be connected to the DIN rail assembly thereby allowing for multiple rechargeable devices to be charged from a single DIN rail assembly. |
| US08836277B2 |
Battery heating circuits and methods using resonance components in series based on current limiting and voltage inversion with bi-directionality and common inductance
Circuit and method for heating a battery. The circuit includes the battery including parasitic damping and current storage components. A first switch unit and first charge storage component are parts of a battery discharging circuit. A second current storage component is in series with the first charge storage component and a one-way semiconductor component. The one-way semiconductor component and second current storage component are in parallel with the first switch unit. The first charge storage component, second current storage component, and the one-way semiconductor component are parts of a battery charging circuit. A second switch unit is in parallel to the first charge storage component and the second current storage component. The second switch unit and the second current storage component are parts of a voltage regulation and polarity inversion circuit for the first charge storage component. The circuit heats the battery by discharging and charging the battery. |
| US08836275B2 |
Charging and discharging management apparatus and mobile terminal
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a charging and discharging management apparatus and a mobile terminal. The charging and discharging management apparatus may include a charging and discharging management chip, primary battery positive and negative electrode contacts, secondary battery positive and negative electrode contacts, and electronic switches connected to the primary battery positive and negative electrode contacts and the secondary battery positive and negative electrode contacts, a detecting unit configured to detect in-place states of a primary battery and a secondary battery, and an electronic switch controlling unit connected to the detecting unit and configured to control the electronic switches to be on/off according to the in-place states of the batteries to enable the charging and discharging management chip to perform charging and discharging management for a battery in place. |
| US08836274B2 |
System and method for displaying battery information before executing and operating system
A system and method are described for displaying battery condition information on a display of a portable computer. After powering on the portable computer, battery condition information of a battery of the portable computer is retrieved. The retrieved battery condition information is displayed on the display of the portable computer and operating system (OS) loaded into an executable memory of the portable computer is executed. |
| US08836273B2 |
Power reception control device, power reception device, non-contact power transmission system, electronic instrument and power reception control method
A power reception control device provided in a power reception device of a non-contact power transmission system includes a power-reception-side control circuit that controls an operation of the power reception device, and a power supply control signal output terminal that supplies a power supply control signal to a charge control device, the power supply control signal controlling power supply to a battery. The power-reception-side control circuit controls a timing at which the power supply control signal (ICUTX) is output from the power supply control signal output terminal. The operation of the charge control device is compulsorily controlled using the power supply control signal (ICUTX). |
| US08836269B2 |
Method for detecting blockages of electrically commutated electric motors
A method for detecting blockages of unipolar stepper motors by analyzing the motor current supply, comprising impressing a current into one or more motor windings using a controllable switch, wherein the switch selectively connects a respective motor winding connection to a supply voltage connection and wherein the connections of each motor winding lying at a common potential are permanently connected to a second supply voltage connection, wherein a current feed variant has phases between the switching of the motor windings, in which phases the motor winding connections are switched with high resistance; detecting the voltage at a motor winding connection at least for the high-resistance phase and comparing the voltage to a threshold; detecting a time interval for which the voltage is greater than the threshold; comparing interval lengths for several motor winding connections, and detecting a blockage based on the comparisons of interval lengths. |
| US08836266B2 |
Small motor controller
A small motor controller (SMC) system includes a motor configured to control a position of a rotor, a sensor configured to detect position information of the rotor by detecting a feature on the rotor, the sensor including a detection zone having a first side and a second side, and a motor control unit. The motor control unit is configured to determine a position of the rotor corresponding to one of the first side of the detection zone and the second side of the detection zone based on whether the feature on the rotor is detected crossing the first side or the second side, respectively. |
| US08836265B2 |
Numerical control device
In order to obtain an NC device that can easily shift by an arbitrary amount a main spindle single-revolution reference signal without being dependant on hardware and while rotating a main spindle, the NC device includes a main spindle reference angle correction amount setting unit for inputting a correction angle of a reference point, a main spindle within-single-revolution feed-back position correction unit for correcting the reference point by a correction angle set by the main spindle reference angle correction amount setting unit, and a main spindle within-single-revolution command position correction unit for correcting a main spindle within-single-revolution command position by the correction angle set by the main spindle reference angle correction amount setting unit. |
| US08836259B2 |
Sensorless BLDC motor systems and driving methods of sensorless BLDC motor
Provided is a sensorless BLDC motor system. The sensorless BLDC motor system includes a BLDC motor, a comparator, a motor controller, a three-phase inverter, and a mode selector. The BLDC motor includes first to third coils. The comparator compares a voltage of a specific coil of the first to third coils with a neutral-point voltage to output the compared result. The voltage of the specific coil becomes equal to the neutral-point voltage and a specific time elapses, and then the motor controller generates first and second coil control signals based on the compared result. The three-phase inverter supplies a source voltage or ground voltage to the specific coil, or floats the specific coil, in response to the first and second coil control signals. The mode selector selects a driving mode of the BLDC motor by adjusting the specific time. |
| US08836256B2 |
Switched reluctance motor torque estimation
A drive system has a switched reluctance motor (SR motor) and a control system configured to determine an estimated total torque of SR motor as a function of the phase voltages and phase currents of the phases of the SR motor. |
| US08836254B2 |
Control of an electrical machine
A method of controlling an electrical machine that includes selecting an edge of a rotor-position signal as a reference edge and commutating a phase winding of the electrical machine at times relative to the reference edge. The rotor-position signal has at least four edges per mechanical cycle, each of the edges being associated with a respective zero-crossing in back EMF or minimum in inductance of the phase winding. The angular position of at least one of the edges relative to its respective zero-crossing or minimum is different to that of the other edges. The reference edge is then selected from the edges such that the angular position of the reference edge relative to its respective zero-crossing or minimum is the same with each power on of the electrical machine. Additionally, a controller and control system that implement the method. |
| US08836253B2 |
Control apparatus for AC rotary machine
A control apparatus for an AC rotary machine includes: a current detection section detecting current from a power converter to the AC rotary machine; and a control section generating a three-phase AC voltage instruction to the power converter, based on current detected by the current detection section and a torque instruction. The control section includes: an observer calculating a magnetic flux estimated value of the AC rotary machine, based on detected current and the voltage instruction; a current instruction calculation unit calculating current instruction values on rotational two axes, based on the torque instruction and the magnetic flux estimated value from the observer; and a voltage instruction calculation unit calculating the voltage instruction, based on the current instruction values from the current instruction calculation unit and the magnetic flux estimated value from the observer. |
| US08836251B2 |
Drive system and machine
The present invention relates to a drive system with energy recovery for driving a machine, in particular for driving a crane, wherein the drive system includes at least one fuel cell unit, at least one capacitive energy storage unit and at least one drive motor, and wherein the fuel cell unit and the energy storage unit are connected in parallel and feed at least one drive motor. According to the invention, the capacitive energy storage unit is dimensioned such that the differential voltage occurring during operation between the fuel cell unit and the capacitive energy storage unit is minimized to such an extent that the current caused by the voltage within the parallel connection of fuel cell unit and energy storage unit does not exceed a defined safe limit value, wherein the fuel cell unit and the energy storage unit are directly coupled with each other and with the remaining drive components without DC/DC converter. The invention furthermore relates to a machine which includes the drive system according to the invention. |
| US08836248B2 |
Monitoring a condition of a solid state charge device in electrostatic printing
An apparatus to monitor a condition of a solid state charge device (SSCD) useful in electrostatic printing includes a power supply and a frequency detector. The power supply provides current to the SSCD, and includes a resonant controller. The frequency detector senses a frequency associated with the current, and since the frequency is representative of the condition of the SSCD, the frequency detector thereby monitors the condition of the SSCD. A method of monitoring the condition of the SSCD includes providing current to the SSCD using a power supply, and sensing a frequency associated with the current. The power supply includes a resonant controller, and the frequency is representative of the condition of the SSCD, and thus the method thereby monitors the condition of the SSCD. A corresponding computer-readable medium is also disclosed. |
| US08836241B2 |
LED driving circuit and driving controller for controlling the same
A driving controller for driving a load is disclosed. The driving circuit includes a driving power supply and the driving controller. The driving power supply provides a first power source to the load. The controller is coupled to a second power source to receive an electric power for operating. The controller controls the amount of the electric power to the load when operating in a first mode and stops the driving power supply from providing the electric power to the load when operating in a second mode. The controller operates exclusively in the first mode before the driving power supply provides the first power source to the load. |
| US08836240B2 |
Dim mode start for electrodeless lamp ballast
A ballast for energizing a lamp at a lighting level selected from a plurality of lamp lighting levels. The ballast includes a buck converter circuit configured to receive a DC voltage signal having a substantially constant magnitude. The buck converter circuit has a duty cycle for generating a lamp voltage output signal from the DC voltage signal. The lamp voltage output signal has a magnitude that is varied by the duty cycle to energize the lamp at the plurality of lamp lighting levels. A controller is configured to receive a dim input signal indicative of the selected lamp lighting level and to provide a control signal to the buck converter circuit as a function of the dim input signal. The control signal indicates a particular duty cycle corresponding to a lamp voltage output signal having a magnitude for energizing the lamp at the selected lamp lighting level. |
| US08836236B1 |
LED offset voltage dimmer
An LED driver has a power supply configured to receive power from a power input. A primary controller configured to receive power from the power supply and output power to a power output. The power output is configured to be connected to LED lights. A dimmer provides a dimming signal, and the dimmer has an adjustable voltage circuit. An offset voltage is added to a ground path on the adjustable voltage circuit. The offset voltage can be created by a silicon diode adding the offset voltage to a transformer's secondary winding ground path on a DC regulated voltage circuit. The adjustable voltage circuit can be formed as the DC regulated voltage circuit. The DC regulated voltage circuit is a 10 VDC regulated voltage circuit. |
| US08836235B2 |
Apparatus for automatically controlling the illumination of LED lighting
The present invention relates to an apparatus for automatically controlling illuminance, which transmits a dimming signal based on the zero-crossing of AC power using an illuminance control electronic switch. An apparatus for automatically controlling illuminance of Light-Emitting Diode (LED) lighting according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a dimming control electronic switch for, if manipulation of a switch by a user is sensed during supply of Alternating Current (AC) power to an LED lamp, interrupting supply of the AC power during a preset period of time based on zero-crossing of the AC power, and an LED lamp control device for controlling illuminance of the LED lamp by detecting supply and interruption of the AC power. |
| US08836233B2 |
Light source apparatus and driving apparatus thereof
A light source driving apparatus including a voltage converting unit, a switching unit, a feedback unit and a control unit is provided. The voltage converting unit provides a driving current to drive a light source module. The switching unit is controlled to be conducted or not by a switch signal. The feedback unit detects a load status of the light source module, and provides a feedback signal accordingly. The control unit modulates pulse widths of the switch signal according to the feedback signal, a signal upper limitation, and a signal lower limitation, so as to control the switching unit to be conducted. The voltage converting unit includes an energy storage element. When the switching unit is conducted, the energy storage element stores a part of energy provided by the input power source. When the switching unit is not conducted, the energy storage element provides the driving current. |
| US08836231B2 |
Modularized LED lamp
A modularized LED lamp is disclosed. Embodiments of the present invention provide an LED lamp in which digital and/or analog communication takes place between the LED module and the power supply unit (PSU) of the lamp. A controller in the LED module sends signals to the PSU, allowing separation of the two parts so that each part can be manufactured independently as opposed to being manufactured as a calibrated, matched pair. The LED module, by way of its controller, provides information to the PSU that allows the power supply to adjust its drive current appropriately. The PSU controller can also respond to operating temperature variations of the LEDs in order to provide thermal shutdown, brightness compensation, and other control if needed. In some embodiments, a controller in the PSU also responds to an external dimming input. |
| US08836212B2 |
Light emissive printed article printed with quantum dot ink
A light emissive printed articles (101) include printing with ink that includes quantum dots in lieu of pigment. A pump light that emits light with photon energies sufficient to excite the quantum dot ink (102) is used to drive light emission. |
| US08836205B2 |
Cyclotron
A cyclotron includes a superconductive coil that is disposed in a vacuum vessel, a cooling unit that cools the superconductive coil, a basic support member that is installed in the vacuum vessel and supports the superconductive coil in the vacuum vessel, and a support member for quenching that is fixed to one of the superconductive coil and the vacuum vessel and forms a predetermined gap with the other thereof. |
| US08836200B2 |
Torsional mode ultrasonic generator
Apparatus (5,50) for generating torsional-mode ultrasonic vibrations comprises a stack of axially-polarized piezo-electric ceramic rings (10) having a torsional converter (1,51,53) mounted coaxially to either one face of the stack or to two opposite faces thereof. Each torsional converter (1,51,53) has a cross-sectional inhomogeneity comprising a plurality of helically-extending grooves (2,55) extending substantially from end to end of the converter. The grooves (2,55) each have a length, measured axially along the converter (1,51,53), of approximately half the wavelength of ultrasonic vibrations therein. When the stack is energized, the stack and the converter (1) or converters (51,53) resonate together in a purely torsional-mode vibration. The apparatus (5,50) is compact and axisymmetric, and is straightforward to incorporate into a simple tool handpiece. The ultrasonic vibrations may be transmitted along a conventional elongate waveguide (3) of a tool to a distal operative tip (35). A very high amplitude torsional oscillation may thus be induced at the operative tip (35) of the tool. Alternatively, a further converter element (32) may be located at a distal end of the waveguide (3) in order partially to convert torsional-mode to longitudinal-mode vibrations for tool operative tips requiring combined-mode oscillations. |
| US08836198B2 |
Brush holder of slip ring
A brush holder of the present invention is formed by a plurality of brush holder units in serial connection. Each brush holder unit includes an insulating base, a brush frame, and two carbon brushes. The insulating base has a protrusion and a recess on opposite sides. The brush frame has a main body received in the recess and two branches projected from opposite ends of the main body. The carbon brushes are provided on the branches of the brush frame. The protrusion of the brush holder unit is inserted into the recess of another brush holder unit to serially connect the brush holder units as well as to secure the brush frame in the recess. Therefore, the brush holder may be formed by serially connecting the brush holder units in a fast and easy way, and it provides a stable signal transmission. |
| US08836192B2 |
Axial gap rotating electrical machine and rotor used therefor
In the axial gap rotating electrical machine, the rotor includes a rotor yoke that is formed by wrapping amorphous ribbon wound toroidal core, which is obtained by winding an amorphous magnetic metal ribbon into a toroidal core. Magnets having plural poles are circumferentially disposed on a stator-facing surface of the amorphous ribbon wound toroidal core. |
| US08836189B2 |
Spindle motor having lubricant filled bearing clearance
There is provided a spindle motor including: a sleeve rotatably supporting a shaft and having an insertion groove provided in a top surface thereof; and a rotor case mounted on a top end of the shaft and including a protruding wall part inserted into the insertion groove, wherein a lubricant, provided to generate a dynamic pressure when the shaft rotates, forms an interface with air in a clearance formed by the protruding wall part and the insertion groove. |
| US08836188B2 |
Motor with internal driver
A motor with an internal driver having a shell, having a stator, a rotor and a drive shaft attached to said rotor in an internal thereof; a front cover; a rear cover; ends of a drive shaft penetrating through holes of the front and rear covers to the external. The inner surface of the rear cover includes outer and inner circumferential walls and a receiving space defined by the outer and inner circumferential walls and the inner surface of the rear cover. A driver is provided within said receiving space and the outer surface of the rear cover is provided with a bearing slot to receive a bearing. An inner diameter of the inner circumferential wall is greater than the drive shaft. Said inner diameter of said inner circumferential wall is smaller than the annular diameter of the bearing in the bearing slot. |
