| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08068698B2 |
System and method for resizing images prior to upload
There is disclosed a system and method for resizing an image on a handheld mobile communication device prior to uploading to an image repository. In an embodiment, the method comprises: determining the size of an original image; determining any upload size restrictions for uploading the image to the image repository; and in dependence upon the upload size restrictions, resizing the original image to a new resized image to meet the upload size restriction. In another embodiment, the method may further comprise specifying at least one user selectable image size for resizing the original image; receiving a user selection of a desired image size; and resizing the original image to the user selected desired image size. In another embodiment, the image size automatically in dependence upon image upload bandwidth. |
| US08068696B2 |
Method of restoring movements of the line of sight of an optical instrument
A method of estimation of the direction of the line of sight comprising forming at least two images representing one and the same portion of the scene (P) at two successive instants using an instrument mounted on a moving carrier, and the determination of the change of orientation of the line of sight by matching homologous points (A1, A2) in the two images of the same portion of scene by calculating the angular variations in attitude between the two instants at which the two successive images are obtained and by correcting on the basis of the deviation, between the estimate of the point (A2) homologous in the image provided by a model, and the actual position of the homologous point, and integrating and time filtering pertaining to a sequence of several successive determinations of attitude variations, leading to an estimate of the direction of the line of sight. |
| US08068694B2 |
Imaging apparatus, method and program
An imaging apparatus displays and records any area in a synthesized image according to user's taste. The synthesized image is displayed based on the set display area and the record area is set to display the synthesized image, so that the display area is compared with the record area to enable easily confirming whether the actually acquired synthesized image satisfies the area desired by the user and assisting recording in an area where a better composition is provided even if the user is unfamiliar with the composition. |
| US08068692B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for pixel transformations
Methods, apparatuses, systems, and machine readable media for pixel transformations. One exemplary method includes: determining a state of a pixel format transformation, wherein a pixel format includes a predetermined number of pixel data components and a predetermined number of bits for each of the pixel data components and wherein the state includes a source pixel format and a destination pixel format and at least one intermediate pixel format; converting pixel data in the source pixel format to pixel data in the intermediate pixel format; and converting the pixel data in the intermediate pixel format to pixel data in the destination pixel format. In certain embodiments, a method includes building and compiling a function, at run-time, for the pixel format transformation based upon the state. |
| US08068685B2 |
Method for resizing images using integer DCT coefficients
The present invention relates to a method of converting the size of an image, i.e., resolution of an image, and more specifically, to a method of reducing or enlarging the size of an image using coefficients of integer discrete cosine transform (Integer DCT), which is a type of block transform. Since the method of reducing and enlarging the size of an image according to the present invention reduces or enlarges the size of an image through an integer operation, hardware can be implemented using shifts and additions, and therefore, complexity of the hardware may be lowered, and the method of the present invention provides images of a good quality that is almost the same as the quality of an image provided according to a conventional method of reducing and enlarging an image using real-number DCT coefficients. The method of reducing and enlarging the size of an image according to the present invention is compatible with a H.264/AVC codec. |
| US08068684B2 |
Compression of digital images of scanned documents
A first aspect of the invention relates to a method for creating a binary mask image from an a inputted digital image of a scanned document, comprising the steps of creating a binarized image by binarizing the inputted digital image, detecting first text regions representing light text on a dark background, and inverting the first text regions, such that the inverted first text regions are interpretable in the same way as dark text on a light background. A second aspect of the invention relates to a method for comparing in a binary image a first pixel blob with a second pixel blob to determine whether they represent matching symbols, comprising the steps of detecting a line in one blob not present in the other and/or determining if one of the blobs represents an italicized symbol where the other does not. |
| US08068683B2 |
Video/audio transmission and display
The invention presents new methods of compression, transmission, and decompression of video signals providing increased speed and image quality and for protecting against camcorder piracy. Methods based on selecting an anchor frame, wavelet transformation with decimation and time stamping can provide one-pass encoding of signals in which the amount of bits of information needed to be transmitted can be substantially reduced, thereby increasing the speed of transmission of digital signals over networks. Decompressing signals, along with interpolation methods to re-create portions of images of lesser importance in visual perception, can provide coordinated video and audio presentations of high quality in real-time over all kinds of networks and frame interpolation resulting in a displayed frame rate significantly higher than 30 fps. The use of randomly selected anchor frames can render reconstructed transmitted images of poor quality for pirates who do not have access to identities of anchor frames. |
| US08068682B2 |
Generating output pixels of an output image from one or more input images using a set of motion vectors having a sub-pixel accuracy
An image processing apparatus in which output pixels of an output image are generated from one or more input images using motion vectors having a sub-pixel accuracy. A motion vector allocator allocates motion vectors in the pixels, and compares a current output pixel with test image areas pointed to by motion vectors in the pixels to detect a most suitable motion vector for the current output pixel. A pixel generator operates in a first mode if the output pixel is within a threshold displacement from an image region having substantially different motion characteristics to those of that output pixel, and in a second mode otherwise. The pixel generator includes a spatial filter generating an output pixel value at a required pixel position to a sub-pixel accuracy. |
| US08068679B2 |
Audio and video signal processing
The present disclosure related generally to audio and video signal processing. Various arrangements are disclosed. One method recites: (a) obtaining data representing audible portions of audio or representing picture portions of video; (b) using a programmed electronic processor, determining identifying information from the obtained data by computing a frequency transform to produce frequency transform data, and processing the frequency transform data to derive a pattern, and using the pattern as the identifying information for the audio or video; and (c) using the identifying data to facilitate purchase or license of the audio or video. Other arrangements are disclosed as well. |
| US08068668B2 |
Device and method for estimating if an image is blurred
A method for estimating if an image (14) is either blurred or sharp includes the steps of (i) determining an image gradient histogram distribution (410) of at least a portion of the image (14), and (ii) comparing at least a portion of the image gradient histogram distribution (410) to a Gaussian model gradient histogram distribution (414) of at least a portion of the image (14) to estimate if the image (14) is either blurred or sharp. In most cases, a sharp image (14) has a relatively large tailed distribution when compared to the Gaussian model, while a blurred image has a relatively small tailed distribution when compared to the Gaussian model. |
| US08068666B2 |
Method for reading test strips
There is provided a method for identifying the color intensities of red lines on a white test strip. The method comprises the following steps: (A) attaching the white test strip to a card that is larger and darker than the white test strip, (B) scanning the card with the attached white test strip, (C) creating a digital image of the card, in which each pixel in the digital image has a Red value, a Green value, and a Blue value, (D) using the digital image to calculate a color intensity for each red line on the white test strip. |
| US08068665B2 |
3D-image processing apparatus, 3D-image processing method, storage medium, and program
A 3D-image processing apparatus includes a storage unit which stores data of a first 3D image together with data of a second 3D image as a combining target with the first 3D image and data of a third 3D image relevant to the second 3D image, a misregistration calculating unit which calculates a misregistration between the first 3D image and the third 3D image, and an image combining unit which registers and combines the second 3D image with the first 3D image on the basis of the calculated misregistration. |
| US08068662B2 |
Method and system for determining a defect during charged particle beam inspection of a sample
A method for determining a defect during charged particle beam inspection of a sample locates at least one examination region within a charged particle microscopic image of the sample by making reference to a database graphic of the sample corresponding to the charged particle microscopic image. Each located examination region concerns at least one element of the sample, and each element has at least one characteristic in common. At least one point response value is then generated for each point in the located examination regions. The presence of a defect at the location of the concerned point is then determined by applying at least one decision tree operator to the generated point response values of the concerned point. Applications of the proposed method as a computing agent and a charged particle beam inspection system are also disclosed. |
| US08068661B2 |
LED inspection apparatus and LED inspection method using the same
Disclosed are a light emitting diode (LED) inspection apparatus, which can determine whether an LED has a defect such as leakage current, without making physical contact with the LED being inspected, and an LED inspection method thereof. The LED inspection apparatus includes an ultraviolet emission unit emitting UV light to an LED, an image generation unit generating an image of the LED to which the UV light is emitted, and a control unit obtaining color or intensity information of the LED from the image of the LED and determining, based on the color information, whether the LED is defective. |
| US08068659B2 |
Method and system for determining cumulative foreign object characteristics during fabrication of a composite structure
Method and system for determining cumulative foreign object characteristics during fabrication of a composite structure. Images of sequential segments of a composite structure may be recorded during placement of the composite structure. The recorded images may be analyzed for detecting foreign objects on the composite structure. Cumulative foreign object characteristics of the foreign objects detected on the composite structure may be determined, and the cumulative foreign object characteristics may be provided to a user. |
| US08068656B2 |
X-ray inspection apparatus
An x-ray inspection apparatus includes a sample image obtaining unit, an ideal curve generating unit, a curve adjustment unit, and a mass estimation unit as a function block generated by a control computer. The sample image obtaining unit obtains 10 x-ray transmission images of sample inspected products each of whose mass is known in advance. The ideal curve generating unit generates a table based on a formula that indicates a relationship between the brightness of an area included in the x-ray transmission images and the estimated mass of the area. The curve adjustment unit refers to the input actual mass of each x-ray transmission image and adjusts the table such that the estimated mass approximates the actual mass. The mass estimation unit determines the estimated mass per unit area based on the post-adjusted table and adds up these masses to determine the total estimated mass of the product. |
| US08068652B2 |
Semi-automated registration of data based on a hierarchical mesh
A registration image is aligned or registered with a reference image by user interaction. The registration image is segmented into a hierarchy of elements defining a mesh having more than one level. At each level, individual elements may be selected by the user, translated, rotated and scaled with respect to the remainder of the registration image and to the reference image. Refinement of the user registration is facilitated by allowing the user to define further levels in the segmentation where each of the elements at the further levels may be separately manipulated in a similar manner. Interpolation may be performed between the moved or altered elements and between the elements and the remainder of the registration image to obtain a more satisfactorily registered image. The technique may be used with other interpolation and registration processes. |
| US08068650B2 |
Lesion quantification and tracking using multiple modalities
A method for lesion detection includes acquiring pre-therapy medical image data from a first modality. Post-therapy medical image data is acquired from a second modality. A transformation matrix for transforming from an image space of the first modality to an image space of the second modality is calculated. A volume of interest is defined from the medical image data of the first modality. The volume of interest includes one or more lesions. The volume of interest is automatically copied to the medical image data of the second modality using the calculated transformation matrix. Treatment is directed to the lesion using the medical image data of the second modality including the copied volume of interest data. |
| US08068648B2 |
Method and system for registering a bone of a patient with a computer assisted orthopaedic surgery system
A method and system for registering a bone of a patient with a computer assisted orthopaedic surgery system includes retrieving an image of the bone having indicia of the position of a magnetic source coupled thereto, determining first data indicative of the position of the magnetic source in a bone coordinate system, determining second data indicative of a correlation between a coordinate system of the image and the bone coordinate system based on the first data; and displaying an image of the bone based on the second data. |
| US08068644B2 |
System for seeing using auditory feedback
The invention is a system whereby a video image can be converted into an audio signal. A portable apparatus is described which allows a visually blind person to hear the images and thus ‘see’. This does not require expensive equipment nor does it require surgery. It has applications for non-blind people such as with a pilot seeing radar information. It can be performed with an inexpensive video camera, a portable computer, and earphones. It is also readily adapted to a customized and compact system involving a micro camera, specialized computer, and ear buds. |
| US08068642B2 |
System and method for remotely monitoring and/or viewing images from a camera or video device
A system and method are provided for remotely monitoring images from an image capturing device. Image data from an image capturing component is received where image data represents images of a scene in a field of view of the image capturing component. The image data may be analyzed to determine that the scene has changed. A determination may be made that the scene has changed. In response to this determination being made, a communication may be transmitted to a designated device, recipient or network location. The communication may be informative that a scene change or event occurred. The communication may be in the form of a notification or an actual image or series of images of the scene after the change or event. |
| US08068639B2 |
Image pickup apparatus, control method therefor, and computer program for detecting image blur according to movement speed and change in size of face area
An image pickup apparatus includes: a face detection section configured to detect a face area from an image obtained by the image pickup apparatus; and a control section configured to detect at least any one of the amount of change in size of the face area detected by the face detection section and a movement speed of the face area, determine whether there is a possibility of occurrence of subject shake blur, which is blur occurring in a captured image due to the movement of a subject, on the basis of information on the detected amount of change in size of the face area or the detected movement speed of the face area, and output a warning when it is determined that there is a possibility of occurrence of subject shake blur. |
| US08068638B2 |
Apparatus and method for embedding searchable information into a file for transmission, storage and retrieval
An apparatus is disclosed for acquiring information to be transmitted to a receiving facility and for transmitting such thereto. A capture device captures information from a first source. A stamping device is provided for associating with the captured information a representation of the date and time of the capture of the information, such that the representation of the date and time information in association with the captured information forms augmented captured information. A data processing unit is provided for placing the augmented captured information in association with subscriber information in a transmission of the augmented captured information to a receiving facility requiring such subscriber information. A transmitter transmits the transmission including the augmented captured information and the subscriber information to said receiving facility. An encryptor encrypts the augmented captured information for transmission to said receiving facility. |
| US08068636B2 |
Digital watermarking methods, programs and apparatus
The present claims recite various steganographic and digital watermarking methods and apparatus. One claim recites a method of watermarking a representation of a physical object. The method includes: projecting a watermark orientation component onto a physical object; and using a camera or image sensor, capturing an image or video of the physical object including the watermark orientation component as projected thereon. Another claim recites an apparatus including: a light source for projecting a registration component onto a physical object; a camera or sensor for capturing an image or video of the physical object including the registration component as projected thereon; and an electronic processor programmed for encoding a message in the image or video captured by said camera or sensor. Of course, other claims and combinations are provided as well. |
| US08068630B2 |
Precision micro-hole for extended life batteries
Various embodiments of the invention provide an enclosure for a metal-air battery assembly for an extended wear hearing aid. The enclosure includes a diffusion control element having a dimensional property configured for controlling oxygen and moisture diffusion into the metal-air battery assembly to maintain a minimum battery voltage when the hearing aid is operating and worn in an ear canal of a user over an extended period. In an embodiment, the enclosure can comprise a shell with a base end having an opening therein forming a cavity within the shell and a base cap for covering the opening of the base end. A diffusion element is disposed on the base cap. In an embodiment, the diffusion element comprises a laser drilled precision micro hole having an aspect ratio of least about four and a diameter in the range of about 10 to 15 microns. |
| US08068626B2 |
Thermoacoustic device
An apparatus, the apparatus includes an electromagnetic signal device; a medium; and a sound wave generator. The sound wave generator includes a carbon nanotube structure. The carbon nanotube structure includes one or more carbon nanotube films. Each carbon nanotube film includes a plurality of carbon nanotubes substantially parallel to each other and joined side by side via van der Waals attractive force. The electromagnetic signal device transmits an electromagnetic signal to the carbon nanotube structure. The carbon nanotube structure converts the electromagnetic signal into heat. The heat transfers to the medium causing a thermoacoustic effect. |
| US08068621B2 |
Controller of graphic equalizer
An apparatus is provided for controlling a graphic equalizer which is implemented by digital filters, each being assignable to a frequency band for regulating a level of the frequency band. In the apparatus, a set of control devices are provided in correspondence to respective frequency bands, each control device being operable to specify the level of the corresponding frequency band to either of a reference level or other level than the reference level. An assignment section operates when a number of the digital filters is less than a total number of the frequency bands, for assigning the digital filters to the frequency bands which are specified with the levels other than the reference level. A control section controls remaining digital filters which are not assigned to any of the frequency bands in a through state. A disabling section operates when the assignment section assigns all of the digital filters to the frequency bands which are specified with levels other than the reference level, for disabling operation of a control device which currently specifies the reference level. |
| US08068620B2 |
Audio processing apparatus
A signal processing apparatus includes sound collecting elements, a noise detector for detecting a level of noise in a low-frequency band of audio signals output from the sound collecting elements, a noise reduction unit for reducing the noise in the audio signals in accordance with a signal output from the noise detector, a converter for converting the audio signals output from the noise reduction unit into pieces of audio data corresponding to channels including a low-frequency channel and other channels, a low-frequency channel controller for controlling a level of the audio data corresponding to the low-frequency channel in accordance with the level of the noise detected using the noise detector, and a level controller for controlling the level of the audio data of the low-frequency channel output from the low-frequency channel controller and levels of the pieces of audio data corresponding to the other channels output from the converter. |
| US08068617B2 |
Audio playback system
Provided is an audio playback system, which reduces a restriction on a place of installation and which reduces the dispersion of characteristics of sound pressures in a low frequency range due to the seats in a passenger interior of a vehicle so that a comfortable bass sound can be enjoyed at any seat. The audio playback system comprises a first filter (108), to which an audio signal outputted from a playback apparatus (107) is inputted, configured to pass a frequency band lower than a first-order resonance frequency of the passenger interior of the vehicle, a first sub-woofer (104) configured to receive an output signal of the first filter (108), a second filter (109), to which the audio signal from the playback device (107) is inputted, configured to pass a frequency band including the first-order resonance frequency of the interior, and a second sub-woofer (105), to which an output signal of the second filter (109) is inputted, configured to be installed near a node of a first-order resonance mode of the interior. |
| US08068615B2 |
Automatic transformer saturation compensation circuit
A transformer saturation compensation circuit for loudspeakers in embodiments of the invention may include one or more of the following features: (a) a transformer with a primary winding and a secondary winding electrically coupled to an output, (b) a high pass filter, (c) a current dependent resistive load electrically coupled in parallel with the capacitor and electrically coupled to an input, (d) a switch located at the primary winding electrically coupled to the capacitor and the resistive load, the switch being rotatable to each of the taps, where the current dependent resistive load provides saturation compensation for different loudspeaker configurations without requiring changes to a highpass filter cutoff frequency, and (e) a resistive load electrically coupled in parallel with the current dependent resistive load and the capacitor. |
| US08068606B2 |
Embedding a secret in a bit string for safeguarding the secret
A method and system for embedding a secret in a bit string for safeguarding the secret. In one embodiment, the method comprises computing the length of the overall bit string as a function of q and t, where q and t are determined from the length of the secret. The method further comprises generating a plurality of information pieces based on q and t, the information pieces including a transformed secret and information for extracting the secret from the overall bit string. The method further comprises concatenating the plurality of information pieces to form the overall bit string. |
| US08068602B1 |
Systems and methods for recording using virtual machines
A recording system that includes software configured to enable a first guest operating system to function in a virtual machine operating environment, a first recording software enabled to function by the first guest operating system, at least one processor, and at least one communication interface configured to receive first data corresponding to a first contact corresponding to a first contact center agent. The at least one processor is instructed by the first recording software to cause the first data to be stored in memory. |
| US08068600B2 |
Queue management system and method
A queue management system and method which uses a computer to manage queue priorities and contact customers. The queue management system includes communication circuitry, and a processor for storing contact information of a customer in a list, for establishing a position of the customer in a queue, and for automatically causing the communication circuitry to wirelessly contact a personal communication device carried by the customer using the contact information if the position is first for service in the queue. |
| US08068599B2 |
Call center application data and interoperation architecture for a telecommunication service center
A call center application data and interoperation architecture provides a centralized design for managing applications providing call center functionality. The architecture integrates information flow using a mater data repository for all applications for all aspects of a call center operation. The architecture provides employee information at defined levels through the complete employment life cycle, including the initial hiring and termination. The architecture provides the employee information by integrating human resources information with call center applications such as Employee attendance and Leave management, ID management, Transport management, Commitment logs, and Movement management, or any other application. |
| US08068597B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing customer contacts using a state machine
A method and apparatus are provided for processing a call with a client within an automatic contact distributor system. The method includes the step of providing a user agent application within a terminal of an agent of the automatic contact distributor system that functions as an interface for exchanging SIP commands and providing an agent state machine within the terminal of the agent that controls a plurality of call states of a connection of the call between the client and the agent where the agent state machine is different than the user agent application. The method further includes the steps of receiving a SIP INVITE by the user agent application from an automatic contact distributor of the automatic contact distribution system transferring the call from the automatic contact distributor to the agent and depicting a state of the plurality of states of the call on a display of the terminal based upon a logical state of the state machine. |
| US08068595B2 |
System and method for providing a multi-modal communications infrastructure for automated call center operation
A multi-modal call is accepted from a caller through a telephony interface, which accommodates multi-modal calls including at least one of verbal speech and text messaging. Incoming speech in the multi-modal call is converted into transcribed text. Incoming text messaging is matched with the transcribed text. The multi-modal call is automatically assigned through a session manager to a session under operation of a live agent. The transcribed text and incoming text messaging are progressively processed during the session through an agent application by performing a customer support scenario interactively monitored and controlled by the live agent. |
| US08068594B2 |
Communication center methods and apparatus
A communications center supports sales and/or customer support services corresponding to a plurality of business affiliations. Operator terminals within the communications center are configurable. A management module manages the allocation of the operator terminals between the plurality of different business affiliations being supported by the communications center. The management module loads a set of configuration information into an operator terminal to match a determined business affiliation with a customer's communications device capabilities. At different times, e.g. corresponding to an initial communications session and a follow-on communications session, the same customer may be connected to different physical operator terminals and be communicating with different actual operators; however, from the perspective of the customer, the customer is made to think that the communication is with the same operator terminal and same operator. |
| US08068592B2 |
Intelligent switching system for voice and data
A teleconferencing system for voice and data provides interconnections among user sites via a central station. User stations at user sites each alternate operation between a data mode connecting a user computer and modem to a user telephone communication path and a voice mode connecting a telephony circuit to the communication path. The teleconferencing system is adapted for conducting a voice conference over standard telephone lines while allowing simultaneous viewing of data objects such as slides, graphs, or text. A host computer connected to the central station serves as a central repository for storage and retrieval of data objects for use in teleconferences. |
| US08068588B2 |
Unified rules for voice and messaging
The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or a method that facilitates managing an incoming data communication in connection with unified communications. A unified communications component can employ unified communications for a data communication with at least the following data communication modes: an email data communication mode, a voice data communication mode, and a voicemail data communication mode. A unified rules component can automatically redirect the data communication to a delegate for receipt based upon a universal rule, the universal rule is uniformly applicable to at least two of the email data communication mode, the voice data communication mode, or the voicemail data communication mode. |
| US08068586B2 |
Determining a local emergency dial-string
Determining a local emergency dial-string includes determining location information of an endpoint in a network. The location information indicates a current location of the endpoint. An emergency dial-string is received. The emergency dial-string is determined according to the location information, and the emergency dial-string operates to contact an emergency service associated with the current location of the endpoint. |
| US08068584B2 |
System and method for selecting a profile for a digital subscriber line
A method for selecting a profile for a digital subscriber line is disclosed, the method including collecting code violation data for a plurality of digital subscriber lines, identifying a group of problem lines in the plurality of digital subscriber lines, modeling estimated code violations for each of a group profiles for each line in the group of problem lines and selecting one of the group of profiles. A system is disclosed for performing the method. |
| US08068582B2 |
Methods and systems for the directing and energy filtering of X-rays for non-intrusive inspection
Systems and methods are disclosed herein for lenses based on crystal X-ray diffraction and reflection to be used to direct and energy filter X-ray beams. |
| US08068575B2 |
Acoustic load mitigator
A system for reducing an acoustic load of a fluid flow includes a first pipe to carry the fluid flow; a standpipe connected to the first pipe at an opening in the first pipe; and a standpipe flow tripper provided in the standpipe. The flow tripper includes an edge extending through the opening into the flow on a downstream side of the opening. A method of reducing an acoustic load of a standing wave in a standpipe connected to a first pipe configured to carry a flow includes disrupting the flow in the first pipe at a downstream side of an opening in the first pipe to which the standpipe is connected. |
| US08068573B1 |
Phase dithered digital communications system
The present invention is a phase dithered digital communications system that includes a digital receiver, and uses phase dithering to spread the energy of one or more system clocks to minimize receiver de-sensitization. Phase dithering uses a single frequency for each system clock; however, the energy of each system clock is spread over a range of frequencies by changing the duty-cycle of each clock half-cycle. A non-phase dithered clock drives the sampling clock of a receiver analog-to-digital converter to provide accurate correlation with received information, which may allow use of a higher frequency sampling clock than in frequency dithered designs. Phase dithered clocks and non-phase dithered clocks may have constant frequencies that are related to each other by a ratio of two integers; therefore, the time base used for extracting received data is always correlated and accurate. |
| US08068572B2 |
Self-timing method for adjustment of a sampling phase in an oversampling receiver and circuit
This invention discloses a self-timing method for phase adjustment. An analog signal is digitized at a first and second phase with respect to the symbols comprised in an analog signal in order to obtain first and second quantized samples. Then a first counter out of a first plurality of counters is increased if said first quantized sample has a first digital value to which said first counter is associated. Moreover a second counter out of a second plurality of counters is increased if a second quantized sample has a second digital value to which the second counter is associated. Finally the sampling phase is adjusted based on the values of the counters of the first and second plurality of counters. Moreover a digitizing, self-timing circuit is disclosed. |
| US08068570B2 |
Weight generation method for multi-antenna communication systems utilizing RF-based and baseband signal weighting and combining based upon minimum bit error rate
A method for processing communication signals is disclosed and may include, in a receiver and/or a baseband processor coupled to the receiver, the receiver comprising a plurality of antennas, generating a plurality of RF weighting values based on one or more output bit error rates of the receiver. A plurality of spatially-multiplexed RF signals, which are received by the receiver, may be weighted with the one or more of the generated plurality of RF weighting values, to form a plurality of weighted RF signals. Two or more of the generated plurality of weighted RF signals may be combined to form one or more combined RF signals. Each of the one or more combined RF signals may be processed by a different RF processing chain. The one or more output bit error rates of the receiver may be minimized by the generation of the plurality of RF weighting values. |
| US08068567B2 |
Phase and frequency control of an ODFM receiver by means of pilot phase-value estimation
A common phase value of pilot subcarriers of a received data symbol (n) is estimated and used for correcting the phase of all subcarriers of the data symbol, wherein, with a time-variant frequency of the local oscillator (VCO), the estimated noisy phase values (Ψn) are used directly for the phase and frequency correction, whereas with a time-invariant frequency after the VCO, a corrected phase value ({circumflex over (φ)}n) is determined from the estimated phase values of the current data symbol (Ψn) and earlier data symbols (Ψm) in a linear FIR filter arrangement (17-20) and is used for the phase correction. |
| US08068565B2 |
Digital broadcasting trasmission/reception system having improved receiving performance and signal processing method thereof
A digital broadcasting transmission/reception system having improved receiving performance and signal processing method thereof. A digital broadcasting transmitter according to the present invention includes a data pre-processor which processed robust data and generates robust data packet of predetermined format, a TS stream generator which combines robust data packet with a normal data packet to generate a TS stream of a predetermined format, a randomizer which randomizes the TS stream output from the TS stream generator, a convolution encoder which performs convolution encoding with respect to the robust data of the data output from the randomizer, and a RS encoder which performs RS encoding with respect to the data output from the convolution g encoder. Accordingly, digital broadcasting receiving performance can be improved in a poor multipath channel, while maintaining compatibility with existing transmission/reception system. |
| US08068564B2 |
Detection and mitigation of temporary impairments in a communications channel
Systems and methods are disclosed for detecting temporary high level impairments, such as noise or interference, for example, in a communications channel, and subsequently, mitigating the deleterious effects of the dynamic impairments. In one embodiment, the method not only performs dynamic characterization of channel fidelity against impairments, but also uses this dynamic characterization of the channel fidelity to adapt the receiver processing and to affect an improvement in the performance of the receiver. For example, in this embodiment, the method increases the accuracy of the estimation of the transmitted information, or similarly, increases the probability of making the correct estimates of the transmitted information, even in the presence of temporary severe levels of impairment. The channel fidelity history may also be stored and catalogued for use in, for example, future optimization of the transmit waveform. |
| US08068563B2 |
Systems and methods for frequency offset correction in a digital radio broadcast receiver
Methods and systems for correcting a frequency error in a digital portion of a radio broadcast signal are disclosed. The methods and systems include the steps of receiving a radio broadcast signal having an analog portion and a digital portion, separating the analog portion of the radio broadcast signal and the digital portion of the radio broadcast signal, determining a coarse frequency offset of the analog portion of the radio broadcast signal, generating an error signal for adjusting a frequency of the digital portion of the radio broadcast signal, wherein the error signal is based on the coarse frequency offset of the analog portion of the radio broadcast signal, and adjusting the frequency of the digital portion of the radio broadcast signal with the error signal that is based on the coarse frequency offset of the analog portion of the radio broadcast signal, such that a frequency error in the digital portion of the radio broadcast signal is reduced below a predetermined amount. |
| US08068557B2 |
IQ-modulator pre-distortion
An IQ-modulator pre-distorter includes an iteratively updated digital filter (gQ0, gQ1) for filtering one of the branches of an IQ-signal to compensate for IQ-modulator generated amplitude errors. An iteratively updated digital filter (cQI0, cQI1), cross-connected from one of the branches to the other branch, filters one of the components of an IQ-signal to compensate for IQ-modulator generated inter-modulation between the branches. Iteratively updated compensators (dcI, dcQ) counteract IQ-modulator generated offset errors. |
| US08068554B2 |
Multiple input, multiple output wireless communication system, associated methods and data structures
Briefly, in accordance with one or more embodiments, in response to receiving a wireless communication signal, a non-uniform codebook is generated based at least in part on one or more characteristics of the received wireless communication signal for quantization and communication back to a source of the received signal. The non-uniform codebook may be generated by selecting a suitable uniform codebook based at least in part on the one or more characteristics of the received wireless communication signal, and supplementing the uniform codebook with additional codewords to generate the non-uniform codebook. |
| US08068549B2 |
Trellis decoder for decoding data stream including symbols coded with multiple convolutional codes
A trellis decoder decodes a stream of encoded symbols, including symbols of a first type (e.g. symbols encoded with a first trellis code) and symbols of a second type (e.g. encoded with a second, more robust, trellis code), without storing path indicators along a trellis for symbols of the first type. In this way, limited memory may be used to store path indicators along the trellis for symbols of the second type. This allows for more accurate decoding of the symbols of the second type. For transitions from symbols of the second type to symbols of the first type, states of the trellis decoder may be stored. In this way, paths may be traced back along the trellis for trellis decoding, without the path indicators for the symbols of the first type. |
| US08068546B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting video signals
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for transmitting, multicasting, or broadcasting video signals from a video source to one or more remotely located computers and/or video clients. Specifically, the disclosed method and apparatus effectively digitizes and compresses received video signals such that they may be transmitted with other digitized signals directly or via a network, such as the Internet, to a multitude of computers and/or independent video display devices. The video transmission system is also capable of receiving video signals from a non-networked computer that does not require any hardware or software modifications to be compatible with the video transmission system. The disclosed video transmission system operates independently (i.e., does not require a service provider) and is capable of recording video transmissions. |
| US08068544B2 |
Compression with doppler enhancement
Methods, medium, and machines which compress, enhance, encode, transmit, decode, decompress and display digital video images. Real time compression is achieved by sub-sampling each frame of a video signal, filtering the pixel values, and encoding. Real time transmission is achieved due to high levels of effective compression. Real time decompression is achieved by decoding and decompressing the encoded data to display high quality images. A receiver can alter various setting including, but not limited to, the format for the compression, image size, frame rate, brightness and contrast. In a Doppler improvement aspect of the invention, Doppler velocity scales are incorporated into grayscale compression methods using two bits. Variable formats may be selected and Doppler encoding can be turned on and off based on the image content. Frames or sets of pixels may be distinguished by automated analysis of the characteristics of an image, such as the presence of Doppler enhanced pixels. |
| US08068543B2 |
Method and system for determining the reliability of estimated motion vectors
A method and system for determining a measure of reliability of a computed motion estimate based on the histogram of the error block obtained based on the computed motion estimate taking into account some aspects of the image content. |
| US08068542B2 |
Motion picture encoding device and motion picture decoding device
When a prediction is made between fields with different parity, the predicative efficiency of a chrominance vector is improved by adaptively switching the generation of a chrominance motion vector depending on a encoding/decoding field parity (top/bottom) and a reference field parity (top/bottom), and the coding efficiency is improved accordingly. |
| US08068540B2 |
Cartesian modulation system via multi-level pulse width modulation
