最新美国发明专利第2013-04-16期 - 专利汇|PatentHub专利检索|专利查询网|发明专利查询分析

Document	Document Title
US08422294B2	Symmetric, differential nonvolatile memory cell Some embodiments relate to a differential memory cell. The memory cell includes a first transistor having a source, a drain, a gate, and a body. A first capacitor has a first plate and a second plate, wherein the first plate is coupled to the gate of the first transistor and extends over the body region. The memory cell also includes a second transistor having a source, a drain, a gate, and a body, wherein the source and body of the second transistor is coupled to the second plate of the first capacitor. A second capacitor has a third plate and a fourth plate, wherein the third plate is coupled to the gate of the second transistor and the fourth plate is coupled to the source and the body of the first transistor.
US08422290B2	Methods of reading data in a NAND flash memory device with a fringe voltage applied to a conductive layer Methods of programming data in a non-volatile memory cell are provided. A memory cell according to some embodiments may include a gate structure that includes a tunnel oxide layer pattern, a floating gate, a dielectric layer and a control gate sequentially stacked on a substrate, impurity regions that are formed in the substrate at both sides of the gate structure, and a conductive layer pattern that is arranged spaced apart from and facing the floating gate. Embodiments of such methods may include applying a programming voltage to the control gate, grounding the impurity regions and applying a fringe voltage to the conductive layer pattern to generate a fringe field in the floating gate.
US08422286B2	Low-crystallization temperature MTJ for spin-transfer torque magnetic random access memory (STTMRAM) A spin-torque transfer memory random access memory (STTMRAM) element is disclosed and has a fixed layer, a barrier layer formed upon the fixed layer, and a free layer comprised of a low-crystallization temperature alloy of CoFeB—Z where Z is below 25 atomic percent of one or more of titanium, (Ti), yittrium (Y), zirconium (Zr), and vanadium (V), wherein during a write operation, a bidirectional electric current is applied across the STTMRAM element to switch the magnetization of the free layer between parallel and anti-parallel states relative to the magnetization of the fixed layer.
US08422277B2	Field assisted switching of a magnetic memory element Method and apparatus for writing data to a magnetic memory element, such as a spin-torque transfer random access memory (STRAM) memory cell. In accordance with various embodiments, a write current is applied through a magnetic memory element to initiate magnetic precession of the element to a desired magnetic state. A flow of a field assist current is subsequently initiated adjacent the magnetic memory element during continued application of the write current to induce a magnetic field upon the element. The field assist current persists after the write current is terminated to provide field assisted precession to the desired magnetic state.
US08422272B2	Semiconductor device and driving method thereof A semiconductor device including a nonvolatile memory cell in which a writing transistor which includes an oxide semiconductor, a reading transistor which includes a semiconductor material different from that of the writing transistor, and a capacitor are included is provided. Data is written to the memory cell by turning on the writing transistor and applying a potential to a node where a source electrode (or a drain electrode) of the writing transistor, one electrode of the capacitor, and a gate electrode of the reading transistor are electrically connected, and then turning off the writing transistor, so that the predetermined amount of charge is held in the node. Further, when a p-channel transistor is used as the reading transistor, a reading potential is a positive potential.
US08422265B2	Programmable memory cell with shiftable threshold voltage transistor According to one exemplary embodiment, a one-time programmable memory cell includes an access transistor coupled to a shiftable threshold voltage transistor between a bitline and a ground, where the access transistor has a gate coupled to a wordline. The shiftable threshold voltage transistor has a drain and a gate shorted together. A programming operation causes a permanent shift in a threshold voltage of the shiftable threshold voltage transistor to occur in response to a programming voltage on the bitline and the wordline. In one embodiment, the access transistor is an NFET while the shiftable threshold voltage transistor is a PFET. In another embodiment, the access transistor is an NFET and the shiftable threshold voltage transistor is also an NFET. The programming voltage can cause an absolute value of the threshold voltage to permanently increase by at least 50.0 millivolts.
US08422264B2	Distributed flash memory storage manager systems A flash memory storage system may include several modules of flash memory storage manager circuitry, each having some associated flash memory. The modules may be interconnected via the flash memory storage manager circuitry of the modules. The system may be able to write data to and/or read data from the flash memory associated with various ones of the modules by routing the data through the flash memory storage circuitry of the modules. The system may also be able to relocate data for various reasons using such read and write operations. The flash memory storage circuitry of the modules keeps track of where data actually is in the flash memory.
US08422263B2	Load reduced memory module and memory system including the same A memory module includes a plurality of memory chips, a plurality of data register buffers, and a command/address/control register buffer mounted on a module PCB. The data register buffers perform data transfers with the memory chips. The command/address/control register buffer performs buffering of a command/address/control signal and generates a control signal. The buffered command/address/control signal is supplied to the memory chips, and the control signal is supplied to the data register buffers. According to the present invention, because line lengths between the data register buffers and the memory chips are shortened, it is possible to realize a considerably high data transfer rate.
US08422259B2	Switch-mode power supply and apparatus for compensating inductor current peak A switch-mode power supply (SMPS) is provided. When the switch power of the SMPS turns on, the inductor current of the SMPS may flow through an inductor current sensing circuit which then provides a sensing voltage. An apparatus for compensating the inductor current peak receives a reference voltage and the sensing voltage as inputs and outputs a compensation voltage. The compensation voltage is combined with the reference voltage and/or the sensing voltage and is provided to a first comparator. The result keep 7t as 7s is provided to the logic control circuit coupled to the gate of the power switch after being driven by a driver circuit. The actual inductor current peak is kept identical with the reference current, which effectively controls the inductor current peak, thereby protecting the SMPS.
US08422250B2	Control of a resonant converter by setting up criteria for state parameters of the resonant converter The invention deals with the control of a resonant LLC converter by setting up criteria for state parameters of the resonant converter, so that the converter may be operated in a near capacitive mode. The current flowing in the resonant tank and optionally the voltage at the a predetermined point in the resonant tank are monitored, and wherein a switch (a high side switch or a low side switch) is turned off when a first criterion is fulfilled together with a second criterion or optionally a third criterion, the first criterion ensuring a minimum time has lapsed after the switch is turned on, the second criterion being that the absolute value of the current is reaching a predetermined current level, the third criterion being that the voltage at the predetermined point reaches a predetermined voltage level.
US08422248B2	Electromagnetic bandgap structure and printed circuit board An electromagnetic bandgap structure, including: a first metal layer; a first dielectric layer, stacked in the first metal layer; a metal plate, stacked in the first dielectric layer; a via, having one end part which is connected to the first metal layer; a second dielectric layer, stacked in the metal plate and the first dielectric layer; and a second metal layer, stacked in the second dielectric layer, whereas the other end part of the via is connected to a via land which is placed in a hole formed in the metal plate, and the via land is connected to the metal plate through a metal line.
US08422247B2	Electric apparatus module An electric apparatus module 1 includes an upper casing 6, a lower casing 7 to which the upper casing 6 is attached and which is attached to a rear panel 2, an electronic device unit 8 accommodated in the upper casing 6 and the lower casing 7, a conductive shield shell 9 covering the electronic device unit 8, and a conductive ground shell 10 which is attached to the lower casing 7 at a side of the rear panel 2. The ground shell 10 includes a flat plate portion 83 piled on the rear panel 2, a contact piece 84 erected from an outer edge 83c of the flat plate portion 83 toward the lower case 7, and a contact member 85 protruded from a rear surface 83b of the flat plate portion 83 at the side of the rear panel 2. The contact piece 84 is inserted through a through hole 56 formed on the lower casing 7 to contact with the shield shell 9. The contact member 85 is inserted through a through hole 11 formed on the rear panel 2 to contact a cylindrical shield member 22 of an external device.
US08422246B2	Electronic apparatus An electronic apparatus includes a front case, a rear case whose peripheral portion is brought into engagement with a peripheral portion of the front case and an electrostatic capacity type sensor portion which is encompassed by the front case and the rear case. A primary conductive portion, which is brought into engagement with the sensor portion for electrical connection, is formed on part of an inner surface of the peripheral portion of one of the cases which extends to the engagement portion. By adopting this configuration, the electronic apparatus can be fabricated easily and the operation of a touch switch provided in the electronic apparatus can be stabilized.
US08422245B2	Motherboard A motherboard includes a main circuit board, a CPU socket, and an interface. The main circuit board includes a holding surface and a side wall connected to the holding surface. The CPU socket is positioned on the holding surface. The interface is positioned on the side wall. The interface is electrically connected to the CPU socket. The interface provides a connection between the main circuit board and a sub-circuit board.
US08422244B2	Power converter A power converter structure in which the structure of a connecting portion is highly resistant against vibration and has a low inductance. The power converter structure includes a plurality of capacitors and a laminate made up of a first wide conductor and a second wide conductor joined in a layered form with an insulation sheet interposed between the first and second wide conductors. The laminate comprises a first flat portion including the plurality of capacitors which are supported thereon and electrically connected thereto, a second flat portion continuously extending from the first flat portion while being bent, and connecting portions formed at ends of the first flat portion and the second flat portion and electrically connected to the exterior.
US08422242B2	Structure for fixing circuit board A structure for fixing circuit board, adapted for fixing a circuitboard at the rear of a cage, is disclosed, which comprises: a circuitboard; and a clamp, configured with a clipping part, a fixing part and an elastic part; wherein, the clipping part is coupled to the fixing part while the fixing part is coupled to the elastic part; the clipping part has a first hook formed at a surface facing toward the fixing part; the elastic part has a second hook formed extruding out form a surface facing away from the fixing part; the clipping part and the fixing part are arranged straddling across the top edge of the circuitboard while enabling the first hook to couple to a fastener of the circuitboard; and the elastic part is arranged facing toward the cage while enabling the second hook to secure to the bottom of the cage.
US08422240B2	Electronic apparatus An electronic apparatus includes a flexible printed circuit having a first surface on which a switch is mounted, a reinforcement plate having a first surface arranged to face a second surface of the flexible printed circuit opposite to the first surface of the flexible printed circuit on which the switch is mounted, and a spacer arranged to face a second surface of the reinforcement plate opposite to the first surface of the reinforcement plate that faces the second surface of the flexible printed circuit.
US08422236B2	Pin module and chip on board type use device Provided are a pin module and a universal serial bus (USB) device. The USB device includes: a substrate including a first side and a second side, the second side opposite to the first side; at least one memory chip mounted on the first side of the substrate; at least one controller chip mounted on the first side of the substrate; a plurality of first planar electrodes formed on the second side of the substrate; a plurality of second planar electrodes formed on the second side of the substrate; and a sealing material housing the memory chip, the controller chip, the first planar electrodes, and the second planar electrodes, wherein the sealing material exposes one sides of the first planar electrodes and the second planar electrodes.
US08422230B2	Power converter A power converter including a switching element, a switching power module containing a driving circuit for driving the switching element, a smoothing capacitor module for smoothing an input to the switching power module, and a heat sink for cooling the switching power module, wherein the switching power module is mounted on the heat sink, and the smoothing capacitor module is provided on a side surface of the heat sink.
US08422229B2	Molded heat sink and method of making same A heat sink for use with a heat generating component includes a molded cooling block including a molded cooling passage for receiving a cooling medium. The cooling block is configured to be positioned in sufficient heat transfer relationship with respect to the heat generating component so that the cooling medium receives heat from the heat generating component.
US08422228B2	Cooling jacket, cooling unit, and electronic apparatus A cooling jacket includes: a flow channel member through which a cooling medium flows, at least a part of which is in contact with an object to be cooled, and which includes a region having a channel cross-sectional area larger than that of any other region; and a projection portion which is provided at a downstream side of the region where the channel cross-sectional area is large.
US08422227B2	Electronic device and heat dissipation device thereof An electronic device includes a housing, a printed circuit board received in the housing, a plurality of heat-generating elements mounted on the printed circuit board and a heat dissipation device secured to an end of the housing. The heat dissipation device includes a fan module and a bracket securing the fan module onto the housing. The housing includes a first side wall and a second side wall with a passage defined therebetween. The heat-generating elements are positioned in the passage. The fan module includes first and second fans arranged side by side. The bracket defines first and second openings corresponding to the first and second fans respectively for air flow generated by the fans. An air baffle is pivotally connected to the bracket and capable of turning to close a corresponding opening corresponding to a failing fan upon failure of either the first or second fan.
US08422223B2	Multi-modular data center A multi-modular data center includes at least one modular computing module and at least one modular power supply module. The modular computing module includes a transportable container, a plurality of computing systems, a cooling system, a surveillance system, and a network interface. The modular power supply module includes a transportable container and a plurality of power supply systems. The transportable containers are configured for transport via a transport infrastructure. The plurality of computing systems is mounted within the transportable container. The cooling system is disposed in the transportable container. The surveillance system is configured to monitor the transportable container. The network interface is configured to interface between an Internet access connection and the computing systems. The plurality of power supply systems is mounted within the transportable container.
US08422222B2	Power conversion apparatus A power conversion apparatus is provided, which accommodates electronic components configuring at least part of a power conversion circuit, and a terminal block collecting wires running from the electronic components, in a case. The terminal block includes a plurality of terminal connecting parts at which a plurality of high-voltage cables, through which electric power is received from and provided to the outside of the case, and the wires are connected to each other, and insulating parts provided between the terminal connecting parts and ensuring insulation between the high-voltage cables and between the wires. A plurality of insertion holes, into which the high-voltage cables are inserted, are formed in one side wall of the case. An opening part for performing an operation for fixing the high-voltage cables to the terminal connecting parts is formed in a wall of the case opposed to the terminal connecting parts and the insulating parts. An extending part is formed around the opening part so as to extend from a circumference of the opening part toward the terminal block side.
US08422216B2	Memory holding apparatus A memory holding apparatus includes a main pole and an inserting pole. The main pole includes a main portion and a first holding portion perpendicularly extending from a first end of the main portion. A second end of the main portion defines a receiving hole extending to the first holding portion. A sidewall of the main portion defines an opening. An elastic blocking piece extends from a side bounding the opening. A hook extends from an inside wall of the blocking piece. The inserting pole includes an inserting portion and a second holding portion perpendicularly extending from a first end of the inserting portion. The inserting portion defines a groove from a second end of the inserting portion extending to the second holding portion. A number of blocks extend from a bottom of the groove. The hook is selectively engaged with one of the blocks.
US08422209B2	Electronic device including battery and locking mechanism for locking the battery to the electronic device An electronic device includes a base, a locking mechanism, and a battery. The base includes a receiving bay and a battery bay. The receiving bay includes a through slot defined thereon. The battery is selectively restrained in the battery bay by the locking mechanism. The locking mechanism includes a locking member and an elastic element received in the receiving bay. The locking member is movable and includes a clutching end extending into the battery bay. The elastic element is joined to the receiving bay and the locking member. The locking member further includes an operation portion defined thereon for a user to operate the locking mechanism. The operation portion is located within the receiving bay and is exposed to outside of the receiving bay through slot. The battery includes a connecting end defined thereon for engaging with the clutching end so as to be restrained in the battery bay.
US08422206B2	Consumer electronic product assembly with bracket A consumer electronic product assembly includes a consumer electronic product and a bracket holding the consumer electronic product. The bracket includes a supporting seat, a holding member and a connecting bar. The holding member holds the consumer electronic product. Opposite ends of the connecting bar hinge on the holding member and the supporting seat, respectively. The connecting bar is rotatable with respect to the supporting seat, and the holding member is rotatable with respect to the connecting bar, whereby the consumer electronic product held by the holding member can be adjusted to various positions with respect to the supporting seat.
US08422205B2	Housing for electronic devices and method for making the same An electronic device includes a housing and an electronic module. The housing includes a transparent main body, a masking layer partially adhered to the transparent main body, and a cover. A bare area is exposed forming the masking layer to define a transparent window. The housing defines a receiving chamber and an open end communicating with the receiving chamber. The electronic module includes a touch display screen. The electronic module is received in the receiving chamber, the touch display screen aligns to the transparent window, and the cover seals the open end. The present disclosure further discloses a housing for the electronic device and a method for making the housing.
US08422200B2	Conductive structure having an embedded electrode, and solid capacitor having an embedded electrode and method of making the same A solid capacitor having an embedded electrode includes a substrate unit, a first conductive unit, a second conductive unit, a first insulative unit, a third conductive unit, a second insulative unit, and an end electrode unit. The substrate unit includes a substrate body and a conductive body embedded into the substrate body. The substrate body has a lateral opening and a plurality of top openings, and the conductive body has a lateral conductive area exposed from the lateral opening and a plurality of top conductive areas respectively exposed from the top openings. The first conductive unit includes a plurality of first conductive layers respectively covering the top conductive areas. The second conductive unit includes a second conductive layer covering the first conductive layers. The porosity rate of the second conductive layer is larger than that of each first conductive layer.