| US08836187B2 |
Vehicle drive device
A vehicle drive device includes an input member coupled to an internal combustion engine; an output member coupled to a wheel; a rotating electrical machine; a fluid coupling; and a case containing at least the rotating electrical machine and the fluid coupling. The fluid coupling includes an input and an output that is paired with the input. The rotating electrical machine includes a rotor and a rotor support that extends radially inward from the rotor in an axial direction with respect to the coupling input, and supports the rotor via a support bearing. A power transmission member is formed by coupling at least the rotor support and the coupling input together so that at least the rotor support and the coupling input rotate together. A movement restricting mechanism restricts axial movement of the power transmission member toward the axial direction. |
| US08836186B2 |
Bus bar device, stator, motor and manufacturing method for stator
A bus bar device electrically connects a plurality of coils arranged along a circumferential direction of the bus bar device to form an annular shape in entirety. A plurality of bus bars is arranged so that a plurality of layers is formed in a radial direction of the bus bar device. Each of the bus bars is formed from an arc-shaped conductive wire. A plurality of connection wires is respectively connected to the plurality of coils. The connection wires are arranged to overlap the bus bars and intersect the bus bars in the axial direction. Intersection portions at which the bus bars and the connection wires intersect include connection intersection portions at which the connection wires are electrically connected to the bus bars. |
| US08836179B2 |
Systems and methods of energy harvesting with positive displacement motor
A system to harvest energy from shaft rotation includes a housing, a curved shaft disposed within the housing, and a magnetostrictive material embedded in the housing. A rotation of the curved shaft strains the magnetostrictive material, generating an electrical current in a conductor disposed proximate to the magnetostrictive material. |
| US08836176B2 |
Uninterruptible power supply for a medical appliance
An apparatus for metered supply of a liquid medicament having a power supply which not only allows the primary battery to be replaced without interrupting the insulin supply, but also makes it possible to bridge uncontrolled short-term interruptions in the current supply or voltage supply resulting from bouncing of the battery contacts, while also providing an adequate emergency power reserve is disclosed. |
| US08836175B1 |
Power distribution system for rack-mounted equipment
A system includes a rack, one or more computing devices, and one or more rack power distribution units. The computing devices include one or more power supply units. The rack power distribution units include a set of power output receptacles. A set of power inputs on the power supply units matches the set of output receptacles on the rack power distribution units. |
| US08836174B2 |
Energy saving switch of continuously powered transformers
An additional miniature switch or jumper switch to be integrated within the power connector of any device that is using transformer but that does not need to be connected to it all the time. The energy saving switch will disconnect the primary winding of the transformer from the voltage source when the device does not need to be powered. The energy saving switch could also be integrated within the turn-on/off circuit of any devices that is using transformer continuously plugged to a voltage source to power the device that may be turned-off either with an interrupter (mechanical or even electronically with remote control). The energy saving switch operates when a transformer is not in use but still wasting energy while connected to a voltage supply. The energy saving switch will simply disconnect the primary winding of the transformer when no device is connected or when the device is turned-off. |
| US08836172B2 |
Efficient near-field wireless energy transfer using adiabatic system variations
Disclosed is a method for transferring energy wirelessly including transferring energy wirelessly from a first resonator structure to an intermediate resonator structure, wherein the coupling rate between the first resonator structure and the intermediate resonator structure is κ1B, transferring energy wirelessly from the intermediate resonator structure to a second resonator structure, wherein the coupling rate between the intermediate resonator structure and the second resonator structure is κB2, and during the wireless energy transfers, adjusting at least one of the coupling rates κ1B and κB2 to reduce energy accumulation in the intermediate resonator structure and improve wireless energy transfer from the first resonator structure to the second resonator structure through the intermediate resonator structure. |
| US08836170B2 |
Wireless power feeding system and wireless power feeding method
An object is to provide a power feeding system and a power feeding method which are more convenient for a power feeding user at the power receiving end. An object is to provide a power feeding system and a power feeding method which also allow a power feeding provider (a company) which feeds power (at the power transmitting end) to supply power without waste. A power feeding device which wirelessly supplies power to a power receiver detects the position and the resonant frequency of the power receiver to be supplied with power, and controls the frequency of a power signal to be transmitted to the power receiver on the basis of the information. An efficient power feeding service can be offered by transmitting a power signal to the power receiver at an optimum frequency for high power transmission efficiency. |
| US08836169B2 |
Center-tapped solar array and power distribution system for same
A center-tapped solar array includes a plurality of series-connected solar cells connected between a positive terminal and a negative terminal for generating an output voltage. A center-tapped terminal connected to ground is connected to the plurality of series-connected solar cells at a midpoint between the positive and negative terminals. As a result, the positive terminal of the solar array has a positive voltage relative to ground greater than the center-tapped terminal and the negative terminal has a negative voltage relative to ground less than the center-tapped terminal. |
| US08836166B2 |
Power management with over voltage protection
This document discusses, among other things, systems and methods to provide an internal supply rail with over voltage protection using a host power source, an external power source, and a switch configured to receive indications of host and external power source validity. In an example, the switch can be configured to provide the internal supply rail using the host power source when the indication of host power source validity indicates a valid host power source and the external power source when the indication of host power source validity indicates an invalid host power source and the indication of external power source validity indicates a valid external power source. |
| US08836161B2 |
Rolling stock system and control method thereof
A breaker 162 is opened when a pantograph 101 is lowered. The pantograph 101 is connected to an overhead wire 200. Voltage and its phase of the overhead wire are detected by a detector 161. Power is supplied from a power storage device 150c to a tertiary winding 112c via a power converter 14c such that a primary side of the main transformer 110 has the same voltage and phase as the overhead wire so as to reversely excite the main transformer 110. When the voltage of the main transformer 110 has the same phase as the voltage of the overhead wire 200, the breaker 162 is turned on and then the pantograph 101 is raised, to connect the overhead wire 200 and the main transformer 110 to each other, thereby preventing the occurrence of an excitation inrush current to the main transformer 110. |
| US08836158B2 |
Horizontal axis wind turbine systems and methods
A system for operating a horizontal axis wind turbine includes a turbine rotor and a rotor blade adapted to rotate about a horizontal axis, two vertical shafts, a plurality of gears adapted to translate a rotational motion of the turbine rotor into counter-rotating vertical rotational motions of the shafts, and two generators fixed to a tower, adapted to translate a rotational motion of the shafts into electrical power. A method of operating a horizontal axis wind turbine system includes obtaining a turbine rotor and a rotor blade adapted to rotate about a horizontal axis, obtaining two vertical shafts, obtaining a plurality of gears, and obtaining two generators fixed to a tower, translating a rotational motion of the turbine rotor into counter-rotating vertical rotational motions of the shafts using the gears, and translating a rotational motion of the shafts into electrical power using the generators. |
| US08836157B2 |
Power generation device
A power generation device for a vehicle comprises a housing adapted to removably affix to a rear of a vehicle and a rotatable support member for rotatably supporting a first device, the rotatable support member operatively connected to the housing, wherein the first device includes rotor blades for producing electrical energy when exposed to a flow of air. Further, the rotatable support member is adapted to be articulated between a range from a first position, wherein the rotatable support member and the rotor blades of the first device are disposed within the housing, and a second position, wherein the rotatable support member and the rotor blades of the first device are disposed outside of the housing. |
| US08836154B2 |
Wind turbine control methods for improving the production of energy
Method of operation of a variable speed wind turbine (11) having control means for its regulation tracking a power vs. generator speed curve (31) comprising a nominal zone (39) where the power is kept constant at a nominal value, a first sub-nominal zone (33) where the generator speed is kept constant at its coupling value, a second sub-nominal zone (35) where both generator speed and power are allowed to increase/decrease in line with wind speed and a third sub-nominal zone (37) between the second sub-nominal zone (35) and the nominal zone (39) that comprises a first vertical segment (41) at a generator speed nr2 higher than the generator nominal speed nr1 and a second vertical segment (43) at the generator nominal speed nr1 connecting with the nominal zone (39), each of both segments (41, 43) to be followed in function of the wind speed changes for optimizing the energy production. |
| US08836153B2 |
Wave-power aggregate to extract energy from wave motion in a fluid and the use of a wave-power aggregate
The present invention relates to a wave-power aggregate and a method of extracting energy from wave motion in a liquid by means of a wave-power aggregate. The wave-power aggregate comprises a container which is situated at least partially in the liquid and also comprises an inflow and an outflow. The container is arranged to, under the influence of said wave motion, to let a first part of the container arrange itself in a first position and a second part of the container in a second position, where the first and second position corresponds to different potential energy states. The method comprises the steps of: alternately supplying the container with at least a first and a second fluid respectively via the inflow, where the density of the fluids differs. at least during an initial stage of the method controlling a flow resistance in at least one of the first and second fluids through the container. |
| US08836151B2 |
Starter generator arranged within the flywheel housing in an internal combustion engine
An arrangement connectable to an internal combustion engine having a crankshaft, the arrangement including a flywheel, which is connectable to the crankshaft and coupled by a coupling device to output elements. An intermediate piece is arranged in a torque-transmitting manner between the flywheel and the coupling device. A starter generator is arranged within a flywheel housing and operatively connected to the crankshaft. The intermediate piece has in the center thereof an opening in which a shaft body is mounted in an axially movable manner, and the shaft body is connected to the coupling device by means of a flexible transmission element. |
| US08836147B2 |
Bonding structure of multilayer copper bonding wire
A bonding structure of a ball-bonded portion is obtained by bonding a ball portion formed on a front end of a multilayer copper bonding wire. The multilayer copper bonding wire includes a core member that is mainly composed of copper, and an outer layer that is formed on the core member and is mainly composed of at least one noble metal selected from a group of Pd, Au, Ag and Pt. Further, a first concentrated portion of such noble metal(s) is formed in a ball-root region located at a boundary with the copper bonding wire in a surface region of the ball-bonded portion. |
| US08836145B2 |
Power semiconductor device with reduced contact resistance
A semiconductor device that includes an electrode of one material and a conductive material of lower resistivity formed over the electrode and a process for fabricating the semiconductor device. |
| US08836144B2 |
Wafer level package structure
The present invention provides a semiconductor package structure, which includes a die, a plurality of bonding wires, an encapsulant, and a plurality of first external terminals. The die has an active surface and a back surface. A first end of each of the bonding wires is connected to the back surface of the die, and a second end opposite to the first end is electrically connected to the active surface of the die. The encapsulant covers the back surface of the die and the bonding wires, wherein a portion of each of the bonding wires is exposed from the encapsulant. The first external terminals are disposed on the top surface of the encapsulant, and cover the exposed portions of the bonding wires respectively and are electrically connected to the bonding wires. |
| US08836143B2 |
Chip package with coplanarity controlling feature
A chip package includes a substrate, an integrated circuit proximate a top surface of the substrate, and a cap comprising encapsulant that encapsulates the integrated circuit on at least a portion of the top surface of the substrate. The chip package further includes at least one extension feature positioned on at least a portion of the top surface of the substrate. The at least one extension feature also comprises the encapsulant and extends from the cap to a perimeter of the substrate. |
| US08836137B2 |
Method for creating a 3D stacked multichip module
A 3D stacked multichip module comprises a stack of W IC die. Each die has a patterned conductor layer, including an electrical contact region with electrical conductors and, in some examples, device circuitry over a substrate. The electrical conductors of the stacked die are aligned. Electrical connectors extend into the stack to contact landing pads on the electrical conductors to create a 3D stacked multichip module. The electrical connectors may pass through vertical vias in the electrical contact regions. The landing pads may be arranged in a stair stepped arrangement. The stacked multichip module may be made using a set of N etch masks with 2N-1 being less than W and 2N being greater than or equal to W, with the etch masks alternatingly covering and exposing 2n-1 landing pads for each mask n=1, 2 . . . N. |
| US08836133B2 |
Chip-level humidity protection
An electronic apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate, a device structure supported by the semiconductor substrate, and a guard ring surrounding the device structure. The guard ring includes a plurality of conductive structures spaced apart from one another, supported by the semiconductor substrate, and coupled to a voltage source to establish an operating voltage for the guard ring. |
| US08836127B2 |
Interconnect with flexible dielectric layer
An integrated circuit device has a dual damascene structure including a lower via portion and an upper line portion. The lower via portion is formed in a polyimide layer, and the upper line portion is formed in an inter-metal dielectric (IMD) layer formed of USG or polyimide. A passivation layer is formed on the IMD layer, and a bond pad is formed overlying the passivation layer to electrically connect the upper line portion. |
| US08836126B2 |
Semiconductor device having insulating layers containing oxygen and a barrier layer containing manganese
A semiconductor device includes an insulating layer formed over a semiconductor substrate, the insulating layer including oxygen, a first wire formed in the insulating layer, and a second wire formed in the insulating layer over the first wire and containing manganese, oxygen, and copper, the second wire having a projection portion formed in the insulating layer and extending downwardly but spaced apart from the first wire. |
| US08836125B2 |
Flexible electronic devices and related methods
A packaged electronic device includes a flexible circuit structure and a die. The flexible circuit structure includes a first structural layer and electrical conductors. The die is bonded to the flexible circuit structure by a flexible attachment layer. The die includes interconnects in electrical contact with die circuitry and extending through the die, through the flexible attachment layer, and into electrical contact with respective electrical conductors at first ends. A flexible second structural layer is disposed on the die and exposed portions of the electrical conductors, wherein the die and the electrical conductors are encapsulated by the first structural layer and the second structural layer. The first structural layer and/or the second structural layer include a plurality of openings defining respective exposed areas on the electrical conductors at second ends. |
| US08836121B2 |
Circuit board with twinned CU circuit layer and method for manufacturing the same
A circuit board with twinned Cu circuit layer and a method for manufacturing the same are disclosed, wherein the method comprises the following steps: (A) providing a substrate with a first circuit layer formed thereon, wherein the first circuit layer comprises a conductive pad; (B) forming a first dielectric layer on the surface of the substrate; (C) forming plural openings in the first dielectric layer, wherein each opening penetrates through the first dielectric layer and communicates with the conductive pad to expose the conductive pad; (D) forming a Cu seeding layer in the openings; (E) forming a nano-twinned Cu layer in the openings with an electroplating process; and (F) annealing the substrate to transfer the material of the Cu seeding layer into nano-twinned Cu, wherein the nano-twinned Cu layer and the transferred Cu seeding layer are formed into a second circuit layer. |
| US08836119B2 |
Semiconductor device
There is provided a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes: a silicon substrate; a copper post connected to one surface of the silicon substrate; a semiconductor element having a linear expansion coefficient different from that of the silicon substrate; a metal layer provided between the semiconductor element and the silicon substrate to cover the copper post; a first alloy layer provided between the copper post and the semiconductor element, wherein the first alloy layer includes alloy of gold and a metal of the metal layer; and a second alloy layer provided between the metal layer and the semiconductor element, wherein the second alloy layer includes alloy of gold and the metal of the metal layer. |
| US08836118B2 |
Electronic device packages including bump buffer spring pads and methods of manufacturing the same
Electronic device packages and related methods are provided. The electronic device package includes a first substrate having a first contact portion disposed thereon, a bump having a first contact surface connected to the first contact portion and a second contact surface disposed opposite to the first contact surface, and a buffer spring pad portion between the first contact portion of the first substrate and the first contact surface of the bump. The buffer spring pad portion includes at least two different conductive material layers which are stacked. |
