| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08339811B2 |
Apparatus and method for detecting a change in output voltage of an isolated power converter
An output voltage sensor for use in a power converter controller includes a first pulse sampler circuit coupled to receive a feedback signal representative of an output of a power converter. The first pulse sampler circuit is coupled to capture a first peak voltage representative of a second peak of a ringing voltage of the feedback signal at a first time in the feedback signal. A second pulse sampler circuit is coupled to receive the feedback signal representative of the output of the power converter. The second pulse sampler circuit is coupled to capture a second peak voltage representative of the second peak of the ringing voltage of the feedback signal at a second time in the feedback signal. The output voltage sensor is coupled to output a change signal to a drive circuit of the power converter controller in response to the first and second peak voltages. |
| US08339809B2 |
Switching power supply device
A switching power supply device includes a transformer, a switching unit which is connected with a primary winding of the transformer and configured to switch a current flowing to the primary winding, a start unit configured to start the switching unit, a voltage drop unit configured to lower output voltage from a secondary winding of the transform, and a current control unit configured to control an amount of a current flowing in the start unit when the switching unit is in an off state by lowering output voltage by the voltage drop unit. |
| US08339802B2 |
Module having a stacked magnetic device and semiconductor device and method of forming the same
A module having a stacked magnetic device and semiconductor device, and method of forming the same. In one embodiment, the module includes a printed wiring board including a patterned conductor formed on an upper surface thereof. The module also includes a magnetic core mounted on the upper surface of the printed wiring board proximate the patterned conductor and a semiconductor device mounted on an upper surface of the magnetic core. |
| US08339801B2 |
Electric power steering apparatus
Provided is an electric power steering apparatus which allows a reduction in apparatus size as well as in noise. A controller (20) includes: a metal board (22), on which a bridge circuit including a plurality of semiconductor switching elements (Q1 to Q6) for switching a current of an electric motor (1) is mounted; capacitors (31) for absorbing a ripple of the current; a control board (29), on which a microcomputer (33) for generating a drive signal for controlling the bridge circuit is mounted; and a connection member formed by insert molding high-current conductive plates (24 and 25), through which a high current flows, and signal conductive plates (26), to/from which a low-current signal is input/output, with a frame (23a) made of an insulating resin provided in proximity to an outer periphery of the metal board (22), in which the capacitors (31) are arranged in a row along an end surface of one side of the metal board (22) and are electrically connected to the high-current conductive plates (24). |
| US08339799B2 |
Integrated circuit with pins at multiple edges of a chip
An improved integrated circuit (IC) layout is described that provides conductive pads on opposite sides of a substrate. The conductive pads provide for connectivity to the chip in different chip orientations. Accordingly, multiple chips having the same layout can be provided in a package, instead of providing each chip with a different layout. Since the same layout may be used for each chip, manufacturing costs are reduced. |
| US08339797B2 |
Package substrate
A package substrate includes a main package body including a first principal surface on which an IC is mounted, and a second principal surface, opposed to the first principal surface, on which first bonding materials for mounting are provided. An internal circuit is provided within the main package body and connected to the first bonding materials. A sub-package is arranged on the second principal surface and includes electronic components embedded therein. A thickness direction dimension being the distance from the second principal surface to a portion of the sub-package most distant from the second principal surface, is not more than a thickness direction dimension being the distance from the second principal surface to an edge of the first bonding material at the second principal surface. |
| US08339794B2 |
Super capacitor casing and supercapacitor embedded device
A casing to support a solid state device SSD therein and super capacitors therein to be electronically connected together. |
| US08339793B2 |
Electronic device with a motherboard waterproofing mechanism
An electronic device includes: first and second housing bodies cooperating to form an inner receiving space; a motherboard disposed in the inner receiving space, partitioned by a partition line into a port zone having at least one input/output connector, and a non-port zone; first and second waterproof strips disposed respectively between the first housing body and the motherboard and between the second housing body and the motherboard, and disposed at the partition line, the second waterproof strip having opposite ends formed with respective extension parts extending perpendicularly toward the first waterproof strip and disposed at the peripheral edge of the motherboard; and a third waterproof strip connected to the first waterproof strip to form a closed seal ring therewith, disposed between the first and second housing bodies, and disposed at an outer side of a peripheral edge of the non-port zone. |
| US08339790B2 |
Monolithic microwave integrated circuit
A monolithic microwave integrated circuit structure having a semiconductor substrate structure with a plurality of active devices and a microwave transmission line having an input section, an output section and a interconnecting section electrically interconnecting the active devices on one surface and a metal layer on an opposite surface overlaying the interconnection section and absent from overlaying at least one of the input section and the output section. |
| US08339789B2 |
Use of an electronic module for an integrated mechatronic transmission control of simplified design
An electronic module for an integrated mecatronic transmission control includes a housing cover and at least one multi-layer circuit board as an electrical connection between an interior of the housing and components located outside the housing. The multi-layer circuit board is a circuit carrier for electronic components of central control electronics and at the same time is a thermal connection to a base plate. |
| US08339786B2 |
Heat dissipation device
An exemplary heat dissipation device for a portable electronic device includes a heat pipe and a heat dissipating member. The heat pipe includes an evaporator section and a condenser section. The evaporator section is attached to a heat source of the portable electronic device. The heat dissipating member includes a sheath, and a porous heat dissipating layer and a working fluid contained in the sheath. The porous heat dissipating layer defines gaps therein. The working fluid is filled in the gaps. The condenser section of the heat pipe is received in the porous heat dissipating layer and thermally contacts the porous heat dissipating layer. |
| US08339784B2 |
Thermal management for electronic device housing
The present invention pertains to a cage for thermal management and housing an electric module comprising a cage housing and having a top, bottom and side walls joined to form an interior cavity and the side walls defining a width of the interior cavity. The top wall may have an air inlet port and an air outlet port and the air inlet and outlet ports spaced apart by a length. The length may be most or all of the width, so that air entering the inlet port will travel over a portion of a side of an electronic module mounted in the cavity prior to exiting the outlet port. |
| US08339782B2 |
Handheld electronic device and keypad having keys with upstanding engagement surfaces
An improved handheld electronic device and keypad include keys having upstanding engagement surfaces that provide a greater effective space between keys than the nominal key-to-key distance therebetween. More particularly, an upstanding engagement surface of one key is spaced farther from that of an adjacent key than the nominal key-to-key distance therebetween. The added space facilitates input by reducing miskeying errors, which allows for faster input with reduced visual and mental attention being required during such input. |
| US08339781B2 |
Electronic device and rail module
An electronic device includes a chassis, a rail module and an electronic module. The rail module includes a rail, first and second sliding elements. The rail disposed in the chassis has a locking slot. The first sliding element slidably disposed on the rail has an elastic piece. The elastic piece has a locking hook facing the rail. The second sliding element slidably disposed on the first sliding element and fixed to the electronic module is suitable of sliding along a path relatively to the first sliding element. The locking hook leaning against the rail is located on the path. The locking hook is suitable of being pushed by the second sliding element to be buckled to the locking slot and moves away from the path. Then, the second sliding element crosses the elastic piece for sliding along the first sliding element, and the electronic module moves out from the chassis. |
| US08339780B2 |
Front removable cold swap hard disk drive carrier with internal release
A connector for a disk drive unit includes a base, a curve portion, a tab, a support, a hook, and a first spring arm. The base has a left portion, a right portion, a bottom portion, and a top portion. The curve portion extends from a back of the top portion of the base. The tab is adapted to be inserted into a retention opening of a static wall of a server. The support extends substantially horizontally from an opposite end of the curve portion, and is adapted to flex up and down when the tab is inserted into the retention opening of the static wall of the server. The hook is physically connected between the support and the tab, and is adapted to flex the support when the hook pressed into contact with a top of the retention opening, and to snap fit around the top of the retention opening when the connector is completely inserted into the retention opening. The first spring arm extends toward a center and in front of the base, and is adapted to apply a force to the static wall when the hook is snap fitted around the top of the retention opening to secure the disk drive unit within the server. |
| US08339779B2 |
Electronic device providing card holder access
An electronic device includes a main body, a card holder assembly, and a card holder control assembly. The card holder assembly includes a shaft secured within the main body, at least one torsion spring, and at least one card holder. The torsion spring is arranged over the shaft. One end of each torsion spring is secured to the shaft, and an opposite end is secured to one card holder. When the card holder is secured within the main body, the torsion spring is in a compressed state. The card holder is rotatably fixed in place on the shaft. The control assembly includes a switch, a pulling rod, and at least one latching member. The switch is slidably connected to the main body and moveable between a first position and a second position. The latching member is connected to the pulling rod. |
| US08339767B2 |
Power capacitor
A power capacitor is described herein. The power capacitor includes a housing and at least one capacitor winding. The power capacitor also includes at least one mechanical spring element between the housing and the at least one capacitor winding. |
| US08339757B2 |
Electrostatic discharge circuit for integrated circuit with multiple power domain
An ESD protection circuit with multiple domains, which comprises: an ESD protection device, coupled between a first power supplying line and a first ground line; a first internal circuit, having a first terminal coupled to the first power supplying line; a first switch, coupled between a second terminal of the first internal circuit and a second ground line; and a first ESD detection circuit, coupled to the first switch, for detecting an ESD signal, and controls the first switch to be non-conductive when the ESD signal occurs. |
| US08339754B2 |
TMR or CPP structure with improved exchange properties
An insertion layer is provided between an AFM layer and an AP2 pinned layer in a GMR or TMR element to improve exchange coupling properties by increasing Hex and the Hex/Hc ratio without degrading the MR ratio. The insertion layer may be a 1 to 15 Angstrom thick amorphous magnetic layer comprised of at least one element of Co, Fe, or Ni, and at least one element having an amorphous character selected from B, Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta, Si, or P, or a 1 to 5 Angstrom thick non-magnetic layer comprised of Cu, Ru, Mn, Hf, or Cr. Preferably, the content of the one or more amorphous elements in the amorphous magnetic layer is less than 40 atomic %. Optionally, the insertion layer may be formed within the AP2 pinned layer. Examples of an insertion layer are CoFeB, CoFeZr, CoFeNb, CoFeHf, CoFeNiZr, CoFeNiHf, and CoFeNiNbZr. |
| US08339753B1 |
Magnetic bias structure for magnetoresistive sensor
A magnetic read head having a novel magnetic bias structure that provides improved magnetic biasing for improved free layer robustness and reduced Barkhausen noise. The bias structure includes hard magnetic layer formed over first and second under-layers. At least a portion of the first under-layer is formed as discrete islands of material, and the second under-layer is formed over the first under-layer. The first under-layer has a thickness of 0.25 to 0.75 nm. The novel seed layer structure causes hard magnetic layer to have a magnetic anisotropy that is substantially parallel with the free layer of the sensor stack even in regions adjacent to the sensor stack. |
| US08339752B1 |
Magnetic head with wide sensor back edge, low resistance, and high signal to-noise ratio and methods of production thereof
In one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a magnetoresistive free layer, wherein a width of the free layer nearest an air bearing surface (ABS) is less than a width of the free layer at a point away from the ABS in a track width direction, with the magnetic head being configured to pass a sense current in a direction perpendicular to a plane of deposition of the free layer. In another embodiment, a method includes forming a magnetoresistive film above a shield, forming a masking layer above the magnetoresistive film, patterning the masking layer such that it exposes portions of the magnetoresistive film, wherein the masking layer defines an area which is narrow near an area that forms an ABS side of a free layer and wider at an area away from the ABS, and removing the exposed portions of the magnetoresistive film to form the free layer. |
| US08339750B2 |
Spin accumulation magnetic sensor
A magnetic sensor comprises a nonmagnetic conductive layer, a free magnetization layer disposed on a first part of the nonmagnetic conductive layer, a fixed magnetization layer disposed on a second part of the nonmagnetic conductive layer different from the first part, upper and lower first magnetic shield layers opposing each other through the nonmagnetic conductive layer and free magnetization layer interposed therebetween, upper and lower second magnetic shield layers opposing each other through the nonmagnetic conductive layer and fixed magnetization layer interposed therebetween, and an electrically insulating layer disposed between the lower second magnetic shield layer and the nonmagnetic conductive layer, while the lower first magnetic shield layer is arranged closer to the nonmagnetic conductive layer than is the lower second magnetic shield layer. |
| US08339749B2 |
Perpendicular magnetic recording head, magnetic head, and magnetic disk device mounted with these heads
Embodiments of the invention reduce generation of a magnetic field with a polarity reverse to that of the recording magnetic field, without deteriorating a gradient in the magnetic field. An embodiment of a magnetic disk device according to the present invention suppresses deviation and erase of already recorded data. In an embodiment, the perpendicular magnetic recording head includes the main magnetic pole, an auxiliary magnetic pole, a trailing shield disposed on the trailing side of the main magnetic pole with a non-magnetic film placed in-between, and side shields disposed on both the sides of the main magnetic pole in the direction of the track width with a non-magnetic film placed in-between. The trailing shield has on the trailing side a portion where film thickness is thinner on the trailing side than the thickness of its element in the height direction in its position facing the main magnetic pole. Adoption of this configuration allows suppression of generation of the magnetic field having a polarity reverse to that of the recording magnetic field, without deteriorating the magnetic field gradient. Also in the portion where the side shields face the main magnetic pole, the side shields have the portion where the film is thinned down in thickness. |
| US08339738B1 |
Method for providing a magnetic recording transducer having a hybrid moment pole
A method for fabricating a magnetic transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS) is provided. The method comprises providing an underlayer, and providing a main pole residing on the underlayer and having a front and a rear. The step of providing a main pole further includes providing a first portion having a first magnetic moment, the first portion having a front face at the ABS and terminating between the ABS and the rear of the main pole, and providing a second portion having a second magnetic moment. A part of the second portion resides on the first portion, and another part of the second portion resides between the first portion of the main pole and the rear of the main pole. The first magnetic moment is less than the second magnetic moment. |
| US08339734B2 |
Magnetic write head having a wrap around trailing shield with an asymetrical side gap
A magnetic write head having a magnetic write pole with a wrap around magnetic trailing shield. The wrap around magnetic trailing shield is separated by a first non-magnetic side gap at a first side of the write pole and by a second non-magnetic side gap at a second side of the write pole. The first second non-magnetic side gap is larger than the first non-magnetic side gap and is preferably at least twice the thickness of the first non-magnetic side gap. This design provides additional protection adjacent track interference at one side of the write pole and additional protection against magnetic write field loss at the other side of the write pole. |
| US08339729B2 |
Efficient moves via repository
A storage library is described that includes a shelf system adapted to support a number of tape cartridges. The storage library further includes a tape drive adapted to read and write data to and from tape cartridges. The storage library further possesses a temporary repository near the tape drive that is adapted to facilitate an exchange of a first tape cartridge intended to be loaded in the tape drive with a second tape cartridge ready to be removed from the tape drive with a single tape picker device. |
| US08339728B2 |
Magnetic memory device using magnetic domain motion
Example embodiments may provide a magnetic memory device. The example embodiment magnetic memory devices may include a plurality of memory tracks, bit lines, connectors, a first input portion, and/or selectors. The memory track(s) may be stacked on a substrate to form a multi-stack. A plurality of magnetic domains may be formed in the memory track so that a data bit may be represented by a magnetic domain and may be stored in an array. The bit line(s) may be formed along respective memory tracks. The connector(s) may form a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) cell with one data bit region of the memory track. The first input portion may be electrically connected to each memory track and may input a magnetic domain motion signal to move data stored on a data bit region of the memory track to an adjoining data bit region. The selector(s) may select a memory track from a plurality of memory tracks on which a reading and/or writing operation may to be performed. |
| US08339727B1 |
Transitioning between modes of control for motor of recording device
The present disclosure includes systems and techniques relating to control of recording devices, such as disk drives. A described technique includes controlling a motor to actuate a head about a surface of a rotating recording medium, the motor being associated with first and second states of electric current, where a duration of the first state is longer than a duration of the second state; detecting an instance of the first state; and initiating, when the instance of the first state is detected, a switch from a first mode to a second mode to control the motor. The switch can be based on a condition of operation with respect to the rotating recording medium. |
| US08339726B2 |
Unique media identifier
An apparatus and method for providing a unique identifier for data storage media is disclosed herein. The servo track of the data storage media is encoded one or more times with media manufacturer's data. The media manufacturer's data includes a variety of information including the unique identifier. The unique identifier differentiates among different media manufacturers, different spools or pancakes from which a given media comes from, and different media within a given spool or pancake. The unique identifier scheme is configured to facilitate standardization among media manufacturers while providing error correction and flexibility for future changes in format. |
| US08339724B2 |
Induction of magnetic bias in a magnetic recording disk
Approaches for inducing a magnetic bias in a magnetic recording disk. A biasing apparatus comprises a soft magnetic material member having a shape comprising two opposing recesses, denoted an upper recess and a lower recess. A first magnet is disposed within the upper recess and a second magnet disposed within the lower recess. An air gap exists between the first magnet and the second magnet. An opening in the soft magnetic material member is sized to accommodate at least a portion of the magnetic recording disk between the first magnet and the second magnet. The magnetic field produced by both the first magnetic and the second magnetic flows (a) in the same direction, and (b) perpendicular to the plane of the magnetic recording disk. Using this approach, magnetic material on the disk, such as magnetic islands of a bit pattern media, may be erased and polarized in the same direction. |
| US08339723B2 |
Split sector formatting of storage disks
A length of a separator to be skipped on the storage disk is compared with a threshold. The threshold is associated with a maximum value for which a timing loop is able to be paused without causing the timing loop to have inaccurate timing. If the length is greater than the threshold, a first split sector format is assigned to the split sector and that information is recorded. In such cases, a first portion and a second portion both include synchronization information. If the length is less than the threshold, a second split sector format is assigned to the split sector and that information is recorded. In such cases, the first portion includes synchronization information and the second portion of the split sector excludes synchronization information. |
| US08339719B2 |
Optical apparatus
The invention relates to an optical apparatus allowing images in multiple directions to be simultaneously taken with simple construction using a prism optical system yet with high definitions even at wide angles of view. Specifically, the invention provides an optical apparatus using a prism optical system which has three optical surfaces: a first surface having transmission, a second surface having internal reflection plus transmission and a third surface having reflection and is formed of a medium having a refractive index of 1.3 or greater and in which light enters the medium through the first surface, is totally reflected at the second surface, and then reflected at the third surface 13, and finally leaves the medium this time through the second surface. At least two prism optical systems (101, 102) are arranged side by side with respect to an imaging plane of a single imaging device (30) so that images in at least two directions are formed side by side on the imaging plane of the single imaging device (30), and at least one of three surfaces of each of said prism optical systems (101, 102) has a reflecting surface defined by a rotationally asymmetric plane. |
| US08339715B2 |
Three-piece optical pickup lens
A three-piece optical pickup lens includes, sequentially from an object side to an image side of the three-piece optical pickup lens along an optical axis thereof, an aperture stop, a first lens, a second lens, and a third lens. The first lens is a meniscus lens of positive refractive power. The second lens has an object side and an image side, on each of which at least one inflection point is formed at a position located between a center and a periphery of the second lens. The third lens has an object side and an image side, on each of which at least one inflection point is formed at a position located between a center and a periphery of the third lens, and has positive refractive power at paraxial region of optical axis. |
| US08339714B2 |
Zoom lens and imaging apparatus incorporating the same
A zoom lens comprising, in order from an object side thereof, a first lens group of positive refracting power, a second lens group of negative refracting power, an aperture stop, a third lens group of positive refracting power, a fourth lens group of negative refracting power, and a fifth lens group of positive refracting power. Upon zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, at least the first lens group and the aperture stop remain fixed in position, the second and third lens groups move in the optical axis direction, and the separation between each of the lens groups and the aperture stop changes. Upon focusing from a focusing-on-infinity state to a close-range-focusing state, the fourth lens group moves in the optical axis direction, with satisfaction of the following: −0.36 |
| US08339703B2 |
Scanning microscope and method for manipulating samples by means of a manipulating light beam in a scanning microscope
A scanning microscope for manipulating a sample, the microscope, having a first light source, a second light source, a beam deflector, and an optical device. The first light source is configured to emit an illuminating light beam that follows an illuminating beam. A second light source is configured to produce a manipulating light beam which has a manipulating beam focus and follows a manipulating beam path. The beam deflection device is configured to guide the illuminating light beam and the manipulating beam focus over or through the sample. The optical device is disposed downstream of the second light in the manipulating beam and is configured to modify the size of the manipulating beam focus. |
| US08339697B2 |
Wavelength conversion laser light source and image display device
A wavelength conversion laser light source includes a fundamental wave laser light source (1) to generate a fundamental wave; a first mirror and a second mirror (4, 5), arranged so as to oppose each other; a wavelength conversion element (3) which is arranged between the first mirror and the second mirror and converts the wavelength of the fundamental wave; and a temperature control portion (8) to control the temperature of the wavelength conversion element. A portion of the fundamental wave is wavelength-converted in the wavelength conversion element, and moreover the fundamental wave which is not wavelength-converted is reflected by the first mirror and the second mirror and is repeatedly incident on the wavelength conversion element and is wavelength-converted, and the temperature control portion is arranged so as to be in contact with the wavelength conversion element, and the light quantity of the fundamental wave incident on the temperature control portion is reduced by a fundamental wave absorption portion (18). |
| US08339696B2 |
Optical scanning device and image forming apparatus
An optical scanning device includes a coupling optical system, a light source including a plurality of light emitting units for emitting light beams, and a deflector including a deflecting surface for deflecting the light beams. The coupling optical system is arranged on an optical path between the light source and the deflector so that the light beams enter the deflector at an angle with respect to a normal direction of the deflecting surface in a sub-scanning direction. The light emitting units are arranged two-dimensionally, and a distance between two light emitting units at opposite ends in a main scanning direction is smaller than a distance between two light emitting units at opposite ends in the sub-scanning direction. |
| US08339694B1 |
Incoherent spectral beam combining with optical path compensation using real time holography
A system for path compensation of multiple incoherent spectral optical beams incorporates an optical element combining a plurality of incoherent spectral beams to an aperture by angle using carrier frequency tilt fringes. An illumination laser is employed for reflection of an illumination beam from a target. An interferometer receives a sample of the reflected illumination beam reflected from the target and provides interference fringes. A spatial light modulator receives the interference fringes and generates a real time hologram. Relay optics are employed for transmitting the combined plurality of incoherent beams to the SLM and receiving a diffraction corrected full aperture compensated combined beam for emission to the far field. |
| US08339692B2 |
Printing control apparatus and printing control method
The invention provides a printing control apparatus having a function for performing preview displaying prior to printing document data outputted by an application program. The apparatus comprises: a generator for generating a preview image based on the document data in accordance with a print setting; and a preview display controller for displaying, together with the preview image, a user interface which displays an option in a predetermined item of a print setting within a scope corresponding to a current print setting, when the predetermined item of the print setting corresponding to the preview image is to be changed. The printing control apparatus enables printing of the document data in accordance with the print setting changed through the user interface. |
| US08339687B2 |
Recording device, and support mechanism for side guide members in a recording device
Recording devices with adjustable and lockable recording medium width guides, and support mechanisms for adjustable and lockable recording medium width guides are disclosed. A recording device includes a pair of recording medium width guides that control the widthwise position of a recording medium upon discharge from the recording device. A support mechanism supports the width guides and can lock the position of the width guides. The support mechanism includes a pair of sliding members individually coupled with one of the width guides, and a pressure member that clamps the sliding members together at a position where the sliding members overlap. The pressure member is configurable to clamp the sliding members together, and to unclamp the sliding members. |
| US08339686B2 |
Scanning device
A scanning device includes a hollow housing, a holding plate mounted to an upper portion of the housing, a guiding rod mounted in the housing and spaced from the holding plate with a predetermined distance, a reading unit slidably mounted to the guiding rod, and a flexible cable received in the housing. The flexible cable has a restrictive plate and a conducting cable attached to a top of the restrictive plate. The restrictive plate has at least one long side raised upwardly. The flexible cable is received in the housing in a folding manner, with a lower end thereof where the raised side faces upwards connected to the system controller, and an upper end thereof where the raised side faces downwards connected to the reading unit, forming an inverted-U folding portion. The raised side at the folding portion is unfolded for keeping the folding portion in shape, in scanning process. |
| US08339674B2 |
Halftone independent correction of spatial non-uniformities
A method and apparatus are provided for compensating for spatial non-uniformities in a printer by deriving a true spatial non-uniformity tone response curve (TRC) that characterizes the printer in terms of color output variation for each addressable pixel location in a spatial range. The “true average” tone response curve is determined for a color channel. A prediction of the true response as a function of the spatial location is derived by printing and scanning a specially designed halftone-independent target of binary patterns. The predicted tone response curve for each color channel and halftone is predicted using a binary printer model, wherein the “predicted tone response curve” provides a model based approximation of the actual response for each addressable pixel location in the spatial range. Also stored is an “average predicted tone response” by averaging the “predicted tone response curve” over the spatial range of the printer. |
| US08339673B2 |
Method and apparatus for improving edge sharpness with error diffusion
A method and apparatus for processing an image are provided that can suppress blur edges at an edge portion of a character so that sharpness and quality of the image can be improved. The apparatus comprises an inside and outside edge discrimination portion for discriminating whether a target pixel to be processed belongs to an inside edge or to an outside edge, a threshold value generating portion for selecting a threshold value from plural threshold values for error diffusion process in accordance with an area discriminated by the inside and outside edge discrimination portion to output the selected threshold value and an error diffusion process portion for performing the error diffusion process for multilevel input data concerning the target pixel by utilizing the threshold value generated by the threshold value generating portion so as to produce output data whose gradation steps are reduced. |
| US08339670B2 |
Methods and systems for rendering data based on graphic-list partitioning
Aspects of the present invention are related to systems and methods for rendering graphical objects in a printing system. According to one aspect of the present invention a graphic list may be partitioned, and the graphic-list partitions may be rendered “out-of-order” or concurrently. |
| US08339668B2 |
Color processing apparatus and method thereof
The quality of an image read from a degraded image of an original document can be improved. Hence, a specific pixel of an image is selected, and additional information to be added to the image is generated from the position information and color information of the selected pixel. The image of an original document is read, position information and color information added to the original document are extracted, and the color information of a pixel corresponding to the position information is acquired from the read image. The color of the read image is corrected based on the extracted color information and the acquired color information. |
| US08339662B2 |
HLC images from a color scanning system
Systems and methods are described that facilitate generating a ready-to-print binary dual-plane HLC image for output to an HLC device. A print-ready highlight color (HLC) image can be generated without digital front end (DFE) processing. For example, according to one or more aspects, a color scanner can be employed to produce a two-plane binary TIFF image. One plane contains black (e.g., achromatic) content, while the other contains highlight color content. Black pixels are identified and/or determined using neutral pixel and neutral window detection. Background pixels are mapped to white for both planes. Pixels that are non-neutral and non-background are designated as color pixels. After separation into a neutral plane and an HLC plane, the planes are processed into binary data for printing. |
| US08339661B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image forming apparatus
An image processing apparatus that outputs color information to an image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a sheet using color toner and transparent toner, the color information representing a toner image to be formed on the sheet by the image forming apparatus, including: an extracting unit that extracts a characteristic region from input image data; a first calculating unit that creates, based on the image data, first color information on a toner image corresponding to the color toner; a second calculating unit that calculates second color information by which a prescribed amount of the transparent toner is applied to the characteristic region extracted by the extracting unit; and an outputting unit that outputs the first and second color information calculated by the first and second calculating units to the image forming apparatus. |
| US08339659B2 |
Partitioning of sheetside bitmaps for transfer from a print controller to printhead controllers
Printing systems, print controllers, and associated methods of partitioning sheetside bitmaps are disclosed. A print controller in one embodiment connects to a plurality of printhead controllers that are operable to control a plurality of printhead arrays. The print controller includes an interpreter system operable to receive a print job, and to convert an image in the print job into a full sheetside bitmap comprised of an array of pixels. The print controller also includes a partitioning system operable to process the full sheetside bitmap to identify the pixels in the full sheetside bitmap designated for printing on each of the printhead arrays, and to generate a partitioned sheetside bitmap for each printhead array that contains essentially the pixels designated for printing on the printhead array. The print controller further includes an interface system operable to transmit the partitioned sheetside bitmaps to the printhead controllers associated with the printhead arrays. |
| US08339658B2 |
Image forming apparatus and image forming method
An image forming apparatus including: a video memory; a load management unit that loads page data on a print image into the video memory page by page; a print engine that performs printing using the page data stored in the video memory; and a main management unit that, when printing of a page is completed as part of an electronic sort process, causes the video memory to retain the page data if there is a subsequent page to be printed using the same page data as that on the page, and deletes the page data from the video memory if there is no subsequent page to be printed using the same page data as that on the page. |
| US08339651B2 |
Printer and computer-readable recording medium storing printing program
A printer includes a connection device that connects to an external device, a printing device that prints a character on a print medium, an input device that inputs the character and an instruction, and a first data acquisition device that acquires first data created in the external device via the connection device. The printer further includes a print history storage device that stores print history information of the first data and a second data used for printing by the printing device among the first data acquired by the first data acquisition device and the second data created based on the character and the instruction inputted by the input device. The printer also includes a print control device that causes the printing device to perform printing based on the print history information stored in the print history storage device. |
| US08339649B2 |
Information processing system, method and recording medium
An image forming apparatus that functions as a client of a distributed file system is provided, in which the image forming apparatus includes: a distributed file system process part for mounting a file system of a server apparatus on the image forming apparatus to enable the image forming apparatus to access the file system of the server apparatus as the distributed file system of the image forming apparatus; and a storing process part for accessing the file system of the server apparatus and storing, in the file system, information that is stored in a storage unit used by the image forming apparatus. |
| US08339648B2 |
Image forming apparatus, image forming apparatus utilization system, and method for generating image data
An image forming apparatus reading documents based on a scenario and generating image data to transmit the image data with the scenario includes a scenario retrieving unit retrieving scenarios from a scenario storage device; a scenario reception unit receiving the retrieved scenarios; a plural scenario selection identification unit determining whether plural scenarios are received; a scenario destination acquisition unit acquiring, if the plural scenarios are received, delivery destination information from the received the plural scenarios; a duplicated scenario destination identification unit determining whether duplicated delivery destination information is in the acquired delivery destination information; a scenario processing unit carrying out, if the duplicated delivery destination information is contained, processing on one of the plural scenarios to create a processed scenario to transmit the image data once to a destination of the duplicated delivery destination information; and a scenario registration request unit storing the processed scenario in the scenario storage device. |
| US08339647B2 |
Printer formatter in a cable
A printer cable that is configured for coupling to a printer having an enclosure and a printer port. The printer cable includes a first connector for connecting to the printer port and a second connector for coupling to a host device (e.g., a personal computer (PC)). The printer cable includes a printer formatter for providing formatting services to the printer via the first connector. Since the printer formatter is integrated into the printer cable, the printer formatter is external to the printer enclosure and is easily removable and configurable by a user. |
| US08339642B2 |
Apparatus, method, and system for processing character data
An apparatus, method, and system for processing character data is provided, which selects a format of the character data to be used for generating print data. When a user instruction for printing character data according to character command data specifying the output of the character data is received, the format of the character data is selected based on the character command data. |
| US08339639B2 |
Method and system for automatically providing for multi-point document storing, access, and retrieval
A method and a system for storing, accessing, and retrieving data, the printing system including a plurality of multifunction devices (MFDs) in operable communication with a network, the plurality of MFDs configured to be positioned in different geographical locations; and a memory device for automatically storing the data generated by the plurality of MFDs; wherein an authorized user is enabled to print a document via a print request from a first MFD of the plurality of MFDs and then retrieve the document at any of the other MFDs on the network without re-sending another print request from the first MFD. |
| US08339636B2 |
Multi-function peripheral apparatus for processing unified job steps
The respective jobs of copying, printing, scanning, and faxing processed by an integrated application are unitarily divided into four job steps. A package of function modules selectively used in the respective jobs is classified into four groups of input, create, edit, and output function modules according to the division. A data format is unified into bitmap by a create function module, and the bitmap data is processed by an edit function module for pagination or aggregation, etc. In response to receiving setting information and a job code, a job controlling module creates job step control blocks and writes the information therein to create a job. Each of job step controlling (JSC) modules to starts a function module for each page, and after the completion thereof, creates a thread control block for the next downstream side JSC module. |
| US08339632B2 |
Fiscal printer
A fiscal printer reliably stores and holds, using a simple configuration, the date and time that a fiscal control circuit board is removed from the printer, and provides excellent security so that improper activities can be reliably discovered. The fiscal printer 1 has a removable fiscal control circuit board 4, and mounted thereon are fiscal memory 8, a backup battery power supply 11, a real-time clock 10, and a detection circuit 15 for detecting removal of the fiscal control circuit board 4. The real-time clock 10 includes an input terminal 10b(1) to which detection signals from the detection circuit 15 are input, and a storage unit 10c that, when a detection signal indicating that the fiscal control circuit board 4 was removed is input, stores data indicating that the fiscal control circuit board 4 was removed correlated to and associated with the time when the detection signal was input. |
| US08339630B2 |
Print-order receiving apparatus, printing apparatus, print-order receiving method, and computer program thereof
A print-order receiving apparatus includes a first memory unit for storing an administrator password used to determine whether or not to allow access to administrative information, a second memory unit for storing an order-confirmation password used to determine whether or not to perform printing, a first data-reading unit for reading image data from a first portable recording medium, a password requesting unit for requesting input of the order-confirmation password during an operation of receiving a print-order regarding the read image data, a second data-reading unit for reading password data from a second portable recording medium when the order-confirmation password is requested, and a print-determination unit for checking whether the read password data and the order-confirmation password match and for determining whether or not to print the image data. |