A system and method for Cartesian modulation achieved via generation of a three-level pulse width modulated signal. The system in overview comprises two binary pulse width modulated signal generators receiving signals related to the in-phase and quadrature components of a base-band signal and a combination and amplification stage that combines the signals provided by the two binary pulse width modulated signal generators. The binary pulse width modulated signal generators contain at least one signal comparator and at least one base-band pre-distortion element. The signals related to the in-phase and quadrature components of the base-band signal may be; the positive or negative parts of the in-phase component, the positive or negative parts of the quadrature component, the absolute value or sign of the in-phase component, or the absolute value or sign of the quadrature component. These signals may be distorted by a base-band pre-distortion element before being coupled to the comparators. |
| US08068539B2 |
Adaptive interference cancellation algorithm using speech mode dependent thresholds
Adaptive interference cancellation algorithm using speech mode dependent thresholds. A method of processing radio frequency (RF) bursts dependent on a speech mode associated with data contained within the RF burst is presented. Different voice modes, full rate, half rate, and adaptive multi-channel rates each may require different signal to noise ratio (SNR) conditions in order to be successfully processed. To improve the equalization, the SNR associated with the burst is estimated. Based on the SNR or other related conditions, a decision can be made as to whether or not an interference cancellation burst process should be implemented. For example, any one or more of SNR of the signal, a measure of colored noise within the signal, an indication whether the signal being noise limited or interference limited, and a channel profile of the signal may indicate the presence of interference requiring the cancellation of such interference. |
| US08068538B2 |
Jitter measuring apparatus, jitter measuring method and test apparatus
There is provided a jitter measuring apparatus for measuring jitter in a signal-under-measurement, having a pulse generator for outputting a pulse signal having a pulse width set in advance corresponding to edges-under-measurement from which the timing jitter is to be measured in the signal-under-measurement, a filter for removing carrier frequency components of the signal-under-measurement from the pulse signal and a jitter calculator for calculating the jitter in the signal-under-measurement based on the signal outputted out of the filter. |
| US08068536B2 |
Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) digital radio frequency (RF) transceiver
A digital radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuit comprises circuitry that is adapted to select between a transmitter input signal (148) and a receiver input signal. A plurality of filters are adapted to receive either the transmitter input signal or the receiver input signal and to produce either a filtered transmitter signal or a filtered receiver signal. Circuitry alternatively receives the filtered transmitter signal or the filtered receiver signal and produces a modulated output and a demodulated output. |
| US08068533B2 |
Receiver for GPS-like signals
A module for receiving a plurality of signals that are modulated with a common carrier, where each of the signals includes information that enables a determination of a distance from said receiver to a source that transmits the signal, and outputs to outside the module a digital representation of a downshifted replica of the received signals or, alternatively, outputs a stored and delayed version of the downshifted replica of the received signals together with information about the delay. |
| US08068532B2 |
Scaling in a receiver for coded digital data symbols
Coded digital data symbols sent through a transmission channel of a communications network are received in a receiver. Estimates (y) represented by a first number (a+b) of bits are calculated, and modified estimates (y′) represented by a second number (c) of bits provided therefrom, the second number being lower than the first number. An amplitude value is calculated for each estimate (y), and an averaged amplitude value calculated for a number of amplitude values. A scaling factor (s) is calculated form the averaged amplitude value, and scaled estimates generated in dependence of die scaling factor. The scaling factor is used for a number of scaled estimates corresponding to the number of amplitude values for which the averaged amplitude value was calculated. Thus a better scaling factor is provided for most channel cases, which can still be calculated with the limited computational resources of a terminal for such networks. |
| US08068530B2 |
Signal acquisition in a wireless communication system
Each base station transmits a TDM pilot 1 having multiple instances of a pilot-1 sequence generated with a PN1 sequence and a TDM pilot 2 having at least one instance of a pilot-2 sequence generated with a PN2 sequence. Each base station is assigned a specific PN2 sequence that uniquely identifies that base station. A terminal uses TDM pilot 1 to detect for the presence of a signal and uses TDM pilot 2 to identify base stations and obtain accurate timing. For signal detection, the terminal performs delayed correlation on received samples and determines whether a signal is present. If a signal is detected, the terminal performs direct correlation on the received samples with PN1 sequences for K1 different time offsets and identifies K2 strongest TDM pilot 1 instances. For time synchronization, the terminal performs direct correlation on the received samples with PN2 sequences to detect for TDM pilot 2. |
| US08068525B2 |
Solid-state laser element
To achieve a solid-state laser element capable of outputting a high-power laser, in a planar waveguide type solid-state laser element that causes a plurality of fundamental laser beams to oscillate in a direction of an optic axis within a flat plate-like laser medium, and forms a waveguide structure in a thickness direction of the laser medium, which is a direction perpendicular to a principal surface of the flat plate-like laser medium, the laser medium is separated in a principal-surface width direction of the laser medium, which is a direction perpendicular to the direction of the optic axis and the thickness direction of the laser medium, by a groove extending in the direction of the optic axis within the laser medium. |
| US08068524B1 |
Submounts for Semiconductor Lasers
A submount for a semiconductor laser. The submount has a layer of silicon carbide (SiC) and a layer of aluminum nitride (AlN) deposited on the layer of SiC. The submount is bonded to the InP-based laser by a hard solder applied to the AlN layer. Preferably, the thickness of the AlN layer is ten to twenty microns, the thickness of the SiC layer is two hundred fifty microns, and the solder is a gold-tin (AuSn) eutectic. The semiconductor laser may be a quantum cascade laser (QCL). Similar combinations of submount materials can be found for other semiconductor laser material systems and types. |
| US08068519B2 |
Method and system to use, share and manage digital content by assigning MAC and IP adress to each device and peripheral
The invention shows a method for connecting and sharing content over a plurality of devices, and over a plurality of networks public and private while respecting the content's Digital Rights by implementing a software layer (software alternately integrated into hardware component) that will assign a mac address and an ip address to each device and peripherals and where content can be assign to specific devices inside a network, and can be accessed directly, shared remotely, wireless, or physically connected. The software layer also integrates drivers, players, codec's that can be updated dynamically in order to keep them updated. This software layer can also “virtualizes” peripherals, devices or group of peripherals and devices into single addressable group of components that will act like one. |
| US08068514B2 |
Efficient bandwidth utilization when streaming data over multiple network interfaces
Adjusting utilization of network bandwidth by a non-time critical data stream being sent from a sending endpoint to a receiving endpoint, wherein both of the sending endpoint and the receiving endpoint each have multiple physical interfaces connecting the sending endpoint and the receiving endpoint to multiple networks. The non-time critical data stream is split and sent over multiple physical interfaces. A determination is made as to whether at least one of the multiple physical interfaces of the sending endpoint is sending or receiving a time critical or a near-time critical data stream, and a notification is received by the sending endpoint in a case that at least one of the multiple physical interfaces of the receiving endpoint is sending or receiving a time critical or a near-time critical data stream. The network bandwidth utilization of at least one of the multiple physical interfaces of the sending endpoint is then adjusted in accordance with the determination and/or the notification. |
| US08068512B2 |
Efficient utilization of cache servers in mobile communication system
A data center includes an individual storage unit having storage areas for respective user apparatuses, a shared storage unit having a storage area for sharing by the user apparatuses, a unit configured to store data received from an external node in one of the individual storage unit and the shared storage unit that is selected according to predetermined criteria, a unit configured to generate a data arrangement list according to statistics of the received data and predetermined cache data arrangement conditions, and a unit configured to transmit an instruction signal to at least one of the shared storage unit and the individual storage unit according to the data arrangement list to cause data stored in the at least one of the shared storage unit and the individual storage unit to be transferred to a cache server provided on a core network or on a radio access network. |
| US08068511B2 |
Method and apparatus for sending feedback for a downlink shared service and estimating a number of wireless transmit/receive units
A method and an apparatus for sending a signal on a contentious feedback channel for a downlink shared service and for estimating a number of wireless transmit/receive units (WTRUs) are disclosed. When a transmission criterion associated with a physical random access feedback channel (P-RAFCH) is satisfied, a physical resource is randomly selected among a plurality of physical resources assigned for the P-RAFCH and a pre-configured signal is sent using the selected physical resource. A Node-B receives the pre-configured signal from a plurality of WTRUs and calculates a number of the WTRUs based on a number of used physical resources. The transmission criterion is at least one of successful reception of a data packet on a downlink physical channel, successful reception of a data block on a data service, reception of a signaling command, occurrence of a measurement event, and failure to receive a transmission after a specified number of times. |
| US08068500B2 |
Node device, packet control device, radio communication device, and transmission control method
A conventional node 3 divides an IP packet into data fragments and prepares a packet for RAN 9 transmission. There has been a problem that, since a RAN 6 cannot identify an IP packet unit, affinity is low relative to an IP network 1 that serves as a core. A node 3 prepares A10 packets by dividing an IP packet, and adds, to each A10 packet, a concatenation flag that indicates information stored in the A10 packet is the head or the tail of the IP packet. A base station 5 and a packet control device 4 employ the concatenation flag to control transmission for each IP packet unit. For example, a packet control device 4 employs a concatenation flag to discard information for a series of A10 packets received by the node, including information that constitutes the same IP packet. |
| US08068499B2 |
Optimized tunneling methods in a network
A method for minimizing tunnels in a network, apparatus and computer-readable storage medium having computer readable code stored thereon for programming a computer to perform the method. The method includes the steps of: obtaining state information associated with a first node connected to a mobile network behind a mobile node; receiving a first message sent between the first node and a correspondent node, wherein a first header was removed from the first message prior to sending the first message; recreating, in one of the mobile node and a mobility agent, the first header using the state information; and sending the first message with the first header. |
| US08068498B2 |
Computer readable record medium on which data communication load distribution control program is recorded and data load distribution control method
Highly flexible trunking is actualized by using a switching hub without a trunking function. A computer generates a distribution algorithm notification packet including physical addresses of communication interfaces and a distribution algorithm used for distributing data sent from a computer at the other end to the computer among the communication interfaces (step S1) and sends the distribution algorithm notification packet to the computer at the other end (step S2). The computer at the other end determines a communication interface which is a destination of send data to be sent to the computer in accordance with the distribution algorithm about which the computer at the other end was informed, designates a physical address of the determined communication interface as a destination, and sends the send data. |
| US08068494B2 |
Method and apparatus for robust local mobility management in a mobile network
A method and apparatus for robust mobility management in a network having a mobile node (MN), a mobility anchor point (MAP), a correspondent node (CN1, CN2), a home agent (HA) and an access router (AR1) and operating under a hierarchical protocol. The mobile node (MN) sends the address (102, 104) of the mobility anchor point (MAP) to the correspondent node (CN1, CN2) and sends the address (106, 108) of the mobile node (MN) on the network of the access router (AR) to the home agent (HA) and to the mobility anchor point (MAP). When failure of the mobility anchor point occurs, the mobile node recovers from the failure by selecting a new mobility anchor point or operating under a non-hierarchical protocol. Failure is detected by an intermediate router or by a correspondent node when messages fail to reach the mobility anchor point. The mobile node (MN) detects failure of the mobility anchor point when messages unexpectedly arrive via the home agent. |
| US08068492B1 |
Transport of control and data traffic for multicast virtual private networks
Principles of the invention are described for providing multicast virtual private networks (MVPNs) across a public network that are capable of carrying high-bandwidth multicast traffic with increased scalability. In particular, the MVPNs may transport layer three (L3) multicast traffic, such as Internet Protocol (IP) packets, between remote sites via the public network. The principles described herein may reduce the overhead of protocol independent multicast (PIM) neighbor adjacencies and customer control information maintained for MVPNs. The principles may also reduce the state and the overhead of maintaining the state in the network by removing the need to maintain at least one dedicated multicast tree per each MVPN. |
| US08068490B1 |
Methods and systems for multicast group address translation
Methods and systems for multicast group address translation are disclosed. A method includes receiving a request for data source content from a multicast group data source content requester and retrieving the data source content from the data source, where the data source content that is retrieved has associated destination addresses. Moreover, the method includes providing access to the data source content for translation of the destination addresses associated with the data source content, where the destination addresses fall within a first range of multicast group addresses. The method further includes receiving packets that have translated destination addresses that prior to translation fall within the first range of multicast addresses. The translated destination addresses fall within a second range of multicast group addresses. The packets are forwarded for forwarding to the multicast group data source content requester using the destination addresses that fall within the second range of multicast group addresses. |
| US08068485B2 |
Multimedia interface
A packet based display interface having a video processing unit arranged to couple a multimedia source device to a multimedia sink device is disclosed that includes a transmitter unit coupled to the source device arranged to receive a source packet data stream in accordance with a native stream rate, a receiver unit coupled to the sink device, and a linking unit coupling the transmitter unit and the receiver unit arranged to transfer a multimedia data packet stream formed of a number of multimedia data packets based upon the source packet data stream in accordance with a link rate between the transmitter unit and the receiver unit. |
| US08068483B2 |
Method for migration between a permanent connection and a switched connection in a transmission network
This invention discloses a method for migration between a permanent connection and a switched connection in a transmission network. The method comprises the steps of: the ingress node of the current connection receiving a message of connection migrating request; forwarding the message of connection migrating request node by node starting from the ingress node in the direction of the traffic signal transmission of the current connection till the egress node of the current connection; making migration between the two connection modes until the ingress node after the message of migrating request has been received. By making migration between modes of connection node by node at each node of a transmission network, this invention ensures a smooth transition between a permanent connection and a switched connection, effectively avoiding service disruption while making the implementation of network services more flexible. |
| US08068474B2 |
Variable rate coding for enabling high performance communication
A protocol for optimizing the use of coded transmissions such as over wireless links. In this technique, interframes are split into segments selected to be an optimum size according to transmission characteristics of the radio channel. The inverse process is applied at the receiver. Using this scheme, segments containing erroneous data may be resent. |
| US08068469B2 |
Surrogate registration in internet protocol multimedia subsystem for users indirectly coupled via an end point
An exemplary method implemented by nodes in a telecommunication network includes associating a plurality of public user identities (PUIDs) into groups where each PUID represents a user served by a group of related endpoints, such as a private branch exchange (PBX). The groups are stored at the first node. Each group contains a group address that uniquely identifies the group and the PBX associated the users with PUIDs that are associated with the group. A first registration request is transmitted from the first node to an internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS) where the first registration request includes the group address and the PUIDs that are associated with the group. The first registration request seeks to establish implicit registration in the IMS of the PUIDs associated with the group with the group address. A reply from the IMS is received at the first node in response to the first registration request where the reply seeks authentication for the requested implicit registration of the PUIDs. In response to receipt of the reply, authentication information is calculated and transmitted as a second registration request that contains the authentication information and the group address and the PUIDs that are associated with the group. The PUIDs in association with the group address are implicitly registered in the IMS upon a determination that the authentication information is acceptable. |
| US08068467B2 |
Multi-tier WLAN and method for propagating beacons in a multi-tier WLAN thereof
A method for transmitting beacons by nodes in a multi-tier wireless local area network is disclosed. First, a first beacon by a tier 1 node in the multi-tier wireless local area network is transmitted. Then, a second beacon by a tier 2 node is transmitted where the second beacon is transmitted based upon the time that the first beacon is sent by the tier 1 node. |
| US08068465B2 |
Wireless multicast broadcast service methods and apparatus
Embodiments include methods and apparatus associated with wireless multicast and/or broadcast services. A base station (102, FIG. 1) transmits data codes (504, 604, 702, FIGS. 5-7) within a radio frame (300, FIG. 3). The data codes are Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) data codes, in an embodiment. The base station also transmits a Time Division Multiplexed (TDM) synchronization code (502, 608, 706, FIGS. 5-7), in an embodiment. The base station discontinuously transmits (1004, FIG. 10) a portion of a radio frame slot that is coincident in time with a duration of the TDM synchronization code, in various embodiments. The discontinuously transmitted portion of the radio frame slot may include Transport Format Combination Indicator (TFCI) bits (510, FIG. 5), pilot bits (710, FIG. 7), or data bits (612, FIG. 6), in various embodiments. A base station's transmissions may be synchronous in time and frequency with the transmissions of other base stations. |
| US08068464B2 |
Varying scrambling/OVSF codes within a TD-CDMA slot to overcome jamming effect by a dominant interferer
An apparatus and method for varying scrambling codes within a radio frame time slot for a user device in a wireless communication environment including detecting interference of the user device; and varying a scrambling code sequence employed to multiply a Walsh code assigned to the user device at least once within a transmission time slot. |
| US08068463B2 |
Systems and methods for multi-beam optic-wireless vehicle communications
The present invention offers systems and methods for effective multiple-hop routing, multicasting and media access control for vehicle group communications that employ directional wireless radio technology. Multi-beam optic-wireless media and streamlined operations provide low-overhead communications among vehicles. Systems and methods are provided to maintain a quasi-stationary group of neighboring vehicles, enable high-throughput on-demand switching among multiple vehicles, enable group coding in the vehicle group to achieve higher throughput, and enable dynamic adjustment of link to maintain desirable vehicle group. The proposed solution builds upon the conception of a MAC-free wireless operation and quasi-stationary vehicular switched network to achieve ultra-low-overhead and high-throughput vehicle communications. |
| US08068462B2 |
Method and apparatus for retransmitting data based on antenna scheduling in MIMO system
Provided is a method for retransmitting data based on antenna scheduling in a MIMO system to which a spatial multiplexing technique is applied. The method includes the steps of: (a) at a transmitter side, modulating an input packet into transmittable data to transmit to a receiver side; (b) at the receiver side, estimating channel values from the packet transmitted from the transmitter side, and selecting transmitting and receiving antennas for transmitting the next packet from the estimated channel values; (c) detecting whether an error is present in the packet or not, and transmitting a feedback signal to the transmitter side, the feedback signal including information on whether or not to transmit the packet and a list of the selected transmitting antennas; and (d) at the transmitter side, retransmitting the transmitted packet or transmitting the next packet through the transmitting antennas designated by the receiver side depending on the feedback signal. |
| US08068461B2 |
Foreign agent, home agent, mobile node, system of mobile ethernet and method for data transmission
A foreign agent, a home agent, and a mobile node of mobile Ethernet, and a mobile Ethernet system, and a method for data transmission are disclosed. The mobile Ethernet system includes an Ethernet foreign agent, an Ethernet home agent and a mobile node. The method for data transmission includes: relaying, by a mobile node (MN) and a corresponding node (CN) in the mobile Ethernet system, through an Ethernet foreign agent (E-FA) and an Ethernet home agent (E-HA) to which the MN belongs, and performing data transmission by using Ethernet tunnel between the E-HA and the E-FA. The invention provides a switching-based connection-oriented mobile Ethernet system suitable to multimedia communications. |
| US08068456B2 |
System and method for transmitting and receiving signals in a communication system using relay scheme
A system and method for transmitting and receiving a signal in a communication system using a relay scheme. A base station receives a first signal in a first time interval from a first mobile station which is at least one mobile station located in a third region which is a region where a first region which is a region of the base station itself overlaps with a second region which is a region of a relay station. The relay station receives a second signal in the first time interval from a second mobile station which is at least one mobile station located in a fourth region which is a region not overlapping with the first region in the second region, and receives the first signal from the first mobile station. The relay station transmits a third signal including the first signal and the second signal to the base station in a second time interval. The base station receives the third signal in the second time interval, and cancels the first signal from the third signal to detect the second signal. |
| US08068455B2 |
Radio communication apparatus and radio communication method
A radio communication apparatus that performs first radio communication using a first channel among two first channels each having a first channel width, and second radio communication using a second channel having a second channel width that is wider than the first channel width and also having a channel width overlapping with the two first channels. The apparatus includes an interference detection device which detects that interference occurs in the first channel among the two first channels, and a frame generation unit which generates a notification frame that recommends the use of only the first channel width. An instruction unit instructs the frame generation unit to generate the notification frame when the occurrence of interference is detected by the interference detection device. A frame transmission unit transmits the notification frame generated from the frame generation unit in response to the instruction from the instruction unit. |
| US08068454B2 |
System for enabling mobile coverage extension and peer-to-peer communications in an ad hoc network and method of operation therefor
A method for enabling mobile coverage extension and peer-to-peer communications in an ad hoc network is provided. The method includes communicating at least one message among the plurality of nodes, wherein the at least one message comprises: an ad hoc zone, wherein the ad hoc zone comprises at least one channel selected from a group of channels comprising: at least one synchronization channel for synchronizing out of coverage nodes, at least one access channel for peer-to-peer communications, and at least one ad hoc relay data/traffic channel for exchanging data during data sessions between one or more nodes. |
| US08068452B2 |
Synergetic transmitting system for digital broadcast SFN and method thereof
A cooperative transmission system for single frequency digital broadcasting network and method thereof are disclosed, said system includes a first double-layer cooperative transmission structure with same frequency and a second double-layer cooperative transmission structure with same frequency, which are vertically aggregated; wherein each of the double-layer cooperative transmission structures with same frequency is made up of a main transmission layer including several main transmitters with same transmitting frequency and an auxiliary transmission layer including several auxiliary transmitters with same transmitting frequency; the electromagnetic wave transmitted by the main transmitters in the first double-layer cooperative transmission structure with same frequency and the electromagnetic wave transmitted by the main transmitters in the second double-layer cooperative transmission structure with same frequency have different frequencies. The present invention makes up the disadvantage of the single frequency network, and can greatly improve the spectrum efficiency of broadcasting channel, the coverage (especially the indoor coverage) of broadcasting signal and the effect of mobile receiving of broadcasting signal. |
| US08068450B2 |
System and method for providing aggregated wireless communications services
A system and method for enabling users of wireless devices to increase wireless communication bandwidth may include a server in communication with multiple wireless access points. The server may execute software configured to enable a wireless device to communicate with multiple wireless access points of a network during a communications session. The software, in response to determining that the wireless device attempts to communicate with a wireless access point of the network, determines whether the user of the wireless device has a subscription to communicate with multiple wireless access points to aggregate bandwidth from the wireless access points, and enables the wireless device to access the network and communicate with the wireless access points if the user has the subscription agreement. |
| US08068448B1 |
Apparatus, system, and computer program for synchronizing communications
A satellite communication system includes a hub, a repeater, a scheduling unit, and a remote. The scheduling unit is configured to synchronize a communication of the system based on an elapsed time between (i) an arrival at the remote of a downstream reference frame transmitted by the hub and retransmitted by the repeater, and (ii) an arrival at the remote of an upstream frame transmitted by the remote and retransmitted by the repeater. |
| US08068446B2 |
Method of efficiently processing dormant state in packet service and multi-mode terminal for the same
An apparatus and method for efficiently processing a dormant state in a packet service between communication networks providing the packet service using different mobile communication technologies is disclosed. This method includes disconnecting, by a multi-mode terminal, a current packet call and changing to a new serviceable mode, if a multi-mode terminal moves to a poor communication area in a dormant or preservation state occurring during a packet service. In this state, by immediately returning to a packet call reconnection state if a user performs a subsequent operation, an area in which the packet service cannot be provided can be minimized, and a communication mode in which a best communication service can be provided can be established. |
| US08068442B1 |
Spanning tree protocol synchronization within virtual private networks
Loop detection information, such as information associated with the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), is synchronized within virtual private networks. A routing protocol, such as the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), is extended in a manner that allows STP information or other loop detection information to be opaquely communicated between routing devices across an intermediate network. These techniques may, for example, be useful in environments where Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS) is run through one or more intermediate networks. |
| US08068440B2 |
Systems and methods for intelligent discard in a communication network
Systems and methods for optimizing system performance of capacity and spectrum constrained, multiple-access communication systems by selectively discarding packets are provided. The systems and methods provided herein can drive changes in the communication system using control responses. One such control responses includes the optimal discard (also referred to herein as “intelligent discard”) of network packets under capacity constrained conditions. Some embodiments provide an interactive response by selectively discarding packets to enhance perceived and actual system throughput, other embodiments provide a reactive response by selectively discarding data packets based on their relative impact to service quality to mitigate oversubscription, others provide a proactive response by discarding packets based on predicted oversubscription, and others provide a combination thereof. |
| US08068438B2 |
Method for cooperative relaying within multi-hop wireless communication systems
A method for cooperative relaying within multi hop wireless communication systems includes a base station, in an attempt to decode a data packet, combining hard sliced channel bits and Logarithmic Likelihood Ratio (LLR) quality information received from relay stations who had also received the data packet with stored information about the data packet. |
| US08068436B2 |
Methods and systems for estimating network available bandwidth using packet pairs and spatial filtering
Estimation of available bandwidth on a network uses packet pairs and spatially filtering. Packet pairs are transmitted over the network. The dispersion of the packet pairs is used to generate samples of the available bandwidth, which are then classified into bins to generate a histogram. The bins can have uniform bin widths, and the histogram data can be aged so that older samples are given less weight in the estimation. The histogram data is then spatially filtered. Kernel density algorithms can be used to spatially filter the histogram data. The network available bandwidth is estimated using the spatially filtered histogram data. Alternatively, the spatially filtered histogram data can be temporally filtered before the available bandwidth is estimated. |
| US08068435B2 |
Rate adaptive modem
A communication system transmitting signals over a network using a transmission waveform in which a plurality of data packets are transmitted in a payload field of a transmission frame, the system includes a transmitter, which has a transmitting portion that sends information including user data in the data packets and a user data rate portion that dynamically changes the data rate of the user data to the highest rate possible for current link conditions by changing the waveform. The communication system also includes a receiver, which has a receiving portion that receives the information data packets and a reconfiguration portion that reconfigures the receiving portion based on the waveform parameters. |
| US08068430B2 |
High quality timing distribution over DSL without NTR support
A method and system in which a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) that is part of a DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) system is able to provide synchronous services to end user equipment connected to the DSLAM via a DSL link and Customer Premises Equipment (CPE). A sniffer device having direct or indirect access to a Primary Reference Clock (PRC) of the DSL system calculates the phase difference between the PRC and the DSLAM's Local Timing Reference (LTR). The phase difference is sent to the CPEs requiring accurate reference clock frequency. The CPEs are able to derive the PRC from the phase difference information transmitted by the sniffer device thus enabling synchronous end user equipment operation. |
| US08068429B2 |
Transmit scheduling
There are disclosed apparatus and methods for scheduling packet transmission. At least one scheduled traffic queue holds a plurality of scheduled packets, each scheduled packet having an associated scheduled transmit time. At least one unscheduled traffic queue holds plurality of unscheduled packets. A packet selector causes transmission of scheduled packets from the scheduled traffic queue at the associated scheduled transmit time, while causing transmission of unscheduled packets from the unscheduled traffic queue during the time intervals between transmissions of scheduled packets. |
| US08068424B2 |
Message transmission in wireless access system
A method for transmitting messages to alter the operating status between a mobile station and a base station in a wireless access system comprises, at the mobile station, transmitting a first message to the base station, setting a first count to a first predetermined value and enabling a first, the first message requesting a alteration in operating status between the mobile station and the base station, whereupon expiration of the first timer before receiving a second message from the base station, the count is decremented and, if the count is above a second predetermined value, the first timer is reset and the first message is retransmitted to the base station. The method also comprises, at a base station, receiving the first message, transmitting a second message to the mobile station and enabling a second timer, whereupon expiration of the second timer, the alteration in operating status is effected. |
| US08068421B2 |
Arrangement and method for session control in wireless communication network
An arrangement and method for session control in a wireless UMTS radio access network (100) by performing creation and deletion of application-specific packet sessions (PDP contexts) in the network, with application-specific QoS parameters, without requiring the explicit cooperation of the application software (either via software API or modem AT command). This allows session set-up and tear-down control of dedicated packet sessions for particular data services, in a UMTS 3G mobile wireless network, with application-specific QoS parameters, with umodified applications operating over the network. |
| US08068419B2 |
System and method for transmitting video, audio, and data content using a fiber optic network
The present invention is directed to a system and method for controlling a data transmission network, and in particular, to a fiber optic broadcast quality video and audio transmission network, that can also provide customers, or users, the feature of accessing and controlling network parameters to set up and customize their own network connection and services, and where the fiber optic network may also be integrated with satellite transmission. |
| US08068416B2 |
System and method of communicating a media stream
In an embodiment, a method of allocating media streams includes measuring real-time port usage data related to each of a plurality of physical ports associated with a link aggregation group. The method further includes selecting at least one, but not all, of the plurality of physical ports based on the real-time port usage data and sending a media stream to a network via the physical port. |
| US08068410B2 |
Bias correction for scrubbing providers
A decision about provider quality based on a quality metric observed says little about the quality of the provider. Further, the decision may be biased by a variation in customer contributions to the quality metric observed or by a variation in a number of completed calls received by a provider. Accordingly, a method and corresponding apparatus are provided to evaluate quality and to correct bias by determining a standard that accounts for at least one source of bias, comparing an observed measure of a provider against the standard to produce an evaluation of the observed measure of the provider, and affecting a decision about the quality of the provider based on the evaluation. As a result, an unbiased decision, for example, to scrub a provider can be made and in some instances, a provider may be rescued from being scrubbed. |
| US08068408B2 |
Softrouter protocol disaggregation
A SoftRouter architecture deconstructs routers by separating the control entities of a router from its forwarding components, enabling dynamic binding between them. In the SoftRouter architecture, control plane functions are aggregated and implemented on a few smart servers which control forwarding elements that are multiple network hops away. A dynamic binding protocol performs network-wide control plane failovers. Network stability is improved by aggregating and remotely hosting routing protocols, such as OSPF and BGP. This results in faster convergence, lower protocol messages processed, and fewer route changes following a failure. The SoftRouter architecture includes a few smart control entities that manage a large number of forwarding elements to provide greater support for network-wide control. In the SoftRouter architecture, routing protocols operate remotely at a control element and control one or more forwarding elements by downloading the forwarding tables, etc. into the forwarding elements. Intra-domain routing and inter-domain routing are also included. |
| US08068407B2 |
Group MMSE-DFD with order and filter computation for reception on a cellular downlink
The present method resides in a user destination receiver to exploit the structure of the transmitted signals to design filters that yield improved performance. Moreover, the computational cost of designing these filters can be reduced and the demodulation complexity can be kept low. Further, the present method enables determining the order of decoding the transmitter sources. The present method provides group MMSE decision feedback decoding for the case when all the sources transmit at fixed pre-determined rates and the MCS employed by each source is known to the destination. The present method includes a filtering technique and an order and filter computation process, both improvements over previous efforts at group MMSE decision feedback decoding. |
| US08068406B2 |
Method and system for crosstalk cancellation
Signals propagating in one communication channel can generate crosstalk interference in another communication channel. A crosstalk cancellation device can process the signals causing the crosstalk interference and generate a crosstalk cancellation signal that can compensate for the crosstalk when applied to the channel receiving crosstalk interference. The crosstalk cancellation device can include a model of the crosstalk effect that generates a signal emulating the actual crosstalk both in form an in timing. The crosstalk cancellation device can include a controller that monitors crosstalk-compensated communication signals and adjusts the model to enhance crosstalk cancellation performance. The crosstalk cancellation device can have a mode of self configuration or calibration in which defined test signals can be transmitted on the crosstalk-generating channel and the crosstalk-receiving channel. |
| US08068405B2 |
Ferroelectric memory and method in which polarity of domain of ferroelectric memory is determined using ratio of currents
Methods and arrangements for data storage are discussed. Embodiments include applying a first voltage between a tip and an electrode, thereby forming a polarized domain in a ferroelectric material between 1 nanometer (nm) and 50 nm in thickness. The embodiments may also include applying another voltage through the tip, thereby generating a current responsive to an orientation of the polarized domain. The embodiments may also include measuring the current and determining the orientation of the polarized domain, based upon the measuring. |
| US08068403B2 |
Optical head
To provide an optical head to produce good servo and read signals by reducing the influence of interference by light reflected from a non-read layer of a multilayer optical disc.The head includes: a first optical system for converging light from a light source on a first or second storage layer; a second optical system for receiving and transmitting light reflected from the first layer and stray light reflected from the second layer when the light is converged on the first layer; a photodetector; and a calculator. The photosensitive areas of the photodetector output signals representing intensities of the light incident there through the second system. The reflected and stray light incident on the second system interfere with each other, and the first and second groups of areas are arranged so as to be equally affected by a variation in intensity caused by the interference. The calculator calculates the difference between sum of a first group of signals supplied from a first group of areas and that of a second group of signals supplied from a second group of areas, thereby generating a focus error signal. |
| US08068395B2 |
Recording device and method of adjusting laser power
A recording device including: an optical head section for irradiating a recording medium with laser to record and reproduce information; a laser driving section for driving the optical head section to output laser; and a control section for, in a process of adjusting recording laser power output from the optical head section, obtaining an evaluation value of a recorded area after a predetermined period of time elapsed since data was recorded as an evaluation value about a reproduction signal during reproduction of the recorded data, and adjusting recording laser power on the basis of the evaluation value after the predetermined period of time elapsed since data was recorded. |
| US08068392B2 |
Recording method, recording apparatus, and recording medium
A recording method is provided, which comprises the steps of (a) generating a plurality of pulse sequences corresponding to a plurality of linear velocities, (b) while rotating a recording medium with a linear velocity selected from the plurality of linear velocities, forming at least one of a recording mark and a space by irradiating the recording medium with a pulse sequence selected from the plurality of pulse sequences, the pulse corresponding to the linear velocity. The step (a) comprises the steps of (a-1) measuring at least one first recording parameter corresponding to at least one linear velocity selected from the plurality of linear velocities, (a-2) determining a second recording parameter corresponding to the plurality of linear velocities based on the at least one first recording parameter measured, and (a-3) generating the plurality of pulse sequences corresponding to the plurality of linear velocities based on the second recording parameter measured. |