| US08836117B2 |
Electronic device having a contact recess and related methods
An electronic device may include a bottom interconnect layer and an integrated circuit (IC) carried by the bottom interconnect layer. The electronic device may further include an encapsulation material on the bottom interconnect layer and laterally surrounding the IC. The electronic device may further include electrically conductive pillars on the bottom interconnect layer extending through the encapsulation material. At least one electrically conductive pillar and adjacent portions of encapsulation material may have a reduced height with respect to adjacent portions of the IC and the encapsulation material and may define at least one contact recess. The at least one contact recess may be spaced inwardly from a periphery of the encapsulation material. |
| US08836114B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of forming Fo-WLCSP having conductive layers and conductive vias separated by polymer layers
A Fo-WLCSP has a first polymer layer formed around a semiconductor die. First conductive vias are formed through the first polymer layer around a perimeter of the semiconductor die. A first interconnect structure is formed over a first surface of the first polymer layer and electrically connected to the first conductive vias. The first interconnect structure has a second polymer layer and a plurality of second vias formed through the second polymer layer. A second interconnect structure is formed over a second surface of the first polymer layer and electrically connected to the first conductive vias. The second interconnect structure has a third polymer layer and a plurality of third vias formed through the third polymer layer. A semiconductor package can be mounted to the WLCSP in a PoP arrangement. The semiconductor package is electrically connected to the WLCSP through the first interconnect structure or second interconnect structure. |
| US08836110B2 |
Heat spreader for use within a packaged semiconductor device
A packaged semiconductor device includes a package substrate, an integrated circuit (IC) die mounted on the package substrate, and a heat spreader mounted on the package substrate. The heat spreader surrounds at least a portion of the IC die and includes a lid with a plurality of openings. An inner portion of the heat spreader includes a plurality of thermally conductive protrusions adjacent the die. |
| US08836109B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing a semiconductor device
A semiconductor device includes a substrate having a via region and a circuit region, an insulation interlayer formed on a top surface of the substrate, a through electrode having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the through electrode penetrates the via region of the substrate and the second surface is substantially coplanar with a bottom surface of the substrate, a first upper wiring formed on a portion of the first surface of the through electrode, a plurality of via contacts formed on a portion of a top surface of the first upper wiring, and a second upper wiring formed on the plurality of via contacts. |
| US08836104B2 |
Apparatus for chip thermal stress relief
Various stress relief structures are provided for effectively reducing thermal stress on a semiconductor chip in a chip package. Trenches on a metal substrate are created in groups in two-dimension, where each trench is opened from top or bottom surface of the metal substrate and in various shapes. The metal substrate is partitioned into many smaller substrates depending on the number of trench groups and partitions, and is attached to a semiconductor chip for stress relief. In an alternative embodiment, a plurality of cylindrical metal structures are used together with a metal substrate in a chip package for the purpose of heat removal and thermal stress relief on a semiconductor chip. In another alternative embodiment, a metal foam is used together with a semiconductor chip to create a chip package. In another alternative embodiment, a semiconductor chip is sandwiched between a heat sink and a circuit board by solder bumps directly with underfill on the circuit board. |
| US08836093B2 |
Lead frame and flip chip package device thereof
The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor chip packages, and more specifically to a lead frame and flip chip package device thereof. In one embodiment, a lead frame for electrically connecting a chip to outside leads, can include a plurality of lead fingers, where each of the plurality of lead fingers comprises a plurality of outburst regions extending from an edge thereof. In one embodiment, a flip chip package device can include: a chip and a plurality of solder bumps, where one surface of the chip is connected to a first surface of each of the plurality of solder bumps; and the lead frame, where second surfaces of each of the plurality solder bumps are connected with corresponding outburst regions of the lead frame to connect the chip to the lead frame through the solder bumps. |
| US08836087B2 |
Gap-fill keyhole repair using printable dielectric material
Disposable gate structures are formed on a semiconductor substrate. A planarization dielectric layer is deposited over the disposable gate structures and planarized to provide a top surface that is coplanar with top surface of the disposable gate structures. The planarization dielectric layer at this point includes gap-fill keyholes between narrowly spaced disposable gate structures. A printable dielectric layer is deposited over the planarization dielectric layer to fill the gap-fill keyholes. Areas of the printable dielectric layer over the gap-fill keyholes are illuminated with radiation that cross-links cross-linkable bonds in the material of the printable dielectric layer. Non-crosslinked portions of the printable dielectric layer are subsequently removed selective to crosslinked portions of the printable dielectric layer, which fills at least the upper portion of each gate-fill keyhole. The disposable gate structures are removed to form gate cavities. The gate cavities are filled with a gate dielectric and a gate electrode. |
| US08836086B2 |
Semiconductor light emitting chip and method for processing substrate
Disclosed is a semiconductor light emitting chip (20) that is composed of: a substrate (10), which has the C plane of a sapphire single crystal as the front surface, and the side surfaces (25, 26) configured of planes that intersect all the planes equivalent to the M plane of the sapphire single crystal, and which includes modified regions (23, 24) in the side surfaces (25, 26), the modified regions being formed by laser radiation; and a light emitting element (12), which is provided on the substrate front surface (10a) of the substrate (10). In the semiconductor light emitting chip, a tilt of the substrate side surfaces with respect to the substrate front surface is suppressed. Also disclosed is a method for processing the substrate. |
| US08836085B2 |
Cost-effective TSV formation
A device includes a substrate having a first surface, and a second surface opposite the first surface. A through-substrate via (TSV) extends from the first surface to the second surface of the substrate. A dielectric layer is disposed over the substrate. A metal pad is disposed in the dielectric layer and physically contacting the TSV, wherein the metal pad and the TSV are formed of a same material, and wherein no layer formed of a material different from the same material is between and spacing the TSV and the metal pad apart from each other. |
| US08836084B2 |
Structure for reducing integrated circuit corner peeling
A crack prevention structure that reduces integrated circuit corner peeling and reduces cracking is disclosed. The crack prevention structure comprises a semiconductor substrate; a first plurality of dielectric layers of a first material disposed over the semiconductor substrate; a second plurality of dielectric layers of a second material different than the first material, disposed on the first plurality of dielectric layers, wherein the first plurality of dielectric layers and the second plurality of dielectric layers meet at an interface; and a plurality of metal structures and a plurality of via structures formed through the interface of the first plurality of dielectric layers and the second plurality of dielectric layers. |
| US08836079B2 |
Metal-on-metal (MoM) capacitors having laterally displaced layers, and related systems and methods
Metal-on-Metal (MoM) capacitors having laterally displaced layers and related systems and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, a MoM capacitor includes a plurality of vertically stacked layers that are laterally displaced relative to one another. Lateral displacement of the layers minimizes cumulative surface process variations making a more reliable and uniform capacitor. |
| US08836077B2 |
Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same
A semiconductor device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes fuse patterns spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance over a first interlayer insulation film; a second interlayer insulation film disposed between the fuse patterns over the first interlayer insulation film; and a capping film pattern formed over the fuse patterns and the second interlayer insulation films, the capping film pattern including a slot exposing the second interlayer insulation film. |
| US08836071B2 |
Gallium nitride-based schottky barrier diode with aluminum gallium nitride surface layer
A method of fabricating a Schottky diode using gallium nitride (GaN) materials includes providing an n-type GaN substrate having a first surface and a second surface. The second surface opposes the first surface. The method also includes forming an ohmic metal contact electrically coupled to the first surface of the n-type GaN substrate and forming an n-type GaN epitaxial layer coupled to the second surface of the n-type GaN substrate. The method further includes forming an n-type aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN) surface layer coupled to the n-type GaN epitaxial layer and forming a Schottky contact electrically coupled to the n-type AlGaN surface layer. |
| US08836070B2 |
Photo diode, method of manufacturing the photo-diode, and photo sensor including the photo diode
A photo diode includes an intrinsic region on a substrate, a P+ doping region in a first portion of the intrinsic region, and an oxide semiconductor region. The oxide semiconductor region is spaced apart from the P+ doping region on a second portion of the intrinsic region and the second portion of the intrinsic region is different from the first portion of the intrinsic region. |
| US08836065B2 |
Solid-state imaging device
According to one embodiment, a solid-state imaging device includes a semiconductor substrate including a pixel area and a peripheral circuit area, an interconnection structure provided on a first principal surface of the semiconductor substrate and including first interconnection layers electrically connected to the peripheral circuit area, a second interconnection layer provided in the peripheral circuit area and on a second principal surface of the semiconductor substrate, a third interconnection layer provided above the second interconnection layer with an insulating layer therebetween, and through electrodes electrically connecting the second interconnection layer to the third interconnection layer. |
| US08836060B2 |
Spin device, driving method of the same, and production method of the same
The present disclosure provides a spin device including: a graphene; a first ferromagnetic electrode and a second electrode that are in electrical contact with and sandwich the graphene; a third ferromagnetic electrode and a fourth electrode that sandwich the graphene at a position apart from the first and second electrodes in electrical contact with the graphene; a current applying portion that applies an electric current between the first ferromagnetic electrode and the second electrode; and a voltage-signal detecting portion that detects spin accumulation information as a voltage signal via the third ferromagnetic electrode and the fourth electrode. The spin accumulation information is generated, by application of the electric current, in a part of the graphene that is sandwiched between the third and fourth electrodes. The first and third ferromagnetic electrodes are disposed on the same surface of the graphene, and the second and fourth electrodes are non-magnetic or ferromagnetic electrodes. |
| US08836055B2 |
MEMS structures and methods for forming the same
A device includes a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) device, which includes a movable element and a fixed element. The movable element and the fixed element form two capacitor plates of a capacitor, with an air-gap between the movable element and the fixed element acting as a capacitor insulator of the capacitor. At least one of the movable element and the fixed element has a rugged surface. |
| US08836054B2 |
Semiconductor chip capable of improving mounting reliability and semiconductor package having the same
A semiconductor chip includes a semiconductor chip body having a first surface and a second surface that faces away from the first surface, and including a plurality of bonding pads disposed on the first surface. Also, the semiconductor chip includes a distance maintaining member attached to the first surface of the semiconductor chip body and electrically connected with a circuit pattern. |
| US08836053B2 |
Hybrid integrated component and method for the manufacture thereof
A component system includes at least one MEMS element, a cap for a micromechanical structure of the MEMS element, and at least one ASIC substrate. The micromechanical structure of the MEMS element is implemented in the functional layer of an SOI wafer. The MEMS element is mounted face down, with the structured functional layer on the ASIC substrate, and the cap is implemented in the substrate of the SOI wafer. The ASIC substrate includes a starting substrate provided with a layered structure on both sides. At least one circuit level is implemented in each case both in the MEMS-side layered structure and in the rear-side layered structure of the ASIC substrate. In the ASIC substrate, at least one ASIC through contact is implemented which electrically contacts at least one circuit level of the rear-side layered structure and/or at least one circuit level of the MEMS-side layered structure. |
| US08836052B2 |
Electromechanical transducer and method of manufacturing the same
An electromechanical transducer includes multiple elements each having multiple cells, with each cell including a first electrode formed from a conductive substrate, and a second electrode opposed to a first face of the conductive substrate and across a gap. The multiple cells of each of the elements are electrically connected, and the conductive substrate is divided for each of the elements by grooves extending from the first face to a second face which is opposite from the first face. In addition, insulating films are formed on opposing side walls of the conductive substrate and define each of the grooves, wherein a gap width of each of the grooves is narrower on the second face side of the conductive substrate than on the first face side of the conductive substrate. |
| US08836051B2 |
Method for producing semiconductor device and semiconductor device
A method for producing a semiconductor device includes a first step including forming a planar silicon layer and forming first and second pillar-shaped silicon layers; a second step including forming a gate insulating film around each of the first and second pillar-shaped silicon layers, forming a metal film and a polysilicon film around the gate insulating film, the thickness of the polysilicon film being smaller than half of a distance between the first and second pillar-shaped silicon layers, forming a third resist, and forming a gate line; and a third step including depositing a fourth resist so that a portion of the polysilicon film on an upper side wall of each of the first and second pillar-shaped silicon layers is exposed, removing the exposed portion of the polysilicon film, removing the fourth resist, and removing the metal film to form first and second gate electrodes. |
| US08836049B2 |
Semiconductor structure and process thereof
A semiconductor structure includes a work function metal layer, a (work function) metal oxide layer and a main electrode. The work function metal layer is located on a substrate. The (work function) metal oxide layer is located on the work function metal layer. The main electrode is located on the (work function) metal oxide layer. Moreover a semiconductor process forming said semiconductor structure is also provided. |
| US08836048B2 |
Field effect transistor device having a hybrid metal gate stack
A semiconductor device including a gate structure present on a channel portion of a semiconductor substrate and at least one gate sidewall spacer adjacent to the gate structure. In one embodiment, the gate structure includes a work function metal layer present on a gate dielectric layer, a metal semiconductor alloy layer present on a work function metal layer, and a dielectric capping layer present on the metal semiconductor alloy layer. The at least one gate sidewall spacer and the dielectric capping layer may encapsulate the metal semiconductor alloy layer within the gate structure. |
| US08836047B2 |
Reducing defect rate during deposition of a channel semiconductor alloy into an in situ recessed active region
When forming sophisticated high-k metal gate electrode structures on the basis of a threshold voltage adjusting semiconductor alloy, a highly efficient in situ process technique may be applied in order to form a recess in dedicated active regions and refilling the recess with a semiconductor alloy. In order to reduce or avoid etch-related irregularities during the recessing of the active regions, the degree of aluminum contamination during the previous processing, in particular during the formation of the trench isolation regions, may be controlled. |
| US08836046B2 |
Semiconductor devices including protruding insulation portions between active fins
A semiconductor device can include a field insulation layer including a planar major surface extending in first and second orthogonal directions and a protruding portion that protrudes a particular distance from the major surface relative to the first and second orthogonal directions. First and second multi-channel active fins can extend on the field insulation layer, and can be separated from one another by the protruding portion. A conductive layer can extend from an uppermost surface of the protruding portion to cross over the protruding portion between the first and second multi-channel active fins. |
| US08836040B2 |
Shared-diffusion standard cell architecture
A semiconductor standard cell includes an N-type diffusion area and a P-type diffusion area, both extending across the cell and also outside of the cell. The cell also includes a conductive gate above each diffusion area to create a semiconductive device. A pair of dummy gates are also above the N-type diffusion area and the P-type diffusion area creating a pair of dummy devices. The pair of dummy gates are disposed at opposite edges of the cell. The cell further includes a first conductive line configured to couple the dummy devices to power for disabling the dummy devices. |
| US08836037B2 |
Structure and method to form input/output devices
A limited number of cycles of atomic layer deposition (ALD) of Hi-K material followed by deposition of an interlayer dielectric and application of further Hi-K material and optional but preferred annealing provides increased Hi-K material content and increased breakdown voltage for input/output (I/O) transistors compared with logic transistors formed on the same chip or wafer while providing scalability of the inversion layer of the I/O and logic transistors without significantly compromising performance or bias temperature instability (BTI) parameters. |
| US08836032B2 |
Fin-based adjustable resistor
According to one exemplary embodiment, a fin-based adjustable resistor includes a fin channel of a first conductivity type, and a gate surrounding the fin channel. The fin-based adjustable resistor also includes first and second terminals of the first conductivity type being contiguous with the fin channel, and being situated on opposite sides of the fin channel. The fin channel is lower doped relative to the first and second terminals. The resistance of the fin channel between the first and second terminals is adjusted by varying a voltage applied to the gate so as to achieve the fin-based adjustable resistor. The gate can be on at least two sides of the fin channel. Upon application of a depletion voltage, the fin channel can be depleted before an inversion is formed in the fin channel. |