US08422185B2	Method and device for delaying activation timing of output device A delay method for determining an activation time of an output device in a circuit system is disclosed. The delay method includes determining resistance of an over-current flag pull-high resistor of the circuit system, generating a current according to the resistance of the over-current flag pull-high resistor and a voltage drop across the resistor, duplicating the current to generate a division current, drawing the division current from a charging current to determine an activation current of the output device, and determining the activation time point of the output device according to the activation current.
US08422175B1	Disk drive aperture channel Embodiments described herein relate to a disk drive coupler for reducing particulates in a disk drive. In some embodiments, the disk drive includes a first component having a top surface and a bottom surface, the first component defining an aperture with an interior surface between the top surface and the bottom surface, and a channel on at least one of the top surface, the bottom surface, and the interior surface. In some embodiments, the disk drive coupler includes a fastener configured to be received within the aperture and is configured to secure the first component to a second component. The channel is configured to permit the drawing of air from at least one of the aperture, the top surface, and the bottom surface of the first component before and after the fastener secures the first component to the second component.
US08422174B2	Head stack assembly and hard disk drive with the same An HSA comprises at least an HGA, a controlling circuit for controlling the HGA, and an actuator coil assembly comprising at least one top surface for mounting the HGA and a side surface for mounting the controlling circuit. The HGA has a first connection region parallel to the top surface, the first connection region has multiple first terminal pads formed thereon; the controlling circuit has a second connection region with multiple second terminal pads formed thereon, the second terminal pads are arranged in at least one row which is parallel to the top surface and the side surface, the first terminal pads are bonding to the corresponding second terminal pads to implement an electrical connection. The HSA has a compact structure as so to save space, and the connection way of the HGA and the controlling circuit is simple and solid.
US08422171B1	Disk drive head stack assembly having a laminar flexible printed circuit with a conductive bump extending to a second conductive layer A disk drive head stack assembly includes a laminar flexible printed circuit (FPC) having first and second conductive layers, with a dielectric layer between. An integrated circuit (IC) chip is mounted to the laminar FPC. The IC chip may have a first plurality of terminals closer to the first conductive layer than to the second conductive layer, and second plurality of terminals that is offset towards the second conductive layer relative to the first plurality of terminals. First and second pluralities of conductive bumps contact and connect conductive traces of the first and second conductive layers to the first and second plurality of terminals, respectively. An average height of the second plurality of conductive bumps may be greater than that of the first plurality of conductive bumps. The second plurality of conductive bumps is aligned with and passes through a plurality of openings through the dielectric layer.
US08422168B2	Magnetic write head having a self-aligned side wrap-around shield with multi-angle slanted bump A method for forming a magnetic write head having a trailing shield with a tapered and stepped, self aligned trailing magnetic shield. The shield has a tapered portion that tapers away from the write pole as it extends away from the ABS. This tapered portion helps to channel flux to the pole tip portion of the shield, while preventing the loss of write field to the shield. The stepped portion of the shield further helps to prevent the loss of write field and also defines a secondary throat height of the shield that can be accurately located relative to the air bearing surface.
US08422155B2	Sliding member structure and manufacturing method of the same A sliding member structure is stably operated by preventing rattling and achieves a decrease in cost. A male helicoid is provided in a fixed barrel, and a female helicoid is provided in a focus barrel. The focus barrel is made of a light-transmissive resin. The fixed barrel is made of a sliding material to which a curable material is not fixed. The fixed barrel and the focus barrel are set by a fixture to dispose the male helicoid and the female helicoid with a predetermined clearance, and the curable material is filled into the clearance between the male helicoid and the female helicoid. The curable material is cured by irradiating UV rays. A cured material layer is formed on a surface of the male helicoid.
US08422152B2	Lens barrel A lens barrel is provided that includes a zoom optical system, a zooming unit, and a light adjusting mechanism. The zoom optical system includes a first, a second, and a third lens group. The second lens group is movable in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis and configured to move the optical image in the same direction. The zooming unit causes the zoom optical system to perform a zooming operation. The lens barrel is configured to change between an imaging state and a retracted state. In the imaging state, the zooming operation is performed and all the lens groups are aligned with one another. During the zooming operation, the first and third lens groups move independently of each other, and the light adjusting mechanism moves integrally with the second lens group. In the retracted state, the third lens group is disposed off center from the optical axis.
US08422151B2	Wide-angle imaging lens module The wide-angle imaging lens module includes four lenses arranged from an object side to an image side in a sequence of: the first lens, having a positive refractive power, a convex surface on the object side and at least one aspheric surface; a diaphragm; the second lens, having a positive refractive power, a concave surface on the object side and at least one aspheric surface; the third lens, having a positive refractive power, a concave surface on the object side and at least one aspheric surface; the fourth lens, having a negative refractive power, a convex surface on the object side and at least one aspheric surface. The first and the second lenses perform a symmetry concave, providing the wider field of view angle and the larger aperture. A structural design that allows lenses to restrain better aberrations performances of aspheric surfaces further provides high-definition and high imaging qualities.
US08422148B2	Apparatus for shaping of laser radiation A device for shaping laser radiation, in particular for laser radiation emitted by a laser diode bar, has at least one substrate with a plurality of refractive boundary surfaces through which the laser radiation to be produced can pass in such a way that at least two partial beams of the laser radiation, which, prior to their passage, are adjacently arranged in a first direction, are adjacently arranged after their passage through the refractive boundary surfaces in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction. The refractive boundary surfaces are formed at a substrate or at substrates that are connected to one another.
US08422147B2	Image pickup lens and image pickup module The present invention provides an image pickup lens including first and second lenses each of which has an Abbe number of greater than 45, which image pickup lens is configured to satisfy the following inequalities (1) and (2): −0.62
US08422146B1	Imaging lens assembly An imaging lens assembly includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element with positive refractive power having a convex object-side surface, a second lens element with negative refractive power having a concave object-side surface and a concave image-side surface, a third lens element with positive refractive power having a concave object-side surface and a convex image-side surface, and a fourth lens element with negative refractive power having a concave object-side surface and a concave image-side surface. The third lens element and the fourth lens element are aspheric. The fourth lens element has at least one inflection point. By adjusting the distance between the second lens element and the first lens element as well as the thickness of the second lens element, the imaging lens assembly can be easy to be manufactured and assembled without decreasing its imaging quality.
US08422145B2	Image pickup lens for solid-state image pickup element Disclosed is a low-cost, compact image pickup lens for a solid-state image pickup element. The image pickup lens includes, in the order from an object side, a first lens L1, which has a convex surface facing the object side on an optical axis and has a positive refractive power; a second lens L2, which has a concave surface facing an image side on the optical axis and has a negative refractive power; a third lens L3, which has a convex surface facing the object side on the optical axis and has a meniscus shape; a fourth lens L4, which has a convex surface facing the image side on the optical axis, has a positive refractive power, and has a meniscus shape; and a fifth lens L5, which has a concave surface facing the image side on the optical axis, has a negative refractive power, and has a meniscus shape.
US08422142B2	Membrane device the membrane of which can be deformed by actuation with a fast response time Device including a membrane and a support defining a cavity containing a fluid, where the membrane includes an anchoring area to the support, a central area able to be deformed following a displacement of fluid and an actuation area between the anchoring and central areas, and means of actuation to apply stress to the membrane in the actuation area and cause a displacement of the fluid to the central area following an actuation. The cavity includes a main chamber in the central area and a peripheral chamber in the actuation area communicating with the main chamber. The peripheral chamber includes at least one forced flow structure favoring the flow of at least a part of the fluid from the peripheral chamber to the main chamber or vice versa following the actuation. A given forced flow structure has no attachment both to the support and to the membrane.
US08422139B2	Imaging lens and imaging module In order to attain an imaging lens whose resolution performance is totally excellent, the imaging lens is in a shape of rotation symmetry in an optical effective aperture, and an image height-MTF property of the imaging lens is designed such that a maximum MTF value of a peripheral region where the image height is greater than zero is greater than an MTF value of a center region where the image height is zero in at least one of a sagittal direction and a tangential direction. This makes it possible to totally maintain an excellent resolution performance of a product even in a case where the performance of the product becomes unstable due to a tolerance that occurs at the time of manufacturing the product.
US08422134B2	Dual pulsed light generation apparatus and method for dual pulsed lights generation thereof A dual pulsed light generation apparatus including a polarization beam splitter (PBS), a first polarization reflector, and a second polarization reflector is provided. The PBS has a first plane, a second plane, and a dividing interface located between the first plane and the second plane. The PBS is located in the transmission path of an incident pulsed light and used for dividing the incident pulsed light into a first polarization pulsed light reflected by the dividing interface and a second polarization pulsed light passing through the dividing interface. The first polarization reflector is disposed opposite to the first plane and transforms the first polarization pulsed light into a third polarization pulsed light passing through the dividing interface. The first polarization reflector is disposed opposite to the second plane.
US08422133B2	Optical layered body, polarizer, and image display device An optical layered body wherein the additive amount of the antistatic agent can be reduced leading to a cost reduction while achieving high antistatic property simply and at a low cost. An optical layered body including an optical layered body comprising a light-transmitting substrate and at least a hard coat layer and a low refractive index layer, firmed on the light-transmitting substrate, wherein 1) the low refractive index layer is formed on the outermost surface, and 2) the low refractive index layer contains an antistatic agent.
US08422131B2	Liquid elastic membrane prism and 3 dimension display device having the same A stereoscopic display is provided. The stereoscopic display is able to control a viewing position and make a viewing angel wide. On top of a display panel, an image is provided through a plurality of pixels and is separated to a left-eye image and a right-eye image by a lenticular lens. An elastic membrane prism array controls an angle of emitted light. An elastic membrane prism array is disposed on the lenticular lens or on and under the lenticular lens. The elastic membrane prism array includes a prism body having a first chamber and a second chamber, a wall disposed between the first and second chamber, a prism plate connected to the wall, a piston adapted for moving back-and-forth and a transporting tube disposed between the piston and the prism body.
US08422129B2	Apparatus for moving optical elements via plurality of balls An observation apparatus includes a first member 9 supporting first optical elements L1L and L1R, a second member 7 supporting second optical elements L4L and L4R and the first member via balls so as to be movable in an optical axis direction, and a biasing device 11 generating a biasing force for clamping the balls. The first and second members include guide portions 7a, 7b, 9a, and 9b engaging with first balls so as to permit a rolling motion of the two first balls 10a and 10b in the optical axis direction and prevent the first member from displacing with respect to the second member in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis direction, and ball holding portions 7c, 7d, 9c, and 9d holding second balls 10c and 10d so as to permit a rolling motion of the second balls in the optical axis direction.
US08422127B2	Microscopic image capturing device The present invention relates to a microscopic image capturing apparatus having a structure that, in scanning an imageable area of an imaging unit in a predetermined direction in an imaging object area, in which a sample is present, can reliably set a focal point of the imaging unit on each imaging position set inside the imaging object area regardless of the type of focusing actuator. The microscopic image capturing apparatus has a sample setting stage having a sample setting surface that is inclined with respect to a scan plane orthogonal to an optical axis of an objective lens. By moving the sample setting stage along the scan plane such that the distance in the optical axis direction between the imaging unit and the sample setting surface varies monotonously, the focal point position of the imaging unit is adjusted in only one direction along the optical axis of the objective lens.
US08422125B2	Self-collimator concave spectral shaping device for chirped-pulse-amplification A self-collimator concave spectral shaping device for chirped-pulse-amplification (CPA): uses a spectrum decomposing system with CTSI construction, a spectrum synthesizing system with CTSI structure that is symmetrical to the decomposing structure, and a spectrum shaping system including an aperture and a planar reflector for spectrum shaping function design. The device accomplishes the following functions: firstly decomposing the spectrum of a chirped temporal pulse laser to a spectral domain; then shaping the spectrum in the spectral domain; finally synthesizing un-shiftily this shaped spectrum in the spectral domain into a temporal chirped pulse with a designed shape. The device has the feature of requiring less optical components, compacting the structure, requiring less space, cheap in cost, and running stability, for its small size of concave reflector, and its self-collimation and its symmetrical distribution, which it can be not only utilized in a general laser spectrum shaping and spectrum modulation, but also can be utilized for a high energy and ultra-high peak-power laser system in chirped pulse amplification with a large caliber and with a chirped pulse bandwidth of a few nanometers.
US08422118B2	PLC-type delay demodulation circuit A PLC-type delay demodulation circuit includes a planar lightwave circuit that is provided on one PLC chip and demodulates a DQPSK signal. The planar lightwave circuit includes a Y-branch waveguide that branches a DQPSK-modulated optical signal into two optical signals and first and second MZIs that delay the branched optical signals by one bit. The length of a short arm waveguide of the first MZI is different from the length of a short arm waveguide of the second MZI, and the length of an optical path from the Y-branch waveguide to output ports of the first MZI through the short arm waveguide of the first MZI is equal to that of an optical path from the Y-branch waveguide to output ports of the second MZI through the short arm waveguide of the second MZI.
US08422117B2	Electrophoretic display and electronics device An electrophoretic display includes a first substrate and a second substrate; base portions which are provided in a display area on the first substrate such that any two mutually adjacent ones of the base portions are disposed so as to have an interspace therebetween; reflection plates which are provided on upper surfaces of the base portions, respectively; first electrodes which are overlapped with the reflection plates, respectively; second electrodes which are provided in the interspaces on the first substrate so as to correspond to the first electrodes, respectively; a sealing member which is provided between the first and second substrates so as to enclose the display area; and dispersion liquid which is provided between the first and second substrates, and which includes a dispersion medium, and electrophoretic particles dispersed in the dispersion medium, the electrophoretic particles having a color different from the reflection plate.
US08422116B2	Color display devices The present invention is directed to color display devices which are capable of displaying multiple color states. The display device comprises a plurality of display cells, wherein each of said display cells is (a) sandwiched between a first layer comprising a common electrode and a second layer comprising a plurality of driving electrodes, wherein at least one of the driving electrodes is a designated electrode, (b) filled with an electrophoretic fluid comprising at least two types of pigment particles dispersed in a solvent or solvent mixture, and (c) capable of displaying at least four color states. The display device may also comprise hiding layers or a brightness enhancement structure on the viewing side.
US08422115B2	Display device A display device is provided. The display device includes: a substrate including a unit display area, a fixing member that is formed on the substrate and that is electrically isolated, an insulating layer that is formed on the fixing member, a fixing electrode that is formed on the insulating layer and that is electrically connected to a power source, and a plurality of moving members with one end fixed to the insulating layer and positioned apart by a distance from the fixing electrode. The plurality of moving members and the fixing electrode are positioned within the unit display area.
US08422113B2	Panel including thermochromic layer A panel including a thermochromic layer. A panel includes a transparent substrate, a plurality of thermochromic layers on the transparent substrate, and a plurality of dielectric layers stacked with the thermochromic layers. The thermochromic layers may include vanadium oxide, in which a chemical stoichiometric ratio of vanadium to oxygen may be about 1:2 or about 2:5.
US08422112B2	Display system A display system 1 is composed of a ghost image reducing device 100 and an image device 10. The ghost image reducing device 100 comprises an image reflecting element 110 and a polarizing element 120. The image reflecting element 110 includes a substrate 112 and a phase modulating element 114 which is adjacent to the substrate 112 and has a reflecting surface 114a. The image device 10 generates a polarized image light P1 which is received by the reflecting surface 114a. Then, a portion of the polarized image light P1 is reflected by the reflecting surface 114a for producing a first reflecting polarized image light P2, another portion of the polarized light P1 is projected into the phase modulating element 114 and reflected by the substrate 112 for producing a second reflecting polarized image light S2 whose polarizing direction is different from that of the first reflecting polarized image light P2.
US08422105B2	Image forming apparatus including a display apparatus having a memory configured to retain settings concerning components forming a display component, a display control method, and a computer-readable recording medium thereof A display apparatus for displaying an information screen and an operation screen concerning an apparatus to which the display apparatus is connected, is disclosed, including: a screen display request receiving part, a display component creating part, and a display component drawing part. The screen display request receiving part receives a screen display request from the apparatus. The display component creating part creates a display component to display at a screen, in response to the screen display request received by the screen display request receiving part. The display component drawing part draws the display component created by the display component creating part.
US08422102B2	Preferred hue selection method for optimizing color image reproduction A method implemented in a color image reproduction system that includes a data processing apparatus having a non-transitory memory for storing a computer software program and a processor for executing the software program, wherein the program includes a program code configured to cause the data processing apparatus to execute a process for optimizing color image reproduction, which process includes the steps of finding preferred hue angles for a memory color, for each preferred hue angle determining a maximum chroma value of its hue slice, selecting two chroma points at a pre-determined percentage of the maximum chroma value, integrating a lightness function of chroma over a range between the two chroma points to calculate an area under a curve of the function, and selecting a preferred hue angle to be used as a gamut mapping target for the memory color based on the result of the area calculation.