| US08068387B2 |
Magneto-optical device
A magneto-optical device is disclosed that includes a non-magnetic support body and a fine particle arrangement layer on the non-magnetic support body. The fine particle arrangement layer includes multiple regularly arranged fine metal magnetic particles. In the magneto-optical device, magnetization is generated by applying an external magnetic field to the fine metal magnetic particles, and linearly polarized light is made incident on the fine metal magnetic particles, so that a magneto-optical effect is increased by the interaction between the incident light on the fine metal magnetic particles and the surface plasmon oscillation of the fine metal magnetic particles. |
| US08068383B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit having address control circuit
A semiconductor IC in which a least significant bit of an external address signal is fixed to a signal level, the semiconductor integrated circuit includes an address control circuit configured to produce a carry signal, when a test mode signal is activated, in response to a column command signal and output an address signal, which is sequentially increased from an initial internal address signal, by latching the external address signal as the initial internal address signal and combining the latched initial internal address signal and the carry signal. |
| US08068381B2 |
Cache memory
Disclosed is a cache memory, and more particularly to a cache memory, in which a word-line voltage control logic unit and a word-line driver are added as a logic circuit between a row decoder and a word line, so that a reinforcement voltage signal having a higher level than a basic voltage signal can be applied when accessing the word line corresponding to an access time failure, thereby decreasing an access time delay in the word line in order to minimize an access failure to the cache memory due to process variation. The cache memory including: a row decoder which decodes and outputs an input address signal; a plurality of word-line voltage control logic units which output a basic voltage signal or a reinforcement voltage signal having a higher voltage level than the basic voltage signal according to whether or not word lines involve a cell having an access time failure; and word-line drivers which are one-to-one connected to output lines of the row decoder and supply the word lines with the basic voltage signal or the reinforcement voltage signal output from the word-line voltage control logic unit only if a signal output through the output line of the row decoder is an activation signal. |
| US08068377B2 |
Semiconductor memory device to reduce off-current in standby mode
A semiconductor memory device capable of reducing off-current in a standby mode is provided. The semiconductor memory device includes an enable signal generating unit configured to receive a plurality of address decoding signals and generate a first enable signal to select a first cell block and a second enable signal to select a second cell block, and an internal voltage generating unit for generating an internal voltage by controlling a supply of a first voltage in accordance with the first or second enable signals. |
| US08068376B1 |
Low leakage high stability memory array system
Systems design and methods are provided for maintaining the memory array stability while reducing power consumption in the form of leakage current in a memory array. One embodiment discloses a memory array system, which comprises a plurality of memory cells, a monitor cell array, a controller, and voltage regulator circuits. The controller receives information from the monitor cell array, determines the state of stability, and adjusts the voltage regulators accordingly to ensure the memory array stability and minimizes leakage. |
| US08068375B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of refreshing the same
A semiconductor device according to the present invention has an address scrambling circuit for performing address scrambling operation of an address and a redundancy judging circuit for judging that redundancy judgment is performed about the address scrambled by the address scrambling circuit. This structure makes it possible to completely refresh operation concerned with normal word lines and redundancy word lines. |
| US08068365B2 |
Non-volatile memory device having configurable page size
A flash memory device having at least one bank, where the each bank has an independently configurable page size. Each bank includes at least two memory planes having corresponding page buffers, where any number and combination of the memory planes are selectively accessed at the same time in response to configuration data and address data. The configuration data can be loaded into the memory device upon power up for a static page configuration of the bank, or the configuration data can be received with each command to allow for dynamic page configuration of the bank. By selectively adjusting a page size the memory bank, the block size is correspondingly adjusted. |
| US08068363B2 |
Flash memory apparatus and read operation control method therefor
A flash memory apparatus of an embodiment is configured to include a flash memory including a plurality of blocks and a read operation control circuit determining whether to replace a block in accordance with the number of times a read process is performed for each block of the plurality of blocks. |
| US08068362B2 |
Non-volatile semiconductor memory device and method of reading the same
A non-volatile semiconductor memory device capable of preventing reading failure during the occurrence of the FG-FG coupling effect is disclosed. The non-volatile semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array, each cell of which stores at least two bits, such as LSB and MSB, using different threshold voltages. In addition, the device includes a control circuit for controlling the data-reading operation of the memory cell array. When the reading operation of the memory cells of a first word line is performed, the memory cells of a second word line adjacent to the first word line are examined to determine whether the writing operation of the MSB is performed. If the writing operation of the MSB is performed, a pre-charge voltage of the bit lines connecting to the memory cells of the first word line is reduced to a predetermined voltage for canceling out the raising of the threshold voltage caused by the coupling effect between gate electrodes. |
| US08068360B2 |
Reading analog memory cells using built-in multi-threshold commands
A method for data storage includes storing data in a memory that includes multi-bit analog memory cells, each of which stores at least first and second data bits by assuming one of a predefined plurality of programming levels associated with respective storage values. The memory has at least a first built-in command for reading the first data bits of the memory cells by comparing the storage values of the memory cells to a first number of first thresholds, and a second built-in command for reading the second data bits of the memory cells by comparing the storage values of the memory cells to a second number of second thresholds, such that the first number is less than the second number. After storing the data, the first data bits are read from the memory cells by executing at least the second built-in command. |
| US08068352B2 |
Power inverter control for grid-tie transition
A control system for a power inverter is disclosed. The power inverter may be configured to supply power to a grid. The control system may include a plurality of output voltage sensors and a plurality of output current sensors configured to measure output line voltages and output line currents of the power inverter. The control system may further include a controller coupled to the power inverter. The controller may be configured to provide a control signal associated with a disturbance frequency to the power inverter. The controller may be further configured to determine an output power of the power inverter based on the output line voltages and output line currents, and determine an amplitude of oscillation in the output power caused by the disturbance frequency. The controller may also be configured to detect an islanding condition, if the amplitude of oscillation is below a threshold. The control system may further include an interface circuit coupled to the controller and configured to disconnect the grid from the power inverter if the islanding condition is detected. |
| US08068351B2 |
Cable management system
A cable management system provides cable management for a switch chassis configured to receive a plurality of line card units. The cable management system comprises a cable guide arrangement configured to guide each of a plurality of cables from a line card such that the cables extend out from the line card unit and lie substantially within a plane. |
| US08068348B2 |
Electrical power distribution unit and electrical punched grid therefor
An electrical power distribution unit (1) for an electrical system has a printed circuit board (200) with a punched grid (100) arranged thereon. An electrical component (300, 310) is arranged on the printed circuit board on a side of the punched grid (100). An electrical contact (350) of the electrical component projects through a passage opening in the printed circuit board. The punched grid is arranged between the electrical component and the printed circuit board, and an opening is formed in the punched grid in an area (130) around the electrical contact. The punched grid has a current infeed (110) which comprises a plurality of tongues (111, 112; 113). At least one of the tongues is bendable out of a plane of the punched grid in such a way that two of the tongues form a mutually adjacent common portion (115), which is electrically contactable by an electrical plug connector. |
| US08068345B2 |
Electronic device
According to one embodiment, an electronic device includes a housing, a first substrate having rigidity and including a slit, contained in the housing, a part mount portion provided on the first substrate and adjacent to the slit, an electronic part mounted on the part mount portion and a second substrate having flexibility. The second substrate is stacked on an inside of the first substrate and an inside of the part mount portion, and it crosses the slit, thereby supporting the part mount portion to be displaceable with respect to the first substrate. |
| US08068343B2 |
Semiconductor module, portable device and method for manufacturing semiconductor module
A semiconductor module is provided, which is capable of suppressing the deterioration of reliability and improving heat radiation. The semiconductor module includes: a semiconductor substrate in which electrodes of a circuit element are formed on its surface; a re-wiring pattern connected to the electrodes to ensure large pitch of the electrodes; an electrode integrally formed with the re-wiring pattern; an insulating layer formed on a rear surface of the semiconductor substrate; a radiator formed on the insulating layer; and projections integrally formed with the radiator and penetrating the insulating layer to connect to the rear surface of the semiconductor substrate. |
| US08068336B2 |
Docking station for hand held electronic devices
A docking system is disclosed. The docking system includes a single docking station and a plurality of inserts that are placed in the docking station so that the docking station can accommodate hand held devices with differing sizes and shapes. The docking system is configured with a docking station and insert that matingly engage with one another via a rotating action. The docking system is also configured with a latching retention mechanism that secures the insert to the docking station when the insert is rotated into engagement with the docking station. |
| US08068331B2 |
Enclosure to prevent fluid ingress of a device having a touch screen interface
An electronic device enclosure having an integrated in-mold foil, which prevents fluid ingress around an included display of the electronic device, is disclosed. A portion of the in-mold foil is adapted to the specific contour and profile of the display, thereby allowing a user to use a touch screen interface of the display with no shortcomings. In addition, the in-mold foil protects the display from direct chemical attack, and may provide a liquid-tight seal between a button of the electronic device and the enclosure. |
| US08068328B2 |
Nanolithographic method of manufacturing an embedded passive device for a microelectronic application, and microelectronic device containing same
A method of manufacturing an embedded passive device for a microelectronic application comprises steps of providing a substrate (110, 210, 310), nanolithographically forming a first section (121, 221, 321) of the embedded passive device over the substrate, and nanolithographically forming subsequent sections (122, 222, 322) the embedded passive device adjacent to the first section. The resulting embedded passive device may contain features less than approximately 100 nm in size. |
| US08068324B2 |
Circuit and method for protecting energy-storage device
A protection circuit including an energy-storage device, a fusible element, and an overvoltage modulation unit is provided. The energy-storage device stores a first energy and supplies the first energy. The fusible element connected in series with the energy-storage device for constituting a branch circuit. The overvoltage modulation unit is connected in parallel with the branch circuit, wherein when the branch circuit begins to have an overvoltage, an absolute value of a modulating current flowing through the overvoltage modulation unit is increased instantaneously, so that a second energy instantaneously released from the energy-storage device is applied to cut off the fusible element. |
| US08068317B2 |
Magnetic tunnel transistor with high magnetocurrent
A magnetic tunnel transistor (MTT) having a pinned layer that has no antiferromagnetic material in an active area of the sensor. The MTT can include a layer of antiferromagnetic material that is exchange coupled with the pinned layer in an area outside of the active area of me sensor, such as outside the track-width, beyond the stripe height, or both outside the track-width and beyond the stripe height. The pinned layer can also be pinned without any exchange coupling at all. In that case, pinning can be assisted by shape enhanced magnetic anisotropy, by extending the pinned layer beyond the stripe height. |
| US08068315B2 |
Current perpendicular to plane GMR and TMR sensors with improved magnetic properties using Ru/Si seed layers
A magnetoresisive sensor having a thin seed layer that provides an exceptionally smooth interface between layers of the sensor stack. The exceptionally smooth interface provided by the seed layer reduces interlayer exchange coupling allowing the non-magnetic spacer layer (or barrier layer) to be very thin. The seed layer includes a thin layer of Ru and a thin layer of Si which intermix to form a homogeneous, amorphous thin seed layer of Ru-silicide. |
| US08068313B2 |
Microactuator, head gimbal assembly, and disk drive device
Embodiments of the present invention relate to approaches to effectively let noise on a head slider bonded to a silicon substrate of a microactuator, escape to the ground. A head gimbal assembly (HGA) according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a microactuator bonded to a gimbal tongue. The microactuator comprises a piezoelectric element and a movable part for moving in response to expansion or contraction of the piezoelectric element. The motion of the movable part causes a head slider to slightly move. The microactuator further comprises a conductive path including an impurity-containing silicon layer formed on the silicon substrate. The conductive path transmits electric charge of the head slider to a suspension. The conductivity of the impurity-containing silicon layer is lower than the one of the silicon substrate so that the noise charge of the head slider may escape to the suspension. |
| US08068306B2 |
Write quality of HDD heads experiencing temporary fly-height problems
Approaches for improving the write quality of a hard-disk drive (HDD) head experiencing temporary fly-height problem. When the hard-disk drive is idle and heads are parked on the ramp, fluid, such as a lubricant or the condensation of vapor, may collect between the surface of a platter and the head or a slider, thereby causing the head to temporarily fly higher than normal. An HDD may include electronic component(s) configured to (a) determine whether it is likely that fluid is interposed between the surface of a magnetic-recording disk and the slider or the head, and (b) temporarily adjust one or more of (i) a thermal fly height control setting of the head and (ii) a write parameter of the head to compensate for the head flying higher than normal as a result of the fluid being interposed between the surface of the disk and the slider or the head. |
| US08068304B1 |
Calibrating servos
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products are described for calibrating servos, and in some implementations, calibrating spiral servos for use in self-servo-write (SSW) processes. In one aspect, a method is provided that includes determining timing reference information on a machine readable medium, locking a clock signal to the timing reference information, detecting a spiral on the machine readable medium, determining a location of the spiral using the clock signal, and calibrating a spiral servo according to the location of the spiral. |
| US08068303B2 |
Lateral partitioning for a shingled tape format
Various embodiments for writing data in a tape medium having wraps by a tape drive are provided. The tape drive allocates the wraps in a shingled data band between two or more data partitions. A set of contiguous wraps is allocated to one data partition of the two or more data partitions. An additional set of contiguous wraps is allocated to an additional data partition of the two or more data partitions. A minimum buffer is retained between the set and the additional set of contiguous wraps of at least one wrap per direction written within at least one data band shared between the one and the additional data partitions such that the one and the additional data partitions may be written to by the tape drive independently of each other. |
| US08068301B2 |
Magnetic media formed by a thin film planar arbitrary gap pattern magnetic head
Magnetic media made using planar magnetic heads. A head may comprise a substrate having conductive thru-hole vias extending therethrough, a first magnetic layer deposited and patterned on the substrate, a first insulation layer deposited and patterned on the first magnetic layer, a conductive coil layer deposited and patterned on the first insulation layer and connected to the conductive thru-hole vias, a second insulation layer deposited and patterned on the conductive coil layer, vias patterned into the insulation layer extending to the first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer deposited in the vias, and a third magnetic layer deposited and patterned on the second insulation layer and second magnetic layer. The third magnetic layer may be connected to the first magnetic layer through the second magnetic layer deposited in the vias of the insulation layers. |
| US08068300B2 |
Thin film planar arbitrary gap pattern magnetic head
Planar magnetic heads and methods of making the same using a built-up approach and thru-hole via technology to achieve a true planar head. A head may comprise a substrate having conductive thru-hole vias extending therethrough, a first magnetic layer deposited and patterned on the substrate, a first insulation layer deposited and patterned on the first magnetic layer, a conductive coil layer deposited and patterned on the first insulation layer and connected to the conductive thru-hole vias, a second insulation layer deposited and patterned on the conductive coil layer, vias patterned into the insulation layer extending to the first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer deposited in the vias, and a third magnetic layer deposited and patterned on the second insulation layer and second magnetic layer. The third magnetic layer may be connected to the first magnetic layer through the second magnetic layer deposited in the vias of the insulation layers. |
| US08068298B2 |
Harmonic selection for track following on a hard disk drive
Harmonic selection for track following is described for a hard disk drive comprising at least one magnetic disk capable of storing data and spinning, a controller capable of controlling a read/write head capable of reading and writing data while following a track on a surface of the at least one magnetic disk, and a memory device capable of storing data relating to the operation of the hard disk drive. A drive function test on the hard disk drive is performed, during which harmonic frequencies are identified which cause disturbances for the hard disk drive. Data regarding the harmonic frequencies which cause the greatest disturbances for the hard disk drive is stored in the memory device. The data regarding the harmonic frequencies which cause the greatest disturbances is forwarded to the controller upon the at least one magnetic disk spinning. |
| US08068294B2 |
Lens barrel, image pickup device, and lens barrel manufacturing method
A lens barrel includes a fourth lens, a prism, and a sixth lens. The fourth lens receives a light flux incident along a first optical axis. The prism includes a reflecting surface reflecting the light flux passing through the fourth lens to a direction along a second optical axis intersecting with the first optical axis. The sixth lens receives the light flux reflected by the prism. A second group frame includes an opening portion, a prism retaining frame that is arranged in a more inner position than the opening portion and in which the prism is contained, and a plurality of adhesive pockets arranged on an area around the prism retaining frame and being open to the side of the opening portion. Adhesive agent is filled in the adhesive pockets. |
| US08068288B1 |
Thin stepped tulip lens
A secondary illumination optic, principally directed toward managing light from light emitting diode illumination sources having a primary optical element, is provided comprising a lens combination arranged along the optical axis, a central convex lens portion being centrally positioned on the optical axis, and a surrounding total internal reflection lens portion, with the central optic having a first and incident surface and a second and exiting surface, both comprising refractive faceted optical lens elements, and the total internal reflection optic lens portion having a cylinder shaped aspheric first and incident surface, a second and internal total reflection surface, and a third and exiting surface comprising refractive faceted optic lens elements, wherein, being constructed of resin having optical characteristic, the central and total internal reflection lens portions are molded as an integrated assembly from an optical resin providing a stepped tulip type lens, thinner and higher yielding than prior art lenses. |
| US08068283B2 |
Lenticular card and process for making
A lenticulated sheet including a polymeric backing sheet, an imaged transparent sheet having a first smooth side and a second side with a lenticulated region, the transparent sheet optionally having at least one printed image area on the first smooth side and an adhesive layer over the printed image areas and non-image areas of the first smooth side. Air is removed from between the backing layer and the lenticular layer second side, and the adhesive layer is adapted to join the backing layer and the lenticular layer second side. The invention also provides processes useful for preparing a lenticular card including an optional core sheet, or optional primer layers. |
| US08068281B2 |
Zoom lens system, interchangeable lens apparatus and camera system
A zoom lens system is provided that includes a compactly constructed focusing lens unit and that has a suppressed change in the image magnification at the time of movement of a focusing lens unit. The zoom lens system according to the present invention, in order from an object side to an image side, comprises: a first lens unit having positive optical power; a second lens unit having negative optical power; and at least two subsequent lens units, wherein at the time of zooming, all lens units move in a direction along the optical axis so that intervals between the lens units vary, and at the time of focusing, a second most image-side lens unit moves in a direction along the optical axis. |
| US08068280B2 |
Zoom lens system, interchangeable lens apparatus and camera system
A zoom lens system is provided that includes a compactly constructed focusing lens unit and that has a suppressed change in the image magnification at the time of movement of a focusing lens unit. The zoom lens system according to the present invention, in order from an object side to an image side, comprises: a first lens unit having positive optical power; a second lens unit having negative optical power; and at least two subsequent lens units, wherein the two lens units includes a lens unit A having positive optical power and a lens unit B arranged on the image side relative to the lens unit A, at the time of zooming, all lens units move in a direction along the optical axis so that intervals between the lens units vary, at the time of focusing, the lens unit B moves in a direction along the optical axis, and at the time of compensating image blur caused by vibration in the zoom lens system, either the entirety of a lens unit arranged on the object side relative to the lens unit A or a sub lens unit which is a part of a lens unit arranged on the object side relative to the lens unit A and is arranged on the image side therein moves in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis. |
| US08068274B2 |
Wavelength conversion laser device and image display device using the same
A wavelength conversion laser device includes a laser light source which emits a laser beam, two reflective surfaces which reflect therefrom a laser beam, a wavelength converter provided between the two reflective surfaces, which converts a laser beam into a wavelength-converted laser beam, and condensing optics which condense the laser beams to be injected between the two reflective surfaces, wherein at least one of the two reflective surfaces has a curvature for reflecting a laser beam to be re-injected into the wavelength converter between the two reflective surfaces repeatedly while forming multi paths of laser beams injected into the wavelength converter at different incident angles, and the condensing optics are arranged to disperse beam waists of the laser beams in the wavelength converter, which reciprocate between the two reflective surfaces. |
| US08068272B2 |
Components and methods for use in electro-optic displays
A front plane laminate useful in the manufacture of electro-optic displays comprises, in order, a light-transmissive electrically-conductive layer, a layer of an electro-optic medium in electrical contact with the electrically-conductive layer, an adhesive layer and a release sheet. This front plane laminate can be prepared as a continuous web, cut to size, the release sheet removed and the laminate laminated to a backplane to form a display. Methods for providing conductive vias through the electro-optic medium and for testing the front plane laminate are also described. |
| US08068267B2 |
Speckle reduction in display systems that employ coherent light sources
Speckle effect in display system is reduced by utilizing the instability of phase-coherent light and the transmission of the instable phase-coherent light through a multi-mode optical fiber with a suitable length. |
| US08068266B2 |
Display substrate, method of manufacturing the same and electrowetting display panel having the display substrate
A display substrate includes a base substrate, a reflection-polarization member, a first electrode, an insulation layer and a pixel wall. The reflection-polarization member is disposed on the base substrate to reflect and polarize incident light. The first electrode is disposed in a unit pixel area of the reflection-polarization member. The insulation layer is disposed on the first electrode. The pixel wall is disposed on the insulation layer and defines the unit pixel area. Therefore, the entire area of a unit pixel may be used as a reflective area or a transmissive area, and thus an aperture ratio may be improved in a reflection mode or a transmission mode. |
| US08068264B2 |
Method and apparatus for recording holographic stereograms elements using replacable elements
Methods and devices are described for creating and printing holographic stereograms and holographic optical elements using computer rendered images or using computer processed images. Various embodiments of the system may utilize interchangeable band-limited diffusers and reference-beam masking plates. |
| US08068262B2 |
Imaging system for processing a media
An imaging system for processing a media includes a media transport path, an imaging station, a displacement device that controllably displaces the media along the media transport path relative to the imaging station, and a controller assembly. The controller assembly includes a feedback filter, a feedforward filter, a low-pass filter and a memory that stores and time delayed releases control data. During operation, the displacement device is actuated in response to an actuation command generated by the controller assembly. The actuation command has a feedback component based on a filtering by the feedback filter of an error signal including information about the position error between a desired and an actual position of the media and a feedforward component based on a time delayed, low-pass filtered, frequency dependent filtering of the error signal by the feedforward filter. The feedforward filter is configured such that the closed-loop controlled characteristics of the displacement device are compensated. |
| US08068261B2 |
Image reading apparatus, image reading method, and image reading program
An image reading technique is disclosed that involves acquiring document image data including more than one set of page image data, reading an image located at a predetermined page position from the acquired set of page image data, recognizing the read image of the predetermined page position and converting the recognized image into text data, and assigning page number order to the set of page image data according to value information represented by the converted text data. |
| US08068260B2 |
Original document size detection using a line sensor for reading the original document
In an image reading device, a reading unit scans first rectangle regions located within a maximum reading area equivalent to a maximum size of a document that can be scanned and acquires image data from the first rectangle regions. A transporting unit moves the reading unit to the first rectangle regions in a direction of movement opposite to a direction of movement in normal document reading. A document size judging unit detects whether a document exists in each first rectangle region based on the image data acquired by the reading unit and a predetermined threshold, so that a size of the document is judged. The reading unit is arranged to scan second rectangle regions located outside the maximum reading area, the second rectangles being different from the first rectangle regions, and acquire image data from the second rectangle regions. |
| US08068256B2 |
Hypochromatic imaging
Color management constraints on the use of selected hypocolorant(s) and a black colorant in the rendering of a given pixel reduce ink or toner usage and/or reduce pressure on an ink limit. Additionally, the enforcement of this mutual exclusivity between the black and the selected hypocolorant(s) allows screen frequencies and angles to be shared between halftone screens used for the black colorant and a selected hypocolorant. This reduces the likelihood of objectionable moiré associated with the use of hypocolorant colorants in addition to the conventional CMY(K) colorants. In some embodiments, color management constraints prevent the use of black colorant for pixels beyond a threshold lightness or luminance. This constraint allows the use of the selected hypocolorants in the region of color space beyond the threshold. The threshold can be a function of hue and/or chroma. In some embodiments the threshold is a constant. |
| US08068255B2 |
Gamut mapping spectral content to reduce perceptible differences in color appearance
Various embodiments provide for gamut mapping spectral content. Source appearance content is created from source spectral data corresponding to a source color image. The source appearance content is mapped to an appearance delta using a gamut mapping algorithm. Destination spectral data is derived from the source spectral data and the appearance delta by way of a spectral mapping algorithm. The appearance delta corresponds to two potentially different gamuts or color spaces. Humanly perceptible differences in the color appearance of a destination image as compared the source image are reduced by the mapping techniques provided herein. |
| US08068250B2 |
System for allowing handwritten interaction with a computer
A system for enabling user interaction is disclosed. The system includes a printer for printing print data on a form. The print data is indicative of a plurality of marks. Each mark has a predetermined pattern common to all marks and coded data. The predetermined pattern includes a rotationally invariant pattern. A sensing device is also included for sensing the marks when moved relative to the form, for using the rotationally invariant pattern to correct for perspective distortion of the marks, for decoding the coded data of the marks, and for generating indicating data indicative of movement of the sensing device relative to the form. |
| US08068249B2 |
Image forming apparatus and control method thereof
The present invention provides an image forming apparatus that includes a first system and a second system, wherein the permission/prohibition of access to a storage unit provided in the first system is controlled appropriately based on a signal transmitted from the second system, and a control method thereof. To accomplish this, the image forming apparatus of the present invention includes the first system and the second system, and permits access to the storage unit only when executing a program that includes a predetermined process to activate the apparatus using an external storage apparatus. |
| US08068239B2 |
Image forming apparatus with adaptive automatic layout function
It is determined whether each of objects separated from a plurality of objects arranged in a single page is character object or not, and with respect to an object determined as a character object, a ratio of pixels configuring a character in the determined object to all pixels in said determined object is calculated. A character object in which the ratio crosses a predetermined reference value, when the plurality of objects in the single page are scaled and arranged in accordance with a size of a sheet set by a user, is arranged in a different page. |
| US08068236B2 |
Image forming apparatus
It is an object of this invention to provide an image forming apparatus capable of coping suitably with the fluctuation in a used consumption amount at the predetermined period as well as grasping in advance feasibility of a use. To achieve the above, an image forming apparatus according this invention has an entry section for entering image forming data; a using amount storage means for storing a using amount of a consumption used at a predetermined period for purpose of image formation; a setting means for setting a usable consumption amount of the predetermined period; and a usable amount determining means for determining the usable consumption amount of each determined period, the usable amount determining means for determining after the predetermined period the usable amount of a subsequent period corresponding to the using amount. |
| US08068231B2 |
Fiber optic sensor using a Bragg fiber
An optical sensor includes an optical coupler configured to receive a first optical signal and to split the first optical signal into a second optical signal and a third optical signal. The optical sensor further includes a Bragg fiber in optical communication with the optical coupler. The second optical signal and the third optical signal counterpropagate through the Bragg fiber and return to the third port and the second port, respectively. |
| US08068229B2 |
Optofluidic devices
An optofluidic device forming a liquid grating, a liquid detector or a liquid emitter and method(s) of operation. |
| US08068228B2 |
In-plane optical metrology
A structure that is located adjacent to a measurement target on a substrate is used to convert incident radiation from an optical metrology device to be in-plane with the measurement target. The structure may be, e.g., a grating or photonic crystal, and may include a waveguide between the structure and the measurement target. The in-plane light interacts with the measurement target and is reflected back to the structure, which converts the in-plane light to out-of-plane light that is received by the optical metrology device. The optical metrology device then uses the information from the received light to determine one or more desired parameters of the measurement target. Additional structures may be used to receive light that is transmitted through or scattered by the measurement target if desired. |
| US08068225B2 |
Color matching for display system for shops
A color identifying display system having a lighting surface having an alterable apparent surface color, a color capture device to capture a color of an object placed within a detection area, and a processor. The lighting surface and the color capture device are coupled to the processor. The processor analyzes the captured color to determine a prominent color of the object and to control a color of the lighting surface based on the determined prominent color. The color of the lighting surface may be adjusted to match the prominent color, complement the prominent color, or be analogous to the prominent color. |
| US08068216B2 |
Optical air data systems and methods
A method for remotely sensing air outside a moving aircraft includes generating laser radiation within a swept frequency range. A portion of the laser radiation is projected from the aircraft into the air to induce scattered laser radiation. Filtered scattered laser radiation, filtered laser radiation, and unfiltered laser radiation are detected. At least one actual ratio is determined from data corresponding to the filtered scattered laser radiation and the unfiltered laser radiation. One or more air parameters are determined by correlating the actual ratio to at least one reference ratio. |
| US08068212B2 |
Lithographic apparatus configured to compensate for variations in a critical dimension of projected features due to heating of optical elements
A lithographic apparatus configured to apply corrections to the dose, within and/or between fields, to compensate for critical dimension variations due to heating of elements of the projection system is disclosed. |
| US08068210B2 |
Lithographic apparatus, device manufacturing method and computer program product
Additional vibrations are added during the exposure of a substrate so that vibrations occurring during exposure of a plurality of areas on the substrate are substantially uniform. This may improve CD uniformity. |
| US08068209B2 |
Nozzle to help reduce the escape of immersion liquid from an immersion lithography tool
An immersion lithography tool with a diverter element, positioned between the immersion element and the substrate, for altering the “footprint” or shape of the meniscus of the body of immersion liquid between the last optical element and an immersion element on one side, and the substrate on the other side when the substrate is moved. The apparatus includes a substrate holder to hold the substrate having an imaging surface and a projection optical system having a last optical element. The projection optical system projects an image onto a target imaging area on the substrate through the immersion liquid filled in a gap between the imaging surface of the substrate and the last optical element. An immersion element maintains the immersion fluid in the gap. The diverter element is positioned between the immersion element and the substrate. The diverter element alters the footprint shape of the meniscus of the body of immersion liquid, thereby preventing or reducing the amount of leakage from a space between the substrate and the immersion element. |
| US08068207B2 |
Intermediate film identifier marking
A method includes impacting at least one identifier on a section of passing film for identifying the film as a source for content copied from the film. |
| US08068204B2 |
Electronic apparatus with a flexible printed circuit and a transparent conductive layer
A height difference under a sealant is reduced in a case where lines are present under the sealant. There is provided a substrate having an active matrix display circuit and peripheral driving circuits, a counter substrate having a counter electrode provided on the substrate in a face-to-face relationship therewith, a sealant provided between the substrate and the counter substrate such that it surrounds the active matrix display circuit and peripheral driving circuits, a liquid crystal material provided inside the sealant, a plurality of external connection lines provided on the substrate under the sealant with a resin inter-layer film interposed therebetween for electrically connecting the active matrix display circuit and peripheral driving circuits to circuits present outside the sealant and an adjustment layer provided in the same layer as the plurality of external connection lines. |
| US08068202B2 |
Liquid crystal device
A liquid crystal device includes a first substrate and a second substrate opposite each other with a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween, wherein the first substrate includes a signal line, a switching element electrically connected to the signal line, a first electrode electrically connected to the switching element, a wiring line, a dielectric film covering the first electrode, the switching element, and the wiring line, and a second electrode disposed on the dielectric film so as to be opposite the first electrode, and wherein the second electrode is drawn from the dielectric film toward an area where the dielectric film does not exist and is electrically connected to the wiring line through the area where the dielectric film does not exist. |
| US08068200B2 |
Vertical alignment liquid crystal display device in which a pixel electrode has slits which divide the pixel electrode into electrode portions
A liquid crystal display device has an opposing substrate on which an opposing electrode is formed, a TFT substrate on which pixel electrodes arranged in matrix, thin film transistors connected to the pixel electrodes respectively, and gate lines and data lines for the thin film transistors are formed, vertical alignment films formed on the opposing inner surfaces of these substrates, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the vertical alignment films and having negative dielectric anisotropy. Each pixel electrode has a slit formed for separating each pixel into a plurality of sub-pixels by partially eliminating the pixel electrode with a connecting portion left at which adjoining electrode portions of each pixel electrode is connected with each other. The width W1 of the pixel electrode that runs in a direction in which the slit is formed and width W2 of the connecting portion have a ratio W2/W1 of 0.13 or lower. |
| US08068197B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
A liquid crystal display device including a thin light guide plate and capable of preventing light leakage from light sources is provided. The light guide plate is formed of a sheet. On a back face of the light guide plate, a first projection and a second projection that protrude outwardly and a reflection face provided between the first projection and the second projection are provided. The light sources are disposed on a side face of the light guide plate. A light entering portion is disposed on the side face where the light source is provided. A thin film portion is included between the light sources adjacent to each other in the light entering portion. |
| US08068195B2 |
Portable device including external-light-shielding sheet
A portable device including an external-light-shielding sheet is provided. The portable device includes a display panel; and an external-light-shielding sheet arranged on the display panel, wherein the external-light-shielding sheet includes a base portion and a plurality of wedge shaped portions arranged on the base portion to absorb external light. Therefore, it is possible to absorb and block as much external light as possible. In addition, it is possible to improve bright-room contrast by effectively realizing a black image on a display panel. |
| US08068194B2 |
Line light source device, plane light emission device, plane light source device, and liquid crystal display
In the line light source device and the plane light emission device, first recesses 14 are formed between adjoining light emission elements 5, on surfaces of sealing resin layers 10 opposite to the board 4. The line light source device and the plane light emission device, in which the light emission elements are coated with resin, have a simple configuration and high uniformity in luminous intensity in an emission end face of the device. |
| US08068189B2 |
Liquid crystal display and liquid crystal projector
A plurality of liquid crystal modulation electrodes is arranged in a matrix on a semiconductor substrate 28, a light transmitting substrate 47 with a transparent electrode 23, and a semiconductor substrate are laminated together with liquid crystal interposed therebetween, the semiconductor substrate is connected to a flexible printed board 25 electrically connecting to an external circuit, the transparent electrode is connected to the wiring of the flexible printed board not through the semiconductor substrate, and the wiring is connected to the semiconductor substrate, whereby the transparent electrode is electrically connected to the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate 28 is provided with an anti-electrostatic protection circuit and the transparent electrode is connected to the anti-electrostatic protection circuit through the wiring. |