| US08836024B2 |
Electronic device including a trench and a conductive structure therein having a contact within a Schottky region and a process of forming the same
An electronic device can include a transistor structure, including a patterned semiconductor layer overlying a substrate, wherein the patterned semiconductor layer defines first and second trenches. The electronic device can also include a first conductive structure within the first trench, a gate electrode within the first trench and overlying the first conductive structure, a first insulating member within the second trench, and a second conductive structure within the second trench. The second conductive structure can include a first portion and a second portion overlying the first portion, the first insulating member can be disposed between the patterned semiconductor layer and the first portion of the second conductive structure; and the second portion of the second conductive structure can contact the patterned semiconductor layer at a Schottky region. Processes of forming the electronic device can take advantage of integrating formation of the Schottky region into a contact process flow. |
| US08836016B2 |
Semiconductor structures and methods with high mobility and high energy bandgap materials
An embodiment is a structure comprising a substrate, a high energy bandgap material, and a high carrier mobility material. The substrate comprises a first isolation region and a second isolation region. Each of first and second isolation regions extends below a first surface of the substrate between the first and second isolation regions. The high energy bandgap material is over the first surface of the substrate and is disposed between the first and second isolation regions. The high carrier mobility material is over the high energy bandgap material. The high carrier mobility material extends higher than respective top surfaces of the first and second isolation regions to form a fin. |
| US08836014B2 |
Double-gate electronic memory cell and method of manufacturing such a cell
An electronic memory cell includes a first selection transistor gate surmounting a first part of the channel and a lateral spacer disposed against a lateral flank of the selection transistor gate, a part of the lateral spacer forming a memory transistor gate surmounting a second part of the channel. The memory transistor gate includes a stack of the ONO type and a conductive zone including a lateral face inclined at an angle α strictly between 0 and 90° with respect to the plane of the substrate. |
| US08836012B2 |
Spacer design to prevent trapped electrons
Charge-trapping field effect transistors may be formed into an array on a wafer suitable to be a NAND memory device. A thick oxide layer is applied over the gates to ensure that the gap between the gates is filled. The filled gap substantially prevents nitride from being trapped, which could otherwise decrease the yield of the devices. This technique, and its variations, are useful for a range of semiconductor devices. |
| US08836010B2 |
Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device and method of manufacturing the same
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device including a memory cell configured to store data and a resistor element provided around the memory cell. The memory cell includes a charge storage layer provided above a substrate, a first semiconductor layer formed on a top surface of the charge storage layer via an insulating layer, and a first low resistive layer formed on a top surface of the first semiconductor layer and having resistance lower than that of the first semiconductor layer. The resistor element includes a second semiconductor layer formed on the same layer as the first semiconductor layer, and a second low resistive layer formed on the same layer as the first low resistive layer and on a top surface of the second semiconductor layer, having resistance lower than that of the second semiconductor layer. |
| US08836009B2 |
Flash memory
A MONOS Charge-Trapping flash (CTF), with record thinnest 3.6 nm ENT trapping layer, has a large 3.1 V 10-year extrapolated retention window at 125° C. and excellent 106 endurance at a fast 100 μs and ±16 V program/erase. This is achieved using As+-implanted higher κ trapping layer with deep 5.1 eV work-function of As. In contrast, the un-implanted device only has a small 10-year retention window of 1.9 V at 125° C. A MoN—[SiO2—LaAlO3]—[Ge—HfON]—[LaAlO3—SiO2]—Si CTF device is also provided with record-thinnest 2.5-nm Equivalent-Si3N4-Thickness (ENT) trapping layer, large 4.4 V initial memory window, 3.2 V 10-year extrapolated retention window at 125° C., and 3.6 V endurance window at 106 cycles, under very fast 100 μs and low ±16 V program/erase. These were achieved using Ge reaction with HfON trapping layer for better charge-trapping and retention. |
| US08836001B2 |
Semiconductor device having buried bit line, and method for fabricating the same
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming at least one body having two sidewalls by vertically etching a semiconductor substrate, forming a protective layer having open parts that expose portions of the both sidewalls of the body, forming a buffer layer that fills the open parts, and forming a buried bit line in the body by siliciding the buffer layer and a portion of the body between the buffer layer. |
| US08836000B1 |
Bottom-type perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (pMTJ) element with thermally stable amorphous blocking layers
The invention provides a bottom-type perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (pMTJ) element with thermally stable amorphous blocking layers for high-density nonvolatile data storage. The first blocking layer, preferably formed of an amorphous nonmagnetic film, blocks a polycrystalline diffusion barrier layer with a body-center-cubic (bcc) <110> texture in order for the keeper and lower reference layers of the bottom-type pMTJ element to freely grow with a face-centered-cubic (fcc) <111> texture, thereby developing strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA). The second blocking layer, preferably formed of an amorphous ferromagnetic film, blocks the keeper and lower reference layers of the bottom-type pMTJ element in order for the upper reference, barrier and storage layers of the bottom-type pMTJ element to freely grow with a <001> texture, thereby exhibiting a strong tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) effect. |
| US08835997B2 |
Low extension dose implants in SRAM fabrication
A static random access memory fabrication array includes at least one p-type field effect transistor, including a gate stack and isolating spacers forming a gate having a gate length Lgate and an effective gate length, Leff and a source and drain region adjacent the gate stack, wherein the source and drain regions are formed from a low extension dose implant that decreases a difference between Lgate and Leff. |
| US08835994B2 |
Reduced corner leakage in SOI structure and method
A structural alternative to retro doping to reduce transistor leakage is provided by providing a liner in a trench, undercutting a conduction channel region in an active semiconductor layer, etching a side, corner and/or bottom of the conduction channel where the undercut exposes semiconductor material in the active layer and replacing the removed portion of the conduction channel with insulator. This shaping of the conduction channel increases the distance to adjacent circuit elements which, if charged, could otherwise induce a voltage and cause a change in back-channel threshold in regions of the conduction channel and narrows and reduces cross-sectional area of the channel where the conduction in the channel is not well-controlled; both of which effects significantly reduce leakage of the transistor. |
| US08835992B2 |
Electronic device comprising electrical contact pads
An electronic device and a method of fabricating the same are provided. The electronic device includes: a photodiode layer; a wiring layer formed on the first surface of the photodiode layer; a plurality of electrical contact pads formed on the wiring layer; a passivation layer formed on the wiring layer and the electrical contact pads; an antireflective layer formed on the second surface of the photodiode layer; a color filter layer formed on the antireflective layer; a dielectric layer formed on the antireflective layer and the color filter layer; and a microlens layer formed on the dielectric layer, allowing the color filter layer, the dielectric layer and the microlens layer to define an active region within which the electrical contact pads are positioned. As the electrical contact pads are positioned within the active region, an area of the substrate used for an inactive region can be eliminated. |
| US08835984B2 |
Sensors using high electron mobility transistors
Embodiments of the invention include sensors comprising AlGaAs/GaAs high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs), inGaP/GaAs HEMTs. InAlAs/InGaAs HEMTs, AlGaAs/InGaAs PHEMTs, InAlAs/InGaAs PHEMTs, Sb based HEMTs, or InAs based HEMTs, the HEMTs having functionalization at a gate surface with target receptors. The target receptors allow sensitivity to targets (or substrates) for detecting breast cancer, prostate cancer, kidney injury, chloride, glucose, metals or pEI where a signal is generated by the HEMI when a solution is contacted with the sensor. The solution can be blood, saliva, urine, breath condensate, or any solution suspected of containing any specific analyte for the sensor. |
| US08835981B2 |
Solid-state image sensor
According to embodiments of the present invention, a solid-state image sensor has a semiconductor element substrate having a plurality of photo electric conversion elements, an interlaminar insulating film having wires, formed at a first surface of the semiconductor element substrate, a color filter having a plurality of dye films of a plurality of colors, formed at a second surface of the semiconductor element substrate, a micro lens array having a plurality of micro lenses, formed above the color filter, a plurality of inner lenses formed between the photoelectric conversion elements and the dye films, and a shroud that surrounds each of the inner lenses, formed above the second surface of the semiconductor element substrate. |
| US08835980B2 |
Semiconductor wafer, photoelectric conversion device, method of producing semiconductor wafer, and method of producing photoelectric conversion device
Provided is a semiconductor wafer including: a base wafer containing silicon; an inhibitor that has been formed on the base wafer, has an aperture in which a surface of the base wafer is exposed, and inhibits crystal growth; and a light-absorptive structure that has been formed inside the aperture in contact with a surface of the base wafer exposed inside the aperture, where the light-absorptive structure includes a first semiconductor and a second semiconductor. |
| US08835979B1 |
Compound-barrier infrared photodetector
Using a multiple layer, varied composition barrier layer in place of the typical single layer barrier layer of an infrared photodetector results in a device with increased sensitivity and reduced dark current. A first barrier is adjacent the semiconductor contact; a second barrier layer is between the first barrier layer and the absorber layer. The barrier layers may be doped N type or P type with Beryllium, Carbon, Silicon or Tellurium. The energy bandgap is designed to facilitate minority carrier current flow in the contact region and block minority current flow outside the contact region. |
| US08835972B2 |
Light emitting device, method for fabricating the light emitting device, light emitting device package and lighting system
Provided is a light emitting device. The light emitting device includes a light emitting structure layer including a first conductive type semiconductor layer, a second conductive type semiconductor layer, and an active layer between the first conductive type semiconductor layer and the second conductive type semiconductor layer, a first electrode electrically connected to the first conductive type semiconductor layer, an insulating support member under the light emitting structure layer, and a plurality of conductive layers between the light emitting structure layer and the insulating support member. At least one of the plurality of conductive layers has a width greater than that of the light emitting structure layer and includes a contact part disposed further outward from a sidewall of the light emitting structure layer. |
| US08835968B2 |
LED lens and LED package using the same
An LED lens includes a recess disposed in a quadrangular bottom surface of the LED lens and configured to have a light source disposed therein, wherein an internal surface of the recess, including lateral surfaces and top surfaces, is a light incident surface. The LED lens further includes a top surface forming a light exit surface, having a size greater than that of the bottom surface, and having a quadrangular shape; and lateral surfaces of the LED lens, disposed between the top and bottom surfaces of the LED lens, forming a reflective surface, and guiding light incident to the LED lens through the light incident surface to the light exit surface. The top surfaces of the light incident surface form an inverted quadrangular pyramid. |
| US08835965B2 |
Application of semiconductor quantum dot phosphors in nanopillar light emitting diodes
A quantum well-based p-i-n light emitting diode is provided that includes nanopillars with an average linear dimension of between 50 nanometers and 1 micron. The nanopillars include a laminar layer of quantum wells capable of non-radiative energy transfer to quantum dot nanocrystals. Quantum dot-Quantum well coupling through the side walls of the nanopillar-configured LED structure achieves a close proximity between quantum wells and quantum dots while retaining the overlying contact electrode structures. A white LED with attractive properties relative to conventional incandescent and fluorescence lighting devices is produced. |
| US08835964B2 |
Light-emitting devices with vertical light-extraction mechanism
A light-emitting device comprises a lattice structure to minimize the horizontal waveguide effect by reducing light traveling distance in the light-absorption medium of the light-emitting devices, and to enhance light extraction from the light-emitting layer. The lattice structure includes sidewalls and/or rods embedded in the light-absorption medium and dividing the light-absorption medium into a plurality of area units. The area units are completely isolated or partially separated from each other by the sidewalls. Also provided is a method of fabricating a light-emitting device that comprises a lattice structure, which lattice structure includes sidewalls and/or rods embedded in the light-absorption medium and dividing the light-absorption medium into a plurality of area units. |
| US08835963B2 |
Light converting and emitting device with minimal edge recombination
Light emitting system (100), particularly, light emitting systems that utilize semiconductor wavelength converting regions (104), and methods of producing such systems are disclosed. The light emitting systems and methods of producing such systems seek to frustrate recombination of free carriers that are associated with wavelength converting regions. |
| US08835962B2 |
Cavity electroluminescent devices with integrated microlenses
Herein is provided electroluminescent devices, and methods for their use and production. In some embodiments, the devices contain embedded optical features that act as lenses to direct photons emitted from an electroluminescent material. The lensing effect from the optical features allows increased light extraction from the devices compared with devices lacking such features. In some embodiments the devices are prepared using a plurality of etching and deposition steps. |
| US08835958B2 |
Light emitting diode package with improved optical lens structure
An LED package includes a substrate, two electrodes, an LED die and a lens. The substrate includes a top surface, a bottom surface, a plurality of side surfaces interconnecting the top surface with the bottom surface, and two opposite notches depressed downward from lateral peripheral portions of the top surface. The two electrodes penetrate through the substrate, and each of the two electrodes is exposed at both the top surface and the bottom surface of the substrate. The LED die is arranged on the substrate and electrically connected to the two electrodes. The lens is arranged on the substrate and covers the LED die. The lens includes a contacting surface adjoining the top surface of the substrate, and two protrusions extending from lateral peripheral portions of the contacting surface and respectively embedded in the two notches. |
| US08835956B2 |
Display substrate and method of manufacturing the same
A display substrate includes a substrate, a pixel part, a pad part and a sacrificial electrode. The substrate includes a display area and a peripheral area. The pixel part is on the display area and includes a switching element, and a pixel electrode electrically connected to the switching element. The pad part is on the peripheral area and contacts a terminal of an external device. The pad part includes a pad electrode a contact electrode. The pad electrode includes a first metal layer, and a second metal layer on the first metal layer, and the contact electrode contacts the second metal layer. The sacrificial electrode is spaced apart from the pad electrode and contacts the contact electrode. An exposed portion of the sacrificial electrode is exposed to an external side of the display substrate. |
| US08835955B2 |
IIIOxNy on single crystal SOI substrate and III n growth platform
A silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate structure and method of fabrication including a single crystal silicon substrate, a layer of single crystal rare earth oxide formed on the substrate, a layer of engineered single crystal silicon formed on the layer of single crystal rare earth oxide, and a single crystal insulator layer of IIIOxNy formed on the engineered single crystal silicon layer. In some embodiments the III material in the insulator layer includes more than on III material. In a preferred embodiment the single crystal rare earth oxide includes Gd2O3 and the single crystal insulator layer of IIIOxNy includes one of AlOxNy and AlGaOxNy. |
| US08835952B2 |
Submounts for semiconductor light emitting devices and methods of forming packaged light emitting devices including dispensed encapsulants
A submount for mounting an LED chip includes a substrate, a die attach pad configured to receive an LED chip on an upper surface of the substrate, a first meniscus control feature on the substrate surrounding the die attach pad and defining a first encapsulant region of the upper surface of the substrate, and a second meniscus control feature on the substrate surrounding the first encapsulant region and defining a second encapsulant region of the upper surface of the substrate. The first and second meniscus control features may be substantially coplanar with the die attach pad. A packaged LED includes a submount as described above and further includes an LED chip on the die attach pad, a first encapsulant on the substrate within the first encapsulant region, and a second encapsulant on the substrate within the second encapsulant region and covering the first encapsulant. Method embodiments are also disclosed. |
| US08835951B2 |
Light emitting device
The first wavelength converting member, the light emitting element, and the second wavelength converting member are disposed in this order toward the opening of the recess portion on the bottom surface of the housing member through a light transmissive supporting member, and spaced away from the side surface of the recess portion. The first wavelength converting member is a plate shape member made of a composite of an inorganic binder made of an inorganic material and a fluorescent material. A light scattering surface is formed on at least a portion of the side surface of the recess portion, which is irradiated with the light emitted from the side surfaces of the wavelength converting member in parallel with the principal surface of the first wavelength converting member. |
| US08835950B2 |
Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device has an active layer, a first semiconductor layer of first conductive type, an overflow prevention layer disposed between the active layer and the first semiconductor layer, which is doped with impurities of first conductive type and which prevents overflow of electrons or holes, a second semiconductor layer of first conductive type disposed at least one of between the active layer and the overflow prevention layer and between the overflow prevention layer and the first semiconductor layer, and an impurity diffusion prevention layer disposed between the first semiconductor layer and the active layer, which has a band gap smaller than those of the overflow prevention layer, the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer and which prevents diffusion of impurities of first conductive type. |
| US08835948B2 |
Stacked LED device with diagonal bonding pads
A semiconductor light emitting device includes a substrate and a first epitaxial structure over the substrate. The first epitaxial structure includes a first doped layer, a first light emitting layer, and a second doped layer. A first electrode is coupled to the first doped layer. A second electrode is coupled to the second doped layer facing the same direction as the first electrode. A second epitaxial structure includes a third doped layer, a second light emitting layer, and a fourth doped layer. A third electrode is coupled to the third doped layer facing the same direction as the first electrode. A fourth electrode is coupled to the fourth doped layer facing the same direction as the first electrode. An adhesive layer is between the first epitaxial structure and the second epitaxial structure. |
| US08835944B2 |
Lighting device
In a first aspect of the present invention, a lighting device including a metal plate, an electrical insulation layer that is smaller in size than an outline of the metal plate and arranged on an upper surface of the metal plate, a light-emitting element mounted on the electrical insulation layer, and a first connecting electrode and a second connecting electrode electrically connected to the light-emitting element and arranged on the electrical insulation layer. |
| US08835942B2 |
LED module
An LED module includes at least two LED package units and at least one connecting unit. Each LED package unit includes at least one first engaging portion, at least one first conductive portion, and at least one LED chip connected electrically to the first engaging portion. The connecting unit includes at least two second engaging portions, and at least one second conductive portion having two opposite end sections extending respectively to the second engaging portions. When the second engaging portions of the connecting unit engaged with the first engaging portions of the LED package units, respectively, the end sections of the second conductive portion contact electrically and respectively the corresponding first conductive portions so as to connect electrically the LED chips of the LED package units. |
| US08835936B2 |
Source and drain doping using doped raised source and drain regions
A method comprises providing a semiconductor structure comprising a substrate, an electrically insulating layer on the substrate and a semiconductor feature on the electrically insulating layer. A gate structure is formed on the semiconductor feature. An in situ doped semiconductor material is deposited on portions of the semiconductor feature adjacent the gate structure. Dopant is diffused from the in situ doped semiconductor material into the portions of the semiconductor feature adjacent the gate structure, the diffusion of the dopant into the portions of the semiconductor feature adjacent the gate structure forming doped source and drain regions in the semiconductor feature. |
| US08835931B2 |
Optoelectronic component and method for producing an optoelectronic component
An optoelectronic component for mixing electromagnetic radiation having different wavelengths, more particularly in the far field. A first semiconductor chip for emitting electromagnetic radiation in a first spectral range is provided on a carrier. Furthermore, at least one a second semiconductor chip for emitting electromagnetic radiation in a second spectral range is provided on the carrier. The first and second spectral ranges differ from one another. The first semiconductor chip and the second semiconductor chip are arranged in a single package. The first semiconductor chip is optically isolated from the second semiconductor chip by a barrier. The first semiconductor chip and the second semiconductor chip are arranged centosymmetrically about a common center o(Z) of symmetry. |
| US08835929B2 |
Pixel structure and thin film transistor
A pixel structure including a first thin film transistor (TFT), a second TFT and a storage capacitor is provided. The source electrode of the first TFT is connected to the gate electrode of the second TFT, and the semiconductor layer of the second TFT protrudes out two opposite side of the gate electrode of the second TFT. A thin film transistor including a gate electrode, a capacitance compensation structure, a semiconductor layer, a dielectric layer, a drain electrode and a source electrode is also provided. The capacitance compensation structure is electrically connected to the gate electrode. The semiconductor layer partially overlaps the gate electrode, and extends to overlap the capacitance compensation structure. |
| US08835926B2 |
Organic light emitting display device
An organic light emitting display device includes a substrate having transmitting and pixel regions, the pixel regions being separated by the transmitting regions, at least one thin film transistor in each of the pixel regions, a plurality of transparent first conductive lines electrically connected to the thin film transistors and extending across the transmitting regions, a plurality of second conductive lines electrically connected to the thin film transistors and extending across the transmitting regions, a passivation layer, a plurality of pixel electrodes on the passivation layer, the pixel electrodes being separated and positioned to correspond to respective pixel regions, each of the pixel electrodes being electrically connected to and overlapping a corresponding thin film transistor, an opposite electrode overlapping the pixel electrodes in the transmitting and pixel regions, and an organic emission layer between the pixel electrodes and the opposite electrode. |
| US08835924B2 |
Photo-detecting device and method of making a photo-detecting device
A photo-detecting device including a plurality of pixels, each including at least one alternate stack of photodiodes and electrically conducting electrodes. Each photodiode includes one intrinsic amorphous semiconductor layer in contact with one doped amorphous semiconductor layer distinct from the amorphous semiconductor layers in other photodiodes, and is arranged between two electrodes. Each pair of photodiodes includes one of the electrodes arranged between photodiodes. In each pixel: each electrode includes an electrically conducting portion not superposed on other electrodes of the pixel and electrically connected to one interconnection hole filled with an electrically conducting material; and portions of an electrically conducting material are superposed approximately on each of non-superposed portions of electrodes. |
| US08835922B2 |
Monitoring pad and semiconductor device including the same
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device and a semiconductor device package are disclosed. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprises the steps of testing the semiconductor device using at least a first monitoring pad connected to an internal circuit of the semiconductor device via at least a first fuse circuit; after testing the semiconductor device, electrically disconnecting the first monitoring pad from the internal circuit by opening the first fuse circuit; and after testing of the semiconductor device, electrically connecting at least a first auxiliary pad to the first monitoring pad with at least a first connecting terminal, wherein the first auxiliary pad is connected, through at least a first conductive line, to at least a first power pad of the semiconductor device. |
| US08835921B2 |
Oxide semiconductor film and semiconductor device
Provided is an oxide semiconductor film which has more stable electric characteristics and essentially consists of indium zinc oxide. In addition, provided is a highly reliable semiconductor device which has stable electric characteristics by using the oxide semiconductor film. The oxide semiconductor film essentially consisting of indium zinc oxide has a hexagonal crystal structure in which the a-b plane is substantially parallel to a surface of the oxide semiconductor film and a rhombohedral crystal structure in which the a-b plane is substantially parallel to the surface of the oxide semiconductor film. |
| US08835920B2 |
Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same
It is an object to manufacture and provide a highly reliable display device including a thin film transistor with a high aperture ratio which has stable electric characteristics. In a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device having a thin film transistor in which a semiconductor layer including a channel formation region is formed using an oxide semiconductor film, a heat treatment for reducing moisture and the like which are impurities and for improving the purity of the oxide semiconductor film (a heat treatment for dehydration or dehydrogenation) is performed. Further, an aperture ratio is improved by forming a gate electrode layer, a source electrode layer, and a drain electrode layer using conductive films having light transmitting properties. |
| US08835917B2 |
Semiconductor device, power diode, and rectifier
An object is to provide a semiconductor device having electrical characteristics such as high withstand voltage, low reverse saturation current, and high on-state current. In particular, an object is to provide a power diode and a rectifier which include non-linear elements. An embodiment of the present invention is a semiconductor device including a first electrode, a gate insulating layer covering the first electrode, an oxide semiconductor layer in contact with the gate insulating layer and overlapping with the first electrode, a pair of second electrodes covering end portions of the oxide semiconductor layer, an insulating layer covering the pair of second electrodes and the oxide semiconductor layer, and a third electrode in contact with the insulating layer and between the pair of second electrodes. The pair of second electrodes are in contact with end surfaces of the oxide semiconductor layer. |
| US08835916B2 |
Organic thin film and organic electroluminescent element containing same in light-emitting layer
In an organic thin film (a light emitting layer) of an organic EL element, an organic thin film having an emitting material which is made up of an organic polymer main backbone polymerized with a molecular chain, which emits light having a maximum value at a wavelength different from a wavelength at which an emission spectrum emitted by the main backbone itself has a maximum value, and nanosized particles which are mixed into the emitting material is used as the light emitting layer. According to the above configuration, the maximum values of the emission spectra of light emitted by the molecular chain and the main backbone of the emitting material can be increased. Moreover, the light which has the emission spectra having the plural maximum values can be generated without depending on the plural emitting materials, so that the light emitting layer can be manufactured easily. |
| US08835913B2 |
Transistor structure
A transistor structure comprises a patterned N-type transparent oxide semiconductor formed over a substrate as a base, and a patterned p-type organic polymer semiconductor formed on the patterned N-type transparent oxide semiconductor comprising a first portion and a second portion so that the patterned N-type transparent oxide semiconductor and the first portion and the second portion of the patterned p-type organic polymer semiconductor form heterojunctions therebetween respectively, wherein the first portion of the patterned p-type organic polymer semiconductor is used as an emitter, and the second portion of the patterned p-type organic polymer semiconductor is used as a collector. |
| US08835912B2 |
Organic light-emitting diode and display device having the same
The present invention discloses an OLED panel and the OLED display device thereof. The OLED panel includes a metallic absorbing film, disposed on a light-out side of the OLED panel and grounded, for absorbing electromagnetic radiation produced by the OLED panel. The present invention uses the metallic absorbing film integrating on a glass substrate on a light-out side so that the metallic absorbing film absorbs the electromagnetic radiation from the OLED panel effectively and has the advantages of a simple structure and cheap material. |
| US08835906B2 |
Sensor, semiconductor wafer, and method of producing semiconductor wafer
A sensor includes: a base wafer containing silicon; a seed member provided directly or indirectly on the base wafer; and a photothermal absorber that is made of a Group 3-5 compound semiconductor lattice-matching or pseudo lattice-matching the seed member and being capable of generating a carrier upon absorbing light or heat, where the photothermal absorber outputs an electric signal in response to incident light to be introduced into the photothermal absorber or heat to be applied to the photothermal absorber. A semiconductor wafer includes: a base wafer containing silicon; a seed member provided directly or indirectly on the base wafer; and a photothermal absorber that is made of a Group 3-5 compound semiconductor lattice-matching or pseudo lattice-matching the seed member and being capable of generating a carrier upon absorbing light or heat. |
| US08835899B2 |
Graphene electronic device and method of fabricating the same
A graphene electronic device and a method of fabricating the graphene electronic device are provided. The graphene electronic device may include a graphene channel layer formed on a hydrophobic polymer layer, and a passivation layer formed on the graphene channel layer. The hydrophobic polymer layer may prevent or reduce adsorption of impurities to transferred graphene, and a passivation layer may also prevent or reduce adsorption of impurities to a heat-treated graphene channel layer. |
| US08835897B2 |
Nonvolatile memory device having variable resistance memory cells
A nonvolatile memory device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a first wire embedded in a first wiring groove extending in an X direction formed in a first interlayer insulating film; a second interlayer insulating film formed above the first interlayer insulating film; a second wire embedded in a second wiring groove extending in a Y direction formed in the second interlayer insulating film; and a variable resistance memory cell including a variable resistive layer and a rectifying layer arranged to be held between the first wire and the second wire in a position where the first wire and the second wire intersect. A dimension in a plane perpendicular to a thickness direction of the variable resistance memory cell is specified by widths of the first and second wires. |
| US08835891B2 |
Integrated circuitry, methods of forming memory cells, and methods of patterning platinum-containing material
Some embodiments include methods of patterning platinum-containing material. An opening may be formed to extend into an oxide. Platinum-containing material may be formed over and directly against an upper surface of the oxide, and within the opening. The platinum-containing material within the opening may be a plug having a lateral periphery. The lateral periphery of the plug may be directly against the oxide. The platinum-containing material may be subjected to polishing to remove the platinum-containing material from over the upper surface of the oxide. The polishing may delaminate the platinum-containing material from the oxide, and may remove the platinum-containing material from over the oxide with an effective selectivity for the platinum-containing material relative to the oxide of at least about 5:1. Some embodiments include methods of forming memory cells. Some embodiments include integrated circuitry having platinum-containing material within an opening in an oxide and directly against the oxide. |
| US08835890B2 |
ReRAM cells including TaXSiYN embedded resistors
Provided are resistive random access memory (ReRAM) cells and methods of fabricating thereof. A ReRAM cell includes an embedded resistor and a resistive switching layer connected in series with this resistor. The resistor is configured to prevent over-programming of the cell by limiting electrical currents through the resistive switching layer. Unlike the resistive switching layer, which changes its resistance in order to store data, the embedded resistor maintains a substantially constant resistance during operation of the cell. The embedded resistor is formed from tantalum nitride and silicon nitride. The atomic ratio of tantalum and silicon may be specifically selected to yield resistors with desired densities and resistivities as well as ability to remain amorphous when subjected to various annealing conditions. The embedded resistor may also function as a diffusion barrier layer and prevent migration of components between one of the electrodes and the resistive switching layer. |
| US08835889B1 |
Parallel shunt paths in thermally assisted magnetic memory cells
A thermally assisted magnetic memory cell device includes a substrate, a first electrode disposed on the substrate, a magnetic tunnel junction disposed on the first electrode, a second electrode disposed on the magnetic tunnel junction, a conductive hard mask disposed on the second electrode and a parallel shunt path coupled to the magnetic tunnel junction, thereby electrically coupling the first and second electrodes. |
| US08835888B2 |
Integrated pod optical bench design
In an integrated gimbal and High-Powered Multiband Laser (HPMBL) for use in an infrared countermeasure apparatus in a pod mounted on an aircraft, the improvement comprises an optical bench that connects the optical path between side-by-side mounted gimbal and high power laser; and a kinematic mounting system that prevents optical bench bending. |
| US08835881B2 |
Drift correction method and pattern writing data generation method
A writing area of a sample is divided into a plurality of stripes having a width corresponding to an area density of a pattern to be written on the sample with a charged-particle beam. The writing is stopped when writing of at least one stripe is terminated, and a drift amount is measured. An irradiation position of the charged-particle beam is corrected with the use of the drift amount. When the average value of the area density is more than a predetermined value, a stripe has a width smaller than the reference width, and when the average value of the area density is less than the predetermined value, the stripe has a width larger than the reference width. The width of the stripe is preferably a width corresponding to the variation of a drift from the beginning of irradiation with the charged-particle beam. |
| US08835880B2 |
Charged particle-beam processing using a cluster source
A cluster source is used to assist charged particle beam processing. For example, a protective layer is applied using a cluster source and a precursor gas. The large mass of the cluster and the low energy per atom or molecule in the cluster restricts damage to within a few nanometers of the surface. Fullerenes or clusters of fullerenes, bismuth, gold or Xe can be used with a precursor gas to deposit material onto a surface, or can be used with an etchant gas to etch the surface. Clusters can also be used to deposit material directly onto the surface to form a protective layer for charged particle beam processing or to provide energy to activate an etchant gas. |
| US08835879B1 |
Reduction of deposition by separation of ion beam and neutral flow
Ion implantation systems that separate the flow of ions from the flow of neutral particles are disclosed. The separation of neutral particles from ions can be achieved by manipulating the flow of ions in the system through variations in electrical or magnetic fields disposed within the implantation system. The path of neutral particles is less affected by electrical and magnetic fields than ions. The separation of these flows may also be accomplished by diverting the neutral particles from the ion beam, such as via an introduced gas flow or a flow blockage. Both separation techniques can be combined in some embodiments. |
| US08835877B2 |
System and methods of photon-based radiotherapy and radiosurgery delivery