US08422099B2	Image forming apparatus An image forming apparatus includes: an apparatus body; an image carrier unit that includes: a support member; and an image carrier that is rotatably supported by the support member and directly or indirectly carries images; a positioning part that is provided at the apparatus body and positions the image carrier unit by being abutted against the support member; a plurality of rotating bodies which are provided in the apparatus body; and a control unit that controls driving states of the plurality of rotating bodies, wherein the control unit controls the rotating bodies so that a resultant force of forces applied to the image carrier unit from the plurality of rotating bodies is always applied in a normal direction where the support member is abutted against the positioning part, in a period where the plurality of rotating bodies moves to a normal rotation state from a stopped state.
US08422098B2	Document data capturing device A document data capturing device includes a sheet supply tray for carrying documents, a sheet discharge tray located below the sheet supply tray, and a document conveying mechanism including a conveying path along which documents are guided from the sheet supply tray to the sheet discharge tray. The document data capturing device includes a first data-capturing unit and a second data-capturing unit which scan respective sides of a document conveyed by the document conveying mechanism. The first data-capturing unit and the second data-capturing unit are each configured with a reduction-optics scanning mechanism. The conveying path along which a document to be scanned by the first and second scanning mechanisms is conveyed is formed to surround the second reduction-optics data-capturing unit. Thus, the device can be made compact.
US08422094B2	Illumination device An illumination device comprising: an optical guide for receiving light emitted from a light source and guiding the light by repetitive transmission and reflection; a reflective member for reflecting light transmitting in the optical guide to an outside of the optical guide within the optical guide; a supplemental reflective member for reflecting light transmitting the reflective member and light leaked from the optical guide while evading the optical guide to an inside of the optical guide, transmitting the reflective member and light leak.
US08422093B2	Light projection unit, image reading device including same, and image forming apparatus including the image reading device A light projection unit includes a substrate, a plurality of light emitting elements arrayed on the substrate in a main scanning direction and including light emitting surfaces, a light guide facing the light emitting surfaces to direct light projected from the light emitting elements onto an illumination target and including a first positioning portion, and a holder including a second positioning portion that engages the first positioning portion of the light guide to position the light guide on the holder. The first positioning portion of the light guide is positioned between centers of light emission of adjacent light emitting elements in the main scanning direction of the substrate when the first positioning portion engages the second positioning portion of the holder.
US08422092B2	Illuminating device, image-reading apparatus, and image-forming equipment An embodiment of the present invention provides an illuminating device that is disposed in an image-reading apparatus and image-forming equipment, including a light-source portion on one side; a light-source portion on the other side; and a long translucent light-guiding member having a light-discharging face long in a longitudinal direction thereof, and guiding light derived from the one light-source portion from one end face in the longitudinal direction, and light derived from the other light-source portion from the other end face in the longitudinal direction so that the guided light is irradiated to an object through the long light-discharging face; wherein the one and the other light-source portions are arranged such that positions of optical axes thereof differ from each other in a direction that is parallel to a light-irradiated face of the object and in a direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the light-guiding member.
US08422091B2	Image reading apparatus, image data output processing apparatus, and image reading method Carried out are (i) an infrared light scanning process in which light is directed to a document in a state in which a visible light cut filter is provided in an optical path, in which the light is directed from a light source to the document, reflected from the document, and then received by a light receiving element, so that the light receiving element receives the reflected light from the document and prepares image data S1; (ii) a visible light scanning process in which the light is directed to the document in a state in which no visible light cut filter is provided in the optical path, so that the light receiving element receives the reflected light from the document and prepares image data S2; and (iii) a color correction process in which a color of an image in the image data S2 is corrected in accordance with the image data S1 so that an influence of light having a infrared wavelength is removed or reduced from the image data S2. According to this, regardless of document paper types, document image data whose color tone is closer to a document color tone sensed by human eyes.
US08422090B2	Image capture of subject region and control region A device includes a processing system having a processor and a memory and an image capture component coupled to the processing system. The image capture component is configured to receive an image of a subject region within a field of view and an image of a control region within the field of view. The processing system is configured to process the image of the control region as a user input for processing the image of the subject region.
US08422085B2	Image reader and image forming apparatus There are provided an image reader with high resolution capability for images in a high density range and an image forming apparatus. An image reader 2 comprises a reflected light reading unit (11, 12, 13, 14, 10) for irradiating a surface to be read of an original sheet with a light and reading the amount of the reflected light and a transmitted light reading unit (15, 12, 13, 14, 10) for irradiating the original sheet with a light and reading the amount of the transmitted light, and calculates the density of an image of the original sheet based on the amount of the reflected light read by the reflected light reading unit and the amount of the transmitted light read by the transmitted light reading unit.
US08422072B2	Image forming system and a sheet processing apparatus thereof that communicates configuration information to an image forming apparatus thereof An image forming system capable of shortening the time required to process configuration information on an image forming system and shortening communication time. When any of sheet processing apparatuses is activated before activation of an image forming apparatus, a controller of a sheet processing apparatus acting as a sub-manager configures a sub-system consisting of sheet processing apparatuses connected to a communication network and creates configuration data on the sub-system. When recognizing that the image forming apparatus is newly connected to the network, the sub-manager apparatus notifies the image forming apparatus of the already created configuration data based on which a controller of the image forming apparatus creates configuration data on the system and stores it into a RAM.
US08422071B2	Information conversion method, information conversion apparatus, and information conversion program Reproduction can be adjusted according to the degree of achromatopsia and the color distribution of an image, and color reproduction approximate to the vision of normal persons is provided to achromates. Different textures are added to respective regions (similar and hardly indistinguishable regions) which have different colors but conduce to similar result of light-reception by a light receiving device according to the differences of the original colors. The textures include a pattern of angle, hatching, or contrast each different according to the difference of the original color.
US08422069B2	Image forming device creating a preview image An image forming device may be provided with a setting data storage device, a preview image creation device, and an output device. The setting data storage device may be capable of storing a plurality of patterns of setting data. The preview image creation device may create, for each pattern of setting data stored in the setting data storage device, a preview image to which the pattern of setting data is reflected. The output device may output the plurality of preview images created by the preview image creation device.
US08422065B2	Print data output apparatus and method An external storage unit managing system that specifies an external storage unit related to use from a plurality of the external storage units. The external storage unit managing system includes: an external storage unit retrieval unit that recognizes the external storage units connected to a print data output apparatus; and an external storage unit deciding unit that decides the desired external storage unit in a case where a plurality of the external storage units are retrieved by the external storage unit retrieval unit.
US08422064B2	Image-reading method and apparatus An image-reading apparatus and method for controlling the image-reading apparatus including a document plate where an original document is placed, a line image sensor that reads an image on the document plate by scanning to obtain image data, a reference-setting image that is placed outside a region of the document plate at a position where the line image sensor is able to read the reference-setting image, and a control unit configured to set a reference position when the image sensor reads the image, wherein the control unit detects the reference-setting image from the image data and, depending on a power-on state of the image-reading apparatus, selects the manner in which the reference position is set based on the reference-setting image.
US08422060B2	Document path mapping mechanism A method disclosed. The method includes receiving a Job Definition Format (JDF) job ticket indicating a document file to be printed is located in a JDF file path, mapping the JDF file path to a file path recognized at a print server, retrieving the document file and processing the document file for printing.
US08422058B2	Mutualistic engine controller A printing device has a printing engine that is at least partially made up of a customer replaceable unit or units. An engine controller is operatively connected to the printing engine. The engine controller uses software to control the operations of the printing engine. A non-volatile memory is operatively connected to the engine controller. The non-volatile memory stores values used by the engine controller to control operations of the printing engine. An adapter card is operatively connected to the non-volatile memory and to the customer replaceable units. The customer replaceable unit has a memory unit and the adapter card reads data from the memory unit. The adapter card uses the data to directly alter values within the non-volatile memory by bypassing the engine controller when communicating with the non-volatile memory. Further, the adapter card alters the non-volatile memory without altering the software used by the engine controller.
US08422057B2	Apparatus and method for manufacturing the same An apparatus is provided which includes a storage unit configured to store original data; a determining unit configured to determine whether or not a user who gives an instruction to transmit the original data to another apparatus is the creator of the original data when the original data is transmitted to the other apparatus; and a transmitting unit configured, as a result of the determination by the determining unit, if the user is the creator of the original data, to transmit the original data in a data format that allows editing by the other apparatus; and if the user is not the creator of the original data, to transmit the original data in a data format that disables editing by the other apparatus.
US08422048B2	Image forming apparatus and method An image forming apparatus associates a plurality of pieces of user information with a single user identifier, and furthermore, stores keys corresponding to keys that are used for signing in association with the respective pieces of user information. Furthermore, when a user uses the image forming apparatus, jobs for which user information attached to the jobs matches user information that is identified when the user uses the image forming apparatus are extracted, signature verification is performed on respective pieces of signature data attached to the extracted jobs, using the keys held in a user information table, and jobs that are successfully verified are further extracted and listed.
US08422044B2	Print control method capable of managing functions incorporated in printing device When a printer driver of a user's PC connected to a printing device is activated, it transmits user information, division information and the like to the printing device, and inquires about any restriction on its functions. The printer driver acquires, from the printing device, information regarding a restriction set on a user or on a division, a restriction due to a configuration and a restriction set for a period, as well as a message input by an administrator. It displays the functions of the printing device on a screen presented upon activation of the driver, in such a manner that the function of which the use is restricted is grayed out to indicate that the function is unusable, and also displays the type of the restriction and the corresponding message input by the administrator.
US08422042B2	Terminal device A communication device has a process unit, a network interface, a communication interface, an interface control unit, a device control unit, and a relay unit. The network interface communicates with a terminal device connected to a network. The communication interface communicates with a locally connected peripheral device. The interface control unit controls the communication interface and transmits control data to the peripheral device, the control data being for controlling the peripheral device. The device control unit generates the control data for the peripheral device in accordance with an instruction entered from the processing unit, and transmits the control data to the interface control unit. The relay unit extracts the control data for the peripheral device from a packet received by the network interface, and transmits the control data to the interface control unit.
US08422034B2	Method and apparatus for using gestures to control a laser tracker A method for optically communicating, from a user to a laser tracker, a command to control operation of the laser tracker includes steps of providing a rule of correspondence between each of a plurality of commands and each of a plurality of spatial patterns, and selecting by the user a first command from among the plurality of commands. The method further includes the steps of moving by the user, between a first time and a second time, a retroreflector in a first spatial pattern from among the plurality of spatial patterns, wherein the first spatial pattern corresponds to the first command, and projecting a first light from the laser tracker to the retroreflector. The method also includes the steps of reflecting a second light from the retroreflector, the second light being a portion of the first light, and obtaining first sensed data by sensing a third light, the third light being a portion of the second light, wherein the first sensed data is obtained by the laser tracker between the first time and the second time. The method includes also the steps of determining the first command based at least in part on processing the first sensed data according to the rule of correspondence, and executing the first command with the laser tracker.
US08422029B2	Test method for surface figure of large convex mirrors A method of testing a convex mirror surface figure in which an optical quality substrate material is used having a convex front surface and a rear surface polished to a precise optical figure to create a lens. The lens is then tested by a standard interferometric or wavefront lens-testing method and the convex surface coated once a desired curvature is obtained. Null testing may be attained by passing a collimated interferometer beam through a focusing lens shaped to counter the predicted spherical aberration introduced by a perfect convex mirror/lens.
US08422027B2	Imaging optical system for producing control information regarding lateral movement of an image plane or an object plane A new and useful concept is provided by which control information for an imaging optical system such as a lithographic imaging optical system can be generated. A system and method are disclosed that are designed to detect changes in the lateral position of an image plane or object plane in an imaging optical system, particularly a lithographic imaging optical system.
US08422025B2	Optical encoder for obtaining displacement information of object An optical encoder includes a light source 10, a scale 20 disposed so as to face the light source, a light receiving element 31 configured to receive luminous flux from the light source through the scale, and a signal processing circuit 39 configured to process an output signal of the light receiving element. A light emitting window 11 of the light source is constituted of a collection of a plurality of point light sources and has a shape which meets a predetermined expression.
US08422024B2	High performance hollow-core optical-fiber filter for optical rotation sensing A hollow-core optical-fiber filter is provided. The hollow-core optical-fiber filter includes a hollow-core optical fiber having a first end-face and an opposing second end-face. The first end-face and the second end-face set a fiber length. The hollow-core optical-fiber filter also includes a first reflective end-cap positioned at the first end-face and a second reflective end-cap positioned at the second end-face. When an optical beam from a laser is coupled into one of the first end-face or the second end-face, an optical output from the opposing end-face has a narrow linewidth and low frequency noise fluctuations.
US08422023B2	Compact high resolution imaging apparatus An optical coherence tomography (OCT) apparatus includes an optical source, an interferometer generating an object beam and a reference beam, a transverse scanner for scanning an object with said object beam, and a processor for generating an OCT image from an OCT signal returned by said interferometer. At least the optical source, the interferometer, and the scanner are mounted on a common translation stage displaceable towards and away from said object. A dynamic focus solution is provided when the scanner and a folded object path are placed on the translation stage.
US08422019B2	Light measuring apparatus and light measuring method A light with a known spectrum is emitted from a light source toward a road surface, a first reflected light that is a reflected light of the known light reflected from the road surface is received by a first light receiver, and a reflectance spectrum of the light of the road surface is calculated from a spectrum of the first reflected light received by the first light receiver and the spectrum of the known light stored in the storage unit. A second reflected light that is reflected light of an environmental light reflected from the road surface is received by a second light receiver, and a spectrum of the environmental light is calculated from a spectrum of the second reflected light received by the second light receiver and the calculated reflectance spectrum of the light of the road surface.
US08422016B2	Non-contact and contact color sensor device An apparatus for color sensing is disclosed. The apparatus includes a set of color sensor tolerances for a Non-Contact color sensor device; and a Contact color sensor device, conforming to the set of color sensor tolerances.
US08422015B2	Movable body apparatus, pattern formation apparatus and exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method On the +X and −X sides of a projection unit, a plurality of Z heads are arranged in parallel to the X-axis, by a distance half or less than half the effective width of the Y scale so that two Z heads each constantly form a pair and face a pair of Y scales. Of the pair of heads consisting of two Z heads which simultaneously face the scale, measurement values of a priority head is used, and when abnormality occurs in the measurement values of the priority head due to dust and the like adhering on the scale surface, measurement values of the other head is used, and the positional information of the stage in at least the Z-axis direction is measured in a stable manner and with high precision.
US08422014B2	Method for inspecting defect of article to be inspected A method of inspecting defects in an inspection target includes (1) a step of supplying a particle-containing gas to one end face of the inspection target under pressure, applying in parallel a first laser beam to the vicinity of the other end face of the inspection target, and photographing such end face from a position vertical to such end face, (2) a step of supplying a particle-containing gas to the one end face of the inspection target under pressure, applying in parallel a second laser beam to the vicinity of the other end face of the inspection target, and photographing such end face from a position vertical to such end face, and (3) a step of specifying defects in the inspection target from photographic results obtained by the steps (1) and (2).
US08422013B2	Optical multiplexer/demultiplexer An apparatus for optical spectrometry utilizes a simplified construction, reducing the number of independent optical elements needed while providing a sizeable dispersed spectrum. The apparatus provides a spectral intensity distribution of an input source wherein individual spectral components in the source can be measured and, in some embodiments, can be manipulated or filtered.
US08422011B2	Two material achromatic prism A spectrometer comprises a detector array and a prism. The prism comprises a first prism element comprising a substantially crystalline crown material, and a second prism element contacting the first prism element, the second prism element comprising a substantially crystalline flint material. The spectrometer further includes optics configured to direct light at least twice through the prism. The prism is configured to disperse light received from the optics at an incident angle therethrough into constituent spectra in visible and infrared wavelength bands that are dispersed from the prism at angles offset from the incident angle. The constituent spectra are directed onto the detector array with approximately equal dispersion across the visible and infrared wavelength bands. Among other things, desirable material selections for the first and second prism elements are also disclosed.
US08422005B2	Method and apparatus for multiple field-angle optical alignment testing Various embodiments provide an optical alignment apparatus that includes a mirror structure having a plurality of mirrors, the mirror structure being configured for mounting a lens. The plurality of mirrors are arranged so as to redirect a collimated beam of radiation into the lens at different angles so as to measure one or more alignment parameter of the lens.
US08422004B1	Automotive headlamp aiming insensitive to intensity variations A headlamp aiming system is provided for aiming a headlamp of a vehicle. An aimer includes a CCD camera for receiving illumination produced by the headlamp to produce a beam pattern image. A controller receives the beam pattern image from the aimer to determine an aiming correction to move the detected beam pattern to a predetermined position. An adjuster is operatively coupled to the vehicle for executing adjustments of the headlamp in response to the aiming correction. The CCD camera captures an initial image using an initial exposure time, measures a light accumulation value corresponding to the initial image, determines a final exposure time in response to the measured light accumulation value and a predetermined light accumulation value, and captures the beam pattern image using the final exposure time.