| US08068188B2 |
Thin film transistor array panel and manufacturing method thereof
A method of manufacturing a thin film transistor array panel is provided, the method includes: forming a gate line on an insulating substrate; forming a gate insulating layer; forming a semiconductor layer; forming a data conductive layer including a data line and a drain electrode; depositing a passivation layer; forming a photoresist including a first portion located on an end portion of the gate line, a second portion thicker than the first portion and located on the drain electrode, and a third portion thicker than the second portion; exposing a portion of the passivation layer under the second portion of the photoresist and a portion of the gate insulating layer under the first portion of the photoresist by etching using the photoresist as an etch mask; forming first and second contact holes exposing the drain electrode and the end portions of the gate line, respectively; and forming a pixel electrode connected to the drain electrode through the first contact hole. |
| US08068184B2 |
Smart remote control
A remote control unit for an entertainment system comprising a television or other display device, and a plurality of peripheral devices connected to the televisions. The remote control unit is adapted to send and receive information signals to and from the television and to the peripheral devices to control the devices. The television and remote control unit both preferably includes a receiver and transmitter and appropriate memory and logic coupled to the transmitter and receiver. Alternatively, the remote control unit preferably includes a receiver and transmitter and a repeater coupled to the receiver and the transmitter. In operation, the remote control unit sends commands to the television, which responds by sending information or a specific command back to the remote control unit. The remote control unit then retrieves and sends a specific command or repeats and sends the command received from the television to the appropriate peripheral device. |
| US08068183B2 |
Control system for network of input devices with automatic audio/video receiver detection and control configuration
Apparatus, methods, and systems for centrally and uniformly controlling the operation of a variety of devices, such as communication, consumer electronic, audio-video, analog, digital, 1394, and the like, over a variety of protocols within a network system and, more particularly, a control system and uniform user interface for centrally controlling these devices in a manner that appears seamless and transparent to the user. In a one embodiment, the control system will detect the change of state of an audio output sensor coupled to the audio output port. |
| US08068181B1 |
3:2 pulldown detection
Field-based detection of 3:2 pulldown in a sequence of digital video fields using a programmable graphics processor is described. The detection is performed using a threshold value to determine equivalence between a pair of fields of digital video data. Furthermore, additional threshold values may be used to control switching into a mode where duplicated fields of digital video data are identified and not displayed and out of the mode where duplicated fields of digital video data are identified and not displayed. Look ahead can be used to detect when to switch into or out of the mode where duplicated fields of digital video data are identified and not displayed, reducing the occurrence of visual artifacts. |
| US08068178B2 |
Bezel color coordination
A processor, such as a TV processor, determines which one of at least two audio-video components is sending signals to a TV for display. Based on the determining act, the processor establishes a color of a bezel of the TV. |
| US08068177B2 |
Methods and devices for signal synchronization
A signal synchronization device and signal synchronization method are provided. The method comprises determining whether a receiving device can receive data output from an output device synchronously and adjusting the dummy period of the signal, which will be received by the receiving device, when the data output from the output device cannot be received by the receiving device synchronously. |
| US08068170B2 |
Modular digital camera
Provided is a pen-shaped modular camera assembly having a plurality of modules each with at least one connector to link the modules together. The assembly includes a camera module having an image sensor for capturing an image in an RGB (red, green, blue) color space. Also included is a central processing module arranged in communication with the camera module, the central processing module having a central processing unit with program memory for storing program steps for execution by the central processing unit to operate the camera module, along with image storage memory for storing the captured image. The assembly also includes an image processing module arranged in communication with the image storage memory, the image processing module configured to dynamically convert the stored image from a L*a*b* color space to a CMY (cyan, magenta, yellow) color space. Also included is a battery module configured so that electrical energy is supplied to the respective modules via the at least one connector. |
| US08068165B2 |
Imaging apparatus
An imaging apparatus where images of good quality can be obtained without being affected by the diffraction phenomenon and without recourse to any polishing. The imaging apparatus is adapted to form a subject image on an imaging plane having light receptor elements arranged on it via an imaging optical system. The imaging optical system has a molded optical element fabricated through a fabrication process in which a periodic streak is produced on an optical surface. When a high-brightness subject light whose brightness value exceeds the saturation sensitivity of each light receptor element enters the imaging optical system, a nonessential light image resulting from the streak on the optical surface based on the high-brightness subject light is formed on the imaging plane and in an area of a subject image from the high-brightness subject light at the time when the optical plane is supposed to be free of the streak. |
| US08068157B2 |
Image sensor with wide operating range
An image sensor includes a photoelectric converter, a source-follower transistor, and a selection transistor. The photoelectric converter generates electric charge in response to received light, and the electric charge varies a voltage of a detection node. The source-follower transistor is coupled between the detection node and an output node and has a first threshold voltage. The selection transistor is coupled between the source-follower transistor and a voltage node with a power supply voltage or a boosted voltage applied thereon, and has a second threshold voltage with a magnitude that is less than a magnitude of the first threshold voltage such that the source-follower transistor operates in saturation. |
| US08068155B2 |
Solid-state image sensor and driving method thereof, and image sensor
A solid-state image sensor includes: a plurality of pixels, each having a photodiode, a floating diffusion, a transfer transistor, a reset transistor, and an amplifying transistor; vertical signal lines 31 for receiving signals from the plurality of pixels; sampling capacitors 62; circuits 78 for comparing a voltage on a corresponding one of the vertical signal lines 31 with a reference voltage to determine whether the voltage on the corresponding vertical signal line 31 is higher or lower than the reference voltage; and clip circuits 79 for outputting a clip voltage Vclip to a corresponding one of the sampling capacitors 62 based on the output of a corresponding one of the circuits 78. A voltage on each vertical signal line in the state where the signal accumulated in a corresponding photodiode has been transferred to a corresponding floating diffusion, can be used as a comparison voltage of each column. |
| US08068154B2 |
Digital camera with non-uniform image resolution
The invention provides a system for isolating digital data representative of portions of a field of view. The system, which may be provided in the form of a digital camera, includes an array of sensor cells adapted to provide digital representations corresponding to at least a portion of the field of view, and a selector adapted to isolate a non-uniformly distributed subset of the digital representations provided by the array. The isolation may be performed based upon a set of values programmed in a programmable lookup table. A buffer is provided for holding the isolated digital representations. |
| US08068151B2 |
Digital camera with card reader for reading program script
A portable camera with an inbuilt printer device is disclosed. The camera includes a digital image capture device, an inbuilt programming language interpreter internally connected to the digital image capture device for the manipulation of the digital image captured by the capture device and a script input means for inputting a self documenting program script for the manipulation and filtering of the captured digital image to produce visual alterations of the image. A card reader optically reads the script printed as an array of dots on one surface of a portable card, which has a visual example of the likely effect of the script on a second surface of the card. The script is interpreted and executed by the interpreter to modify the captured digital image in accordance with the script to produce a modified digital image. The modification is visually exemplified on the second surface of the card. The modified digital image is then printed out on the inbuilt printer device. |
| US08068150B2 |
Memory access control apparatus and image pickup apparatus
A memory access control apparatus includes a memory controller controlling a memory adopting a DDR format; a DDR-PHY adjusting the timing of an interface signal between the memory controller and the memory; a DDR-PHY controller controlling the DDR-PHY; and a clock controller controlling the frequency of a clock signal. A first request signal for controlling the operation of the memory in a self-refresh mode is supplied to the memory controller, a second request signal for resetting the DDR-PHY is supplied to the DDR-PHY controller, a third request signal for changing the clock frequency is supplied to the clock controller, a fourth request signal for setting a parameter for the DDR-PHY is supplied to the DDR-PHY controller, and a fifth request signal for canceling the operation of the memory in the self-refresh mode is supplied to the memory controller in order to change the clock frequency of the memory. |
| US08068149B2 |
Image processing device, image processing method, and image pickup apparatus
An image processing device includes a corrector for performing an optical correction of correcting a distortion of an image by interpolating image data of the distorted picked-up image resulting from an optical characteristic of an image pickup section, and locally changing a resolution of the image; and a compressor for performing a dynamic range compression of compressing a dynamic range of the image data by extracting an illumination component from the image data based on a space frequency of the image, and compressing the extracted illumination component, wherein the compressor performs the dynamic range compression with respect to image data of an after-correction-image to be obtained after the optical correction is performed by the corrector. |
| US08068142B2 |
Methods, systems and apparatus for setting a recording function of the recording apparatus in a restricted state
A recording apparatus includes a communications device which can receive from another communications apparatus by wireless an image-capturing condition of restricting an image-capturing process or a sound recording condition of restricting a sound recording process, and a device which performs an image-capturing or sound recording process according to the received image-capturing condition or sound recording condition. Thus, a user can automatically set a recording function of a recording apparatus in a restricted state without special care in a position where image-capturing, sound recording, etc. are prohibited, thereby recording on an allowed condition. Since it further includes a communications device which can receive by wireless from another communications apparatus a reproducing condition of restricting a reproducing function of an image, and a reproducing device which reproduces an image according to the received reproducing condition, an available function can be used by easily specifying a user of the communications apparatus. |
| US08068141B2 |
Imaging device
An imaging device ICD, which realizes an image blurring compensation function which achieves image blurring compensation during a framing period and image blurring compensation during releasing, is provided. In the imaging device (ICD), an OIS unit control section (104) compensates image blurring occurring in an optical image by moving an optical axis of an imaging optical system (100), and compensates the image blurring by changing a position of cutout of image data outputted from an image sensor (106). An image shift amount calculation section (39x, 39y) detects image blurring information. A system controller (120) causes the OIS unit control section (104) to mainly move the optical axis during an exposure period based on the detected image blurring information, and to mainly change the position of the cutout of the image data during a period other than the exposure period, thereby compensating image blurring which occurs in a taken image. |
| US08068140B2 |
Still image stabilization suitable for compact camera environments
Still image apparatus and methods that are suitable for compact camera environments are described. In another aspect, image segments are captured during corresponding exposure intervals of a frame exposure period. Respective motion sensor signals are generated during the respective exposure intervals of the image segments. One or more corresponding movement measures are determined from the respective motion sensor signals for each of the exposure intervals. The image segments are combined into an output image based on the one or more corresponding movement measures. |
| US08068138B2 |
Image pickup apparatus for reducing fixed pattern noise
An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup optical system having an optical axis and configured to form a subject image, an image pickup element configured to pick up the subject image and output the picked-up subject image as an image, an optical axis controller configured to displace an optical axis position relative to the image pickup element every time image capturing is performed, an image addition processor configured to correct positional displacement between a plurality of images output from the image pickup element and add the resulting images together, and an operation unit. |
| US08068137B2 |
Image processing apparatus, control method, and storage medium
An image processing apparatus includes a setting unit configured to set a number of prints for image data, a storage unit configured to store identification information for identifying an object in association with transmission target information used for transmitting the image data to an external apparatus, and a collation unit configured to collate the identified object from the image data and the identification information. In the image processing apparatus, the setting unit can set the number of prints for the image data according to a difference between a number of the objects in the image data and a number of the transmission target information associated with a number of the identification information that matches the object in the image data as a result of the collation. |
| US08068134B2 |
Apparatus and method for predicting collision
The present invention is a collision prediction apparatus that comprises a plurality of sensors for detecting an object in front of a vehicle by different mechanism and a control unit for selecting a sensor adequate for an input condition and predicting a collision between the vehicle and the object, based on information obtained from the selected sensor, wherein the plurality of the sensors comprise a radar for scanning front of the vehicle and a camera for taking an image of the front of the vehicle, and when a condition that it is lighter outside the vehicle than a predetermined value is input, it is enabled to configure a control unit so as to predict a collision between the vehicle and the object. |
| US08068128B2 |
Visual communication server and communication system
According to one embodiment, a server includes a control unit which instructs establishment and end of connection for the video data communications between the client computers corresponding to the telephone terminals, in accordance with the call information event received by the call information event receiving unit, and a connection information transmitting unit which transmits connection information between the plurality of client computers for which one of the establishment and the end of connection is executed by the control unit, wherein even if the connection information transmitting unit receives a notification of completion or end of the connection from the client computers, when the connection information transmitting unit receives a notification which accompanies change of connection states of the client computers, the connection information transmitting unit transmits the connection information after waiting for the change of the connection states. |
| US08068124B2 |
Computing device entertainment mode system and method
A computing device entertainment mode system comprises a computing device comprising at least one indicator element disposed thereon, the computing device configured to be placed into an entertainment mode of operation such that, in response to being placed in the entertainment mode of operation, an illumination intensity level associated with the at least one indicator element is automatically decreased. |
| US08068122B2 |
Method of image scaling
A method of image scaling includes the steps of: determining the coordinates of a virtual pixel in an original image, wherein the virtual pixel corresponds to an actual pixel in a scaled image; determining the coordinates of four actual pixels in the original image that are closest to the virtual pixel; determining the weights of the four actual pixels; and determining the pixel value of the virtual pixel in the original image in accordance with the determined weights and the pixel values of the four actual pixels. |
| US08068118B1 |
System and method for modifying a number of texture samples for anisotropic texture filtering
Systems and methods for modifying the number of texture samples used to produce an anisotropically filtered texture mapped pixel may improve texture mapping performance. When the number of texture samples is reduced, fewer texels are read and fewer filtering computations are needed to produce a texture value for an anisotropic footprint. The number of texture samples is reduced based on the mip map level weight. The number of texture samples may also be modified using specific parameters for the coarse and/or fine mip map levels. The spacing between the texture samples along the major axis of anisotropy may be modified to improve image quality or texture cache performance. |
| US08068117B2 |
Parallel texture synthesis by upsampling pixel coordinates
A method and system for synthesizing texture using upsampled pixel coordinates and a multi-resolution approach. The parallel texture synthesis technique, while based on a neighborhood matching technique having order-independent texture synthesis, extends that approach in at least two areas, including efficient parallel synthesis and intuitive user control. Pixel coordinates are upsampled instead of pixel colors, thereby reducing computational complexity and expense. These upsampled pixel coordinates then are jittered to provide texture variation. The jitter is controllable, such that a user has control over several aspects of the jitter. In addition, each neighborhood-matching pass is split into several sub-passes to improve correction. Using sub-passes improves correction speed and quality. The parallel texture synthesis system and method disclosed herein is designed for implementation on a parallel processor, such as a graphics processing unit. |
| US08068113B2 |
Display control semiconductor integrated circuit
The present invention provides a display control semiconductor integrated circuit having therein a RAM, capable of repairing a defective bit included in the RAM and improving the yield without significantly increasing the occupation area. A liquid crystal controller/driver in which a RAM for storing display data is provided in a chip and the storage capacity of the built-in RAM is determined according to the size of a display screen of a liquid crystal panel to be driven, includes a fuse circuit for setting a defect address, and a comparing circuit for comparing the defect address set in the fuse circuit with an input address. The liquid crystal controller/driver also has a redundant circuit, when the addresses match each other, for replacing the input address with an address that instructs the spare memory area and supplying the address to an address decoder. |
| US08068109B2 |
Processor task and data management
Task and data management systems methods and apparatus are disclosed. A processor event that requires more memory space than is available in a local storage of a co-processor is divided into two or more segments. Each segment has a segment size that is less than or the same as an amount of memory space available in the local storage. The segments are processed with one or more co-processors to produce two or more corresponding outputs. The two or more outputs are associated into one or more groups. Each group is less than or equal to a target data size associated with a subsequent process. |
| US08068107B2 |
Method to synchronize audio and graphics in a multimedia presentation
In a multimedia presentation, having speech and graphic contributions, a list of graphic objects is provided. Each graphic is associated to a graphic file capable of being executed by a computer to display a corresponding graphic contribution on a screen. A speech file comprising a sequence of phrases is also created, each phrase comprising a speech contribution explaining at least one graphic contribution associated to a respective graphic object. Then, an arrangement string is created obtained as a sequence of a first graphic object and a respective first phrase, and then a second graphic object and a respective second phrase, and so on up to completion of all graphic objects and phrases of said list and of said speech file respectively. A processing speed for displaying the graphic objects is chosen. |
| US08068105B1 |
Visualizing audio properties
Technologies relating to user interfaces for visualizing audio properties. In some implementations, a method is provided that includes the actions of receiving one or more audio signals including digital audio data; generating one or more audio objects, each of the one or more audio objects representing one or more audio signals; and displaying an interface for representing properties of the audio objects, the interface including a region where each location within the region represents two or more audio properties relative to a virtual listener. |
| US08068104B2 |
Totally integrated intelligent dynamic systems display
An apparatus for graphically displaying analytical data, comprising a generic model to graphically represent a complex set of physical characteristics potentially leading to catastrophic failure of a physical system. A central region represents failure of the physical system; a series of concentric ridges represents level of function. Wedge shaped regions upon the ridges represent predetermined subsystems of the physical system. An icon is displayed with changes in the icon proportional to time, and any one or more of color, position, shape, and rotation of the icon representing prescribed analysis of the physical characteristics. Mappings correlate predetermined characteristics of the system with failure of the physical system, levels of functioning represented by the ridges, subsystems represented by the wedge shaped regions, and/or analysis of the physical characteristics represented in the icon. A sensor interface receives measurements, and a graphics generator prepares a presentation of the model. |
| US08068101B2 |
On a substrate formed or resting display arrangement
A touch screen apparatus, including a display unit including a touch surface, a number of light pulse emitting units, connecting to the display unit, for emitting light pulses over and across the touch surface, a number of light pulse receiving units, connected to the display unit, for measuring amounts of light received from the light pulse emitting units, circuitry, connected to the light pulse emitting units and to the light pulse receiving units, for selectively activating, at any given time, one or more of the light pulse emitting units and the light pulse receiving units, wherein the circuitry activates three or more light pulse emitting units and only one light pulse receiving unit during a designated time interval, and a calculating unit, connected to the light pulse receiving units, to determine the location of an object touching the touch surface, based on the measured amounts of light received at the receiving units. |
| US08068097B2 |
Apparatus for detecting conductive material of a pad layer of a sensing device
An apparatus and method for distinguishing a particular button operation from among multiple button operations on a sensing device having multiple sensor elements that are electrically coupled together. The apparatus may include a sensing device having a first sensor element and a second element that are electrically coupled to detect a presence of a conductive object on the sensing device. The method may include detecting a presence of a conductive object on a sensing device having multiple sensor elements that are electrically coupled, each sensor element corresponding to a button operation, and distinguishing between the multiple button operations. |
| US08068091B2 |
Electrophoretic display device
An electrophoretic display device includes a pair of substrates, a pixel, a first electrode being formed on one of the substrates for the pixel, a second electrode being formed on the other of the substrates, and an electrophoretic element which is held between the first electrode and the second electrode. The pixel includes a pixel switching element which is connected to a scan line and a data line, a memory circuit which is connected to the pixel switching element, and a switch circuit which is interposed between the memory circuit and the first electrode. The memory circuit is connected with a first power source line and a second power source line, and the switch circuit is connected with a first control line and a second control line. The first power source line and the second power source line cross each other at a first position of the pixel, and the first control line and the second control line cross each other at a second position of the pixel. |
| US08068087B2 |
Methods and systems for reduced flickering and blur
Aspects of the present invention relate to systems and methods for detecting motion in frames of a video sequence and for generating and applying a backlight modulation screen comprising at least one modulation pulse width dependent on the motion detection. Some aspects relate to a motion map variable used to determine modulation pulse widths for the backlight modulation screen. |
| US08068080B2 |
Display apparatus, source driver, and display panel driving method
A liquid crystal display apparatus includes a liquid crystal display panel having a data line and a source driver for supplying a data signal to the data line based on a polarity signal. A polarity of the data signal is determined based on the polarity signal. The source driver includes an offset cancel control circuit for generating an offset cancel control signal and an output amplifier used to generate the data signal. The output amplifier is constructed so as to invert a polarity of an offset voltage based on the offset cancel control signal. The offset cancel control signal is generated based on the polarity signal. |
| US08068079B2 |
Liquid crystal display apparatus
A liquid crystal display apparatus includes a liquid crystal modulation element configured to modulate light from a light source, and including a first electrode, a second electrode, a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a controller configured to provide a first potential to the first electrode and a second potential to the second electrode. While the light source is turned off, the controller provides a third potential to the first electrode and a fourth potential to the second electrode, such that the difference between the third and fourth potentials has a constant sign but a variable magnitude in an in-plane direction of the liquid crystal layer. |
| US08068078B2 |
Electro-luminescence display device and driving apparatus thereof
The present invention relates to an electro-luminescence display and a driving method thereof wherein a thin film transistor is prevented from the deterioration, to thereby improve a picture quality. An electro-luminescence (EL) display, including: a plurality of drive voltage supply lines; N compensation voltage supply lines; EL cells at each crossing of a plurality of data lines and a plurality of gate lines in a matrix, wherein the EL cells emit light in response to currents applied from the drive voltage supply lines; driving thin film transistors (TFT) connected between the EL cells and compensation voltage supply lines that control the current applied to the EL cells; and a bias switch, connected between the N−1th compensation voltage supply line and a control terminal of the driving TFT connected to the Nth compensation voltage supply line that applies a bias voltage to the driving TFT when a scan pulse is supplied to the N−1th gate line. |
| US08068077B2 |
Contact structure of conductive films and thin film transistor array panel including the same
A thin film transistor array panel is provided, which includes: a display cell array circuit including a plurality of gate lines, a plurality of data lines, a plurality of thin film transistors, and a plurality of pixel electrodes; a gate driving circuit supplying gate signals to the gate lines; and a signal line connected to the gate driving circuit and including first and second line segments separated from each other and a connection member connected to the first and second line segments through at least a contact hole exposing at least one of the first and the second line segments. |
| US08068073B2 |
Circuit and method for driving pixel of organic electroluminescent display
A circuit and method for driving pixels in an organic electroluminescent display that reduces the number of wirings of a compensation circuit for addressing brightness non-uniformity. The pixel driving circuit includes an organic electroluminescent device that emits light corresponding to an amount of a current being applied. A first transistor is connected to a power supply voltage and applies the current corresponding to a data voltage to the organic electroluminescent device. A first capacitor stores the data voltage, and a threshold voltage compensation unit stores a threshold voltage of the first transistor. A second transistor transmits the data voltage from a data line in response to a selection signal from an nth scan line. A switching unit electrically disconnects a second primary electrode of the first transistor from the organic electroluminescent device while the threshold voltage is stored in the threshold voltage compensation unit in response to a control signal. |
| US08068072B2 |
Data driver and organic light emitting diode (OLED) display using the same
A data driver includes a shift register circuit configured to receive a first clock signal, a second clock signal, and a start signal, and to sequentially provide a sampling signal, a conversion circuit configured to receive the first clock signal, the second clock signal, and the sampling signal, and to sequentially provide a conversion signal, a sampling latch circuit configured to store data according to the sampling signal and the conversion signal, and a holding latch circuit configured to receive the data from the sampling latch circuit in response to first and second enable signals, and to provide a first data signal or a second data signal to data lines corresponding to the received data. |
| US08068071B2 |
Pixel circuit and image display apparatus having the pixel circuit
A pixel circuit and an image display apparatus are provided making use of a hysteresis characteristics of a transistor for driving a display element. The pixel circuit comprises: a transistor providing both different first and second relations between a gate voltage value and a drain current value at a transition from off state to an on state, and from the on state transits to the off state respectively; a display element supplied as a drive current with a current controlled by the transistor; and a capacitor element connected to a gate electrode of the transistor. One of the first and second relations is utilized during a first period for setting the drive current to be supplied to the display element. And, the other of the first and second relations is utilized during a second period for supplying the drive current to the display element to effect light emission. |
| US08068069B2 |
Method of driving plasma display panel and plasma display apparatus
Plural subfields are provided in one single field period, where each subfield has an initialization period during which a gradient waveform voltage gently falling is applied to a scan electrode to generate initializing discharge in a discharge cell; a writing period during which a scan pulse voltage is applied to a scan electrode to generate writing discharge in a discharge cell; and a sustain period during which sustain discharge is generated in a discharge cell selected, by the number of times corresponding to a luminance weight. The lowest voltage of a falling gradient waveform voltage in a subfield with the smallest luminance weight is set so as to be lower than that with the largest luminance weight. A method of driving a plasma display panel is provided that generates stable writing discharge without increasing voltage required for generating writing discharge even for a large-screen, high-luminance panel. |
| US08068068B2 |
Coverage antenna apparatus with selectable horizontal and vertical polarization elements
An antenna apparatus comprises selectable antenna elements including a plurality of dipoles and/or a plurality of slot antennas (“slot”). Each dipole and/or each slot provides gain with respect to isotropic. The dipoles may generate vertically polarized radiation and the slots may generate horizontally polarized radiation. Each antenna element may have one or more loading structures configured to decrease the footprint (i.e., the physical dimension) of the antenna element and minimize the size of the antenna apparatus. |
| US08068062B2 |
Portable antenna positioner apparatus and method
A low power, lightweight, collapsible and rugged antenna positioner for use in communicating with geostationary, geosynchronous and low earth orbit satellite. By collapsing, invention may be easily carried or shipped in a compact container. May be used in remote locations with simple or automated setup and orientation. Azimuth is adjusted by rotating an antenna in relation to a positioner base and elevation is adjusted by rotating an elevation motor coupled with the antenna. Manual orientation of antenna for linear polarized satellites yields lower weight and power usage. Updates ephemeris or TLE data via satellite. Algorithms used for search including Clarke Belt fallback, transponder/beacon searching switch, azimuth priority searching and tracking including uneven re-peak scheduling yield lower power usage. Orientation aid via user interface allows for smaller azimuth motor, simplifies wiring and lowers weight. Tilt compensation, bump detection and failure contingency provide robustness. |
| US08068061B2 |
Mobile wireless communications device including an electrically conductive, electrically floating element and related methods
A mobile wireless communications device may include a portable housing having an interior and comprising a removable panel providing access to the interior, a printed circuit board (PCB) carried by the portable housing. The device may further include an antenna connected to the PCB and carried by the bottom portion of the PCB, and at least one electrically floating, electrically conductive, antenna beam shaping element secured to the removable panel. |
| US08068057B2 |
RFID tag
An RFID tag that has a tag antenna and a tag LSI comprising: a power-supply element in which the tag LSI is mounted on a power-supply section; a plurality of patch antennas that function as tag antennas and sizes differs; and a high-frequency coupling section that couples the power-supply element with each of the patch antennas by high-frequency coupling. |
| US08068056B2 |
Location reporting with secure user plane location (SUPL)
Techniques for supporting periodic and other location services with Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) and other location architectures are described. The techniques can provide position estimates for a SUPL enabled terminal (SET) to a SUPL agent periodically and/or based on trigger events. A Home SUPL Location Platform (H-SLP) receives from the SUPL agent a request for position estimates for the SET. The H-SLP starts a SUPL location session with the SET. For each of at least one reporting event during the location session, the H-SLP obtains a position estimate for the SET and sends the position estimate to the SUPL agent. The position estimate may be derived by the SET and sent to the H-SLP. Alternatively, the position estimate may be derived by the H-SLP based on measurements from the SET. |
| US08068054B2 |
Receiver with means for ensuring bona fide of received signals
A receiver that receives a plurality of signals that are modulated with a common carrier, where each signal of said signals originates at a different source and experiences a transit delay and Doppler frequency shift before reaching the receiver, and where the transit delay and Doppler frequency shift are related to position and movement of each of the respective sources. The receiver includes means, such as a directional antenna, to ensure that the received signals are bona fide, or at least not subject to the same bogus signal or signals to which a second receiver may be subjected. |
| US08068052B2 |
Radar apparatus and method for forming reception beam of the same
When an excitation signal is generated from an exciter due to an activation signal generated from a radar control device and is distributed to supply to each antenna sub-module, a combination reception signal is transmitted to a receiver from each antenna sub-module. The receiver takes in the combination reception signal obtained by each sub-module in response to an instruction from the radar control device, a frequency converter converts the combination reception signal into a prescribed frequency band, and a distributed aperture combination circuit performs a beam combination in accordance with a distributed aperture combination algorithm. In this way, a radar apparatus, which is equivalent to an active phased array radar of a large aperture and with high performance, is achieved. |
| US08068051B1 |
Method and apparatus for a body position monitor using radar
A radar system for monitoring a premises in a home or building. The radar system includes transmitter and receiver antennae and a signal processor that processes a reflected signal. Doppler analysis of the reflected signal determines the activity and location of a subject's upper torso, and the subject's presence within the monitored premises. |
| US08068050B2 |
Methods and systems for detection of hazard to aviation due to convective weather
Systems and methods for improving output of weather information. A weather radar system receives weather reflectivity values. A processing device stores the received weather reflectivity values into a three-dimensional buffer, calculates a sum of the reflectivity value stored in a column of cells within the three-dimensional buffer, and assigns a first hazard indication to the cells of the column when the result of the calculation is above a first threshold. A display device generates a weather display based on data stored in the three-dimensional buffer. The weather display includes a display icon associated with the hazard indication when a cell from the three-dimensional buffer has been selected for the weather display. |
| US08068045B2 |
Calibration methods and structures for pipelined converter systems
Calibration methods and structures are provided for pipelined analog-to-digital converter systems. They are arranged to process samples of the digital codes with an algorithm that is preferably configured to repeatedly update an estimate of the transfer function with the difference between one of the input signals and the analog equivalent of the corresponding digital code. The calibration methods and structures are further configured to calibrate the transfer function of the converter stage wherein the samples are selected in accordance with various steps. These steps can include the step of injecting dither signals into a flash portion and an MDAC portion of the converter stage to thereby maintain dynamic range. They can also include the step of limiting the samples to those processed through a selected subrange of the subranges. They can further include the step of limiting the samples to those in which the absolute value of the input signals is less that 0.25 of the selected subrange and the absolute value of the dither signals is less that 0.25 of the selected subrange. If the selected subrange is not a central subrange, the steps can further include the step of shifting the samples by a distance between the selected subrange and the central subrange. |
| US08068044B2 |
Correction circuit for D/A converter
There is provided a correction circuit for a D/A converter, comprising: a constant current source to be connected between high- and low-potential power source lines for supplying a power source voltage to the D/A converter; and a current controller which is adapted to control a current flowing to the constant current source in accordance with an input digital signal to the D/A converter, so as to reduce a variation of a sum of currents which, when the input digital signal to the D/A converter is changed, flows to the low-potential power source line from the high-potential power source line through the D/A converter and the constant current source, respectively. |
| US08068043B2 |
Method and apparatus for video processing in context-adaptive binary arithmetic coding
A method and apparatus of a digital signal processor for coding of a significant map. The method for coding of a significant map includes carrying out a scan of at least a portion of a block of transform coefficients; calculating runs of zeros of the scanned data; and coding runs of zeros with variable length coding. |
| US08068038B2 |
System and method for rendering a primary flight display having a conformal terrain avoidance guidance element
A flight deck display system and related operating methods for an aircraft are provided. The system includes a processor architecture and a display element coupled to the processor architecture. The processor architecture is configured to receive real-time aircraft data and terrain data for the aircraft and, based upon the real-time aircraft data and the terrain data, generate image rendering display commands. The display element receives the image rendering display commands and, in response thereto, renders a primary flight display that includes a conformal view of terrain corresponding to a flight deck viewpoint. The primary flight display also includes a conformal terrain avoidance guidance (TAG) element on the view of terrain. The TAG element includes visual indicia of a desired navigation path that is intended to avoid terrain that obstructs a current flight path of the aircraft. |
| US08068036B2 |
Intersection vehicle collision avoidance system
The present invention discloses a system that alerts the operator of a vehicle, when operator is not in compliance with an intersection signal condition, where the intersection traffic signal conditions does not permit driver of vehicles to cross the intersection. The system comprises of traffic light or stop sign RF transmitter or transceiver units, and plurality of vehicles equipped with vehicle collision avoidance device containing RF transceivers to receive signals from the intersection signal transmitter units, the vehicle collision avoidance device is equipped with vehicle speed comparator CPU and vehicle travel direction sensing circuitry using a compass or GPS receiver to determine vehicle travel direction and monitor vehicle speed. A beeper, LED or vibrator is incorporated for warning the driver. |
| US08068034B2 |
Safety sensor device
A safety sensor device for an appliance detects burning conditions and shuts off power to the appliance. The device includes a sensor unit positioned near an exhaust of the appliance, and a relay unit connected along a power supply path to the appliance. The relay and sensor units are linked. The sensor unit includes a sensor for monitoring exhaust air from the appliance. The relay unit includes a circuit that electrically connects the appliance with a power source while in an ON state and electrically disconnects the appliance from the power source while in an OFF state, the circuit being responsive to the sensor unit to transition from the ON state to the OFF state if the sensor detects burning conditions. |
| US08068028B2 |
Encapsulated RFID device for flexible, non-planar or curvilinear surfaces