Photon-based radiosurgery is widely used for treating local and regional tumors. The key to improving the quality of radiosurgery is to increase the dose falloff rate from high dose regions inside the tumor to low dose regions of nearby healthy tissues and structures. Dynamic photon painting (DPP) further increases dose falloff rate by treating a target by moving a beam source along a dynamic trajectory, where the speed, direction and even dose rate of the beam source change constantly during irradiation. DPP creates dose gradient that rivals proton Bragg Peak and outperforms Gamma Knife® radiosurgery. |
| US08835876B2 |
Inspection apparatus for sheet
An inspection apparatus for a sheet of paper subjected to a process to impart a translucent property such as a “watermark” or a “security window” includes: an inspection cylinder in which a surface facing the sheet of paper is provided with a luminescence-producing portion; UV-LED illuminators which irradiate the sheet of paper with light containing the ultraviolet rays; a color camera which images the sheet of paper; an ultraviolet cut filter which eliminates the ultraviolet rays in the light emitted from the UV-LED illuminators and reflected off the sheet of paper as well as the luminescence-producing portion and makes only the light having wavelengths longer than wavelengths of the ultraviolet rays incident on the color camera; and a control device which determines appropriateness of a processed portion on the sheet of paper having the translucent property on the basis of luminescence in a visible light range produced by the luminescence-producing portion and made incident on the color camera. |
| US08835873B2 |
Continuous sterilization system
A continuous sterilization system is provided which reliably supports a sterilization target so that the sterilization target is not tipped over during a sterilization process and can stably ensure uniform irradiation periods on any portion of inner and outer surfaces and moreover, a portion sterilized by electron beam irradiation is not contaminated again. The continuous sterilization system is provided with a first conveying means, a first electron beam accelerator, a second conveying means, a second electron beam accelerator, and a third electron beam accelerator. |
| US08835871B2 |
Electron cyclotron resonance ion source device
An electron cyclotron resonance ion source device includes a plasma chamber configured to contain a plasma; a high-frequency system configured to transmit a high-frequency wave into the chamber; a magnetic field generator configured to generate a magnetic field in the chamber; an accelerating tube including an isolating structure and an extraction system, the magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field being entirely located downstream of the isolating structure. |
| US08835868B2 |
Multi charged particle beam writing apparatus
A multi charged particle beam writing apparatus includes a stage to mount a target object thereon and to be movable, an emission unit to emit a charged particle beam, an aperture member, in which a plurality of openings are formed, to produce multiple beams by letting a region including the whole of a plurality of openings be irradiated with the charged particle beam and letting portions of the charged particle beam respectively pass through a corresponding opening of a plurality of openings, a reduction optical system to reduce the multiple beams, and a doublet lens, arranged at the subsequent stage of the reduction optical system, in which a magnification is 1 and directions of magnetic fluxes are opposite. |
| US08835860B2 |
X-ray image sensing device and X-ray image sensing module
An x-ray image sensing device is provided which includes: a first scintillator layer and a second scintillator layer overlapping with each other and having different energy absorptions of an incident light emitted from an x-ray source such that a first scintillator light and a second scintillator light are emitted from the first scintillator layer and the second scintillator layer, respectively, wherein the first scintillator light and the second scintillator light have different wavelengths; a first photodiode disposed at a side of the first and the second scintillator layers opposite to the X-ray source; and a second photodiode disposed at the side of the first and the second scintillator layers opposite to the X-ray source, wherein the first photodiode and the second photodiode are capable of sensing the first scintillator light and the second scintillator light. |
| US08835858B2 |
Systems and methods for attenuation compensation in nuclear medicine imaging based on emission data
Systems and methods for attenuation compensation in nuclear medicine imaging based on emission data are provided. One method includes acquiring emission data at a plurality of energy windows for a person having administered thereto a radiopharmaceutical comprising at least one radioactive isotope. The method also includes performing a preliminary reconstruction of the acquired emission data to create one or more preliminary images of a peak energy window and a scatter energy window and determining a body outline of the person from at least one of the reconstructed preliminary image of the peak energy window or of the scatter energy window. The method further includes identifying a heart contour and segmenting at least the left lung. The method additionally includes defining an attenuation map based on the body outline and segmented left lung and reconstructing an image of a region of interest of the person using an iterative joint estimation reconstruction. |
| US08835854B2 |
Method and device for IR spectroscopy measurements with fiber optic needle probe
A method of non-destructively determining the condition of a material, said method including providing an elongated probe containing a plurality of optical fibers, said elongated probe coupled to an infrared spectrometer, said tip of said elongated probe positioned near said material, said elongated probe including said tip having a width of less than about 2.0 mm; and, making an infrared spectroscopy measurement of said material by providing infrared light from said infrared spectrometer through at least one of said plurality of optical fibers and collecting at least a portion of said infrared light reflected from a material juxtaposed near said tip through at least another of said plurality of optical fibers to provide said reflected light to said infrared spectrometer. |
| US08835853B2 |
Photoconductive element
Provided is a photoconductive element which solves a problem inherent in an element for generating/detecting a terahertz wave by photoexcitation that terahertz wave generation efficiency is limited by distortions and defects of a low temperature grown semiconductor. The photoconductive element includes: a semiconductor substrate; a semiconductor low temperature growth layer; and a semiconductor layer, which is positioned between the semiconductor low temperature growth layer and the semiconductor substrate and is thinner than the semiconductor low temperature growth layer, in which the semiconductor low temperature growth layer includes a semiconductor which lattice-matches with the semiconductor layer and does not lattice-match with the semiconductor substrate. |
| US08835852B2 |
Semiconductor optoelectronic device
A manufacture having an electrical response to incident photons includes a semiconductor substrate; a chalcogen-doped semiconductor active layer on a first side of the substrate; a first contact in electrical contact with the active layer; and a second contact in electrical contact with the substrate; wherein, photons incident upon the active layer cause a variation in current between the first and second contacts. |
| US08835847B2 |
Sample holding apparatus for electron microscope, and electron microscope apparatus
A sample holding apparatus for electron microscope includes: a sample holding assembly including an assembly of three components of an upper diaphragm holding part, a sample holding plate and a lower diaphragm holding part; and a holding part that holds the sample holding assembly replaceably. The sample holding assembly includes a cell defined between a diaphragm of the upper diaphragm holding part and a diaphragm of the lower diaphragm holding part, and a flow channel connected to the cell, in which a sample mounted at a protrusion of the sample holding plate is placed. The diaphragm of the upper diaphragm holding part, the sample and the diaphragm of the lower diaphragm holding part are disposed along an optical axis of an electron beam. |
| US08835838B2 |
Method and apparatus for analysis and ion source
An ion source is formed by a chamber 2. A capillary tube 6 forms an inlet to the chamber. A heater 7 is associated with the capillary tube to heat air drawn into the chamber. An electrode 4 is provided in the chamber and maintained at a voltage in the range 100 to 500 volts. In use the source is connected to an analyzer such as a mass spectrometer 10. The capillary tube is open to the atmosphere. Pressure in the chamber is reduced, and pressure in the analyzer is further reduced. An electrical potential is applied to the electrode to create a discharge within the chamber. Ionization of air molecules within the chamber leads to ionization of any sample molecules present in the chamber. Ions are swept into the analyzer for analysis. |
| US08835837B2 |
System and method for grouping precursor and fragment ions using selected ion chromatograms
LC/MS data generated by an LC/MS system is analyzed to determine groupings of ions associated with originating molecules. Ions are grouped initially according to retention time, for example, using retention time or chromatographic peaks in mass chromatograms. After initial groupings are determined based on retention time, ion peak shapes are compared to determine whether ions should be excluded. Ions having peak shapes not matching other ions, or alternatively a reference peak shape, are excluded from the group. |
| US08835835B2 |
Biomarkers of ionizing radiation
The present invention provides novel radiation associated markers. The radiation associated markers may be one or more of albumin, LTGF-β, or any protein or peptide listed in any one of Tables 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 provided herein. The present invention also provides methods of assessing exposure to ionizing radiation by determining the presence of one or more radiation associated markers. The methods may optionally include quantifying one or more of the radiation associated markers. The methods may further include comparing the amount of one or more radiation associated markers in the sample determined to be present in the sample with either (i) the amount determined for temporally matched, normal samples or (ii) the amount determined for samples obtained from individuals or subjects that have not been exposed to an elevated level of ionizing radiation. |
| US08835833B2 |
Two-dimensional magneto-optical trap for neutral atoms
A two-dimensional (2D) magneto-optical trap (MOT) for alkali neutral atoms establishes a zero magnetic field along the longitudinal symmetry axis. Two of three pairs of trapping laser beams do not follow the symmetry axes of the quadruple magnetic field and are aligned with a large non-zero degree angles to the longitudinal axis. In a dark-line 2D MOT configuration, there are two orthogonal repumping beams. In each repumping beam, an opaque line is imaged to the longitudinal axis, and the overlap of these two line images creates a dark line volume in the longitudinal axis where there is no repumping light. The zero magnetic field along the longitudinal axis allows the cold atoms maintain a long ground-state coherence time without switching off the MOT magnetic field, which makes it possible to operate the MOT at a high repetition rate and a high duty cycle. |
| US08835831B2 |
Polarized light detecting device and fabrication methods of the same
Described herein is a device operable to detect polarized light comprising: a substrate; a first subpixel; a second subpixel adjacent to the first subpixel; a first plurality of features in the first subpixel and a second plurality of features in the second subpixel, wherein the first plurality of features extend essentially perpendicularly from the substrate and extend essentially in parallel in a first direction parallel to the substrate and the second plurality of features extend essentially perpendicularly from the substrate and extend essentially in parallel in a second direction parallel to the substrate; wherein the first direction and the second direction are different; the first plurality of features and the second plurality of features react differently to the polarized light. |
| US08835822B2 |
Field director assembly having arc-resistant conductive vanes
A field director assembly includes electrically conductive vanes configured to prevent arcing in an unloaded microwave oven. |
| US08835821B2 |
Microwave oven with one-touch button user interface
A cooking oven, particularly a microwave oven, provides for detecting food data and for adjusting food heating and/or cooking process. The oven particularly includes an user interface with at least one socket-shaped seat adapted to receive a removable plug-shaped button which stores the food data and which is adapted to be pressed by the user for starting the heating and/or cooking process or for programming such heating or cooking. |
| US08835819B2 |
Heating device and method for manufacturing the heating device
A heating device is provided, comprising a shaped body, which has at least two regions comprising different compositions of a ceramic material with a positive temperature coefficient of electrical resistance. A method for manufacturing a heating device is furthermore specified. |
| US08835817B2 |
Heating unit comprising a heat resistance element shaped as a conductive pattern
A heating unit with a resistive element formed as a conducting pattern, which resistive element is bound to a substrate, such as a base plate, on which the resistive element is extended, and which resistive element is arranged to be placed under the influence of an electrical voltage. The invention is wherein the resistive element and the said base have the same or essentially the same coefficients of thermal expansion, and in that the resistive element has been bound to the substrate by sintering. |
| US08835804B2 |
Beam homogenizer
A system for homogenizing the intensity profile of light includes a plurality of fiber coupled light sources for emitting fiber output beams from fiber output ends, and a light pipe optically coupled to the fiber output beams for producing a uniform light pipe output beam, an interleaver that transmits a first set of fiber output beams and reflects a second set of fiber output beams so that the principal rays of the fiber output beams propagate in a common plane, a first optical element for converging the principal rays, and a second optical element for telecentrically imaging the beams into the light pipe such that the principal rays of the beams propagate parallel to each other and the beams are focused in the light pipe in a focal plane transverse to the direction of propagation. |
| US08835802B2 |
Cleaving wafers from silicon crystals
A method of creating thin wafers of single crystal silicon wherein an ingot of single-crystal silicon with a (111) axis is flattened and polished at one end normal to the axis, and a notch with a vertex in the (111) plane is produced on a side or edge of the ingot, such that the distance between this vertex and said end is the desired thickness of a wafer to be cleaved from the ingot and such this vertex is in the desired plane of cleavage. Light of a wavelength able to penetrate into the silicon crystal without significant absorption, when the intensity of the beam is low, but is efficiently absorbed and converted to heat when the intensity of the beam is high, is focused to an elongated volume with an axis of elongation in the desired cleavage plane, parallel to and a short distance from said notch edge. Heating and the resulting transient local expansion of the silicon in this illuminated volume causes tensile stress at the vertex of said notch, substantially normal to the desired cleavage plane, thereby causing fracture of the crystal in the chosen cleavage plane. Movement of the illuminated volume relative to the ingot allows the fracture to propagate across the desired cleavage plane, thereby completely severing the wafer from the rest of the ingot. |
| US08835801B2 |
Laser processing method
A display device is manufactured by forming a semiconductor film over a substrate and irradiating the film with laser light. The laser light is generated from an oscillator, passes through an attenuator that includes a filter, and passes through an optical system after passing through the attenuator. A first region of the semiconductor film is irradiated with the laser light passed through the optical system such that one point of the first region of the semiconductor film is irradiated with at least two shots. A second region of the semiconductor film is also irradiated with the laser light passed through the optical system such that one point of the second region of the semiconductor film is irradiated with at least two shots. The first region and the second region have a portion at which they overlap, and the semiconductor film is etched into semiconductor layers for transistors in areas outside the portion. |
| US08835797B2 |
Method and device for the plasma treatment of running metal substrates
The invention relates to a method and a device for the plasma treatment of metal substrates or insulating substrates (3) running substantially continuously through a vacuum chamber having a treatment zone (2), the plasma being sustained by radiofrequency inductive coupling in the treatment zone (2) by means of an inductor (4) connected to a radiofrequency generator, in which the inductor (4) is protected from any contamination by the material emitted by the surface of the substrates (3) by means of a Faraday cage (7), which is positioned between the plasma and the inductor (4), and in which the Faraday cage (7) is on average electrically biassed positively with respect to the substrates (3) or with respect to a counter-electrode present in the plasma. |
| US08835791B2 |
Pushrod assembly for circuit breaker
A pushrod assembly for a circuit breaker having a pushrod with an insulating body, an insulating housing surrounding the push rod, a first insulating shield connected to the pushrod and a second insulating shield connected to the housing. The first insulating shield and the second insulating shield are arranged inside the housing such that an electrical path through a fluid inside the housing is longer than the distance of a first end and a second end of the push rod. |
| US08835789B2 |
Apparatuses and methods for using a capacitive touch controller with a conductive surface
An apparatus includes a surface; the surface has a conductive layer within a thickness of the surface. A trench is formed in the conductive layer to define a touch area, the touch area is isolated from the rest of the conductive layer. A conductive pickup is mounted on a back side of the surface over the touch area and the conductive pickup is electrically connected to a capacitive touch controller, such that when a user touches the touch area on a front side of the conductive the touch controller responds to the user's touch. |
| US08835783B2 |
Switch and method for producing the same
A switch has a manipulator that is supported by a housing and swung on one side and the other side, a power switch mechanism that brings contact portions of a movable piece and a fixed terminal into contact with each other when the manipulator is swung onto one side, the movable piece and the fixed terminal being disposed opposite each other in the housing, a returning spring that biases the manipulator in a swing manipulation direction when the manipulator is swung onto the other side, and a power retaining and releasing mechanism that includes a retaining portion and a releasing portion, the retaining portion regulating a restoring force of the returning spring according to the swing manipulation of the manipulator onto one side to retain a contact state of the contact portions of the movable piece and the fixed terminal. |
| US08835782B2 |
Contact arm assembly for switchgear circuit breaker having improved cooling fins and contact fingers to maximize heat rejection