| US08339628B2 |
Image forming apparatus that restricts printing of specific information
The objective of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that can print material by which specific information is not revealed without prohibiting printing, even where the printing data contains information that causes problems by printing specific information. By detecting information to be restricted in the printing data and restricting the image formation of the detected information, the image forming apparatus of the present invention can form the image in which the image of the information is not formed. Accordingly, the present invention provides an image forming apparatus that can print material by which specific information is not revealed without prohibiting printing, even where the printing data contains specific information. |
| US08339625B2 |
Secure print job management using machine-readable markings in an image production device
A method for secure print job management using machine-readable markings in an image production device is disclosed. The method may include receiving a signal to print a secure print job from a user, identifying the user, generating a machine-readable marking based on the identification of the user, storing the secure print job and the generated machine-readable marking, receiving a signal to release the secure print job, retrieving the generated machine-readable marking, scanning the user's machine-readable marking, determining if the information encoded in the user's machine-readable marking matches the information encoded in the generated machine-readable marking; wherein if it is determined that the information encoded in the user's machine-readable marking matches the information encoded in the generated machine-readable marking, printing the secure print job. |
| US08339618B2 |
Method and apparatus for confirming attributes of media loaded in a media tray in an image production device
A method and apparatus for confirming attributes of media loaded in a media tray in an image production device is disclosed. The method may include determining which media tray of one or more media trays is being loaded with media using one or more media tray sensors, displaying a graphical representation of the media tray being loaded to a user on a user interface, prompting the user to enter and confirm attributes of the media being loaded into the media tray through the user interface, determining if confirmation has been received from the user interface, wherein if it is determined that the confirmation has been received from the user interface, storing the confirmed attributes for the determined media tray in a memory, and processing print jobs using the stored media tray attributes. |
| US08339617B2 |
Film thickness measuring device and film thickness measuring method
A film thickness measuring device is provided with a light source, a spectroscopic sensor, a processor, and a storage unit, and configured in such a manner that light from the light source vertically enters a plane to be measured provided with a film and the light reflected by the plane to be measured enters the spectroscopic sensor. The storage unit stores theoretical values of reflectivity distributions of respective film thicknesses and theoretical values of color characteristic variables of the respective film thicknesses. The processor finds the thickness of the film of the plane to be measured from the reflectivity distribution measured by the spectroscopic sensor by using the theoretical values of the reflectivity distributions of the respective film thicknesses or the theoretical values of the color characteristic variables of the respective film thicknesses stored in the storage unit. |
| US08339615B2 |
Edge detection method for transparent substrate by detecting non-light-emitting region of transparent substrate
An edge detection method includes preparing a transparent substrate which includes a first main face having a first main region and a first peripheral region and a second main face having a second main region and a second peripheral region, the first peripheral region having an inclination angle of θa1 and the second peripheral region having an inclination angle of θa2, causing measuring light to enter the first peripheral region from a direction perpendicular to the first main region, detecting a non-emitting region where the measuring light is not emitted from the second peripheral region, and detecting an edge of the transparent substrate on the basis of the non-emitting region, wherein if a refractive index of the transparent substrate is n, the inclination angles θa1 and θa2satisfy the following expression: n×sin(θa1+θa2−arcsin(sin θa1/n))≧1. |
| US08339614B2 |
Method of measuring shot shape and mask
A method of measuring shot shape includes sequentially exposing a substrate with main scale marks (32) in compliance with a predetermined map, and forming a reference grid including a plurality of the main scale marks (32) arranged in the predetermined map in at least one shot region, exposing a shot for measuring, via a projection optical system, that includes a plurality of auxiliary scale marks (34) arranged in the predetermined map in the shot region, measuring a relative positional relationship between adjacent main scale marks (32), measuring an amount of deviation between the main scale marks (32) and the auxiliary scale marks (34), and correcting the reference grid based on the relative positional relationship, and calculating a shot shape of the shot for measuring based on the corrected reference grid and the amount of deviation. |
| US08339612B2 |
Shape-measuring interferometer having low-coherence source conjugate to the examined object
Interferometers are provided for measuring the surface shape of an examined object or a transmitted wavefront through the examined object. An exemplary interferometer includes an area light source having a low spatial coherence property, and a light-guiding optical system configured to arrange the area light source and the examined object in an optically conjugate relation with each other. |
| US08339611B2 |
Interferometric distance measurement with harmonic frequency comb generated beams
The present invention provides a measurement apparatus which measures a distance between a reference surface fixed on a fiducial surface and a test surface located on a test object, the apparatus including an optical frequency comb generation unit configured to generate a light beam with a plurality of optical frequency components, which have equal optical frequency separations therebetween, a detection unit configured to, for at least two of the plurality of optical frequency components, detect an interference signal between a light beam reflected by the reference surface and a light beam reflected by the test surface to detect a phase corresponding to an optical path length between the reference surface and the test surface, and a calculation unit configured to calculate a geometric distance between the reference surface and the test surface based on the phases detected by the detection unit. |
| US08339610B2 |
System and method for optical coherence tomography with spectrally modulated light injected into optical fibre
The invention relates to a system and to a corresponding method for optical coherence tomography having a light source (15) for producing light (14), a first interferometer (10), a second interferometer (20) and an optical fiber (17) by means of which light emitted by the first interferometer (10) is conveyed to the second interferometer (20).For simpler and more efficient injection of the light emitted by the first interferometer (10) into the optical fiber (17) provision is made such that light is injected into the first interferometer (10) which has a first number of transversal modes, and the optical fiber (17) has at least one multi-mode fiber into which the light passing out of the first interferometer (10) is injected such that in the optical fiber (17) a second number of transversal modes is stimulated which is conveyed to the second interferometer (20), the second number of transversal modes being substantially greater than the first number of transversal modes. |
| US08339608B2 |
Method for detecting redispersion of beads
A method of detecting redispersion of particles into a solution using for example FTIR. The method including providing a sensor surface with dry particles; illuminating the sensor surface with light along a first optical path and detecting the light reflected by the sensor surface; providing a liquid to a volume in contact with the sensor surface; and detecting the reflected light while the dry particles redisperse into the liquid. The angle between the first optical path and the sensor surface fulfils the condition of total internal reflection. Further, an FTIR cartridge may be provided for use in said method. The cartridge including a sensor surface accessible for FTIR detection including at least one binding area wherein label particles are situated. |
| US08339607B2 |
Ozone concentration sensor
An apparatus and method provide measurement of a constituent of a fluid, such as ozone in ozonated water. The apparatus includes a vessel to contain the fluid, a light source configured to direct a first band of light and a second band of light along a substantially shared path though the fluid, and a photosensor that senses the first band of light and the second band of light. The constituent has a greater absorption associated with the first band of light than with the second band of light. The method includes modification of a measured attribute of the component in response to the sensed second band of light to improve the accuracy of the measured attribute. |
| US08339606B2 |
Portal
A portal or gateway that includes a detector comprising a chirped laser; an open optical sample cell and a detector for detecting light from the chirped laser that has passed through the cell. The chirped laser may be a quantum cascade laser. |
| US08339605B2 |
Multilayer alignment and overlay target and measurement method
A target system for determining positioning error between lithographically produced integrated circuit fields on at least one lithographic level. The target system includes a first target pattern on a lithographic field containing an integrated circuit pattern, with the first target pattern comprising a plurality of sub-patterns symmetric about a first target pattern center and at a same first distance from the first target pattern center. The target system also includes a second target pattern on a different lithographic field, with the second target pattern comprising a plurality of sub-patterns symmetric about a second target pattern center and at a same second distance from the second target pattern center. The second target pattern center is intended to be at the same location as the first target pattern center. The centers of the first and second target patterns may be determined and compared to determine positioning error between the lithographic fields. |
| US08339602B1 |
View-finder in ellipsometer or the like systems
A system for and method of allowing visual observation of a sample being subject to investigation by an electromagnetic beam, to identify where thereupon a beam of sample investigating electromagnetic radiation is caused to impinge, in combination with a data detector of the beam of sample investigating electromagnetic radiation after it interacts with the sample. |
| US08339599B2 |
Measuring arrangement for an optical spectrometer
The invention relates to a measuring arrangement for an optical spectrometer, in particular a photon density wave spectrometer, having a measuring chamber, which can be loaded with a sample to be measured, and a coupling-in/coupling-out device which is configured to receive excitation light from a light source and couple it into the sample to be measured in the measuring chamber and to receive measuring light formed in the sample to be measured on account of the excitation light which has been coupled in and to emit said measuring light to a detection device, wherein the coupling-in/coupling-out device has an optical switching device and a plurality of light guide elements which couple to the latter, have a respective optical waveguide and can be connected according to at least one selectable measuring configuration using the optical switching device in order to couple in the excitation light and receive the measuring light according to the at least one selectable measuring configuration, and wherein outputs of the plurality of light guide elements are positioned according to a spiral arrangement in the viewing direction of the outputs. |
| US08339596B2 |
Device and method for contactless detection of characteristics of continuously delivered translucent products
An apparatus for contactless detection of characteristics of continuously conveyed, translucent products includes first and second transmitting units each having an independent light source to generate high-intensity light radiation to illuminate the product, a light-converting element to form a planar light field from the light radiation and a focusing element to form a line of light running transversely to a direction of conveying of the products from the planar light field. A receiving unit has a detection device to pick up the light radiation transflected by the product. Shading elements are arranged respectively between the transmitting units and the receiving unit. The first transmitting unit is arranged in front of the receiving unit in the direction of conveying of the products and the second transmitting unit is arranged behind the receiving unit in the direction of conveying. |
| US08339588B2 |
Portable egg candling and containment transfer apparatus and method
A portable egg candling and containment transfer apparatus including a movable base, a frame extending up from the base, a movable elevator deck movable between an elevated position and a lowered position, and a mechanism for raising and lowering the elevator deck. The apparatus further includes an inverting candling table pivotally mounted to the frame and having a pan with sidewalls and a floor. The pan is adapted for receiving and supporting incubator trays thereon. The pan houses at least one electric light fixture with at least one lamp for producing light for candling eggs positioned over the inverting candling table. The apparatus further includes at least one clamp for securing a hatchery basket over the pan and at least one latch for securing the inverting candling table in faceup/facedown positions. |
| US08339586B2 |
Measuring volume and constituents of cells
A method of determining a volume of a platelet includes: (a) illuminating the platelet with incident light at a plurality of illumination wavelengths; (b) obtaining at least one two-dimensional image of the platelet corresponding to each illumination wavelength; (c) for each illumination wavelength, determining a mean optical density and a maximum optical density for the platelet; (d) determining an area of the platelet; (e) for each illumination wavelength, determining a volume of the platelet; (f) for each illumination wavelength, determining an integrated optical density for the platelet; and (g) determining the volume of the platelet based on a weighted combination of the area of the platelet, the volumes of the platelet corresponding to each of the illumination wavelengths, and the integrated optical densities for the platelet corresponding to each of the illumination wavelengths. |
| US08339572B2 |
Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method
Contaminants may build up on surfaces of an immersion lithographic apparatus that come into contact with an immersion liquid from during exposure of a substrate. A solution containing a cleaning agent may be used to clean such surfaces. The cleaning properties of such a cleaning solution may be improved by activating it with ultraviolet radiation. This means that a solution of a lower concentration may be used, thereby reducing the risk of damaging the surfaces to which the cleaning solution is provided. An embodiment of the present invention allows ultraviolet radiation to be provided to surfaces being cleaned without having to take the apparatus off-line. In an embodiment, a guide member is used to transfer ultraviolet radiation from a remote radiation source to an outlet located at a position where it is desired for a cleaning operation. |
| US08339571B2 |
Lithographic method and apparatus
A multiple patterning process employs a phase change material, portions of which can be converted to an amorphous state and then a remaining portion is selectively removed to provide high resolution pattern features with a feature spacing smaller than, for example, a minimum spacing available in a conventional patterning layer employing a single exposure. A lithographic apparatus for use in the process may comprise an exposure tool having a single illuminator and single patterning device that is imaged through a single exposure slit onto a scanning substrate. Alternatively, the exposure tool may have multiple illuminators and/or multiple scanning complementary patterning devices optionally used with multiple exposure slits on the scanning substrate to facilitate double patterning in a single substrate pass. |
| US08339569B2 |
Temperature-control device for an optical assembly
A temperature-control device is used for controlling the temperature of an optical assembly with at least one optical body, the temperature of which is to be controlled, with at least one optical surface which can be acted upon by a heat flow. The temperature-control device has a heat sink to receive a heat flow, which is emitted by the optical body or a transmission body which is in thermal connection with the optical body. The heat sink is arranged adjacent to a peripheral region of the optical surface. The temperature-control device has a heating mechanism with at least one heating body, which is arranged adjacent to the optical body. The heating body is connected via a physical heat bridge to the heat sink. |
| US08339567B2 |
Radial-shaped liquid crystal compound, and optical film and liquid crystal display device comprising the same
The present invention relates to a radial-shaped liquid crystal compound, and an optical film and a liquid crystal display device comprising the same. Particularly the present invention provides a compound represented by Chemical Formula 1 comprising a radial-shaped core of tetraphenyl ethylene in which four phenyl groups are bonded to an ethylene group, and makes it possible to provide an optical film which can minimize the change of color according to viewing angle and has an improved contrast ratio and high refractive anisotropy, and a liquid crystal display device comprising the same, by using the compound. |
| US08339565B2 |
Mother substrate for liquid crystal display and manufacturing method thereof
A mother substrate for a liquid crystal display comprises a plurality of active matrix arrays, test lines connected to the active matrix arrays, test pads connected to the test lines, and connection lines connecting test lines to each other. |
| US08339563B2 |
Liquid crystal imager and method of making same
The disclosed LCOS device comprises a transparent composite plate, a planar liquid crystal cell, a base plate which contains an active matrix driving circuitry. In the basic embodiment, the planar liquid crystal cell comprises a conductive seal ring which encloses liquid crystal filling and connects the transparent conductive layer underneath the transparent composite plate with the base plate and the active matrix driving circuitry. In the extended embodiment, the base plate further incorporates a set of thru-substrate via and backside bond pads. The set of thru-substrate via electrically connect a set of input-output pads of the active matrix driving circuitry to the bottom bond pads underneath the base plate. In addition, the conductive seal ring electrically connects the transparent conductive film placed underneath the transparent front plane plate, preferably made of glass, to the active matrix driving circuitry on the base plate. Electrostatically charged between the transparent conductive coating and an electrode array layer including a planar array of reflective pixel electrodes on top of the base plate, planar liquid crystal cell is operated to produce spatial light modulation to incident illumination. The method of wafer level process and packaging of the disclosed LCOS imagers is further disclosed. |
| US08339562B2 |
Electro-optical device and method for manufacturing the same
Using thin film transistors (TFTs), an active matrix circuit, a driver circuit for driving the active matrix circuit or the like are formed on one substrate. Circuits such as a central processing unit (CPU) and a memory, necessary to drive an electric device, are formed using single crystalline semiconductor integrated circuit chips. After the semiconductor integrated circuit chips are adhered to the substrate, the chips are connected with wirings formed on the substrate by a chip on glass (COG) method, a wire bonding method or the like, to manufacture the electric device having a liquid crystal display (LCD) on one substrate. |
| US08339560B2 |
Method for manufacturing display device and liquid crystal display device
A method for manufacturing a display device includes the step of forming a preset basic pattern in a plurality of places on an insulation substrate by exposing and developing a photosensitive material film which is formed on the insulation substrate, wherein the exposure is performed using a direct writing exposure device. The exposure is performed using the direct writing exposure device in which the light quantity distribution of the pattern of light formed by the spatial optical modulating element is corrected such that a fluctuation quantity of a size of the basic pattern formed in the plurality of places becomes not more than 0.2 μm. |
| US08339559B2 |
Liquid crystal display unit structure including a patterned etch stop layer above a first data line segment
A liquid crystal display unit structure and the manufacturing method thereof are provided. The liquid crystal display unit structure comprises a patterned first metal layer with a first data line segment and a gate line on a substrate; a patterned dielectric layer covering the first data line and the gate line having a plurality of first openings and a second opening therein, a patterned etch stop layer having a first portion located above the first data line segment and a second portion; a patterned second metal layer including a common electrode line, a second data line segment, a source electrode and a drain electrode, wherein the first portion of the patterned etch stop layer is between the first data line segment and the common line; a patterned passivation layer and a patterned transparent conductive layer. |
| US08339558B2 |
Liquid crystal electro-optic device
In a horizontal electric field drive type liquid crystal electro-optic device, a gate electrode, a source electrode, a drain electrode, a semiconductor film and a common electrode are formed on a glass substrate and a liquid crystal material is driven by controlling the strength of an electric field substantially parallel to the glass substrate. The electrodes and the semiconductor film are made curved, for example semi-circular or semi-elliptical, in sectional profile. These curved sectional profiles can be formed by suitably selecting and combining various patterning and etching methods. |
| US08339557B2 |
Liquid crystal display panel
Disclosed herein is a liquid crystal display panel of a transverse electric field system, including: a liquid crystal layer; and a pair of substrates configured to be so disposed as to be opposed to each other and sandwich the liquid crystal layer. In the liquid crystal display panel, a first electrode and a second electrode for applying an electric field to the liquid crystal layer and an alignment film are formed in a plurality of pixel areas that form a display area in one of the pair of substrates, a planarization insulating film is formed on a surface of at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode and across an entire surface of the pixel areas, and the alignment film is formed on a surface of the planarization insulating film. |
| US08339556B2 |
Electro-optical device and display device with interdigital electrode portions on at least first and second substrates which are non-overlapping in a direction normal to the substrates
Provided is an electro-optical device which allows high-speed response and has high luminance and contrast. The electro-optical device includes: a plurality of substrates opposed to each other; a medium layer sandwiched between the substrates; electrode groups formed on opposed surfaces of the substrates, for applying an electric field to the medium layer, the electrode groups having a portion in which the electrode groups have an interdigit shape and are arranged substantially parallel; and a pair of polarizing plates which are arranged so that absorption axes thereof are substantially orthogonal to each other with the medium layer sandwiched therebetween, in which the medium layer includes a medium substantially having optical-isotropy with absence of an electric field and exhibiting optical-anisotropy with an applied electric field, the electrode groups include transparent electrodes, and the optical-anisotropy is imparted near the respective electrodes in a direction normal to the substrates by the electrode groups. |
| US08339553B2 |
Method and structure for top metal formation of liquid crystal on silicon devices
The present invention provides an LCOS device having improved bonding pad features. The device has a substrate, a transistor layer overlying the substrate and an interlayer dielectric layer overlying the transistor layer. A first conductive layer is overlying the interlayer dielectric layer and a second interlayer dielectric layer is overlying the first conductive layer. An enlarged opening for a bonding pad structure is in a first portion of the second interlayer dielectric layer. A barrier metal layer is formed within the enlarged opening to form a liner that covers exposed regions of the enlarged opening. A metal material is overlying the liner to fill the enlarged opening. A thickness of an aluminum material is overlying the metal material. The device has a bonding pad structure formed from a first portion of the thickness of the aluminum material and is coupled to the metal material in the enlarged opening. |
| US08339551B2 |
Electrode structure which supports self alignment of liquid deposition of materials
An improved two layer electrode structure is fabricated on a surface. According to one aspect of the invention, the first layer of the electrode structure is designed to provide electrical contact to a fluid electronic material and the second layer of the electrode structure is formed so as to constrain the fluid electronic material in a precise pattern. Alternatively, the second layer of the two-layer electrode structure includes a low surface energy material to further assist in constraining the fluid electronic material to the desired pattern. In another alternative, the first layer of the electrode structure includes a transparent electrode material, that is coupled to an electro-optical device. The second layer of this electrode structure includes a high conductivity material that is coupled to the first layer of the electrode structure in an area not directly over the electro-optical device to improve the conductivity of the transparent electrode structure. |
| US08339550B2 |
Liquid crystal display panel and method for producing the same
Embodiments of the present invention provide a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) panel, including an upper substrate and a lower substrate between which a liquid crystal layer is sealed. The lower substrate includes a plurality of sub-pixel regions arranged in regular patterns. The upper substrate includes Black Matrixes (BM) and an upper transparent conductive layer which are formed in sequence on the bottom surface of an upper transparent substrate. The lower substrate includes a first metal layer, a dielectric layer, a second metal layer, an organic layer, a first insulation layer, a third metal layer, a second insulation layer, a fourth metal layer, a passivation layer and a lower transparent conductive layer which are deposited in sequence on the upper surface of a lower transparent substrate. Embodiments of the present invention also provide a method for producing the LCD panel. |
| US08339548B2 |
Optical element covering member, backlight and liquid crystal display
An optical element covering member includes one or more optical elements, a support medium for supporting the one or more optical elements, and a covering member for covering the one or more optical elements and the support medium. At least one out of the one or more optical elements is a reflective polarizer, and the covering member has at least a region, through which the light inputted from a light source is emitted to a liquid crystal panel, the region having a phase difference lag of not more than 1/50 π of a measured wavelength, with respect to an optical axis of the reflective polarizer. |
| US08339547B2 |
Liquid crystal display
A vertical alignment type liquid crystal display, which has a liquid crystal layer whose retardation value is about 600 nm or more, can solve the viewing angle problems associated with the wider viewing angle. The liquid crystal display can include a vertical alignment liquid crystal cell, and first and second polarizing plates cross-Nicol disposed on respective sides of the liquid crystal cell. The liquid crystal cell has a liquid crystal layer with a retardation of about 600 nm or more. A C-plate and an A-plate are provided between the liquid crystal cell and the first polarizing plate, and two C-plates are provided between the liquid crystal cell and the second polarizing plate. |
| US08339546B2 |
Liquid crystal display device with a pair of discotic viewing angle compensating films
A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal layer which is arranged between first and second aligning films formed on inner sides of first and second substrates, has liquid crystal molecules twist-aligned in a direction from the first aligning film toward the second aligning film when an electric field is not applied between first and second electrodes, and generates retardation of substantially λ/2 with respect to transmitted light. First and second polarizing plates are arranged on outer sides of the first and second substrates. A transmission axis or an absorption axis of the first polarizing plate is substantially matched with a direction along which the liquid crystal molecules in the vicinity of the first aligning film are aligned when a sufficiently intensive electric field is applied. |
| US08339542B2 |
Passive and hybrid daylight-coupled N-stack and collapsible backlights for sunlight viewable displays
A passive daylight-coupled display having an LCD panel, a diffuser, and a curved reflector behind the LCD panel. For passive backlighting, the diffuser transmits daylight to the reflector, which reflects the daylight to the LCD panel and provides for substantially uniform distribution of the daylight on the LCD panel for backlighting it. An N-stack daylight-coupled display includes a plurality of passive backlights cascaded in a stack for backlighting of LCD panels or static display panels. One N-stack display can include an active light source to provide light to the reflectors, and a secondary light source to provide light to at least one of the reflectors to provide backlighting of the display in low lighting conditions. A collapsible daylight-coupled display includes a daylight-coupled backlight that is collapsible when not in use for hand-held or portable display devices. |
| US08339540B2 |
Liquid crystal display apparatus comprising a reflection sheet having a higher degree of freedom of movement in a direction along its surface
A reflection sheet is made of material having a coefficient of thermal expansion different from that of an LED substrate. A fixing member and a retaining member extend through the reflection sheet and the LED substrate so as to fix the reflection sheet and the LED substrate. The reflection sheet includes a fixing hole into which the fixing member is inserted, a retaining hole into which the retaining member is inserted, and LED holes within which light emitting diodes are disposed, respectively. Retaining of the reflection sheet by the retaining member has, compared to fixing of the reflection sheet by the fixing member, a higher degree of freedom of movement in a direction along a surface of the reflection sheet. The LED holes located in positions far from the fixing hole are larger than the LED holes located in positions close to the fixing hole. |
| US08339529B2 |
Pixels having polarity extension regions for multi-domain vertical alignment liquid crystal displays
A multi-domain vertical alignment liquid crystal display that does not require physical features on the substrate (such as protrusions and ITO slits) is disclosed. Each pixel of the MVA LCD is subdivided into color components, which are further divided into color dots. The color components include polarized extension regions that extend between color dots of neighboring color components (and neighboring pixels). The voltage polarity of the color dots and polarized extension regions are arranged so that fringe fields in each color dot causes multiple liquid crystal domains in each color dot. Specifically, the color dots and polarity extension regions of the display are arranged so that neighboring polarized elements have opposite polarities. |
| US08339525B2 |
Projection device with brightness adjustment function and method thereof
A projection device with a brightness adjustment function includes a polarization beam splitter (PBS), a light source, a reflective display, a lens module, a power supply unit, a light detection unit and a power controller. The light source emits light to the PBS. The PBS reflects a portion of the light to the reflective display, and transmits a remaining portion of the light. The lens module projects the images. The light detection unit acquires a digital value of a portion of the light reflected by the PBS that is not received by the reflective display, and compares the digital value with a predetermined digital value to generate a control signal. The power controller for adjusts power from the power supply unit to the light source according to the control signal until the digital value matches the predetermined digital value of the light from the light source. |
| US08339518B2 |
Video signal processing method and apparatus using histogram
Low frequency components are extracted from a video signal for pixels in a specific area of an image carried by the signal. The low frequency components are allocated, based on luminance components of the signal, to gradations ranging from maximum to minimum levels exhibited by the luminance components, luminance histogram data being produced indicating the frequency of gradations for the pixels. The gradations are allocated to the pixels based on the luminance components to produce high-frequency component histogram data indicating the frequency of gradations for specific pixels each carrying a high frequency component. The luminance histogram data is corrected in accordance with the frequency of gradations in the high-frequency component histogram data to produce corrected luminance histogram data. A gradation correction curve is produced for correcting the gradations exhibited by the signal using the corrected data. The luminance components are corrected based on the correction curve. |
| US08339513B2 |
Display apparatus and control method thereof
There is provided a display apparatus which includes a signal processing part which processes a video signal including at a peripheral area thereof a position determining pattern having a plurality of characteristics; a display part which displays a picture on the basis of the video signal processed by the signal processing part; a sensing part which senses the position determining pattern which is included in the video signal; and a control part which controls the signal processing part to adjust a position of the picture displayed on the display part, on the basis of a shift between a characteristic sensed by the sensing part among the plurality of characteristics of the position determining pattern and a predetermined reference characteristic. The position determining pattern has a face shape. Accordingly, the position of the picture can be quickly determined and adjusted. |
| US08339506B2 |
Image capture parameter adjustment using face brightness information
A system and method of image capture parameter adjustment using face brightness information is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, a method is disclosed that includes determining a luma value based on a brightness variation within a selected portion of an image, where the selected portion of the image corresponds to at least a portion of a face. The method further includes adjusting an image capture parameter at least partially based on the determined luma value. |
| US08339502B2 |
Imaging device manufacturing method and imaging device
Provided are a method for manufacturing an imaging device at low cost while ensuring easiness in manufacturing, and the imaging device. In the imaging device, a diaphragm 14a can be used as a diaphragm by insert molding a metal plate material MP in a transparent resin material which forms a lens, a diaphragm as a separate member is not required to be assembled, and troubles in assembly are eliminated. Further, a shield of an imaging element can be grounded by assembling a lens array LA to an imaging element array IA while making a leg section 14b abut to an earth terminal T1g. Thus, wire connection by soldering is eliminated and troubles in assembly are eliminated. |
| US08339501B2 |
Zoom lens system, imaging device and camera
A zoom lens system comprising a plurality of lens units each composed of at least one lens element, wherein the zoom lens system, in order from the object side to the image side, comprises: a first lens unit having positive optical power and comprising four lens elements; a second lens unit having negative optical power; and a third lens unit having positive optical power; wherein in zooming from a wide-angle limit to a telephoto limit at the time of image taking, at least the first lens unit is moved along an optical axis direction so as to achieve variable magnification, and wherein the conditions are satisfied: 0.30 |
| US08339500B2 |
Video sharing system, photography support system, and camera
A video sharing system, accumulating various videos and enabling a plurality of users to utilize these accumulated videos, includes a plurality of cameras that photograph any one of a plurality of photographic subjects present within a facility, a video collection unit that collects photographed videos photographed by the plurality of cameras, a photographic subject identification unit that identifies the photographic subjects in the photographed videos, for each photographed video; and an accumulation unit that accumulates the photographed videos collected by the video collection unit, and photographic subject information specifying the photographic subjects identified by the photographic subject identification unit. |
| US08339499B2 |
Electronic apparatus and method of operating electronic apparatus through touch sensor
An electronic apparatus has a touch sensor provided with a first touching zone including at least a second touching zone and a third touching zone, the second and third touching zones being allocated with different functions. The electronic apparatus is controlled to perform a specific function assigned to a specific touching zone that is the second or the third touching zone when there is a first touch input at first through the specific touching zone and continuously perform the specific function even if there is a second touch input that follows the first touch input, through either the second or the third touching zone that is not the specific touching zone, as long as there is a continuous touch input through the first touching zone from the first to the second touch input with no intermission. |
| US08339497B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program for checking plural stored images
An information processing apparatus includes: display means for displaying an image; operation input receiving means for receiving a user's operation input; and display control means for making a display control of allowing an image to correspond to an image card as an object imitating a real card, displaying a check image, which indicates a shape in which a plurality of the image cards overlap, on the display means, and displaying one of an image corresponding to a specific image card and information indicating the image in a partial or overall area of the specific image card when a check operation indicating an instruction to check the specific image card among the plurality of image cards is received by the operation input receiving means. |
| US08339496B2 |
Highspeed image selecting method and digital camera having highspeed image selecting function
In a digital camera operation method, photographic images are taken with the camera and a corresponding compressed high resolution image and also a corresponding lower resolution image is stored for each. A fast display mode of the camera sequentially displays individual lower resolution display images, using the data of one of the lower resolution images. A normal display mode displays high resolution display images by expanding and displaying one of the compressed high resolution images. When changing from the fast display mode to the normal display mode, the lower resolution display image currently displayed can be replaced with the corresponding high resolution display image. |
| US08339494B1 |
Image sensor with controllable vertically integrated photodetectors
An image sensor includes front-side and backside photodetectors of a first conductivity type disposed in a substrate layer of the first conductivity type. A front-side pinning layer of a second conductivity type is connected to a first contact. The first contact receives a predetermined potential. A backside pinning layer of the second conductivity type is connected to a second contact. The second contact receives an adjustable and programmable potential. |
| US08339491B2 |
Image sensor module embedded in mobile phone and method of manufacturing the same
An image sensor module embedded in a mobile phone and a method of manufacturing the same, in which a device is mounted on an image sensor chip such that it is connected to a component-mounting plating pattern formed on an upper surface of the image sensor chip, to miniaturize the resulting product. |
| US08339490B2 |
Imaging device and camera with a local voltage supply circuit having a constant load current
An imaging device is disclosed. The device includes: a unit pixel that outputs an analog electric signal in accordance with a signal charge; a local voltage supply circuit that generates a local voltage different from an operation voltage; a reference signal generation section that generates a reference signal based on the local voltage provided by the local voltage supply circuit; and a processing section that converts, by referring to the reference signal generated by the reference signal generation section, the analog signal provided by the unit pixel into a digital signal. In the imaging device, the reference signal generation section keeps constant a load current of the local voltage supply circuit in an operating state. |
| US08339489B2 |
Image photographing apparatus, method and medium with stack-type image sensor, complementary color filter, and white filter
An image photographing apparatus, method and medium that can enhance color reproducibility and sensitivity. The image photographing apparatus includes a filter unit having a first filter region to pass at least one band of an incident light signal corresponding to a complementary color of a first color, and a second filter region to pass all bands of the incident light signal, wherein the first filter region and the second filter region are each formed in one of two adjacent pixels, and an image sensor unit to sense an image from the incident light signal that passes through the filter unit, the image sensor unit including a plurality of photoelectric conversion layers each having a different spectral sensitivity. |
| US08339480B2 |
Mobile terminal with image magnification and image magnification controlling method of a mobile terminal
A mobile terminal and method of controlling a mobile terminal are provided. While a preview image is displayed on a screen and a camera zooms in, a zoom-in region is stored after being cropped from the preview image. According to the present invention, when an image resulting from zooming in a preview image is photographed and stored, the region corresponding to the zoomed-in image is cropped from the preview image and then stored instead of the zoomed-in image with a resolution size of the preview image being stored. Therefore, the present invention reduces a size of a stored image without degradation of a picture, thereby increasing an available size of the memory. |
| US08339478B2 |
Image capturing apparatus and control method thereof
An image capturing apparatus is able to record a moving image in a first image capturing mode or a second image capturing mode. In the first image capturing mode, the apparatus starts recording of a moving image signal in response to an instruction to start recording and stops recording of the moving image signal in response to an instruction to stop recording. In the second image capturing mode, the apparatus starts recording of a moving image signal in response to the instruction to start recording, and automatically stops recording of the moving image signal when a predetermined period elapses after recording of the moving image signal starts. The apparatus controls so as to extract a moving image signal of the predetermined period from a moving image signal recorded in the first image capturing mode on a recording medium, and to record the extracted moving image signal on a recording medium. |