US08422001B2	Method of measuring the velocity of an aircraft by laser doppler anemometry Method of measuring the velocity of an aircraft at a given instant, by laser Doppler anemometry, by performing the steps of acquiring a backscattered signal on at least three oriented line-of-sight axes, and calculating the spectrum of the backscattered signal on each of the line-of-sight axes. Further, acquiring an additional backscattered signal on at least one additional line-of-sight axis (X4) not coincident with one of the three first line-of-sight axes (X1, X2, X3), and calculating the spectrum of the backscattered signal on the additional line-of-sight axis (X4). Several candidate velocity vectors ({right arrow over (V)}c) and of the projections of the candidate vectors on at least one line-of-sight axis (X1, X2, X3, X4) are calculated. The consistency of the candidate vectors ({right arrow over (V)}c) is calculated as a function of their projections and as a function of each spectrum of the corresponding backscattered signal on the respective calculation axis (X1, X2, X3, X4). The measured velocity vector ({right arrow over (V)}c) is chosen from among the candidate velocity vectors ({right arrow over (V)}c).
US08421999B2	Projection exposure apparatus and projection exposure method Exposure areas are wholly overlapped by moving a gradient refractive index lens array in a direction perpendicular to a scanning direction, or by providing a plurality of gradient refractive index lens arrays, an optical filter having a density distribution of lightness and darkness to compensate light transmission nonuniformity of the gradient refractive index lens array is arranged, or an opening control plate for limitedly using only of a uniform portion is provided. Two or more means may be simultaneously provided among the aforementioned mean. Moreover, any one of a microscopic transmission shutter array, a microscopic reflection shutter array, and a microscopic light emitter array is used instead of a mask, or an illuminating device and the mask.
US08421995B2	Anti-reflective coating for optical elements An optical element including an anti-reflective coating is provided. The optical element includes a silicon substrate and a reflective layer disposed onto a first portion of the surface of the silicon substrate. An anti-reflective layer is disposed onto a second portion of the surface of the silicon substrate such that destructive interference at the anti-reflective layer substantially reduces any reflection of radiation incident on the anti-reflective layer.
US08421991B2	Conversion of cinema theatre to a super cinema theatre Methods of and equipment for converting existing standard motion picture theatres to one having highly immersive, large fields of view are addressed. Aspects of the methods including moving motion picture screens closer to the audience and employing different projection equipment to avoid or minimize appearance of unrealistic or non-natural image artifacts. Alternative sound systems too are detailed.
US08421990B2	Liquid crystal lens A liquid crystal lens includes a first light-pervious plate, a second light-pervious plate, a first electrode layer arranged on the first light-pervious plate, a second electrode layer arranged on the second light-pervious plate, and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first light-pervious plate and the second light-pervious plate, where the first electrode layer comprises a plurality of concentric electrodes, and a gap between two adjacent outer concentric electrodes is different from a gap between two adjacent inner concentric electrodes.
US08421989B2	Liquid crystal lens A liquid crystal lens including a plurality of electrodes and a substrate is provided. A plurality of parallel electric fields is formed by controlling the potentials of the electrodes, so as to speed up the mechanism for toppling the liquid crystal molecules. In other words, the liquid crystal lens has a high respond time. In addition, a plurality of active devices is disposed at the sides of the electrodes in the liquid crystal lens, in which the active devices are electrically connected to the electrodes. When the active devices are driven, a current is formed on the electrodes, so as to raise the temperature of the liquid crystal lens. Accordingly, the liquid crystal lens can be operated in a low temperature environment.
US08421988B2	Liquid crystal panel, manufacturing method of liquid crystal panel, and applicator A liquid crystal panel 10 includes a pair of substantially rectangular substrates 17, 18 attached to each other, a liquid crystal layer 19 provided between the substrates 17, 18, and a sealant portion 20 having a substantially frame-like shape surrounding and sealing the liquid crystal layer 19. The sealant portion 20 includes an oblique portion 34 arranged oblique to the sides of the substrate 17, 18, at each of the four corners thereof. The liquid crystal panel 10 further includes a reinforcing portion 35 fixed to both substrates 17, 18. The reinforcing portion 35 is arranged along a planar direction of the substrate 17, 18 so as to be located between the oblique portion 34 and a corner point of the substrate 17, 18.
US08421986B2	Substrate with multi-domain vertical alignment pixel structure and fabricating method thereof, liquid crystal display panel and liquid crystal display A substrate with a multi-domain vertical alignment pixel structure is provided. The substrate is opposite to a counter substrate with a common electrode, and a liquid crystal layer is disposed between the substrate and the counter substrate. The substrate includes a scan line and a data line, an active device, first and second patterned pixel electrodes and a voltage drop layer. Wherein, the first patterned pixel electrode provides a first electrical field to the liquid crystal layer, and the second patterned pixel electrode provides a second electrical field to the liquid crystal layer. The voltage drop layer makes the first electrical field smaller than the second electrical field.
US08421983B2	Liquid crystal display (LCD) panel and method of manufacturing the same A liquid crystal display panel comprises an upper substrate including a plurality of color filters, a lower substrate comprising a plurality of circuit lines, and a sealant for adhering the upper substrate and the lower substrate to each other. A seal area black matrix transmitting ultraviolet (UV) light rays for curing the sealant is formed in the upper substrate. The seal area black matrix is formed by stacking the plurality of color filters in a seal area.
US08421981B2	Display panel and pixel array substrate with connecting wires having through-opening A display panel having a display region and a sealant region is provided. The display panel includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a sealant and a display medium. The sealant is disposed between the first and second substrates and within the sealant region. The display medium is disposed between the first and second substrates and within the display region. The second substrate includes pixel units and wires electrically connected to the pixel units. The pixel units are disposed within the display region, the wires extend to the sealant region from the display region, and at least a portion of the wires in the sealant region has slots. In particular, each of the slots has a side edge adjacent to the edge of the wire which the slot is disposed therein, and the distances from the side edge to the edge of the wire are not equal.
US08421979B2	Display panel and display device including the same A drive IC chip (21) including a circuit for driving a display region (41) is mounted on a panel substrate (11). An anisotropic conductive film (31) is interposed between the panel substrate (11) and the drive IC chip (21) and electrically connects the bump electrodes (22) of the drive IC chip (21) and the electrode pads (27) of the panel substrate (11). The anisotropic conductive film (31) is arranged to extend beyond all side surfaces (21b to 21d) other than one specific side surface (21a) of the drive IC chip (21).
US08421975B2	Liquid crystal display device The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device which can suppress generation of an afterimage. The present invention is a liquid crystal display device, includes: a first substrate and a second substrate which are disposed to face each other; and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the first substrate has a comb type first electrode including a first branch portion and a comb type second electrode including a second branch portion, the first electrode and the second electrode are planarly disposed to face each other in a pixel, the liquid crystal layer includes p-type nematic liquid crystals and is driven by an electric field generated between the first electrode and the second electrode, the p-type nematic liquid crystals are aligned perpendicularly to the first substrate and second substrate surfaces when no voltage is applied, the first branch portion and the second branch portion extend diagonally with respect to a boundary line between adjacent pixels, and a distance between the first electrode and the second electrode is substantially uniform in an area surrounding an end of the first branch portion.
US08421973B2	Liquid crystal display device A sealant contains a plurality of conductive members, and is formed in a closed pattern, when viewed from a direction normal to a surface of a first substrate or a second substrate. A second electrode is formed on a surface located on the first substrate side of the second substrate, and a first electrode, which is provided so as to face a part of the second electrode, and is electrically connected to the second electrode through the conductive members contained in the sealant, is formed over the first substrate. The first electrode is provided so as to at least partially overlap a crossing portion of the sealant.
US08421968B2	Liquid crystal display apparatus and electronic apparatus Disclosed herein is a liquid crystal display apparatus in which a transmission region and a reflection region disposed in parallel. The apparatus includes first and second substrates and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second substrates. The second substrate has at least a counter electrode, an interlayer insulating film and a pixel electrode for forming a fringe field for driving molecules of the liquid crystal. At least one parameter relating to the interlayer insulating film formed on the second substrate is set different between the transmission region side interlayer insulating film and the reflection region side interlayer insulating film so that driving voltages for the transmission and reflection regions are substantially equal to each other.
US08421965B2	Liquid crystal panel having a multi-gap structure and liquid crystal display apparatus The present invention provides a color liquid crystal panel in an e-mode of an IPS mode, which has a multi-gap structure, and in which a contrast in an oblique direction is enhanced.
US08421964B2	Liquid crystal display device A liquid crystal display device includes a TFT substrate having a display area in which pixels each wutg a pixel electrode and a TFT are arranged in a matrix form, a counter substrate disposed opposite to the TFT substrate, a sealing material formed in the periphery to bond the TFT substrate and the counter substrate, and a liquid crystal layer interposed between an orientation film formed on the TFT substrate and an orientation film formed on the counter substrate. A first, second or third color filter is formed corresponding to each of the pixels in the display area of the TFT substrate, and an orientation film stopper is formed by an overlapping portion of the first, second or third color filter, outside of the display area. A profile of the orientation film formed on the TFT substrate is defined by the orientation film stopper.
US08421963B2	Liquid crystal display device with a transparent material layer and a light-shielding layer of same height and method for fabricating the same An LCD device and a method for fabricating the same is described, in which each of light-shielding patterns has the uniform thickness to prevent the step coverage from being generated in color filter patterns by the light-shielding patterns. The LCD device includes a substrate with pixel and light shielding regions defined, a transparent material layer formed on the substrate corresponding to the pixel regions, a light-shielding layer formed on the substrate corresponding to the light shielding regions, and a color filter layer on the transparent material layer.
US08421962B2	Color filter and method for manufacturing color filter There is provided a color filter which can be manufactured by a simplified process and which will not short-circuit an electrode of a TFT substrate. The color filter includes a substrate, and a red layer, a green layer and a blue layer, formed on the substrate. When forming the green layer and the blue layer, these layers are not only formed on the substrate, but also laminated on the red layer to form a spacer comprised of the green layer and the blue layer, laminated on the red layer. The color filter further includes a transparent electrode layer which covers the substrate, the red layer, the green layer, the blue layer and the spacer, and an insulating black matrix layer formed on predetermined areas of the transparent electrode layer.
US08421961B2	Active device array substrate and fabrication method thereof An active device array substrate including a substrate, a plurality of scan lines, a plurality of data lines, a plurality of active devices, a first passivation layer, a transparent pad layer, a plurality of color filter patterns, a second passivation layer, a plurality of pixel electrodes, and a black matrix layer is provided. Each of the active devices is electrically connected to one of the scan lines and one of the data lines, respectively. The transparent pad layer having a plurality of openings for accommodating the color filter patterns is disposed on the first passivation layer located above the scan lines and the data lines. The first passivation layer, the color filter patterns and the second passivation layer have a plurality of contact windows therein. The black matrix layer is disposed above the transparent pad layer to cover a portion of the pixel electrodes.
US08421958B2	Backlight module and liquid crystal display device A backlight module is disclosed in the present disclosure. The backlight module comprises a reflective sheet, a printed circuit board (PCB), a diffuser plate and a supporting structure. The reflective sheet is attached onto the PCB, and the supporting structure is located between the diffuser plate and the reflective sheet. The supporting structure comprises a body portion and a supporting portion, and the PCB comprises an adapter member. By using the adapter member and the supporting structure in the backlight module of the present disclosure, the supporting structure can make contact with the PCB in a large area and support the diffuser plate stably. Further, a liquid crystal display (LCD) device using the backlight module described above is also disclosed in the present disclosure.
US08421957B2	Illuminating device and liquid-crystal display device using the same A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal panel and an illuminating device having a plurality of LED packages which include LED's and a lens. Each LED package includes a high refractive index member containing a substance having a larger refractive index than that of a material forming the lens and which seals the LED. The lens is shaped to have a recess near its center, and is shaped so that a moving radius increases as a polar angle increases within a range of 0 to 80 degrees. The moving radius is defined as a distance starting from the lens center and ending in the lens surface, and the polar angle is defined as an angle that is made by the moving radius to the center axis that is vertical to a plane on which said LED package is located and passing through the center of the lens.
US08421956B2	Composite color separation system A composite color separation system, comprises: a light control module, a light guide module and a light splitting module. The light control module has a lighting unit and a lens unit, in which the lighting unit includes an array of lighting elements whereas there are at least two types of lighting elements in the array for emitting at least two beams of different wavelengths. The light from the lighting unit is directed to enter the lens unit before being discharged out of the light control module. The light guide module comprises: a first light incident surface, for receiving the beams from the light control module; a first light emergence surface; and a light guide structure, for guiding the beams to the first light emergence surface where they are discharged out of the light guide module to the light splitting module. The light splitting module is used for splitting the beams.
US08421955B2	Liquid crystal display device An LCD device using LEDs as light sources provided herein is capable of reducing the manufacturing cost and the power consumption by a reduction in the number of LEDs used. A backlight according to the present invention includes LEDs mounted on a wiring board and a light guide plate having a matrix array of light guide plate blocks assigned the LEDs. The number of LEDs assigned to the block located in a peripheral area is smaller than the number assigned to the block located around the center to reduce the number of LEDs used in the backlight. If a ratio of the brightness in a peripheral area of the screen to the brightness in a central area is 60% or higher, the human eye does not perceive non-uniform luminance. Thus, the manufacturing cost and the power consumption of the LCD device can be reduced.
US08421954B1	Reflective liquid crystal display device having an auxiliary light source device with a uniform light distribution An auxiliary light source device for a reflective liquid crystal display device includes a light source; a light directing member for directing incident light from the light source toward the reflective liquid crystal display device, the directing member having upper and lower surfaces, the lower surface having a plurality of convex portions protruding from the lower surface of the display device, each of the convex portions having a substantially planar surface at its end, the planar surface of the convex portion being substantially parallel to the lower surface; and a light reflecting member which guides light from the light source into the light directing member.
US08421953B2	Backlight unit and liquid crystal display device having the same A backlight unit with advantages of being thin and of reducing manufacturing time is disclosed.The backlight unit includes: a plurality of LEDs driven to be divided into at least two channels; a metal PCB loaded with the plurality of LEDs and configured to include a single layer structure; and a plurality of pad portions formed on the metal PCB and defined into the channels. The plurality of pad portions is separated by different distances from top/bottom edge lines of the metal PCB according to the channels.
US08421948B2	Backlight unit A device and a backlight unit includes a bottom cover; a module substrate on the bottom cover; at least one light emitting diode on the module substrate; and a fastening unit fastening the module substrate to the bottom cover.
US08421947B2	Liquid crystal display module, display device set including the same, and method of assembling liquid crystal display module A liquid crystal display (“LCD”) module includes a liquid crystal panel, a mold frame provided below the liquid crystal panel and supporting the liquid crystal panel, a light guide plate provided below the mold frame, and a light source assembly coupled to an outside of the mold frame to accommodate the light guide plate therein, the light source assembly partially inserted into the mold frame, and supplying light to the light guide plate.
US08421944B2	Display device substrate, display device, and wiring substrate The present invention provides a display device substrate, a display device, and a wiring substrate, each permitting more flexible wiring design and a reduction in area of wirings with suppressing wiring defects.The present invention is a display device substrate including, on a main surface of a substrate, a structure of alternating layers of: a plurality of interlayer insulating films; and three or more wiring layers, wherein the display device substrate includes a data wiring, and the data wiring is positioned in a third or higher wiring layer from a side of the substrate.
US08421943B2	Liquid crystal display device having a third electrode formed over a second insulating film and overlapped with a pair of gate lines A display device including a thin film transistor having a semiconductor layer comprising an i-type semiconductor and an impurity doped semiconductor laminated over a first insulating film, a first electrode formed over the semiconductor layer, and a second electrode formed by a part of a data line. A second insulating film is formed over the data line and the transistor and a third electrode is formed over the second insulating film and overlapped with a gate line. In a cross section of an end portion of the first electrode in a direction of a length of a channel, the impurity doped semiconductor extends a minimum distance of 0.2 μm beyond the first electrode in the direction of a length of a channel of the transistor and the i-type semiconductor extends beyond the impurity doped semiconductor in the direction of a length of a channel.
US08421942B2	Active matrix substrate, liquid crystal panel, liquid crystal display device, liquid crystal display unit, and television receiver Provided are an active matrix substrate including plural pixel electrodes in a pixel region and a liquid crystal display device (pixel division mode) using the same. Proposed is a configuration of the liquid crystal display device of the capacitor-coupled pixel division mode which hardly causes reduction in display quality due to image-sticking of sub-pixels. The active matrix substrate includes: a data signal line (15x); scanning signal lines (16a and 16b); a transistor (12a) connected to the data signal line (15x) and scanning signal line (16a); a transistor (12b) connected to the data signal line (15x) and scanning signal line (16b); and pixel electrodes (17a and 17b) provided in a pixel region (101), the pixel electrode (17a) being connected to the data signal line (15x) via the transistor (12a), the pixel electrode (17b) being connected to the pixel electrode (17a) via a capacitor and the data signal line (15x) via the transistor (12b), and the transistors (12a and (12b) have identical W/L ratios of channels (each ratio of width W to length L of channel). The present invention can be configured with identical channel sizes without adjusting W/L ratios of channels of the transistors unlike a conventional configuration. Accordingly, deterioration of display quality due to variation in characteristics of transistors can be suppressed.