A contact arm assembly (10) for a switchgear circuit breaker includes a contact arm (11) having a groove (42) in an outer periphery surface thereof. At least one contact finger (13) has a body (38) and a ball member (40) extending from the body. The ball member is received in the groove so that the contact finger makes contact with the contact arm. The contact arm includes a shaft (14) having a longitudinal axis, first and second ends (18, 28), and a constant outside diameter. A plurality of annular rings (16) extends from the outside diameter of the shaft. The rings are spaced along the longitudinal axis to define cooling fins. Diameters of the rings gradually decrease from the first end to generally the center of the shaft, and then gradually increase to the second end of the shaft. |
| US08835781B2 |
Toggle switch lockout clip and method
A toggle switch lockout clip including a clip body having a central region and including a latch portion protruding from the central region, the latch portion including an extension member and a hook member connected to the extension member to define a hook gap, a leg portion protruding from the central region away from the latch portion, a first side portion opposed from a second side portion, wherein the first and second side portions extend from the central region and define a gap therebetween, and an engagement portion positioned between the first and second side portions. |
| US08835780B2 |
Power seat switch to present simultaneous activation
A switch actuating assembly for an automobile seat has a switch operating member moveable along a first path to operate a first switch associated with a first function and moveable along a second path to operate a second switch associated with a second function. To inhibit operation of both functions simultaneously a guide controls movement of the switch operating member. Guide members act between the switch operating member and the guide so that movement of the switch operating member along one of the paths upon movement of the switch operating member along the other of the paths from a rest position. An interlock is provided between the switch operating members of a pair of switch assemblies so that only one function of one of the switch assemblies can be operated at a time. |
| US08835778B2 |
Grommet and method of mounting thereof
A grommet (10) according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a wire harness connecting part (11) which is liquid-tightly connected to a wire harness (20), a panel connecting part (13) which can be liquid-tightly connected to a panel opening (31), an extending part (12) shape-changeably extending between the wire harness connecting part (11) and the panel connecting part (13), and an extending-part-shape maintaining part (12a) which maintains a shape of the extending part (12) in a state where a distance between the wire harness connecting part (11) and the panel connecting part (13) in a length direction of the wire harness (20) is shorter than that of the case where the panel connecting part (13) is liquid-tightly connected to the panel opening (31). |
| US08835777B2 |
Electronic device
An electronic device having a slide cover slidably attached in an openable/closable manner to a device case, and conceals a recording paper ejection opening in the device case; a waterproof gasket provided on either one of the slide cover and the device case in a part positioned in periphery of the recording paper ejection opening, and arranged between the slide cover and the device case surrounding the recording paper ejection opening, when the slide cover conceals the recording paper ejection opening; and a guide member which does not come in contact with the waterproof gasket on another side of the slide cover and the device case with which the waterproof gasket meets face to face during a sliding motion of the slide cover, and the waterproof gasket presses on both sides between the slide cover and the device case when the sliding motion is completed. |
| US08835776B2 |
Guideway mechanism
An exemplary guideway mechanism includes four branches each including two parallel rails, four groups of connecting blocks each including four connecting blocks arranged at four corners of an imaginary square, and four supporting brackets each connecting one corresponding group of connecting blocks. Adjacent ends of the rails of each branch respectively connect two adjacent connecting blocks. Each of two ends of each rail connects one corresponding connecting block. Two adjacent rails respectively located in two adjacent branches are perpendicular to each other and connected together by a respective connecting block of one corresponding group of connecting blocks. The other two rails respectively located in the two adjacent branches connect another two respective connecting blocks of the one corresponding group of connecting blocks. The whole guideway mechanism is frame-shaped. |
| US08835773B2 |
Wiring board and method of manufacturing the same
A method of manufacturing a wiring board for use in mounting of an electronic component includes: forming an outermost wiring layer on a surface side where the electronic component is mounted; forming an insulating layer so as to cover the wiring layer; and forming a concave portion in the insulating layer. The concave portion is formed by removing, using a mask formed in a required shape by patterning, an exposed portion of the insulating layer in a step-like shape until a surface of a pad defined at a portion of the wiring layer is exposed. The concave portion is preferably formed by removing the portion of the insulating layer by sand blast. |
| US08835768B2 |
Flexible circuit board
In a flexible circuit board, signal wirings and ground wirings are provided on one main surface of a base film formed of a thermoset resin. A coverlay film formed of a thermoplastic resin is adhered to and integrated with the signal wirings, ground wirings, and base film. External terminals 15 are disposed in a predetermined conductor pattern on one main surface of the coverlay film, and a plated layer is formed on each of the external terminals. A first ground layer and a rear side resin film are adhered in this order below the base film to be integrated. |
| US08835763B1 |
Shield for protecting electrical boxes
A paint shield for protecting and covering an electrical junction box typically mounted in a wall of a structure is disclosed. Junction boxes used for outlets and switches typically include an inner surface defined by side walls meeting top and bottom walls at corners of the box. The paint shield engages the junction box only at the corners so allow easy insertion and removal of the paint shield. The paint shield can also be configured to enclose a light switch or outlet protruding from the junction box and beyond the plane of the wall surface. |
| US08835760B2 |
Electric junction box
Disclosed is an electric junction box in which a pair of cassette blocks is arranged at intervals to each other in a component-attaching direction, capable of downsizing without increase of the number of component. The electric junction box comprises a pair of cassette blocks, configured to attach electric components thereto, arranged at intervals mutually in a component-attaching direction; and a cross-sectionally U-shaped bus bar attached to one cassette block, electrically connected to the electric components, a middle of the bus bar being arranged in a direction perpendicular to the component-attaching direction, both ends of the U-shaped bus bar being arranged in the component-attaching direction, wherein the electric components attached to the other cassette block are opposed to the middle of the bus bar. |
| US08835759B1 |
Support containers and vehicles including same
A support container includes a base and a lid. The base includes a base wall, a pair of substantially vertical, elongated flanges, and a lower flange. The base wall at least partially defines a receptacle. The lower flange cooperates with the pair of substantially vertical, elongated flanges to define a slot. The lid includes an upper portion, a side wall, and an upper flange. The side wall extends substantially downwardly from the upper portion and defines a pair of substantially vertical, elongated channels. Each of the substantially vertical, elongated flanges extends away from the base wall and the receptacle. When the lid is installed on the base, the side wall substantially covers the slot, the pair of substantially vertical, elongated flanges nests extensively within the pair of substantially vertical, elongated channels, and the lower and upper flanges cooperate with one another to define a conduit for the receptacle. |
| US08835751B2 |
Photovoltaic module
A photovoltaic module includes an encapsulated photovoltaic element and an infrared-transmissive decorative overlay simulating conventional roofing. |
| US08835746B2 |
Device for aligning a concentration photovoltaic module
A concentration photovoltaic module includes a radiator, solar cell units, a datum plate, an optical unit and an alignment unit. The radiator includes apertures defined therein. The solar cell units are located on the radiator. The datum plate is located on the radiator. From a lower face of the datum plate extend positioning columns corresponding to the apertures defined in the radiator. The datum plate is provided with marks corresponding to some of the solar cell units. The optical unit is provided with lines near edges thereof. The alignment unit includes a board and light sources. The board is formed with corners corresponding to the lines provided on the datum plate. The light sources are located on the board. The light sources cast light on the solar cell units through the marks. |
| US08835742B2 |
Thermoelectric device and method of manufacturing the same
A thermoelectric device and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The thermoelectric device may include a nanowire having nanoparticles which are disposed on one of an exterior surface of the nanowire and an interior of the nanowire. |
| US08835741B2 |
Method and system for turning pages containing musical scores with an electronic foot pedal
The various embodiments herein provide an electronic foot pedal assembly for turning pages of musical scores in a digital musical score file in a computing device. The method comprises installing a driver application for an electronic foot pedal in a computing device, installing an image viewer application in the computing device, downloading and installing a digital musical score on the computing device, opening the installed digital musical score file in the computing device, stamping the left foot pedal for opening a previous page of musical scores in a digital musical score file, stamping the right foot pedal for opening a next page of musical scores in a digital musical score file and stamping the left foot pedal continuously for opening a home page of musical scores in a digital musical score. |
| US08835738B2 |
Musical systems and methods
Musical performance/input systems, methods, and products can accept user inputs via a user interface, generate, sound, store, and/or modify one or more musical tones. The user interface can present one or more regions corresponding to related chords. A set of related chords and/or a set of rhythmic patterns are generated based on a selected instrument and a selected style of music. The related chords can be modified via one or more effects units. |
| US08835736B2 |
Instrument game system and method
A game system and method that uses an instrument as an input encourages a user to play along with the game's soundtrack on an instrument (e.g. guitar, bass, etc.). The game cues the player to play notes and/or chords on the instrument at an appropriate time and then data is collected from the instrument via a connection between the instrument and the apparatus running the game. The game then scores the user based on note/chord and timing information it receives. |
| US08835731B1 |
Chord playing attachment apparatus
A removable chord playing attachment and related method is disclosed. The chord playing attachment may be attached to a guitar or similar stringed instrument, and the user may use the chord playing attachment to learn to play the instrument. The present invention discloses a design that does not function as a capo, which allows the user play chords in standard keys. The present invention includes a specially configured nut or connector or anchor that forms a removable connection with a chord playing unit. The present invention encourages novices to learn to play the instrument in stages and eventually remove the invention entirely. A companion teaching manual is also disclosed. |
| US08835728B2 |
Plants and seeds of hybrid corn variety CH727917
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH727917. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH727917, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH727917 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH727917. |
| US08835724B1 |
Maize inbred PH1C8P
A novel maize variety designated PH1C8P and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH1C8P with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH1C8P through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH1C8P or a locus conversion of PH1C8P with another maize variety. |
| US08835721B2 |
Broccoli hybrid PX 05181808 and parents thereof
The invention provides seed and plants of broccoli hybrid PX 05181808 and the parent lines thereof. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of broccoli hybrid PX 05181808 and the parent lines thereof, and to methods for producing a broccoli plant produced by crossing such plants with themselves or with another broccoli plant, such as a plant of another genotype. The invention further relates to seeds and plants produced by such crossing. The invention further relates to parts of such plants. |
| US08835714B2 |
Sugar and lipid metabolism regulators in plants II
Isolated nucleic acids and proteins associated with lipid and sugar metabolism regulation are provided. In particular, lipid metabolism proteins (LMP) and encoding nucleic acids originating from Arabidopsis thaliana are provided. The nucleic acids and proteins are used in methods of producing transgenic plants and modulating levels of seed storage compounds. Preferably, the seed storage compounds are lipids, fatty acids, starches or seed storage proteins. |
| US08835708B2 |
Apparatus for body treatment consisting of a shell made of at least two complementary portions
Apparatus formed by a shell that may be placed around a part of the body, wherein said shell comprises: an inlet that may be connected to a gas source and an outlet to evacuate the gases present inside the shell; at least two complementary portions defining between them a cavity with a cross section that is larger than that of the part of the body to be treated, characterized in that the walls of the two complementary portions have an average heat conduction that is lower than 65 mW/m·K measured according to EN-12667. |
| US08835707B2 |
Method of asbestos detoxification
An asbestos detoxification method comprising a step B1 of impregnating an existing asbestos layer with an asbestos melting agent and detaching the existing asbestos layer; a step B2 of pulverizing the existing asbestos layer; a step B3 of loading the pulverized material obtained in step B2 into a melting furnace; a step B4 of heating a resin subsidiary material used in the disposal of the asbestos layer to vaporize the resin portion thereof and further converting the vaporized resin portion into plastic oil; a step B5 of combusting either or both of the plastic oil obtained in step B4 and a fuel; and a step B6 of heating and melting the pulverized material that is in the melting furnace with the use of the heat obtained in step B5. By this detoxification method, it is possible not only to detoxify asbestos sprayed onto a surface of a base material such as a base material of a building, or asbestos-containing building material at low energy, but also to detoxify and recycle various subsidiary materials that are used in the detoxification and are required to be disposed of as specially controlled industrial waste, at the same time. |
| US08835698B2 |
Method for producing fluorinated organic compounds
Disclosed are processes for the production of fluorinated olefins, preferably adapted to commercialization of CF3CF═CH2 (1234yf). In certain preferred embodiments the processes comprise first exposing a compound of Formula (IA) C(X)2═CClC(X)3 (IA) where each X is independently F, Cl or H, preferably CCl2═CClCH2Cl, to one or more sets of reaction conditions, but preferably a substantially single set of reaction conditions, effective to produce at least one chlorofluoropropane, preferably in accordance with Formula (IB): CF3CClX′C(X′)3 Formula (IB) where each X′ is independently F, Cl or H, and then exposing the compound of Formula (IB) to one or more sets of reaction conditions, but preferably a substantially single set of reaction conditions, effective to produce a compound of Formula (II) CF3CF═CHZ (II) where Z is H, F, Cl, I or Br. |
| US08835695B2 |
Method for oxidizing hydrocarbons with oxygen
A method for oxidizing saturated hydrocarbons with oxygen, preferably saturated cyclic hydrocarbons such as cyclohexane, to produce alkyl hydroperoxide is described. A method for oxidizing saturated hydrocarbons with oxygen in a plurality of consecutive steps to control the rate of the reaction and obtain a high degree of alkyl hydroperoxide selectivity is also described. The described methods can relate to methods for condensing oxidation gases recovered in an oxidation reactor and recycling thereof. |
| US08835691B2 |
Process for homogeneously catalyzed, highly selective direct amination of primary alcohols with ammonia to primary amines with a high volume ratio of liquid phase to gas phase and/or high pressures
The present invention relates to a process for preparing primary amines comprising the process steps A) provision of a solution of a primary alcohol in a fluid, nongaseous phase, B) contacting of the phase with free ammonia and/or at least one ammonia-releasing compound and a homogeneous catalyst and optionally C) isolation of the primary amine formed in process step B), characterized in that the volume ratio of the volume of the liquid phase to the volume of the gas phase in process step B is greater than 0.05 and/or in that process step B is carried out at pressures greater than 10 bar. |
| US08835689B2 |
Substituted 4-aminocyclohexane derivatives
The invention relates to compounds that have an affinity to the μ-opioid receptor and the ORL 1-receptor, methods for their production, medications containing these compounds and the use of these compounds for the treatment of pain and other conditions. |
| US08835688B2 |
Optimized introduction of the starting materials for a process for preparing aromatic amines by hydrogenation of nitroaromatics
The invention relates to a process for preparing aromatic amines by hydrogenation of corresponding nitroaromatics by means of hydrogen, and also an apparatus suitable for this purpose. In particular, the invention relates to a process for preparing toluenediamine (TDA) by hydrogenation of dinitrotoluene (DNT). |
| US08835685B2 |
Process for the preparation of contrast agents
The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of 5-[(2-hydroxyacyl)amino]-2,4,6-triiodo-1,3-benzendicarboxamidic derivatives comprising the Smiles rearrangement of a suitable precursor, by contact of an aqueous solution of this latter with an anion exchanger solid phase. |
| US08835683B2 |
Process for preparing formic acid
Process for obtaining formic acid by thermal separation of a stream comprising formic acid and a tertiary amine (I), in which a liquid stream comprising formic acid, tertiary amine (I) and water is produced by combining tertiary amine (I) and a formic acid source in the presence of water, water and organic decomposition products of the tertiary amine (I) are removed and formic acid is removed by distillation from the resulting liquid stream in a distillation apparatus, wherein the stream comprising water and organic decomposition products of the tertiary amine (I) which have been separated off is separated into two liquid phases, the upper liquid phase is removed and the lower, water-comprising liquid phase is recirculated to the formic acid source. |
| US08835681B2 |
Methanol carbonylation process with rhodium catalyst and a lanthanide metal co-catalyst
A carbonylation process for making acetic acid using a metallic co-catalyst composition, effective as a rhodium stabilizer and/or rate promoter, at molar ratios of metal/rhodium of about 0.5 to 40. The process includes reacting methanol with carbon monoxide in the presence of a rhodium-based catalytic metal complex with about 1 to 20 weight percent methyl iodide, less than about 8 weight % water and about 0.5 to about 30 weight percent methyl acetate. The crude acetic acid is flashed and further purified. This process is stable in the absence of a lithium iodide cocatalyst, or in low concentrations of lithium iodide, with an STY greater than 10 mol/L/hr. |