| US08339472B2 |
Composite flash for a mobile device
An apparatus and method for capturing an image on a mobile device having a flash comprising a red light source and a white light source is presented herein. A detection of a color spectrum of ambient light is made using image data sensed by an image sensor. Additionally, a determination of an intensity of red light when combined with an associated intensity of white light results in a color spectrum that substantially matches the color spectrum of the ambient light. The flash emits white light from the white light source of the flash and red light from the red light source of the flash. An image from a camera module is recorded during the emission of the white and red light. |
| US08339471B2 |
Auto white balance algorithm using RGB product measure
A method and device is provided for adjusting the white balance of a digital image by adjusting the values assigned to the red, green, and blue subpixels of a pixel in the image. The adjustment to the subpixels is determined by identifying pixels in the image that have an RGB product greater than a threshold value, wherein the threshold value is based at least in part on an average of the RGB products of each pixel in the image and a variance between the RGB products of the pixels and the average of the RGB products. |
| US08339470B2 |
Method and system for generating a high resolution image
A method for generating an image is provided. The method includes estimating a high resolution image from a plurality of low resolution images and downsampling the estimated high resolution image to obtain estimates of a plurality of low resolution images. The method also includes generating a desired high resolution image based upon comparison of the downsampled low resolution images and the plurality of low resolution images. |
| US08339467B2 |
Synchronization of navigation and image information for handheld scanner
A computer peripheral that operates either as a computer mouse or as a scanner. The peripheral includes navigation sensors that generate information on motion of the device and an image array that captures successive image frames of an object being scanned. In a mouse mode, the peripheral periodically transfers readings from the navigation sensors to a computing device so that the computing device can track a position of the device. In a scanner mode, in addition to obtaining navigation information from the navigation sensors, the peripheral also captures image frames as it is moved across the object. Operation of the navigation sensors and image array may be synchronized such that an association between the image data and the navigation information may be generated and maintained as image frames are transferred to the computing device, even if some of the frames are dropped in transmission between the scanner-mouse and a computer. |
| US08339466B2 |
Image stabilization apparatus and image pickup apparatus
An image stabilization apparatus has an angular velocity detector detecting an angular velocity applied thereto and outputting the angular velocity, an acceleration detector detecting an acceleration applied to the image stabilization apparatus and outputting the acceleration, a principal point calculation unit calculating a principal point position of a shooting optical system, an rotation angular velocity calculation unit calculating a rotation angular velocity component about the principal point of the shooting optical system based on an output of the angular velocity detector, a revolution angular velocity calculation unit calculating a revolution angular velocity component about an object based on the output of the acceleration detector and a calculation result of the rotation angular velocity calculation unit and correcting the calculated revolution angular velocity component according to the principal point position, and a controlling unit performing image stabilization control based on a difference between the rotation and corrected revolution angular velocity components. |
| US08339465B2 |
Image capture apparatus
In the presence of a switching instruction of operation modes in an image capture apparatus, it is examined whether image data is being transferred or not. When the image data is not being transferred, the operation modes are immediately switched. When the image data is being transferred, the operation modes are switched after the completion of transfer. |
| US08339459B2 |
Multi-camera head pose tracking
Techniques and technologies for tracking a face with a plurality of cameras wherein a geometry between the cameras is initially unknown. One disclosed method includes detecting a head with two of the cameras and registering a head model with the image of the head (as detected by one of the cameras). The method also includes back projecting the other detected face image to the head model and determining a head pose from the back-projected head image. Furthermore, the determined geometry is used to track the face with at least one of the cameras. |
| US08339455B2 |
System for monitoring persons by using cameras
According to one embodiment, a monitoring system is provided, which has a personal authentication unit and a camera. The personal authentication unit is provided near a security gate and authenticates a person allowed to pass through the security gate. The camera photographs an area near the security gate, in which the personal authentication unit is provided. The monitoring system further has a data generation unit configured to generate personal attribute data about the person authenticated by the personal authentication unit, a person identification unit configured to identify the person authenticated, on the basis of video data generated by the camera, and a monitoring data generation unit configured to generate monitoring data composed of video data and metadata. The video data represents an image including the person identified by the person identification unit. The metadata is associated with the video data and containing the personal attribute data. |
| US08339450B2 |
Defect review apparatus and method for wafer
A defect review apparatus includes a storage device which stores data about a defect of an inspection target object; a first imaging device which captures an image located in a position on a surface of the inspection target object, the position being specified by information regarding the position of the inspection target object which has been input; and a control device which controls the first imaging device. The storage device stores: first defect detection data including a defect number as which the defect of the inspection target object detected by a first defect detection process is labeled, and information regarding the position of the defect; and second defect data including a defect number as which the defect of the inspection target object detected by a second defect detection process is labeled, and information regarding its position. |
| US08339445B2 |
Component placing apparatus
[Problems]To provide a component placing apparatus capable of effectively preventing the occurrence of a suction error by appropriately adjusting a displacement between respective coordinate systems of a placing head and imaging device while efficiently performing suction position recognition using the imaging device that is movable independently of the placing head.[Means for Solving the Problems]A component mounting apparatus (1) includes a placing head (4) that transports a chip component (6) supplied from a component supply portion (5) by sucking the chip component (6), and a suction position recognition camera (32) that is provided to be movable independently of the placing head (4) and takes an image of the chip component (6) before the placing head (4) sucks the chip component (6) from the component supply portion (5). A control unit (40) that controls an operation of the component mounting apparatus (1) checks a correlation of the respective coordinate systems of the placing head (4) and the suction position recognition camera (32) at predetermined timing and corrects an amount of movement when the placing head (4) accesses the chip component (6) in the component supply portion (5) on the basis of this correlation. |
| US08339444B2 |
Autostereoscopic liquid crystal display apparatus
A display apparatus includes an autosteroscopic liquid crystal display panel having a frame response time of less than 10 milliseconds, and a backlight positioned to provide light to the autosteroscopic liquid crystal display. The backlight includes a right eye solid state light source and a left eye solid state light source capable of being modulated between the right eye solid state light source and a left eye solid state light source at a rate of at least 90 Hertz. |
| US08339439B2 |
Method of speeding up video recovery of videotelephony after an interruption and mobile terminal and system using the same
Recovery or resynchronization of an ongoing videotelephony communication between a near terminal and a distant terminal is achieved with mechanisms between the radio connection protocol stack in control of the radio connection on network level and the videotelephony protocol stack which is responsible for handling the audio and video data of an ongoing videotelephony communication between the near and distant terminals. A videotelephony agent in the near terminal is aware of an absence the availability of the radio connection to the data network as may be caused by a UMTS handover, so that the videotelephony agent, after resumption of the videotelephony connection, requests the distant videotelephony agent to generate an independently encoded frame of the actual video image of the distant agent for fast resynchronization. |
| US08339438B2 |
Web based access to video associated with calls
In a communication environment where a voice bearer is established between a multimedia terminal of a first user and a voice terminal of a second user to allow voice communications between the first and second users, the present invention allows the second user to gain access to video content of the first user through a web session. |
| US08339427B2 |
Display drive apparatus and display apparatus
A display pixel including a light-emitting element and a drive element for supplying current flowing in a current path to the light-emitting element is applied with a detection voltage based on a predetermined unit voltage. Based on a value of current flowing in the current path of the drive element, a specific value corresponding to an element characteristic of the drive element is detected. A gradation voltage corresponding to a luminance gradation of display data is generated. Based on the specific value and the unit voltage, a compensated voltage is generated. By compensating the gradation voltage based on the compensated voltage, a compensated gradation voltage is generated. And the compensated gradation voltage is supplied to the display pixel. |
| US08339424B2 |
Emission driver and organic light emitting display using the same
An organic light emitting display which prevents unnecessary illumination of the organic light emitting diodes is disclosed. The display has an emission driver which globally turns off all of the pixels during an initialization period, and allows normal operation during other times. |
| US08339422B2 |
Image processing system, information processing apparatus, image processing method and program
An information processing apparatus according to the present invention includes an acquisition unit that obtains from a terminal device equipped with a display screen attribute information including information indicating the directionality of the display screen, a detection unit that detects the size of a input image, an adjustment unit that adjusts the size of the input image so as to align the direction along which the longer side of the input image extends with the direction along which the longer side of the display screen extends based upon the information indicating the directionality of the display screen included in the attribute information, and a transfer unit that transfers the input image with the adjusted size to the terminal device. |
| US08339421B2 |
Image processing apparatus and method and image display apparatus and method
There are provided a first image enlarging means (2A) for enlarging the input image (Din) and outputting a first enlarged image (D2A); a high-frequency component image generating means (1) for extracting a high-frequency component of the input image (Din) and generating a first high-frequency component image (D1); a second image enlarging means (2B) for enlarging the first high-frequency component image (D1) and outputting a second enlarged image (D2B); a high-frequency component image processing means (3) for processing the second enlarged image (D2B) and generating a second high-frequency component image (D3); and a means (4) for adding the first enlarged image (D2A) and the second high-frequency component image (D3) and outputting the result. This provides the enlarged image with adequate high-frequency components, and a sense of resolution of the enlarged image can be obtained. |
| US08339418B1 |
Embedding a real time video into a virtual environment
Generating combined content suitable for including in a virtual environment is disclosed. A background associated with the virtual environment is inputted. A real time video inputted. The background is combined with the real time video to generate combined content. The combined content is suitable for including in the virtual environment. |
| US08339415B2 |
Apparatus, method, and medium for encoding and displaying composite images
An image processing apparatus is disclosed which can integrate a plurality of images without depending upon header information of a file. Information of one or more images is inputted as a main image or images. Incidental information relating to the inputted main image or images such as information necessary for integration of a plurality of images is encoded into a first encoded image which can be discriminated based on a visual characteristic and a second encoded image such as a barcode which can be discriminated by an image analysis. The inputted main image or images and the first and second encoded images are integrated so as to be displayed in compartmentalized respective regions of a display screen, and header information is added to the composite image to produce structured image information. |
| US08339408B2 |
Contents receiving apparatus
According to one embodiment of the invention, a contents receiving apparatus includes: a communication unit configured to receive contents data; a display unit configured to display an image included in the contents data; and a controller configured to instruct the communication unit to receive contents data, and to control the display unit to display the image, wherein, when estimated time of completion for receiving the contents data is longer than a given time, the controller controls the display unit to change a luminance level of the display unit from a first luminance level to a second luminance level that is lower than the first luminance level or not to display the contents, and wherein, when the estimated time is equal to or shorter than the given time, the controller controls the display unit to maintain the luminance level at the first luminance level. |
| US08339406B2 |
Variable-length coding data transfer interface
A VLC data transfer interface is presented that allows digital data to be packed and assembled according to a format selectable from a number of formats while the data is being transferred to a desired destination. |
| US08339397B2 |
Method and apparatus for high-speed shadowing using shadow volumes
Appropriate shadowing processing is performed even if coordinate conversion calculation values of polygons have errors. A calculation section 5 performs hidden surface removal processing on normal polygons based on visual-point coordinates and depth values from a visual-point coordinate conversion processing unit 1, and updates a pixel memory 6 and a Z-buffer memory 7. Further, based on a comparison result of obtained depth values of each polygon and Z values stored in the Z-buffer memory 7, shadowing is performed only on a coordinate region positioned in front of back-facing shadow polygons and behind front-facing shadow polygons when seen from a visual point, and the pixel memory 6 is updated. As a result, even if coordinate conversion calculation values in graphic data on polygons have errors, an edge portion of the shadow polygons which is not intended to be shadowed is not shadowed. |
| US08339394B1 |
Automatic method for photo texturing geolocated 3-D models from geolocated imagery
A method and system for applying photo texture to geolocated 3D models operates within a 3D modeling system. The modeling system includes a modeling application operating on a workstation and a database of geotagged imagery. A 3D model created or edited within the 3D modeling system is geolocated such that every point in the 3D modeling space corresponds to a real world location. For a selected surface, the method and system search the database of imagery to identify in the database one or more images depicting the selected surface of the 3D model. The method and system identify the boundaries of the selected surface within the image by transforming two or more sets of coordinates from the 3D modeling space to a coordinate space corresponding to the image. The portion of the image corresponding to the selected surface is copied and mapped to the selected surface of the 3D model. |
| US08339391B2 |
Method and system for direct rendering of multi-volume data
A method for performing direct rendering of a multi-volume data, having the steps of determining whether a volume of the multi-volume data is one of active and inactive via interaction with a ray for the multi-volume data, recording in triplicate a starting point and an end point of the ray for an eyespace, repeating the determining whether the volume is one of active and inactive via interaction with a ray for the multi-volume data and the recording in triplicate a starting point and an end point of the ray for an eyespace for all volumes of the multi-volume data, providing triples from all volumes to an array, sorting the array to create a sorted triples list array, breaking the ray into a plurality of segments using the sorted triples list array, determining which volumes are active for each of the segments via an active volume list, and sampling each segment of the ray to acquire an accumulated result. |
| US08339388B2 |
Controlling an energy recovery stage of a plasma screen
A method and a circuit for controlling a power recovery stage of a plasma display panel including a resonant circuit of at least one inductive element and one capacitive element, wherein the capacitive element is precharged to half a supply voltage of the display panel. |
| US08339386B2 |
Electroluminescent device aging compensation with reference subpixels
An electroluminescent (EL) device including an illumination area having one or more primary EL emitters; a reference area having a reference EL emitter; a reference driver circuit for causing the reference EL emitter to emit light while the EL device is active; a sensor for detecting light emitted by the reference EL emitter; and a measurement unit for detecting an aging-related electrical parameter of the reference EL emitter while it is emitting light. The device further includes a controller for receiving an input signal for each primary EL emitter in the illumination area, forming a corrected input signal from each input signal using the detected light and the aging-related electrical parameter, and applying the corrected input signals to the respective primary EL emitters in the illumination area. |
| US08339383B2 |
Stylus
A stylus comprises a housing, a stylus body, a shell and a latching element. The housing has a receptacle and a sliding pin. The stylus body is accommodated in the housing, the stylus body has a track and engaging the sliding pin so the stylus body can slide relative to the housing, the stylus body further has a compartment. The shell is slidably accommodated in the compartment, the shell has a first stopping hole and a protrusion located adjacent to the first stopping hole, the first stopping hole is used for latching with the sliding pin to hold the stylus in a retracted state. The latching element is mounted in the receptacle and located near the stylus body, the latching element has a latching cantilever having a second stopping hole defined therethrough, the second stopping hole latches with the protrusion to hold the stylus in an extended state. |
| US08339377B1 |
Method and apparatus for LED transition from physical to virtual space
An electronic device comprising a touchscreen and an LED may be operable to illuminate the LED in response to an event occurring on the electronic device. In response to an input from a user of the electronic device, the electronic device may display on the touchscreen an animation of a graphical representation of the LED moving onto the touchscreen to a target location on the touchscreen. During the animation, the graphical representation of the LED may be the only thing displayed on the touchscreen. The graphical representation of the LED may be the same color as the LED. A color of the LED may correspond to a contact stored on the phone that is associated with the event. |
| US08339375B2 |
Pre-assembled part with an associated surface convertible to a transcription apparatus
An apparatus for operation with or in a projector or a flat panel display, the apparatus including a part board having an associated surface or a frame for a surface, such as a whiteboard, that is pre-assembled to include components that when connected to an external module convert the surface to an electronic transcription apparatus. In one version, the components include a set of sensors and electronics therefor, with wiring and a connector. |
| US08339371B2 |
User interface device for controlling an audio visual system
A user interface device for controlling an audio visual system. In one embodiment, a device for interfacing with an audio/visual system includes a sensor mat including a surface and operable to be disposed on a substantially flat floor. The sensor mat is further operable for generating electrical signals responsive to physical interactions of a user with the surface. The interface device also includes an electronic control unit including circuitry for coupling to the mat, the electronic control unit for detecting the physical interactions of the mat and the electronic control unit operable to be placed on the substantially flat floor. The interface device further includes an elongated shaft having a first end and a second end and physically coupled to the electronic control unit via the first end and extending laterally therefrom. The second end of the elongated shaft is operable to be displaced in various directions by interactions with both hands of the user. The electronic control unit is operable to detect the various directions wherein further the electronic control unit is operable to transmit signals representing the various directions and the physical interactions to a receiver unit. |
| US08339369B2 |
In-vehicle apparatus and control method of in-vehicle apparatus
An in-vehicle apparatus and a control method of an in-vehicle apparatus, which is applied to a multimedia terminal having, for example, a function of navigation equipment and a function of video playback so as to improve usability to a user in a case of accepting an operation through a touch panel and a remote commander. A touch panel menu screen suitable for an operation through a touch panel and a remote commander menu screen suitable for an operation through a remote commander are switched to be displayed so as to accept an operation by a user. |
| US08339367B2 |
System and method for analyzing movements of an electronic device using rotational movement data
The disclosure relates to a system and method for analyzing movements of a handheld electronic device. The system comprises: memory; a microprocessor; a first module to generate movement data responsive to movements of the device, such as rotational movements; a second module providing instructions to the microprocessor to map the movement data against symbols representing an input movement string and store the string representation in the memory; and a third module. The third module provides instructions to the microprocessor to analyze data relating to the string representation against data relating to a gesture string representing a gesture related to a command for the device to determine if the gesture has been imparted on the device; and if the string representation sufficiently matches the gesture string, executes a command associated with the gesture on the device. |
| US08339363B2 |
Sensor-initiated exchange of information between devices
Information exchange systems and methods (“IES”) are described that allow users of portable devices to initiate exchanges of information with a simple gesture. Detection of this gesture causes the host device to perform a number of actions including one or more of selecting data for an exchange transaction, identifying one or more destination devices to receive the selected data, transferring the selected data to the destination devices, and receiving complementary or corresponding data from the destination devices. The IES thus avoids the requirement for users to perform time consuming and error prone interactions involving complex operations with a device interface in order to initiate data exchanges. |
| US08339361B1 |
User interfaces and methods to search content in a nonlinearly convergent manner
Embodiments of the invention relate generally to computing devices and systems, software, computer programs, applications, and user interfaces, and more particularly, to nonlinearly searching content in a manner that, for example, converges on a target unit of content. |
| US08339359B2 |
Method and system for operating electric apparatus
A method and a system for operating an electric apparatus are provided. In the present invention, first, an image capturing unit is enabled for capturing an image. Next, a palm component on the image is detected. Afterwards, a center of mass in the palm component is calculated according to a principal component analysis (PCA) algorithm, so as to use the center of mass to simulate a cursor. Then, a width of the palm of the palm component is calculated. Finally, the width of the palm is compared with a threshold so as to execute a click action if the width of the palm is greater than the threshold. |
| US08339354B2 |
System, method, and computer-readable medium for displaying light radiation
A display system providing an enhanced viewing experience is provided. The system enables having backlighting colors fast adapted to the screen content while at the same time also having a relaxed viewing experience because the luminance slowly changes over time. A method and a computer-readable medium are also provided. |
| US08339353B2 |
Data transmission apparatus
A data transmission apparatus may include a delay locked loop for generating multi-phase clock signals synchronized to an input clock signal. A clock selector may select the multi-phase clock signals in response to a selection signal. A modulation controller may generate the selection signal using the input clock signal and modulation information, so that the clock selector selects the multi-phase clock signals within every predetermined interval. A clock generator may generate first and second latch clock signals according to the selected multi-phase clock signals. A data transmitter may transmit input data using the first and second latch clock signals. Therefore, the data transmission apparatus mitigates at least as much EMI as a related data transmission apparatus using spread spectrum clock generation for EMI mitigation, eliminates the probability of data error, and saves an IC area. It obviates the need for a FIFO memory, thus contributing miniaturization of the IC. The spread spectrum clock generation function of the related data transmission apparatus may be implemented inside the IC, thus increasing throughput. |
| US08339349B2 |
Gate driving unit for liquid crystal display device and method of repairing the same
A gate driving unit for a liquid crystal display device including a plurality of liquid crystal pixels, first to Nth gate lines, a plurality of liquid crystal capacitors and a plurality of thin film transistors, includes first and second clock signal lines for providing first and second clock signals; first to Nth shift registers respectively corresponding to the first to Nth gate lines, the first to Nth shift registers receiving one of the first clock signal and the second clock signal and outputting first to Nth scanning signals, respectively; a redundant repair shift register as (N+1)th shift register receiving one of first and second clock signals and outputting a repair scanning signal; a plurality of first switches for respectively connecting one of the first and second clock signal lines to the first to Nth shift registers and the redundant repair shift register; a plurality of second switches for respectively switching a connection of the first to Nth shift registers with the first to Nth gate lines; and a plurality of third switches for respectively switching a connection of the second to Nth shift registers and the redundant repair shift register with the first to Nth gate lines, wherein N is positive integer. |
| US08339344B2 |
Multi-primary color display device
A display device which exhibits functional effects in which color separation between sub-pixels constituting a pixel is hardly recognized and white line display is easily recognized as one line, in enlargement of the color reproduction range in image display using multi-primary colors, and thereby improves display quality, and provides a liquid crystal display device including such a display device. The display device displays an image constituted by pixels each including sub-pixels of four or more colors, wherein the pixels constituting the display device mainly include a pixel arranging a sub-pixel of a color having the highest brightness value in a central region of the pixel. |
| US08339342B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
A liquid crystal display device is configured such that a liquid crystal layer is held between a pair of substrates. The liquid crystal display device includes, in a display area including a plurality of pixels, pixel electrodes which are disposed in association with the respective pixels, a counter-electrode which is disposed to be opposed to the pixel electrodes via the liquid crystal layer, scanning lines which are disposed along a row direction of the pixels, signal lines which are disposed along a column direction of the pixels, and an electrically conductive layer which is disposed to be opposed to the counter-electrode via the liquid crystal layer between neighboring ones of the pixel electrodes, and has such a potential as to provide a black display voltage relative to a potential of the counter-electrode. |
| US08339336B2 |
Circuit device and active-matrix display apparatus
An active-matrix display apparatus includes an image display unit in which pixels are arranged in a matrix in row and column directions, a column control circuit group including thin-film transistors, the column control circuit group being configured to output a data signal to columns of the pixels, and a control-signal generating circuit including a thin-film transistor, with the control-signal generating circuit being configured to output a first control signal controlling the column control circuit group. The column control circuit group is controlled by the first control signal and a second control signal delayed from the first control signal, and the first control signal is generated by the control-signal generating circuit, then input into the column control circuit group, and then propagated through the column control circuit group. The second control signal is generated on the basis of the first control signal which has been propagated through the column control circuit group. |
| US08339333B2 |
Methods of reducing perceived image crosstalk in a multiview display
Methods of reducing perceived image crosstalk in a multiview display. One method includes providing an image stream to a display having a horizontal dimension that extends from a first side of the display to an opposing second side of the display. The image stream includes a temporal sequence of images where at least a first image view and then a second image view are displayed on the display in a time sequential manner. The temporal sequence of images are conditioned before being displayed in order to reduce perceived displayed image crosstalk between the first and second image views. The conditioning includes modifying a color intensity of at least selected pixels along the horizontal dimension based on a non-constant crosstalk correction function for the horizontal dimension. |
| US08339329B2 |
Antenna mount
An antenna mount for a satellite antenna comprises an adjustment plate with a first cam slot, a first bracket and a first cam. The first bracket includes a first base, a first sidewall extending from the first base and having a second cam slot aligned with the first cam slot, and a second sidewall extending in parallel with the first sidewall from the first base. The first cam is adapted to attach the adjustment plate to an inner surface of the first sidewall. The first cam includes a first shaft protruding from the first sidewall through the first and second cam slots and rotatable with respect to the first sidewall, and a first disc coupled with the first shaft and adapted to fit within the first cam slot so that the adjustment plate is rotatable with respect to the first sidewall as the first shaft is rotated from the exterior of the first sidewall. |
| US08339327B2 |
Circularly-polarized antenna
A circularly-polarized antenna is provided, and includes a conductive backplane with a plurality of panels, a vertical array of patch radiators disposed on one of the backplane panels, and a feed stripline disposed on the backplane panel. The backplane panels are vertical, planar, rectangular and form a right prism. The vertical array has a radiator spacing of one wavelength, each radiator has a face and four edges, and each edge has a length of approximately one half wavelength. The feed stripline includes an input coupled to a coaxial feed cable, and a pair of outputs, orthogonal in position and phase, coupled to each of the radiators. |
| US08339326B2 |
Antenna polarization control
Controlling an antenna's polarization sense. An antenna system includes a polarized antenna and a mechanism for controlling the polarization sense of the antenna. The controlling mechanism can include rotatable polarizer panels disposed between the antenna's aperture and the antenna's target. The polarizer panels are rotated to switch between polarization senses. The polarizer panels can comprise meander line polarizers that convert the polarization sense of a linear polarized antenna to a circularly polarized antenna and vice-versa. The meander line polarizers can be rotated from a position in which the meander line polarizer panels convert between linear polarization and right-hand-circular (“RHC”) polarization to a position that converts between linear polarization and left-hand-circular (“LHC”) polarization. The polarizer panels can be rotated using a mechanical system that rotates the polarizer panels based on a signal received from a remote device. |
| US08339325B2 |
Wireless energy transmission structure
Disclosed is a wireless energy transmission structure which includes a disc part including a first conductor plate and a second conductor plate which are spaced to face each other and a dielectric material inserted between the first conductor plate and the second conductor plate, and generating an electric field between the first conductor plate and the second conductor plate; and a ring-shaped wire part one end of which is connected to the first conductor plate and the other end of which is connected to the second conductor plate, and having a meta structure in which a plurality of meta cells is repetitively arranged so as to induce a magnetic field using the electric field, so that the wireless energy transmission structure is reduced in size and is improved in transmission distance and transmission efficiency. |
| US08339324B1 |
Wideband biconical antenna with helix feed for an above-mounted antenna
A wideband biconical antenna arrangement is disclosed having a feed arrangement that services a second antenna positioned above the biconical antenna. The feed for the second antenna is configured as a helix that spirals around an outer periphery of the upper and lower cones of the biconical antenna along the biconical antenna's cylindrical radiating aperture. In one embodiment, the feed is a coaxial cable disposed within a hollow metal tube. This helix feed does not substantially degrade the performance of the wideband biconical antenna. The wideband biconical antenna has its feed disposed within a central conduit of the biconical antenna. The biconical antenna has at least one octave of bandwidth, and in one embodiment the second antenna also has at least one octave of bandwidth. |
| US08339322B2 |
Compact multi-band antennas
A multi-band antenna including a conductive ground plane element, a conductive driven element having a feed point and a conductive coupling element located on at least one but not all sides of the conductive driven element and coupled to the conductive ground plane element and to the conductive driven element, wherein a resonant frequency associated with the conductive coupling element is independent of a size of the conductive ground plane element. |
| US08339321B2 |
Antenna device and portable radio apparatus
A small antenna system which is incorporated in a portable radio apparatus and can ensure high antenna performance in a wide frequency band without impairing the design property or the operability and a portable radio apparatus are provided. An antenna device includes an antenna A1 having a resonance characteristic in a first frequency; an antenna A2 having a resonance characteristic in a second frequency and being spaced from the antenna A1 at a predetermined distance; a circuit board P provided in a mobile telephone 10, a wireless section 16 provided on the circuit board P for supplying or receiving high-frequency power; and a high-frequency switch 13 provided on the circuit board P for selecting connection of an output terminal or an input terminal of the wireless section 16 and a feeding point of the antenna A1 or the antenna A2 so that the feeding point of the antenna A1 or the antenna A2 can be switched and connecting to the wireless section 16. |
| US08339319B2 |
Broadband antenna
A broadband antenna printed on a substrate. The substrate includes a first surface, a second surface perpendicular to the first surface, and a third surface parallel to the first surface. The broadband antenna includes a grounding portion, a feeding portion, and a radiating portion. The grounding portion is located on the first surface. The feeding portion feeds electromagnetic signals and includes a first feeding section printed on the third surface and a second feeding section printed on the second surface. The radiating portion includes a first radiating section, a second radiating section, and a third radiating section. The first radiating section is printed on the first surface. The second radiating section comprises a first radiating segment and a second radiating segment. The third radiating section is printed on the second surface and formed a ladder portion. |
| US08339314B2 |
Method and system for a virtual wide area GNSS reference network
A GNSS enabled mobile device receives GNSS assistance data in a determined format from a central processing station communicatively coupled to a wide area reference network (WARN). The WARN comprises a first plurality of GNSS tracking stations from which usable signals are received by the central processing station, and a second plurality of GNSS tracking stations from which unusable or no signals are received by the central processing station. The central processing station generates the GNSS assistance data using a complete set of GNSS reference feeds of the WARN. The complete set of GNSS reference feeds comprises actual GNSS reference feeds from the first plurality of GNSS tracking stations and virtual GNSS reference feeds derived for the second plurality of GNSS tracking stations from processed actual GNSS reference feeds. The generated GNSS assistance data is reformatted into a determined format and is communicated to the GNSS enabled mobile device, accordingly. |
| US08339313B2 |
Positioning method and navigation device
A positioning method is provided, particularly adaptable for a mobile device. Satellite signals are first received from at least one satellites. At least one first search process is performed on the satellite signals by using an adjustable integration time. A tracking process is then performed when the at least one satellite is acquired in the at least one search process. |
| US08339312B2 |
Method and device for estimation of the integrity risk in a satellite navigation system
A method for estimating an integrity risk in a satellite navigation system includes receiving a plurality of navigation signals at a user system from at least one satellite, the plurality of navigation signals including data relative to the integrity of the satellite navigation system; and estimating the integrity risk using the data in the at least one user system. The estimating further includes forming a plurality of intervals of an integration variable of an integral function, estimating a maximum of the integrity risk for each interval, comparing the maximum of each interval to find an overall maximum of all the intervals; and using the overall maximum as an estimate of the integrity risk. |
| US08339311B2 |
Method and system for a full GNSS capable multi-standard single chip
A multi-standard single chip integrated within a multi-standard mobile device concurrently receives multi-standard radio frequency signals by corresponding two or more integrated radios. The multi-standard single chip generates full GNSS measurement comprising pseudo-range information using the received radio frequency signals. The multi-standard single chip comprises a GNSS radio and multiple non-GNSS radios such as Bluetooth. The full GNSS measurement is generated using GNSS radio frequency signals received by the integrated GNSS radio and communicated over, for example, Bluetooth radio. GNSS satellite reference information embedded in radio frequency signals received by the integrated non-GNSS radios is extracted to assist the full GNSS measurement. A full GNSS navigation solution for the multi-standard mobile device is generated internally to and/or externally to the multi-standard single chip depending on the location of a navigation engine. The generation of the full GNSS measurement is independent of a host processor within the multi-standard mobile device. |
| US08339307B2 |
Satellite beam-pointing error correction in digital beam-forming architecture
A digital method of determining and correcting beam-pointing for a communications spacecraft that has a digital beam-forming architecture for defining multiple spot transmit and receive beams, the antenna system of the spacecraft including a receive antenna (DRA, AFR) having antenna elements providing respective antenna element signals, and wherein at least one of the uplink signals to the spacecraft includes a beacon signal, and wherein the method comprises digitally weighting components of said beacon signal present in antenna element signals, combining such weighted beacon signal components such as to derive beam-pointing error signals, and employing the error signals to adjust beam-forming weight values of the receive antenna, in order to adjust the pointing direction of at least one signal beam. The digital weights for the beacon signal define difference radiation patterns for x, y axes of the antenna which vary rapidly in a range corresponding to the pointing errors most commonly occurring. |
| US08339304B2 |
Remote control signal generation device and remote control system
A remote control signal generation device for converting a primary remote control signal compliant to one code system into a secondary remote control signal compliant to another code system, includes an exterior member having shape and size suitable for being held in a battery holder, instead of one of the plural number of batteries, a converter section, responsive to the exterior member being held in the battery holder to convert the supplied voltage into an output voltage corresponding to the rated electromotive force, a primary remote control signal detection section for detecting the primary remote control signal, a signal code conversion processing section for generating the secondary remote control signal compliant to the another code system corresponding to the primary remote control signal detected by the primary remote control signal detection section, and a secondary remote control signal transmission section for transmitting the secondary remote control signal. |
| US08339303B2 |
Method for improving the performance of the summing-node sampling calibration algorithm
An integrated circuit allows for the isolation of the input of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) from a summing-node (SNS) algorithm. The integrated circuit contains a gating device that is controlled by bits of a flash analog-to-digital converter (ADC) to gate input samples to sub-ranges that are used by the SNS algorithm. A single sub-range is chosen to be used by the SNS algorithm. |
| US08339302B2 |
Analog-to-digital converter having a comparator for a multi-stage sampling circuit and method therefor
An analog to digital converter includes a first sample circuit that samples an analog input during a first phase of a clock. A second sample circuit samples the analog input during a second phase of the clock. A comparator compares a reference to the output of the first sample circuit during a non-overlapping time between an end of the first phase and beginning of the second phase and compares the reference to the output of the second sample circuit during a non-overlapping time between an end of the second phase and beginning of the first phase. The first sample circuit couples the sample of the analog input taken by the first sample circuit to the input of the comparator during the non-overlapping time between the end of the first phase and the beginning of the second phase and the second sample circuit couples the sample of the analog input taken by the second sample circuit to the input of the comparator during the non-overlapping time between the end of the second phase and the beginning of the first phase. |