US08421932B2	Apparatus and method for speech recognition, and television equipped with apparatus for speech recognition An embodiment of an apparatus for speech recognition includes a speech input unit configured to acquire acoustic signal, a first recognition unit configured to recognize the acoustic signal, a communication unit configured to communicate with an external server, a second recognition unit configured to recognize the acoustic signal by utilizing the external server via the communication unit, and a remote signal input unit configured to acquire a control signal from a remote controller. The switching unit is configured to switch between the first recognition unit and the second recognition unit for recognizing the acoustic signal in response to a start trigger. The switching unit selects the second recognition unit when the start trigger is detected from the control signal, and the switching unit selects the first recognition unit when the start trigger is detected from the acoustic signal.
US08421920B2	Automatic quantization clock phase adjustable display apparatus The method adjusts the phase of a quantization clock signal for a video signal automatically based on a received analogue video signal. The method includes a step of determining a horizontal start position and a horizontal end position of a pixel-level transition within the analogue video signal, a step of determining a stable-period start position and a stable-period end position at each transition by sequentially changing an adjustable phase of the quantization clock signal, a step of calculating an appropriate phase of the quantization clock signal based on the determined timings of the beginning and end of the stable periods within the analogue signal, and a step of setting the phase of the quantization clock signal to the calculated appropriate phase.
US08421919B2	Method for displaying captions and associated embedded system A method for displaying captions and associated embedded system is provided. The method includes receiving a first caption image file and a first color index table with a first color quantity; receiving a second caption image file and a second color index table, offset-processing the second caption image file according to the first color quantity as an offset-processed second caption image file, and then storing the offset-processed second caption image file; address-shifting the second color index table according to the first color quantity, and storing the second color index table having been address-shift-processed; and displaying the first caption image file and the offset-processed second caption image file according to the first color index table and the second color index table, respectively.
US08421915B2	HD signal transmitting device, HD signal transmitting method, HD signal receiving device, and signal receiving method using a conventional interface For example, samples included in a frame constituted by a 3840×2160/24P,25P,30P/4:4:4,4:2:2,4:2:0/10,12-bit signal are mapped into first to fourth sub-images specified in the HD-SDI format, in units of two adjoining samples. Thus, it is possible to transmit through a transmission constitution for the HD-SDI format. The signal can be converted into serial digital data permitting a bit rate of 10.692 Gbps or the like and transmitted, and the receiving side can accurately reproduce original data.
US08421912B2	Imaging device An imaging device of the present invention, which is an imaging device for shooting images or video of a photographic subject, includes: an imaging element for taking an optical image of the photographic subject and generating image data therefrom; a main circuit board for conducting signal processing on the image data generated by the imaging element; an imaging element flexible cable that is connected to the main circuit board and on which the imaging element is mounted; a mount for fixing the imaging element and that includes a metallic component; a metal plate disposed between the imaging element and the main circuit board. The imaging element flexible cable includes an imaging element flexible cable GND which has a ground potential, and the imaging element flexible cable GND is connected to the metal plate.
US08421907B2	Imager that photographs an image using a rolling shutter An imager is provided having an imaging sensor and a focusing detector. The imaging sensor outputs image signals that have charges stored in one line of pixels. The focusing detector detects whether a subject image is in focus on said imaging sensor based on contrast values of frame image data for one image frame formed by the image signals. The imaging sensor changes a charge-storing period that is a time period for storing charges in a pixel, and lengthens the charge-storing period in the case of taking pictures under photographing conditions in which movement of a subject is expected.
US08421906B2	Method and digital imaging appliance adapted for selecting a focus setting A method for selecting a focus setting for a digital image acquisition appliance, the method comprising: acquiring a first image (350) with a first focus setting (100), acquiring a second image with a second focus setting (102), the second image being acquired sequentially with the first image, dividing the first image (350) into a first grid (104) of macroblocks (352), dividing the second image (106) into a second grid of macroblocks, determining a first zone (354) in the first grid of macroblocks and a second zone in the second grid of macroblocks (108) using a first predetermined selection criteria, calculating a macroblock shift (110) of the first zone with respect to the second zone to a sub-macroblock precision, calculating a first value of a figure-of-merit for the first image and a second value of the figure-of-merit for the second image (112), the first value being calculated using focus metric data obtained from macroblocks belonging to the first grid of macroblocks, the second value being calculated using focus metric data obtained from macroblocks belonging to the second grid of macroblocks, wherein the calculated first and second values have been corrected for the macroblock shift, selecting the focus setting (114) using a second predetermined selection criteria based on the first and second values of the figure-of-merit.
US08421899B2	Image pickup device, automatic focusing method, automatic exposure method, electronic flash control method and computer program An image pickup device provided with an automatic focusing function includes an image pickup unit, a face detection unit, a receive unit, and an automatic focusing control unit. The image pickup unit is configured to input image data corresponding to a subject. The face detection unit is configured to separately detect eyes, a nose, and a mouth of a human face from the image data input from the image pickup unit. The receive unit is configured to receive from a user a selection of any one of the eyes, the nose, or the mouth as a ranging area. The automatic focusing control unit is configured to perform automatic focusing control based on the ranging area selected by the user.
US08421897B2	Image capturing apparatus and control method therefor Edge components in a predetermined direction of a captured image are extracted to generate a waveform image representing the levels of the extracted edge components and the extracted positions. The waveform image is displayed with the captured image. For example, the operability and visibility for focusing in manual focusing can be improved.
US08421896B2	Electronic camera with plurality of imaging mode including a self imaging mode An electronic camera includes an imager. An imager repeatedly outputs image data representing a forward scene of a camera housing. A first requester requests a monitor having a screen directed to backward of the camera housing to display a moving image based on the image data outputted from the imager. A selector selects any one of a plurality of imaging modes including a self imaging mode in response to a mode selection operation. An adjuster adjusts an imaging condition in a manner to be adapted to the imaging mode selected by the selector. A restrictor restricts the display operation of the monitor after a first time period has elapsed since the timing of the mode selection operation, when the imaging mode selected by the selector is the self imaging mode.
US08421892B2	Solid-state imaging device and imaging apparatus A solid-state imaging device includes: an image area including pixels arranged in a matrix; two row memories each of which alternatively (i) stores at a time pixel signals for each of rows, and (ii) sequentially provides each of the stored pixel signals; a reading control unit, during a horizontal period, sequentially reading the stored pixel signals one by one from a first line memory to cause the first line memory, the first line memory representing one of the two row memories; a holding control unit causing, during the horizontal period, a second line memory to hold pixel signals provided from one of the rows in the image area, the second line memory representing another one of the two row memories; and a reading suspending unit causing the reading control unit to suspend reading out the pixel signals from the first line memory during a noise occurrence predicted period.
US08421887B2	Image sensing apparatus A clipping processing portion is provided with: a main subject detection portion which detects the location of a main subject from an input image; a clip region setting portion which sets the clip region that is a region including the main subject; and a clipping portion which clips an image of the clip region from the input image to produce a clipped image. There is further provided a zoom control portion which controls the optical zoom magnification of the image sensing portion based on the clip region set by a clip region setting portion, and the optical zoom magnification is controlled such that the input image has an appropriate angle of view.
US08421886B2	Digital camera A digital camera includes: an imaging unit that obtains image data by capturing an image of a subject; a recording control unit that records the image data obtained by capturing the image of the subject into a plurality of recording media; a speed detection unit that detects access speeds at each of the plurality of recording media; and a selection unit that selects the recording media, into which image data are to be recorded by the recording control unit, based upon each of the access speeds having been detected, wherein: at least one of the plurality of recording media is an exchangeable recording medium.
US08421881B2	Apparatus and method for acquiring image based on expertise Provided are an apparatus and method for acquiring an image based on expertise, whereby laymen can also acquire a high-definition image like experts. The apparatus includes a storage unit storing representative images representing a plurality of image acquisition environments and storing parameters corresponding to the representative images, an image classification unit classifying an input image and selecting a representative image from the storing unit based on a result of the classification, a parameter extraction unit extracting parameters corresponding to the selected representative image from the storage unit, and a control unit controlling the apparatus according to the extracted parameters.
US08421880B2	Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and image capturing apparatus An image processing apparatus includes: a difference calculation unit that calculates a difference value of a feature amount of image data of a predetermined region between a present frame and a past frame; a first counting unit that counts number of times when an absolute value of the difference value exceeds a threshold during a predetermined period of time; a second counting unit that counts number of times when the difference value of the image data have different plus-minus signs between a present frame and a past frame during a predetermined period of time; and an identification unit that identifies a light source frequency by comparing the output of the second counting unit with a predetermined value when the output of the first counting unit exceeds a predetermined value.
US08421879B2	White balance adjustment device, image capture device, white balance adjustment method, storage medium, and integrated circuit A natural white balance is achieved in images that are captured while emitting a flash. The white balance of an image is adjusted using a WB adjustment portion and a mixture ratio calculation portion estimating a mixture ratio of an external light component and a flashed light component that are present in an image captured with emitting a flash, from the image obtained that is captured while emitting a flash and an image signal that is obtained without emitting a flash. Further, an external light WB coefficient determination portion determines an WB coefficient for the external light, a flashed light WB coefficient setting portion sets a WB coefficient for the flashed light, and a WB processing portion that continuously performs WB processing on the image captured while emitting a flash by using the mixture ratio as an interpolation ratio.
US08421870B2	Method and apparatus for automatic control of multiple cameras Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for automatic control of multiple cameras capable of supporting an effective camera view angle in a broadcast, a movie, etc. The automatic control apparatus of multiple cameras includes: a first main camera; a first camera driver controlling an operation of the first main camera; a second main camera; a second camera driver controlling an operation of the second main camera; at least one auxiliary camera; at least one third camera driver controlling an operation of the at least one auxiliary camera; and an interoperation processor changing a view angle of the at least one auxiliary camera by controlling the at least one third camera driver in accordance with a view angle changing reference changed by changing the view angle of the first main camera, the second main camera, or the first and second main cameras.
US08421868B2	Difference degree evaluation device, difference degree evaluation method and program product A difference degree evaluation device includes a signal acquisition unit which acquires at least two signals which are objects of matching, a memory unit which stores one of the two signals, which are acquired by the signal acquisition unit, as a reference signal, and stores the other of the two signals as an object signal, a sample extraction unit which extracts sample points in a predetermined block from the reference signal that is stored in the memory unit, and extracts sample points corresponding to the sample points of the reference signal from the object signal, and an arithmetic process unit which finds absolute difference values between the sample points of the reference signal and the sample points of the object signal, which are extracted by the sample extraction unit, and calculates a maximum value of the absolute difference values as an evaluation value.
US08421863B2	In-vehicle image display device Provided is an in-vehicle image display device capable of providing, from among images of the peripheral area of a vehicle that can change in accordance with the driving state, an image of a part needed by the driver at an appropriate timing so that the driver can recognize the positional relationship between the vehicle and the peripheral area of the vehicle. Images captured with in-vehicle cameras are acquired, and a vehicle periphery image is generated from such images. Then, a collision-warned part of the vehicle that has a possibility of hitting a nearby object is selected based on the vehicle driving state, and the acquired image is processed to generate an enlarged image of the peripheral area of the collision-warned part of the vehicle selected by the collision-warned part selection part. Then, a composite display image, in which the positions of the enlarged image and the vehicle periphery image are displayed in a correlated manner, is generated and displayed.
US08421862B2	Drive recorder A drive recorder for recording video information received from an image capturing unit on a recording medium includes an acceleration sensor which outputs acceleration information representing an acceleration applied to a vehicle, and a control unit which, determines that a recording condition holds and records video information captured for a first predetermined period of time before the occurrence of the recording condition and video information captured for a second predetermined period of time after the occurrence of the recording condition on the recording medium when the acceleration information equals or exceeds a threshold, wherein after the recording condition holds, the control unit does not record newly captured video information on the recording medium when the acceleration information again becomes equal to or exceeds the threshold in less than a third predetermined period of time which is shorter than the second predetermined period of time.
US08421861B2	Wildlife surveillance camera A wildlife surveillance camera has a housing and first and second battery compartments located in the housing, which battery compartments are sized to receive at least two batteries in end-to-end fashion. The battery compartments are separated from each other by a gap which contains the electronics for the camera. The camera unit has an inner door that closes the access openings into the battery compartments. An outer door is provided to provide access to the inner door. The camera image sensor, the triggering device and the display are all mounted to the rear portion of the housing.
US08421860B2	Inspection method of honeycomb structure An inspection method of a honeycomb structure comprising the steps of illuminating one end face of a honeycomb structure as an inspection target by a light source; condensing, by a condensing lens as a lens having an angle of view, light which is emitted from the light source to the one end face, passed through cells of the honeycomb structure and radiated from the other end face; receiving the light condensed on the condensing lens by a camera; subjecting the light received by the camera to image processing by an image processor, thereby specifying the radiated position of the light on the other end face; and calculating the tilt of the cells of the honeycomb structure from the radiated position of the light on the other end face, and the direction of the tilt.
US08421859B2	Clear path detection using a hierachical approach A method for detecting a clear path of travel for a vehicle using an image generated by a camera includes monitoring the image, and utilizing a first patch-based analysis of the image including dividing the image into a plurality of patches, and analyzing each patch to determine a first clear path confidence likelihood for each of the patches of the first patch-based analysis. Each of the patches with the first clear path confidence likelihood greater than a first threshold confidence likelihood is defined as a clear path patch. A second analysis is utilized upon a portion of the patches with the first clear path confidence not greater than the first threshold confidence likelihood to determine a second clear path confidence likelihood for each of the patches of the second analysis. Each of the patches of the second analysis with the second clear path confidence likelihood greater than a second threshold confidence likelihood is defined as a clear path patch. The clear path of travel for the vehicle is identified based upon the clear path patches.
US08421858B2	Inspection machine, inspecting method and inspecting system An inspection machine capable of inspecting optical property and electrical property of a light emitting device is provided. The inspection machine includes a substrate table, a probe mechanism, a heating apparatus, a cooling apparatus, an image-sensing apparatus, a temperature-sensing apparatus and a moving mechanism. The probe mechanism is capable of moving toward the light emitting device to contact therewith. The heating apparatus is capable of heating the light emitting device within a first temperature range. The cooling apparatus is capable of cooling the light emitting device within a second temperature range. The image-sensing apparatus senses a light emitting image provided from the light emitting device. The temperature-sensing apparatus senses the present temperature of the light emitting device. The image-sensing apparatus is disposed on the moving mechanism. The moving mechanism is capable of moving the image-sensing apparatus. An inspecting method and an inspecting system for the inspection machine are also provided.
US08421857B2	Inspection device of plugged honeycomb structure and inspection method of plugged honeycomb structure There is disclosed an inspection device of a plugged honeycomb structure in which a plugged honeycomb structure is an inspection target, and the inspection device comprises a light source which illuminates one end face of the plugged honeycomb structure as the inspection target; a camera-side lens which condenses light emitted from the light source to the one end face, transmitted through plugged portions of the plugged honeycomb structure and radiated from the other end face; a camera which receives the light condensed by the camera-side lens; and an image processor which processes an image of the light received by the camera to display the contrast of the light transmitted through the plugged portions of the plugged honeycomb structure.
US08421854B2	System and method for motion capture A motion capture device provided for capturing motion of a limb having two sections, connected by a flexing joint. A sensor array is mounted to a first section of a limb, having at least one gyroscopic sensor element and at least one accelerometer. A sensor for attachment across the flexible joint is coupled to the sensor array and extends away from the sensor array across the flexing joint to a second section of the limb, where the location and motion of the limb is captured by a combination of data obtained from the at least one gyroscopic sensor element and at least one accelerometer of the sensor array and the sensor for said flexible joint.
US08421853B2	Capsule endoscope system To provide a capsule endoscope system capable of easily detecting or correcting a communication error, without increasing power consumption of the capsule endoscope. The capsule endoscope system includes a receiving apparatus that has a pixel defect corrector. The receiving apparatus receives a radio signal that includes image data imaged by a capsule endoscope inserted into an internal portion of a subject, and acquires the image data based on the received radio signal. The pixel defect corrector detects a pixel defect of the image data based on a pixel value of each pixel that configures the acquired image data, and corrects the detected pixel defect.
US08421852B2	Method for manufacturing stereoscopic image display apparatus and stereoscopic image display apparatus A method for manufacturing a stereoscopic image display apparatus includes a bonding step of bonding an image display panel and a phase difference element by disposing an adhesive layer between the entire surfaces thereof, the image display panel displaying a right-eye image and a left-eye image by regularly mixing them in a plane, the phase difference element including a right-eye image display section corresponding to the right-eye image and a left-eye image display section corresponding to the left-eye image, the phase difference element achieving different polarizations between the right-eye image display section and the left-eye image display section, the adhesive layer being composed of a transparent gel acrylic adhesive with a thickness of 25 to 100 μm, hardness of the adhesive being more than 0 and 350000 μN or less, holding strength of the adhesive at 40° C. after bonding being 8 to 20 N/20 mm.