| US08835680B1 |
Stereospecific synthesis process for tretinoin compounds
A stereospecific synthesis process for tretinoin compounds comprises the following steps: using substituted triphenyl phosphine salt and β-formyl crotonic acid as raw material to carry out WITTIG reaction under the action of alkali; then adjusting the pH of the reaction liquid to 5-10; adding palladium compound or rhodium compound to carry out isomerization directly and obtain tretinoin compounds with desired configuration. The product yield of the process is high and the intermediate product in the reaction dose not need to be separated. The process is easy to operate and can save the production cost and as well is suitable for industrial production. |
| US08835675B2 |
Polymerizable phosphonic acid derivative and adhesive composition comprising the same
The present invention is directed to compounds and adhesives finding special utility in dental applications. Compounds of formulae: are of special interest, wherein: R represents a polymerizable group of the structure wherein R1 represents a hydrogen atom or methyl group; A represents an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom; Xqs represent independently an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom; Yqs represent independently hydrogen atom; Zqs may independently represent D-R2 where D represents a single carbon atom and R2 represents phenyl; p is an integer from 1 to 10; and q is an integer from 1 to p. |
| US08835674B2 |
Conjugated diene phosphinate compounds, preparation method and use thereof
This invention relates to conjugated diene phosphinate compounds for making halogen free phosphinate-containing flame retardants, inimer and metal extractants, method for preparing said compounds from unsaturated ketones or aldehydes, and the 5 use thereof. The compounds of the present invention having the following formula (III), wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5 and R6 represent, independently, hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, alkaryl, aralkyl, cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, or alkenyl groups; R7 represents hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, alkaryl, aralkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl groups, or metals selected from the group consisting of Na, Li, Ca. |
| US08835671B2 |
Crosslinked zwitterionic hydrogels
Zwitterionic crosslinking agents, crosslinked zwitterionic hydrogels prepared from copolymerization of zwitterionic monomers with the zwitterionic crosslinking agent, methods for making crosslinked zwitterionic hydrogels, and devices that include and methods that use the crosslinked zwitterionic hydrogels. |
| US08835670B2 |
Method for synthesis of lactic acid and its derivatives
A method for synthesis of lactic acid and its derivatives is provided. First, a mixture is prepared, which includes: at least one carbohydrate-containing raw material, at least one alcohol, at least one composite catalyst containing metal chloride(s) (MCln) and tin-containing compound(s), and at least one solvent, wherein M is selected from a group consisting of Li+, Na+ K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Sr2+, Ga3+, In3+, Sb3+, Bi3+, Cr3+, Mn2+, Fe2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Zn2+, and n represents 1, 2 or 3. Then, the mixture is heated to obtain lactic acid and its derivatives. By using the above catalyst and method, it is capable of converting carbohydrate-containing raw material to lactic acid and its derivatives directly in a more efficient and economical way. |
| US08835669B2 |
Method for producing fluorosulfuric acid ester
Fluorosulfuric acid esters can be produced by reacting alcohols with sulfuryl fluoride (SO2F2) in the presence of a base and water. As a substrate thereof, optically active secondary alcohols are preferable, and optically active α-hydroxyesters and optically active 4-hydroxyprolines are particularly preferable. By performing the reaction in a two-phase system in the presence of a reaction solvent immiscible with water, a desired reaction proceeds particularly well. The present invention is a production method solving all the problems involved in conventional techniques while being industrially practicable. |
| US08835667B2 |
Electrolyte formulations
The present invention relates to electrolyte formulations comprising at least one compound of formula (I) Ma+[B(Rf)(CN)x(F)y]a— (I) in which Ma+ is an inorganic or organic cation, Rf denotes straight-chain or branched perfluoroalkyl groups having 1 to 4 C atoms, C6F5, C6H5, partially fluorinated phenyl or phenyl which is monosubstituted or disubstituted by perfluoroalkyl groups having 1 to 4 C atoms, a is 1 or 2, x is 1, 2 or 3, y is 0, 1 or 2 and x+y is 3 and their use in an electrochemical and/or optoelectronic device such as a photovoltaic cell, a capacitor, a light emitting device, an electrochromic or photo-electrochromic device, an electrochemical sensor and/or biosensor, preferably their use in a dye or quantum dot sensitized solar cell. |
| US08835665B2 |
Recovery of multiple compounds and recyclable water from thin stillage
Methods for recovery of recyclable water and/or fermentation co-products from thin stillage process streams. Microbial metabolites plant derivatives and/or plant extractives are removed from thin stillage after which water is recovered and recycled. Thin stillage is commingled with polar organic solvents or with oil to react microbial metabolites, plant derivatives and/or plant extractives. The reacted organic solvents are then separated from the processed thin stillage. Thin stillage may be commingled with an oil to re act with certain organic compounds, after which, the reacted oil is separated from the processed thin stillage is further extracted with one or more polar organic solvents. Alternatively, thin stillage may be first processed with one or more polar organic solvents, and then processed with an oil. Useful organic compounds may be recovered from the reacted oil and reacted organic solvents. |
| US08835656B2 |
Linker and support for solid phase synthesis of nucleic acid
The invention provides a universal linker capable of synthesizing nucleic acid having a hydroxy group at the 3′ terminal, a universal support carrying the linker, and a synthesis method of nucleic acid using the universal support. The linker contains a compound represented by the formula wherein each symbol is as defined in the specification. |
| US08835655B2 |
Process for preparing olopatadine and/or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof
The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of olopatadine and, more particularly, to an improved method of synthesizing olopatadine which comprises reacting a dibenz[b,e]oxepin-11-one derivative of formula (III) and a suitable reagent under Witting condition, and to the intermediate 11-[(Z)-3-(dimethylamino)-propylidene]-6-11-dihydrodibenz[b,e]-oxepin-2-acet-amide p-toluensulfonate salt. |
| US08835654B2 |
Method and compositions for treating amyloid-related diseases
Methods, compounds, pharmaceutical compositions and kits are described for treating or preventing amyloid-related disease. |
| US08835652B2 |
Delta crystalline form of the arginine salt of perindopril, a process for its preparation, and pharmaceutical compositions containing it
Delta crystalline form of the compound of formula (I): characterised by its X-ray powder diffraction diagram. Medicinal products containing the same which are useful in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. |
| US08835650B1 |
Substituted imidazolium compounds for treating disease
The present disclosure relates to therapeutic compositions comprising substituted imidazoliums having multiple acidic groups. The compounds may be used to treat diseases or conditions such as those associated with bone, cancer, or pain. Compositions, dosage forms, methods of treating diseases or conditions, methods of preparation, and other related embodiments related to the substituted imidazoliums are also described herein. |
| US08835646B2 |
Organic compounds
The present invention provides a compound of formula I: Said compound is inhibitor of aldosterone synthase and aromatase, and thus can be employed for the treatment of a disorder or disease mediated by aldosterone synthase or aromatase. Accordingly, the compound of formula I can be used in treatment of hypokalemia, hypertension, congestive heart failure, atrial fibrillation, renal failure, in particular, chronic renal failure, restenosis, atherosclerosis, syndrome X, obesity, nephropathy, post-myocardial infarction, coronary heart diseases, inflammation, increased formation of collagen, fibrosis such as cardiac or myocardiac fibrosis and remodeling following hypertension and endothelial dysfunction, gynecomastia, osteoporosis, prostate cancer, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, dysfunctional uterine bleeding, endometrial hyperplasia, polycystic ovarian disease, infertility, fibrocystic breast disease, breast cancer and fibrocystic mastopathy. Finally, the present invention also provides a pharmaceutical composition. |
| US08835645B2 |
Process for preparing cyanimino-1,3-thiazolidines
The present invention relates to a process for preparing cyanimino-1,3-thiazolidines, which are important building blocks for the preparation of crop protection active ingredients and pharmaceuticals, by the following scheme: where A is an alkali metal and X represents an acid radical. |
| US08835644B2 |
Broad spectrum benzothiophene-nitrothiazolide and other antimicrobials
The invention provides novel antimicrobial chemical entities based on a nitrothiazolide backbone that exhibit antibacterial and antiparasitic action against a wide range of human pathogens. The new classes of compounds show extended action against Gram positive bacteria including MRSA drug resistant pathogens. In the Gram-positive organisms, they specifically target and functionally inhibit microbial attachment to surfaces and biofilm formation. In Gram-negative bacteria, including enteroaggregative E. coli strains, these compounds function as pilicides by inhibiting the assembly of pilin subunits into adhesive filaments. Several of these compounds show potent antimicrobial action against Gram positive bacteria, perhaps involving novel targets. Many of the benzothiophene derivatives exhibit antimicrobial activity in the low micrograms per ml range and in blocking biofilm formation in the nanomolar range; ranges considered are well within the range of utility as therapeutics. |
| US08835641B2 |
Fluorescent markers and use thereof for labeling specific protein targets
Novel fluorescent markers of Formula I: are disclosed herein, wherein X and Y are independently or together absent or are independently selected from R and R1 are independently selected from H and alkyl; Ar is phenyl or heteroaryl; L is absent or a spacer selected from the group consisting of —NH—; —(CH2)nNH—; —NHSO2—; —(CH2)nNHCO—; -(cycloalkyl)NHCO—; —(CH2)nNHSO2—; -(cycloalkyl)NHSO2—; —CONH(CH2)nNHCO—; —CONH(cycloalkyl)NHCO—; —NHCO(CH2)nNHCO—; —NHCO(cycloalkyl)NHCO—; —(CH2)nSO2NH—; -(cycloalkyl)SO2NH—; —(CH2)nNHCSNH—; -(cycloalkyl)NHCSNH—; —CR═CR1—; —C≡C—; —(CH2)nN═CH—; -(cycloalkyl)N═CH—; —N═CH(CH2)—; —N═CH(cycloalkyl)-; n is an integer ranging from 1 to 5; F is a fluorophore selected from the group consisting of fluorescein, rhodamine, eosin, thionine, safranin, coumarin, methoxycoumarin, dansyl, BODIPY and BODIPY derivatives; and wherein X, Y and L may be positioned in a 1,3,5; 1,2,3; 1,3,4 or in a 3,4,5 configuration respectively. |
| US08835639B2 |
Process for making modulators of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator
The invention provides a process for the preparation of a compound of Formula 1, comprising coupling a carboxylic acid of Formula 2 with an aniline of Formula 3 in the presence of a coupling agent. |
| US08835637B2 |
Iridium-based complexes for ECL
Novel iridium-based Ir(III) luminescent complexes, conjugates comprising these complexes as a label and their application, for example in the electrochemiluminescence based detection of an analyte. |
| US08835622B2 |
Expression cassettes for seed-specific expression in plants
The present invention relates to materials and methods for the expression of a gene of interest specifically in seeds of plants, even more specifically in oilseed plants. In particular, the invention provides an expression cassette for regulating seed-specific expression in plants. |
| US08835619B2 |
Heat shock proteins from Mycobacterium leprae and uses thereof
The present invention is directed to heat shock proteins from Mycobacterium leprae as well as their encoding polynucleotides and vectors and host cells containing these polynucleotides. These heat shock proteins and their encoding polynucleotides are useful in detection of Mycobacterium leprae. In addition, the heat shock protein can be used as an adjuvant in a pharmaceutical composition containing an antigen to induce or enhance the immune response against the antigen. Further, the heat shock protein may be used to treat atopic conditions or as a vaccine against Mycobacterium leprae. Alternatively, the heat shock protein can be used to form a fusion protein with an antigen to induce or enhance the immune response against the antigen. |
| US08835618B2 |
Mutations of the parkin gene
The invention concerns nucleic acids coding for mutated or truncated forms of the human parkin gene, or forms comprising multiplication of exons, and the corresponding proteins and antibodies. The invention also concerns methods and kits for identifying mutations of the parkin gene, and for studying compounds for therapeutic purposes. |
| US08835609B2 |
Antigen binding sites to non-functional oligomeric P2X7 receptors and methods of use thereof
The invention relates to purinergic receptors, to antibodies and related fragments thereof for binding to said receptors, to production of said antibodies and fragments and to use of said antibodies and fragments for cancer detection and therapy. In particular the antibodies described bind specifically to non-functional P2X7 receptors expressed by live cells. |
| US08835605B2 |
Uses of cancer-targeting peptides in cancer diagnosis
Cancer-targeting peptides and uses thereof in cancer diagnosis. |
| US08835603B2 |
Agents for the treatment of celiac disease
The invention provides agents and vaccines for treating and diagnosing celiac disease. In particular, the present invention provides a combination of three peptides that are useful for treating and diagnosing celiac disease in a large proportion of patients. |
| US08835599B2 |
Segmented degradable polymers and conjugates made therefrom
The present invention provides, among other things, segmented, degradable polymeric reagents suitable for reaction with biologically active agents to form conjugates, the polymeric reagents comprising one or more polymer chains divided or separated by one or more degradable linkages into polymer segments having a molecular weight suitable for renal clearance. The polymeric reagents can have a substantially linear structure, a branched structure, or a multiarm structure. Each structure includes one or more linkages capable of degradation in vivo. |
| US08835594B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing of plastic material
The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for the processing of plastic material, with a receptacle or cutter-compactor (1) into which the material to be treated can be introduced, in the lower region of which a discharge opening (10) is provided, through which the processed material can be ejected from the receptacle (1), for example into an extruder (11). According to the invention, the receptacle (1) is divided into at least two chambers (6a, 6b, 6c, . . . ) separated from each other by an intermediate base (2′, 2″, . . . ), wherein at least one mixing or comminution tool (7a, 7b, 7c, . . . ) is arranged which acts upon the material in each chamber (6a, 6b, 6c, . . . ), with which the material can be converted into a softened but permanently lumpy or particle-shaped and not melted state and wherein means (5′, 5″, . . . ) are provided which effect or permit an exchange or a transfer of the softened, lumpy, not melted material between each directly adjacent chamber (6a, 6b, 6c, . . . ). |
| US08835593B2 |
Anaerobically curable compositions
Dry-to-the-touch compositions containing a curable polymeric matrix and a curable anaerobic composition present within the polymeric matrix are disclosed. In a particularly desirable form, the compositions are moisture curable. The compositions are non-flowable at high temperatures and have an improved solvent resistance once cured. |
| US08835592B2 |
Polyurethanes, articles and coatings prepared therefrom and methods of making the same
The present invention provides polyurethanes including a reaction product of components including: (a) an isocyanate functional urethane prepolymer comprising a reaction product of components including: (i) about 1 equivalent of at least one polyisocyanate; and (ii) about 0.1 to about 0.5 equivalents of at least one diol having 2 to 18 carbon atoms; and (b) about 0.05 to about 0.9 equivalents of at least one branched polyol having 4 to 18 carbon atoms and at least 3 hydroxyl groups; and (c) up to about 0.9 equivalents of at least one polyol different from branched polyol (b) and having 2 to 18 carbon atoms, wherein the reaction product components are essentially free of polyester polyol and polyether polyol; compositions, coatings and articles made therefrom and methods of making the same. |
| US08835588B2 |
Use of hydrogen scavenging catalysts to control polymer molecular weight and hydrogen levels in a polymerization reactor
The present invention provides dual catalyst systems containing a metallocene catalyst and a hydrogen scavenging catalyst, and polymerization processes employing these dual catalyst systems. Due to a reduction in hydrogen levels in the polymerization processes, olefin polymers produced from these polymerization processes may have a higher molecular weight, a lower melt index, and higher levels of unsaturation. |
| US08835586B2 |
Polycarbonate resin, poly (2-octadecyl-butanedioic acid) and the salts and esters thereof
A Chelating agent comprising a polymer backbone. The polymer backbone has a plurality of carbon atoms. There are two carboxylate groups or carboxylic acid groups per repeating unit being coupled to separate carbon atoms of the backbone. |
| US08835582B2 |
Catalyst systems and methods for using same to produce polyolefin products
Catalyst systems and methods for making and using the same. The catalyst system can include a single site catalyst compound, a support comprising fluorinated alumina, and an aluminoxane. The aluminoxane can be present in an amount of about 10 mmol or less per gram of the support. |
| US08835581B2 |
Neutral layer polymer composition for directed self assembly and processes thereof
The present invention relates to a novel polymeric composition comprising a novel polymer having two or more repeat units and a terminus having the structure (1): wherein R1 represents a C1-C20 substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, w is a number from 1-8, X is oxygen (O) or nitrogen (N), and Rd is a reactive group. The invention also relates to a process for forming a pattern using the novel polymeric composition. The invention further relates to a process of making the novel polymer. |
| US08835578B2 |
Catalyst components for the polymerization of olefins
Catalyst component for the polymerization of olefins CH2═CHR in which R is hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl radical with 1-12 carbon atoms, comprising Mg, Ti, halogen and two electron donor compounds one of which selected from alkoxybenzenes and the other being selected from those of formula (II) where RI and RII are the same or different and are hydrogen or linear or branched C1-C18 hydrocarbon groups which can also form one or more cyclic structures; RIII groups, equal or different from each other, are hydrogen or C1-C18 hydrocarbon groups; RIV groups equal or different from each other, have the same meaning of RIII except that they cannot be hydrogen; each of RI to RIV groups can contain heteroatoms selected from halogens, N, O, S and Si. |
| US08835577B2 |
Catalyst systems having a tailored hydrogen response
A polymerization catalyst system and polymerization processes using the catalyst systems are disclosed. The polymerization catalyst systems may include a) a first catalyst compound, and b) a second catalyst compound, wherein the first catalyst compound comprises a biphenyl phenol compound having essentially no hydrogen response. |