An encapsulated device and method for fabricating a radio frequency identification (RFID) device is disclosed herein. The method includes providing a first substrate layer, the first substrate layer including at least one cavity; placing a RFID tag into the cavity; placing a second substrate layer over the first substrate layer, the at least one cavity of the first substrate layer being covered by the second substrate layer; and attaching the second substrate layer to the first substrate layer, the second substrate layer forming a pocket with the first substrate layer. |
| US08068022B2 |
System and method for monitoring objects and people using a mobile device
A system for monitoring the location of persons or objects using a wireless device, comprising at least one tag unit capable of transmitting data signals of a first type identifying said at least one tag; a wireless device capable of receiving data signals of a second type; and a converter unit, that receives the data signals of the first type from said at least one tag unit, converts the data signals of the first type to data signals of a second type, and transmits said data signals of a second type to the wireless device. |
| US08068019B2 |
Trailer identification system
A system and method that, upon connection of a trailer to a tow vehicle, recognizes the trailer and applies a stored trailer configuration in a controller. In one embodiment, tire pressure sensors transmit RF signals that are received by the tire pressure monitoring system. Transmissions from the sensors are decoded in a controller and processed to identify, or create a particular trailer configuration as well as implement tire pressure monitoring automatically calibrated to the particular trailer configuration based on the sensor identifications for the tire pressure sensors. In another embodiment, the trailer configuration includes a pulse width modulated gain control for the trailer brakes. |
| US08068013B2 |
RF communication module and RF communication system
A RF communication system includes a RF communication module capable of controlling either an IR communication system-controlled device or a controlled device not equipped with a reception circuit for receiving IR signals remotely with RF signals. The RF communication module is equipped with an antenna for receiving RF signals, a RF communication circuit for demodulating the remote control data from the RF signal received by the antenna, a UART interface for outputting bit stream remote data to a device-side microcomputer of the controlled device, and a communication control unit having two types of communication interfaces in a pulse signal interface that outputs a pulse modulated signal, having been pulse modulated with remote control data, to a pulse modulated signal input port of the device-side microcomputer, so that remote control data transmitted by RF signals is output freely, as either bit stream or pulse modulated signals, to a device-side microcomputer of the controlled device. |
| US08068010B2 |
Chipless RFID tag and method for communicating with the RFID tag
A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and a method and system for communicating with the RFID tag. The RFID tag includes a first and second structure respectively holding first data and second data that is complementary to the first data. The RFID tag does not include a microchip. An electromagnetic radio frequency signal is transmitted from an interrogator to the RFID tag. The interrogator receives, from the RFID tag, a response signal including third data being the first data or a combination of the first data and the second data. The interrogator extracts the third data from the response signal. A default value equal to the combination of the first data and the second data is stored in the interrogator. If the interrogator determines that the third data is unequal/equal to the default value, then a screen of the interrogator displays that the RFID tag is enabled/not enabled. |
| US08068006B2 |
Method of detecting presence and motion for door control devices and door control devices implementing such a demand
A method of detecting presence and motion for door control devices, and a door control device implementing the method. On receipt of a door opening command (24), at least a portion of at least one image captured by a digital camera of the floor area is compressed (28) and the compressed image is compared (32) with at least one active presence criterion to inhibit or not inhibit the door closure command (34). |
| US08068003B2 |
Integrated circuits with series-connected inductors
An integrated circuit inductor may have upper and lower loop-shaped line portions that are connected in series. The upper and lower portions may have 45° bends that form hexagonal or octagonal loops. Each loop portion may have one or more turns. Intervening metal-free regions of metal routing layers may be formed between the two layers to reduce capacitive coupling. Each loop portion may have sets of two or more metal lines shorted in parallel by vias. The upper and lower loops may be laterally offset or nested to reduce capacitive coupling. |
| US08068001B2 |
Saw filter featuring impedance transformation
A surface acoustic wave (SAW) filter includes at least one first electroacoustic transducer, and at least one second electroacoustic transducer. The at least one first electroacoustic transducer and the at least one second electroacoustic transducer are side-by-side inside an acoustic path having an aperture A0. The at least one first electroacoustic transducer is connected to an electrical output of the SAW filter, and the at least one second electroacoustic transducer is connected to an electrical input of the SAW filter. At least one first electroacoustic transducer comprises a series circuit of a number of partial transducers, wherein each partial transducer has an individual aperture that is reduced in relation to the overall aperture A0, and wherein the individual apertures add up to the overall aperture. |
| US08067998B2 |
Communication transceiver having a three-line balun with power amplifier bias
A balun that includes a first conductor, a second conductor, and a third conductor. The first conductor has a first length. The first conductor also has a first end connected to a first balanced power amplifier output port. The second conductor has substantially the same first length. The second conductor also includes a first end connected to a second balanced power amplifier output port and a second end connected to a second end of the first conductor. The third conductor has substantially the same first length. The third conductor has a first end connected to an antenna port and a second end connected to a ground potential. |
| US08067997B2 |
Apparatus and method of selecting components for a reconfigurable impedance match circuit
A method of selecting component values for an analog circuit includes identifying a cost function that evaluates similarity between an approximate frequency response function and a preferred frequency response function for at least one characteristic of the functions, determining the approximate frequency response function of the analog circuit based on an approximate component value, and changing the approximate component value based on a determined magnitude of similarity between the preferred frequency response function and the approximate frequency response function for the at least one characteristic. An impedance matching apparatus includes a mismatch detection circuit that produces a difference between source and load impedances, a match network controller that produces a control value based on the difference, and a reconfigurable varactor match network including at least one stub mounted varactor having a capacitance controlled by the control value to match the source and load impedances. |
| US08067994B2 |
Surface mount type crystal oscillator
There is provided a configuration in which a lead-out electrode that extends out from an excitation electrode provided on a lower surface of a crystal piece facing an inner bottom surface of a container main body, is connected to a crystal terminal of an IC chip via a conducting path provided on the inner bottom surface of the container main body, and the conducting path is superimposed, in plan view, on the excitation electrode of the lower surface of the crystal piece, and the excitation electrode of the lower surface and the conducting path have the same electric potential, to thereby suppress the occurrence of stray capacity therebetween. As a result, stray capacity occurring in the conducting path that connects the excitation electrode and the IC terminal is made small, thereby preventing variations in oscillating frequency. |
| US08067992B2 |
Temperature compensation circuit and method
Disclosed are various embodiments of temperature-compensated relaxation oscillator circuits that may be fabricated using conventional CMOS manufacturing techniques. The relaxation oscillator circuits described herein exhibit superior low temperature coefficient performance characteristics, and do not require the use of expensive off-chip high precision resistors to effect temperature compensation. Positive and negative temperature coefficient resistors arranged in a resistor array offset one another to provide temperature compensation in the relaxation oscillator circuit. |
| US08067991B2 |
Chip-scale atomic clock with two thermal zones
A chip-scale atomic clock comprises a physics package and a laser die located in a first thermal zone of the physics package. A quarter wave plate is mounted in the physics package and is in optical communication with the laser die. A vapor cell is mounted in the physics package and is in optical communication with the quarter wave plate. The vapor cell is located in a second thermal zone that is independent from the first thermal zone. An optical detector is mounted in the physics package and is in optical communication with the vapor cell. The first thermal zone provides a first operation temperature at a first stability point associated with the laser die, and the second thermal zone provides a second operation temperature at a second stability point associated with the vapor cell. |
| US08067986B2 |
Closed loop surge protection technique for differential amplifiers
A differential amplifier with surge protection is described. The differential amplifier includes a first output driver device, a second output driver device, a first replica device, a second replica device, a current comparator, and a clamp circuit. The first replica device is configured to be a replica of the first output driver device. The second replica device is configured to be a replica of the second output driver device. The current comparator is configured to generate a threshold current, and to compare the threshold current to a first current through the first replica device and a second current through the second replica device. The clamp circuit is configured to limit a third current through the first output driver device and a fourth current through the second output driver device if the current comparator determines that the threshold current is greater than the first current or the second current. |
| US08067984B2 |
Variable gain circuit
There is provided a variable gain circuit system which is inductorless and capable of achieving a high gain and a wide band by elements for achieving variable gain to prevent decreasing a gain or deteriorating the band. The variable gain circuit includes: transistors; a resistor connected as a load of each transistor; a voltage source applying a bias voltage to each gate of the transistors; a switch selectively connecting the voltage source or a ground potential to each gate of the transistors in accordance with gain setting; and a current source connected to a common input. A drain of each transistor is connected to an input of a circuit in a subsequent stage. |
| US08067983B2 |
High bandwidth, rail-to-rail differential amplifier with intermediate stage current amplifier
An error amplifier expected to exhibit rail-to-rail operation, high bandwidth, and high slew rate, is described, the error amplifier comprising a first stage to receive an input differential voltage and to provide transconductance gain, an intermediate stage to provide current gain, and an output stage to drive a load. |
| US08067981B2 |
Method and system for extending dynamic range of an RF signal
Aspects of a method and system for extending dynamic range of an RF signal are provided. In this regard, an amplitude signal that is representative of an amplitude of a pair of baseband signals may be generated, an amplitude of the generated amplitude signal may be modified according to a function; and an amplitude of the baseband signals may be modified according to an inverse of the function. The modifications may adjust the peak-amplitude-to-average-amplitude ratio of one or more signals. An intermediate signal may be generated from the modified baseband signals and the amplitude of the intermediate signal may be amplitude modulated by the intermediate signal. The intermediate signal may be amplitude modulated by controlling a gain of a power amplifier. The intermediate signal may be amplitude modulated by controlling a current source and/or voltage source supplying power to a power amplifier. |
| US08067979B2 |
Semiconductor device and power supply device using the same
A semiconductor device capable of reducing an inductance is provided. In the semiconductor device in which a rectification MOSFET, a commutation MOSFET, and a driving IC that drives these MOSFETs are mounted on one package, the rectification MOSFET, a metal plate, and the commutation MOSFET are laminated. A current of a main circuit flows from a back surface of the package to a front surface thereof. The metal plate is connected to an output terminal via a wiring in the package. Wire bondings are used for wirings for connecting the driving IC, the rectification MOSFET, and the commutation MOSFET, all terminals being placed on the same plane. For this reason, the inductance becomes small and also a power source loss and a spike voltage are reduced. |
| US08067977B2 |
Voltage generating circuit and semiconductor device having the same
An active charge pump circuit may include a charge pump circuit, a control circuit, and a charge transfer circuit. The charge pump circuit may generate a charge pumping voltage in response to an active enable signal. The control circuit may generate a charge transfer control signal varying between a ground voltage and a boosted power supply voltage that is twice as much as a power supply voltage in response to the active enable signal. The charge transfer circuit may output the charge pumping voltage as an active voltage in response to the charge transfer control signal. |
| US08067975B2 |
MOS resistor with second or higher order compensation
A circuit arrangement (e.g., an integrated circuit) generates a second or higher order compensation voltage to compensate for variations in operation parameters (e.g., temperature and process variations). In one aspect, the compensation voltage is applied to a MOS resistor to compensate for mobility variations of the MOS resistor by maintaining a stable equivalent resistance. The compensated MOS resistor can provide a relatively stable resistance for a variety of analog circuit applications, such as a current reference. |
| US08067973B2 |
Driver for a flyback converter using a transconductance amplifier and a comparator
The present invention discloses a smart driver used in flyback converters adopting a transconductance amplifier to turn on a synchronous rectifier FET, and a comparator to quickly turn off the synchronous rectifier FET. |
| US08067970B2 |
Multi-write memory circuit with a data input and a clock input
Various types of memory circuits are described. A memory circuit may include a state-storage feedback loop coupled to a clock input and to a data input. The data input is introduced into the feedback loop at multiple points, and propagated in parallel from those points to other points in the feedback loop. |
| US08067969B2 |
Integrated circuit
An integrated circuit includes a pull-up compensation path unit configured to adjust a pull-up driving power of an input signal; a pull-down compensation path unit configured to adjust a pull-down driving power of the input signal; and a path control unit configured to route the input signal to one of the pull-up compensation unit and the pull-down compensation unit in response to a conditional signal. |
| US08067960B2 |
Runtime loading of configuration data in a configurable IC
Some embodiments of the invention provide a configurable integrated circuit (IC) that has several configurable circuits for configurably performing different operations. During the operation of the IC, each particular configurable circuit performs a particular operation that is specified by a particular configuration data set for the particular configurable circuit. While the IC operates and a first set of configurable circuits performs a first set of operations, configuration data is loaded from the outside of the IC for configuring a second set of configurable circuits. In some embodiments, the configurable IC includes a configuration network for rapid loading configuration data in the IC from outside of the IC. In some of these embodiments, the configuration network is a pipelined network. Also, the IC of some embodiments includes a configuration controller for retrieving configuration data from outside of the IC, formulating configuration data sets, and routing the configuration data sets to the second set of configurable circuits over the configuration network. |
| US08067959B2 |
Programmable delay line compensated for process, voltage, and temperature
A delay line compensated for process, voltage, and temperature variations, includes a delay locked loop (DLL) configured to delay a digital signal by the clock period of the digital signal, the DLL including a DLL delay line arranged as a plurality of cascaded sub-delay lines each sub-delay line providing one of a plurality of delay quanta in response to a digital control signal. A fractionating circuit is configured to generate a digital delay line control signal that is a fraction of the digital control signal. A digital delay line is arranged as a plurality of cascaded sub-delay lines each sub-delay line providing one of a plurality of delay quanta in response to the digital delay line control signal. |
| US08067958B2 |
Mitigating side effects of impedance transformation circuits
Implementations to mitigating side effects of impedance transformation circuits are described. In particular, mitigation circuitry may be coupled to a high impedance circuit to minimize or eliminate non-linear output of the high impedance circuit in order to provide a well-defined bias voltage to the input of a buffer or amplifier device coupled to a capacitive sensor. Additionally, the mitigation circuitry may be coupled to the high impedance circuit to reduce or eliminate rectifying effects of the high impedance circuit. Accordingly, a bias voltage can be utilized to provide a stable operating point of the buffer or amplifier device via a high impedance circuit utilizing one or more impedance transformations. |
| US08067957B2 |
USB 2.0 HS voltage-mode transmitter with tuned termination resistance
A high-speed universal serial bus (USB) transceiver includes a voltage-mode architecture for generating a USB signal. The voltage mode architecture reduces power consumption by reducing the current requirements for high-speed USB communications. The USB transceiver can include a reference voltage generator, a resistive element, and a switching element for completing and breaking a circuit including the reference voltage generator, the resistive element, and a data pin of a USB port to generate half of the differential USB signal (e.g., the D+ signal). A similar circuit can be used to generate the other half of the differential USB signal (i.e., the D− signal). The resistive element can be a set of parallel resistors in the transceiver, with the set of parallel resistors being specifically selected from a larger population of resistors to provide the specified resistance (45Ω±10%) in the USB transceiver. |
| US08067955B2 |
Preventing erroneous operation in a system where synchronized operation is required
This invention is a method of operating a system having multiple finite state machines where each finite state machine generating a ready signal when its operation is complete. This invention senses the multiple ready signals and waits until all the finite state machines generate the ready signal. This waiting can be accomplished with a precharge-conditional discharge circuit used for voting. |
| US08067953B2 |
Semiconductor device for measuring ultra small electrical currents and small voltages
A semiconductor device for measuring ultra low currents down to the level of single electrons or low voltages comprises a first and a second voltage supply terminal, an input terminal for receiving an electrical current or being supplied with a voltage to be measured, a bipolar transistor having a base, an emitter and a collector, wherein a first PN junction is formed between the base and the collector and a second PN junction is formed between the base and the emitter, wherein the emitter is coupled to the input terminal and the base is coupled to the second voltage supply terminal, and wherein the first PN junction is designed for reverse biased operation as an avalanche diode, and a quenching and recharging circuit having a first terminal coupled to the first voltage supply terminal and a second terminal coupled to the collector of the bipolar transistors, the quenching and recharging circuit permitting operation of the first PN junction reverse biased above the breakdown voltage of the first PN junction. |
| US08067951B2 |
Method of expanding tester drive and measurement capability
A probe card assembly can comprise an interface, which can be configured to receive from a tester test signals for testing an electronic device. The probe card assembly can further comprise probes for contacting the electronic device and electronic driver circuits for driving the test signals to ones of the probes. |
| US08067950B2 |
Semiconductor device including chip
A semiconductor device in which a chip 10 is mounted on a board, includes: a pad group A provided on the chip 10 and electrically connected to an internal circuit in the chip 10; and a test pad pattern B provided on a region of the chip 10 except for a region of the chip 10 where the pad group A is provided. The pad group A includes: pads 12a formed on a principal surface of the chip 10; bumps 16a respectively formed on the pads 12a with a barrier metal layer interposed therebetween, and electrically connected to the board. The test pad pattern B includes: test pads 12b formed on the principal surface of the chip 10; test bumps 16b respectively formed on the test pads 12b with a test barrier metal layer interposed therebetween, and interconnects 11b electrically connecting adjacent ones of the test pads 12b. |
| US08067946B2 |
Method for repairing a transmission line in an electrical power distribution system
The invention provides a faulted circuit indicator apparatus with transmission line state display, as well as methods for using the apparatus. The faulted circuit indicator has a sensor that can be electrically coupled to an electrical conductor for collecting data relating to a state of the electrical conductor. The faulted circuit indicator also has a controller that is logically coupled to the sensor for receiving data and determining whether a fault condition has occurred on the electrical conductor. The faulted circuit indicator also has one or more indicators that are logically coupled to the controller for indicating whether a fault condition has occurred as well as the state of the electrical conductor. The state of the conductor may be the voltage, the temperature, or the vibration present on the conductor. |
| US08067945B2 |
Method and apparatus for monitoring a material medium
A material medium, such as an optical fiber or electrical cable, is commonly used to carry services, such as telecommunications or energy service. The current invention identifies the following problems which may be encountered when monitoring a material medium. They are: (1) requiring a time and labor intensive investigation to find a fault, (2) needing a significant change in a current material medium infrastructure to support a monitoring effort, or (3) reducing available bandwidth in a material medium due to a monitoring device intruding into the material medium to send data. These problems are solved, in accordance with a feature of the current invention, by monitoring a material medium with at least one diagnostic sensor, and using an electromagnetic (EM) signal, such as radio frequency (RF), signal to wirelessly transmit the sensor data. The diagnostic sensor may measure the operational health of the material medium, or may measure local environmental conditions around the material medium. Using an EM signal, such as RF, to wirelessly transmit sensor data allows for a fast, low labor monitoring approach. Additionally, it avoids a need to either; (1) transfer the data by intruding into the monitored material medium, or (2) set up an independent material medium system to transfer the data. |
| US08067941B2 |
System for streamer electrical resistivity survey and method for analysis of underground structure below a riverbed
A system for measuring electrical resistivity survey checks a border of bedrock or a thickness of a sedimentary layer in a riverbed of a river or lake within a short time. A method for analysis of an underground structure of a riverbed using the same is also provided. The system for streamer electric resistivity survey using a survey boat includes a streamer cable connected to the survey boat and having a plurality of electrodes attached thereto, a multi-channel resistivity meter loaded on the survey boat to measure electric resistivity from the plurality of electrodes, a first RTK GPS (Real Time Kinematic Global Positioning System) loaded on the survey boat to measure a position of the survey boat in real time, and a second RTK GPS installed to a tail of the streamer cable to measure a position of the tail in real time. |
| US08067937B2 |
Probe and system for electron spin resonance imaging
ESR imaging probe, system, and method are described. The probe is an ex-situ probe, the system comprises the probe and configured for operating the probe, and the method comprises detecting ESR from outside a resonator of the probe. An exemplary embodiment of a probe according to the invention comprises a cooled dielectric resonator, and one sided gradient coils. An exemplary embodiment of the system comprises source current that is configured to supply to the gradient coils currents of up to 100 A in pulses shorter than 1 μsec. |
| US08067935B2 |
System for sensing the opening and closing of a pharmaceutical container
Multiple embodiments of mechanisms for sensing the opening and closing of pharmaceutical containers are disclosed. In particular, the example sensing mechanisms of the invention trigger an automatic, built-in, electronic dosage reminder and open/close event logging operation while requiring no additional actions or otherwise changed behavior by the patient, in order to increase patient compliance with dosing regimens. Furthermore, certain embodiments of the sensing mechanisms are reliable and sufficiently low cost to be practical for use in commercial product applications. In one embodiment, the sensing mechanism includes two electrical conductors that have no electrical connection therebetween when the closure is not present on the container and a bridge conductor in the closure that provides an electrical connection therebetween when the closure is tightened onto the container. In this example embodiment, the state of the two electrical conductors may be monitored in order to sense a container opening and closing event. |
| US08067933B2 |
Device for locating a vehicle tied to a roadway
A cost-effective system provides reliable location information for locating a vehicle tied to a guideway. Reference markers are mounted to the guideway and scanning devices are disposed in the vehicle and generate at least one output signal when they pass a reference marker. The scanning devices are formed from several individual sensors which are extended in the driving direction with an average scanning length equal to or greater than a distance between neighboring reference markers. |
| US08067931B2 |
Fast voltage regulators for charge pumps
A digital multilevel memory system includes a charge pump and a voltage regulator for generating regulated high voltages for various memory operations. The charge pump may include a plurality of boost circuits to boost the output of the charge pump during a fast start up. Afterwards, the boost circuits are disabled to allow the charge pump to generate high voltages without boosting. The boost circuits may be successively enabled to boost the voltage. The boost circuits may be loadless. The voltage regulator may operate in an open loop and may include a resistive divider as a reference voltage for regulating the high voltage from the charge pump. The charge pump may include spread spectrum pump clocking to reduce electromagnetic inference for capacitor or inductor on-chip charge pumping. |
| US08067930B2 |
Input voltage detecting circuit and power supply having such input voltage detecting circuit
An input voltage detecting circuit includes an input circuit, a signal processing circuit and an output circuit. The input circuit is used for processing the intensity and the waveform of an input voltage, thereby generating a first signal, wherein the first signal and the input voltage have similar time sequences. The signal processing circuit is connected to the input circuit for reducing a first delaying time of the first signal, thereby generating a second signal having a second delaying time shorter than the first delaying time. The output circuit is connected to the signal processing circuit for processing the intensity and the waveform of the second signal, thereby generating the power status signal. If the input voltage is uninterrupted, the power status signal is in an uninterrupted status. If the input voltage is interrupted, the power status signal is in an interrupted status. |
| US08067929B2 |
High-side sensing of zero inductor current for step down DC-DC converter
A DC to DC converter circuit includes circuitry for generating a PWM waveform signal at a phase node of a DC to DC converter responsive to an input voltage and a monitor output voltage. The circuitry further includes a high side switching transistor connected between the input voltage and a phase node and a low side switching transistor connected between the phase node and ground. An output filter is connected to the circuitry for generating the PWM waveform signal. The output filter includes an inductor having a first side connected to the phase node and a second side connected to an output voltage node. Detection circuitry detects zero current crossings in the inductor responsive to a voltage across the high side switching transistor and a voltage across the low side switching transistor. |
| US08067928B2 |
DC-DC converter with gate voltage control based on output current
A DC-DC converter includes a high side transistor and a low side transistor connected in series between an input potential and a grounding potential, and an LC filter connected between a connection point of the both transistors and an output terminal. A control unit controls the gate potential of the high side transistor in an ON state and the gate potential of the low side transistor in an ON state according to a magnitude of a current output from the output terminal. |
| US08067927B2 |
Digital PWM controller
A control circuit for a multi-phase converter including an analog front-end circuit for receiving and processing an output voltage and current of the converter circuits and an average output current; a digital circuit for producing an output voltage reference for setting a desired output voltage of the converter; and an error circuit for comparing the output voltage reference and a parameter related to said output voltage and current for generating control signals for controlling the converter circuits, said error circuit including an Analog to Digital Converter circuit, further comprising a digital PWM generation circuit controlled by said Analog to Digital converter circuit for generating digital control signals for controlling the converter circuits. |
| US08067926B2 |
Power supply for a load control device
A power supply for a load control device generates a DC voltage and provides an asymmetrical output current, while drawing a substantially symmetrical input current. The power supply comprises a controllably conductive switching circuit for controllably charging an energy storage capacitor across which the DC voltage is produced. The energy storage capacitor begins charging at the beginning of a half-cycle and stops charging after a charging time in response to the magnitude of the DC voltage and the amount of time that the energy storage capacitor has been charging during the present half-cycle. The charging time is maintained substantially constant from one half-cycle to the next. The power supply is particularly beneficial for preventing asymmetrical current from flowing in a multiple location load control system having a master load control device supplying power to a plurality of remote load control devices all located on either the line-side or the load-side of the system. |
| US08067925B2 |
Hybrid power converter
Power converter circuits, structures, and methods are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a hybrid converter can include: (i) a first switching device controllable by a control signal; (ii) an inductor coupled to the first switching device and an output; and (iii) a control circuit configured to receive feedback from the output for generation of the control signal to control the first switching device, where the control circuit includes a first detection circuit configured to detect first and second output conditions, the control circuit being configured to operate the first switching device in a switch control in response to the control signal when the first output condition is detected, and to operate the first switching device in a linear control region when the second output condition is detected. |
| US08067921B2 |
Recharging device and recharging system using same
A recharging system for wireless charging comprising an electronic device and a recharging device. The electronic device comprises a first electromagnetic induction device and a rechargeable battery. The recharging device comprises a detection layer, a second electromagnetic induction device, and a driving device. The detection layer is configured for detecting the position of the electronic device. The driving device drives the second electromagnetic induction device to align with the first electromagnetic induction device. The second electromagnetic induction device is configured for inducing a current in the first electromagnetic induction device. |
| US08067920B2 |
Starting control apparatus and method for motor
An apparatus and method for controlling starting of a motor are disclosed. An exciting coil of a motor is excited by using a controller of an electronic refrigerator without having an extra excitation control circuit, to thereby simplify a component construction for controlling exciting of the motor and thus reduce complexity. The present invention includes: a main coil and an auxiliary coil (sub-coil); an exciting coil that generates an excitation current; a refrigerator control unit that outputs a control signal for controlling an application time of the excitation current when started; and a switch unit electrically connected with the exciting coil and supplying power to the exciting coil according to the control signal outputted from the refrigerator control unit. |
| US08067917B2 |
Hysteresis mitigation and control method
A system and control method mitigates hysteresis of an adjustable component in the system. A control module can allow small control changes to be effected to the component within limits of the component's and/or the system's normal hysteresis band. The control method can allow finer, more accurate and more aggressive control to be obtained from the component. The system and method can utilize two separate control regimes to control adjustments to the component. The first control regime can control changes larger than a hysteresis band and/or changes in a same direction as the last adjustment that was performed with the first control regime. The first control regime can be a feedback-based adjustment to the component. The second control regime can be utilized to control changes within the hysteresis band. The second control regime can use open-loop based adjustments to the component. |
| US08067910B2 |
Brushless motor
A brushless motor includes: a permanent magnet; a driving coil moving relative to the permanent magnet; a sensor coil disposed to the permanent magnet so as to generate a sensor coil induced voltage having a same phase of a driving coil induced voltage generated in the driving coil; and a driving circuit applying a driving voltage to the driving coil, the driving voltage having a same phase of the sensor coil induced voltage generated in the sensor coil. |
| US08067905B2 |
Power line preconditioner for improved LED intensity control
A switched preconditioner circuit is provided at the power input end of a light source to effectively drop the voltage of the light source to zero volts whenever the light source is required to be in an OFF state thereby eliminating the problem of unwanted current through the light source. The preconditioner circuit may include a terminal connected to a first power potential, a terminal connected to a power node at the power input end of the light source, and an input to receive a preconditioner control signal to place the preconditioner circuit in one of an ON state and an OFF state. The preconditioner circuit supplies the voltage to the power node in its ON state and effectively eliminates the voltage to the power node in its OFF state. The preconditioner circuit also may include a bleed path connected between the power node and a second or ground potential to shunt all power supplied to the power node when the preconditioner circuit input receives a signal to place the preconditioner circuit in the OFF state. |
| US08067900B2 |
Electronic device for driving LED strings
The present invention relates to an electronic device for driving at least a first channel and a second channel of light emitting diodes. The electronic device includes driving means having a first and a second driving portion for driving the first and the second channel of light emitting diodes separately, and configuration means for providing configurability of the driving means for using the driving means at least partially in a shared manner for more than one channel of light emitting diodes. |
| US08067895B1 |
Lamp adapter
The present invention provides a lamp adapter, including a first adapter, a second adapter and a short-circuit. These two adapters are separately coupled between two incoming ends of T5 lamp and T8 socket. The first adapter contains a circuit board, and the second adapter is used for the coupling of the other pin pitch of the lamp. The short-circuit enables functional short-circuiting of the starter of T8 socket, so that the current from the power supply is fed from both ends of T5 lamp to highlight T5 lamp through the circuit of first and second adapters. The shunt circuit is arranged between the connecting circuit (of the input inductor and T5 lamp connector terminal) and cathode loop. The T5 lamp can be mounted onto the T8 socket without changing any structure and components, thus realizing energy-saving and environmental protection with higher intensity of illumination. |
| US08067894B2 |
Light source system
A light source system capable of controlling a light emission amount of a light source section more accurately while keeping manufacturing costs low is provided. The light source system includes a light source, a light-sensing device detecting light from the light source, a calculation means, and a light source control means. The calculation means calculates a net light amount by subtracting a measurement environment component from a light amount detected by the light-sensing device. The measurement environment component is independent of a lighting state in the light source. The light source control means controls the light source on the basis of the net light amount obtained by the calculation means. |
| US08067893B2 |
Intelligent light fixture facilitating universal light bulb
An intelligent light fixture facilitates the use of a ‘universal’ light bulb having a wattage rating. A lamp dimmer circuit disposed within the fixture is in electrical communication between the AC line and a socket. A bulb test circuit within the fixture is operative to determine the maximum wattage of the bulb. A controller, also within the fixture includes a wattage select input. The controller is operative to determine the maximum wattage of the bulb using the bulb test circuit, compare the maximum wattage to the wattage select input and, if the maximum wattage is greater than the wattage select input, control the dimmer circuit to ensure that the power delivered to the bulb does not exceed the wattage select input. The bulb test circuit may determine the maximum wattage of the bulb by measuring the resistance of the bulb's filament or alternatively, by temporarily impressing line voltage across the bulb and measuring the current drawn by the bulb's filament. Alternative embodiments provide a wattage dial disposed on an adapter unit or directly on the threaded base of a bulb. |
| US08067891B2 |
A/C LED bulb
A light bulb includes an A/C driven LED lacking a phosphor coating, the LED covered by a lens having a phosphor coating. |
| US08067888B2 |
Organic light-emitting diode display device
This invention provides an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display device, in which a plurality of electro-luminescent units is sandwiched between a light reflective layer with an aperture array and a micro-lens array. A light absorbing layer is adjacent to a surface of the light reflective layer opposite to the electro-luminescent units. The ambient light entering the display can be focused to the apertures and directly projected unto the light absorbing layer to eliminate the ambient light. The contrast of the organic light-emitting diode display device is improved. |
| US08067887B2 |
Coated substrate and method of making same
Provided are containment structures having a substrate structure having a plurality of walls extending from a surface to define a space, wherein at least one of the walls has an overall negative slope; a first layer deposited in the space having a first surface energy no greater than 30 mN/m; and a second layer deposited on top of the first layer. |
| US08067884B2 |
LED lighting arrangement including a substantially spherical optical component having a surface partially coated with a light emitting phosphor
A lighting arrangement comprising: a light reflective enclosure; at least one radiation source housed within the enclosure and operable to generate excitation light of a first wavelength range; a substantially spherical optical component mounted over the enclosure opening and at least one phosphor operable to absorb at least a portion of the excitation light and to emit light of a second wavelength range, wherein light generated by the arrangement comprises the combined light of the first and second wavelength ranges and wherein the at least one phosphor material is provided as a layer on at least a part of the surface of the optical component that is enclosed within the volume of the enclosure when the component is mounted to the enclosure. |
| US08067883B2 |
Frit sealing of large device
A hermetically sealed device comprising a spacing unit and a resistive heating element desirably having a closed-loop structure and process for hermetically sealing a device by using such heating element and spacing unit. The frit can form multiple closed-loops to prevent crack propagation. The heating element can be advantageously made of a metal such as Invar® and/or Kovar®. The invention enables hermetic frit sealing with low residual stress in the seal for large-area displays. The invention is particularly advantageous for hermetic sealing of OLED display devices having a large area, such as those above 10 inches (25 cm). |
| US08067882B2 |
Sealing member for spark plug
A sealing member for a cylindrical spark plug having a metal shell with threaded ridges thereon to be screwed into a mounting hole of a combustion engine, the sealing member comprised of a piece of annular sheet material made of austenitic stainless steel or ferritic stainless steel that is folded back in a radial direction so as to form a region where at least two or more layers of the sheet material are overlapped in an axial direction. |
| US08067881B2 |
Light emitting device
A light emitting device comprises: a concave mirror having one focal point; a plurality of main light sources each of which is arranged between the focal point and a light reflection surface of the concave mirror, and emits light toward the light reflection surface; and a plurality of main lenses each of which is arranged between a corresponding one of the main light sources and the light reflection surface, refracts the light emitted from the corresponding main light source toward the light reflection surface, and produces a virtual image of the main light source on the focal point situated at a backside of the main light source. |
| US08067880B2 |
Flexural vibration element and electronic component
A flexural vibration element includes: a plurality of vibrating arms provided in parallel with each other; a connecting part connecting the vibrating arms; and one central supporting arm extending between the vibrating arms from the connecting part in parallel with the vibrating arms at equal distance from the arms. In the flexural vibration element, the connecting part has a groove formed on each of front and rear surfaces thereof, and the groove is provided in an area of the connecting part in which compressive stress and tensile stress due to flexural vibration of the vibrating arms alternately occur at a vibrating arm side and an opposite side of the vibrating arm side, in a width direction of the vibrating arms. |