US08421851B2	Vision correction for high frame rate TVs with shutter glasses A television consistent with certain implementations has a display system having a display frame refresh rate R. A frame synchronizer transmitter transmits a signal used to synchronize frame refreshes for a left and right eye images of shutter glasses, where a sequence of left and right eye images to the shutter glasses defines one image cycle. A video processor that alters at least one image per image cycle so that at least one of the images to at least one eye of at least one of the shutter glasses is synchronized to a display frame that has been altered by the video processor. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.
US08421850B2	Image processing apparatus, image processing method and image display apparatus Disclosed herein is an image processing apparatus including, a motion-vector detection section configured to find a motion vector corresponding to an image disparity existing between left and right eyes to appear as a disparity in images, and a format determination section configured to determine whether the input image signal is a signal of the 3-dimensional image format or a signal of the 2-dimensional image format.
US08421846B2	System and apparatus for 3D image capture and processing A jig supports an array of cameras on a platform using a plurality of brackets among which one is immovably secured to the platform at a center of the array while the remainder is pivotally connected to the platform. A computer-implemented system creates an interlaced image. The system includes a trigger mechanism operatively coupled to the cameras to effect nearly simultaneous image capture. A focal target and a sizing reference are provided at a focal position of the lenses. A computer having a processor and a memory executes code that interlaces bands of images captured from each of the cameras, at nearly a single point in time, into an interlaced image and processes the sizing reference and adjusts a size of one or more of the captured images for inclusion in the interlaced image.
US08421845B2	Method, apparatus, and program for generating a stereoscopic layout image from a plurality of layout images A stereoscopic image generating apparatus is constituted by: an image obtaining section, for obtaining a plurality of image groups, each constituted by a plurality of images for generating stereoscopic images and obtained by photography of subjects from different viewpoints; and an image layout section, for generating a stereoscopic layout image, in which a single image group selected from among the plurality of image groups as an image of interest is arranged at a predetermined position on a display screen in a stereoscopically viewable manner, and selected images from among the image groups other than the single image group are arranged such that they appear to be inclined and facing toward the predetermined position on the display screen at at least one of the right and left sides of the predetermined position.
US08421844B2	Apparatus for correcting gaze, a method of videoconferencing and a system therefor An apparatus, a method of videoconferencing and a videoconferencing system are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes: (1) a monitor configured to switch between a display mode and a reflecting mode and (2) a camera located in front of the monitor, the camera positioned to face the monitor and synchronized with the monitor to capture a local image reflected therefrom during the reflecting mode.
US08421841B2	Multi-media controlling system, device and method for controlling data transmission and processing A multi-media equipment controlling system, a device and method for controlling data transmission and processing are disclosed. Controlling data corresponding to multiple media type streams is sent to a controlled terminal equipment, the controlled terminal equipment controls multi-media equipments generating corresponding media type stream respectively, according to the controlling data corresponding to the media type streams. Thus the invention can perform corresponding controlling to the multi-media equipments corresponding to the multiple media type streams.
US08421837B2	Surface-emitting laser element, surface-emitting laser array, optical scanning device, and image forming apparatus A surface-emitting laser element for emitting light in a direction perpendicular to a substrate, including a substrate with a normal direction of a principal plane inclining toward one direction of <1 1 1> with respect to one direction of <1 0 0> and a mesa structure formed on the substrate and having a narrowed structure with an oxide produced by oxidizing a part of a layer to be oxidized selectively, containing aluminum and surrounding an electric current passage area, wherein a cross-section of mesa structure being parallel to the substrate is parallel to a substrate surface and orthogonal to both one direction of <1 0 0> and one direction of <1 1 1> and a length in a first direction passing through a center of the electric current passage area is more than a length in a second direction parallel to a substrate surface and orthogonal to the first direction.
US08421830B2	Method of forming image using heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet having a lenticular lens A method of forming an image, having the steps of: superposing a heat-sensitive transfer sheet on a heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet; and applying thermal energy, in which the heat-sensitive transfer sheet has a dye transfer barrier layer between a support and a dye layer, the image-receiving sheet has a lenticular lens on a transparent support and at least one receptor layer at the back side of the transparent support, and the image-receiving sheet contains at least one kind of a latex polymer in said at least one receptor layer and has a subbing layer which contains at least one kind of a resin that is identical with at least one kind of a resin constituting the lenticular lens, at the side of the transparent support, opposite to the side on which the lenticular lens is provided.
US08421827B2	Method for maintaining the white colour point in a field-sequential LCD over time A field sequential liquid crystal display maintains its white color point through compensation values to at least one color light emitting diode that illuminates the display. The compensation values may be impedances to control the current or pulsing of the current source according to a pulse width modulation technique. A degradation curve may be used to calculate extrapolate the theoretical forward voltage of the light emitting diode. Additional complexity arises from the need for calculating uptime for multiple light emitting diodes of different colors. Brightness levels may also be factored in. Additional processing of a display element may be provided when a grey scale image is being generated.
US08421824B2	Hand image feedback An image generation method and system. The method includes receiving by a computing apparatus from a video recording device attached to a backside of a video monitor connected to the computing apparatus, a video data stream comprising a first video image of an input device connected to the computing apparatus and a second video image of a users hands enabling switches on the input device. An input device image associated with the input device is displayed. The computing apparatus super-imposes and displays a hand image associated with the user's hands over the input device image. The computing apparatus adjusts a brightness of the hand image such that the input device image is visible through the hand image.
US08421821B2	Differential encoding using a 3D graphics processor A 3D graphics rendering pipeline is used to carry out data comparisons for motion estimation in video data encoding. Video data for the pixel block of the video frame currently being encoded is loaded into the output buffers of the rendering pipeline. The video data for the comparison pixel blocks from the reference video frame is stored as texture map values in the texture cache of the rendering pipeline. Once the sets of pixel data for comparison have been stored, the rendering pipeline is controlled to render a primitive having fragment positions and texture coordinates corresponding to the data values that it is desired to compare. As each fragment is rendered, the stored and rendered fragment data is compared by fragment compare unit and the determined differences in the data values are accumulated in an error term register.
US08421820B2	Methods and systems for sub-pixel rendering with adaptive filtering Processing data for a display including pixels, each pixel having color sub-pixels, comprises receiving pixel data. Once the pixel data is received, processing data for a display includes converting the pixel data to sub-pixel rendered data, the conversion generating the sub-pixel rendered data for a sub-pixel arrangement including alternating red and green sub-pixels on at least one of a horizontal and vertical axis. Next processing data for a display includes correcting the sub-pixel rendered data if a condition exists and outputting the sub-pixel rendered data.
US08421818B2	Signal processing device and projection-type image display device A signal processing device (200) included in a display which has a color reproduction range larger than that of the input device. The signal processing device (200) comprises color coordinate adjusting unit (210) for performing a color coordinate adjustment for reducing the color coordinates of a video input signal inputted from the input device so as to reduce the variation of the color coordinates caused by the difference between the color reproduction ranges, a luminance adjusting unit (220) for performing a luminance adjustment for reducing the luminance component of the video input signal, a display element control unit (240) for generating a video output signal according to the output of the color coordinate adjusting unit (210) and the output of the luminance adjusting unit (220), and a rate control unit (230) for increasing the color coordinate adjustment contribution rate (β) given to the video output signal by the color coordinate adjustment and decreasing the luminance component contribution rate (α) given to the video output signal by the luminance adjustment if the color saturation of the video input signal with a specific hue is higher than a predetermined threshold.
US08421815B2	Imaging bit plane sequencing using pixel value repetition A system and method for displaying an image are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a data stream representing a frame of an image. The data stream may indicate a first color pixel cluster corresponding to a first color and a second color pixel cluster corresponding to a second color. The first color pixel cluster and the second color pixel cluster may be displayed. The first color pixel cluster may be different from the second color pixel cluster.
US08421812B2	Apparatus method and program for image processing and display device An image processing apparatus sequentially provides a display device with a plurality of image output including a first image, a second image set to become at least a part of an image that is not correlated with the first image when luminance values of pixels of the first image are added to it, and a third image set to become an image, which is obtained by adding luminance values of pixels of all pluralities of images, higher spatial-frequency components than those of the first image. The image processing apparatus has an optical shutter control unit for controlling an optical shutter provided between the display device and a viewer to make the shutter be in a light transmission state while a part of or all the first image is displayed, and in a light interception state while other images are displayed.
US08421811B2	Customized vehicle body This invention relates to a system and method for customizing the appearance of a vehicle. Users can display customized designs, colors or promotional information on the vehicle for free or on a fee basis. The system also allows users to use a detection device to detect the colors or patterns of other objects and then display substantially the same color or pattern on the vehicle.
US08421810B2	Look-up table on film A color look-up table includes a plurality of images recorded on a film. Each of the images being recorded on a separate picture of the film and containing at least a first level and a second level. The first and second levels having different pixel color values and are arranged to form a detectable geometric pattern on each of the pictures. The first field and a second field having detectable boundaries assigned to characterize distortions on the film.
US08421808B2	Display controller, display control method, display control program, and memory medium A display controller which prevents the duplication of functional parts and processes and which displays dynamic content on a plurality of displays is provided. A terminal used as the controller has a shared dynamic image decoder which decodes the dynamic content. A first frame buffer used by the terminal stores the decoded dynamic content. A buffer transfer unit sends the dynamic content stored in the first frame buffer to a second frame buffer used by an external monitor. A terminal display displays the dynamic content stored in the first frame buffer on a display of the terminal. An external monitor interface displays the dynamic content stored in the second frame buffer on an external monitor.
US08421806B2	Method of optimizing rendering of a multimedia scene, and the corresponding program, signal, data carrier, terminal and reception method A method is provided for describing a multimedia scene comprising a set of objects that can be animated. This method provides at least one item of information of optimization, provided for permitting, in a terminal, a selection of a scene rendering algorithm among a set of at least two available algorithms according to at least one criterion of optimization of an allocation of resources used for carrying out the scene rendering algorithm.
US08421803B2	Information display system and information display method for quality control of component-mounted substrate This invention facilitates monitoring operation for checking whether or not quality of a substrate deteriorates as well as operation for identifying a cause of deterioration in quality. Identification information of constituent elements related to measurement target sections (pads) on a component-mounted substrate is arranged into hierarchal structure data. A first axis is arranged with the measurement target sections associated with this arrangement. A second axis is arranged with information (identification information of lots and squeegees) representing production conditions of the substrates according to an order of the substrates being processed. A two-dimensional area defined by the first axis and the second axis is set. A color map is generated, in which measured data of the measurement target sections on the substrates are arranged in colors at corresponding positions within the two-dimensional area. Specifically, in the respective measured data, values in a preferable range is displayed in white, values larger than the preferable range is displayed in red-like color, and values smaller than the preferable range is displayed in blue-like color.
US08421793B2	Pixel array substrate This present invention discloses a pixel array substrate including a substrate, a plurality of scan lines, a plurality of data lines, a plurality of active elements, a plurality of pixel electrodes, a plurality of first patterned floating lines, and a plurality of first patterned connecting wires. A plurality of pixel fields are formed by the cross scan lines and data lines, and each active element is electrically connected with the corresponding scan line, data line and pixel electrode. Each first patterned floating line is overlapped with some data lines. Each first patterned connecting wire is disposed across some scan lines, and disposed overlapped the first patterned floating lines disposed on the two sides of the scan line.
US08421791B2	Liquid crystal display device A liquid crystal display device includes a plurality of pixels arranged on a substrate in a matrix, a source driver circuit to supply source signals to source lines connected to each pixel arranged in a column direction and a gate driver circuit to supply gate signals to respective gate lines connected to pixels arranged in a row direction. A control circuit outputs an array control signal for a partial display to a receiver circuit that receives a partial display start address to specify a gate line for starting a partial display and a partial display end address to specify a gate line for ending the partial display. A decoder circuit outputs a control signal to control a range of the gate lines driven by the gate driver circuit.
US08421788B2	Power supply circuit and image display apparatus using the same It is an object of the present invention to provide an image display apparatus which enables cost reduction while being free from electromagnetic interference problems.A power supply circuit comprises, on a single circuit board, an AC inlet to which a power cord is connected from an external AC power supply, a filter circuit to which an inductance element is connected to suppress leakage of electromagnetic waves to the outside of the image display apparatus, and a switch which switches on/off an AC output supplied from the filter circuit. The circuit board of the power supply circuit is entirely covered by electromagnetic shielding means to shield electromagnetic waves. The electromagnetic shielding means is composed of, for example, a first shielding section which surrounds the lateral side of the circuit board and a second shielding section which covers the upper side of the circuit board. The second shielding section is formed of a part of the flat section of a rear cover of the image display apparatus.
US08421787B2	Circuit and method for driving line repair amplifier A circuit and method for driving a line repair amplifier includes a line repair amplifier which can be driven by using a single side input which can use an amplifier which drives a gray high side only and an amplifier which drives a gray low side only separately in a liquid crystal display device which uses a line repair amplifier.
US08421786B2	Display device and method for using the same A display device includes an image display region displaying images, an automatic light sensor sensing ambient lighting conditions of a location of the display device, and a control system controlling an amount of light produced within the image display region by the displayed images based upon the sensed ambient lighting conditions, wherein the control system includes a single user interface displayed within the image display region and allows simultaneous enabling/disabling of the automatic light sensor and adjusting of image display characteristic values of the displayed images by a user.
US08421785B2	Electrical device capable of adjusting display image based on a rotation of a web camera and method thereof An electrical device having a display screen to adjust displaying image based on a rotation of a web camera. The web camera is rotatably installed on one side of the frame surrounding the display screen. The web camera captures an image data in a first direction or a second direction. An image sensor generates a plurality of brightness signals based on the image data. A processing unit is used for determining the display to show the image data in a first mode or a second mode based on the plurality of brightness signals.
US08421782B2	Information displaying apparatus and information displaying method The present invention provides an information displaying apparatus which efficiently arouses an interest of the audience member to content to be displayed.An information displaying apparatus (10) includes: a displaying unit (14) which displays first content on a display; an audience state detecting unit (11) which detects an audience state representing a physical state of an audience member positioned in front of the display; an interest degree estimating unit (12) which estimates an interest degree based on the audience state detected by the audience state detecting unit (11), the interest degree indicating a degree of interest of the audience member in the first content displayed on the display by the displaying unit (14); and a display control unit (13) which causes the displaying unit (14) to display second content with a clarity degree or an exposure degree of at least a part of the second content reduced below a predetermined clarity degree or a predetermined exposure degree when magnitude of a change rate of the interest degree estimated by the interest degree estimating unit (12) is smaller than a first threshold.
US08421778B2	Modification device and method for selectively modifying transmission performance of image frame data A device and method is provided to selectively modify the transmission performance of a frame data. Through a parallel transmission interface, the frame data is transmitted under a corresponding interface protocol and transmitted toward an image display. The method first detects a data size of the frame data and then provides a transmission control signal based on the detection of the data size. Next, selectively divide the frame data by a factor M based on the transmission control signal. Furthermore, transmit the divided frame data at a raised clock rate based on the factor M. Afterwards, temporarily store the divided frame data about to be transmitted toward the image display until the whole frame data is transmitted.
US08421777B2	Stylus A stylus comprises a housing, a stylus body and a retaining structure. The housing has a receptacle defined therethrough. The retaining structure is configured to provide a mechanism for the stylus body to latch in the receptacle of the housing. The retaining structure includes a set of retaining members and a set of retaining slots that engage the retaining members.
US08421774B2	Sensing circuit for use with capacitive touch panel A sensing circuit of a capacitive touch panel includes a first switch, a second switch, a third switch, a feedback capacitor, a fourth switch and an operation amplifier. The first switch and the second switch have respective first ends connected with a receiving electrode. The third switch has a first end connected with a second end of the first switch. The feedback capacitor has a first end connected with the second end of the first switch. The fourth switch has a first end connected with a second end of the feedback capacitor. The operation amplifier has a positive input terminal connected with a ground terminal, a negative input terminal connected with the fourth switch, and an output terminal connected with the second, third and fourth switches. These switches are controlled during a driving cycle of the driving signal, so that an output voltage is outputted from the operation amplifier.
US08421771B2	Input system including position-detecting device A position-detecting device detects a position pointed to by a position-pointing instrument and includes an operation panel detecting the position pointed to by the position-pointing instrument; and a manipulation-detecting unit located at at least one of the interior and the exterior of the operation panel, and detecting a manipulation by a second instrument other than the position-pointing instrument, or detecting a manipulation by both the position-pointing instrument and the second instrument.