| US08339301B2 |
Gamma voltage generator and DAC having gamma voltage generator
A gamma voltage generator includes an RGB common gamma voltage generation section configured to generate RGB common gamma voltages using corresponding gamma reference voltages among a plurality of gamma reference voltages; and at least two of an RG gamma voltage generation section configured to generate RG gamma voltages using corresponding gamma reference voltages among the plurality of gamma reference voltages, an R gamma voltage generation section configured to generate R gamma voltages using corresponding gamma reference voltages among the plurality of gamma reference voltages, a G gamma voltage generation section configured to generate G gamma voltages using corresponding gamma reference voltages among the plurality of gamma reference voltages, and a B gamma voltage generation section configured to generate B gamma voltages using corresponding gamma reference voltages among the plurality of gamma reference voltages. |
| US08339299B2 |
2-phase gain calibration and scaling scheme for switched capacitor sigma-delta modulator using a chopper voltage reference
A sigma-delta modulator has a chopper voltage reference providing a reference signal having a clock dependent offset voltage, a single-bit or a multi-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC); a plurality of capacitor pairs; a plurality of switches to couple any capacitor pair to an input or reference signal; and a control unit controlling sampling through said switches to perform a charge transfer in two phases wherein any capacitor pair can be selected to be assigned to the input or reference signal, wherein after a plurality of charge transfers a gain error cancellation is performed by rotating the capacitor pairs cyclically, and wherein a DAC output value and a reference offset state define switching sequences wherein each switching sequence independently rotates said capacitor pairs and wherein at least one switching sequence is selected depending on a current DAC output value and a current reference offset state. |
| US08339295B2 |
Method and system for managing digital to time conversion
A method and system for managing Digital to Time Conversion (DTC) is provided. The method comprises receiving a first Radio Frequency (RF) signal and a second RF signal. The second RF signal is a phase-shifted first RF signal. The method further comprises converting the first RF signal to a first Intermediate Frequency (IF) signal and the second RF signal to a second IF signal. Further, a time delay between the first IF signal and the second IF signal is estimated based on a time difference measurement technique. The second RF signal is processed based on the estimated time delay to compensate for a delay error associated with the second RF signal. |
| US08339294B2 |
Illuminating primary and alternate keyboard symbols
A keyboard or keypad which can highlight symbols on the keys by illuminating them. The keys are backlit by two light sources, one visible and one ultraviolet, each of which illuminates multiple keys. One symbol on each key is designed to transmit the visible light, becoming highlighted when the visible light source is activated. A second symbol on each key is designed to fluoresce when illuminated by ultraviolet light, becoming highlighted when the ultraviolet light source is activated. If desired, both light sources can be activated, highlighting both symbols simultaneously. If desired, complementary light color and filter material may be used to reduce or eliminate transmission of light through the second symbol. A single pair of light sources may be used for the entire keyboard or the keyboard may be divided into segments with separate light sources for each segment. |
| US08339293B2 |
Capacitive touch multi-function keys
The presently described technology relates to an appliance control panel having multi-function keys. The multi-function keys have multiple regions. A control panel operation module is provided for regulating the control panel system between multiple operation input modes. When the control panel system is in one operation input mode, activation of the first key region executes a first appliance function, and activation of the second key region executes a second appliance function. When the control panel system is in another operation input mode, activation the first key region and activation of said second key region execute the same appliance function. A method for operating an appliance control panel system having multi-function keys is also disclosed. |
| US08339291B2 |
Alphabet input device and alphabet recognition system in small-sized keypad
Disclosed herein are an alphabet input device and an alphabet recognition system in a small-sized keypad. The device includes: a first keypad part comprising a plurality of buttons each of which is assigned with a symbol extracted from strokes of alphabet characters so that the alphabet characters be input by one of the buttons or a combination of two or more of the buttons; and a second keypad part comprising one or more buttons each assigned with an alphabet character having a high usage frequency. With the device, alphabet characters can be inputted in a simper and more efficient manner. |
| US08339289B2 |
Input-key control device, and method and computer program product for controlling input key
An input-key control device is mounted on an apparatus having a plurality of operating modes and controls a plurality of input keys that receive input provided by a user. The input-key control device includes: a key-related-information storage unit that stores the operating modes and key-identifying information in association with each other, the key-identifying information being information for identifying an operable input key; an input-key identifying unit that identifies, when the operating mode is switched, an input key which has newly become operable as a result of the switching of the operating mode by comparing the key-identifying information associated with the operating mode before the switching and the key-identifying information associated with the operating mode after the switching; and a light-emission control unit that causes a lighting manner of a light-emitting element that illuminates the input key identified by the input-key identifying unit to differ from a lighting manner of a light-emitting element that illuminates remaining input key. |
| US08339288B2 |
Light guide having a capacitive sensing grid for a keypad and related methodology
An electronic device may include a keypad having a plurality of predefined key areas and a light guide that may be used to illuminate the key areas. The light guide may include a capacitive sensing grid to sense user contact relative to the keypad. |
| US08339286B2 |
Baseline update procedure for touch sensitive device
A touch sensitive device implementing a routine that controls the device's baseline update procedure in certain circumstances, and associated methods. |
| US08339284B2 |
Method and apparatus for displaying flight path information in rotocraft
A visual display system is provided, and includes a visual display element configured to display a visual display with three-dimensional, conformal background information at a first perspective; and a processor coupled to the visual display. The processor can be configured to evaluate flight path information and to adjust the visual display into a second perspective if the flight path information cannot be accurately displayed at the first perspective relative to the background. |
| US08339280B1 |
Traffic preemption system and related methods
A traffic preemption system and related methods. Implementations may include a vehicle preemption unit mounted to a vehicle including an optical transmitter adapted to identify to an intersection preemption unit coupled with an intersection system controller the presence of the vehicle. The vehicle preemption unit may include a vehicle radio transceiver and the optical transmitter and the vehicle radio transceiver may be coupled with a vehicle controller. The intersection preemption unit may include an optical receiver and an intersection radio transceiver. The optical receiver and the intersection radio transceiver may each be coupled with an intersection controller. The intersection preemption unit may be adapted to change a traffic light in favor of the vehicle to which the vehicle preemption unit is mounted in response to an optical signal, a radio signal, or a combination of optical and radio signals from the vehicle preemption unit. |
| US08339279B2 |
Remote monitoring system
A remote monitoring system provides a real-time monitoring of conditions of an apparatus, such as a power line. The remote monitoring system includes an apparatus that generates electrical signals, a remote monitoring module that is remote from the apparatus, and a transmission module. The transmission module is provided adjacent to the apparatus and transmits data that correspond to the electrical signals via a cellular network to the remote monitoring system. The remote monitoring module receives the signal and determines a condition of the apparatus based on the received electrical signal. |
| US08339278B2 |
Electronic system with AC-DC convertor controlled by received signal and AC-DC adaptor
An electronic system includes: an AC-DC converter to convert an AC voltage into a DC voltage and to supply the DC voltage to a secondary battery; a first detector to detect a remaining amount of the secondary battery; a transmitter to transmit a signal corresponding to the remaining amount of the secondary battery; a receiver to receive the signal transmitted by the transmitter; and a controller to control the AC-DC converter using the signal received by the receiver. |
| US08339276B2 |
Monoconductor data-power transmission
Apparatus and systems, as well as methods, operate to acquire downhole data associated with a borehole casing, process a portion of the downhole data at a downhole location to provide processed data, and regulate surface motor power received at a motor downhole. The surface motor power is filtered and the processed data is transmitted to a surface location on a monoconductor that also carries the surface motor power. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed. |
| US08339275B2 |
AC voltage phase discriminator for circuit breaker locators
An arrangement that includes a transmitter unit and a receiver for locating a circuit interrupter associated with a selected branch circuit of a power distribution system. The transmitter is electrically interconnected with the selected branch circuit and produces a sequence of tracing signals in a branch circuit that is to be traced. Each tracing signal is transmitted and detected at times measured with respect to a detected known phase of the signal on the branch circuit. In one embodiment, tracing signals are transmitted on a branch circuit of a 3 phase power distribution system when the branch circuit to be tested has a positive phase and the other phases are negative. |
| US08339274B2 |
System and method for automatically adjusting a lighting atmosphere based on presence detection
The invention relates to a feeding device (1) for introducing a piece of linen (12) to be ironed into an ironing unit by means of suction, the feeding device (1) being provided with a suction shaft (3) into which the piece of linen (12) can be sucked and a top suction portion (4) which is provided for sucking the piece of linen (12) into the suction shaft (3). The feeding device (1) comprises a blocking clamp (6) which is provided to secure the piece of linen (12) in a clamping position, and which is arranged in the feeding device (1) in such a way that there is located after the clamping of the piece of linen (12) a portion of this piece of linen (12) above this blocking clamp (6) that can be sucked by the top suction portion (4) into the suction shaft (3). The invention further relates to an ironing device, comprising an ironing unit for ironing a piece of linen (12) and a feeding unit (1) for feeding the piece of linen (12) to be ironed into the ironing unit. |
| US08339273B2 |
Event enunciator for a power line using a lanyard
An event annunciator may be provided. The event annunciator may comprise a housing, an alerting element, a switch, and a lanyard. The housing may be configured to mount on a pole that supports an electric power line. The alerting element may be in the housing and may have an active state and an inactive state. The switch may be in the housing and may have a first position and a second position. The first position may cause the alerting element to remain in the inactive state. The second position may cause the alerting element to remain in the active state. The lanyard may be configured to cause the switch to operate from the first state to the second state when the lanyard is pulled from the housing. |
| US08339271B2 |
Intelligent security controller
An intelligent security system that can be retrofit with existing equipment in the field, where the system, upon connection to existing End-Of-Line resistors automatically reads and calibrates itself to function with the various resistors already installed. The system provides for interrogation of non-supervised devices and may be remotely managed via a network connection. The system is designed as a fully integrated and easy to install security system that minimizes installation time and costs and provides for a compact and neat controller. |
| US08339268B2 |
Driver configurable drowsiness prevention
A driver drowsiness mitigation system of a vehicle includes a driver impairment detection system for detecting drowsiness of a driver of the vehicle. A plurality of alert devices is provided for countering a drowsiness of the driver of the vehicle. A controller enables at least one of the alert devices when a drowsiness of the driver is detected. A prioritized order for enabling respective alert devices is selectively configurable within the controller according to the identity of the driver. |
| US08339261B1 |
System and method of monitoring the door of a secure cabinet for holding pharmaceutical products
In one embodiment, a pharmaceutical cabinet comprises sensors positioned within the frame and door of the cabinet, and the sensors are arranged in a predetermined orientation when the door is closed and a lock is actuated. The sensors are configured to communicate with one another when brought into the predetermined orientation to confirm that the door is closed and the lock is actuated. One or both of the sensors may transmit an identifier to the other sensor, and the communication between the sensors may be encoded. The cabinet also includes a sensor on the lock that indicates if the lock is engaged. The cabinet may generate a record of the times the sensors are moved into or out of communication and the times that the lock is engaged. |
| US08339255B2 |
Display system, display control device and image display device
A display system of the present invention includes a liquid crystal platform section (200) which outputs display data for displaying, on a liquid crystal display section (100), an image in accordance with information obtained from an automobile. The liquid crystal platform section (200) includes a DIC (201) which generates display data and calculates a display position of the image to be displayed on the liquid crystal display section (100) from the obtained information and which causes the generated display data to be displayed in the calculated image display position. The DIC (201) updates display so that the image moves at frame intervals from a start position of image display to the image display position calculated from the automobile information currently obtained, when an interval at which the information is obtained is longer than each of the frame intervals for displaying the image. The start position is the image display position having been calculated from the information obtained immediately before the information currently obtained. This makes it possible to realize a display system including an image display device whose change in image can be reliably tracked by eyes of a driver (human being). |
| US08339252B2 |
Blind spot display device and driving support device
Disclosed is a blind spot display device which enables a driver to check the image of a blind spot area at required timing and can prevent the visual distraction of the driver due to display of unnecessary images, ensuring that the driver is sufficiently attentive during driving. On the basis of the traveling state of a vehicle estimated by a traveling state estimation section, a right display and a left display switch display and non-display of the image of the blind spot area, and the right attention drawing section or the left attention drawing section corresponding to the display displaying the image draws the attention of the driver. On the basis of the traveling state, the image is displayed only when necessary, and is not displayed when unnecessary. |
| US08339249B2 |
Paging and notification mechanism for emergency warning system over cellular networks
Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide a method for transmitting emergency warning messages over cellular networks. In the proposed method, the access point transmits scheduling information of the emergency information in addition to the non-emergency information in a first system information block (SIB1) to a plurality of user equipments. In case of an emergency, the access point notifies the user equipments of the emergency situation and transmits emergency information to the user equipments to provide more information about the emergency situation. Since the user equipments already have scheduling information of the emergency information, they can start receiving the emergency information immediately after the emergency notification. |
| US08339244B2 |
Asset tag power optimization
A technique for saving power in a tag that is operationally connected to an asset involves using telemetry data to enter an appropriate power state. An asset tracking system according to the technique can make use of context to better track assets to which power-saving tags are operationally connected. Secure tag configuration techniques and asset-agnostic tags are described. Location-agnostic tags are also described. |
| US08339243B2 |
System and method for positioning active RFID tag
A positioning system and method are provided to use multiple RFID readers to position a target object with an active RFID tag equipped thereon. The system and method defines a geometric center of the locations of the RFID readers as a first coordinate. When the RFID readers continuously receive RF signals of the active RFID tag, a corresponding signal intensity of each of the RF signals is calculated and compared to obtain an approaching vector corresponding to the location of the RFID reader with the greatest signal intensity of the RF signal. A positioned location of the target object is then approached from the first coordinate to a second coordinate according to the approaching vector. The first coordinate and the positioned location of the target object will be reset as the second coordinate. The reset first coordinate is output as the latest positioned location of the target object. |
| US08339239B2 |
Electronic access control systems and methods
An embodiment of an electronic access control system includes an electronic key, an electronic lock, and an access control administration program. The electronic key can include program code for switching between a lock mode and a computer mode. In some embodiments, the lock mode and computer mode allow for simplified administration and operation of the access control system. Some embodiments of the electronic key include a rechargeable battery. In some embodiments, the access control system includes a hybrid power supply system having a rechargeable battery and a generator. In some embodiments, the electronic lock includes a piezoelectric latch. In some embodiments, the electronic key is configured to act as a storage device for a computer system. Some embodiments provide an electronic access control system with a streamlined user interface. |
| US08339238B2 |
Resistive sheet, pressure-sensitive switch, and input device
A resistive sheet includes a flexible cover sheet, a wiring part provided on the bottom face of the cover sheet, and ring, circular-arc, or spiral resistive layer connected to the wiring part. This resistive layer has an uneven bottom face. The resistive sheet also includes a spacer layer whose bottom face is disposed at a position lower than the resistive layer. The wiring part is sandwiched between the bottom face of the cover sheet and the spacer layer. |
| US08339237B2 |
Multilayer PTC thermistor
A multilayer PTC thermistor 100 includes a ceramic body 10 having a plurality of ceramic layers 12 and internal electrodes 14 between adjacent ceramic layers 12, external electrodes 30 on the end faces 10a, 10b of the ceramic body 10, and a glass layer 20 on the surfaces 10c, 10d of the ceramic body 10, the glass layer 20 containing an oxide of at least one element selected from the group consisting of zinc and bismuth as the major component, wherein the alkali oxide content of the glass layer is no greater than 0.8 mass %. |
| US08339236B2 |
Electric connection box
There is provided an electric connection box in which even when a housing of a fuse is fusedly damaged by heat radiation or melting of a fusible element of the fuse, the fusedly-damaged housing can be restrained from adhering to an inner bottom portion of a fuse cavity. The inner bottom portion (11a) of the fuse cavity has a projecting portion (16) formed on an inner bottom face thereof and extending upwardly from the inner bottom face, and an upper face (16c, 16d) of the projecting portion (16) abuts against a lower face (21b) of the housing (21) of the fuse (2), and a gap (15e) is formed between the inner bottom face and the lower face (21b) of the housing (21) because of the projecting portion (16). |
| US08339235B2 |
Housing securing apparatus for electrical components, especially fuses
An electric component includes: an insulating housing; a conductive member inserted into the housing until hitting a stop provided by the housing, the conductive member configured to mate with a conductive portion of a device that mates with the electrical component, the mating device thereby applying a force to the conductive portion, the conductive member including a wall, the wall defining a projection that is at least substantially coplanar with the wall; and wherein the housing includes a catch that flexes when the conductive member is inserted into the housing to allow the projection to move past the catch so that the conductive member can hit the stop, at which point the catch unflexes into locking engagement with the projection. |
| US08339230B2 |
Inductor element, inductor element manufacturing method, and semiconductor device with inductor element mounted thereon
An inductor element is formed in a multiple layer lead structure including a lead, an insulative layer that insulates leads above and below, and a via provided in the insulative layer and connecting leads above and below wherein lead layers are multiply laminated layers, characterized in that: at least a portion of at least a pair of vertically adjacent leads are coiled leads; the coiled leads are connected in series, wherein current directions of vertically adjacent coiled leads are the same by a via provided on an end portion thereof, and form a serial inductance; and an inter-lead capacitance of the vertically adjacent coiled leads is larger than an inter-lead capacitance between other coiled leads formed in the same lead layer. |
| US08339228B2 |
Edgewise coil and inductor
An edgewise coil achieves positioning of both end portions and accurate and reliable conduction with respect to a circuit board in a simple configuration, and can be downsized. The edgewise coil is usable in a conductor. The edgewise coil includes a base material and a coil member fixed at both end portions to the base material and including an external wound-wire portion placed on the base material and an internal wound-wire portion extending in the base material. |
| US08339223B1 |
Electric solenoid for a meter disconnect relay
An electric solenoid embodiment is comprised of a plunger, a solenoid body, a spring, and a magnet. An area of the solenoid body is configured to receive at least a portion of the plunger and electrical windings within the solenoid body substantially surround the area configured to receive at least a portion of the plunger such that an electrical current through the electrical windings applies force to move the plunger out of the solenoid body or to draw it within the solenoid body. The spring adaptively fits within the area configured to receive at least a portion of the plunger and within a portion of the plunger. The spring provides additional force to the plunger when moving out of the solenoid body and the magnet is used to latch the plunger when the plunger is forced to within close proximity of the magnet within the solenoid body. |
| US08339222B2 |
Electromagnetic relay
An electromagnetic relay includes a coil, a movable member, first and second fixed contact supports each having first and second fixed contacts, and a movable body having first and second movable contacts. A third fixed contact is arranged on the second fixed contact support at a position away from a line passing through the first and second fixed contacts, and a third movable contact is arranged on the movable body. When the movable member is driven by electromagnetic force of the coil, the movable contacts contact the fixed contacts at a contact portion between the first fixed contact and the first movable contact, a contact portion between the second fixed contact and the second movable contact, and a contact portion between the third fixed contact and the third movable contact. |
| US08339220B2 |
Surface acoustic wave resonator filter
A SAW resonator filter including a SAW resonator, and a first inductive reactance in parallel with the SAW resonator for shifting the null points below and above the center frequency for establishing substantially symmetrical attenuation about the center frequency. |
| US08339203B2 |
PA load-line tuning with capacitors around a balun
An on-chip power amplifier includes first and second variable capacitors connected in parallel with first and second windings, respectively, of an on-chip balun. The first balun winding connects between the differential outputs of an on-chip differential amplifier. Varying the first variable capacitor changes the imaginary part of the load impedance of the differential amplifier, while varying the second variable capacitor changes the real part of the load impedance of the differential amplifier. In one embodiment, the first and second variable capacitors are generally orthogonal, such that the first and second variable capacitors are less than 25% correlated. As a result, varying the first variable capacitor has little impact on the real part of the load impedance, and varying the second variable capacitor has little impact on the imaginary part of the load impedance. In this way the load impedance can be tuned to the optimum performance. |
| US08339195B2 |
Circuits and methods for calibrating offset in an amplifier
In one embodiment, the present disclosure includes a circuit comprising an amplifier having an input and an output, an offset detection circuit to detect an offset of the amplifier at the output of the amplifier, and an offset generation circuit having an input coupled to the offset detection circuit and an output coupled to the input of the amplifier to generate an offset at the input of the amplifier during an operational phase of the amplifier based on the detected offset. The generated offset cancels a least a portion of the offset of the amplifier. In one implementation, the amplifier is a sense amplifier in a memory. |
| US08339193B2 |
Demodulator for simultaneous multi-node receiving and the method thereof
The present invention relates to a demodulator for simultaneous multi-node receiving and a method therof; and, more particularly, a demodulator in a wireless communication system for receiving signals from multi nodes simultaneously and a method thereof.In accordance with the aspect of the present invention, there is provided a demodulator for simultaneous multi-node receiving which comprises: a clock generator for generating a pair of CW signals and a pair of demodulating modules, wherein the demodulating modules comprise a mixer for multiplying received signals and one of the CW signals, an integrator for integrating multiplied signal and data operating unit for calculating variation result of integrated signal at every certain symbol duration and deciding output data in accordance with the variation result. |
| US08339191B2 |
Voltage generation circuit
A reference voltage generation circuit includes a driving control unit configured to output an enable signal during a first time period in response to a power-on reset (POR) signal, a reference voltage generation unit configured to have an initial operation determined in response to the enable signal and to output a reference voltage maintained at a constant voltage level after the first time period, and a reference voltage control unit configured to fix the voltage level of the reference voltage to a first voltage upon a voltage level of the reference voltage being increased to at least a set voltage level. |
| US08339190B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit and electronic device
AVS (Adaptive Voltage Scaling) technique, by which variability and uncertainty are both taken into account. In the system arranged for AVS technique, a detection circuit optimum for each type of process variation is set. Examples of the detection circuit so arranged include a first measurement circuit for detection of variability, which produces a relative value with respect to the gate delay mean value, and a second measurement circuit for detection of uncertainty, which produces a relative value related to the gate delay standard deviation. The first and second measurement circuits are provided separately from each other. The control information for deciding the supply voltage is prepared based on relative values produced by the detection circuits. When preparing the control information, reference is made to e.g. a table data. |
| US08339186B2 |
Voltage level shift circuits and methods
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a charge pump circuit. The charge pump circuit comprises a plurality of terminals, a plurality of switches for selectively coupling the plurality of terminals, and a control circuit. A first input terminal receives a first reference voltage and a second input terminal receives a second reference voltage. First, second, third, and fourth flying capacitor terminals and the first and second input terminals are selectively coupled together in different configurations. The control circuit selects the switches to actuate according to a cycling of at least three phases of configuration. The cycling shifts the first and second reference voltages to provide dual power supply rails. |
| US08339185B2 |
Charge pump system that dynamically selects number of active stages
A multi-stage charge pump selects the number of active stages dynamically. In the exemplary embodiment, this is done by having a multi-stage master charge pump section in which the number of active stages is settable and a slave charge pump section that is of the same design as the master section. The master section is used to drive the external load, while the slave section drives an adjustable internal load. The adjustable internal load is set by control logic by comparing the operation of the two sections. The control logic then operates the slave section with a different number of active stages than the master stage in order to determine whether the master stage is using the optimal number of active stages. The control logic can then change the number of active stages accordingly. |
| US08339178B2 |
Level shifter and related apparatus
Level shifter and related apparatus are provided. The level shifter has first to sixth transistors, wherein drains of the first and the second transistors respectively are coupled to drains of the fifth and the sixth transistors as two output nodes of the level shifter, gates of the fifth and the sixth transistors are two input nodes of the level shifter. A source, a drain and a gate of the third transistor are respectively coupled to a gate of the first transistor, the drain of the sixth transistor and a first bias voltage, and a source, a drain and a gate of the fourth transistor are respectively coupled to a gate of the second transistor, the drain of the fifth transistor and a second bias voltage. |
| US08339177B2 |
Multiple function power domain level shifter
A level shifter including input and output power nodes, input and output reference nodes, input and output signal nodes, and a lever shifter network. The input power and input reference nodes operate within a first power domain and the output power and output reference nodes operate within a second power domain. The level shifter network receives an input signal operable within the first power domain, performs voltage shifting between the input and output power nodes and between the input and output reference nodes, and provides an output signal output signal indicative of the input signal that operates within the second power domain. The level shifter may include power and/or ground bypass such that either one or both of power and ground voltage shifting may be bypassed for faster switching. The level shifter may include an isolation input to assert the output to a known level. |
| US08339174B2 |
Apparatus, circuit and method for automatic phase-shifting pulse width modulated signal generation
Systems, circuits and methods for phase-shifting pulse width modulated signal generation are disclosed. In some embodiments, a phase-shifting pulse width modulation circuit is configured to output pulses based on an input pulse width modulated signal. The pulses are staggered relative to one another, and can be received by a light-emitting diode driver for driving a light-emitting diode string at one or more time periods. The phase-shifting pulse width modulation circuit can include a counter-based programmable delay subcircuit consisting of two counter-based programmable delay blocks. |
| US08339172B2 |
Flip-flop with single clock phase and with reduced dynamic power
A flip-flop may include a first master stage for latching data, a second slave stage for latching data, and an input multiplexer circuit receiving, as input, data to be latched in the flip-flop. The multiplexer may have single clock phase. The first master stage may be clocked based upon a clock phase, whereas the second stage may be clocked based upon another clock phase. |
| US08339171B1 |
Threshold voltage detection circuit
A threshold voltage detection circuit comprises a first inverter, a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor and a fourth transistor. The first inverter comprises a first terminal and a second terminal, a first electrode of the first transistor is electrically connected with the second terminal of the first inverter, a fourth electrode of the second transistor is electrically connected with the first terminal of the first inverter, a seventh electrode of the third transistor is electrically connected with the second terminal of the first inverter and the first electrode of the first transistor, a tenth electrode of the fourth transistor is electrically connected with a third electrode of the first transistor and a fifth electrode of the second transistor, and an eleventh electrode of the fourth transistor is electrically connected with a ninth electrode of the third transistor. |
| US08339170B1 |
Latching signal generator
Some of the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a latching signal generator, comprising a plurality of inputs configured to receive a clock signal, latch input data, and latch data, wherein the latch input data and the latch data are associated with a latch and wherein the latching signal generator is configured; to provide a latching signal to a latch; and a determination circuit that is configured to cause the latching signal generator to provide the latching signal based on during an active cycle of the clock signal, in response to a determination that the input latch data is different than the latch data. Other embodiments are also described and claimed. |
| US08339166B2 |
Clock gater with programmable delay
An integrated circuit device includes first circuitry including first logic devices and a clock tree for distributing a clock signal to the first logic devices and second circuitry including second logic devices and a clock gater operable to receive the clock signal and distribute the clock signal to the second logic devices. The clock gater comprises a programmable delay circuit. |
| US08339163B2 |
Field effect transistor with integrated gate control and radio frequency switch
A field effect transistor (FET) including a monolithically integrated gate control circuit element can be included in, for example, a radio frequency switch circuit. For example, the FET can be included as a series and/or shunt FET of a radio frequency coplanar waveguide circuit. The widths of the series and shunt FETs of a switch circuit can be selected to provide a target isolation and/or a target insertion loss for a target operating frequency. |
| US08339161B2 |
High performance voltage buffers with distortion cancellation
A voltage buffer may include a first signal path extending from an input terminal to an output terminal in which the first signal path further may include a buffer transistor that may have a control terminal, and a first and second current terminals responsive to the control terminal. In the first signal path, the control terminal may be connected to the input terminal, the first current terminal may be connected to the output terminal, and the first signal path may supply a load current to a load device responsive to an input signal at the input terminal. The voltage buffer further may include a second signal path extending from the input terminal to a current source node. The second signal path may include a replica load device. The voltage buffer further may include a current source supplying substantially constant current and coupled to the current source node. The voltage buffer further may include a current buffer positioned between the current source node and the output node in which the current buffer may direct a replica current from the second signal path responsive to the input signal and the substantially constant current from the current source to the buffer transistor. |
| US08339157B2 |
Methods, circuits, systems and arrangements for undriven or driven pins
Input/Output (I/O) pin circuits, devices, methods and systems are implemented in various fashions. According to one such method, a valid signal level is provided for a pin of an integrated circuit (IC) die. Responsive to a reset signal, a first mode (304) is entered where one of a pull-up circuit or pull-down circuit is enabled (308, 310) to set the pin to the valid signal level. A change in signal level of the pin that is a deviation from the valid signal level is detected (312). Responsive to detecting the change, a second mode (314) is entered where the one of a pull-up circuit or pull-down circuit is disabled (316). |
| US08339155B2 |
System and method for detecting soft-fails
A system and method for detecting soft-failures in integrated circuits is provided. A circuit includes a combinatorial logic block having a first signal input and a second signal input, and a latch coupled to an output of the combinatorial logic block. The combinatorial logic block produces a pulse when only one of either a first signal provided by the first signal input or a second signal provided by the second signal input is a logical high value, and the latch captures the pulse if the pulse has a pulse width greater than a second threshold. The pulse has a pulse width that is based on a timing difference between a first signal transition on the first signal and a second signal transition on the second signal, the combinatorial logic block produces the pulse if the timing difference is greater than a first threshold, and the combinatorial logic block operates with balanced inputs. |
| US08339154B2 |
Built-in line test method
A method for testing a line including an input/output pin of a programmable logic circuit, said line including at least one individual line extending from the input/output pin to a peripheral element, said input/output pin being able to be either at a high logic level or at a low logic level opposite to the high logic level. The method includes, between an initial driving instant and a final driving instant, a step for driving the input/output pin in which a driving voltage is applied to the terminals of the input/output pin. The method also includes: from the final driving instant, a step for measuring the level of the input/output pin during which the pin is no longer driven and during which the measured logic level is recorded for the input/output pin at least one measuring instant, and the measured logic level(s) is/are compared, at the (respective) measuring instant(s), with the theoretical logic level(s) at which the input/output pin should be at the (respective) measuring instant(s) in the absence of any line failure, and, when at least one logic level measured at a measuring instant differs from the theoretical logic level at said measuring instant, a line failure is detected. |
| US08339152B2 |
Test structure activated by probe needle
A test structure (200) in an integrated circuit (100) includes a probe pad (210) disposed at a surface of a die (102) of the integrated circuit, a transmission gate (202) for connecting portions of an electronic circuit within the integrated circuit in response to a momentary signal applied to the probe pad, a first inverter (221) having an input coupled to the probe pad and having an output coupled to a control input of the transmission gate, and a second inverter (222) having an input coupled to an output of the first inverter and having an output coupled to another control input of the transmission gate. The output of the second inverter is coupled to the input of the first inverter. Upon power-up, the transmission gate is open. After the momentary signal is applied to the probe pad, the transmission gate closes and remains closed until power is disconnected. |
| US08339151B2 |
High voltage thyristor valve multi-injection test method
This invention provides a high voltage thyristor valve multi-injection test method, it can meet one way valve and double valve operation test and over current test requirements. It has high equivalence and good flexibility. It includes FACTS double way thyristor valve and normal direct current thyristor valve operation tests and over current test. This method is novel, flexible, can carry out many different test and their mixture test and including the high voltage thyristor valve different tests. |
| US08339149B2 |
Systems for inspection of shrouds
A system to measure thickness of a shroud is provided. The system includes at least one resistive element embedded within the shroud. The system also includes an impedance measurement device that measures a total resistance associated with the at least one resistive element. |
| US08339148B2 |
Multi-channel capacitive sensing circuit
Provided is a multi-channel capacitive sensing circuit, in which at least one capacitive sensor has the capacitance changed corresponding to the change of external environment, and generates change signals corresponding to the capacitance change, respectively. An oscillator outputs a carrier wave modulating the capacitance change signal. At least one capacitance-to-voltage converter receives the capacitance change signals modulated by means of the carrier wave and outputs voltage signals corresponding to the modulated capacitance change signals, respectively. A multiplexer receives the voltage signals, selects any one of the voltage signals and sequentially outputs them. An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) receives the voltage signals outputted from the multiplexer, converts them into digital voltage signals and outputs them. Accordingly, it is possible to output the capacitance change signals each generated in the at least one capacitance sensor to one ADC using the multiplexer. As a result, it is possible to reduce the size of the multi-channel capacitive sensing circuit and reduce the power consumption. |
| US08339142B2 |
System for diagnosing sensors to find out abnormality therein
In an abnormality diagnosing system for first and second current sensors for measuring a current, an obtaining unit obtains at least one pair of measured values of the first and second current sensors. The at least one pair of measured values is measured by the first and second current sensors at a substantially same timing. A diagnosing unit diagnoses whether there is an abnormality in at least one of the first and second current sensors based on a function defining a relationship between the at least one pair of measured values of the first and second current sensors. |
| US08339141B2 |
Method and apparatus for locating a fault in an electrical conductor, with interference compensation
A voltage pulse is transmitted into a test object, and returned reflection pulses are evaluated to determine the location of a fault in the test object. The return signal includes a reflection from the fault and undesired interfering reflection pulses, which are removed or compensated-out from the return signal to produce a corrected pulse diagram. A circuit arrangement for this includes a bi-directional coupler, a separation filter, a measured signal detection circuit with two input channels, a memory storing a database, a computer processor, and a measured signal evaluation unit. A method in this regard includes a first step of measuring the input impedance of the test object, and a second step of measuring the return signal pulses, transforming the return signal to the frequency domain, compensating the frequency domain data to remove interference, transforming the data back to the time domain, and representing or evaluating the pulse diagram. |