| US08067878B1 |
Bladeless wind power generator
In a first embodiment, a wind to energy conversion system is constructed out of a number of modular power units (110), each modular power unit (110) comprised of 36 air jet tunnels (106). Each air jet tunnel (106) is constructed using a cantilever array mounted in a cascaded frame (104) with each cantilever (102) attached on one edge to a window edge of the frame (104). The cantilever (102) is constructed of a brass (130) layer sandwiched between two layers, each layer composed of an electrode (126) attached to a Poly Vinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) (128) layer. Each modular power unit (110) is mounted in a case (108), and a set of cases are mounted in a panel (114) attached to a pedestal (116). The cantilever arrays (117) are wired together into electrical regulating circuits that generate power with a high wind to power conversion efficiency. Other embodiments are presented. |
| US08067875B1 |
Networked structure of electroactive polymer-based artificial neuromuscular units
An artificial neuromuscular unit (ANMU) network comprising: a plurality of ANMUs, wherein each ANMU comprises an electroactive polymer (EAP) actuator layer and a uniquely addressable EAP logic layer coupled to the actuator layer; a plurality of inert, non-ion-conducting and non-charge-conducting interfaces mechanically coupled between the ANMUs such that the actuator layer of each ANMU is insulated from the actuator layers and logic layers of the other ANMUs; an EAP common conductor layer coupled to the logic layer of each ANMU such that the logic layer of each ANMU is interposed between the common conductor layer and the corresponding actuator layer; and wherein the logic layer of each ANMU is configured to control the transfer of energy to and from the common conductor layer and the corresponding actuator layer. |
| US08067873B2 |
Motor and the compressor including the same
A motor, namely, a motor with minimum loss and improved efficiency is disclosed. More specifically, a motor having enhanced starting torque performance and increased normal operation efficiency is disclosed. In the motor in which a rotor is started using induction torque generated as power is supplied to a coil of a stator, the rotor includes a rotor core, conductive bars arranged, along a circumferential direction, in an outer rim region of the rotor core, to generate an induction current, flux barriers formed in the rotor core, to interrupt flow of a magnetic flux, for generation of reluctance torque, and magnets provided in the rotor core, to generate a magnetic flux, for generation of magnetic torque. |
| US08067870B2 |
Motor and electronic apparatus having the same
The motor of the invention is an outer rotor type motor, and a rotor includes a cylindrical rotor frame that is opened at one end thereof in an axial direction, and a hollow cylindrical magnet attached to an inner periphery of the rotor frame. The magnet has a joining portion joined to an inside cylindrical portion of the rotor frame, and a protruding portion that further protrudes in the axial direction from one end, the outer diameter of the protruding portion is larger than the inner diameter of the rotor frame, and the joining portion is directly brought into close contact with a portion ranging from the one end to at least a portion of the inside cylindrical portion. |
| US08067865B2 |
Electric motor/generator low hydraulic resistance cooling mechanism
The present disclosure, in one form, provides an electric motor/generator low hydraulic resistance cooling mechanism including a hollow cooling stator case having an inner and outer coaxial surface. The inner surface defines a generally cylindric cavity for receiving a stator in heat transference contact with the inner surface. The outer surface has integrated spiral groove cooling passages that are defined by filleted rectangular cross sections. |
| US08067863B2 |
Detent force correcting
An apparatus comprises a linear electromagnetic actuator which has a series of ferromagnetic poles, coils, and a series of permanent magnets to interact with the poles to induce movement of the actuator along a path. The poles have non-uniform configurations. |
| US08067862B2 |
Linear motor actuator
Provided is a linear motor actuator which generates a sufficient thrust force and a retaining force and is remarkably smaller than conventional linear motor actuators. The linear motor actuator includes a base member (1) provided with a bottom plate (10) and a pair of side walls (11) and formed in a channel shape; a track rail (2) laid on the bottom plate along a longitudinal direction of the base member; a slide table (3) moving along the track rail; stator magnets (40) arranged on an inner side surface of each of side walls of the base member; and a pair of coil members (41) mounted to the slide table and opposed to the stator magnets provided to each of the side walls of the base member, thereby constituting a linear motor (4). |
| US08067860B2 |
Electrical device, in particular an electrical hand-held power tool
The invention is based on an electric device, in particular an electric hand tool, having a removable power supply unit (18, 70, 104), an accommodation region (16, 102, 132, 144, 156) for accommodating the power supply unit (18, 70, 104), and a locking device (20, 76, 114, 134, 146, 154) for locking the power supply unit (18, 70, 104) to the accommodation region (16, 102, 132, 144, 156). It is proposed that the locking device (20, 76, 114, 134, 146, 154) is provided for the purpose of unlocking the power supply unit (18, 70, 104) from a locked state—by means of a force which is exerted on the power supply unit (18, 70, 104) and moves the entire power supply unit (18, 70, 104) in relation to the accommodation region (16, 102, 132, 144, 156). |
| US08067859B2 |
Reverse polarity protection for MOSFETs
The invention relates to a control circuit and a corresponding method for controlling MOSFETs coupled to the control circuit. The MOSFETs are coupled to a load to couple the load to a power supply, or the MOSFETs are coupled to a generator. In case of inverted polarity, the control circuit switches the MOSFETs to their conducting state to prevent damaging the MOSFETs. |
| US08067858B2 |
Low-distortion voltage variable capacitor assemblies
An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising a first half cell comprising a circuit with two or more voltage variable capacitors (VVCs) configured in anti-series in which one or more of the two or more VVCs with the same bias voltage orientation as a signal voltage associated with the apparatus assume one capacitance and one or more of the two or more VVCs with the opposite bias voltage orientation as the signal voltage assume another capacitance, and a second half cell connected in parallel to the first half cell, comprising a circuit with two or more VVCs configured in anti series in which one or more of the two or more VVCs with the same bias voltage orientation as a signal voltage associated with the apparatus assume the same values as the anti-oriented VVCs in the first half cell and a one or more VVCs with the opposite bias voltage orientation as a signal voltage assume the same values as the like oriented VVCs in the first half cell. |
| US08067857B2 |
Redundant power supply systems and methods
A redundant power supply method is provided. The method includes communicatively coupling a load to a first source via a plurality of first power supplies and to a second source via a plurality of second power supplies. The method further includes bi-directionally communicatively coupling a controller to the plurality of first power supplies and to the plurality of second power supplies. The method includes activating a first portion of the plurality of first power supplies to supply power to the load, wherein the controller determines the number (“N”) of first power supplies activated, and activating at least one of the plurality of second power supplies to supply power to the load. The method also includes monitoring for at least one fault condition in each of the active first power supplies and in each of the active second power supplies. |
| US08067855B2 |
Power supply circuits
This invention is generally concerned with power supply circuits, and more particularly, with circuits to supply power to a mains supply, such as domestic grid mains, from a photovoltaic device. A photovoltaic power conditioning circuit for providing power from a photovoltaic device to an alternating current mains power supply line, the circuit comprising: a DC input to receive DC power from said photovoltaic device; an AC output configured for direct connection to said AC mains power supply line; a DC-to-AC converter coupled to said DC input and to said AC output to convert DC power from said photovoltaic device to AC power for output onto said power supply line; and an electronic controller directly coupled to said power supply line to measure a voltage of said power supply line and a current in said supply line and to control said DC-to-AC converter responsive to said measuring. |
| US08067847B1 |
Variable speed machine assembly and method for making the same
A variable speed machine assembly includes an input shaft, a variable speed magnetically geared generator coupled to the input shaft, an electrical machine coupled to the input shaft, and a power converter coupled to the variable speed magnetically geared generator and the electrical machine. The power converter is configured to use electrical power output by the electrical machine to control a frequency of power output by the variable speed magnetically geared generator. |
| US08067839B2 |
Stacked semiconductor package and method for manufacturing the same
Disclosed are a stacked semiconductor package and a method for manufacturing the same. The method for manufacturing a stacked semiconductor package includes preparing a substrate formed with a seed metal layer; laminating semiconductor chips having via holes aligned with one another on the seed metal layer to form a semiconductor chip module; and growing a conductive layer inside of the via holes using the seed metal layer to form a conductive growth layer inside of the via holes. |
| US08067838B2 |
Semiconductor device having pad structure for preventing and buffering stress of silicon nitride film
A semiconductor device having a pad structure for preventing a stress of a silicon nitride film. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a lower structure formed on the semiconductor substrate, a first insulation film formed on the lower structure, a first metal layer coupled to the lower structure through a first metal contact in the first insulation film, a second metal layer formed on the first metal layer, and a plurality of dummy gates having a concentric square structure formed at the lower portion of the pad region on the second metal layer. |
| US08067837B2 |
Metallization structure over passivation layer for IC chip
A semiconductor chip suited for being electrically connected to a circuit element includes a line and a bump. The bump is connected to the line and is adapted to be electrically connected to the line. A plane that is horizontal to an active surface of the semiconductor chip is defined. The area that the connection region of the line and the bump is projected on the plane is larger than 30,000 square microns or has an extension distance larger than 500 microns. |
| US08067836B2 |
Semiconductor device with reduced increase in copper film resistance
A semiconductor device includes an insulating film including oxygen formed over a semiconductor substrate, a recess formed in the insulating film, a refractory metal film formed on the inner wall of the recess, a metal film including copper, manganese, and nitrogen formed on the refractory metal film, and a copper film formed on the metal film to fill in the recess. |
| US08067832B2 |
Embedded integrated circuit package system and method of manufacture thereof
A method of manufacture of an embedded integrated circuit package system includes: forming a first conductive pattern on a first structure; connecting a first integrated circuit die, having bumps on a first active side, directly on the first conductive pattern by the bumps; forming a substrate forming encapsulation to cover the first integrated circuit die and the first conductive pattern; forming a channel in the substrate forming encapsulation; and applying a conductive material in the channel. |
| US08067831B2 |
Integrated circuit package system with planar interconnects
An integrated circuit package system is provided including forming a first substrate, mounting a first integrated circuit to the first substrate, and forming first planar interconnects in contact with the first integrated circuit and electrically connecting the first integrated circuit to the first substrate. |
| US08067829B2 |
System and method for multi-chip module die extraction and replacement
A system and method are provided in which a first chip in a stacked multi-chip module configuration is affixed via one or more adhesion layers to a first portion of a partitioned interposer unit. Planar partitions of the interposer are physically bonded via multiple solder “bumps,” which possess high tensile strength but low resistance to horizontal shear force or torque. A second chip is affixed via one or more adhesion layers to the second portion of the partitioned interposer. The chips may thus be separated by horizontally and oppositely shearing or twisting the first and second portions of the partitioned interposer away from one another. |
| US08067826B2 |
Power device package comprising metal tab die attach paddle (DAP) and method of fabricating the package
A metal tab die attach paddle (DAP) disposed between the lead frame and a power device die in a power device package reduces the stress exerted on the semiconductor power device die caused by the different coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) of the semiconductor power device die and the lead frame. In addition the power device package substantially prevents impurities from penetrating into the power device package by increasing the surface creepage distance of a sealant resulting from the metal tab DAP and an optional swaging of the lead frame. |
| US08067821B1 |
Flat semiconductor package with half package molding
In accordance with the present invention, there are provided multiple embodiments of a semiconductor package, each embodiment including a uniquely configured leadframe sized and configured to maximize the available number of exposed leads in the semiconductor package. More particularly, each embodiment of the semiconductor package of the present invention includes a generally planar die paddle defining multiple peripheral edge segments and a plurality of leads, the exposed portions of the bottom surfaces of which are segregated into at least two concentric rows. Connected to the top surface of the die paddle is at least one semiconductor die which is electrically connected to at least some of the leads of each row. At least portions of the die paddle, the leads, and the semiconductor die are encapsulated by a package body, the bottom surfaces of the die paddle and the leads of both rows thereof being exposed in a common exterior surface of the package body. In certain embodiments of the present invention, the top surfaces of at least some of leads of the leadframe are also exposed in an exterior surface of the package body. |
| US08067817B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same
A semiconductor device includes a ferroelectric capacitor formed over a semiconductor substrate, wherein the ferroelectric capacitor including a lower electrode, a ferroelectric film formed on the lower electrode, and an upper electrode formed on the ferroelectric film, and the upper electrode including a first conductive film formed of a first conductive noble metal oxide, and a second conductive film formed of a metal nitride compound formed on the first conductive film. |
| US08067814B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same
In the present invention, a first circuit pattern 3 composing a semiconductor element is formed on the front side of a substrate 1, a first insulating layer 2 is formed on the first circuit pattern 3, solder electrodes 5 for external connection are formed on the first insulating layer 2, a second insulating layer 6 is formed on the backside of the substrate 1, a second circuit pattern 7 is formed on the second insulating layer 6, through vias 8 are formed to connect the first circuit pattern 3 and the second circuit pattern 7, chip passive components 9 are placed on the second circuit pattern 7, and the backside of the substrate is integrally molded with epoxy resin 10 such that the epoxy resin 10 covers the chip passive components 9. |
| US08067812B2 |
Acceleration sensor and method of producing the same
An acceleration sensor includes a weight; a base portion, a beam; and a piezo resistance element. The weight is arranged to displace upon receiving acceleration. The base portion is disposed around the weight apart from the weight. The beam has one end portion connected to the weight and the other end portion connected to the base portion. The beam also has a thick layer portion and a thin layer portion having a thickness smaller than that of the thick layer portion. The piezo resistance element is disposed over the thick layer portion and the thin layer portion. |
| US08067810B2 |
Self-actuating RF MEMS device by RF power actuation
Systems and methods for controlling a micro electromechanical device using power actuation are disclosed. The disclosed micro electromechanical systems comprise at least one electrostatically actuatable micro electromechanical device and an actuation device. The micro electromechanical device comprises a first conductor and a second conductor having a moveable portion which in use may be attracted by the first conductor as a result of a predetermined actuation power. The actuation device comprises a high frequency signal generator for generating at least part of the actuation power by means of a predetermined high frequency signal with a frequency higher than the mechanical resonance frequency of the moveable portion of the micro electromechanical device. |
| US08067800B2 |
Super-junction trench MOSFET with resurf step oxide and the method to make the same
A super-junction trench MOSFET with Resurf Stepped Oxide is disclosed. The inventive structure can apply additional freedom for better optimization and manufacturing capability by tuning thick oxide thickness to minimize influence of charge imbalance, trapped charges, etc. . . . . Furthermore, the fabrication method can be implemented more reliably with lower cost. |
| US08067798B2 |
Semiconductor device
The semiconductor device of the present invention includes a first conductive type semiconductor layer; a second conductive type source region formed in a surface layer portion of the semiconductor layer; a groove formed by digging in the source region from a surface thereof; an insulating film laminated on the semiconductor layer to cover a surface of the semiconductor layer; a contact hole penetrating through the insulating film in a layer thickness direction at least at a position facing the groove; a wiring formed on the insulating film; and a contact plug embedded in the contact hole so that a bottom portion thereof enters the groove to electrically connect the wiring and the source. |
| US08067794B2 |
Conductive layers for hafnium silicon oxynitride films
Electronic apparatus and methods of forming the electronic apparatus include a HfSiON film on a substrate for use in a variety of electronic systems. The HfSiON film may be structured as one or more monolayers. Electrodes to a dielectric containing a HfSiON may be structured as one or more monolayers of titanium nitride, tantalum, or combinations of titanium nitride and tantalum. |
| US08067793B2 |
Semiconductor device including storage capacitor with yttrium oxide capacitor dielectric
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device with high response speed and high reliability. In the method for manufacturing a semiconductor device of the invention, a bonding layer is formed over a substrate, an insulating film and a storage capacitor portion lower electrode are formed over the bonding layer, a single crystal silicon layer is formed over the insulating film, a storage capacitor portion insulating film is formed over the storage capacitor portion lower electrode, a wiring is formed over the storage capacitor portion insulating film, a channel forming region and a low concentration impurity region are formed over the single crystal silicon layer, and a gate insulating film and a gate electrode are formed over the single crystal silicon layer. The storage capacitor portion insulating film is formed by depositing a YSZ film with a single crystal silicon layer used as a base film, whereby the permittivity increases and thus the leakage current from the storage capacitor portion is suppressed. |
| US08067789B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit device
To provide a semiconductor integrated circuit device advantageous against EM and ESD. A plurality of I/O cells; a power wire formed of a plurality of interconnect layers over the above-described I/O cells; a bonding pad formed in an upper layer of the power wire and in a position corresponding to the I/O cell; and lead-out areas capable of electrically coupling the I/O cell to the bonding pad are provided. The above-described power wire includes a first power wire and a second power wire, and the above-described I/O cell includes first elements coupled to the first power wire and second elements coupled to the second power wire. The first element is placed on the first power wire side, and the second element is placed on the second power wire side. The first power wire and the second power wire can allow for a high current due to the interconnect layers over the I/O cells, thus having robustness against EM and ESD. |
| US08067783B2 |
Radiation-emitting chip comprising at least one semiconductor body
A chip includes at least one semiconductor body having a radiation-emitting region, and at least one first contact region which is provided for making electrical contact with the semiconductor body and is spaced apart laterally from the radiation-emitting region. An electrically conductive first contact layer which is transmissive to the emitted radiation and which connects a surface of the semiconductor body, is situated on the radiation exit side of the chip to the first contact region. The surface is free of the radiation-absorbing contact structures. |
| US08067778B2 |
Ultraviolet light emitting diode package
An ultraviolet light emitting diode package for emitting ultraviolet light is disclosed. The ultraviolet light emitting diode package comprises an LED chip emitting light with a peak wavelength of 350 nm or less, and a protective member provided so that surroundings of the LED chip is covered to protect the LED chip, the protective member having a non-yellowing property to energy from the LED chip. |
| US08067775B2 |
Thin film transistor with two gate electrodes
As a display device has a higher definition, the number of pixels, gate lines, and signal lines are increased. When the number of the gate lines and the signal lines are increased, a problem of higher manufacturing cost, because it is difficult to mount an IC chip including a driver circuit for driving of the gate and signal lines by bonding or the like. A pixel portion and a driver circuit for driving the pixel portion are provided over the same substrate, and at least part of the driver circuit includes a thin film transistor using an oxide semiconductor interposed between gate electrodes provided above and below the oxide semiconductor. Therefore, when the pixel portion and the driver portion are provided over the same substrate, manufacturing cost can be reduced. |
| US08067773B2 |
Pixel unit structure of self-illumination display with low-reflection
A self-illumination display is provided, including a first substrate, a light-absorbing structure, a filter layer, a driving circuit unit, and a self-illumination unit. The light-absorbing structure and the filter layer are juxtaposedly disposed over the first substrate. The driving circuit unit is disposed over and shielded by the light-absorbing structure. The self-illumination unit is disposed over the filter layer, including a light-transmissible electrode, a light emitting layer, and a black electrode. The self-illumination unit is disposed over the filter layer, including a light-transmissible electrode, a light emitting layer, and a black electrode. The light-transmissible electrode is disposed over the filter layer while the light emitting layer and the black electrode are sequentially tiered on the light-transmissible electrode. The light-absorbing structure, the filter layer and the black electrode together reduce the reflection of the ambient light and enhance the image contrast. |
| US08067772B2 |
Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof
An object is to provide a semiconductor device with improved reliability and for which a defect due to an end portion of a semiconductor layer provided in an island-shape is prevented, and a manufacturing method thereof. A structure includes an island-shaped semiconductor layer provided over a substrate, an insulating layer provided over a top surface and a side surface of the island-shaped semiconductor layer, and a gate electrode provided over the island-shaped semiconductor layer with the insulating layer interposed therebetween. In the insulating layer provided to be in contact with the island-shaped semiconductor layer, a region that is in contact with the side surface of the island-shaped semiconductor layer is made to have a lower dielectric constant than a region over the top surface of the island-shaped semiconductor layer. |
| US08067769B2 |
Wafer level package structure, and sensor device obtained from the same package structure
A wafer level package structure with a plurality of compact sensors such as acceleration sensors and gyro sensors is provided. This package structure is composed of a semiconductor wafer with plural sensor units, and a pair of package wafers bonded to both surfaces of the semiconductor wafer. Each of the sensor units has a frame having an opening, a movable portion held in the opening to be movable relative to the frame, and a detecting portion for outputting an electric signal according to a positional displacement of the movable portion. Since the semiconductor wafer is bonded to each of the package wafers by a solid-phase direct bonding without diffusion between a surface-activated region formed on the frame and a surface-activated region formed on the package wafer, it is possible to prevent that variations in sensor characteristics occur due to residual stress at the bonding interface. |
| US08067764B2 |
Electroactive materials
There is provided an electroactive material having Formula I wherein: Q is the same or different at each occurrence and can be O, S, Se, Te, NR, SO, SO2, or SiR3; R is the same or different at each occurrence and can be hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, alkenyl, or alkynyl; R1 through R8 are the same or different and can be hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, halogen, hydroxyl, aryloxy, alkoxy, alkenyl, alkynyl, amino, alkylthio, phosphino, silyl, —COR, —COOR, —PO3R2, —OPO3R2, or CN. |
| US08067763B2 |
Quantum dot solar cell with conjugated bridge molecule
A solar cell including a quantum dot, an electron conductor, and a conjugated bridge molecule disposed between the quantum dot and the electron conductor. The conjugated bridge molecule may include a quantum dot anchor that bonds to the quantum dot and an electron conductor anchor that bonds to the electron conductor. In some instances, the quantum dot anchor and/or the electron conductor anchor may independently include two anchoring moieties that can form ring structures with the quantum dot and/or the electron conductor. The solar cell may further include a hole conductor that is configured to reduce the quantum dot once the quantum dot absorbs a photon and ejects an electron through the conjugated bridge molecule and into the electron conductor. |
| US08067758B2 |
Nano-structured nuclear radiation shielding
The present (or current) nuclear shielding is bulky and difficult to handle due to the reduced stopping power of the neutral radiations (X, gamma, n) in materials. It is proven that these radiations are reflecting at grazing incidence angles on special substrates called super-mirrors that contain nano-layers of various materials. The usage of nano-structures in an ordered manner or of nano-tubes may create inside the nano-structure the super-mirror reflection conditions and makes these nano-structures act like wave-guide for this neutral radiation driving it and turning at angles greater than 90 degrees requiring a total thickness a few microns only. The usage of ferro or piezo electric nano-structures generates a “shield” structure that has the wave-guides inside with the path dependent on a control voltage. The resultant device is a kind of shield that can be applied inside the core for nuclear reactor criticality control, making an electric control of the power level by adjusting the shielding transmission or outside for minimizing the nuclear reactor shielding. Other devices such as X, n imaging device, or radiation funneling to increase the efficiency of thin absorbents use are some of the potential applications. |
| US08067755B2 |
Production device and production method for an optical device component having a grating structure
A production device and a production method for a grating-type optical component enabling formation of a variety types of FBGs using a single phase mask and an optical component made by the production method or production device for a grating-type optical component are provided. The method involves diffusing at least one of hydrogen or deuterium into an optical fiber and altering the refractive index of the optical fiber by irradiating the fiber with non-interfering UV lamp light. |
| US08067753B2 |
Electron beam writing apparatus and method
A Z stage is placed on an XY stage in avoidance of an area to which a mark table is fixed. The mask M is placed on a holding mechanism provided on the Z stage. A middle value of the range adjustable by the focal adjustment mechanism is made coincident with the height of the mark table. The height of the mark table is measured and the heights of plural measurement points of the mask M are measured. The Z stage is moved in such a manner that the height of a middle value between highest and lowest values of the heights of these measurement points coincides with the height of the mark table. |
| US08067750B2 |
Area sterilizer and method of disinfection
An ultraviolet area sterilizer or disinfector is incorporated into a building structure where concern exists regarding the presence of pathogenic bacteria on environmental surfaces. Ultraviolet C (UV-C) generators generate UV-C that is directed to architectural partitions of an enclosed area. The architectural partitions reflect UV-C to kill pathogens in the enclosed area. The device transmits a calculated dose of UV-C from a fixture mounted to an architectural partition in the enclosed area. Once an effective cumulative dose of UV-C has been reflected to radiation sensors, as measured by the sensors, the device shuts down. |
| US08067747B2 |
Parallel plate electrode arrangement apparatus and method
A system for guiding an ion beam along an axis (Z), comprises at least one section having upper flat plate strip electrodes (Iu, 2u, 3u, 4u and 5u) and lower flat plate strip electrodes (Id, 2d, 3d, 4d and 5d) for producing at least one electric field of substantially symmetric in a parallel direction and substantially antisymmetric in a perpendicular direction with respect to a plane including a beam axis and a fringe-field boundary that is located at the end of the at least one section. |
| US08067746B2 |
Radiation image capturing system
The present invention relates to a radiation image capturing system. A radiation detector of a radiation detecting cassette detects a radiation that has passed through a patient, and an accumulated exposed radiation dose calculator calculates an accumulated exposed radiation dose by accumulating radiation image information detected by the radiation detector, at every image capturing. The calculated accumulated exposed radiation dose is transmitted, together with cassette ID information, to a console. In the console, a status determining unit compares the accumulated exposed radiation dose with an allowable accumulated exposed radiation dose for the radiation detecting cassette to determine the status of the radiation detecting cassette, and issues a warning based on the determined status. |
| US08067736B2 |
Electromagnetic radiation detector with nanowire thermometer and method for producing same
The electromagnetic radiation detector comprises at least one membrane suspended above a substrate by at least one nanowire. The nanowire forms a thermoelement comprising an electrically conducting core and external layer, respectively doped of different types and insulated form one another by an electrical insulation layer. When the substrate and membrane are at different temperatures, the nanowires constitutes a thermometer providing measurement signals, by Seebeck effect, representative of heating the membrane. |
| US08067734B2 |
Target marker having quantum cascade laser for thermally marking a target
A method of marking a target includes intersecting a thermal infrared beam from a handheld housing at room temperature with the target, a portion of a beam path extending from the housing to the target being substantially optically direct. The method also includes viewing the intersected beam with a remote thermal imaging device. |
| US08067727B2 |
Portable composite bonding inspection system
In a surface inspection system for detecting particles on a surface, a light source mounted to illuminate the surface provides multiple wavelength ranges of electromagnetic radiation. An optical detector produces an image of the surface. An optical signal is produced indicative of returned electromagnetic radiation at each of a plurality of the multiple wavelength ranges from a field of view on the surface. A processor operating on the optical signals resolves presence of a contaminant as a function of the optical signals, and produces a contaminant signal responsive to presence of a contaminant. A heating means positioned to evolve contaminants from the surface is responsively coupled to be activated in response to a contaminant signal. The multiple wavelength ranges comprise ultraviolet, visible, and infrared wavelengths. The processor comprises means to perform false color contrast stretching. |
| US08067726B2 |
Universal instrument calibration system and method of use
Certain embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for electromagnetic calibration of an instrument. Certain embodiments provide an electromagnetic instrument calibration system including electromagnetic receiver electronics for receiving electromagnetic field information from an electromagnetic transmitter. The system also includes a calibration mount configured to position the electromagnetic receiver electronics stationary with respect to the calibration mount for calibrating an instrument having an electromagnetic transmitter using the calibration mount and the electromagnetic receiver electronics. Certain embodiments provide a method for calibration of an instrument based on electromagnetic field information including providing a calibration mount accommodating a plurality of instruments in a known position and orientation and having electromagnetic calibration electronics positioned with respect to the calibration mount; receiving electromagnetic field information for an instrument with respect to a known position of the calibration mount and electromagnetic calibration electronics; and calibrating at least a portion of the instrument. |
| US08067720B2 |
Image sensing device and imaging system
An image sensing device includes a pixel array, a plurality of column amplification units each including a setting unit, and a plurality of reference signal supply units. A first reference signal and a second reference signal are common to a plurality of columns in the pixel array. Each of the plurality of column amplification units amplifies the difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal to output the amplified difference, or amplifies each of the first reference signal and the second reference signal to output the amplified first reference signal and the amplified second reference signal. The setting unit of each amplification unit sets an amplification factor which is determined in accordance with a signal output from each of the plurality of column amplification units so as to reduce variations of the amplification factor between the plurality of column amplification units. |
| US08067718B2 |
Method and apparatus for probing
A probe comprises a small “consumable” probe substrate permanently mounted to a circuit-under-test. The probe substrate includes a high-fidelity signal pathway, which is inserted into a conductor of the circuit-under-test, and a high-bandwidth sensing circuit which senses the signal-under-test as it propagates along the signal pathway. The probe substrate further includes a probe socket for receiving a detachable interconnect to a measurement instrument. Power is alternatively supplied to the probe by the circuit-under-test or the interconnect. When the interconnect is attached, control signals from the measurement instrument are supplied to the sensing circuit and the output of the sensing circuit is supplied to the measurement instrument. In one embodiment, the sensing circuit uses high-breakdown transistors in order to avoid the use of passive attenuation. In a further embodiment, the sensing circuit includes broadband directional sensing circuitry. |
| US08067715B2 |
Heated construction box
A heated construction box includes a heater constructed for generating heat within the construction box when connected to a power source. The construction box may include a dehumidifier, extendable supports and/or a retractable power cord assembly, as well as a cooled compartment, a hot plate and/or a microwave oven for heating or cooling solvent, paint, lacquer, epoxy, sealant, caulk, tar and the like, or food and beverage. |
| US08067711B2 |
Deposition apparatus and methods
Microspray apparatus and methods involve injecting powdered material into a plasma gas stream. The material comprises first and second component powders. The second powder is a majority by the weight of the powdered material. The first powder acts as a melting point depressant. The first and second powders may have similar compositions but with the first powder including a greater quantity of a melting point depressant element. |
| US08067709B2 |
Haptic steering wheel switch device and haptic steering wheel switch system including the same
The present invention provides a haptic steering wheel switch device and a haptic steering wheel switch system including the same. The haptic steering wheel switch device comprises: a housing mounted in a steering wheel; a printed circuit board disposed inside of the housing; and a haptic rotary switch unit including a haptic rotary switch driver disposed in the housing and adapted to generate a rotational force in response to an electrical signal, a haptic rotary switching power transfer unit adapted to transfer the rotational force generated from the haptic rotary switch driver, and a haptic rotary switch knob exposed outside of the housing and connected to the haptic rotary switching power transfer unit to receive the rotational force from the haptic rotary switching power transfer unit. |
| US08067708B2 |
Electrical appliance housing
An electrical appliance housing including a hard plastic housing body defining a switch-actuating aperture. The aperture is sealed with a soft plastic membrane. An actuating button is fastened to a hard plastic base that is bonded to the membrane. |
| US08067706B2 |
Timer for operating electric appliances at Saturday and Holyday according to Jewish religious law
A control device (timer) enabling activation of electric appliances for a required time period at Saturday and Holyday within the frame of Jewish religious law is disclosed. The timer comprises a first timing device, activating the appliance from time to time for a short period, and then deactivating it, and a second timing device, which, when activated manually or at any other way, delays the appliance deactivation by the first timing device for a required time period, and so makes the appliance usable for this period, beginning from the nearest initiation thereof by the first timing device. The timer can be a stand alone device or built into the appliance. |
| US08067705B2 |
Draft shield for a weighing apparatus that has friction reduction protrusions near the bottom of the sliding doors to engage the top of the guide grooves
A lower portion of a slide door of a windshield for a weighing apparatus is located in a guide groove of the main body of the windshield, along which guide groove the slide door opens and closes. A protrusion is protruded in a lower portion of the slide door and the protrusion engages an upper face of a frame in which the guide groove is formed. The protrusion supports weight of the slide door, and is slid on the upper face of the frame while the slide door does not come into contact with a bottom surface of the guide groove, thereby opening and closing the slide door. |
| US08067704B2 |
System and method for weighing particulate material moving on a conveyor
A system and method for weighing varying throughput of conveyed particulate material. The system has a weighing unit for measuring weight of material conveyed on a span of the conveyor and a speed monitoring unit to monitor the speed of the conveyor. A control module is programmed to calculate the instant value of material conveyed per unit length of the conveyor. An output from the control module reduces conveyor speed in response to a reduction in measured weight of material conveyed and increases conveyor speed in response to an increase in measured weight of material conveyed. High accuracy of measurement of the weight of particulate material being conveyed even when the conveyor is lightly loaded. |
| US08067703B1 |
Protective cable frame for use with low voltage bracket or electrical box
A protective cable frame for providing a portal for routing low voltage cables through a wall. The protective cable frame includes a substantially rectangular frame portion with an inner periphery having a rounded surface, two ends, and arms extending from each end. The arms include an outer bore and an inner slot therein. The inner slots enable insertion of fasteners for direct mounting of the cable frame to a low voltage bracket or an electrical box and permit squaring of the cable frame with respect to the wall. The outer bores in the arms of the protective cable frame enable receipt of fasteners for mounting a cover plate thereto. The protective cable frame is capable of receiving low voltage cables for routing them through a wall to an adjacent room. The rounded surface on the inner periphery provides a gentle bend radius to cables routed there through. |
| US08067700B2 |
Via structure of printed circuit board
A printed circuit board (200) includes at least one via (280) defined therein, the via has an upper cap (220) formed on a top surface of the PCB, and a lower cap (240) formed on a bottom surface of the PCB. A conductive hole (290) is defined in the PCB having a plated sidewall (230) plated on its inner surface, and a first clearance hole (271) is defined in a first inner layer (260) of the PCB around the sidewall. A first transmission line (210) defined on the top surface of the PCB is coupled to the upper cap, a first void (273) extending from a boundary of the first clearance hole being disposed along the layout direction of the first transmission line. |
| US08067697B2 |
Flexible printed circuit board for light emitting diode backlight unit and method of fabricating the same
A flexible printed circuit board (PCB) for a light emitting diode backlight unit includes a flexible base film; a plurality of metal lines on a first surface of the flexible base film; a cover layer on the metal lines and covering a center portion of the first surface of the flexible base film; a first gold-plating pattern on the metal lines and at both ends of the first surface of the flexible base film; a metal pattern on a second surface of the flexible base film and including a first sub-pattern at one end of the second surface, a second sub-pattern at the other end of the second surface and a plurality of third-sub patterns between the first and second sub-patterns of the metal pattern; and a second gold-plating pattern on the metal pattern and including a fourth sub-pattern on the first sub-pattern, a fifth sub-pattern on the second sub-pattern, and a plurality of sixth-sub patterns each on the third sub-patterns, wherein a first groove between a first double-layered pattern of the first sub-pattern and the fourth sub-pattern and a second double-layered pattern of the third sub-pattern and the sixth sub-pattern, a second groove between a third double-layered pattern of the second sub-pattern and the fifth sub-pattern and a second double-layered pattern of the third sub-pattern and the sixth sub-pattern, and a third groove between adjacent second double-layered patterns respectively expose a portion of the second surface of the flexible base film. |
| US08067696B2 |
Printed circuit board and method for manufacturing same
A printed circuit board includes an insulating layer, a copper layer formed on the insulating layer and a reinforcing layer formed on the copper layer at opposite sides of the given portion. The copper layer includes a plurality of electrical traces at a given portion thereof. A thickness of the reinforcing layer increases in a direction away from the given portion. A method for manufacturing the printed circuit board is also provided in this disclosure. |
| US08067694B2 |
High voltage cable