US08421770B2	Physical feedback to indicate object directional slide A device, medium, and method are provided for enabling a user to control a mobile communications device that includes a vibration component. One embodiment of the method includes presenting an object on a touchscreen display of the mobile communications device; enabling the object to be moveable on the touchscreen by way of a touch interaction; in real time, continuously varying an output of the vibration component to cause a vibrational response of the mobile communications device, such that movement of the object in a first direction causes a first continuous vibrational output, and movement of the object in a second direction causes a second continuous vibrational output.
US08421767B2	Input device of electronic device, input operation processing method, and input control program It is made possible to cancel the effect of the already executed command without performing burdensome operation if an unobjective command is executed for input operation of the user.An input signal analysis section 200 gives a command of execution of a first command corresponding to detection of input operation to a first operation button based on an input position of a touch panel 10 detected by an input signal control section 300 and if input operation to a second operation button is detected, gives a command of a second command corresponding to detection. If continuous input operation to the second operation button is detected after the first command corresponding to the first operation button is executed, and command change notification from the input signal analysis section 200 is received, an application 100 cancels the effect of the immediately preceding executed first command and executes the second command.
US08421762B2	Device, method, and graphical user interface for manipulation of user interface objects with activation regions A computing device with a display simultaneously displays a plurality of user-repositionable user interface objects with one or more activation regions. The device receives a first input from the user. Based at least in part on the first input, the device determines a first plurality of candidate actions for manipulating a user interface object. The device performs a first candidate action of the first plurality of candidate actions as determined in accordance with the first ordering. After performing the first candidate action, the device undoes the first candidate action, receives a third input that is a repetition of the first input, and determines a second plurality of candidate. The second plurality of candidate actions is ordered such that second candidate action in the second plurality of candidate actions has a higher position than the first candidate action in the second ordering. The device performs the second candidate action.
US08421753B2	Computer mouse A computer mouse includes a head and a tail. The head is configured to detect movement relative to a reference surface. The head is selectively switchable between an on state and an off state. The tail is connected to the head and is moveable between a curved configuration and a flat configuration. The tail is configured to switch the head to the on state when in the curved configuration and to switch the head to the off state when in the flat configuration.
US08421745B2	Method of driving electro-optical device, electro-optical device, and controller A method of driving an electro-optical device including a plurality of pixels, one of which having a first electrode, a second electrode, and an electro-optical material layer, includes: when an image is rewritten, selecting a first display state of the one pixel by applying a first voltage to the first electrode and applying a second voltage to the second electrode, or selecting a second display state of the one pixel by applying a third voltage to the second electrode; and when a part of the image is rewritten, selecting any of the first display state and the second display state of the one pixel by applying a fourth voltage which is different from the first voltage to the first electrode and applying a fifth voltage which has a different polarity from that of the fourth voltage with respect to the first voltage to the second electrode.
US08421744B2	Information display having separate and detachable units An information display has an information carrier including a storable display panel separate from a processing unit including a battery, and where there is a need to perform a process such as updating or manipulating information displayed on the display panel, it is possible to perform a desired process by connecting the processing unit to the information carrier.
US08421741B2	Method, system and apparatus for power saving backlight A method and system for displaying an image on a liquid crystal display (LCD) that may reduce power consumption. The method and system can include calculating a luminance for pixels in an image in a LCD based upon a light spread function and brightness values of light emitting diodes (LEDs). The method and system can also include changing a brightness of an LED based upon a consideration of the gray value of the pixels and the distance of the pixels from a dominant LED. The method and system can further set the brightness of the LED units to a brightness substantially greater than or equal to a gray value of each pixel of the image.
US08421739B2	Apparatus and method of driving discharge tube lamp and liquid crystal display using the same A burst mode inverter that drives a discharge tube lamp in a manner that produces more emissions. A DC power supplier produces DC power. An inverter converts that DC power to AC power having a Pulse Width Modulated frequency that is between 2 and 3 times the system's frame frequency. A duty cycle controller controls the duty-on-time of the Pulse Width Modulation frequency so as to be with the range of about 40% to 100%.
US08421736B2	Bi-directional driving circuit of liquid crystal display panel A bi-directional driving circuit of a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel is disclosed, in which forward scanning and backward scanning are available. In a bi-directional driving circuit of an LCD panel having a plurality of blocks, each block includes a first start pulse input terminal to which a start pulse or an output signal of a previous block is input and a second start pulse input terminal to which the start pulse or an output signal of a next block is input. Also, each block includes a first switching portion switching a start pulse signal applied to an input terminal of a first block among the blocks and switching an output signal of a previous block, which is applied to input terminals of the other blocks and a second switching portion switching a start pulse signal applied to an input terminal of the last block and switching an output signal of a previous block, which is applied to input terminals of the other blocks.
US08421725B2	Display device and manufacture method thereof The present invention discloses a flat display device and a manufacture method thereof. The flat display device includes a flat display module, a front cover, an auxiliary support, a back cover set, and a circuit board. The back cover set includes a sub-cover and a main back cover, wherein the circuit board is disposed on the inner surface of the sub-cover. The front cover has a display opening for an active area of the flat display module to be exposed outside the display opening and present images through the display opening. The main back cover includes a opening for part of the sub-cover to pass through and be exposed outside the opening.
US08421724B2	Liquid crystal display device A liquid crystal display device includes: scanning wires, provided so as to correspond to a plurality of pixels disposed in a matrix manner, to which scanning signals are applied; and signal wires to which data signals are applied, wherein the scanning wires and the signal wires cross each other. TFTs, electrically connected to the scanning wires and the signal wires, each of which is provided in the vicinity of an intersection of the scanning wire and the signal wire, and the TFTs are connected to pixel electrodes. A dummy pixel driven by a dummy signal wire is provided externally adjacent to an endmost pixel column. This brings about a matrix type liquid crystal display device that equalizes capacitive conditions of all the signal wires to each other and can prevent deterioration of display quality that is brought about by a specific portion differently displayed.
US08421722B2	Method of transmitting data from timing controller to source driving device in LCD A method of transmitting data from a timing controller to a source driving device in a liquid crystal display is disclosed. The method of the present invention comprises the steps of: (a) providing a setup/hold time; (b) transmitting a test pattern from the timing controller to the source driving device using the setup/hold time; (c) returning an acknowledge signal from the source driving device to the timing controller when the test pattern is successfully received by the source driving device; (d) providing a new setup/hold time and repeating Steps (b) and (c) using the new setup/hold time when the test pattern is not successfully received by the source driving device; and (e) transmitting the image data from the timing controller to the source driving device using the new setup/hold time upon receipt of the acknowledge signal. Therefore, the use of the setup/hold time adjustment pins is eliminated.
US08421717B2	Active matrix type display apparatus An active matrix type display apparatus of the present invention includes a plurality of pixels (50) disposed in a matrix arrangement. Each of the pixels (50) includes a light-emitting element (9) which emits light in response to a supplied current, a signal line (13) connected to a signal line drive circuit (23) which supplies a luminance signal corresponding to a luminance of light emission of the light-emitting element (9), the luminance signal being a current signal, a driver element (6) which controls a current value of the luminance signal supplied to the light-emitting element (9), a luminance signal retention capacitor (8) which retains, as a luminance signal voltage, a potential difference generated between a drain electrode and a source electrode of the driver element (6) when the luminance signal is supplied to the driver element (6) via the signal line (13), and a threshold voltage detection and addition unit (20) which detects a threshold voltage of the driver element (6) and causes a voltage obtained by adding the luminance signal voltage being retained in the luminance signal retention capacitor (8) to the detected threshold voltage to be applied at a gate electrode of the driver element (6).
US08421709B2	Image display device for displaying two-dimensional plane image and three-dimensional steroscopic image An image display device comprises an image display panel that displays a 2D or 3D image; a driving circuit that applies a data voltage of a 2D data format for the 2D image or a data voltage of a 3D data format for the 3D image to the image display panel; and a controller that controls the driving circuit according to a 2D mode for displaying the 2D image or a 3D mode for displaying the 3D image, wherein R, G, and B subpixels of the image display panel each comprises first and second fine subpixels divided by one data line and two adjacent gate lines. In the 2D mode, the same data voltage of the 2D data format is applied to the first and second fine subpixels. In the 3D mode, the data voltage of the 3D data format is applied to the first fine subpixel and a black gray voltage is applied to the second fine subpixel.
US08421702B2	Multi-layer reactively loaded isolated magnetic dipole antenna A multi-layer reactively loaded isolated magnetic (IMD) dipole with improved bandwidth and efficiency characteristics to be used in wireless communications and other applicable systems. The multi-layer IMD antenna comprises a first element positioned above a ground plane, a second element positioned above a ground plane and coupled to the first portion. Reactive components are integrated into one or both elements to optimize the frequency response of the antenna. The range of frequencies covered to be determined by the shape, size, and number of elements in the physical configuration of the components. Portions of or the entire ground plane can be removed beneath the elements.
US08421700B2	Antenna system and method A device comprising a metallic conical portion, said conical portion substantially hollow having a vertex end and a base end, a first cylindrical portion disposed annularly about the base end of the conical portion, a metallic second cylindrical portion coupled to the vertex of the conical portion, said cylindrical portion having a threaded aperture, and an antenna feed coupled to the threaded aperture. The device may have a patch disposed on an insulator portion connected to the second cylindrical portion, said patch and insulator portion each having an aperture, and a metallic ground portion connected to the insulator portion, said ground portion having an ground aperture, and a threaded screw disposed through the ground aperture, the patch, the insulator aperture and into the threaded aperture. An RF feed may be created by coupling the threaded aperture to a conductive material disposed on the insulator portion.
US08421699B2	Antenna apparatus, radar and waveguide An antenna apparatus can reduce gaps between laminated plates with a simple structure, and can be produced at low cost and in a small size, while ensuring reliability over a long period of time. The apparatus includes a base having a base transmission line portion, a laminated body that is composed of laminated plates placed on the base and has laminated body transmission line portions in communication with the base transmission line portion, and an antenna main body placed on the laminated body for emitting or receiving electromagnetic waves, wherein the base, the laminated plates and the antenna element plate are coupled with one another through surface to surface contact. The antenna main body has a curved plate formed of an arc-shaped elastic member protruding toward the base in a state before assembly, and the curved plate has an elastic force contributing to the coupling through surface to surface contact.
US08421698B2	Leaky wave antenna using waves propagating between parallel surfaces A leaky wave antenna has electrically conductive surfaces in parallel to each other. At one place a two-dimensional array of slots is provided in one of the surfaces. Elsewhere a feed structure is realized comprising one or more electrically conductive elements coupled between the first and second electrically conductive surface and configured to direct an electromagnetic wave pattern travelling between surfaces towards the array. In an embodiment the feed structure comprises a waveguide formed between walls connecting the surfaces. One of the walls is made to leak in order to feed the array of slots. In an embodiment the feed structure comprises a reflector comprising connections between the surfaces, to direct waves between the surfaces to the array of slots.
US08421693B2	Antenna apparatus Good electric characteristics are obtained even after an antenna being further incorporated into an antenna apparatus including an antenna case having a limited space. An antenna device 31 is formed on an antenna substrate 30 installed upright in an antenna base 20. A flat antenna unit 35 is fastened to the antenna base 20 so that the flat antenna unit 35 is immediately below the antenna device 31. If the wavelength of a center frequency in an operating frequency band of the flat antenna unit 35 is λ, an interval between an upper surface of the flat antenna unit 35 and a lower end of the antenna device 31 is set to about 0.25 λ or more. Accordingly, it becomes possible to make directional characteristics of radiation in a horizontal plane of the flat antenna unit 35 non-directive without being affected by the antenna device 31 and also to achieve good gain characteristics.
US08421687B2	Wireless mouse A wireless mouse includes a mouse housing, a printed circuit board assembly assembled in the mouse housing, and an antenna mounted on a front end of the printed circuit board assembly. The front end of the printed circuit board assembly defines two fastening holes spaced from each other along a direction perpendicular to a front-to-rear direction. The antenna has a substantial long-strip radiating portion. Two opposite ends of the radiating portion are bent rearward and then downward to form a hook portion and a feed portion which are respectively hooked in the corresponding fastening holes to make the radiating portion transversely mounted over the front end of the printed circuit board assembly. The feed portion is electrically connected with a feed circuit of the printed circuit board assembly.
US08421681B2	Multi-band antenna An antenna includes a grounding element, a connecting element, and first and second radiator elements. The connecting element includes an elongated first connecting section, and a second connecting section connecting the first connecting section to the grounding element. The first radiator element includes a first radiator section extending substantially perpendicular from one side of the first connecting section, and second and third radiator sections extending substantially perpendicular from one side of the first radiator section. The second radiator element includes a first radiator portion extending substantially perpendicular from the one side of the first connecting section, and second and third radiator portions extending substantially perpendicular from one side of the first radiator portion and extending in an opposite direction relative to the second and third radiator sections.
US08421679B2	Antenna device and antenna element used therefor An antenna device includes an antenna element and a printed circuit board on which the antenna element is mounted. The antenna element includes a base, a radiation conductor formed on an upper surface of the substrate and one end of the radiation conductor being an open end, a plurality of terminal electrodes formed on a bottom surface of the substrate, and a loop conductor of a substantially U-shape. The loop conductor is arranged to face one of the terminal electrodes via a gap having a predetermined width. An antenna mounting region is provided on a upper surface of the printed circuit board to be adjacent to an edge of a long side of the printed circuit board. A feed line is led in the antenna mounting region along the edge. One and the other end of the loop conductor are connected to the feed line and a ground pattern, respectively.
US08421678B2	Antenna apparatus provided with radiation conductor with notched portion An antenna apparatus includes a dielectric substrate including a ground conductor formed on a back surface thereof, and a radiation conductor formed on a front surface of the dielectric substrate. Upon directly transmitting and receiving a wireless digital signal via a feed point of the radiation conductor, formation of notched portions at sides of the radiation conductor, which intersect an electric field plane defined by an electric field when the antenna apparatus is excited, leads to reduction in the waveform distortion of waveform of the transmitted wireless digital signal.
US08421677B2	Tuneable antenna for electromagnetic compatibility tests An antenna for electromagnetic compatibility testing, that includes an upper plate and a lower plate having parallel longitudinal axes, maintained at a distance from each other, and mechanically connected to each other at each of their longitudinal ends by longitudinal plates. The upper and lower plates and longitudinal plates define a space. The upper and lower plates and the longitudinal plates are mounted so as to be capable of movement relative to each other to define a space having dimensions that can be modified, wherein the distance between the lower and upper plates can be modified and/or the length of the lower and upper plates can be modified.
US08421675B2	Systems and methods for locating a mobile device within a cellular system A system for determining location and timing information in a cellular network includes a space-time calibration unit (SCU) and a plurality of nodes in communication with the SCU. Each node includes a node ping driver that receives frame synchronization information from a respective subset of cell sites, and associates the frame synchronization information with respective receive count stamps generated using a local node clock. The system also includes a user handset that includes a handset ping driver that receives the frame synchronization information from a serving cell site and one or more neighbor cell sites, and associates the frame synchronization information with respective receive count stamps generated using a local handset clock. The SCU uses the information from the node and handset ping drivers to determine a handset location.
US08421673B2	Method and software for spatial pattern analysis A method and software implementation for spatial pattern analysis. A user-guided test procedure is implemented to measure features of an antenna under test to determine the antenna's far-field patterns. The antenna features include RF amplitude or phase, and position and orientation relative to a receiving object.
US08421672B2	Apparatus and method for pseudo range verification of global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver Provided is a method and apparatus for a pseudo range verification of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver, more particularly, a method and apparatus for the pseudo range verification of the GNSS receiver by comparing the pseudo range for a measurement calculated in the GNSS receiver and the pseudo range for a verification generated depending on a position of the GNSS receiver.
US08421669B2	Synthetic aperture processing system and synthetic aperture processing method A synthetic aperture processing system that includes a signal transmission unit for generating and radiating a plurality of chirp waves to an irradiation region from measuring sites, a signal reception unit for receiving a plurality of reflected waves caused by the plurality of chirp waves, a range compression unit for range-compressing each of the reflected waves and generating reception data consisting of sinc functions, a cross-correlation computation unit for, based on a plurality of model data segments, calculating correlation values representing a degree of correlation between each of the model data segments and the reception data, and image output unit for outputting the correlation values calculated by cross-correlation computation unit.
US08421667B2	Mobile electronic detection device with user selectable alerts A detection device for detecting the presence of a speed detection system, red light camera, or other electronic surveillance means. The device includes a display means whereby the graphical and audible presentation changes from the non alert condition to the alert condition in accordance to a user selectable choice of options, thereby increasing awareness to the surveillance threat.
US08421666B2	Analog to digital converter with adjustable conversion window In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a first capacitor system and a second capacitor system. Each capacitor system comprises one or more engaged capacitors from respective pluralities of selectively engagable capacitors. The first capacitor system and second capacitor system are respectively selectively coupled to a first reference voltage and a second reference voltage. The apparatus further includes a switch configured to transfer charge between the first capacitor system and the second capacitor system when the switch is closed such that the first capacitor system and the second capacitor system each store the same first voltage. The apparatus further includes a node coupled to the first capacitor system, the second capacitor system, and a first input of a differential amplifier of an analog to digital converter. The node is configured to bias the differential amplifier to the first voltage.