| US08339140B2 |
Sensor arrangement
Utilization of electrostatic sensor elements is known in relation to obtaining images from a surface such as that of a patient with regard to anomalies including carcinomas. Electrostatic sensor elements, by their nature, are susceptible to creating spurious results in terms of their location with respect to the surface of the subject to be viewed. By providing a visual camera within an array of electrostatic sensor elements the electrostatic charge distribution image is provided by the camera. The image can be overlaid and married with the visual image in a proportionate ratio. In such circumstances an improved final image is provided with inherent visual references to allow analysis of the combined rich display image. A visual camera such as a CCD is used as it is substantially of the same size as the electrostatic sensor elements. |
| US08339138B2 |
Dynamic composite gradient systems for MRI
A composite gradient system is described, including a body gradient system and an insert gradient system, in which the body gradient system and the insert gradient system can be driven independently and simultaneously. The composite gradient system can provide an operator with the flexibility of imaging a subject using the body gradient system alone, the insert gradient system alone, or both gradient systems simultaneously, and therefore enjoy the advantages of each gradient system. In some embodiments, the body gradient system and the insert gradient system may be driven concurrently during an imaging sequence to produce composite magnetic field gradients having high amplitude and/or fast slew rate, resulting in high image resolution and/or fast image acquisition. In some embodiments, a subject may be imaged using the body gradient system alone while leaving the insert gradient system in place. |
| US08339137B2 |
Non-cartesian under-sampled multi-echo MRI
Example apparatuses and methods control a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus to perform a non-Cartesian, under-sampled, multi-echo MRI process. One example process includes controlling the MRI apparatus to excite an object to be imaged using a multi-echo Gradient Recalled Echo (GRE) pulse sequence. The example process also includes controlling the MRI apparatus to acquire a data set from the object to be imaged as a function of performing a non-Cartesian, under-sampling acquisition. The data set includes data acquired at two or more echo times (TE) per repetition (TR) and an element in the data set is sampled two or more times as a function of a non-Cartesian trajectory that crosses itself at least once. The process also includes controlling the MRI apparatus to reconstruct an image of the object to be imaged from the data set. The image may map brain activity. |
| US08339136B2 |
Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus
In the continuous moving table imaging, an image is reconstructed with suppressed artifacts even in imaging under inhomogeneity of static magnetic field.In a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, signals are measured with moving a table to obtain multiple data sets, and inverse Fourier transform of each data set is carried out in the read-out direction to obtain hybrid data. One-dimensional data are extracted from each hybrid data at a border with respect to the adjacent hybrid data, and correction values for corrections of discontinuity of signal intensity and phase at a border of hybrid data are obtained by using the one-dimensional data. Data obtained by inverse Fourier transform of each hybrid data are corrected by using the correction values, and an image showing continuity for signal intensity and phase is eventually obtained. |
| US08339135B2 |
Biological detector and method
A biological detector includes a conduit for receiving a fluid containing one or more magnetic nanoparticle-labeled, biological objects to be detected and one or more permanent magnets or electromagnet for establishing a low magnetic field in which the conduit is disposed. A microcoil is disposed proximate the conduit for energization at a frequency that permits detection by NMR spectroscopy of whether the one or more magnetically-labeled biological objects is/are present in the fluid. |
| US08339129B2 |
Vibration and condition monitoring system and the parts thereof
A vibration and condition monitoring system and the parts thereof with a true digital signal processing based design, with very limited analog based general signal conditioning. Specifically a method of driving and a driver of eddy current probes that have a simple highly accurate analog part and a unit and a method of enabling efficient vibration monitoring in hazardous areas. This is achieved by an eddy current probe oscillator unit having independent control of an amplitude gain and control of an impedance measurement sensitivity, i.e. amplitude gain linearity in relation to probe impedance. |
| US08339124B2 |
Method for manufacturing a mounting element with an angle sensor
The method is used for manufacturing a mounting element with an angle sensor for an actuator in an internal combustion engine. The mounting element has electrical connections (20) and contains an angle sensor (24, 26, 30). To simplify manufacture, electronic components (24, 26, 30) are electrically connected directly to a leadframe (12). Next, the leadframe (12) with the electronic components (24, 26, 30) is overmoulded with thermoset (132), and the resultant angle sensor module (10) is assembled with a preproduced mounting element. The mounting element itself may be made of thermoplastic or thermoset and comprises a plug connection (20). |
| US08339122B2 |
Speed sensor for a rotating member
A speed sensor for use in measuring the speed of rotation of a rotationally salient rotating member The speed sensor comprises an electrode and a sensor circuit. The sensor circuit comprises a constant voltage source for supplying a voltage to the electrode to generate an electric field in a dielectric medium. A current detector detects current flow between the constant voltage source and the electrode due to perturbation of the electric field by passage of at least one salient feature of the rotating member through the electric field as the rotating member rotates. The current detector outputs a first signal modulated at a frequency corresponding to the frequency of perturbation of the electric field. The first signal is amplified to produce an amplified signal modulated at a frequency corresponding to the frequency of perturbation of the electric field. The electrode voltage, the amplifier gain and the electrode position relative to the rotating member are selected such that modulation of the second signal is predominantly caused by perturbation of the electric field within the dielectric medium by the creation and/or movement of ions within the field. |
| US08339114B2 |
Controllers for controlling currents to predetermined current references
A high-side switch is coupled to a power supply terminal and selectively coupled to ground via a conduction path. During an on state duration, the high-side switch can be enabled and the conduction path can be disabled. During an off state duration, the high-side switch can be disabled and the conduction path can be enabled. During a skip state duration, the high-side switch and the conduction path both can be disabled. A controller coupled to the high-side switch can control the on state duration and the skip state duration based on a current reference. The controller can further generate a control signal for controlling the high-side switch and the conduction path according to the on state duration and the skip state duration, and adjust an output current to the current reference according to the control signal. |
| US08339112B2 |
Analog MPPT circuit for photovoltaic power plant
A method of power point tracking for operating a photovoltaic power plant, which includes a DC-DC converter of the output voltage of a panel having a power switch driven by a PWM control signal of variable duty-cycle generated by a PWM control circuit, in discontinuous conduction mode or continuous conduction mode depending on the current load of the converter, is implemented by low cost analog circuits. The method does not require the use of any analog-to-digital conversion, digital processing or storage resources and may use a single voltage sensor. |
| US08339110B2 |
Single stage hybrid charge pump
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for a single stage hybrid charge pump. A switch module is connected to ground. An inductance module is connected between a DC voltage source and the switch module. A first capacitance module is connected to the switch and to the inductance module. A first current blocking module is connected between the DC voltage source the first capacitance module. A second capacitance module is connected to ground. A second current blocking module is connected to a node between the first capacitance module and the first current blocking module and is also connected to the second current blocking module. The switch module is operated to switch between an open state and a closed state thereby causing a voltage across the second current blocking module to increase until it is limited by a voltage limiting module. |
| US08339109B2 |
Charging circuit
A charging circuit integrated into a chip, comprising a charging unit, a switch unit, a biasing unit, a voltage-dividing unit, and a comparing unit. The charging unit is connected between a power supply input and a load for outputting a constant current based on a constant bias voltage supplied by the power supply input in order to charge the load. The switch unit is connected between the charging unit and the power supply input for turning on or cutting off the charging unit. The voltage-dividing unit generates a first signal to the comparing unit according to a voltage of the load. The biasing unit outputs a second signal having a constant voltage to the comparing unit. The comparing unit compares the first signal with the second signal for cutting off or turning on the switch unit, bringing the charging unit to charge or stop charging the load, respectively. |
| US08339108B2 |
Charging systems that control power dissipation in a charging path
A circuit for charging a battery may include a switch operable for conducting a current flowing through the switch, and a first amplifier coupled to the switch and operable for adjusting the current according to an amount of power dissipation associated with the switch. |
| US08339104B2 |
Battery system for vehicle
A battery system for a vehicle warms up a battery, which is mounted to charge and discharge. A charge/discharge unit is located closer to a battery set than an inverter unit is. When the battery set cannot produce a required output power because of its low temperature, a control unit controls the charge/discharge unit to charge and discharge and also controls a blower to deliver heat transfer medium, which receives heat generated from the charge/discharge unit, to the battery set, so that the battery set is warmed up to produce the required output power at earlier time. |
| US08339101B2 |
Portable computer system and related power supply device and charging method
A portable computer system includes a host, a power storage device and a dock. The power storage device is installed in the host, for sensing current from a first power socket to a first power terminal to generate a first sensing result, and charging a first rechargeable battery according to a first control signal. The dock is capable of connecting to the host by means of insertion, for sensing current from a second power socket to a second power terminal to generate a second sensing result, and charging a second rechargeable battery according to a second control signal. The dock includes a control device for outputting the first control signal and the second control signal according to the first sensing result and the second sensing result, to control charging operations on the first rechargeable battery and the second rechargeable battery. |
| US08339098B2 |
Battery charger with retractable contacts
A battery charger includes a housing, at least two contacts, a transmission mechanism, and a driving member. The housing defines a slot and through holes. The at least two contacts are received in the housing and are operable to protrude out of the housing after passing through the through holes. The transmission mechanism is received in the housing and is for driving the at least two contacts to protrude out of the housing. The driving member is received in the housing and partially extends out of the housing after passing through the slot. The driving member is capable of sliding in the slot and activating the transmission mechanism. |
| US08339091B2 |
Communication apparatus for robots
A communication apparatus for robots is provided. A controller and drivers controlling each joint are serially connected to a serial transmission line. A final driver positioned at the last stage, among the drivers, is connected to an I/O module connected to a driver of a hand. When control signals for each driver and the driver of the hand are serially transmitted from the controller to the serial transmission line, the driver connected to the I/O module receives a control signal for the driver itself and a control signal for the driver of the hand, among the serially transmitted control signals, and transmits the control signal for the driver of the hand to the I/O module. |
| US08339090B2 |
Current control apparatus operable in wet environment
An apparatus operable in a wet environment includes a voltage doubler circuit including a pair of diodes, a pair of direct current switching elements connected between the respective diodes and a common point, a controller, an interface connected to the controller for receiving external status signals, and a switching arrangement responsive to signals from the controller to select the full power mode or a controlled power mode. In the controlled power mode, the switching elements are switched in a predetermined sequence such that only one of the switching elements conducts current during any one half cycle of the AC output voltage applied to the motor. |
| US08339087B2 |
Fan control circuit
A fan control circuit includes an integrated circuit (IC), a thermistor, and a transistor. A first input of the IC is connected to a fan power supply. A second input of the IC is connected to a stand-by power supply. A base of the transistor is grounded through the thermistor. An emitter of the transistor is connected to an output of the IC. A collector of the transistor is connected to a fan. |
| US08339083B2 |
Motor controlling method and apparatus thereof
A voltage detection section and current detection section detect a voltage and current supplied to a motor, and the detected voltage and current are supplied to a position detection section. An angular speed output from the position detection section is supplied to a differentiator to output an angular acceleration. A fundamental wave component extraction section extracts a fundamental wave component of the angular acceleration, and the extracted fundamental wave component is supplied to an amplitude adjustment section. The output of the amplitude adjustment section is subtracted from the average current command by a subtraction section. This subtraction result, current detection value, and the rotor position from the position detection section are supplied to a current control section to carry out the current control operation so as to obtain a current command. The current command is supplied to an inverter to control the voltage and current so as to suppress the speed changing due to the load torque changing. Thus, stability is improved, and a decrease in cost is realized. |
| US08339078B2 |
Apparatus and method for providing information relating to a motor
This invention relates to an apparatus and method for deriving speed and position information for an electric motor. Apparatus for and a method of controlling a motor 100 are also disclosed. The apparatus for providing information relating to the operation of an electrical motor 100 comprises a sampler 50, 51 for sampling the instantaneous motor current is and a processor 160 for determining the instantaneous rate of change of the motor current and providing information about the motion or position of said motor based on said instantaneous rate of change of the motor current. In this way speed and position information can be provided, at low speeds, and without using a speed sensor. |
| US08339077B2 |
Slow speed operation of brushless direct current motors by gating pulse width modulation drive
Slow speed operation of a brushless DC (BLDC) motor is enhanced by gating off some of the PWM pulses in each commutation period. By doing so, longer PWM pulse widths may be used at PWM signal frequencies that are inaudible while still allowing desired slow speed operation of the BLDC motor. Centering the non-gated PWM pulses in each commutation period where peak back EMF occurs, further reduces losses and improves delivery of maximum torque from the BLDC motor. |
| US08339073B2 |
Shape memory alloy driver
A shape memory alloy driver comprises a displacement detection portion, a drive control portion, and a compensation calculation portion. The displacement detection portion detects displacement of a shape memory alloy based on a resistance value etc. detected from the shape memory alloy. The drive control portion applies a voltage or current to the shape memory alloy by servo control to thereby displace the shape memory alloy to a target displacement value fed from a microcomputer etc. The compensation calculation portion calculates a compensated displacement value from the detected displacement value and a variation—attributable to the environment temperature—of the drive control value which the drive control portion uses for controlling the voltage or current. Having been fed with the compensated displacement value, the drive control portion varies the drive control value such that the compensated displacement value is equal to the target displacement value. |
| US08339069B2 |
Power management unit with power metering
In embodiments of the present invention, a method and system is provided for designing improved intelligent, LED-based lighting systems. The LED based lighting systems may include fixtures with one or more of rotatable LED light bars, integrated sensors, onboard intelligence to receive signals from the LED light bars and control the LED light bars, and a mesh network connectivity to other fixtures. |
| US08339068B2 |
LED brightness control by variable frequency modulation
Perceived intensity (brightness) of light from a light emitting diode (LED) is controlled with a pulse train signal having fixed pulse width and voltage amplitude and then increasing or decreasing the frequency (increasing or decreasing the number of pulses over a time period) of this pulse train signal so as to vary the average current through the LED. This reduces the level of electro-magnetic interference (EMI) at any one frequency by varying the pulse train energy spectrum over a plurality of frequencies. |
| US08339067B2 |
Circuits and methods for driving light sources
A controller for controlling dimming of a light-emitting diode (LED) light source provides a pulse signal by comparing a sensing signal indicative of a current flowing through the LED light source to a reference signal. The controller controls the current through the LED light source according to the pulse signal during a first state of a pulse-width modulation signal and cutting off the current through the LED light source during a second state of the pulse-width modulation signal. The controller receives a dimming request signal indicative of an operation of a power switch coupled between an AC power source and a bridge rectifier and adjusts both a level of the reference signal and a duty cycle of the pulse-width modulation signal based on the dimming request signal. |
| US08339064B2 |
LED lamp
An LED lamp includes two LED modules and a control module. The LED modules emit lights with different color temperatures. The lights are mixed in the LED lamp and form an output light with another color temperature. The control module controls the brightness levels of the lights emitted from the two LED modules to thereby control the color temperature of the output light. |
| US08339060B2 |
Ignition transformer for a discharge lamp
An ignition transformer for a discharge lamp is provided having a transformer core whose material and dimensions are selected in such a manner that the Curie temperature of the material after the ignition which is achieved by means of the ignition transformer can be achieved by a voltage drop across a secondary winding of the ignition transformer. |
| US08339058B2 |
Three-color RGB LED color mixing and control by variable frequency modulation
Perceived output color and intensity (brightness) of light from a three-element red-green-blue (RGB) light emitting diode (LED) or optical combination of three LEDs (red, green and blue) are controlled with three pulse train signals, each having fixed pulse width and voltage amplitude and then increasing or decreasing the frequency (increasing or decreasing the number of pulses over a time period) of these pulse train signals so as to vary the average current through each of the RGB-LEDs. This reduces the level of electro-magnetic interference (EMI) at any one frequency by varying the pulse train energy spectrum over a plurality of frequencies. |
| US08339055B2 |
Inrush current limiter for an LED driver
An inrush current limiter for use with an LED driver including a current limiting device, a bypass switch device, and a switch drive. The current limiting device is placed in the input current path of the LED driver to limit input current to a predetermined maximum level in response to an AC conductive angle modulated voltage. The bypass switch device is coupled in parallel with the current limit device. The switch drive turns on the bypass switch device to at least partially bypass the current limiting device as a voltage level of an input of a switching converter rises. The input current remains sufficiently high without exceeding the maximum level. The switch drive is implemented with a delay network driven either by a separate transformer winding or by a snubber network. The delay network may have a delay based on the delay caused by the current limiting device. |
| US08339054B2 |
Motion sensor switch for 3-way light circuit and method of lighting control using the same
Systems and methods are provided for controlling light in a 3-way light circuit, where at least one of the switches in a 3-way light circuit includes an occupancy sensor and the on/off state of the load in the 3-way circuit is determined based on the voltage output of circuits configured to provide power to the 3-way light circuit. |
| US08339052B2 |
Power supply apparatus and method for AMOLED
A power supply apparatus and method for an active matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) is disclosed. The power supply apparatus supplies power to the AMOLED while using a switching frequency varied in accordance with a clock signal, and includes a load checker for comparing a load current of the AMOLED with a first reference voltage, and outputs a result of the comparison as a load check signal, and a frequency oscillator for generating the clock signal which has a variable frequency in response to the load check signal. The power supply apparatus is switched in accordance with a clock signal having a frequency modulated based on a load condition of the AMOLED, for example, a load current. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce switching power loss caused by unnecessary power consumption under the condition that a small load current is generated, thereby achieving an enhancement in efficiency. |
| US08339051B2 |
Electronic flash unit and manufacturing method thereof
The electronic flash unit disclosed comprises: a transformer (14) to vary voltages of a power supply; an accumulator (16) composed of a main capacitor (17) to charge an electric energy supplied from the transformer (14); a lamp unit (4) provided with a flashlamp (20), set inside of a reflector (19), that flashes by discharging of energy storages in the main capacitor (17) upon applying a voltage on a trigger terminal (21); and a trigger circuit (10) to generate the voltage to apply on the trigger terminal (21), wherein at least the lamp unit (4) is coated with an insulation material. |
| US08339049B2 |
LED driving circuit having a large operational range in voltage
An LED driving circuit includes a current selecting circuit. The current selecting circuit controls the current transmission path in the plurality of LEDs according to respective threshold voltages of corresponding LEDs and a plurality of current limits. |
| US08339043B1 |
Arc discharge with improved isotopic mixture of mercury
In a mercury-containing arc discharge device for converting electrical energy into resonance radiation energy, the isotopic distribution of the mercury in the device is altered from that of natural mercury so as to reduce imprisonment time of resonance radiation and thereby increase the efficiency of conversion of electrical energy into resonance radiation. The mercury-199 isotope content of the mercury is lower than that in natural mercury and the mercury-201 and/or mercury-204 isotopes are greater than those in natural mercury. |
| US08339042B2 |
Protective layer for plasma display panel, and related technologies
A surface of an MgO protective layer for a plasma display panel (PDP) comprises a combination of a crystalline structure (111) and a crystalline structure (200). The MgO protective layer can exhibit improved discharge time lag (jitter) and sputtering resistance characteristics. |
| US08339040B2 |
Flexible electroluminescent devices and systems
An electroluminescent device is provided. The electroluminescent device includes an intrinsically conductive polymer layer having a thickness of from about 0.1 to about 3 microns and an elongation less than about 100%; and a phosphor layer having a thickness from about 20 microns to about 70 microns. The electroluminescent device demonstrates a loss of brightness of less than about 10% after undergoing repeated creasing, crushing, flexing, twisting, abrading, and/or stretching. |
| US08339039B2 |
Light-emitting element including intermediate conductive layer having an electron-injection layer with an island-like structure
When a light-emitting element having an intermediate conductive layer between a plurality of light-emitting layers is formed, the intermediate conductive layer can have transparency; and thus, materials are largely limited and the manufacturing process of an element becomes complicated by a conventional method. A light-emitting element according to the present invention is formed by sequentially stacking a pixel electrode, a first light-emitting layer, an intermediate conductive layer (including an electron injecting layer and a hole-injecting layer, one of which is island-like), a second light-emitting layer and an opposite electrode. Therefore, the present invention can provide a light-emitting element typified by an organic EL element in which a range of choice of materials that can be used as the intermediate conductive layer is broadened extremely, and which can realize a high light-emitting efficiency, a low power consumption and a high reliability, and further a display device using the light-emitting element. |
| US08339037B2 |
Organic light emitting device with reduced angle dependency
The present invention provides an organic light emitting device which can reduce the angle dependency of the emission brightness and the emission color, and has a small change in the emission brightness and the emission color with respect to film thickness fluctuations, and can increase use efficiency of the light. The organic light emitting device of the present invention has a plurality of emission layers 3 between an anode 1 and a cathode 2, and the emission layers 3 are separated from each other by an equipotential surface forming layer 4 or a charge generating layer 4. The feature of the present invention resides in that the organic light emitting device has, at least either inside or outside the device, a light scattering means 5 for scattering light emitted from the emission layers 3. The organic light emitting device can reduce the angle dependency of the emission brightness and the emission color by outputting the light emitted from the emission layers in a condition where the light is scattered by the light scattering means. |
| US08339036B2 |
Organic electroluminescent device
An organic electroluminescence device of the present invention adapts a new concept in its configuration to improve its efficiency in addition to obtain a high reliability and good yielding. The organic electroluminescent device having an electroluminescent film containing an organic material capable of causing an electroluminescence and being arranged between a first electrode and a second electrode, includes: a carrier, generation layer, which is a floating electrode, is embodied in the electroluminescent film; an insulting film between the first electrode and the electroluminescent film, and an insulating film between the second electrode and the electroluminescent film, wherein the organic electroluminescent device is driven by an alternating current bias. |
| US08339035B2 |
Organic EL module and illumination device including same
An organic EL light emitting module includes an organic EL light emitting panel 5 including an organic EL light emitting unit 52 formed on a substrate 51 and electrode terminals 53 for supplying power to the organic EL light emitting unit 52; a circuit substrate 3, electrically connected to the electrode terminals 53, for supplying power to the electrode terminals 53; and a casing 4 to which the organic EL light emitting panel 5 and the circuit substrate 3 are attached. The electrode terminals 53 are disposed at left and right end portions of the organic EL light emitting panel 5 having a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the top, and extended portions 4a protruding by a predetermined width are formed at side surfaces of the casing 4 where the electrode terminals 53 of the organic EL light emitting panel 5 are absent. |
| US08339034B2 |
Lighting device having two light sides and an organic layer stack
A lighting device is disclosed, having a first light output side, a second light output side, and an organic layer stack, disposed between the first and second light output sides, wherein during operation of the lighting device, light with different light properties emerges though the first and the second light output sides. |
| US08339029B2 |
Light emitting devices and systems having tunable chromaticity
A light emitting device package assembly includes a light emitting device package body, and first, second and third white light emitting devices on the package body, each of the first, second and third white light emitting devices emits light when energized having a chromaticity that falls within a respective one of first, second and third non-overlapping chromaticity regions in a two dimensional chromaticity space. The first, second and third chromaticity regions are spaced apart in the two dimensional chromaticity space by respective regions having at least the size of a seven step MacAdam ellipse. Related solid state luminaires and methods are also disclosed. |
| US08339026B2 |
Polycrystalline silicon as an electrode for a light emitting diode and method of making the same
Metal induced polycrystallized silicon is used as the anode in a light emitting device, such as an OLED or AMOLED. The polycrystallized silicon is sufficiently non-absorptive, transparent and made sufficiently conductive for this purpose. A thin film transistor can be formed onto the polycrystallized silicon anode, with the silicon anode acting as the drain of the thin film transistor, thereby simplifying production. |
| US08339021B2 |
Spark plug for internal-combustion engine and method for manufacturing the same
A spark plug for an internal-combustion engine comprises an attachment fitting 2, an insulator 3, a center electrode 4 and an earth electrode 5. While fixed to the attachment fitting 2, the earth electrode 5 has a convex part 510 formed by projecting toward the center electrode 4 a part of the opposed surface 51, which faces the center electrode 4, of the earth electrode and a concave part 520 formed toward the opposed surface 51 from the earth electrode's back surface 52 which is the reverse side of the opposed surface 51 of the earth electrode 5. The convex part 510 is disposed so that the extension of a shaft center of the convex part 510 may pass through the area in which the concave part 520 is formed. A relation of S1>=s is realized when an area of an opening of the concave part 520 is set to S1 and an average cross-section area of a cross section of the convex part 510 perpendicular to an axial direction of the spark plug is set to s. |
| US08339020B2 |
Heat dissipating device for lightings
A heat dissipating device for lightings includes a light source module, a heat sink, and a converter. The heat sink has a substrate and a plurality of heat dissipating fins extending outward from the substrate. A plurality of channels is formed between the heat dissipating fins. Insides of the channels respectively have a port open to the center of the heat sink. Thereby, the channels of the heat sink can effectively direct the airflow into the center of the heat sink, enhancing the heat dissipating effect of the heat sink. |
| US08339014B2 |
Oscillator device
An oscillator device that includes a movable body oscillatably supported about a rotation axis, wherein the movable body is separated into plural electrically separated conductive regions in the thickness direction, and at least one of the plural electrically separated conductive regions in the thickness direction further has plural electrically separated conductive regions. |
| US08339011B2 |
Rotor assembly wire support
A rotor assembly for an electromechanical device includes a molded wire support. The wire support has a body including a first side spaced from a second side and a hole extending through the sides and configured to receive a shaft. The body includes a wall about the hole extending to the first side. At least one end turn support extends outwardly from the wall and is configured to support wires. A molded pocket extends into the wall from the second side without penetrating through to the first side. |
| US08339010B2 |
Dual rotor electric machine having a field-controlling rotor
An electric motor (10) is constructed with an inner circumference side rotor (11) and an outer circumference side rotor (12) which are coaxially arranged; and planetary gear mechanism which rotates at least one of the inner circumference side rotor (11) and the outer circumference side rotor (12) around an rotary shaft O. Long sides of substantially plate-like inner circumference side permanent magnets (11a) of the inner circumference side rotor (11) and those of substantially plate-like outer circumference side permanent magnets (12a) of the outer circumference side rotor (12) are arranged so as to face each other by the rotation of at least one of the inner circumference side rotor (11) and the outer circumference side rotor (12) in a cross section perpendicular to the rotary shaft O with the planetary gear mechanism. |
| US08339008B2 |
Stator foar aspiration motor, aspiration motor and in-car sensor using the same
Provided are a stator for an aspiration motor, an aspiration motor and an in-car sensor using the same, in which a bobbin is integrally formed with a stator, to thus use an inexpensive insulation wire and enhance a productivity and lower an inferiority using an insert-molding technology. The stator for the aspiration motor includes a stator support plate, a support boss which is vertically extended from the central portion of the stator support plate, a bobbin which is bent and formed on the lateral surface of the support boss, and which is separated from the upper side surface of the stator support plate, to thereby provide a space, and a stator coil which is formed by making a wire wound in the space provided by the bobbin. |
| US08339001B2 |
Electronically commutated motor with nested radially stepped busbars
An electronically commutated motor has a rotor (34) that is rotatable about an axis (D), and it has a stator arrangement (30) in which is provided a number, evenly divisible by three, of salient stator poles that are wound with winding strands, associated with which, for the connection thereof, are busbars (44, 46, 48) arranged on edge. The latter are arranged in an insulating part (42). Each of these busbars (44, 46, 48) has a central portion (78), a first end portion (90) and a second end portion (56). These busbars (44, 46, 48) are insulated from one another and are nested into one another in a manner that minimizes relative displacement thereof. |
| US08338988B2 |
Adaptation of an active power supply set using an event trigger
A method and systems of adaptation of an active power supply set using an event trigger are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method includes providing power to a system load using an active power supply set. The active power supply set includes a power supply in an active mode. The method also includes detecting an event trigger. In addition, the method includes increasing a power mode of an additional power supply when the event trigger is detected. The method may include detecting an additional event trigger and decreasing the power mode of a unit of the active power supply set when the additional event trigger is detected. |
| US08338987B2 |
Power generation frequency control
A solar power generation system includes a control system and a DC to AC converter coupled to a photovoltaic (PV) module and for supplying power to a power network. The control system includes a power point tracker to extract either maximum power available from the PV module or less than maximum power available from the PV module, a frequency monitor to obtain a network frequency from the power network, an internal reference frame element to provide an internal reference frequency of the solar power generation system, a frequency comparator to compare the network frequency and the internal reference frequency, and a command signal generator to use the frequency comparison to determine whether a transient increase or decrease in commanded output power is warranted and to provide a command signal. |
| US08338983B2 |
SSPC for AC power distribution
A method of operating an alternating current (AC) power distribution assembly (PDA), where the ACPDA includes a plurality of AC power distribution modules, each connected to a respective AC load includes turning a first switch off and turning a second switch on in each of the AC power distribution modules; starting up each of the respective AC loads; monitoring a load current in the ACPDA and obtaining an acceptable load current in the ACPDA; determining if a set of motor sensor parameters for the ACPDA are within predetermined limits, and, in the event the motor sensor parameters are within the predetermined limits, determining if a startup period has elapsed; and in the event the startup period has elapsed, turning the first switch on and turning the second switch off in each of the AC power distribution modules. |
| US08338982B2 |
Apparatus to maintain redundancy in four line system
Exemplary embodiments adapted to distribute power from four input lines to a plurality of power supply units (PSUs) configured in an N+1 architecture are provided. In one such embodiment, a plurality of rectifier devices have first and second ends, each of the plurality of rectifier devices connected at the first end to one of the four input lines, and adapted to be bypassed by a first relay in a first operating mode and provide rectified input current in a second operating mode. A plurality of second relays is connected between each of the second ends of the plurality of rectifier devices. The plurality of second relays are adapted to be closed in the second operating mode to sum the rectified input current from each of the plurality of rectifier devices in a single node connecting each of the plurality of PSUs. |
| US08338981B2 |
Communication between network interface device and subscriber devices via power supply lines
The disclosure describes communication of information between a network interface device and subscriber devices over a power line. A UPS unit receives operating power from subscriber premises via a first power line and delivers operating power to the network interface device via a second power line. The network interface device transmits and receives information, such as voice, video and data, to and from the UPS unit via the second power line. The UPS unit receives the information transmitted by the network interface device via the second power line, and transmits the received information to subscriber devices within the premises via the first power line. The UPS unit receives information transmitted by subscriber devices via the first power line, and transmits the received information to the network interface device via the second power line. The first and second power lines each serve as both a power line and a communication medium. |
| US08338979B2 |
Method and apparatus for a superconducting direct current generator driven by a wind turbine
A direct current generating including an annular armature connectable to rotate with a rotating component of a wind turbine and a stationary annular field winding coaxial to the armature and separated by a gap from the armature. The field winding is configured to include superconducting coil magnets and a support structure connectable to an upper region of a tower of the wind turbine. The direct current generator further including a commutator assembly configured to transfer DC current generated by the rotating armature to a power conversion system. |
| US08338978B2 |
Wind turbine generator having electrical storage device and acoustic noise suppression method thereof
A wind power plant includes a wind turbine generator and an electrical storage device that supply electric power to a utility grid. A wind-turbine controller performs for the wind turbine generator an acoustic-noise suppression operation in which the rotational speed of blades is controlled in order to suppress acoustic noise, and also calculates a reduction in output power that is the difference in output power between the normal output power and the acoustic-noise-suppression output power. An electrical-storage-device controller causes the electrical storage device to be charged or discharged, based on the reduction in output power, the acoustic-noise-suppression output power, and the grid-demanded output power demanded from the utility grid. Therefore, the wind power plant can supply, to the utility grid, the electric power demanded from the utility grid even when the operation of suppressing the occurrence of acoustic noise is performed for the wind turbine generator. |
| US08338977B2 |
Hybrid vertical axis energy apparatus
A hybrid vertical axis energy apparatus comprising a housing assembly, a drive mechanism, a solar device, a motor, a vertical axle, and an electrical generator, is provided. The housing assembly is configured to rotate along its vertical axis in response to a force of wind and a force of thermal updraft of air flow. The drive mechanism is rigidly attached to the housing assembly and is in engageable communication with an adjacent drive mechanism attached on an adjacent housing assembly. The solar device is rigidly attached to the housing assembly. The motor is connected to and in electric communication with the solar device. The vertical axle is rigidly connected to the motor's axial shaft. The electrical generator is rotatably connected to the housing assembly or the adjacent housing assembly and converts the mechanical energy produced by rotation of the housing assembly and the adjacent housing assembly into electrical energy. |
| US08338975B2 |
Supplemental power source
A supplemental power source for a building or other structure is provided. Power is generated by converting mechanical energy derived from a fluid into electrical energy. The fluid can be, for example, in the form of air in a building air duck or water in building water lines. The invention includes a specially designed turbine enclosure through which the fluid passes. The enclosure has a Venturi area which results in movement of the fluid at a rapid speed through the turbine. An electric generator with a ratable blade also is provided within the Venturi area in order to take advantage of the faster moving fluid. The faster the fluid moves, the more energy can be converted by the generator. The generator can be constructed with a plurality of electric coils and magnets which can be arranged in series/parallel combinations depending on the power requirements of a particular application. |
| US08338973B2 |
Water flow electric power generator
To provide a water flow electric power generator capable of generating electric power for a long period of time, the water flow electric power generator including: an underwater rotating body (32) configured to rotate by a water flow (11); a driving liquid pressure pump (34) configured to hold a front end (52) of the underwater rotating body (32) at a predetermined position under water; a power transmission unit (40) configured to transfer a rotational power of the underwater rotating body (32) held by the driving liquid pressure pump (34) to above a water surface (9); and an electric power generator (39) disposed above the water surface to be driven by the power transferred by the power transmission unit (40), wherein the underwater rotating body (32) includes: a body portion (51) having a streamline shape from a front end thereof to a rear end thereof; a supporting portion (33) located between a front end of the body portion (51) and the driving liquid pressure pump (34) to be able to swing in a direction intersecting with an underwater rotating body axial direction (43); and a plurality of wings (54) configured to project radially from a periphery of the body portion (51). |
| US08338972B2 |
Method for underwater environmental energy transfer with a long lead zirconate titanate transducer