An extruded high voltage cable including a conductor with at least three concentric layers of helically wound metal wires, an extruded inner conducting layer surrounding the conductor, and an extruded electrical insulation arranged outside the inner conducting layer. The two outermost layers of the conductor have the same lay direction. |
| US08067684B2 |
Filter device and electronic musical instrument using the filter device
In a filter device, a filter coefficient calculation circuit has a parameter table. The parameter table stores a plurality of sets of filter coefficients associated with a first parameter based on a frequency and a second parameter based on respective plurality of levels representing a degree of attenuation or enhancement of a gain of a filter in filter characteristics. The filter coefficient calculation circuit extracts a set of filter coefficients from a parameter table with the use of the first parameter and the second parameter determined according to a frequency and a strength of a musical sound signal, and outputs the extracted set of filter coefficients to the filter. The filter circuit performs filter processing for the musical sound signal, based on the filter characteristics determined by the set of filter coefficients. |
| US08067682B2 |
Music score recognition method and system thereof
A music score recognition method and a system thereof are provided. In the present method, a music score is detected and at least one measure in the music score is obtained by searching bar lines, so as to plan a recognition order according to the position of each measure in the music score. Next, an image capturing apparatus is controlled to capture one of the measures according to the recognition order, and music information in the captured measure is recognized and outputted immediately. The method follows the recognition order to repeatedly perform the steps of controlling the image apparatus, recognizing the captured measure, and outputting the music information on the other measures until each of the measures has been processed. |
| US08067681B2 |
Pepper hybrid E 499524
Hybrid pepper cultivar designated ‘E 499524’ which is a Sweetbite type and suitable for covered cultivation and open field, is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of hybrid pepper cultivar ‘E 499524’ and to the plants of hybrid pepper cultivar ‘E 499524’. The invention also relates to methods for producing a pepper plant, either inbred or hybrid, by crossing the hybrid cultivar ‘E 499524’ with itself or another pepper cultivar. The invention further relates to methods for producing other pepper cultivars derived from the hybrid ‘E 499524’. |
| US08067679B1 |
Soybean cultivar 92394228
A soybean cultivar designated 92394228 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 92394228, to the plants of soybean 92394228, to plant parts of soybean cultivar 92394228, and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing soybean cultivar 92394228 with itself or with another soybean variety. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. This invention also relates to soybean cultivars, or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean variety 92394228, to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 92394228, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing the cultivar 92394228 with another soybean cultivar. |
| US08067678B2 |
Soybean cultivar 94222415
A soybean cultivar designated 94222415 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 94222415, to the plants of soybean 94222415, to plant parts of soybean cultivar 94222415, and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing soybean cultivar 94222415 with itself or with another soybean variety. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. This invention also relates to soybean cultivars, or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean variety 94222415, to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 94222415, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing the cultivar 94222415 with another soybean cultivar. |
| US08067676B2 |
Soybean cultivar 83121431
A soybean cultivar designated 83121431 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 83121431, to the plants of soybean 83121431, to plant parts of soybean cultivar 83121431, and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing soybean cultivar 83121431 with itself or with another soybean variety. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. This invention also relates to soybean cultivars, or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean variety 83121431, to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 83121431, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing the cultivar 83121431 with another soybean cultivar. |
| US08067673B2 |
Methods for plant regeneration, transformation and production of insect resistant transgenic Okra
The present description concerns methods for regeneration of whole plant from the explants obtained from the Abelmoschus species preferably A. esculentus. In addition the present description also concerns methods for transforming okra plant, plant cells and tissues either with the use of recombinant Agrobacterium strain or by bombarding the explants with tungsten or gold particles coated with DNA sequences of interest. An efficient method to isolate embryos from imbibed seeds of okra is also described which enables the use of young meristematic cells of plumule tip for efficient regeneration and transformation of okra plants. Further, transformed okra plants, plant cells and tissues for improved agronomic/non agronomic traits and insect resistance are produced either by using marker based or marker free systems. |
| US08067672B2 |
Flower tissue-specific promoter and uses thereof
A flower tissue-specific promoter, and uses thereof, is the promoter for Phalaenopsis 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthase, ACC synthase gene PtACS2, and has a sequence as shown in SEQ ID No: 2. The invention further provides a gene expression cassette, which is composed of a promoter having a DNA sequence as SEQ ID No: 2, and a polynucleotide with an open reading frame linked to the 3′ end of said promoter, wherein said promoter can activate transcription of said polynucleotide in an organism containing said gene expression cassette. The invention provides furthermore a gene expression vector, which is composed of a promoter having a DNA sequence as SEQ ID No: 2. The invention provides further a method for producing a transgenic plant or parts of organ, tissue or cell of the transgenic plant that contain a gene expression cassette described above. |
| US08067666B2 |
Model animal causing the white hair development and methods relating thereto
A model rodent animal with a phenotype in which hair growing after birth is black, with the animal spontaneously developing white hair after aging. By way of example, the model rodent animal may have a genotype in which an activated RET gene is genetically inserted in a heterozygous form and the endothelin receptor B gene is deficient in a heterozygous form. |
| US08067665B2 |
Methods of using human tissue factor-producing knock-in mice
A non-human animal that produces human tissue factor (TF) without substantially producing non-human animal tissue factor, said animal having a genome in which cDNA encoding human TF has been inserted upstream of the translation initiation codon for the non-human animal genomic TF gene. |
| US08067662B2 |
Systems and methods for wound protection and exudate management
The present invention provides systems and methods for protecting a wound and managing exudate released from the wound comprising a dressing having a support cushion for surrounding the wound and periwound region; a wicking strip for application in the periwound region between the support cushion and the wound; and a reservoir for application over the wicking strip, the wicking strip configured to transfer exudate from the wound to the reservoir, where the exudate is sequestered. Various alternative embodiments are described in which the wicking strip may be custom-fit to approximate an irregular wound margin, to apply a preferred pressure gradient to the periwound regions, to periodically apply fluids to the wound bed or to apply negative pressure wound therapy. Methods of applying the dressing also are provided. |
| US08067661B2 |
Method for decomposing water-soluble fluorinated organic compound
To provide a good and simple method for decomposing and detoxifying a hardly decomposable fluorinated organic compound.Specifically, a fluorinated organic compound is decomposed by bringing an aqueous solution of the fluorinated organic compound into contact with a catalyst containing a metal oxide. The metal oxide may preferably be an oxide of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Ni, Pd, Cu, Mn, Fe and Co, and more preferably be nickel oxide. The contact temperature is preferably within the range of from 0 to 100° C. Preferably, the fluorinated organic compound to be decomposed is an organic fluorocarboxylic acid, an organic fluorosulfonic acid or a salt thereof, which is used as a surfactant or an surface treatment agent. |
| US08067660B2 |
Method and system for restraining a chemical discharge
A method for restraining a chemical discharge comprising (a) deploying a binding agent into a receptacle containing a hazardous material in a liquid state upon the occurrence of at least one predetermined event that increases the risk of accidentally discharging or leaking the hazardous material from the receptacle; and (b) contacting the hazardous material with the binding agent to form a composition comprising at least a portion of the hazardous material and the binding agent and having at least one property selected from a solid or semisolid state, a viscosity greater than the viscosity of the hazardous material at ambient conditions, a vapor pressure lower than the vapor pressure of the hazardous material at ambient conditions, and a surface tension greater that the surface tension of the hazardous material. |
| US08067658B2 |
Isomerization process
An isomerization process is disclosed including contacting a n-hexane hydrocarbon feed containing less than about 10 volume % naphthenic hydrocarbons with a catalyst to produce an iso-hexane containing product; wherein the catalyst is prepared by: a) incorporating tungsten on a zirconium hydroxide solid; b) drying and calcining the tungsten impregnated zirconium hydroxide; c) sizing the dried and calcined material to particle sizes between about 150 and about 600 microns; d) incorporating a Group VIII metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, platinum and palladium, and combinations thereof, on the sized material; e) drying and calcining the Group VIII metal impregnated tungsten/zirconia material; and f) contacting the second dried and calcined material with hydrogen in a reducing environment to form the catalyst which contains tungsten, zirconia and a Group VIII metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, platinum and palladium, and combinations thereof. |
| US08067653B2 |
Methods for producing fuels and solvents
Described herein are methods for producing fuels and solvents from fatty acid resources. In general, the pyrolysis products of fatty acids are extracted in order to remove residual fatty acids and produce very pure hydrocarbon compositions composed of alkanes and alkenes. The fatty acids removed from the extraction step can be further pyrolyzed to produce additional hydrocarbons or, in the alternative, the fatty acids can be isolated and used in other applications. Also disclosed herein are fuels and solvents produced by the methods described herein. |
| US08067651B2 |
1-alkyl-5-oxopyrrolidine-3-carboxylic esters with improved biodegradability
The invention provides compounds of the formula 1 in which A is a C2- to C4-alkylene group x is from 1 to 100 R1 is C1-C30-alkyl, C2-C30-alkenyl, C7-C30-alkylaryl R2 is an aliphatic, cycloaliphatic or aromatic radical which contains at least one structural unit of the formula 2 and y is from 0 to 100, with the proviso that y is from 1 to 100 when R2 is of the formula 2, and their use in amounts of from 0.01 to 2% by weight for preventing the formation of gas hydrates in aqueous phases which are in contact with a gaseous, liquid or solid organic phase. |
| US08067647B2 |
Method for producing β-nitrostyrene compound
A method for producing a β-nitrostyrene compound is provided in which a benzaldehyde derivative represented by the following formula (I): and nitromethane are condensed in an acetic acid solvent in the presence of a primary amine. This method allows production of a β-nitrostyrene compound at a high yield in the industrially-safe reaction temperature range. |
| US08067645B2 |
Process for producing a chlorhydrin from a multihydroxylated aliphatic hydrocarbon and/or ester thereof in the presence of metal salts
Process for producing a chlorohydrin by reaction between a multihydroxylated-aliphatic hydrocarbon, an ester of a multihydroxylated-aliphatic hydrocarbon, or a mixture thereof, and a chlorinating agent, according to which the multihydroxylated-aliphatic hydrocarbon, the ester of a multihydroxylated-aliphatic hydrocarbon, or the mixture thereof used contains at least one solid or dissolved metal salt, the process comprising a separation operation to remove at least part of the metal salt. |
| US08067643B2 |
Sulphonium salt initiators
Compounds of the formula (I), L, L′, L″, L1, L′1, L″1, L2, L′2, L″2, L3, L′3, L″3, L4, L′4, L″4, L5, L′5, L″5, L6, L′6, L″6, L7, L′7, L″7, L8, L′8 and L″8 independently of one another are hydrogen or an organic substituent; and/or one or more of the pairs L3 and L5, L′3 and L′5 or L″3 and L″5 together denote a single bond, provided that the respective X, X′ or X″ is not a single bond; and/or L3 and L5, L′3 and L′5 or L″3 and L″5 together denote an organic linking group; and/or one or more of the pairs L1 and L3, L1 and L, L5 and L7, L′1 and L′3, L′1 and L′, L′5 and L′7, L″1 and L″3, L″1 and L″, or L″5 and L″7, together denote an organic linking group; provided that at least one of L, L′, L″, L1, L′1, L″1, L2, L′2, L″2, L3, L′3, L″3, L4, L′4, L″4, L5, L′5, L″5, L6, L′6, L″6, L7, L′7, L″7, L8, L′8 and L″8 is other than hydrogen; X, X′ and X″ independently of one another are a single bond, CRaRb O, S, NRc or NCORc; Ra, Rb and Rc independently of one another are hydrogen or an organic substituent; and Y is an inorganic or organic anion; are suitable as photolatent acid generators. |
| US08067642B2 |
Chiral phosphorous compounds
The present invention provides P-chiral compounds of general formulae (II) and (III): in formula (II) at least one of R21, R25, R26 and R30 is independently selected from CM alkyl, CF3, C1-4 alkoxy, phenyl and benzyloxy and the remaining substituents selected from R21, R25, R26 and R30 are hydrogen; at least one of R22, R24, R27 and R29 are independently selected from C1-14 alkyl, CF3, C1-14 alkoxy, phenyl and benzyloxy and the remaining substituents selected, from R22, R24, R27 and R29 are hydrogen; and R23 and R28 are independently selected from hydrogen, CM alkyl, CF3, C1-14 alkoxy, phenyl and benzyloxy; in formula (III) at least one of R21, R25, R26 and R30 is independently selected from phenyl and benzyloxy and the remaining substituents selected from R21, R25, R−26 and R30 are hydrogen; and R22, R−23 R24, R27, R28 and R29 are independently selected from hydrogen, C1-14 alkyl, CF3, C1-14 alkoxy, phenyl and benzyloxy. |
| US08067639B2 |
Crystalline form VI of agomelatine, a process for its preparation and pharmaceutical compositions containing it
Crystalline form VI of the compound of formula (I): characterised by its X-ray powder diffraction diagram. Medicinal products containing the same which are useful in treating melatoninergic disorders. |
| US08067633B2 |
Method for the synthesis of (meth)acrylic esters catalysed by a polyol titanate
The subject of the invention is a method for the synthesis of (meth)acrylic esters by transesterification in the presence of a catalyst corresponding to the formula [(R′O)3Ti]xR″ in which R′ is a linear or branched alkyl radical having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms which may contain heteroatoms or R′ is a phenyl radical, R′ is a polyfunctional radical, originating from a polyol R′(OH)x comprising x alcohol functional groups and x is an integer ranging from 2 to 6. The method according to the invention is particularly well suited to the synthesis of dialkylaminoalkyl (meth)acrylates from methyl (meth)acrylate and a dialkylaminoalcohol. |
| US08067624B2 |
Method for producing biodiesel using an immobilised catalyst
A method produces a fatty acid alkylester by transesterification of a fat or oil and an alcohol. The reaction is catalysed by a heterogeneous catalyst immobilized in a tubular reactor at a temperature between 260 and 420° C. and at a pressure higher than 5 bar. A mixture of the fat or oil and the alcohol is led in a continuous flow through the tubular reactor. The catalyst is preferably a metal oxide or a metal carbonate including an alkaline earth metal. The reaction takes place at reduced residence times and contact times compared to the prior art. |
| US08067623B2 |
Ring opening cross-metathesis reaction of cyclic olefins with seed oils and the like
This invention relates generally to olefin metathesis, and more particularly relates to the ring-opening, ring insertion cross-metathesis of cyclic olefins with internal olefins such as seed oils and the like. In one embodiment, a method is provided for carrying out a catalytic ring-opening cross-metathesis reaction, comprising contacting at least one olefinic substrate with at least one cyclic olefin as a cross metathesis partner, in the presence of a ruthenium alkylidene olefin metathesis catalyst under conditions effective to allow ring insertion cross metathesis whereby the cyclic olefin is simultaneously opened and inserted into the olefinic substrate. The invention has utility in the fields of catalysis, organic synthesis, and industrial chemistry. |
| US08067621B2 |
Benzenesulfonyl-chromane, thiochromane, tetrahydronaphthalene and related gamma secretase inhibitors
This invention discloses novel gamma secretase inhibitors of the formula: R2 and R3, or R2 and R4, or R3 and R4, together with the atoms to which they are bound, can form a fused cycloalkyl or fused heterocycloalkyl ring. The cycloalkyl ring or the heterocycloalkyl ring can be optionally substituted with one or more substitutents. One or more compounds of formula (I), or formulations comprising such compounds, may be useful, e.g. in treating Alzheimer's Disease. |
| US08067618B2 |
Method for gas phase oxidation using a moderator layer
A process for gas phase oxidation in which a gaseous stream which comprises at least one aromatic hydrocarbon and molecular oxygen is passed through one or more catalyst layers, wherein a moderator layer is arranged between two catalyst layers arranged in succession in flow direction of the gaseous stream, the moderator layer being less catalytically active than the catalysts adjacent upstream and downstream or being catalytically inactive. The desired oxidation products are obtained in high yield over prolonged periods. |
| US08067616B2 |
Total synthesis of salinosporamide A and analogs thereof
The present invention relates to certain compounds and to methods for the preparation of certain compounds that can be used in the fields of chemistry and medicine. Specifically, described herein are methods for the preparation of various compounds and intermediates, and the compounds and intermediates themselves. More specifically, described herein are methods for synthesizing Salinosporamide A and its analogs from a compound of formula (V). |
| US08067611B2 |
Substituted 1-(thiazolyl)-and 1-(isothiazolyl)pyrazol-4-ylacetic acids, processes for their preparation and their use as herbicides and plant growth regulators
The invention relates to 1-(thiazolyl)- and 1-(isothiazolyl)pyrazol-4-ylacetic acid derivatives of the general formula (I) and salts thereof in which Het, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6 and n are as defined in claim 1. The compounds (I) or salts thereof are suitable for use as herbicides and plant growth regulators, in particular as herbicides for the selective control of harmful plants in crops of useful plants and can be prepared by processes as described in claim 9. |
| US08067608B2 |
Hedgehog pathway antagonists
Aromatic compounds for treating various diseases and pathologies are disclosed. The methods use of such compounds are also provided. Accordingly, the present invention makes available methods and compositions for inhibiting aberrant growth states resulting from hedgehog gain-of-function, ptc loss-of-function or smoothened gain-of-function. |
| US08067604B2 |
Process for production of carebastine
Processes are disclosed for preparing piperidine derivative compounds of the formulae I, II or III: |
| US08067601B2 |
1-[2-(4-benzyl-4-hydroxy-piperidin-1 -yl )-ethyl]-3-(2-methyl-quinolin- 4-yl)- urea as crystalline sulfate salt
The invention relates to 1-[2-(4-benzyl-4-hydroxy-piperidin-1-yl)-ethyl]-3-(2-methyl-quinolin-4-yl)-urea as a crystalline, stoichiometrically defined and non-hygroscopic sulfate salt and a process for its preparation. Further, the present invention relates to the use of said 1-[2-(4-benzyl-4-hydroxy-piperidin-1-yl)-ethyl]-3-(2-methyl-quinolin-4-yl)-urea as a crystalline, stoichiometrically defined and non-hygroscopic sulfate salt alone or in combination with other compounds. Further, the present invention relates to formulations of said 1-[2-(4-benzyl-4-hydroxy-piperidin-1-yl)-ethyl]-3-(2-methyl-quinolin-4-yl)-urea as a crystalline, stoichiometrically defined and non-hygroscopic sulfate salt in the preparation of pharmaceutical compositions. The invention also relates to the use of such sulfate salts in formulations as neurohormonal antagonists. |
| US08067598B2 |
Heterofused piperidines as orexin antagonists
The present invention relates to compounds of formula wherein R1, R2, R3, and R4 are as defined herein and hetaryl is a one or two ring-membered heteroaromatic ring system, connected to the carbon atoms of the piperidine group selected from the group consisting of or to pharmaceutically suitable acid addition salts, optically pure enantiomers, racemates or diastereomeric mixtures thereof. These compounds are orexin receptor antagonists and may be useful in the treatment of disorders in which orexin pathways are involved, like sleep disorders. |
| US08067596B2 |
Processes for the production of (+)- “Nal” morphinan compounds
The invention generally provides processes and intermediate compounds useful for the production of (+) nal morphinan compounds. In particular, the process encompasses synthetic routes for the production of (+) nal morphinan compounds or derivatives of (+) nal morphinan compounds from (+)-morphinan substrates such as (+)-hydrocodone, (+)-norhydrocodone or derivatives of either compound. |
| US08067594B2 |
Process for the production of benzopyran-2-ol derivatives
The invention provides a process for producing a compound of formula (I), wherein Y is selected from the group consisting of CH3, CH2OH, CH2CH2OH, CH2Br and Br; comprising the steps of: (i) reacting a compound of formula (II), wherein OX represents hydroxy or O−M+, in which M+ is a cation selected from Li+, Na+ and K+, and Y is as defined above; with trans-cinnamaldehyde (III), in the presence of a secondary amine compound; then (ii) treating the product of the preceding step with acid to afford the compound of formula (I). The above process may also be used in the production of tolterodine and fesoterodine, which are useful in the treatment of overactive bladder. |
| US08067593B2 |
Process for preparing aminocrotonylamino-substituted quinazoline derivatives
The invention relates to an improved process for preparing aminocrotonylamino-substituted quinazoline derivatives of general formula (I) wherein the groups Ra, Rb, Rc and Rd have the meanings given in the claims, as well as sulphonyl derivatives of formula and the use thereof as synthesis components for preparing quinazolines of formula (I). The quinazoline derivatives of formula (I) are inhibitors of signal transduction mediated by tyrosinekinases and by the Epidermal Growth Factor-Receptor (EGF-R) and are therefore particularly suitable for the treatment of tumoral diseases. |
| US08067589B2 |
Heterocyclic compounds useful in treating diseases and conditions
The present invention relates to compounds of formula (I) and pharmaceutically acceptable salts and solvates thereof, wherein the substituents are as defined herein, compositions containing such compounds and the uses of such compounds for the treatment of various diseases and conditions such as asthma. |
| US08067587B2 |
Process for the production of monoalkali metal cyanurates
A process for making monoalkali metal cyanurates in a powdery form from a cyanuric acid powder by adding thereto a concentrated aqueous solution of an alkali hydroxide such as sodium or potassium hydroxide. The concentrated aqueous alkali hydroxide solution is added sequentially to the cyanuric acid powder as the admixture is vigorously mixed, forming a monoalkali metal cyanurate as a hydrated powder. |
| US08067561B2 |
Isolated DNA encoding recombinant glucose isomerase
This invention provides a series of recombinant Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticum glucose isomerases with improved catalytic activity and thermostability obtained by using recombinant techniques. These recombinant glucose isomerases comprise amino acid variation including phenylalanine (Phe) at position 139, alanine (Ala) at position 182, serine (Ser) at position 187, and glutamine (Gin) at position 299, and carry at least one additional mutated amino acid at position 87, position 217, position 260 or position 276, and possess a higher catalytic activity than that of the wild-type when using D-glucose as substrate. These recombinant glucose isomerases can be used for direct production of high fructose corn syrup containing 55% [wt] or higher concentration of fructose. |
| US08067558B2 |
Constitutively active fragments of eukaryotic heat shock RNA
The present invention provides a novel RNA, designated herein as the “HSR1” (Heat Shock RNA), constitutively active HSR1 fragments, and the use of HSR1 and constitutively active HSR1 fragments for generation of novel therapeutics for the treatment of various diseases in animals and for generation of stress-resistant plants. |
| US08067555B2 |
Derivatives of partially desulphated glycosaminoglycans as heparanase inhibitors, endowed with antiangiogenic activity and devoid of anticoagulating effect
Partially desulphated glycosaminoglycan derivatives are described, particularly heparin, and more particularly a compound of formula (I) where the U, R and R1 groups have the meanings indicated in the description. These glycosaminoglycan derivatives have antiangiogenic and heparanase-inhibiting activity and are devoid of anticoagulant activity. |
| US08067552B2 |
Method for preparing a target protein using the sHSPs
The present invention relates to a method for separating and purifying a target protein, a method for preparing a target protein, and a method for bioconversion by a whole cell enzyme or a partially purified enzyme. According to the present invention, when the sHSPs are added in cultivation, separation and purification processes for preparing a target protein, the target protein can be obtained at high yields by preventing the loss of protein by proteases. Also, when sIISPs are added in a reaction process using a whole cell enzyme or a partially purified enzyme, the yield of bioconversion using enzyme can be increased by preventing the loss of enzyme by proteases. |
| US08067544B2 |
Antibodies against T cell immunoglobulin domain and mucin domain 1 (TIM-1) antigen and uses thereof
The invention described herein is related to antibodies directed to the antigen TIM-1 and uses of such antibodies. In particular, there are provided fully human monoclonal antibodies directed to the antigen TIM-1. Isolated polynucleotide sequences encoding, and amino acid sequences comprising, heavy and light chain immunoglobulin molecules, particularly sequences corresponding to contiguous heavy and light chain sequences spanning the framework regions (FR's) and/or complementarity determining regions (CDR's), specifically from FR1 through FR4 or CDR1 through CDR3, are provided. Hybridomas or other cell lines expressing such immunoglobulin molecules and monoclonal antibodies are also provided. |
| US08067536B2 |
Kinase and phosphatase assays
Compositions, methods, and kits for detecting and monitoring kinase, phosphatase and protein post-translational modification activity are described. The compositions typically include a peptide, a detectable moiety, and a protease cleavage site. Modification of a peptide by a kinase, phosphatase or other protein post-translational modification alters the proteolytic sensitivity of the peptide, resulting in a change of a detectable property of the composition. Panel assays for determining substrates or modulators of kinase, phosphatase or other protein post-translational modification activity are also described. |
| US08067534B2 |
Carbon nanotube binding peptides
Peptides have been generated that have binding affinity to carbon nanostructures and particularly carbon nanotubes. Peptides of or the invention are generally about twelve amino acids in length. Methods for generating carbon nanotube binding peptides are also disclosed. |
| US08067533B2 |
Peptides and peptide derivatives, the production thereof as well as their use for preparing a therapeutically and/or preventively active pharmaceutical composition
The invention relates to peptides and peptide derivatives of the following general Formulas (Ia) and (Ib) as well as in particular anti-inflammatory drugs containing these peptides. |
| US08067532B2 |
Modifications of peptide compositions to increase stability and delivery efficiency
The disclosed invention relates to methods of modifying peptide compositions to increase stability and delivery efficiency. Specifically, the disclosed invention relates to methods to increase the stability and delivery efficiency of protein kinase C (PKC) modulatory peptide compositions. A “therapeutic peptide composition” comprises a “carrier peptide” and a “cargo peptide.” A “carrier peptide” is a peptide or amino acid sequence within a peptide that facilitates the cellular uptake of the therapeutic peptide composition. The “cargo peptide” is a PKC modulatory peptide. Peptide modifications to either the carrier peptide, the cargo peptide, or both, which are described herein increase the stability and delivery efficiency of therapeutic peptide compositions by reducing disulfide bond exchange, physical stability, reducing proteolytic degradation, and increasing efficiency of cellular uptake. |
| US08067531B2 |
Inactivated pepsin fragments for modulating immune system activity against human malignant tumor cells
Isolated anti-cancer peptides are disclosed which are characterized by the amino acid sequences TLTSGGGAIALPPSMAAPPLGPVAPLTGAIHAPTXG; TLSTATGGAIPPVAAMPPGLVAPTHGPAIHP; CCATSGPCGAVMILTPHLTA; MTLTTGSGAIAPAMPPGLPPHTGAIHAPM; and NXVPVSVEGYXQITLDSITX and a significant in vitro binding affinity for gp96. The peptides exhibit anti-tumor, anti-cancer activity in vivo. Also disclosed is an isolated antiviral peptide is characterized by the amino acid sequence GDEPLENYLDTEYF and a significant in vitro binding affinity for HIV-1 gp 120 and gp 41, and human CD4 cells. The peptide exhibits anti-retroviral activity in vivo, particularly anti-HIV-1 activity. |
| US08067528B2 |
Method for producing fluorine-containing polymer, aqueous dispersion of fluorine-containing polymer, 2-acyloxycarboxylic acid derivative, and surface active agent
The present invention provides a method of producing a fluoropolymer, wherein polymerization using a carboxylate ester bond-containing carboxylic acid derivative as a surfactant in an aqueous medium to give the fluoropolymer is conducted, the above carboxylate ester bond-containing carboxylic acid derivative has a carboxylate ester bond and —COOM (M representing H, NH4, Li, Na or K), the above carboxylate ester bond may optionally be substituted by fluorine atom. |
| US08067523B2 |
Thermosetting resin composition, laminated body using it, and circuit board
It is an object of the present invention to provide a thermosetting resin composition having satisfactory adhesiveness, good processability, high heat resistance, and excellent dielectric characteristics in the GHz band; and a laminate and a circuit board including the thermosetting resin composition.The present invention provides a thermosetting resin composition including an imide oligomer component (A) containing at least one imide oligomer having a specific structure and an epoxy resin component (B) containing at least one epoxy resin. Furthermore, the present invention provides the thermosetting resin composition further including a polyimide resin component (C). |
| US08067521B2 |
Amphiphilic co-networks, films made from amphiphilic co-networks and uses for such co-networks and films
The present invention relates to the production of amphiphilic copolymer networks or co-networks that are both hydrophobic and hydrophilic, the copolymer networks comprise polyalkylene glycol segments and disubstituted polysiloxane segments. Furthermore, the present invention relates to products and/or films made from the amphiphilic copolymer networks or co-networks produced in accordance with the synthesis methods of the present invention. In one embodiment, amphiphilic networks or co-networks are synthesized using functional multiblock co-polymers according to the formula (AY)x(BY)y, where A represents an alkylene glycol polymer having n repeating alkylene glycol units, B represents a disubstituted siloxane polymer having m repeating siloxane units, and Y represents a molecule (e.g., a silane) that functions both as a chain extender and a crosslinker. |
| US08067519B2 |
Organosiloxane compositions
A method of preparing a diluted chain extended organopolysiloxane containing polymer comprising the steps of reacting a pre-formed polymer with a suitable chain extender reactable with terminal groups of the polymer in the presence of a diluent material, a suitable catalyst and optionally an end-blocking agent; and Where required quenching the polymerization process wherein the diluent material is substantially retained within the resulting diluted organopolysiloxane containing polymer. The case additionally relates to products of the process and subsequent applications for the polymer such as for example sealants and rubbers. |
| US08067517B2 |
Water-soluble copolymer having alkyl-modified carboxyl groups
A water-soluble copolymer having alkyl-modified carboxyl groups which is able to produce a neutralized viscous liquid in which although its viscosity is very low when no electrolyte exists, the viscosity greatly increases when electrolytes are added, which has a sufficiently high viscosity and a very high transmittance and which has moist textures without stickiness even in the presence of a relatively high concentration of electrolytes, and a thickening agent comprising the same. |
| US08067516B2 |
Copolymer for positive type lithography, polymerization initiator used in production of said copolymer, and composition for semiconductor lithography
A copolymer for positive type lithography, having at least a recurring unit (A) having a structure wherein an alkali-soluble group is protected by an acid-dissociating, dissolution-suppressing group, represented by the following formula (A) [in the formula (A), R10 is a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group which may be substituted by fluorine atom; R11 is a crosslinked, alicyclic hydrocarbon group; n is an integer of 0 or 1; and R12 is an acid-dissociating, dissolution-suppressing group], and a terminal structure (B) having a structure wherein an alkali-soluble group is protected by an acid-dissociating, dissolution-suppressing group, represented by the following formula (B) [in the formula (B), R21 is a hydrocarbon group which may contain nitrogen atom; R22 is an acid-dissociating, dissolution-suppressing group; and p is a site of bonding with copolymer main chain]. The copolymer is used in chemically amplified positive type lithography and is superior in lithography properties (e.g. dissolution contrast). |
| US08067510B2 |
High melt flow propylene impact copolymer and method
The present disclosure provides a polymerization process for the production of a high melt flow propylene impact copolymer. The process includes contacting an active propylene-based polymer having a melt flow rate greater than about 100 g/10 min with one or more olefins in a polymerization reactor to form the propylene impact copolymer with a melt flow rate greater than about 60 g/10 min. The production of the high melt flow propylene impact copolymer may occur in one or more polymerization reactors, utilizing standard hydrogen concentration, and no visbreaking. |
| US08067504B2 |
Acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesives with acylaziridine crosslinking agents
A pre-adhesive composition is described comprising an acid-functional (meth)acrylate copolymer and an acylaziridine crosslinking agent, which when crosslinked provides a pressure-sensitive adhesive and pressure-sensitive adhesive articles. |
| US08067503B2 |
Process for producing blends of syndiotactic, 1,2-polybutadiene and rubbery elastomers
Blends of syndiotactic 1,2-polybutadiene and rubbery elastomers are prepared by a process that comprises polymerizing 1,3-butadiene monomer into syndiotactic 1,2-polybutadiene within a rubber cement of an elastomeric terpolymer by using a chromium-based, molybdenum-based, or iron-based catalyst composition. Polymer composition comprising the blend with improved properties is also provided. |
| US08067502B2 |
Thermoplastic resin composition, a solar cell sealing sheet, and a solar cell
The present invention provides a thermoplastic resin composition that gives a solar cell sealing sheet having, even without being crosslinked, good mechanical strength, solar cell sealability, transparency, and weatherability.The thermoplastic resin composition of the present invention comprises 1 to 95% by weight of a propylene-based polymer (A) and 5 to 99% by weight of a copolymer (B) with at least one α-olefin having 2 to 20 carbon atoms other than propylene, wherein (A) satisfies the following (i) and (ii), and (B) has a melting point below 80° C. or does not show a melting point as measured by a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). (i) Melting point measured by a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) method is in the range of 80 to 135° C. (ii) Endotherm attributable to crystal melting is not observed at 140° C. or more in the endothermic curve measured by a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) method. |
| US08067501B2 |
Propylene-based blown films with improved performance, stability and elastic properties compared to polyethylene films
A thermoplastic composition for cast and blown films and the resulting films thereof are provided. The film can include about 10 wt % to 80 wt % propylene-based copolymer having at least 50 wt % propylene-derived units and 5 wt % to 30 wt % alpha-olefin comonomer, based on the total weight of the polymer that exhibits a melting point of about 100° C. to 170° C., and a MFR of about 200 dg/min or less. The film can include about 20 wt % to 90 wt % polypropylene homopolymer having a melting point of about 140° C. to 190° C. The film can have a thickness of about 10 μm to 100 μm, a haze of 13% or less, a 1% MD Secant tensile modulus of 55,000 to 150,000 psi, a machine direction Elmendorf tear of at least 5 g/mil and a transverse direction Elemdorf tear of at least 300 g/mil, and a 45 degree gloss of at least 70. |
| US08067498B2 |
Curable composition
The present invention has its object to provide a transparent curable composition which may be prepared as a one package formulation, and which is excellent in strength, elongation at break, weather resistance, and adhesiveness of the resultant cured product.In addition, the present invention provides a curable composition which comprises 100 parts by weight of a vinyl polymer (I) the main chain of which is the product of living radical polymerization and which contains a crosslinkable silyl group, and 1 to 200 parts by weight of a micronized hydrophobic silica (II). Furthermore, the present invention also provides a curable composition which comprises 100 parts by weight of a vinyl polymer (I) the main chain of which is the product of living radical polymerization and which contains at least one crosslinkable silyl group, and 1 to 200 parts by weight of a graft copolymer (III) obtained by graft polymerization of a crosslinkable rubber-like acrylic ester polymer and a vinyl monomer. |
| US08067493B2 |
Polymer compositions, method of manufacture, and articles formed therefrom
A composition comprises, based on the total weight of the composition: from 10 to 80 wt. % of a modified polybutylene terephthalate copolymer that (1) is derived from polyethylene terephthalate component selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate and polyethylene terephthalate copolymers and (2) has at least one residue derived from the polyethylene terephthalate component; from 10 to 80 wt. % of a polycarbonate; from 0 to 20 wt. % of an impact modifier; from 1 to less than 25 wt. % of a reinforcing filler; from 0.1 to less than 2.5 wt. % of a fibrillated fluoropolymer; from 0 to 5 wt. % of an additive selected from the group consisting of antioxidants, mold release agents, colorants, quenchers, stabilizers, and combinations thereof. The composition has a heat deflection temperature of at least 110° C., measured in accordance with to ASTM D648 on 3.2 mm thick molded bars at 0.455 MPa. |
| US08067492B2 |
Biodegradable hot-melt adhesive composition
The invention relates to biodegradable hot-melt adhesive compositions, preferably without residual tackiness at room temperature and having a biodegradability, as measured by the released carbon-dioxide analysis method pursuant to Standard EN ISO 14855, that is higher than 55% , preferably higher than 60% , and preferably higher than 90% , and to the use thereof. This percentage is given by reference with the cellulose biodegradability measurement, which amounts to 100% in the same conditions. |
| US08067491B2 |
Silated cyclic core polysulfides, their preparation and use in filled elastomer compositions
This invention relates to novel sulfur-containing silane coupling agents, and organic polymers containing carbon-carbon double bonds. These novel silanes can be carried on organic and inorganic fillers. The invention also relates to articles of manufacture, particularly tires, made from the elastomer compositions described herein. |
| US08067490B2 |
Blended phosphite or phosphonite compositions having improved hydrolytic stability
A composition and method for increasing the hydrolytic stability of a stabilizer composition comprising a first phosphite, a second phosphite, an optional phosphonite and an acid scavenger. |
| US08067486B1 |
Low VOC water-based epoxy coatings
An aqueous multi-component epoxy coating composition having less than 3% by weight of VOCs and curable upon admixing the components comprises (a) a first component of (i) a stable epoxy dispersion of an epoxy resin, from 5 to 20 weight percent of a mixture of surfactants comprising a low temperature nonionic surfactant having a molecular weight of from 1,000 to 7,000; a high temperature nonionic surfactant having a molecular weight of greater than 7,000 to 20,000 and an anionic surfactant, and (b) a second component of (i) a water miscible polyamine, wherein the composition further contains an associative thickener as well as thixotropic clay and/or a cellulosic thickener as additional thickener(s). |
| US08067484B2 |
Latent hardener with improved barrier properties and compatibility
A curing agent for epoxy resins that is comprised of the reaction product of an amine, an epoxy resin, and an elastomer-epoxy adduct; compositions containing the curing agent and an epoxy resin; the compositions are useful in electronic displays, circuit boards, semi conductor devices, flip chips and other applications. |
| US08067483B2 |
Adjuvant-mediated reactivity enhancement of polymerizable diacetylenic materials
Indicator inks, indicators formed by printing or otherwise utilizing the inks and host products utilizing the indicators are disclosed. Reactivity-enhancing adjuvants stimulate enhanced thermal reactivity of diacetylenic or other indicator agents capable of responding to ambient thermal conditions with a visual change signaling an end point. The diacetylenic or other agents may be sensitive or relatively insensitive to ambient temperatures. Use of a reactivity-enhancing adjuvant provides a useful means for adapting the reactivities of indicator agents to the response characteristics of prospective host products, for example perishables such as vaccines or fresh fish and maturables such as fruit, cheese and wine. Some exemplary adjuvants include low-temperature polymerization initiators, for example methyl ethyl ketone peroxide and polymerization accelerators, for example cobalt compounds. Such initiators and accelerators can also be used in combination. |
| US08067482B2 |
Material for producing plastic molded parts that can be used in the field of dentistry
A process for the preparation of plastic molded articles which can be used in the dental field, the process including the steps of: mixing A) at least one polymerizable component and B) at least one initiator in desensitized form to form a paste having a consistency does not demix during injection; injecting the paste into a cuvette; and polymerizing the mixture by applying heat. |
| US08067480B2 |
Porous polyisocyanate polyaddition products
Process for producing porous polyisocyanate polyaddition products by reacting (a) isocyanates with (b) compounds which are reactive toward isocyanates in the presence of (f) solvent, wherein compounds having a functionality toward isocyanates of at least 6 and a molecular weight of at least 1000 g/mol are used as (b) compounds which are reactive toward isocyanates. |
| US08067479B2 |
Polyurethane foam
A microcellular polyurethane obtainable by reacting a polyisocyanate, a polyester formed from a dimer fatty acid and/or dimer fatty diol, and a chain extender. The foam is particularly suitable for use as a component of shoe soles. |