The invention as disclosed is an underwater based electric energy production method. A cable having a piezoelectric core is attached on one end thereof to a floating buoy and on the other end thereof to an anchor. The system is deployed in the water such that the cable extends vertically through a water column. Movement of the cable due to water current generates electric power that can be harvested and stored. The floating buoy can be at or near the water's surface and the anchor can but need not rest on the sea floor. |
| US08338968B2 |
Semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same
A semiconductor device manufacturing technique which allows reduction of semiconductor chip size. First, a pad and other wires are formed over an insulating film. A surface protective film is formed over the insulating film including the pad and wires, and an opening is made in the surface protective film. The opening lies over the pad and exposes a surface of the pad. A bump electrode is formed over the surface protective film including the opening. Here, the pad is smaller than the bump electrode. Consequently, the wires are arranged just beneath the bump electrode in the same layer as the pad 10. In other words, the wires are arranged in space which becomes available because the pad is small enough. |
| US08338959B2 |
Simplified pitch doubling process flow
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device comprises patterning a layer of photoresist material to form a plurality of mandrels. The method further comprises depositing an oxide material over the plurality of mandrels by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. The method further comprises anisotropically etching the oxide material from exposed horizontal surfaces. The method further comprises selectively etching photoresist material. |
| US08338958B2 |
Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof
A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate having a first surface as a surface on which an element is formed, and a second surface opposite to the first surface; a through hole formed so as to extend through the semiconductor substrate from the first surface to the second surface; an insulating film formed on an inner wall of the through hole; and a conductive portion formed in a space surrounded by the insulating film in the through hole. The insulating film continuously extends on the inner wall of the through hole and on the second surface. |
| US08338956B2 |
Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing same
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a substrate, a foundation layer, a lower layer side stacked body, an upper layer side stacked body, an inter-layer insulating layer, and a plurality of contact electrodes. The foundation layer is provided in the second contact region to form a difference in levels between the second contact region and the first contact region. The lower layer side stacked body includes a plurality of conductive layers stacked alternately with a plurality of insulating layers. An upper level portion of the lower layer side stacked body stacked on the foundation layer is patterned into a stairstep configuration. The upper layer side stacked body is provided on a lower level portion of the lower layer side stacked body stacked in the first contact region. The upper layer side stacked body includes a plurality of conductive layers stacked alternately with a plurality of insulating layers. |
| US08338955B2 |
Single-sided, flat, no lead, integrated circuit package
An integrated circuit package comprising an enclosure including a dielectric housing, a first electrical contact, and a second electrical contact. The dielectric housing, the first electrical contact, and the second electrical contact are configured to form a contact side of the enclosure. In addition, the first and second electrical contacts are sized to be substantially alignment insensitive for electro-mechanical connection to corresponding contacts of an end-use equipment. The enclosure encapsulates an integrated circuit die which is electrically coupled to the first and second electrical contacts. The alignment insensitive first and second electrical contacts may be electro-mechanically connected to corresponding contacts of an end-use equipment (e.g., a printer). Further, the integrated circuit package may be hosted by a peripheral device (e.g., a printer cartridge). |
| US08338954B2 |
Semiconductor apparatus and fabrication method thereof
A semiconductor apparatus includes an aluminum electrode film formed on a semiconductor chip; and a nickel plated layer formed on the aluminum electrode film, wherein a concentration of sodium and potassium present in the nickel plated layer and at an interface between the nickel plated layer and the aluminum electrode film is 3.20×1014 atoms/cm2 or less. |
| US08338953B2 |
Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device and semiconductor device
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device has forming, in a dielectric film, a first opening and a second opening located in the first opening, forming a first metal film containing a first metal over a whole surface, etching the first metal film at a bottom of the second opening using a sputtering process and forming a second metal film containing a second metal over the whole surface, and burying a conductive material in the second opening and the first opening. |
| US08338950B2 |
Electronic component
An electronic component has a substrate, a die bonding pad provided on an upper surface of the substrate, a semiconductor element bonded onto the die bonding pad by a die bonding resin, a conductive pattern disposed adjacent to the die bonding pad, and a coating member covering the conductive pattern. At least an outer peripheral portion of a surface of the die bonding pad is made of an inorganic material. The inorganic material of the outer peripheral portion is exposed. The die bonding pad and the conductive pattern are separated by an air gap such that the coating member does not come into contact with the die bonding pad. |
| US08338949B2 |
System to improve coreless package connections
A system to improve core package connections may include ball grid array pads, and a ball grid array. The system may also include connection members of the ball grid array conductively connected to respective ball grid array pads. The system may further include magnetic underfill positioned adjacent at least some of the connection members and respective ball grid array pads to increase respective connection members' inductance. |
| US08338941B2 |
Semiconductor packages and methods of fabricating the same
A semiconductor package may include a substrate having first and second surfaces, the second surface including a recessed portion, a first semiconductor chip mounted on the first surface, a first ball land outside the recessed portion, a connection pad inside the recessed portion, a second chip in the recessed portion, the second semiconductor chip including a through via electrically connected to the connection pad, and a second ball land electrically connected to the through via. A semiconductor package may include a substrate having first and second surfaces, the second surface including a recessed portion, a first semiconductor chip mounted on the first surface, a first ball land outside the recessed portion, a connection pad inside the recessed portion, a second semiconductor chip in the recessed portion, the second chip including a through via electrically connected to the connection pad, and a second ball land electrically connected to the through via. |
| US08338940B2 |
Semiconductor device
Provided is a semiconductor device including a flexible circuit board which includes a first external electrode provided on a first face and second and third external electrodes provided on a second face; a plurality of memory devices and passive components; a supporter which is provided with a groove on one face; and a computing processor device. The memory devices and the passive components are connected to the first external electrode, the one face of the supporter is bonded on the first face of the flexible circuit board so that the groove houses the memory devices and the passive components. The flexible circuit board is bent along a perimeter of the supporter to be wrapped around a side face and another face of the supporter. On the flexible circuit board, the second external electrode is provided on the second face which is opposite to the first external electrode, and the third external electrode is provided on the second face which is bent to the another face of the supporter. The computing processor device is connected to the second external electrode, and a bump is formed on the third external electrode. |
| US08338939B2 |
TSV formation processes using TSV-last approach
A device includes a semiconductor substrate having a front surface and a back surface opposite the front surface. An insulation region extends from the front surface into the semiconductor substrate. An inter-layer dielectric (ILD) is over the insulation region. A landing pad extends from a top surface of the ILD into the insulation region. A through-substrate via (TSV) extends from the back surface of the semiconductor substrate to the landing pad. |
| US08338933B2 |
Three-dimensional package structure
A three-dimensional package structure includes an energy storage element, a semiconductor package body and a shielding layer. The semiconductor package body has a plurality of second conductive elements and at least one control device inside. The energy storage element is disposed on the semiconductor package body. The energy storage element including a magnetic body is electrically connected to the second conductive elements. The semiconductor package body or the energy storage element has a plurality of first conductive elements to be electrically connected to an outside device. The shielding layer is disposed between the control component and at least part of the magnetic body to inhibit or reduce EMI (Electro-Magnetic Interference) from the energy storage element and to get a tiny package structure. The three-dimensional package structure is applicable to a POL (Point of Load) converter. |
| US08338932B2 |
Power semiconductor module with interconnected package portions
A power semiconductor module includes a package having a first package portion and a second package portion. The side of the first package portion facing the second package portion has an anchoring element with a first recess. The second package portion includes a second recess with an indentation which receives the anchoring element. To produce a mechanically firm connection between the first package portion and the second package portion, a plug-in element is inserted in the first recess and the second recess. The plug-in element displaces the anchoring element transversely with respect to the plug-in direction, causing the anchoring element to engage the indentation so that a form-fit connection is produced between the first package portion and the second package portion. The plug-in element prevents the anchoring element from disengaging the indentation. |
| US08338931B2 |
Semiconductor device and product tracing system utilizing the semiconductor device having top and bottom fibrous sealing layers
In the present application, is disclosed a method of manufacturing a flexible semiconductor device having an excellent reliability and tolerance to the loading of external pressure. The method includes the steps of: forming a separation layer over a substrate having an insulating surface; forming an element layer including a semiconductor element comprising a non-single crystal semiconductor layer, over the separation layer; forming an organic resin layer over the element layer; providing a fibrous body formed of an organic compound or an inorganic compound on the organic resin layer; heating the organic resin layer; and separating the element layer from the separation layer. This method allows the formation of a flexible semiconductor device having a sealing layer in which the fibrous body is impregnated with the organic resin. |
| US08338928B2 |
Three-dimensional package structure
A three-dimensional package structure includes an energy storage element, a semiconductor package body and a shielding layer. The semiconductor package body has a plurality of second conductive elements and at least one control device inside. The energy storage element is disposed on the semiconductor package body. The energy storage element including a magnetic body is electrically connected to the second conductive elements. The semiconductor package body or the energy storage element has a plurality of first conductive elements to be electrically connected to an outside device. The shielding layer is disposed between the control component and at least part of the magnetic body to inhibit or reduce EMI (Electro-Magnetic Interference) from the energy storage element and to get a tiny package structure. The three-dimensional package structure is applicable to a POL (Point of Load) converter. |
| US08338927B2 |
Semiconductor device with the leads projected from sealing body
The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor chip, a chip mounting portion, a suspension lead, and a plurality of leads. Each of the plurality of leads has a first part and a second part, and the suspension lead has a first part and a second part. The first part of each of the plurality of leads and the suspension lead project from the plurality of side surfaces of the sealing body, respectively. Parts of the side surfaces of the plurality of leads and the suspension lead are exposed from the plurality of side surfaces of the sealing body, respectively. An area of the obverse surface of the first part of the suspension lead is larger than an area of the obverse surface of the first part of each of the plurality of leads in a plan view. |
| US08338921B2 |
Wafer level chip scale package having an enhanced heat exchange efficiency with an EMF shield and a method for fabricating the same
A wafer level chip scale package having an enhanced heat exchange efficiency with an EMF shield is presented. The wafer level chip scale package includes a semiconductor chip, an insulation layer, and a metal plate. The semiconductor chip has a plurality of bonding pads on an upper face thereof. The insulation layer is disposed over the upper face of the semiconductor chip and has openings that expose some portions of the bonding pads. The metal plate covers an upper face of the insulation layer and side faces of the semiconductor chip in which the metal plate is electrically insulated from the bonding pads. |
| US08338917B2 |
Multiple seal ring structure
The present disclosure provides a method of fabricating a semiconductor device, the method including providing a substrate having a seal ring region and a circuit region, forming a first seal ring structure over the seal ring region, forming a second seal ring structure over the seal ring region and adjacent to the first seal ring structure, and forming a first passivation layer disposed over the first and second seal ring structures. A semiconductor device fabricated by such a method is also provided. |
| US08338916B2 |
Thermal oxidation of single crystal aluminum antimonide and materials having the same
In one embodiment, a method for forming a non-conductive crystalline oxide layer on an AlSb crystal includes heat treating an AlSb crystal in a partial vacuum atmosphere at a temperature conducive for air adsorbed molecules to desorb, surface molecule groups to decompose, and elemental Sb to evaporate from a surface of the AlSb crystal and exposing the AlSb crystal to an atmosphere comprising oxygen to form a crystalline oxide layer on the surface of the AlSb crystal. In another embodiment, a method for forming a non-conductive crystalline oxide layer on an AlSb crystal includes heat treating an AlSb crystal in a non-oxidizing atmosphere at a temperature conducive for decomposition of an amorphous oxidized surface layer and evaporation of elemental Sb from the AlSb crystal surface and forming stable oxides of Al and Sb from residual surface oxygen to form a crystalline oxide layer on the surface of the AlSb crystal. |
| US08338914B2 |
Integrated process for thin film resistors with silicides
The formation of devices in semiconductor material is provided using an HF/HCL cleaning process. In one embodiment, the method includes forming at least one hard mask overlaying at least one layer of resistive material, forming at least one opening to a working surface of a silicon substrate of the semiconductor device, and cleaning the semiconductor device with a diluted HF/HCL process. The HF/HCL process includes applying a dilute of HF for a select amount of time and applying a dilute of HCL for a specific amount of time. After cleaning with the diluted HF/HCL process, a silicide contact junction is formed in the at least one opening to the working surface of the silicon substrate, and interconnect metal layers are formed. |
| US08338912B2 |
Inductor module, silicon tuner module and semiconductor device
Disclosed herein is an inductor module including a substrate functioning as a printed wiring board or an interposer; an IC mounting part formed on a surface of the substrate; an inductor which is formed in the substrate at such a position as to overlap with the IC mounting part on a plan-view basis and which is connected to an IC mounted on the IC mounting part; and a magnetic body including a magnetic material selected from among a NiZn ferrite, a NiZnCu ferrite and a Ba ferrite, the magnetic body being disposed intermediately between the IC mounting part and the inductor. |
| US08338910B2 |
Semiconductor memory devices having strain layers therein that improved device performance
Integrated circuit memory devices include a semiconductor word line having an electrically insulating strain layer directly contacting an upper surface thereof. The strain layer, which has a contact opening therein, has a sufficiently high degree of internal compressive strain therein to thereby impart a net tensile stress within at least a first portion of the semiconductor word line. A P-N junction diode is also provided on the semiconductor word line. The diode includes a first terminal (e.g., cathode, anode) electrically coupled through the opening in the strain layer to the surface of the semiconductor word line. A data storage element (e.g., MRAM, FRAM, PRAM, RRAM, etc.) may also be provided, which has a current carrying terminal electrically coupled to a second terminal of the p-n junction diode. |
| US08338909B2 |
Two-Step STI formation process
A method of forming an integrated circuit structure includes providing a semiconductor substrate; forming a first isolation region in the semiconductor substrate; after the step of forming the first isolation region, forming a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) device at a surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the step of forming the MOS device comprises forming a source/drain region; and after the step of forming the MOS device, forming a second isolation region in the semiconductor substrate. |
| US08338907B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same
A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor region and a second semiconductor region provided on a main surface of a substrate, being apart from each other and having first conductivity; a third semiconductor region provided between the first semiconductor region and the second semiconductor region and having second conductivity opposite to the first conductivity; a fourth semiconductor region provided on a main surface of the substrate, connected to the third semiconductor region, manufactured together with the third semiconductor region in the same manufacturing process, and having the conductivity same as that of the third semiconductor region; and trenches made on the main surface of the fourth semiconductor region and having a depth smaller than a junction depth of the fourth semiconductor region. |
| US08338906B2 |
Schottky device
An integrated circuit structure has a metal silicide layer formed on an n-type well region, a p-type guard ring formed on the n-type well region and encircling the metal silicide layer. The outer portion of the metal silicide layer extends to overlap the inner edge of the guard ring, and a Schottky barrier is formed at the junction of the internal portion of the metal silicide layer and the well region. A conductive contact is in contact with the internal portion and the outer portion of the metal silicide layer. |
| US08338904B2 |
Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same
According to an embodiment, there is provided a semiconductor device including a semiconductor substrate having a first surface on which an active layer having a light receiving portion is provided and a second surface to be a light receiving surface for the light receiving portion, a wiring layer provided on the active layer, an insulating layer provided to cover the wiring layer, and a supporting substrate joined to the semiconductor substrate via the insulating layer to face the first surface of the semiconductor substrate. A joined body of the semiconductor substrate and the supporting substrate includes an intercalated portion provided between its outer peripheral surface and the active surface. The intercalated portion is provided to penetrate the semiconductor substrate and the insulating layer from the second surface of the semiconductor substrate and to reach inside the supporting substrate. |
| US08338901B2 |
Solid-state imaging device
Certain embodiments provide a solid-state imaging device including: a photoelectric converting unit that includes a semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type provided on a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type, converts incident light entering a first surface of the semiconductor substrate into signal charges, and stores the signal charges; a readout circuit that reads the signal charges stored by the photoelectric converting unit; an antireflection structure that is provided on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate to cover the semiconductor layer of the photoelectric converting unit, includes a fixed charge film that retains fixed charges being non-signal charges, and prevents reflection of the incident light; and a hole storage region that is provided between the photoelectric converting unit and the antireflection structure, and stores holes being non-signal charges. |
| US08338899B2 |
Pressure sensor and manufacturing method thereof
The pressure sensor according to the present invention has a sensor chip having a first semiconductor layer that has an opening portion, and a second semiconductor layer, formed on the first semiconductor layer, having a recessed portion that forms a diaphragm and a base, having a pressure guiding hole that is connected to the opening portion, bonded to the sensor chip. The recessed portion in the second semiconductor layer is larger than the opening portion of the first semiconductor layer. The opening portion of the first semiconductor layer has an opening diameter on the second semiconductor layer side that is larger than the opening diameter on the base side. |
| US08338897B2 |
Conductive nanomembrane, and MEMS sensor of using the same
The present invention relates to a conductive nanomembrane and a Micro Electro Mechanical System sensor using the same, and more particularly, a conductive nanomembrane that is formed by stacking a polymer electrolyte film and a carbon nanotube layer, and a MEMS sensor using the same. |
| US08338896B2 |
MEMS sensor, MEMS sensor manufacturing method, and electronic device
A MEMS sensor formed by processing a multi-layer wiring structure, includes: a movable weight portion coupled to a fixed frame portion with an elastic deformable portion and having a hollow portion formed at the periphery; a capacitance electrode portion including a fixed electrode portion fixed to the fixed frame portion and a movable electrode portion connected to the movable weight portion and arranged to face the fixed electrode portion; and an adjusting layer for adjusting at least one of amass of the movable weight portion, a damping coefficient of the movable electrode portion, and spring characteristics in the elastic deformable portion, wherein the adjusting layer includes at least one insulating layer that is a constituent element of the multi-layer wiring structure. |
| US08338895B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same
A semiconductor device includes a first insulated-gate field-effect transistor which is disposed on a semiconductor substrate having an element formation plane in a (110) plane direction, and which has a channel length direction in a <−110> direction, a second insulated-gate field-effect transistor which is disposed on the semiconductor substrate, has a channel length direction in the <−110> direction, and neighbors the first insulated-gate field-effect transistor in the channel length direction, and a first liner insulation film which is provided in a manner to cover the first and second insulated-gate field-effect transistors, the first liner insulation film including a piezomaterial, having a positive expansion coefficient, and applying a compressive stress by operation heat to the first and second insulated-gate field-effect transistors in the channel length direction. |
| US08338893B2 |
Method and resulting structure DRAM cell with selected inverse narrow width effect
A shallow trench isolation structure for integrated circuits includes a semiconductor substrate having a trench and a buffered oxide layer overlying the semiconductor substrate. A pad nitride layer is overlying the buffered oxide layer. An implanted region is formed around a perimeter of the trench. The trench has a bottom width of less than 0.13 microns and an upper width of less than 0.13 microns. A rounded edge is surrounding a periphery of the trench. The rounded edge has a radius of curvature greater than about 0.02 um. A planarized high density plasma fill material is formed within the trench. The structure has a P-well region within the semiconductor substrate and bordering a vicinity of the trench region. A channel region is within the P-well region within the semiconductor substrate. The implanted region has an impurity concentration of more than double an amount of impurities in the channel region. |
| US08338888B2 |
Process for manufacturing an integrated device with “damascene” field insulation, and integrated device made by such process
An integrated device includes a semiconductor body, in which an STI insulation structure is formed, which delimits laterally first active areas and at least one second active area, respectively, in a low-voltage region and in a power region of the semiconductor body. The integrated device moreover includes low-voltage CMOS components, accommodated in the first active areas, and a power component in the second active area. The power component has a source region, a body region, a drain-contact region, and at least one field-insulating region, set between the body region and the drain-contact region. The field-insulating region is provided entirely on the semiconductor body. |
| US08338887B2 |
Buried gate transistor
An embodiment of the invention provides a semiconductor fabrication method. The method comprises forming an isolation region between a first and a second region in a substrate, forming a recess in the substrate surface, and lining the recess with a uniform oxide. Embodiments further include doping a channel region under the bottom recess surface in the first and second regions and depositing a gate electrode material in the recess. Preferred embodiments include forming source/drain regions adjacent the channel region in the first and second regions, preferably after the step of depositing the gate electrode material. Another embodiment of the invention provides a semiconductor device comprising a recess in a surface of the first and second active regions and in the isolation region, and a dielectric layer having a uniform thickness lining the recess. |
| US08338885B2 |
Technique for enhancing dopant profile and channel conductivity by millisecond anneal processes
During the fabrication of advanced transistors, significant dopant diffusion may be suppressed by performing a millisecond anneal process after completing the basic transistor configuration, wherein a stress memorization technique may also be obtained by forming a strain-inducing area within a sidewall spacer structure. Due to the corresponding void formation in the spacer structure, a high tensile strain component may be obtained, in the adjacent channel region. |
| US08338880B2 |
Flash memory
A flash memory and a manufacturing method and an operating method thereof are provided. The flash memory includes a substrate, a charge-trapping structure, a first gate, a second gate, a third gate, a first doped region and a second doped region. The substrate has a protrusion portion. The charge-trapping structure is disposed over the substrate. The first gate and the second gate are disposed respectively over the charge-trapping structure at two sides of the protrusion portion. The top surfaces of the first gate and the second gate are lower than the top surface of the charge-trapping structure located on the top of the protrusion portion. The third gate is disposed over the charge-trapping structure located on the top of the protrusion portion. The first doped region and the second doped region are disposed respectively in the substrate at two sides of the protrusion portion. |
| US08338879B2 |
Transistor constructions and processing methods
A transistor construction includes a first floating gate having a first conductive or semiconductive surface and a second floating gate having a second conductive or semiconductive surface. A dielectric region is circumferentially surrounded by the first surface. The region is configured to reduce capacitive coupling between the first and second surfaces. Another transistor construction includes a floating gate having a cavity extending completely through the floating gate from a first surface of the floating gate to an opposing second surface of the floating gate. The floating gate otherwise encloses the cavity, which is filled with at least one dielectric. A method includes closing an upper portion of an opening in insulator material with a gate material during the deposition before filling a lower portion with the gate material. The depositing and closing provide an enclosed cavity within the lower portion of the opening. |
| US08338877B2 |
Nonvolatile memory devices and methods of forming the same
Nonvolatile memory devices and methods of forming the same are provided, the nonvolatile memory devices may include first regions and second regions which extend in a first direction and are alternately disposed in a semiconductor substrate along a second direction crossing the first direction. Buried doped lines are formed at the first regions respectively and extend in the first direction. The buried doped lines may be doped with a dopant of a first conductivity type. Bulk regions doped with a dopant of a second conductivity type and device isolation patterns are disposed along the second direction. The bulk regions and the device isolation patterns may be formed in the second regions. Word lines crossing the buried doped lines and the bulk regions are formed parallel to one another. Contact structures are connected to the buried doped lines and disposed between the device isolation patterns. Sidewalls of the device isolation patterns disposed in the first direction overlap with the word lines directly adjacent to the contact structures. |
| US08338876B2 |
Non-volatile semiconductor storage device and method of manufacturing the same
A non-volatile semiconductor storage device includes a plurality of memory strings each having a plurality of electrically rewritable memory cells connected in series. Each of the memory strings comprising: a first semiconductor layer including a columnar portion extending in a vertical direction with respect to a substrate; a plurality of first conductive layers formed to surround side surfaces of the columnar portions via insulation layers, and formed at a certain pitch in the vertical direction, the first conductive layers functioning as floating gates of the memory cells; and a plurality of second conductive layers formed to surround the first conductive layers via insulation layers, and functioning as control electrodes of the memory cells. Each of the first conductive layers has a length in the vertical direction that is shorter than a length in the vertical direction of each of the second conductive layers. |
| US08338875B2 |
Nonvolatile memory
Isolation trenches are formed in the main surface of a semiconductor substrate, and isolation regions. are embedded in these trenches. First insulating films, charge storage layers, a second insulating film, and a control gate are formed on the main surface of the semiconductor substrate sectioned by the isolation regions. Shielding layers are arranged in the isolation regions in such a manner that their bottom portions are lower than the channel regions and their upper portions are higher than at least the main surface of the semiconductor substrate to provide an electric and magnetic shield between their storage layers and channel regions of adjacent memory cells. |
| US08338873B2 |
Semiconductor memory device including active pillars and gate pattern
Provided are a semiconductor memory device and a method of manufacturing the same. The semiconductor memory device may include a plurality of active pillars projecting from a semiconductor substrate, a gate pattern disposed on at least a portion of each of the active pillars with a gate insulator interposed therebetween, and a conductive line disposed on each of the active pillars and below the corresponding gate pattern, the conductive line may be insulated from the semiconductor substrate and the gate pattern, wherein each of the active pillars may include a drain region above the corresponding gate pattern, a body region adjacent to the corresponding gate pattern, and a source region that is in contact with the conductive line below the gate pattern. |
| US08338872B2 |
Electronic device with capcitively coupled floating buried layer
Transistors (21, 41) employing floating buried layers (BL) (72) may exhibit transient breakdown voltage (BVdss)TR significantly less than (BVdss)DC. It is found that this occurs because the floating BL (72) fails to rapidly follow the applied transient, causing the local electric field within the device to temporarily exceed avalanche conditions. (BVdss)TR of such transistors (69. 69′) can be improved to equal or exceed (BVdss)DC by including a charge pump capacitance (94, 94′) coupling the floating BL (72) to whichever high-side terminal (28, 47) receives the transient. The charge pump capacitance (94, 94′) may be external to the transistor (69, 69′), may be formed on the device surface (71) or, may be formed internally to the transistor (69-3, 69′-3) using a dielectric deep trench isolation wall (100) separating DC isolated sinker regions (86, 88) extending to the BL (72). The improvement is particularly useful for LDMOS devices. |
| US08338870B2 |
Layout of semiconductor device
A layout of a semiconductor device is disclosed, which forms one transistor in one active region to reduce the number of occurrences of a bridge encountered between neighboring layers, thereby improving characteristics of the semiconductor device. Specifically, the landing plug connected to the bit line contact is reduced in size, so that a process margin of word lines is increased to increase a channel length, thereby reducing the number of occurrences of a bridge encountered between the landing plug and the word line. |
| US08338869B2 |
Sidewall coating for non-uniform spin momentum-transfer magnetic tunnel junction current flow
A magnetic tunnel junction device comprises a substrate including a patterned wiring layer. A magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) stack is formed over the wiring layer. A low-conductivity layer is formed over the MTJ stack and a conductive hard mask is formed thereon. A spacer material is then deposited that includes a different electrical conductivity than the low conductivity layer. The spacer material is etched from horizontal surfaces so that the spacer material remains only on sidewalls of the hard mask and a stud. A further etch process leaves behind the sidewall-spacer material as a conductive link between a free magnetic layer and the conductive hard mask, around the low-conductivity layer. A difference in electrical conductivity between the stud and the spacer material enhances current flow along the edges of the free layer within the MTJ stack and through the spacer material formed on the sidewalls. |
| US08338867B2 |
Highly sensitive photo-sensing element and photo-sensing device using the same
According to the present invention, a highly sensitive photo-sensing element and a sensor driver circuit are prepared by planer process on an insulating substrate by using only polycrystalline material. Both the photo-sensing element and the sensor driver circuit are made of polycrystalline silicon film. As the photo-sensing element, a photo transistor is formed by using TFT, which comprises a first electrode 11 prepared on an insulating substrate 10, a photoelectric conversion region 14 and a second electrode 12, and a third electrode 13 disposed above the photoelectric conversion region 14. An impurity layer positioned closer to an intrinsic layer (density of active impurities is 1017 cm−3 or lower) is provided on the regions 15 and 16 on both sides under the third electrode 13 or on one of the regions 15 or 16 on one side. |
| US08338862B2 |
Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device includes a substrate on which a GaN channel layer, an AlGaN electron supply layer and a GaN cap layer are stacked in this order, a gate electrode formed on the GaN cap layer, and a source electrode and a drain electrode formed on the AlGaN electron supply layer so as to interpose the gate electrode. A first recess is formed in the GaN cap layer and being located between the gate electrode and the source electrode. A thickness of the GaN cap layer in a bottom of the first recess is less than that of the GaN cap layer located under the gate electrode. |
| US08338854B2 |
TVS with low capacitance and forward voltage drop with depleted SCR as steering diode
A transient-voltage suppressing (TVS) device disposed on a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type. The TVS includes a buried dopant region of a second conductivity type disposed and encompassed in an epitaxial layer of the first conductivity type wherein the buried dopant region extends laterally and has an extended bottom junction area interfacing with the underlying portion of the epitaxial layer thus constituting a Zener diode for the TVS device. The TVS device further includes a region above the buried dopant region further comprising a top dopant layer of a second conductivity type and a top contact region of a second conductivity type which act in combination with the epitaxial layer and the buried dopant region to form a plurality of interfacing PN junctions constituting a SCR acting as a steering diode to function with the Zener diode for suppressing a transient voltage. |
| US08338852B2 |
Sectionally covered light emitting assembly
A light emitting assembly (10) includes an aluminum heat sink (12) having a plurality of elongated slots (18) which space and define a plurality of sections (20). A pair of fins (30) extend from each section (20) along opposite sides of each elongated slot (18). A plurality of integral bridges (26) extend across the elongated slots (18). A screen (54) is disposed over each of the elongated slots (18). A light transmissive independent cover (44) is adhesively secured to each of the sections (20) around the light emitting diodes (28) so that one cover (44) independently covers the light emitting diodes (28) on each of the sections (20). The covers (44) are separated by the elongated slots (18). A housing (50) is spaced from the fins (30) and includes vents (52) whereby cooling air passes through the slots (18), over the fins (30), and out the vents (52). |
| US08338851B2 |
Multi-layer LED array engine
A multi-layer LED array engine is provided. The multi-layer LED array engine includes a base plate frame, a molded platform, two lead frames, a lighting element, a dome, a protection layer, and a phosphorous layer. The molded platform is disposed on and secured to the base plate frame. The two lead frames are combined with two lead frame grooves of the base plate frame. The lighting element is disposed on a lighting area of the base plate frame. The protection layer is provided on the lighting element, and the phosphorous layer is provided on the protection layer. The dome is secured to the molded platform for covering the molded platform and the lighting element. |
| US08338849B2 |
High efficiency LEDS and LED lamps
In various embodiments, lighting systems include an electrically insulating carrier having a plurality of conductive elements disposed thereon, a light-emitting array, and at least one power source. The light-emitting array is disposed over the carrier and includes a plurality of light-emitting strings, each light-emitting string comprising a plurality of unpackaged light-emitting diode (LED) dies electrically connected in series. Each LED die has at least two electrical contacts on one surface thereof, and each electrical contact is electrically connected to a conductive element by a conductive adhesive. The power source provides power to the light-emitting strings. |
| US08338848B2 |
LED structure
A light emitting device, a wafer for making the same, and method for fabricating the same are disclosed. The device and wafer include a first layer of a first conductivity type, an active layer, and a layer of a second conductivity type. The active layer overlies the first layer, the active layer generating light. The second layer overlies the active layer, the second layer having a first surface in contact adjacent to the active layer and a second surface having a surface that includes features that scatter light striking the second surface. A layer of transparent electrically conducting material is adjacent to the second surface and covered by a first layer of a dielectric material that is transparent to the light generated by the active layer. A mirror layer that has a reflectivity greater than 90 percent is deposited on the first layer of dielectric material. |
| US08338843B2 |
Light-emitting device
An embodiment of the invention concerns a light-emitting device with an adjustable, time-variable luminance. This is achieved through electrically conductive tracks that are applied to the first electrode area. The conductive tracks are driven in a time-variable manner with different levels of electrical power. |
| US08338841B2 |
Solid state light strips containing LED dies in series
A solid state light sheet and method of fabricating the sheet are disclosed. In one embodiment, bare LED chips have top and bottom electrodes, where the bottom electrode is a large reflective electrode. The bottom electrodes of an array of LEDs (e.g., 500 LEDs) are bonded to an array of electrodes formed on a flexible bottom substrate. Conductive traces are formed on the bottom substrate connected to the electrodes. A transparent top substrate is then formed over the bottom substrate. Various ways to connect the LEDs in series are described along with many embodiments. In one method, the top substrate contains a conductor pattern that connects to LED electrodes and conductors on the bottom substrate. |
| US08338838B2 |
Down-converted light source with uniform wavelength emission
An arrangement of light sources is attached to a semiconductor wavelength converter. Each light source emits light at a respective peak wavelength, and the arrangement of light sources is characterized by a first range of peak wavelengths. The semiconductor wavelength converter is characterized by a second range of peak wavelengths when pumped by the arrangement of light sources. The second range of peak wavelengths is narrower than the first range of peak wavelengths. The semiconductor wavelength converter is characterized by an absorption edge having a wavelength longer than the longest peak wavelength of the light sources. The wavelength converter may also be used for reducing the wavelength variation in the output from an extended light source. |
| US08338837B2 |
Light emitting device
A light emitting device includes a plurality of micro diodes, which are electrically connected to constitute a bridge rectifier circuit. Each branch of the bridge rectifier circuit includes a single micro diode or a plurality of micro diodes. The light emitting device is electrically connected to an AC power source, which alternately drives the light emitting device in two current loops. Therefore, the micro diodes in two current loops of the bridge rectifier circuit emit light by turns. |
| US08338832B2 |
Organic light emitting display device
An organic light emitting display device, which may maximize aperture ratio of a pixel while also reducing the perception of a dark spot when a sub-pixel is partially short-circuited. The organic light emitting display device includes a plurality of pixels having sub-pixels. Some of the sub-pixels may have a thin organic emission layer which makes them likely to short-circuit across the thin organic emission layer. These sub-pixels are formed as divided sub-pixels including at least two drive transistors and operate such that even if one part of the divided sub-pixel has a short circuit, the other part will continue to emit light. Accordingly, while luminance is reduced as a result of short circuiting, a completely dark spot will not appear in the place of the pixel including the short circuit. |
| US08338823B2 |
Luminance-enhancing polarising plate for an organic light-emitting element
There is provided a polarizer for organic light emitting diodes (OLED) having improved brightness. The polarizer, which comprises a linear polarizer and a ¼ retardation plate, comprises a reflective polarizer film disposed between the linear polarizer and the ¼ retardation plate and transmitting a polarized light horizontal to the transmission axis of the linear polarizer while reflecting a polarized light vertical to the transmission axis of the linear polarizer. The polarizer may be useful to highly improve the brightness of the OLED device when the polarizer is used in the OLED device. |
| US08338819B2 |
Surface plasmon enhanced light-emitting diode
A surface plasmon enhanced light-emitting diode includes, from bottom to top, a substrate, an n-type semiconductor layer, a light-emitting layer, a p-type semiconductor layer, and a plurality of metal filler elements. The p-type semiconductor layer includes upper and lower surfaces, and the upper surface is recessed downward to form a plurality of spaced apart recesses for receiving the metal filler elements, respectively. |
| US08338818B1 |
Nanowires, nanowire networks and methods for their formation and use
Various embodiments provide non-planar nanowires, nanowire arrays, and nanowire networks as well as methods of their formation and applications. The non-planar nanowires and their arrays can be formed in a controlled manner on surfaces having a non-planar orientation. In embodiments, two or more adjacent nanowires from different surfaces can grow to merge together forming one or more nanowire branches and thus forming a nanowire network. In embodiments, the non-planar nanowires and nanowire networks can be used for cantilever oscillation, switching and transistor actions. |
| US08338816B2 |
Nonvolatile memory element, and nonvolatile semiconductor device using the nonvolatile memory element
A nonvolatile memory element of the present invention comprises a first electrode (503); a second electrode (505); and a resistance variable layer (504) which is disposed between the first electrode (503) and the second electrode (505), a resistance value of the resistance variable layer being changeable in response to electric signals which are applied between the first electrode (503) and the second electrode (505), wherein the first electrode and the second electrode comprise materials which are made of different elements. |
| US08338812B2 |
Vertical spacer electrodes for variable-resistance material memories and vertical spacer variable-resistance material memory cells
Variable-resistance memory material cells are contacted by vertical bottom spacer electrodes. Variable-resistance material memory spacer cells are contacted along the edge by electrodes. Processes include the formation of the bottom spacer electrodes as well as the variable-resistance material memory spacer cells. Devices include the variable-resistance memory cells. |
| US08338809B2 |
Ultraviolet reflector with coolant gas holes and method
A reflector for an ultraviolet lamp can be used in a substrate processing apparatus. The reflector comprises a centrally positioned longitudinal strip and first and second side reflectors to form a parabolic-type surface. The longitudinal strip and first and second side reflectors have curved reflective surfaces with dichroic coatings and the longitudinal strip comprises a plurality of through holes to direct a coolant gas toward the ultraviolet lamp. A chamber that uses an ultraviolet lamp module with the reflector, and a method of ultraviolet treatment are also described. |
| US08338808B2 |
Ultraviolet radiation lamp and source module and treatment system containing same
The present invention relates to an ultraviolet radiation lamp. The lamp comprises: (i) a substantially sealed cavity comprising a mercury-containing material; and (ii) a heating unit disposed exteriorly with respect to the cavity. The heating unit is disposed in contact with a first portion of the cavity comprising the mercury-containing material. The heating unit has adjustable heat output. |
| US08338807B2 |
Electron beam emitter
An exit window for an electron beam emitter through which electrons pass in an electron beam includes a structural foil for metal to metal bonding with the electron beam emitter. The structural foil has a central opening formed therethrough. A window layer of high thermal conductivity extends over the central opening of the structural foil and provides a high thermal conductivity region through which the electrons can pass. |
| US08338804B2 |
Sample dimension inspecting/measuring method and sample dimension inspecting/measuring apparatus
One of principal objects of the present invention is to provide a sample dimension measuring method for detecting the position of an edge of a two-dimensional pattern constantly with the same accuracy irrespective of the direction of the edge and a sample dimension measuring apparatus. According to this invention, to accomplish the above object, it is proposed to correct the change of a signal waveform of secondary electrons which depends on the direction of scanning of an electron beam relative to the direction of a pattern edge of an inspection objective pattern. It is proposed that when changing the scanning direction of the electron beam in compliance with the direction of a pattern to be measured, errors in the scanning direction and the scanning position are corrected. In this configuration, a sufficient accuracy of edge detection can be obtained irrespective of the scanning direction of the electron beam. |
| US08338803B2 |
Device for testing an integrated circuit and method for implementing same
The invention relates to a device for testing an integrated circuit. The device comprises a plate for receiving and subjecting the integrated circuit to a test. The plate comprises a component for powering and operating the integrated circuit and another component for measuring the operation of the integrated circuit during the test. The device also comprises an irradiation device for subjecting the circuit to a proton bombardment and a mask with a variable thickness provided between a bombardment access region on the integrated circuit and an established zone of the integrated circuit. |
| US08338801B2 |
Lighting system for preventing plant disease damage
A lighting system for preventing a plant disease damage is provided with an ultraviolet light source which emits ultraviolet ray including UV-B in a wavelength region of 255 to 340 nm, a visible light source which emits visible light, and controllers which control a lighting of the ultraviolet light source and the visible light source. The controller controls the lighting of the ultraviolet light source so that a horizontal irradiance on a canopy surface of a plant is 50 μW/cm2 or less during a predetermined daytime period. The controller controls the lighting of the visible light source so that a horizontal illuminance on a canopy surface of a plant is 10 lux or less during a predetermined nighttime period. The lighting system promotes a component change of the plant effectively by a stimulation by the UV-B irradiation and the prolonged irradiation time of the visible light which is associated with a vegetative growth, so that a nutritional component of the plant can stably be increased. Moreover, the lighting of the ultraviolet light source and the visible light source is controlled by the controllers, thus a user effort is reduced and efficiency is achieved. |
| US08338800B2 |
Photoluminescent fibers, compositions and fabrics made therefrom
Disclosed are photoluminescent fibers containing photoluminescent phosphorescent materials and photoluminescent fluorescent materials which emit electromagnetic energies to give an emission signature. Also disclosed are the use of the inventive fibers, fabrics made therefrom, and objects containing the fiber. |
| US08338799B2 |
Optical fiber sensor
A sensor based on optical fiber technology is described. The sensor includes an elongate core for propagating light having an excitation wavelength; an interaction region that includes a fluorescent material for excitation by the propagated light to produce fluorescent light; and an interface region defining a boundary between the elongate core and the interaction region. The elongate core of the sensor is adapted to increase an intensity of the propagated light at the interface region to increase the amount of captured fluorescent light in the elongate core. |
| US08338798B2 |
Sample holder for electron microscope
A sample holder capable of holding samples is provided which comprises a plurality of probes in contact with a sample, fine movement mechanisms for moving the plural probes, and a driver connected to the fine movement mechanisms, wherein the plural fine movement mechanisms move the plural probes independently of one another and the driver moves the plural probes simultaneously. |
| US08338796B2 |
Electron beam emitter with slotted gun
An electron beam emitter includes an electron generator for generating electrons. The electron generator can have a housing containing at least one electron source for generating the electrons. The at least one electron source has a width. The electron generator housing can have an electron permeable region spaced from the at least one electron source for allowing extraction of the electrons from the electron generator housing. The electron permeable region can include a series of narrow elongate slots and ribs formed in the electron generator housing and extending laterally beyond the width of the at least one electron source. The electron permeable region can be configured and positioned relative to the at least one electron source for laterally spreading the electrons that are generated by the at least one electron source. |
| US08338792B2 |
Radiation measuring circuit, nuclear medicine diagnosing apparatus, and method of measuring radiation
Provided between a bias power supply and a radiation detector are a noise filter and a bias voltage transmitting circuit. In a state where the bias voltage is applied, the noise filter circuit operates. In a state where the bias voltage is switched on and off, the bias voltage transmitting circuit and the noise filter circuit operate. In a state where the bias voltage is switched on and off, the bias voltage transmitting circuit operates. |
| US08338789B2 |
Radiation detector
In an X-ray line sensor 1, a scintillator layer 24 that absorbs X-rays in a low-energy range and emits light and a scintillator layer 26 that absorbs X-rays in a high-energy range and emits light are brought in contact with each other, and further, the thickness of the scintillator layer 24 on the front side is thinner than that of the scintillator layer 26 on the rear side. These make the amount of mismatch small between a light emitting position P1 in the scintillator layer 24 and a light emitting position P2 in the scintillator layer 26 to X-rays in the low-energy range and X-rays in the high-energy range entered at the same angle from the front side, so that at this time, light emitted by the scintillator layer 24 and light emitted by the scintillator layer 26 are detected by a photo-detecting section 16 and a photo-detecting section 23 facing each other. Thus, mismatch between an X-ray transmission image in the low-energy range and an X-ray transmission image in the high-energy range obtained simultaneously can be prevented. |
| US08338786B2 |
Tomography arrangement and method for monitoring persons
The invention relates to a tomography arrangement with a tubular measuring chamber and a monitoring facility. This monitoring facility includes at least one first video camera focusing on the measuring chamber and at least partially optically recording the same, said first video camera operating in the non-visible light wave range, in order to record moving images and an image output unit for outputting the moving images as well as a first illumination facility focusing on the measuring chamber, which, during operation, illuminates the measuring chamber in the same light wave region, in which light wave range the first video camera operates. The invention also relates to a method for monitoring persons. |
| US08338784B2 |
Radiation detector
With radiation detectors in which the energy of radiation is absorbed in a semiconductor or insulator radiation absorber, where that energy is converted to phonons, and the radiation is measured by measuring those phonons with a phonon sensor provided on the surface of the radiation absorber, part of the energy of the radiation is expended in generating electron-hole pairs, and that portion of the energy does not contribute to the signal from the phonon sensor, resulting in low sensitivity and poor energy resolution. A radiation absorber, in which a high concentration of recombination centers is introduced so that electrons and holes excited by radiation recombine in a short time equal to or shorter than a signal extraction time, is used for the radiation detector. Therefore, the energy given to electron-hole pairs is also converted to phonons, thus improving the sensitivity and energy resolution of the radiation detector. |
| US08338774B2 |
Optical sensor with light-blocking and light-transmissive surface regions
An optical sensor has an optical plate which is adapted to make surface contact on a pane, in particular a windshield of a motor vehicle. It further has one or preferably a plurality of photoreceivers arranged on the side of the optical plate facing away from the pane. An optical mask is arranged in the optical path upstream of each photoreceiver, the optical mask having light-blocking and light-transmissive surface areas. The light-transmissive surface areas each allow an optical path to traverse the optical plate, impinging on the photoreceiver and is delimited by the light-blocking surface areas. |
| US08338772B2 |
Devices, systems, and methods for harvesting energy and methods for forming such devices
Energy harvesting devices include a substrate coupled with a photovoltaic material and a plurality of resonance elements associated with the substrate. The resonance elements are configured to collect energy in at least visible and infrared light spectra. Each resonance element is capacitively coupled with the photovoltaic material, and may be configured to resonate at a bandgap energy of the photovoltaic material. Systems include a photovoltaic material coupled with a feedpoint of a resonance element. Methods for harvesting energy include exposing a resonance element having a resonant electromagnetic radiation having a frequency between approximately 20 THz and approximately 1,000 THz, absorbing at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation with the resonance element, and resonating the resonance element at a bandgap energy of an underlying photovoltaic material. Methods for forming an energy harvesting device include forming resonance elements on a substrate and capacitively coupling the resonance elements with a photovoltaic material. |
| US08338770B2 |
Vertical solar panel array and method
A vertical solar panel array including a portable base with a rotatable surface and a plurality of double-sided solar panels each having a plurality of solar cells mounted on each side thereof. The plurality of double-sided solar panels are mounted vertically on the rotatable surface of the base. Electrical circuitry couples each solar cell of the plurality of solar cells to an output terminal. An electric motor is mechanically coupled between the base and the rotatable surface to provide rotation and a controller is coupled to the electric motor and to a light sensor. The controller is programmed to analyze readings from the light sensor and to control the electric motor to align the plurality of double-sided solar panels with the sun for maximum output. |
| US08338766B2 |
Microwaveable package for food products
A susceptor includes a flexible substrate and a metallic material provided on at least one surface of the substrate. A first plurality of ventilation apertures are formed in the substrate and the metallic material, and the first plurality of ventilation apertures are configured to permit a fluid to pass through the substrate and the metallic material. |
| US08338760B2 |
Inductor for induction hardening of metal, rod-shaped toothed racks
An inductor for induction hardening of a metallic rod-shaped toothed rack, wherein a first outer surface of the toothed rack provided with the teeth is substantially planar and a remaining second outer surface of the toothed rack in cross-section is profiled, wherein the inductor has a substantially rod-shaped first inductor element that extends parallel to a longitudinal axis of the toothed rack. The first inductor element extends across an entire length of the toothed rack to be hardened along the first outer surface provided with the teeth and hardens the first outer surface of the toothed rack. The toothed rack and the inductor during the hardening process are arranged stationarily. |
| US08338759B2 |
Heating cable
A heating cable includes a bus wire structure that includes a plurality of bus wires. An insulation layer is provided to insulate the plurality of bus wires. A plurality of node areas exposes portions of the bus wires from the insulation. A heating element is wrapped around the bus wire structure in a helical manner. The heating element includes an insulating core and one or more resistance wires wrapped around the core in a helical manner. The heating element is electrically coupled to the nodes of the bus wire structure at the plurality of node areas. The insulating core may be made of a folded-over tape made of a cloth material, such as glass cloth. Pluralities of redundant paths in between two nodes are provided to allow for current to flow in a zone if one of the redundant paths is broken. |
| US08338758B2 |
Heater power control circuit and burn-in apparatus using the same
Provided is a heater power control circuit which switches on/off a voltage signal supplied from a direct-current power source to control a power of a heater by controlling a voltage applied to the heater. The heater power control circuit includes a voltage smoothing circuit that is disposed between the heater and a switching circuit which switches on/off a voltage supplied from the direct-current power source. The voltage smoothing circuit converts the voltage into an analog voltage signal by smoothing a voltage signal obtained by switching on/off the voltage. |
| US08338756B2 |
Rethermalizing apparatus
Apparatus for and methods of rethermalizing a package of refrigerated or frozen food are disclosed. In general, heating mechanisms are brought into conductive heat transfer contact with the package of food and operated for a duration of rethermalization time to rethermalize the package of food by heating the food to a rethermalized temperature, and then, if desired, to hold the rethermalized package of food at a desired holding temperature for a duration of holding time. The rethermalization time can be relatively short (e.g., thirty minutes or less), and the holding time can range from a very short period of time to a very long period of time (e.g., four, six, eight or more hours) without significant loss of food quality. Other features of the apparatus and methods are disclosed. |
| US08338751B2 |
Adjustable span ferris wheel positioner
A ferris wheel workpiece positioner may include a base and a workpiece holder operatively connected to the base and configured to be rotated about a central axis. The ferris wheel workpiece positioner may also include a first-side set of rails operatively connected to a first side of the workpiece holder and a second-side set of rails operatively connected to a second side of the workpiece holder. The ferris wheel workpiece positioner may further include a first-side set of workpiece supports including at least one first-side support operatively connected to the first-side set of rails, and a second-side set of workpiece supports including at least one second-side support operatively connected to the second-side set of rails. |
| US08338749B2 |
Power booster for metal disintegrator
A high power disintegrator system comprising a master disintegrator unit and a power booster disintegrator unit, the units being connectable in parallel to a common electrode, each unit including a cutting transformer and an adjustable auto transformer arranged to supply an adjustable voltage to its cutting transformer, an electrical control circuit responsive to voltage detected in the power booster unit that prevents operation of the booster unit when the auto transformers are set to produce different voltages at their respective cutting transformer. |
| US08338747B2 |
Method of removing coating resin layer of resin-coated metal tube
The present invention provides a method of removing a coated resin layer of a resin-coated metal tube whereby a resin layer can be stripped rapidly without the risk of damaging a plating layer. In a method of removing a coating resin layer of a resin-coated metal tube according to the present invention, a coating resin layer is removed by a rotating body of a rotating body stripping apparatus, whereupon the coating resin layer is removed by a laser beam of a laser apparatus. |
| US08338743B2 |
Method and device for controlling robots for welding workpieces
The invention relates to a method for controlling robots for welding three-dimensional workpieces, comprising the following steps: positioning and tacking profiles to a plate in order to form the workpiece to be welded, depicting the workpiece by means of a three-dimensional imaging system in the form of three-dimensional pixels, determining the geometric data of the plate and profiles, including the allocation of cutouts and final cutting shapes from the three-dimensional pixels, determining the weld seam data from the geometric data while considering the profile placement lines and the contact lines of profiles, allocating the weld seam data to parameterizable specifications for the weld plan into stored predefined movement patterns of the robot, and into commands for the control of the welding process. |
| US08338738B2 |
Method of welding projection bolt and welding apparatus
An apparatus for welding a projection bolt includes a control unit which outputs an actuating signal for an advancing pressurizing means in response to at least a signal indicating completion of insertion of the projection bolt into a receiving hole and a signal indicating completion of movement of a steel plate part. Electrodes are provided for welding the projection bolt, and advancement of the electrodes from a retracted state is started in response to the actuating signal. |
| US08338737B2 |
Computer housing
A visually seamless method of joining a first piece of metal and a second piece of metal is described. The first piece of metal is placed in contact with an edge of the second piece of metal. In some embodiments, the edge includes a sacrificial lip. The first piece of metal forming a junction area with the edge of the second piece of metal, applying a forging force to the first piece of metal, the forging force having an effect of creating an extremely tight fit up between the first and the second pieces of metal, welding the first and the second pieces to form an assembly and forming a cosmetically enhancing protective layer on the surface of the assembly, the protective layer obscuring any visible artifacts on the surface of the assembly, the obscured visible artifacts including any discoloration or discontinuity created by the laser welding. |
| US08338736B2 |
Extraction of chordal test specimens from forgings
A method for making a test specimen includes machining out a chordal core from an annular forging and machining the specimen symmetrical about a chordal axis of the core. A linear cutting tool such as a wire EDM machine is used for the machining which includes at least a partially cylindrical cutting about the chordal axis with the linear cutting tool. A copper or brass tubular EDM electrode may be used. The chordal core may be machined from fat of the forging. The test specimen may have with a gauge section diameter in a range of 0.1-0.5 inches. The EDM process may include directing jets of machining fluid or dielectric in up and down along a cutting portion of an EDM wire of the EDM machine or performing the EDM process in a tank of machining fluid or dielectric with the annular forging submerged in the fluid or dielectric. |
| US08338734B2 |
Electrostatic particle charger, electrostatic separation system, and related methods
In one aspect of the invention, a charger for use in a system for separating particles from a fluid flow is disclosed. In one embodiment, the charger comprises a body including an inlet for receiving the particles, a chamber in which the particles are received, and an outlet for discharging the particles. A rotor having a generally non-permeable surface is positioned in the chamber and rotated for contacting and charging the particles. In another aspect of the invention, grid electrodes with elongated fingers are proposed for use in a novel separation system. Related methods of charging and separating particles are also disclosed. |
| US08338731B2 |
Switch assembly having replaceable switch cap
A switch assembly includes a base, a switch member and a switch cap. The switch member is received in a recess of the base and pivotally connected to the base. The switch member has a pressing piece which is lowered to push a bi-metallic strip in the base. The switch member has engagement portions. A switch cap has a hook unit on a bottom thereof and the hook unit includes a first hook, a second hook and a third hook. The first and second hooks are located at two opposing sides of the switch cap, and the third hook is located at another side of the switch cap. The hook unit is hooked with the engagement portions of the switch member so that the switch cap is connected to the switch member. |
| US08338729B2 |
Keypad apparatus for electronic device
A keypad apparatus for an electronic device permits a thinner construction. The keypad apparatus includes a first light guide plate having key buttons molded in one body attached onto the first light guide plate, a second light guide plate disposed under the first light guide plate, a first light source disposed at one side of the first light guide plate, a second light source disposed at one side of the second light guide plate, and key input switches associated with the key buttons. |
| US08338728B2 |
Nanoelectromechanical tunneling current switch systems
A nanoelectromechanical tunneling current switch includes a cantilevered nanofilament including a secured end and an unsecured end and a conductor with a surface substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the nanofilament when the nanofilament is undeflected. The nanofilament is positioned with respect to the conductor to define a gap between the unsecured end of the nanofilament and the surface of the conductor substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the nanofilament. The nanofilament and the conductor are electrically connected by a circuit, and a tunneling current is configured to flow from the nanofilament to the surface of the conductor substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the nanofilament. In other embodiments of the nanoelectromechanical tunneling current switch, an electrically conductive membrane can be utilized in place of, or in addition to, the cantilevered nanofilament. |
| US08338723B2 |
Detecting method and device for detecting touch position based on in-cell touch panel type, and flat panel display using the same
A method and a device for detecting a touch position and a flat panel display using the method and the device are disclosed. The touch position detecting method includes generating touch data from a touch sensor array; computing the touch data input in each of adjacent frames to generate difference data and then performing at least one binary operation and a filtering operation on the difference data to correct the difference data; determining an effective area and then calculating a first central coordinate and a second central coordinate; computing a reference vector between the first central coordinate and the second central coordinate, a position vector between a position coordinate and the second central coordinate, and an angle between the reference vector and the position vector; and determining the position coordinate on the touch boundary portion at the angle having a minimum value as a touch coordinate. |
| US08338722B2 |
Tag enclosing structure
A RFID tag enclosing structure withstands temperatures ≦200° C. ≦90 minutes; a maximum read operational temperature of 130° C.; water submersions ≦2 m ≦2 hours; contact with alkaline acids with pH of 4-13; contact with solvents; severe vibrations having acceleration ≦14.7 g at 40 Hz in three directions ≦3 hours; impacts at an acceleration of 6 g for 40 times minimum; a tension of 120 kg minimum; and flexing at 60 kg·cm. The RFID tag enclosing structure includes a main body made of a vulcanized thermoplastic elastomer having an internal housing ending in an open inferior recess having a surrounding wall protecting the open inferior recess. An RFID encapsulator structure completely surrounding a superior portion of the tag. The RFID tag surrounded by the RFID encapsulator structure is inside the main body internal housing. |
| US08338719B2 |
Directly electrified ceiling grid
An electrified grid for a suspended ceiling comprising first and second grid sections lying in a common ceiling plane, each grid section having metal main tees and metal cross tees intersecting with the main tees, the first and second sections being adjacent one another and having respective main tees in parallel alignment and with a fixed spacing not substantially greater than the length of the cross tees, the grid sections being electrically insulated from one another whereby at least said main tees of fixed spacing can be held at opposite voltage polarities and an electrical device carried on or above the ceiling can be powered by electrical connection of separate ones of its leads to the metal tees of a respective one of said first and second grid sections. |
| US08338713B2 |
Cabled signaling system and components thereof
An assembly for conducting an electronic signal. The assembly includes a substrate and an electronic cable. The substrate has distinct first and second regions to enable connection to first and second circuit boards, respectively. First and second through-holes are formed in the substrate in the first and second regions, respectively. The electronic cable is disposed within the first through-hole and extends out of the first through hole, adjacent the substrate and into the second through-hole. |
| US08338712B2 |
Multilayer circuit device having electrically isolated tightly spaced electrical current carrying traces
A multilayer circuit device having electrically isolated tightly spaced electrical current carrying traces and including a first nonconductive substrate having a first conductive material affixed to a first side thereof to form a first ground plane, a plurality of elongated first conductive traces formed on a second side of the first non-conductive substrate and having transverse widths of 50 microns or less and rising above the upper surface of the first substrate to a height equal to or greater than the widths thereof such that a transverse cross section of the first conductive traces has a height-to-width ratio equal to or exceeding 1, adjacent ones of the first traces being separated from each other by first elongated spaces, the first conductive traces being variously useful as ground lines, signal lines and/or power lines. |
| US08338710B2 |
Short-preventing shield for wire harness terminals
A device for preventing electrical shorting between positive and negative terminals of a wiring harness includes a clip securable to conductors of the harness, a wall extending from the clip to be positioned between first and second terminals of the conductors when the clip, and a shield attached to the clip and movable between a first position wherein it blocks contact between a tool and the first terminal while allowing contact between the tool and the second terminal, and a second position wherein it blocks contact between the tool and the second terminal while allowing contact between the tool and the first terminal. |
| US08338709B2 |
Flexible flat cable
A flexible flat cable includes a plurality of conductors arranged parallel at predetermined intervals, an insulation layer covering both sides of each of the plurality of conductors, a nonwoven fabric layer on an outer surface of the insulation layer, and a shield layer on an outer surface of the nonwoven fabric layer. The nonwoven fabric layer includes a nonwoven fabric including a layer including a first fiber thread with a predetermined outer diameter and a second fiber thread with an outer diameter larger than that of the first fiber thread. A basis weight of the nonwoven fabric is 50 to 90 g/m2. |
| US08338706B2 |
Protective cover
An assembly includes a mud ring and a detachable cover. The mud ring includes a planar surface including slots for mounting the mud ring to a utility box. The mud ring also includes a raised portion comprising side walls and end walls, the raised portion being elevated with respect to the planar surface. The detachable cover is connected to the raised portion by at least one hinged mechanism, the hinged mechanism being configured to be broken away from the mud ring. |
| US08338705B2 |
Grounding mechanism for slide-type electronic devices
A grounding mechanism is used for a slidable electronic device including a first housing and a second housing. The grounding mechanism includes a grounding tab and a protrusion. The grounding tab is for attachment to the first housing, and defines a depression coated with a conductive layer. The protrusion is formed in the second housing. When the protrusion is received in the recess, the protrusion abuts against the conductive layer for electronically connecting the first housing to the second housing. |
| US08338704B2 |
Electrical junction box
To provide an electrical junction box having a new structure that can prevent an unused fuse from being broken and can easily house and remove the unused fuse. A casing body 12 is provided with an unused fuse containing section 24 that is open in the same direction as an opening direction of the casing body 12. The unused fuse containing section 24 is provided on a periphery with at least one protective wall 28. A cover member 14 for closing an opening 16 in the casing body 12 is provided at a position opposed to the unused fuse containing section 24 with a presser portion 66 for preventing an unused fuse 36 from disconnecting from the unused fuse containing section 24. |
| US08338700B2 |
Dye-sensitized photoelectric conversion device
A photoelectric conversion device using a semiconductor fine material such as a semiconductor fine particle sensitized with a dye carried thereon, characterized in that the dye is a methine type dye having a specific partial structure, for example, a methine type dye having a specific carboxyl-substituted hetero ring on one side of a methine group and an aromatic residue substituted with a dialkylamino group or an organic metal complex residue on the other side of the methine group, or a methine type dye having a carboxyl-substituted aromatic ring on one side of a methine group and a heteroaromatic ring having a dialkylamino group or an organic metal complex residue on the otherside of the methine group; and a solar cell using the photoelectric conversion element. The photoelectric conversion element exhibits a conversion efficiency comparable or superior to that of a conventionally known photoelectric conversion element sensitized with a methine type dye. |
| US08338698B2 |
Anisotropic conductive layer as a back contact in thin film photovoltaic devices
Thin film photovoltaic devices are generally provided. The device can include a transparent conductive oxide layer on a glass substrate, an n-type thin film layer on the transparent conductive layer, and a p-type thin film layer on the n-type layer. The n-type thin film layer and the p-type thin film layer form a p-n junction. An anisotropic conductive layer is applied on the p-type thin film layer, and includes a polymeric binder and a plurality of conductive particles. A metal contact layer can then be positioned on the anisotropic conductive layer. |
| US08338694B2 |
Solar energy collection system
A method of concentrating directional radiant energy using reflective optics and receivers that convert that energy wherein the receivers are situated in the body of the reflector on risers parallel to the direction of radiant energy, each said riser bounded by at least one parabolic mirror lying closer and another lying farther from the energy source, where the focus or foci of said mirrors lie substantially in the direction faced by the receiver situated in said riser. The reflector geometries include ones in which the mirrors are parabolic cylinder sections and require only one-axis tracking to focus, and ones in which the mirrors are paraboloid sections and require two-axis tracking to focus sunlight. |
| US08338693B2 |
Solar arrays and other photovoltaic (PV) devices using PV enhancement films for trapping light
A solar energy conversion assembly for efficiently capturing solar energy by providing additional chances to absorb reflected sunlight. The assembly includes one or more solar cells that each include a light-receiving surface. A fraction of light incident upon the light-receiving surface is reflected. The assembly includes a photovoltaic (PV) enhancement film of transparent material such as plastic positioned to cover at least a portion of the light-receiving surface. The PV enhancement film includes a substrate positioned proximate to or abutting the light-receiving surface. The film includes a plurality of total internal reflection (TIR) elements on the substrate opposite the light-receiving surface. The TIR elements transmit initially received or incident light to the light-receiving surface of the solar cell without significant focusing and then use TIR to trap a substantial portion of the reflected light to provide additional chances for absorption such that typically lost light may be converted to electricity. |
| US08338691B2 |
Photoelectric conversion element and imaging device
A photoelectric conversion element is provided and includes: an electrically conductive thin layer; an organic photoelectric conversion layer; and a transparent electrically conductive thin layer. The organic photoelectric conversion layer contains: a compound represented by formula (I); and a fullerene or a fullerene derivative. In the formula, Z1 represents an atomic group necessary for forming a 5- or 6-membered ring, L1, L2 and L3 each independently represents an unsubstituted methine group or a substituted methine group, D1 represents an atomic group, and n represents an integer of 0 or more. |
| US08338690B2 |
Method for producing photovoltaic device and photovoltaic device
This invention relates to a method for producing a photovoltaic device that includes spherical photovoltaic elements and a support with a large number of recesses for receiving the elements one by one and to the photovoltaic device. Each of the spherical photovoltaic elements comprises a spherical first semiconductor and a second semiconductor layer covering the surface of the first semiconductor. A conductive adhesive is applied in advance to the bottoms of the recesses of the support serving as a second conductor layer. The elements are disposed in the bottoms of the recesses with the conductive adhesive applied thereto, to fix the elements to the support and electrically connect their second semiconductor layers to the support. An electrical insulator layer, which has through-holes serving as conductive paths, is bonded to the backside of the support, and a first conductor layer, which interconnects the electrodes of the first semiconductors of the respective elements, is formed thereon. |
| US08338689B1 |
Electric instrument music control device with multi-axis position sensors
An electric instrument music control device is provided having at least two multi-axis position sensors. One sensor is a reference multi-axis position sensor having at least one axis held in a fixed position. Another sensor is a moveable multi-axis position sensor rotatable about at least one axis corresponding to the at least one axis of the reference multi-axis position sensor. The electric music control device also includes a processor in communication with both the reference multi-axis position sensor and the moveable multi-axis position sensor. The processor calculates an angular difference in response to receiving the angular position of the at least one axis of the reference multi-axis position sensor and the angular position of the at least one axis of the moveable multi-axis position sensor. The angular difference correlates to a music effect of an electric instrument. |
| US08338687B2 |
Apparatus and method for creating singing synthesizing database, and pitch curve generation apparatus and method
Waveform data representative of singing voices of a singing music piece are analyzed to generate melody component data representative of variation over time in fundamental frequency component presumed to represent a melody in the singing voices. Then, through machine learning that uses score data representative of a musical score of the singing music piece and the melody component data, a melody component model, representative of a variation component presumed to represent the melody among the variation over time in fundamental frequency component, is generated for each combination of notes. Parameters defining the melody component models and note identifiers indicative of the combinations of notes whose variation over time in fundamental frequency component are represented by the melody component models are stored into a pitch curve generating database in association with each other. |
| US08338682B1 |
Cymbal holder with barb means retention of cushion pad
In a cymbal support, the combination comprising an axially endwise elongated rod defining an axis, two annular cushioning pads received on the rod, to position a cymbal therebetween, means to hold the pads in controlled compression, axially, there being barb means carried on a sleeve on the rod, to engage the bore region of one of the pads to positively position the bore that pad and to assist compressive positioning of that pad outwardly of its bore area, the other pad compressively and adjustably urged toward the one pad. |
| US08338680B1 |
Maize variety hybrid X08B338
A novel maize variety designated X08B338 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof, produced by crossing Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. proprietary inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprises crossing hybrid maize variety X08B338 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X08B338 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X08B338, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X08B338. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X08B338. |
| US08338679B1 |
Maize variety hybrid X18A649
A novel maize variety designated X18A649 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof, produced by crossing Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. proprietary inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprises crossing hybrid maize variety X18A649 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X18A649 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X18A649, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X18A649. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X18A649. |
| US08338678B1 |
Maize variety hybrid X08A124
A novel maize variety designated X08A124 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof, produced by crossing Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. proprietary inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprises crossing hybrid maize variety X08A124 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X08A124 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X08A124, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X08A124. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X08A124. |
| US08338676B1 |
Inbred maize variety PH18GJ
A novel maize variety designated PH18GJ and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH18GJ with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH18GJ through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH18GJ or a locus conversion of PH18GJ with another maize variety. |
| US08338674B2 |
Plants and seeds of corn variety CV289398
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the corn variety designated CV289398. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CV289398, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CV289398 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to corn seeds and plants produced by crossing plants of variety CV289398 with plants of another variety, such as another inbred line. The invention further relates to the inbred and hybrid genetic complements of plants of variety CV289398. |
| US08338673B2 |
Hybrid corn plant and seed PPVO1864
This invention provides hybrid maize plant designated PPVO1864. This invention further provides hybrid seed of PPVO1864, a representative sample of which has been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-9367, hybrid plants produced from such seed, and variants, mutants, and trivial modifications to hybrid PPVO1864, as well as methods of using the hybrid and products produced from the hybrid. |
| US08338670B1 |
Soybean variety XB45U08
According to the invention, there is provided a novel soybean variety designated XB45U08. This invention thus relates to the seeds of soybean variety XB45U08, to the plants of soybean XB45U08 to plant parts of soybean variety XB45U08 and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing plants of the soybean variety XB45U08 with another soybean plant, using XB45U08 as either the male or the female parent. |
| US08338666B2 |
Polypeptides having acetylxylan esterase activity and polynucleotides encoding same
The present invention relates to isolated polypeptides having acetylxylan esterase activity and isolated polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides. The invention also relates to nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides as well as methods of producing and using the polypeptides. |
| US08338663B2 |
Isoprenoid synthases
The invention relates to the field of genetic engineering of flavor, fragrance and biocontrol agent development. More specifically it relates to a process for production of natural flavors, fragrances or bio-control agents by the control of one or more genes implicated in that process. The invention provides an isolated or recombinant nucleic acid or functional fragment thereof encoding a proteinaceous molecule essentially capable of flavor, fragrance and/or bio-control agent synthesis when provided with a suitable substrate under appropriate reaction conditions. The invention further provides a nucleic acid or functional fragment thereof encoding a proteinaceous molecule essentially capable of synthesizing at least a monoterpene alcohol linalool when contacted with geranyl diphosphate (GPP) and/or at least a sesquiterpene alcohol nerolidol when contacted with farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) under appropriate reaction conditions. |