| US08067475B2 |
Adhesive sheet comprising hollow parts and method for preparing the same
Disclosed herein are an adhesive sheet comprising a cured acrylic polymer, hollow polymeric microspheres dispersed and ruptured in the cured acrylic polymer, and hollow parts formed by rupturing the hollow polymeric microspheres dispersed in the cured acrylic polymer, and a preparation method thereof. |
| US08067473B2 |
Methods for enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of topoisomerase inhibitors
Disclosed are methods and compositions useful in identifying an E3 ubiquitin ligase inhibitor and modulating cell growth, comprising contacting a cell with an effective amount of an inhibitor of an E3 ubiquitin ligase, and contacting the cell with an effective amount of a topoisomerase inhibitor, wherein the treatment with the E3 ubiquitin ligase inhibitor and topoisomerase inhibitor modulates cell growth in comparison to a cell treated with the topoisomerase inhibitor alone. The present invention further provides methods for identifying and making an E3 ubiquitin ligase inhibitor. |
| US08067471B2 |
Composition comprising free amino acids
A composition is described that can be used in prevention or treatment of patients having impaired gastro-intestinal tract function. The composition comprises free amino acids including about 9.0% to about 17.0% glutamic acid. Methods of treatment of impaired gastro-intestinal tract function are described. |
| US08067467B2 |
Thiosuccinic acid derivatives and the use thereof
The present invention relates to compounds of the formula (I) wherein X1 and X2 independently represent O, NH or S, R1 and R2 are independently selected from the group consisting of a C1-C30 hydrocarbyl group, an amino acid bonded via an amide bond or a peptide bonded via an amide bond each having up to 200 amino acids, the conjugated residue X1 or X2 in this case being NH, and hydrogen, both radicals R1 and R2 preferably not being H, wherein R3 is a residue selected from group consisting of —S—R6, wherein R6 is a C1-C30 hydrocarbyl group, at least one of R1 and R2 not being H when X1 and X2 are oxygen, —S—CH2—CH(NH2)(COOH) (cysteine-S-yl), a homologue or derivative (e.g. N-acetyl cysteine-S-yl) thereof, a peptide having up to 200 amino acids which contains at least one amino acid radical with a thiol group, preferably a cysteine radical, and is bonded via the thio sulfur, preferably via the cysteine sulfur (peptide-S-yl), coenzyme A which is bonded via a thiol group or fragments thereof, acyl carrier protein bonded via a thiol group, and dihydrolipoic acid bonded via a thiol group, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. The present invention also relates to the use of these compounds for preparing a drug and drugs containing the same. |
| US08067465B2 |
Tricyclic-bis-enone derivatives and methods of use thereof
Novel tricyclic-bis-enone derivatives (TBEs) as well as the process for the preparation of such TBEs are provided. Also provided are methods for prevention and/or treatment of cancer, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotropic lateral sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and all other diseases whose pathogenesis is believed to involve excessive production of either nitric oxide (NO) or prostaglandins or the overexpression of iNOS or COX-2 genes or gene products. Further, methods for the synthesis of the TBE compounds of the invention utilize cheap commercially available reagents and are highly cost effective and amenable to scale-up. Additional high efficiency synthetic methods that utilize novel intermediates as well as the synthesis of these intermediates are also provided. Furthermore, the invention also provides methods for designing novel and water-soluble TBEs. |
| US08067464B2 |
Compositions and methods using apocynin compounds and nitric oxide donors
The invention describes novel compositions comprising at least one apocynin compound or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and at least one nitric oxide donor, and, optionally, at least one therapeutic agent. The invention also provides novel kits comprising at least one apocynin compound or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and at least one nitric oxide donor compound, and, optionally, at least one therapeutic agent. The invention also provides methods for (a) treating cardiovascular diseases; (b) treating renovascular diseases; (c) treating diabetes; (d) treating diseases resulting from oxidative stress; (e) treating endothelial dysfunctions; (f) treating diseases caused by endothelial dysfunctions; (g) treating gastrointestinal disorders; (h) treating inflammatory disorders; and (j) treating respiratory disorders; and (k) treating peripheral vascular diseases. The apocynin compound may preferably be apocynin. The nitric oxide donor compound may preferably be isosorbide dinitrate and/or isosorbide mononitrate. |
| US08067459B2 |
Lapachone compounds and methods of use thereof
The invention provides lapachone analogs and derivatives as well as methods of use thereof. These compounds can be used in pharmaceutical compositions for the treatment or prevention of cell proliferation disorders. These compounds can also be used in the treatment or prevention of cancer or precancerous conditions. |
| US08067453B2 |
Neurotrophin production/secretion promoting agent
A neurotrophin production/secretion promoting agent which comprises an azole derivative of the formula: wherein R1 represents a halogen atom, a heterocyclic group which may optionally be substituted, a hydroxy group which may optionally be substituted, a thiol group which may optionally be substituted, or an amino group which may optionally be substituted; A represents an acyl group which may optionally be substituted, a heterocyclic group which may optionally be substituted, a hydroxy group which may optionally be substituted, or a carboxyl group which may optionally be esterified or amidated; B represents an aromatic group which may optionally be substituted; X represents oxygen atom, sulfur atom, or nitrogen atom which may optionally be substituted; and Y represents a divalent hydrocarbon group or heterocyclic group, or a salt thereof; which is useful as an agent for preventing or treating neuropathy. |
| US08067452B2 |
3-hydroxyisothiazole-4-carboxamidine derivatives as CHK2 inhibitors
This invention provides compounds of Formula I which are inhibitors of Chk2 and are useful as a radiation protection agents in anticancer radiotherapy. A method of modulating Chk2 in vitro includes treating a substrate with Chk2 in the presence of compounds of formula I. A method of making a compound of formula I includes: a) forming a biaryl amine having an amino (NH2) group; b) converting the amino group to an isothiocyanate group; c) adding a cyanoacetamide to the isothiocyanate group to form a thioamide adduct; d) cyclizing the thioamide adduct to form an isothiazole having a cyano group; and e) adding an amine to the cyano group to form a carboxamidine group. |
| US08067450B2 |
Thiazolidinedione analogues for the treatment of metabolic diseases
The present invention relates to thiazolidinedione analogues that are useful for treating hypertension, diabetes, and inflammatory diseases. Formula (I), wherein: each of R1 and R4 is independently selected from H, halo, aliphatic, and alkoxy, wherein the aliphatic and alkoxy are optionally substituted with 1-3 of halo; R2 is halo, hydroxy, or optionally substituted aliphatic, and R′2 is H, or R2 and R′2 together form oxo; R3 is H; and Ring A is a phenyl. |
| US08067449B2 |
Modulators of pharmacokinetic properties of therapeutics
The present application provides for a compound of Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, solvate, and/or ester thereof, compositions containing such compounds, therapeutic methods that include the administration of such compounds, and therapeutic methods and include the administration of such compounds with at least one additional therapeutic agent. |
| US08067446B2 |
Methods for treating an ulcer of the small intestine and stomach
A method for treating a digestive ulcer of the small intestine or stomach is disclosed with a non-purine xanthine oxidase inhibitor that is a carboxylic acid compound, wherein the non-purine xanthine oxidase inhibitor is a carboxylic acid compound of formula (I) or its salt and wherein the terms of formula (I) are herein defined: |
| US08067444B2 |
Pyridoxamine for the treatment of diabetic intermediaries and post-amadori inhibition
The present invention provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising dosage units of pyridoxamine, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof; and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, and methods for their use in limiting the progression of renal disease and/or diabetic complications in human diabetic patient. |
| US08067441B2 |
Use of collismycin and derivatives thereof as oxidative stress inhibitors
The present invention relates to the use of Collismycin and derivatives thereof as inhibitors of oxidative stress in cells and their use for the preparation of medicaments for the treatment of oxidative stress-induced diseases or conditions, especially neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's Disease. |
| US08067436B2 |
c-Met modulators and methods of use
The present invention provides compounds for modulating protein kinase enzymatic activity for modulating cellular activities such as proliferation, differentiation, programmed cell death, migration and chemoinvasion. More specifically, the invention provides quinazolines and quinolines which inhibit, regulate, and/or modulate kinase receptor, particularly c-Met, KDF, c-Kit, flt-3 and flt-4, signal transduction pathways related to the changes in cellular activities as mentioned above, compositions which contain these compounds, and methods of using them to treat kinase-dependent diseases and conditions. The present invention also provides methods for making compounds as mentioned above, and compositions which contain these compounds. |
| US08067434B2 |
Compounds and methods for development of Ret modulators
Compounds active on Ret are described, as well as methods of using such compounds. Also described are crystal structures of Ret surrogates that were determined using X-ray crystallography. The use of such Ret surrogate crystals and structural information can, for example, be used for identifying molecular scaffolds and for developing ligands that bind to and modulate Ret and for identifying improved ligands based on known ligands. |
| US08067433B2 |
Methods, compositions, and kits for the treatment of ophthalmic disorders
The invention features methods, kits, and compositions for the treatment of ophthalmic disorders. The compositions include a corticosteroid in combination with a non-steroidal immunophilin-dependent immunosuppressant. |
| US08067429B2 |
Forms of rifaximin and uses thereof
The present invention relates to Rifaximin polymorphic, salt, hydrate, and amorphous forms, to their use in medicinal preparations and to therapeutic methods using them. |
| US08067427B2 |
Pharmaceutical compositions comprising ZD6474
A pharmaceutical composition comprising ZD6474 or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, a brittle diluent and a second diluent which is practically insoluble and has ductile compression properties. |
| US08067422B2 |
Crystal form of phenylamino pyrimidine derivatives
The present invention relates to a particular form of the (3,5-bis trifluoromethyl)-N-[4-methyl-3-(4-pyridin-3yl-pyrimidin-2ylamino)-phenyl]-benzamide (formula I), processes for the preparation thereof, pharmaceutical compositions containing this crystal form, and their use as anti tumor agent in humans. The compound of formula I, also known as AN-019, is: |
| US08067421B2 |
Polymorphic forms of imatinib mesylate and processes for preparation of novel crystalline forms as well as amorphous and form α
Solvates and crystalline forms of imatinib mesylate are described. Further, methods for preparing such solvates and crystalline forms of imatinib mesylate are described. |
| US08067420B2 |
Substituted pyrazinone melanin concentrating hormone receptor-1 antagonists and methods
The present application provides compounds, including all stereoisomers, solvates, prodrugs and pharmaceutically acceptable forms thereof according to Formula I wherein R1, R2, R3, R8, and R9 are defined herein. Additionally, the present application provides pharmaceutical compositions containing at least one compound according to Formula I and optionally at least one additional therapeutic agent. Finally, the present application provides methods for treating a patient suffering from an MCHR-1 modulated disease or disorder such as, for example, obesity, diabetes, depression or anxiety by administration of a therapeutically effective dose of a compound according to Formula I. |
| US08067417B2 |
Imidazo[1,2-F]pteridines useful as inhibitors of protein kinases
The present invention relates to compounds useful as inhibitors of protein kinase, represented by Structural Formula (I): wherein the variables in Structural Formula (I) are as described herein. The invention also provides pharmaceutically acceptable compositions comprising said compounds and methods of using the compositions in the treatment of various disease, conditions, or disorders. The invention also provides processes for preparing compounds of the inventions. |
| US08067415B2 |
Compounds useful as antagonists of CCR2
The present invention provides compounds of general formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein X, n, Y, and R1 are defined generally and in subsets herein. Compounds of the invention are inhibitors of CCR2 and accordingly are useful for the treatment of a variety of inflammatory, allergic, and autoimmune diseases, disorders, or conditions. |
| US08067414B2 |
Nitric oxide enhancing prostaglandin compounds, compositions and methods of use
The invention provides compositions and kits comprising at least one nitric oxide enhancing prostaglandin compound or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and, optionally, at least one nitric oxide enhancing compound and/or at least one therapeutic agent. The invention also provides methods for (a) treating ophthalmic disorders; (b) treating cerebrovascular disorders; (c) treating cardiovascular disorders; (d) treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH); (e) treating peptic ulcers; (e) treating sexual dysfunctions and (f) inducing abortions. The nitric oxide enhancing prostaglandin compounds comprise at least one heterocyclic nitric oxide donor group and/or at least one nitroxide group. |
| US08067411B2 |
Compounds
The present invention provides compounds of formula wherein R1, Y1, X1, Z1, X2, Y2, A, n and R2 are as defined in the specification, processes for their preparation, pharmaceutical compositions containing them and their use in therapy. |
| US08067410B2 |
Phenolic and catecholic amines and prodrugs thereof
The present invention relates to novel phenolic and catecholic amines of Formula I, to processes for their preparation, pharmaceutical compositions containing them, to their use in therapy and to their use in radiolabeled form as PET- or SPECT ligands. |
| US08067409B2 |
Protein kinase inhibitors
Compounds that inhibit protein kinases, compositions containing the compounds and methods of treating diseases using the compounds are disclosed. |
| US08067405B2 |
Superoxide dismutase mimics for the treatment of ocular disorders and diseases
The use of SOD mimics, particularly Mn(III) salen SOD mimics, for the treatment of AMD, DR, and retinal edema is disclosed. |
| US08067403B2 |
Methods and systems for preparing an antimicrobial composition
A coating system and method are described. In some embodiments, a system may include a composition. The composition may include one or more bridged polycyclic compounds. At least one of the bridged polycyclic compounds may include at least two cyclic groups, and at least two of the cyclic groups may include quaternary ammonium moieties. In some embodiments, a method may include applying an antimicrobial composition to a surface. The coating may be antimicrobial. A coating may include antimicrobial bridged polycyclic compounds. In some embodiments, bridged polycyclic compounds may include quaternary ammonium compounds. In some embodiments, bridged polycyclic compounds may include guanidinium moieties. Bridged polycyclic compounds based coating systems may impart self-cleaning properties to a surface. |
| US08067402B2 |
Methods and systems for coating an oral surface
A coating system and method are described. In some embodiments, a system may include a composition. The composition may include one or more bridged polycyclic compounds. At least one of the bridged polycyclic compounds may include at least two cyclic groups, and at least two of the cyclic groups may include quaternary ammonium moieties. In some embodiments, a method may include applying a coating to an oral surface. The coating may be antimicrobial. A coating may include antimicrobial bridged polycyclic compounds. Bridged polycyclic compounds may include quaternary ammonium compounds. Bridged polycyclic compounds based coating systems may impart self-cleaning properties to a surface (e.g., a tooth surface). |
| US08067401B2 |
Compounds and compositions for treating infection
Compounds from 14 Kenyan plants, including from the root of Dovyalis abyssinica and Clutia robusta have been characterized and isolated, and their uses are disclosed. |
| US08067400B2 |
Androgen treatment in females
A method of improving cumulative embryo score may comprise administering an androgen to a human female for at least about four consecutive months followed by harvesting and fertilizing oocytes and forming embryos. A method of increasing the quantity of fertilized oocytes in one cycle of in vitro fertilization may comprise administering an androgen to a human female for at least about four consecutive months, harvesting and fertilizing the oocytes. A method of normalizing ovarian DHEA may include administering an androgen for at least about four consecutive months. A method of decreasing the time to pregnancy and increasing the rate of pregnancy by administering an androgen for at least about two months. A method of decreasing miscarriage rates may comprise administering an androgen for at least about two months to a female. Moreover, a method of decreasing aneuploidy rates in human embryos may comprise administering an androgen to a female for at least about two months. |
| US08067398B2 |
Biodegradable polymers having a pre-determined chirality
Optically active polymers that are composed of monomer residues derived from chiral pre-polymerized monomers, which maintain the chirality of the pre-polymerized monomers upon polymerization are disclosed. These polymers can be composed of monomer residues that are derived from readily available chiral monomers and can be designed to have pre-determined characteristics such as chirality, biodegradability and functionality. Uses of these polymers as therapeutically active agents, and/or as carriers of therapeutically active agents, for delivering the active agents to a targeted bodily site and/or for a sustained release of the active agent, are further disclosed. Also disclosed are processed of preparing the polymers, compositions and medical devices containing the polymers, and conjugates of these polymers and various agents. |
| US08067397B2 |
Transdiscal administration of cycline compounds
The present invention relates to administering a doxycycline compound into a diseased intervertebral disc. |
| US08067394B2 |
Synthesis and biological activities of new tricyclic-bis-enones (TBEs)
This invention describes novel tricyclic-bis-enone derivatives (TBEs), such as TBE-31, TBE-34, TBE-45 and water-soluble TBEs. The methods of preparing these compounds are also disclosed. The inventors demonstrate the ability of these new TBEs to inhibit proliferation of human myeloma cells, inhibit the induction of iNOS in cells stimulated with interferon-γ, induce heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), induce CD11b expression—a leukemia differentiation marker, inhibit proliferation of leukemia cells, induce apoptosis in human lung cancer, and induce apoptosis in other cancerous cells. The TBEs of this invention are expected to be useful agents for the treatment and prevention of many diseases, including cancer, neurological disorders, inflammation, and pathologies involving oxidative stress. |
| US08067393B2 |
Sugar-immobilized metal nanoparticle, method for measuring sugar-protein interaction using the same and method for recovering protein from sugar-protein interactant
It is intended to provide a stable novel sugar-immobilized metal nanoparticle capable of easily immobilizing a sugar chain, a method for measuring sugar-protein interaction easily and at a low cost using the same without labeling, and a method for simply recovering a protein from a sugar-protein interactant. A maltose-immobilized gold nanoparticle was obtained by binding a ligand complex, in which maltose and a linker compound had been bound to each other, to a gold nanoparticle. By adding this maltose-immobilized gold nanoparticle to a dilution series of concanavalin A, a sugar-protein interactant of maltose and ConA was formed, and red-purple color derived from a colloidal solution of maltose-immobilized gold nanoparticle disappeared. That is, sugar-protein interaction could be confirmed by visual observation without labeling. |
| US08067391B2 |
ODCase inhibitors for the treatment of malaria
The present invention includes methods of treating or preventing malaria by administering an anti-malarial effective amount of 6-substituted uridine derivatives to a subject need thereof. The invention also includes new 6-substituted uridine derivatives for use as therapeutics, in particular to treat malaria. |
| US08067388B2 |
Decoy-containing pharmaceutical compositions and method of using the same
A pharmaceutical composition is provided for treatment and prevention of a disease caused by expression of a gene controlled by NF-κB or ets. The composition comprises at least one decoy and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The decoy is an NF-κB decoy, an ets decoy, or a chimera decoy of NF-κB and ets. The disease is cerebral aneurysm, cancer, Marfan's syndrome, aortic detachment, post-angioplasty restenosis, chronic articular rheumatism, asthma, atopic dermatitis, nephritis, renal failure, or plaque rupture. The pharmaceutically acceptable carrier may be a hydrophilic polymer. |
| US08067387B2 |
Method for stimulating angiogenesis using DKK2 and composition comprising the same
The present invention relates to a method for stimulating angiogenesis using by DKK2 and composition comprising the same. The DKK2 protein of the present invention showed stimulating activities of tube formation on HUVEC, promoting activity of the sprouting of arterial circle tissues and promoting activity of vascular development in the embryo of mouse. Therefore, it can be used as the therapeutics or functional health food for treating and preventing ischemic disease. |
| US08067384B2 |
Chimera (double) decoy
The present invention provides a prophylactic, ameliorative or therapeutic medicament for vascular restenosis, ischemic disease, allergic disease, inflammatory disease, autoimmune disease, or cancer metastasis, invasion (cancer metastasis/invasion) or cachexia based on the inhibitory action on a plural of transcriptional regulatory factor. A chimera (double) decoy of the present invention has plural transcriptional regulatory factor binding sequences in a single molecule thereof. Thus, it is able to inhibit the activity of plural transcriptional regulatory factors with a single molecule. For example, stenosis of an anastomosed site of an artificial blood vessel is caused by thickening of the vascular intima, and this is mainly caused by activation of cell proliferation by an inflammatory reaction occurring at the anastomosed site. Thus, thickening of vessel walls can be inhibited by simultaneously inhibiting two transcriptional regulatory factors involved in inflammation and cell proliferation by using the chimera decoy of the present invention. |
| US08067377B2 |
Peptide compositions for targeting adipose tissue
The present invention concerns methods and compositions for in vivo and in vitro targeting. A large number of targeting peptides directed towards human organs, tissues or cell types are disclosed. The peptides are of use for targeted delivery of therapeutic agents, including but not limited to gene therapy vectors. A novel class of gene therapy vectors is disclosed. Certain of the disclosed peptides have therapeutic use for inhibiting angiogenesis, inhibiting tumor growth, inducing apoptosis, inhibiting pregnancy or inducing weight loss. Methods of identifying novel targeting peptides in humans, as well as identifying endogenous receptor-ligand pairs are disclosed. Methods of identifying novel infectious agents that are causal for human disease states are also disclosed. A novel mechanism for inducing apoptosis is further disclosed. |
| US08067374B2 |
Adhesive hemostatic agent based on porcine atelocollagen and method for production thereof
Disclosed is an adhesive hemostatic agent based on non-blood constituents including DOPA, able to strongly adhere to collagen fibers. The agent includes an antifibrinolytic agent in addition to an esterified atelocollagen which is non-immunogenic and may become positively charged thereon such that the adhesive hemostatic agent has no possibility of mediating particular diseases or viral infections (HIV, HCV, HBV, CMV, etc), unlike conventional agents comprising blood constituents, and readily binds to negatively charged platelets at high adhesive strength, thus inducing quick blood coagulation. Also, provided is a method for preparing the same. |
| US08067365B2 |
Erythropoietin for treatment of multi-organ failure
The compositions and methods disclosed herein are for prevention or treatment of multi-organ failure with erythropoietin. The usefulness of the present invention is that erythropoietin may act to prevent the onset of MOF in a patient at risk of developing it. The present invention may further lessen the effect in one or more affected organs in a patient at risk of developing MOF or in one already diagnosed with it. |
| US08067360B2 |
Method for promoting bone growth using activin-ActRIIa antagonists
In certain aspects, the present invention provides compositions and methods for promoting bone growth and increasing bone density. |
| US08067358B1 |
Triple-action remedy for removing toxic oils from skin with simultaneous soothing and healing
Disclosed are formulae and methods for the simultaneous relief of a variety of unpleasant symptoms of poison ivy on the skin. The compositions of the present invention remove toxic urushiol, relieve itching of the skin from urushiol, and heal the dermatitis caused by urushiol. A preferred embodiment of the invention is a topical dosage form which can be applied as often as desired, may be scrubbed onto the skin, and leaves a soothing effect on the skin after rinsing with warm water. |
| US08067355B2 |
Benefit agent containing delivery particles
The present invention relates to benefit agent containing delivery particles, compositions comprising said particles, and processes for making and using the aforementioned particles and compositions. When employed in compositions, for example, compositions for cleaning, fabric care, or coating onto various substrates, textiles or surfaces, such particles increase the efficiency of benefit agent delivery, thereby allowing reduced amounts of benefit agents to be employed. In addition to allowing the amount of benefit agent to be reduced, such particles allow a broad range of benefit agents to be employed. |
| US08067354B2 |
Softening detergent composition
[PROBLEMS] To provide a softening detergent composition capable of washing a fibrous manufactured article having softening ability, and at the same time allowing a clay mineral to be less likely to remain on clothes. |
| US08067353B2 |
Method for making a fabric softener utilizing a dynamic orifice changer
A dynamic orifice is useful in making fabric softening composition. |
| US08067351B2 |
Composition with a color marker
A composition comprising at least one indicator, at least one light stabilizer, and at least one antioxidant. The composition is useful as a cleanser that provides a usage timer based on color change to indicate to a user that sufficient time has elapsed for cleansing. |
| US08067349B2 |
Oil soluble comb polymers
The invention relates to comb polymers which comprise, in the main chain, repeating units which are derived from polyolefin-based macromonomers, and repeating units which are derived from low molecular monomers which are selected from the group consisting of styrene monomers having 8-17 carbon atoms, alkyl(meth)acrylates having 1-10 carbon atoms in the alcohol group, vinyl esters having 1-11 carbon atoms in the acyl group, vinyl ethers having 1-10 carbon atoms in the alcohol group, (Di)alkylfumarates having 1-10 carbon atoms in the alcohol group, (Di)alkylmaleates having 1-10 carbon atoms in the alcohol group and mixtures of said monomers. The molar branching degree lies in the region between 0.1-10 mol. % and the comb polymer represents the sum of at least 80 wt. %, in relation to the weight of the repeating units, on repeating units which are derived from polyolefin-based macromonomers, and repeating units which are selected from low molecular monomers which are selected from the group consisting of styrene monomers having 8-17 carbon atoms, alkyl(meth)acrylates having 1-10 carbon atoms in the alcohol group, vinyl esters having 1-11 carbon atoms in the acyl group, vinyl ethers having 1-10 carbon atoms in the alcohol group, (Di)alkylfumarates having 1-10 carbon atoms in the alcohol group, (Di)alkylmaleates having 1-10 carbon atoms in the alcohol group, and mixtures of said monomers. |
| US08067347B2 |
Lubricating oil additive composition and method of making the same
An oil-soluble lubricating oil additive composition prepared by the process which comprises reacting a copolymer, with at least one ether compound, with at least one aliphatic compound, and with at least one aromatic compound. |
| US08067346B2 |
Tetraoxy-silane lubricating oil compositions
Disclosed are lubricating oil compositions comprising a major amount of an oil of lubricating viscosity and a tetra-functional hydrolyzable silane compound of the general formula Si—X4 or hydrolysis product thereof, wherein X is independently selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, acyloxy, amino, monoalkyl amino and dialkyl amino. |
| US08067344B2 |
Lubricating grease composition
A lubricating grease composition, which comprises a base oil consisting of a mixture of 100 parts by weight of at least one of a perfluoropolyether oil (A), represented by RfO[CF(CF3)CF2O]p(CF2CF2O)qRf (where Rf is a perfluoroalkyl group having 1-5 carbon atoms, p+q=2-200, q/p=0-2, and q may be 0), and a perfluoropolyether oil (B), represented by F(CF2CF2CF2O)sC2F5 (where s=2-100), and 0-100 parts by weight of at least one of a perfluoropolyether oil (C), represented by RfO(CF2CF2O)m(CF2O)nRf (where m+n=3-200 and m:n=10-90:90-10), and a perfluoropolyether oil (D), represented by RfO[CF(CF3)CF2O]a(CF2CF3O)b(CF2O)cRf (where a+b+c=3-200, b is 0 or an integer of 1 or more, and c is an integer of 1 or more), preferably further admixed with a thickening agent, can suppress corrosion of metallic materials by corrosive gases and also has a good heat resistance. |
| US08067343B2 |
Methods and compositions for preventing high density well completion fluid loss
A method of reducing fluid loss from a wellbore that includes emplacing a fluid loss pill in the wellbore, the fluid loss pill comprising: a base fluid; a hydratable or solvatable synthetic copolymer having at least one crosslinkable comonomer; and a crosslinking agent is disclosed. |
| US08067341B2 |
Method for fabricating a biochip using the high density carbon nanotube film or pattern
Carbon nanotube (CNT) films, patterns and biochips and methods of making the same are provided. Such a biochip comprises a bio-receptor attached by means of an exposed chemical functional group on a surface of a high density CNT film or pattern produced by repeated lamination of CNTs on a substrate with exposed amine groups. Various types of CNT-biochips may be fabricated by bonding of bio-receptors to a CNT pattern (or film) containing exposed carboxyl groups or modified by various chemical functional groups. Further, the CNT-biochip may be used to measure an electrical or electrochemical signal using both conductor and semiconductor properties of the CNT, thereby not needing labeling. Upon fluorescent measurement of DNA hybridization using such a CNT-DNA chip it is possible to show more distinct signals useful for genotyping, mutation detection, pathogen identification and the like. |
| US08067337B2 |
Agricultural chemical composition
An agricultural chemical composition which enables a wide range of herbicidal compounds including ones showing phytotoxicity to crop plants, etc. upon mere application to exhibit a sufficient herbicidal effect and to show reduced or no phytotoxicity to the crop plants. The agricultural chemical composition comprises (A) a herbicidal compound selected from the group consisting of sulfonylurea compounds, sulfonamide compounds, chloroacetanilide compounds, thiocarbamate compounds, pyrimidinyloxy(thio)benzoic acid compounds, tetrazolinone compounds, pyrazole compounds, cyclohexanedione compounds, phenoxycarboxylic acid compounds, oxazinone compounds, and difluoromethanesulfonylanilide compounds or salts thereof and (B) a compound selected among benzoic acid compounds. |
| US08067335B2 |
Multisided thermal media combinations
Various multisided thermal media image elements, and methods of manufacture thereof, are presented. In one embodiment, a first media substrate is at least partially coated with thermally sensitive ink on one or more of its sides. A second media substrate is coated with the thermally sensitive ink on at least one of its sides. The second media substrate is at least partially integrated with the first media substrate to form a multisided thermal media image element, wherein at least a portion of the second media substrate is capable of being removed for independent use. The multisided first and second media substrates are adapted to be imaged via a thermal printer individually and together upon integration into the image element. |
| US08067334B2 |
Selective hydrogenation catalyst
A catalyst on an oxidic support and processes for selectively hydrogenating unsaturated compounds in hydrocarbon streams comprising them using these catalysts are described. |
| US08067330B2 |
Catalytic material and catalyst for purifying exhaust gas component
Disclosed is a catalytic material for purifying an exhaust gas component. The catalytic material comprises a composite oxide which contains, as essential components, zirconium (Zr) and neodymium (Nd), and further contains a rare-earth metal R other than cerium (Ce) and neodymium (Nd), wherein each of the zirconium, neodymium and rare-earth metal R constituting the composite oxide is contained, in the form of oxide, in such a manner that a ratio of Nd2O3/(ZrO2+Nd2O3+RO) is 3 mol % or more, and a ratio of (Nd2O3+RO)/(ZrO2+Nd2O3+RO) is 33 mol % or less. The catalytic material of the present invention can oxidize/burn PM in a short period of time, while suppressing CO emission during the burning of the PM, and can achieve further enhanced NOx conversion performance. |
| US08067319B2 |
Fibers made from copolymers of ethylene/α-olefins
A fiber is obtainable from or comprises an ethylene/α-olefin interpolymer characterized by an elastic recovery, Re, in percent at 300 percent strain and 1 cycle and a density, d, in grams/cubic centimeter, wherein the elastic recovery and the density satisfy the following relationship: Re>1481−1629(d). Such interpolymer can also be characterized by other properties. The fibers made therefrom have a relatively high elastic recovery and a relatively low coefficient of friction. The fibers can be cross-linked, if desired. Woven or non-woven fabrics can be made from such fibers. |
| US08067318B2 |
Elastic nonwoven sheet
This invention relates to stretchable nonwoven sheets prepared by substantially uniformly impregnating a necked nonwoven substrate or an easily extensible as-made nonwoven substrate with an elastomeric polymer by treatment with an elastomeric polymer solution. The nonwoven sheet is useful in the manufacture of diapers and other hygiene articles. |
| US08067313B2 |
Semiconductor device, method of manufacturing the same, and electronic apparatus
Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including forming a transistor on a first surface of a device substrate, forming a hole in a second surface opposite to the first surface of the device substrate, and supplying hydrogen to a gate insulating film of the transistor from the second surface of the device substrate through the hole. |
| US08067307B2 |
Integrated circuit package system for stackable devices
An integrated circuit package system comprising: providing a package die; and connecting a connector lead having a first connector end with a protruded connection surface and a lowered structure over the package die. |
| US08067306B2 |
Integrated circuit packaging system with exposed conductor and method of manufacture thereof
A method of manufacture of an integrated circuit packaging system includes: providing a substrate; forming a component connector on the substrate; forming a resist layer on the substrate with the component connector exposed; forming a vertical insertion cavity in the resist layer, the vertical insertion cavity isolated from the component connector or a further vertical insertion cavity, the vertical insertion cavity having a cavity side that is orthogonal to the substrate; forming a rounded interconnect in the vertical insertion cavity, the rounded interconnect nonconformal to the vertical insertion cavity; and mounting an integrated circuit device on the component connector. |
| US08067298B2 |
Relaxation of a strained material layer with application of a stiffener
The invention relates to methods of fabricating a layer of at least partially relaxed material, such as for electronics, optoelectronics or photovoltaics. An exemplary method includes supplying a structure that includes a layer of strained material situated between a reflow layer and a stiffener layer. The method further includes applying a heat treatment that brings the reflow layer to a temperature equal to or greater than the glass transition temperature of the reflow layer, and the thickness of the stiffener layer is progressively reduced during heat treatment. The invention also relates to an exemplary method of fabricating semiconductor devices on a layer of at least partially relaxed material. Specifically, at least one active layer may be formed on the at least partially relaxed material layer. The active layer may include laser components, photovoltaic components and/or electroluminescent diodes. |
| US08067296B2 |
Method of manufacturing semiconductor device
The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device in which a thinned substrate of a semiconductor or semiconductor device is handled without cracks in the substrate and treated with heat to improve a contact between semiconductor back surface and metal in a high yield and a semiconductor device may be manufactured in a high yield. In the method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to the present invention, a notched part is formed from a surface to a middle in a semiconductor substrate by dicing and the surface of the substrate is fixed to a support base. Next, a back surface of the substrate is ground to thin the semiconductor substrate and then a metal electrode and a carbon film that is a heat receiving layer are sequentially formed on the back surface of the substrate. Next, the carbon film is irradiated with light at a power density of 1 kW/cm2 to 1 MW/cm2 for a short time of 0.01 ms to 10 ms to transfer heat from the carbon film and alloy an interface between a semiconductor and the metal electrode. Subsequently, the semiconductor substrate is separated at the notched part into pieces. |
| US08067295B2 |
Manufacturing method of solar cell module, and solar cell and solar cell module
A double-side light receiving solar cell in a planer regular hexagon shape and having first electrodes on both surfaces are divided into four pieces by a line A-A′ connecting two opposing apexes and by a line B-B′ perpendicular to the line A-A′ and connecting center points on two opposing sides. By matching oblique lines of two divided pieces without misalignment and with respective surfaces in an inversed state, the first electrodes on the same side of the two divided pieces align along the same single straight line. Then, the first electrodes that are on the same side are connected with a first inter connecter, thereby constructing a unit having a rectangular outline. Units thus constructed are arranged so that relevant sides match without misalignment. By handling on a unit basis as described above, it is possible to facilitate an arrangement of the cells and an electricity connection work. |
| US08067294B2 |
Method of manufacturing semiconductor device including protective film
It is an object of the invention to provide a lightweight semiconductor device having a highly reliable sealing structure which can prevent ingress of impurities such as moisture that deteriorate element characteristics, and a method of manufacturing thereof. A protective film having superior gas barrier properties (which is a protective film that is likely to damage an element if the protective film is formed on the element directly) is previously formed on a heat-resistant substrate other than a substrate with the element formed thereon. The protective film is peeled off from the heat-resistant substrate, and transferred over the substrate with the element formed thereon so as to seal the element. |
| US08067287B2 |
Asymmetric segmented channel transistors
Structures, layouts and methods of forming integrated circuits are described. In various embodiments, the current invention includes an asymmetric segmented transistor. The asymmetric segmented transistor includes a source region and a drain region disposed within an active region, a floating source/drain region disposed within the active region, a first channel region disposed in the active region between the source region and the floating source/drain region, the first channel having a first length and a first width. A second channel region is disposed in the active region between the drain region and the floating source/drain region, the second channel having a second length and a second width. A first gate dielectric overlies the first channel region and a second gate dielectric overlies the second channel region. A gate line overlies the first gate dielectric and the second gate dielectric. |
| US08067284B1 |
Oxynitride bilayer formed using a precursor inducing a high charge trap density in a top layer of the bilayer
A semiconductor device including a bilayer charge storing layer and methods of forming the same are provided. Generally, the method includes: (i) forming a first layer of the bilayer charge storing layer; and (ii) forming a second layer formed on a surface of the first layer, the second layer including an oxynitride charge trapping layer. Preferably, the first layer includes a substantially trap free oxynitride layer. More preferably, the oxynitride charge trapping layer includes a significantly higher stoichiometric composition of silicon than that of the first layer. In certain embodiments, the oxynitride charge trapping layer has a concentration of carbon selected to increase the number of traps therein. Other embodiments are also disclosed. |
| US08067283B2 |
Semiconductor device fabricating method
A semiconductor device fabricating method is described. The semiconductor device fabricating method includes providing a substrate. A first gate insulating layer and a second gate insulating layer are formed on the substrate, respectively. A gate layer is blanketly formed. A portion of the gate layer, the first gate insulating layer and the second gate insulating layer are removed to form a first gate, a remaining first gate insulating layer, a second gate and a remaining second gate insulating layer. The remaining first gate insulating layer not covered by the first gate has a first thickness, and the remaining second gate insulating layer not covered by the second gate has a second thickness, wherein a ratio between the first thickness and the second thickness is about 10 to 20. A pair of first spacers and a pair of second spacers are formed on sidewalls of the first gate and the second gate, respectively. |
| US08067275B2 |
Integrated circuit package system with package integration
An integrated circuit package system comprising: providing a base substrate; attaching a base integrated circuit die over the base substrate; forming a support over the base substrate near only one edge of the base substrate; and attaching a stack substrate over the support and the base integrated circuit die. |
| US08067273B2 |
Self locking and aligning clip structure for semiconductor die package
A semiconductor die package. The semiconductor die package includes a semiconductor die, and a lead comprising a flat surface. It also includes a clip structure including a (i) a contact portion, where the contact portion is coupled the semiconductor die, a clip aligner structure, where the clip aligner structure is cooperatively structured with the lead with the flat surface, and an intermediate portion coupling the contact portion and the clip aligner structure. |
| US08067272B2 |
Integrated circuit package system for package stacking and manufacturing method thereof
A stackable multi-chip package system is provided including forming an external interconnect having a base and a tip, connecting a first integrated circuit die and the base, stacking a second integrated circuit die over the first integrated circuit die in an active side to active side configuration, connecting the second integrated circuit die and the base, and molding the first integrated circuit die, the second integrated circuit die, and the external interconnect partially exposed. |