| US08338662B2 |
Viral promoter, truncations thereof, and methods of use
The present disclosure provides compositions and methods for regulating expression of heterologous nucleotide sequences in a plant. Compositions include a novel nucleotide sequence for a promoter. A method for expressing a heterologous nucleotide sequence in a plant using the promoter sequence disclosed herein is provided. The method comprises stably incorporating into the genome of a plant cell a nucleotide sequence operably linked to the promoter of the present invention and regenerating a stably transformed plant that expresses the nucleotide sequence. |
| US08338660B2 |
Absorbent article comprising an absorbent element comprising a liquid absorbent thermoplastic composition
The present invention relates to absorbent articles, typically for feminine protection, including a topsheet, a backsheet and an absorbent element positioned between the tospheet and the backsheet, said absorbent element includes a fluid storage layer which a liquid absorbent thermoplastic composition. The absorbent thermoplastic composition is a polymeric base material having particles of water-insoluble water-swellable absorbent material dispersed therein. The liquid absorbent thermoplastic composition is configured in a plurality of unattached spaced apart zones. |
| US08338658B1 |
Diaper changing systems
A diaper changing mat comprising an attached, flexible and infant-drapeable, fold-over urine shield structured and arranged to prevent urine exposure from infant-generated urine while still providing easy access to the infant's diaper area. The diaper changing mat is preferably disposable. A preferred heart-shaped urine shield blocks urine streams without hindering access to the infant's diaper area. Alternately preferably, the diaper changing mat may be reusable and washable or preferably comprise a removable waterproof insert. The diaper changing mat may also attach to a changing-table element, such as, for example, a foam pad. |
| US08338656B2 |
Separating olefin streams
This invention pertains to separating an olefin stream into at least two olefin streams. The olefin stream that is to be separated is low in diene composition, which allows the olefin stream to be compressed at a relatively high temperature without causing fouling problems in the compressor system. The invention is particularly relevant to separating olefins obtained from an oxygen to olefins unit. |
| US08338655B2 |
Conversion of ethanol broth to LPG and gasoline
A process for converting a dilute ethanol solution to liquid hydrocarbon fuels such as LPG and gasoline by preferentially driving-off the ethanol molecules in the solution across the liquid-air interface and streaming same into a heating and catalytic reacting system maintained at the conversion conditions. The concentration of the dilute ethanol solutions are in the range of from 5% to 15% ethanol and the reacting system comprises a zeolite type of catalyst such as ZSM-5. |
| US08338653B2 |
Lubricating oil for non-stage transmission
Provided is a lubricating oil for continuously variable transmissions characterized by that used as a base oil are a synthetic oil I having the following properties: (a) a traction coefficient at 120° C. is 115% or more of that of 2,4-dicyclohexyl-2-methylpentane, (b) a viscosity at −40° C. is not higher than a viscosity (260 Pa·s) of 2,4-dicyclohexyl-2-methylpentane, and (c) a viscosity index is 65 or higher, and a synthetic oil II having a viscosity of 1 Pa·s or lower at −40° C. and that the above base oil has a specific property. The above lubricating oil is a lubricating oil for continuously variable transmissions which has a high traction coefficient even at high temperature and is endowed with a good low temperature fluidity and which is suited as a lubricating oil for continuously variable transmissions for automobiles. |
| US08338652B2 |
Process for producing 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene
The present invention provides a simple and efficient process for producing 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene(HFC-1234yf), the process being useful for industrial production. More specifically, the present invention relates to: a process for producing 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene, comprising the steps of: (I) reacting a compound expressed by Formula (1): CF3CF2CH2X (1) wherein X represents Cl, Br or I, with a base to produce a compound expressed by Formula (2): CF3CF═CHX (2) wherein X is the same as above; and (II) reducing the compound expressed by Formula (2) with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst to produce 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene. |
| US08338650B2 |
Palladium catalysts for making ethanol from acetic acid
Catalysts and processes for forming catalysts for use in hydrogenating acetic acid to form ethanol. The catalyst comprises palladium and chromium on a support. |
| US08338649B2 |
Method for the production of aromatic carbonyl compounds
The invention relates to a method for the production of an aromatic carbonyl compound by the oxidation of a methyl group or methylene group bonded to the aromatic group in which the aromatic substance is reacted in the presence of an oxidizing agent and a sulphoxide, a sulphoxide being selected for the oxidation of a specific aromatic substance whose ionization potential, in terms of magnitude, differs from the ionization potential of the aromatic substance to be oxidized by a maximum of ±0.25 eV. |
| US08338648B2 |
Topical compositions and methods for epithelial-related conditions
The present invention relates to pharmaceutical, cosmetic and cosmeceutical topical compositions containing polyisoprenyl-protein inhibitor compounds and methods useful in the promotion of healthy epithelium and the treatment of epithelial-related conditions. |
| US08338647B2 |
Method for producing tertiary amine
The present invention provides a method for producing a tertiary amine by reacting an alcohol with a primary or secondary amine in the presence of a film catalyst containing a thermosetting resin and an active metal, wherein the film catalyst is reduced at 100 to 150° C., and a method for activating the film catalyst containing a thermosetting resin and an active metal, including applying a coating agent containing the thermosetting resin and a powder catalyst onto the surface of a support, drying the resultant, curing it at 80 to 170° C., and reducing the catalyst at 100 to 150° C. |
| US08338644B2 |
Method for the production of N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAC)
A process for preparing N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAC) by continuously reacting methyl acetate (MeOAc) with dimethylamine (DMA) in the presence of a basic catalyst, wherein MeOAc is used in the form of a methanolic solution which is obtained as a by-product in the preparation of polyTHF by transesterifying polyTHF diacetate with methanol. |
| US08338643B2 |
Reagent for introduction of protein or gene
The present invention provides a reagent for introducing a protein or gene into a cell. The reagent of the present invention is, for example, a reagent for introducing a protein or gene into a cell, which comprises a composition comprising a cationic amino acid type lipid represented by the following formula (I)-1: (wherein in formula (I)-1: L is a single bond, —CONH—, or —S—S—; M1 is —(CH2)k— or —(CH2CH2O)k— (wherein k is an integer between 0 and 14); and m1 and m2 are each independently an integer between 11 and 21 (in this regard, when providing a reagent for introducing a gene into a cell, the case where both m1 and m2 are 15 is excluded)). |
| US08338642B2 |
Ferric organic compounds, uses thereof and methods of making same
The present invention discloses a novel form of ferric organic compounds, including a form of ferric citrate, which are soluble over a wider range of pH, and which have a large active surface area. The ferric organic compounds of the present invention can be delivered effectively by oral route with better delivery to treat patients suffering from hyperphosphatemia, metabolic acidosis and other disorders responsive to ferric organic compound therapy. |
| US08338640B2 |
Heterogeneously catalyzed partial direct oxidation of propane and/or isobutane
A process for heterogeneously catalyzed partial direct oxidation of propane and/or isobutane, in which target product is removed in a workup stage from the product gas mixture obtained in the reaction stage, the remaining residual product gas mixture is divided into two portions of the same composition, one portion is recycled into the reaction stage and the other portion is discharged, and both the reaction stage and the workup stage are operated at elevated pressure. |
| US08338639B2 |
Soft-gelatin capsule formulation
The present invention provides a soft gelatin capsule formulation of a 15-keto-prostaglandin compound, which includes: a soft gelatin capsule shell including gelatin and sugar alcohol as a plasticizer, and a mixture including a 15-keto-prostaglandin compound and a pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle which is filled in the shell. By encapsulating the 15-keto-prostaglandin compound in the specified soft gelatin capsule shell, stability of the compound is significantly improved. |
| US08338638B2 |
Antimicrobial derivatives of anacardic acid and process for preparing the same
Derivatives of anacardic acid having antimicrobial properties and method for preparing said derivatives. The antimicrobial properties include bacteriostatic and bacteriocidal activity. |
| US08338636B2 |
Hydrogenation and esterification to form diesters
A process is disclosed which employs hydrogenation and esterification to form alkyl diesters. The process subjects an unrefined or otherwise not purified composition comprising maleic anhydride production residue to the processes of hydrogenation and esterification and forming diesters at high conversion efficiency. |
| US08338630B2 |
Amino acid group-modified organopolysiloxane and silane, amino acid group-containing compound, and production method thereof
An amino acid-modified organopolysiloxane is provided. It has an amino acid derivative bonded to at least one silicon atom of the organopolysiloxane segment constituting the backbone of the organopolysiloxane via an amide bond represented by the following general formula (1): wherein X and Y are independently a C1-10 divalent hydrocarbon group; m is an integer of 0 to 4; Ra is hydrogen atom, a monovalent hydrocarbon group containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or an organic group represented by the following general formula (2): (wherein Rb is hydrogen atom, a C1-7 monovalent hydrocarbon group, an alkaline metal, or an alkaline earth metal, and Rc is independently hydrogen atom, hydroxy group, or a C1-10 monovalent hydrocarbon group optionally containing oxygen atom, sulfur atom, or nitrogen atom); and Z is an organic group represented by the general formula (2). |
| US08338608B2 |
Inhibitors of ion channels
Compounds, compositions and methods are provided which are useful in the treatment of diseases through the inhibition of sodium ion flux through voltage-gated sodium channels. More particularly, the invention provides substituted aryl sulfonamides, compositions comprising these compounds, as well as methods of using these compounds or compositions in the treatment of central or peripheral nervous system disorders, particularly pain and chronic pain by blocking sodium channels associated with the onset or recurrence of the indicated conditions. The compounds, compositions and methods of the present invention are of particular use for treating neuropathic or inflammatory pain by the inhibition of ion flux through a voltage-gated sodium channel. |
| US08338605B2 |
Anti-viral compounds
Compounds effective in inhibiting replication of Hepatitis C virus (“HCV”) or other viruses are disclosed. This invention is also directed to compositions comprising such compounds, co-formulation or co-administration of such compounds with other anti-viral or therapeutic agents, processes and intermediates for the syntheses of such compounds, and methods of using such compounds for the treatment of HCV or other viral infections. |
| US08338603B2 |
TRPV1 antagonists
The present invention relates to compounds of formula (I) wherein X, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, m, and n are defined in the specification are TRPV1 antagonists. Compositions comprising such compounds and methods for treating conditions and disorders using such compounds and compositions are also disclosed. |
| US08338602B2 |
Quaternary nitrogen heterocyclic compounds for detecting aqueous monosaccharides in physiological fluids
Quaternary nitrogen heterocyclic boronic acid-containing compounds are described, which are sensitive to glucose and fructose, as well as a variety of other physiologically important analytes, such as aqueous chloride and iodide, and a method of using the compounds. Also disclosed is a contact lens doped with the quaternary nitrogen heterocyclic boronic acid-containing compound, and a method of using the doped contact lens to measure the concentration of analyte in tears under physiological conditions. |
| US08338597B2 |
Pyridones useful as inhibitors of kinases
The present invention relates to compounds useful as inhibitors of protein kinases. 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 the compounds of the invention and intermediate compounds useful in these processes. |
| US08338596B2 |
Process for the preparation of 5-substituted-8-alkoxy[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidin-2-amines
5-Substituted-8-alkoxy[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidin-2-amines are manufactured from 2-substituted-4-amino-5-methoxypyrimidines in a process that avoids hydrazine and cyanogen halide. |
| US08338593B2 |
Modulators of toll-like receptor 7
The present application provides for a compound of Formula (I) or (II): 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 that include the administration of such compounds with at least one additional active agent. |
| US08338589B2 |
Process for producing laurolactam
The present invention relates to a process for producing laurolactam from cyclododecanone oxime by liquid-phase rearrangement reaction using trichlorotriazine as a rearrangement catalyst. The present invention can provide a process which can solve the problem of termination of the reaction at a certain conversion, can prevent an inactive precipitate generated from trichlorotriazine from precipitating in the course of the reaction process, and can remove an inactive precipitate, an active intermediate and a residual catalyst. |
| US08338586B2 |
Process of making cladribine
A method of making cladribine with an increased purity comprising: a) dissolving crude cladribine in a protic solvent in the presence of a base to form a solution comprising dissolved crude cladribine; b) maintaining the solution at an elevated temperature so that the solution is homogeneous until the amount of protected or partially protected nucleoside impurities in the solution is reduced to a pre-determined upper limit; and c) cooling the solution of step b) so that crystals of cladribine are formed and isolated. |
| US08338584B2 |
Nucleic acid complex and nucleic acid delivery composition
The present invention provides a nucleic acid complex with low toxicity and high safety that can persistently maintain a nucleic acid, such as siRNA or the like, in a cell; and a nucleic acid delivery composition that can efficiently deliver the nucleic acid complex into a cell. A nucleic acid complex with low toxicity and high safety that can persistently maintain a nucleic acid in a cell can be obtained by forming a complex using a nucleic acid to be introduced into a cell, and a highly branched cyclic dextrin. Moreover, when a carrier comprising (A) a diacylphosphatidylcholine, (B) cholesterol and/or a derivative thereof, and (C) an aliphatic primary amine is used as a nucleic acid delivery carrier to introduce the nucleic acid complex into a cell, the safety, the efficiency of intracellular delivery, and the persistence of the nucleic acid in the cell can be further improved. |
| US08338582B2 |
Anti-HIV immunogens and methods for inducing an immune response
The present invention refers to new epitopes recognized by CD4+ T-lymphocytes. In addition, the present invention refers to the uses of such epitopes and their combinations, particularly in the treatment or prevention of disorders caused by the HIV-1 virus.The present invention also refers to a composition comprising said epitopes and the uses of said composition, particularly in the treatment or prevention of disorders caused by the HIV-1 virus.The present invention also refers to anti-HIV-1 prophylactic vaccines and therapeutic vaccines.Furthermore, the present invention refers to a method for the identification of epitopes and methods for treating or preventing an infection caused by the HIV-1 virus. |
| US08338581B2 |
Artificial entropic bristle domain sequences and their use in recombinant protein production
Compositions and methods for recombinant protein production and, more particularly, fusion polypeptides, polynucleotides encoding fusion polypeptides, expression vectors, kits, and related methods for recombinant protein production. |
| US08338577B2 |
Methods for quantifying protein leakage from protein based affinity chromatography resins
The present invention provides methods of quantifying protein leakage from a protein based affinity chromatography media (e.g., protein A, protein G and protein L based affinity chromatography media), where such a protein is used for isolating and/or removing a molecule which binds the protein (e.g., an immunoglobulin). |
| US08338576B2 |
Antibodies specific for DKK-1 and their uses
The present invention provides antibodies and fragments thereof that bind to Dkk-1 and, in particular, to humanized antibodies and fragments thereof that bind to Dkk-1 and, even more particularly to fully humanized antibodies and immunologically functional fragments that bind to Dkk-1. Also provided are antibodies and fragments thereof which compete with the binding of an anti-mouse Dkk-1 monoclonal antibody for binding to Dkk-1+ cells. Also provided are nucleic acids encoding anti-Dkk-1 antibodies or fragments thereof, as well as expression vectors and host cells incorporating these nucleic acids for the recombinant expression of anti-Dkk-1 antibodies and fragments thereof. Also provided are methods of preparing the antibodies and fragments thereof of the invention. Also provided are bone anabolic agents. Pharmaceutical compositions comprising the antibodies or fragments thereof of the invention are also provided. Further provided are methods of treating diseases, conditions and disorders, such as bone disorders, which result in a loss of bone. Methods of treating or preventing a loss of bone mass, methods of inducing increased bone mass, and methods of inducing Wnt activity are also provided. |
| US08338572B2 |
Kits for biomarker detection and treatment selection
Biomarkers, including isolated fibronectin-aggrecan complexes that correlate with spinal or joint pain and inflammation, and methods for their detection are provided. Also provided are methods for identifying treatment sites in the spine or joint for treatment of pain and inflammation by detecting the presence of, or increased levels of, fibronectin-aggrecan complexes. Methods for treating spinal or joint pain and inflammation are also provided. |
| US08338569B2 |
FGFR extracellular domain acidic region muteins
Fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) extracellular domain (ECD) acidic region muteins that have been engineered to exhibit decreased tissue binding by increasing the number of acidic amino acid residues within the D1-D2 linker region are provided. Polynucleotides encoding FGFR ECD acidic region muteins are also provided. Methods of making FGFR ECD acidic region muteins, and methods of using such molecules to treat proliferative disorders, including cancers, disorders of angiogenesis, and macular degeneration, are also provided. |
| US08338568B2 |
Chimeric PCSK9 proteins, cells comprising same, and assays using same
A chimera protein comprising in the following order: a signal peptide, a proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 preproprotein (PCSK9) sequence consisting of amino acid residues at positions 35 to 696 of SEQ ID NO: 38, a transmembrane domain and a cytosolic domain, wherein said cytosolic (CT) domain comprises a sequence able to recycle the protein from the cellular membrane to endosomes. |
| US08338559B2 |
Fluorene-based resin polymer and method for preparing thereof
The present invention relates to a fluorene-based resin polymer having a repeating unit of Formula 1 and a method for preparing the same. The fluorene-based resin polymer has a high molecular weight and low acid value, and has an excellent developing property, adhesive property, and stability. |
| US08338552B2 |
Co-polymer films for sensors
Embodiments include a sensor comprising a co-polymer, the co-polymer comprising a first monomer and a second monomer. For some embodiments, the first monomer is poly-4-vinyl pyridine, and the second monomer is poly-4-vinyl pyridinium propylamine chloride. For some embodiments, the first monomer is polystyrene and the second monomer is poly-2-vinyl pyridinium propylamine chloride. For some embodiments, the first monomer is poly-4-vinyl pyridine, and the second monomer is poly-4-vinyl pyridinium benzylamine chloride. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08338545B2 |
Multi-arm block copolymers as drug delivery vehicles
The invention provides methods for making copolymers and multi-arm block copolymers useful as drug delivery vehicles. The multi-arm block copolymers comprise a central core molecule, such as a residue of a polyol, and at least three copolymer arms covalently attached to the central core molecule, each copolymer arm comprising an inner hydrophobic polymer segment covalently attached to the central core molecule and an outer hydrophilic polymer segment covalently attached to the hydrophobic polymer segment, wherein the central core molecule and the hydrophobic polymer segment define a hydrophobic core region. The solubility of hydrophobic biologically active agents can be improved by entrapment within the hydrophobic core region of the block copolymer. The invention further includes pharmaceutical compositions including such block copolymers, pharmaceutical compositions, and methods of using the block copolymers as drug delivery vehicles. |
| US08338539B2 |
Transparent ionomeric films from blends of ionomeric copolymers
The present invention is a film obtained from a blend of chemically distinguishable copolymers, wherein the film has a light transmission of at least 85%, and/or a haze of less than 6%, and wherein the blend comprises a component copolymer has a secant modulus of less than 15,000 when cast independently into a film. |
| US08338538B2 |
Bimodal polyethylene composition and articles made therefrom
The invention relates to a polyethylene composition with a bimodal molecular weight distribution and articles made therefrom, such as high topload blow moldings and transmission and distribution pipes. The composition comprises a low-molecular-weight (LMW) ethylene homopolymer component and a homogeneous, high-molecular-weight (HMW) ethylene interpolymer component, wherein the LMW component is characterized as having a molecular weight distribution, MWDL, of less than about 8. The composition is characterized as having a bimodal molecular weight distribution, and a ductile-brittle transition temperature, Tdb, of less than −20° C. In some embodiments, the HMW component is characterized by a reverse comonomer distribution. |
| US08338534B2 |
Process for producing microporous polymeric object, and microporous polymeric object and separation membrane
A process for producing a microporous polymeric object to improve the degree of freedom for its various properties, compared to conventional processes, includes: mixing a block copolymer made of three or more kinds of segments with a polymer, wherein one or more of the segments are made of monomer units having a first functional group forming ionic and/or hydrogen bond, the segments constitute a co-continuous structure having mutually-independent and continuous regions due to a phase separation based on incompatibility between the segments, and the polymer has, at other than polymer chain terminals, a second functional group forming such bond with the first functional group, thereby allowing the segments to associate with the polymer at many points; forming a co-continuous structure including a region composed of the polymer and the segments due to the phase separation; and removing the polymer from the region by weakening the bond between the functional groups. |
| US08338530B2 |
Polyisocyanates containing allophanate groups
Allophanate-group-containing polyisocyanates based on isophorone diisocyanate, represented by formula (I) wherein Ra, k, m, (k +m), Y, Xi, n and Rb are as defined, and to their use. |
| US08338527B2 |
Curable silicone composition and electronic components
A curable silicone composition comprising: (A) an organopolysiloxane that is represented by a specific average unit formula and that has at least two of the aforementioned epoxy-functional monovalent organic groups in each molecule; (B) a diorganosiloxane represented by the general formula: A-R5—(R42SiO)mR42Si—R5-A, wherein R4 is substituted or unsubstituted mono-valent hydrocarbon group that does not contain an aliphatically unsaturated bond, R5 is a divalent organic group, A is a siloxane residue with a specific average unit formula, and m is an integer with a value of at least 1; and (C) a curing agent for epoxy resin, exhibits excellent handling and curing characteristics and that cures to give a cured product that exhibits excellent flexibility and adhesiveness. |
| US08338525B2 |
Water-base adhesive mix for producing tyres
A water-base adhesive mix for producing tires, having, by weight, 5 to 80% water, 10 to 60% of a cross-linkable unsaturated-chain polymer base, 0.2 to 1% sulphur, 0.1 to 3% zinc oxide, 0.1 to 1% of accelerating agents, 0.1 to 15% of emulsifiers, and 0.01 to 30% of a carbon black having —ArAy type functional surface groups, where: Ar is an aromatic radical from the group including phenyl, naphthyl, anthracenyl, phenanthrenyl, biphenyl and pyridinyl; A is a COO− or SO3− functional group; y is a whole number from 1 to 5 when Ar is phenyl, from 1 to 7 when Ar is naphthyl, from 1 to 9 when Ar is anthracenyl, phenanthrenyl or biphenyl, and from 1 to 4 when Ar is pyridinyl. |
| US08338522B2 |
Process of making polymer nanocomposites
The instant invention generally provides a process of making a polymer nanocomposite by compounding an organoclay and a melt of a polymer in the presence of water. The instant invention also provides a polymer nanocomposite made by the process. |
| US08338521B2 |
Intermediate transfer member and composition
There is described an intermediate transfer member comprising a seamless layer comprising a polyphenylsulfone and a cyclic alkylene terephthalate having dispersed therein carbon black particles. The composition used to manufacture the seamless intermediate transfer member is also described. |
| US08338513B2 |
Polycarbonate resin composition, polycarbonate resin molded article, and method for producing the same
Disclosed are a polycarbonate resin composition comprising, with respect to 100 parts by mass of a composition composed of (A) 60 to 90 parts by mass of an aromatic polycarbonate resin and (B) 40 to 10 parts by mass of a glass filler having a refractive index smaller or larger than a refractive index of the aromatic polycarbonate resin by 0.002 or less, (C) 0.05 to 2.0 parts by mass of a silicone compound having a reactive functional group, (D) 0.03 to 1.0 part by mass of an organic alkali metal salt compound and/or an organic alkaline earth metal salt compound, (E) 0.05 to 7.0 parts by mass of glossy particles, and (F) 0.0001 to 3 parts by mass of a colorant, a polycarbonate resin molded article obtained by molding the composition, and a method for producing the molded article by molding the polycarbonate resin composition. Provided are a polycarbonate resin composition containing a glass filler, which is excellent in transparency, strength, and heat resistance, and provided with high flame retardancy, a polycarbonate resin molded article obtained by molding the resin composition, and a method of producing the molded article. |
| US08338507B2 |
Use of phosphinic acids and/or phosphonic acids in polymerisation processes
The present invention relates to the use of phosphinic acids and/or phosphonic acids and salts thereof for wetting fluorine compounds, in particular fluoropolymers, to the use in coating solutions comprising fluorine compounds, and to polymerisation processes in which fluorine compounds are used and/or formed. |
| US08338504B2 |
Method of treating and compounding fillers
A method of treating filler can include the steps of providing the filler, disposing silica within the filler so that a bulk density of the filler is approximately 24 to 26 pounds per cubic feet, forming a silane compound that includes silane and paraffin wax, and combining the silane compound with the filler. |
| US08338503B2 |
Moldable resin for dental use
The present invention includes a novel shapeable material or resin, specifically for dental use. It is an improvement over conventional dental resins because it is strong, safe, does not encourage the propagation of bacteria and contains no bisphenol A (BPA). Also, it is the preferred resiliency for use in the oral cavity. |
| US08338502B2 |
Polymerizable fluorine-containing compound and treated substrate having a hydrophilic region and a water repellent region
To provide a polymerizable fluorine-containing compound useful for producing a treated substrate having a hydrophilic region and a water repellent region, of which the contrast is high on its surface, without requiring a special apparatus, high energy light, or irradiation with light for a long time.A polymerizable fluorine-containing compound, which is a derivative of a polyhydric alcohol and comprises at least one following structure (A) and at least one following structure (B) in its molecule: structure (A): a structure wherein a compound having a fluoroalkyl group and a carboxyl group is bonded to one hydroxyl group of a polyhydric alcohol by an ester linkage, structure (B): a structure wherein a compound having an ethylenic double bond and a carboxyl group is bonded to one hydroxyl group of a polyhydric alcohol by an ester linkage or a structure wherein a compound having an ethylenic double bond and an isocyanate group is bonded to one hydroxyl group of a polyhydric alcohol by a urethane bond. |
| US08338497B2 |
Method of making macroporous anion exchange resins
Methods of making macroporous anion exchange resins are described. The macroporous anion exchange resins are in the form of particles such as beads that contain a hydrophilic, crosslinked, (meth)acrylic-type polymeric material. Additionally, methods of purifying a negatively charged material using the macroporous anion exchange resins, methods of making chromatographic columns that contain the macroporous anion exchange resins, methods of making filter elements that contain the macroporous anion exchange resins, and methods of making porous composite materials that contain the macroporous anion exchange resins are described. |
| US08338492B2 |
Films and particles
Described herein are compounds and processes that can be used to prepare polymer-based films, particles, gels and related compositions, and processes for delivery of agents, and other uses. |
| US08338489B2 |
Use of a beta blocker for the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment of hemangiomas
The present disclosure relates the use of a beta blocker for the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment of hemangiomas, for example of infantile hemangiomas. The beta blocker may be a non-selective beta-blocker, for example propranolol. The present disclosure provides an alternative to the known compounds, e.g. corticosteroids, interferon or vincristine, generally used for the treatment of hemangiomas. |
| US08338486B2 |
Methods for the treatment of CNS-related conditions
The invention provides methods for administering extended release memantine in combination with immediate release donepezil to a subject. Memantine in an extended release form containing 22.5 to 30 mg memantine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof in combination with donepezil is administered to a patient suffering from a neurological condition, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease or dementia. The extended release form of memantine achieves particular pharmacokinetic criteria such as change in plasma concentration of memantine over time and ratio of maximum memantine plasma concentration to mean memantine plasma concentration. |
| US08338481B2 |
Alkoxyalkyl S-prenylthiosalicylates for treatment of cancer
Disclosed are alkoxyalkyl S-prenylthiosalicylates and pharmaceutical compositions containing the same and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. Methods for treating a human afflicted with cancer, including solid tumors, or a hematological malignancy by administering to the human in need thereof an effective amount of an alkoxyalkyl S-prenylthiosalicylate are also disclosed. |
| US08338480B2 |
Combination treatment of metabolic disorders
Various metabolic disorders, such as insulin resistance syndrome, diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome, hyperlipidemia, fatty liver disease, cachexia, obesity, atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis can be treated with a combination of a direct PPAR-gamma agonist and a Compound of Formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof (I) Three of R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5 are hydrogen and the remainder are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halo, hydroxy, methyl, ethyl, perfluoromethyl, methoxy, ethoxy, and perfluoromethoxy; and m is 0, 2 or 4. R6 is hydrogen, O or hydroxy, and X is —OR7, wherein R7 is hydrogen or alkyl having from 1 to 3 carbon atoms; or R6 is hydrogen, and X is —NR8R9, wherein R8 is hydrogen or hydroxy and R9 is hydrogen, methyl or ethyl. When X is —NR8R9, hydroxy none of R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5 is hydroxy. |
| US08338478B2 |
Derivatives of 3,3-diphenylpropylamines
The invention concerns novel derivatives of 3,3-diphenyl-propylamines, methods for their preparation, pharmaceutical compositions containing the novel compounds, and the use of the compounds for preparing drugs. More particularly, the invention relates to novel prodrugs of antimuscarinic agents with superior pharmacokinetic properties compared to existing drugs such as oxybutynin and tolterodine, methods for their preparation, pharmaceutical compositions containing them, a method of using said compounds and compositions for the treatment of urinary incontinence, gastrointestinal hyperactivity (irritable bowel syndrome) and other smooth muscle contractile conditions. |
| US08338475B2 |
Anti-proliferative pharmaceutical composition
The use of urocanic acid or another pharmaceutically acceptable agent being able to acidify the cell cytoplasm for the manufacture of a pharmaceutical composition useful for causing inhibition or halting of transformed or non-transformed cell proliferation in a person or an animal, where an effective amount of the agent is administered in an essentially non-dissociated form to the person or animal. The use of the agent as an enhancer for other therapeutically active agents, and a pharmaceutical composition, are also disclosed. |
| US08338472B2 |
Hexahydrocyclopentyl[F]indazole carboxamides and derivatives thereof as selective glucocorticoid receptor modulators
The present invention is directed to hexahydrocyclopentylf]imidazole carboxamides and derivatives thereof as selective glucocorticoid receptor ligands useful for treating a variety of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases or conditions. Pharmaceutical compositions and methods of use are also included. |
| US08338469B2 |
Compounds and compositions as channel activating protease inhibitors
The invention provides compounds and pharmaceutical compositions thereof, which are useful for modulating channel activating proteases, and methods for, using such compounds to treat, ameliorate or prevent a condition associated with a channel activating protease, including but not limited to prostasin, PRSS22, TMPRSS11 (e.g., TMPRSS11B, TMPRSS11E), TMPRSS2, TMPRSS3, TMPRSS4 (MTSP-2), matriptase (MTSP-1), CAP2, CAP3, trypsin, cathepsin A, or neutrophil elastase. |
| US08338467B2 |
Compounds as cannabinoid receptor ligands
Disclosed herein are compounds of formula (I) wherein R1, R2, R3, R25a, R26a, X, and n are as defined in the specification. Pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds, and methods of treating conditions and disorders using such compounds and pharmaceutical compositions are also described. |
| US08338465B2 |
Cyclic carboxylic acid rhodanine derivatives for the treatment and prevention of tuberculosis
Disclosed are methods for the prevention or treatment of tuberculosis in a subject infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis by administering rhodanine derivatives of formula (I), as well as some novel such compounds. Other embodiments are also disclosed. |
| US08338464B2 |
Small molecule inhibitors of BCL6
Provided are methods of inhibiting BCL6 repression in a mammalian cell. Also provided are methods of treating cancer in a mammal. |
| US08338460B2 |
2-pyridinecarboxamide derivative having GK-activating effect
Compounds of a formula (I) and their pharmaceutically-acceptable salts are disclosed. The compounds have glucokinase-activating effect and are therefore useful for treatment of diabetes and obesity. R1 and R2 each independently represent a lower alkyl group; X1 represent a group of a formula (II-1): wherein: R11 and R12 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group, or taken together with the nitrogen atom to which they bond, R11 and R12 may form a 4- to 7-membered nitrogen-containing aliphatic ring (one carbon atom constituting the 4- to 7-membered nitrogen-containing aliphatic ring may be replaced by an oxygen atom), or taken together with a carbon atom in (CH2)m, R11 and R12 may form a 4- to 7-membered nitrogen-containing aliphatic ring; m indicates an integer of from 1 to 3. |
| US08338457B2 |
Selective ablation of pain-sensing neurons by administration of a vanilloid receptor agonist
The present invention provides methods and kits for the selective ablation of pain-sensing neurons. The methods comprise administration of a vanilloid receptor agonist to a ganglion in an amount that causes death of vanilloid receptor-bearing neurons. Accordingly, the present invention provides methods of controlling pain and inflammatory disorders that involve activation of vanilloid receptor-bearing neurons. |
| US08338455B2 |
Compounds and methods of use
Selected compounds are effective for prophylaxis and treatment of diseases, such as VEGF mediated diseases. The invention encompasses novel compounds, analogs, prodrugs and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, pharmaceutical compositions and methods for prophylaxis and treatment of diseases and other maladies or conditions involving, cancer and the like. The subject invention also relates to processes for making such compounds as well as to intermediates useful in such processes. |
| US08338453B2 |
Treatment of progressive neurodegenerative disease with ibudilast
Compositions and methods for treating progressive neurodegenerative diseases, and their associated symptoms by administration of ibudilast (3-isobutyryl-2 -isopropylpyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridine). |
| US08338452B2 |
Raf inhibitor compounds and methods of use thereof
Compounds of Formula (I) are useful for inhibition of Raf kinases. Methods of using compounds of Formula (I) and stereoisomers, tautomers, prodrugs and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, for in vitro, in situ, and in vivo diagnosis, prevention or treatment of such disorders in mammalian cells, or associated pathological conditions are disclosed. |
| US08338450B2 |
Compounds as dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP IV) inhibitors
The present invention is related to novel compounds of the general formula A, their tautomeric forms, their stereoisomers, their pharmaceutically acceptable salts, pharmaceutical compositions containing them, methods of making of the above compounds, and their use as Dipeptidyl Peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) Inhibitors, which are useful in the treatment or prevention of diseases particularly Type II diabetes, other complications related to diabetes and other pathogenic conditions in which DPP IV enzyme is involved. |
| US08338447B2 |
Pyrido[3,4-B]indoles and methods of use
This disclosure relates to new heterocyclic compounds that may be used to modulate a histamine receptor in an individual. Compounds of formula (I) are described, as are pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds and methods of using the compounds in a variety of therapeutic applications, including the treatment of a cognitive disorder, psychotic disorder, neurotransmitter-mediated disorder and/or a neuronal disorder. |
| US08338446B2 |
Peripheral opioid receptor antagonists and uses thereof
The present invention provides a compound of formula I: wherein X−, R1, and R2 are as defined herein, and compositions thereof, useful as a peripheral mu opioid receptor antagonist. |
| US08338445B2 |
Crystal form of cabergoline
The present invention relates to a cabergoline crystal form L, its preparation from halogenated aromatic solvents and aliphatic hydrocarbons and to pharmaceutical compositions containing the new form. |
| US08338442B2 |
Remedies for psychoneurosis
A therapeutic drug for psychoneurotic disorders, which is useful for therapies of psychoneurotic disorders, especially restless legs syndrome is disclosed. The therapeutic drug for psychoneurotic disorders according to the present invention comprises as an effective ingredient an opioid κ receptor agonist compound (excluding pentazocine) such as (−)-17-(cyclopropylmethyl)-3,14β-dihydroxy-4,5α-epoxy-6β[N-methyl-trans-3-(3-furyl)acrylamide]morphinan hydrochloric acid salt. |
| US08338440B2 |
Inhibitors of IAP
Novel compounds that inhibit the binding of the Smac protein to Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins (IAPs) of the formula (I). |
| US08338439B2 |
2,4-disubstituted pyrimidines useful as kinase inhibitors
The present invention provides 2,4-disubstituted pyrimidine compounds useful as kinase inhibitors, pharmaceutically acceptable compositions thereof, and methods of using the same. In some embodiments, the present invention provides a compound of formula I-a or I-b: wherein each of Ring A, Ring B, W1, W2, Ry, Rv, Rx, m, p, and R1 is described herein. |
| US08338437B2 |
Amines as small molecule inhibitors
The present invention relates to compounds that are useful as inhibitors of protein arginine methyltransferase that have a formula selected from Formula (I), Formula (II) and Formula (III), as well as racemic mixtures, diastereomers, enantiomers and tautomers thereof and N-oxides, hydrates, solvates, pharmaceutically acceptable salts, prodrugs and complexes thereof as defined herein. The compound are useful as inhibitors of PRMTs and/or CARM-I. The invention further relates to compositions comprising such compounds and methods for their use. |
| US08338434B2 |
Inhibitors of Akt activity
Invented are novel pyrazole compounds, the use of such compounds as inhibitors of protein kinase B activity and in the treatment of cancer and arthritis. |
| US08338433B2 |
Tyrosine kinase inhibitors as anti-kinetoplastid agents
The present invention provides methods of killing, inhibiting the growth, and/or inhibiting the reproduction of kine-toplastid or apicomplexan protozoan with tyrosine kinase inhibitors. |
| US08338430B2 |
N-substituted piperazines
Novel N-alkyl substituted piperazines have been discovered, which are useful as insecticides or fungicides. Such compounds are of Formula (I) wherein X, Y, R1 and R2 are as defined herein. |
| US08338427B2 |
Methods for administering aripiprazole
The present invention relates, in part, to the discovery that a pharmaceutical composition comprising aripiprazole and a carrier administered in a bolus injection resulted in an extended release profile similar to that obtained by the injection of a poly lactide-co-glycolide microsphere formulation containing the active agent. This surprising result suggests that pharmacologically beneficial extended release formulations without the complexities and expense associated with the manufacture microspheres. |
| US08338424B2 |
Guanidine-containing compounds useful as muscarinic receptor antagonists
The invention provides compounds of formula I: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1-3, R5-7, a, X, Y, Y′, Y″, and Z are as defined in the specification. These compounds are muscarinic receptor antagonists. The invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds, processes for preparing such compounds and methods of using such compounds to, for example, treat pulmonary disorders such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. |
| US08338420B1 |
Treatment of Parkinson's disease and enhancement of dopamine signal using PDE 10 inhibitor
The present invention relates to a therapeutic or prophylactic method for treating Parkinson's disease by administering an effective amount of a compound having a phosphodiesterase 10 inhibitory activity; and also relates to a pharmaceutical composition for treatment or prophylaxis of Parkinson's disease comprising as an active ingredient a compound having a phosphodiesterase 10 inhibitory activity. Moreover, the present invention relates to a method for enhancing dopamine signal in the brain, which comprises administering an effective amount of a compound having a phosphodiesterase 10 inhibitory activity; and also relates to pharmaceutical composition for enhancing dopamine signal in brain comprising as an active ingredient a compound having a phosphodiesterase 10 inhibitory activity. |