US08421662B2	DA converter A low power consumption DA converter includes a segment type DA converter and an R-2R resistance ladder DA converter. The segment type DA converter is coupled to a power source voltage VDD and outputs a current signal changing in a stepwise manner according to inputted upper bits D[7 to 5]. The R-2R resistance ladder DA converter is coupled to the segment type DA converter in series between the power source voltage VDD and a ground voltage GND, and outputs an output voltage Vout changing in a stepwise manner. The R-2R resistance ladder DA converter changes the output voltage Vout by raising or lowering a reference voltage Vref according to the lower bits D[4 to 0] and the current signal from the segment type DA converter.
US08421657B2	AD conversion circuit and error correcting method In a microcomputer 10 which converts an analog signal Vin into digital data and corrects an error of the digital data, a voltage variation ΔVcc is calculated on the basis of a first conversion value obtained by AD-converting a reference voltage Vref by an AD converter 15 in a state that a standard power source voltage including no voltage variation is supplied to the AD converter 15 and a second conversion value obtained by AD-converting the reference voltage Vref by the AD converting section in a state that a power source voltage for the ordinary operation is supplied to the AD converter 15. The digital data produced by the AD converter 15 by AD-converting the analog signal Vin is corrected using the calculated voltage variation ΔVcc.
US08421654B2	Method of decoding a signal implementing a progressive construction of a decoding tree, corresponding computer program and decoding device A method of decoding a data signal includes progressively constructing a decoding tree, implementing at least two iterations of the following steps: selecting at least one child node of a current node belonging to a selection interval; storing the child nodes in a first stack; deleting the current node from the first stack; selecting a new current node from the first stack; and if the new current node is a leaf node, storing the path between the root node and the leaf node, in the second stack, and deleting the leaf node from the first stack; otherwise, return to the step of selecting a child node for the new current node. Moreover, the method assigns a probability of likelihood to the bits of at least one symbol of the data signal, taking account of the paths stored in the second stack, and determines a probabilistic estimation of the signal.
US08421653B2	Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and storage medium An information processing apparatus for converting fixed-length codes into variable-length codes comprises: an input unit configured to obtain each of the fixed-length codes as an input code; a determination unit configured to determine a fixed length encoding method of the input code; a conversion unit configured to perform variable length encoding, by using a first variable length encoding method, on the input code encoded by a first fixed length encoding method, and perform variable length encoding, by using a second variable length encoding method, on the input code encoded by a second fixed length encoding method; and an output unit configured to output a variable-length code obtained by the conversion unit.
US08421646B2	Method and apparatus for providing a notification appliance with a light emitting diode A method and apparatus for providing a strobe alarm unit employing at least one light emitting diode.
US08421645B2	Electrostatic protector of portable electronic devices An electrostatic protector used in a portable electronic device includes an electrostatic conducting unit and an electrostatic protecting unit connected to the electrostatic conducting unit. The electrostatic protecting unit includes at least one protecting circuit, each protecting circuit includes a diode, and the diode has a cathode connected to the electrostatic conducting unit and an anode grounded. Electrostatic charges on the portable electronic device are transmitted to the electrostatic conducting unit and generate a voltage on the cathode of the diode to break down the diode, such that the electrostatic charges are transmitted to the ground via the broken down diode and the voltage on the cathode of the diode is reduced.
US08421644B2	Light-emitting diode control system and method A light-emitting diode (LED) control system and method sets a number of virtual LEDs according to a number of error events of a computing device. The system and method further assigns a priority level to each error event and a unique indication status of the error event. If more than one error event occurs to the computing device, each error event is indicated by a virtual LED by a unique indication status, however, only the error event having the highest priority level is synchronously indicated by a virtual LED and the physical LED.
US08421641B2	Object detection system and method using sub-sampling An object detection system, controller, and method using sub-sampling for detecting a presence of an object at the location. An electrode arranged near the location radiates an electric field that corresponds to an electrode signal that arises in response to an excitation signal. When the excitation signal is coupled to the electrode and the electric field is radiated, the electrode exhibits an electrode impedance indicative of the presence of an object. The presence of an object is detected by analyzing the electrode signal using sub-sampling. Traditionally, such electrode signals have frequencies, high enough to warrant the use of expensive high-frequency signal processing devices. Sub-sampling is a way of sampling and processing the electrode signal such that the signal processing to detect the object can be performed by a lower cost general purpose microprocessor.
US08421640B1	Tractor lift detection system for gantry cranes An automatic signaling system to prevent a tractor from being accidently lifted with the cargo by a ship to shore gantry crane. The embodiment includes multiple sensors to detect a lifted condition and radio output upon a lifted condition. The radio output channel is determined by an automatic identification system that identifies the crane the tractor is under. Upon receiving a lifted signal the cranes hoist will be stopped and disabled but will still allow lowering until the lifted signal stops.
US08421639B2	Branch current monitor with an alarm A power meter for monitoring current in a power cable annunciates an alarm if the current transgresses one or more alarm current limits. False alarms are avoided by delaying the activation of the alarm for a delay interval following determination that current is flowing in the monitored conductor.
US08421637B2	Multipurpose indicator lights A method of utilizing device indicator lights includes providing a device that includes a plurality of device indicator lights and a user control. A first set and a second set of device states are monitored. The plurality of device indicator lights are individually utilized to communicate each of the first set of device states. It is determined if the user control has been activated. The plurality of device indicator lights are used in concert to communicate one of the second set of device states upon a determination that the user control has been activated.
US08421634B2	Sensing mechanical energy to appropriate the body for data input Described is using the human body as an input mechanism to a computing device. A sensor set is coupled to part of a human body. The sensor set detects mechanical (e.g., bio-acoustic) energy transmitted through the body as a result of an action/performed by the body, such as a user finger tap or flick. The sensor output data (e.g., signals) are processed to determine what action was taken. For example, the gesture may be a finger tap, and the output data may indicate which finger was tapped, what surface the finger was tapped on, or where on the body the finger was tapped.
US08421633B2	Clasping anti-theft device with alarm features An anti-theft device monitors objects having a shaft, strap, or similar element. The anti-theft device is comprised of a two components hingably connected together. The two components can move from an open position to a closed position to enclose the shaft or similar element. One component has a first latch element and contains electronics including an arming switch. When the two components are moved to the closed position, the other component changes the status of the arming switch. The other component has a second latch element which combines with the first latch element to hold the two components in the closed position. The anti-theft device may be armed or disarmed by a remote device. The latching elements may be releasably lockable and may be released by a magnet. The anti-theft device may have passcode protection capabilities.
US08421628B2	Asset protection system An asset protection system maintains a radio frequency field or signal in a monitored area. Assets have tags attached to them and are placed in the monitored area. The tags have a mechanism to attach them to the objects and have electronic components on board including a microprocessor, motion detector, radio frequency circuitry, audible alarm generator and in some cases, a passive EAS element. The tags are normally idle in the monitored area, but when the motion detector indicates that a tag is being moved, the RF circuitry checks for a signal or field at an expected frequency. If the tag does not detect a signal, the tag electronics determine that the tag has left the monitored area and generate an audible alarm. If a signal is detected, the tag returns to an idle state once it stops moving. The tags may also alarm if tampered with.
US08421626B2	Radio frequency identification transponder for communicating condition of a component There is provided a passive RFID transponder assembly that includes a condition responsive device adapted to read a condition relating to the component that is associated with the RFID transponder assembly. The condition that is read by the condition responsive device relates to physical contact with a field technician or a mating component, relates to electrical connection between an integrated circuit chip and an antenna, relates to one or more environmental conditions, or the like. The components with which the RFID transponder assemblies are associated include components of telecommunications equipment, such as fiber optic connectors, fiber optic adapters, fiber optic patch panels, copper connectors, and copper adapters to list some non-limiting examples.
US08421624B2	Home security system A home security system includes a plurality of monitoring assemblies each comprising a data communication device, a light, a video camera, a transmitter, a sensor, a loudspeaker, a warning device, an identification device, a projector, an adjustment device for adjusting angles of the light, the video camera, and the projector, and a power supply; a fixed controller comprising a data communicating device and a data storage device; and a hand-held portable controller comprising a wireless communication module and an equipment set module. The fixed controller is adapted to activate the monitoring assemblies. The hand-held, portable controller is adapted to remotely activate the monitoring assemblies.
US08421620B2	Electronically triggered personal athletic device An athletic device is worn by a participant during an athletic event (e.g., a race). In one example, a race course is provided with a plurality of mats or signal devices along the race course. The mats may have antennas and generate a magnetic field. The athletic device may include a chip system having an RFID tag and a display. As the participant progress along the course, the tag is triggered at each mat and race data may be displayed on the device. Data relating to a location of the participant may also be provided to the participant during the athletic event.
US08421619B2	Apparatus and method for determining location and tracking coordinates of a tracking device A device and method to monitor location coordinates of an electronic tracking device are disclosed here. The device includes transceiver circuitry to receive at least one portion of a receive communication signal comprising location coordinates information; accelerometer circuitry to measure displacements of the portable electronic tracking device; a battery power monitor configured to activate and deactivate at least one portion of signaling circuitry; and processor circuitry configured to process the displacements. The method includes receiving at least one portion of a receive communication signal comprising location coordinates information; measuring displacements of a portable electronic tracking device; activating and deactivating at least one portion of signaling circuitry; and processing the at least one portion of the receive communication signal.
US08421617B2	Tracking system with separated tracking device A separated tracking device includes a first portion including a location determining device operative to receive signals from a positioning system, a wireless communication device operative to communicate the location data from the first portion to a second portion of the tracking device, the second portion including a wireless data transceiver operable to transmit the location data to a remote server. In a particular embodiment, the first portion of the tracking device is attached to a first shoe and the second portion of the tracking device is incorporated in a second shoe. In another embodiment, the second portion of the tracking device is incorporated in a hand-held device. A method for manufacturing a separated tracking device and a method of operating a separated tracking device are also disclosed.
US08421614B2	Reliable redundant data communication through alternating current power distribution system A mechanism is provided for providing reliable redundant data communications. The mechanism issues a request for data to a set of powered elements using a set of secondary communication channels in response to a reduction in a level of communications being detected. The set of secondary communication channels comprises one or more alternating current power lines and the request is sent as data injected onto the alternating current power lines to the set of powered elements. The mechanism receives the data using the set of secondary communication channels from the set of powered elements, analyzes the data to determine a set of recovery actions to restore the level of communications, and issues the set of recovery actions to the set of powered elements using the set of secondary communication channels.
US08421613B2	Auto fluid condition alert A method and device for determining the appropriate time to recharge hydraulic fluid in a work vehicle. The method preferably includes making a real time determination of the at least a quality parameter of hydraulic fluid in a work vehicle. The system includes comparing in real time, the quality parameter to a predetermined value for the hydraulic fluid. The method of the present invention also includes a system for comparing the determined values and communicating same to an operator. The method of the present invention also includes the capacity to control the output level of the work vehicle according to the level of contamination in the hydraulic fluid. The present invention also provides a device for real time monitoring and control of the hydraulic fluid.
US08421601B2	Active/passive RFID transponder control function Devices, systems, processes, and articles of manufacture are provided herein. These may include an RFID transponder having a microprocessor, nonvolatile memory, a battery, and an antenna, wherein the microprocessor is configured to operate in a passive mode and a battery operated mode, and wherein, when in the passive mode only a portion of the microprocessor may be powered by energy received from an RFID reader interrogating the RFID transponder. The RFID transponder may further include MEMS sensors coupled to the microprocessor and the microprocessor may be further configured to add physical data, instructions, or a unique identifier of the RFID transponder to the nonvolatile memory.
US08421599B2	Apparatus and method for providing URL, mobile station, and method for accessing internet by using the provided URL The present invention relates to a URL providing apparatus and a method thereof, and a mobile station that accesses the Internet by using the provided URL, and an Internet access method thereof. The mobile station attaches an RF-ID tag that stores an RF-ID tag value corresponding to identification information of the mobile station thereto, and thus when a user brings the mobile station into an interrogation range of an RF-ID reader included in the URL providing apparatus, the URL providing apparatus receives the corresponding RF-ID tag value from the RF-ID reader. When the URL providing apparatus acquires an IP address of the mobile station by using the received RF-ID tag value and provides a URL to the mobile station by using the acquired IP address, the mobile station automatically accesses the Internet by using the URL. Such an Internet access method can minimize additional cost of the mobile station and simplify an Internet access process to a specific URL.
US08421596B2	Door lock device Provided is a door lock device which is installed on a door, to enable people to facilitate to find out location of the door at dark or night and enable the door to be illuminated with a certain brightness so as to be easily viewed at indoor and outdoor sides when indoor and/or outdoor illumination is low, that is, at dark. As a result, the door lock device enables people to easily find out an entrance gate under the fire and other emergency situations. As well, people do not need to find out a particular position or particular article gropingly even in a dark indoor or outdoor. Accordingly, people may not be easily hurt. In addition, since indoor and outdoor places can be illuminated at a certain brightness, the door lock device can indicate that people exist in a warehouse or on a roof of a building even in the case that a warehouse door lock device or a roof entrance door lock device has been automatically locked.
US08421588B1	Combination wireless electrical apparatus controller and energy monitoring device and method of use A device for controlling and monitoring the operation and energy consumption of one or more electrical apparatuses comprising a processor/transceiver control unit connected to each electrical apparatus and having at least one microprocessor wired to a transceiver, the microprocessor storing an operating protocol, the processor/transceiver control unit further having one or more relays defining channels wired to the microprocessor and on which respective ones of the electrical apparatuses are connected to the processor/transceiver control unit, each relay having an associated current transformer for monitoring the circuit amperage, and a means for measuring and totalizing energy consumption on each channel, whereby the processor/transceiver control unit monitors the energy consumption of each electrical apparatus and controls power thereto according to at least one of the energy consumption and the operating protocol associated with the respective electrical apparatus.
US08421587B2	Diagnosis for mixed signal device for use in a distributed system A mixed signal device for use in a distributed system of independent and interoperating devices, comprising at least one analog module, characterized in that the mixed signal device further comprises a diagnosis controller coupled to the at least one analog module, said diagnosis controller being operable to determine an operational status of the mixed signal device.
US08421584B2	Over-current protection device and method for manufacturing the same An over-current protection device includes a conductive composite having a first crystalline fluorinated polymer, a plurality of particulates, a conductive filler, and a non-conductive filler, wherein the plurality of particulates include a second crystalline fluorinated polymer. The first crystalline fluorinated polymer has a crystalline melting temperature of between 150 and 190 degrees Celsius. The plurality of particulates including the second crystalline fluorinated polymer are disposed in the conductive composite, having a crystalline melting temperature of between 320 and 390 degrees Celsius and having a particulate diameter of from 1 to 50 micrometers. The conductive filler and the non-conductive filler are dispersed in the conductive composite.
US08421582B2	ESD protection device and manufacturing method therefor An ESD protection device includes opposed electrodes in a ceramic base material and a discharge auxiliary electrode in contact with each of the opposed electrodes which is arranged so as to provide a bridge from the opposed electrode on one side to the opposed electrode on the other side, the discharge auxiliary electrode includes metallic particles, semiconductor particles, and a vitreous material, and bonding is provided through the vitreous material between the metallic particles, between the semiconductor particles, and between the metallic particles and the semiconductor particles. The metallic particles have an average particle diameter X of about 1.0 μm or more, and the relationship between the thickness Y of the discharge auxiliary electrode and the average particle diameter X of the metallic particles satisfies about 0.5≦Y/X≦ about 3.
US08421577B2	Planar inductive unit and an electronic device comprising a planar inductive unit A planar inductive unit having at least one operating frequency is provided. The inductive unit comprises at least one inductor winding (120) having a first width (121) and a centre (122) and being arranged in a first plane. The inductive unit furthermore comprises at least one ground path (200) having a first section (205) extending in the first plane and at least a second section (210) with a second width (211) extending in at least a second plane.
US08421573B2	Inductor combining primary and secondary coils with phase shifting An inductor including a primary coil coaxially arranged and operated in parallel with isolated secondary coils each including at least one loop winding with two open-circuited ports. At least one phase shifting device is arranged between open-circuited ports of at least one secondary coil. A method to operate an inductor by combining primary and secondary coils with phase shifting devices to get a wide tuning range is also provided. The method includes the step of phase shifting open-circuited ports of at least one secondary coil.
US08421571B2	Transformer A transformer includes the first iron core having a plurality of legs arranged spaced apart from each other; a plurality of high-voltage side coils wound around the plurality of legs, respectively, and receiving a common single-phase AC power; and a plurality of low-voltage side coils provided corresponding to the high-voltage side coils, magnetically coupled to the corresponding high-voltage side coils, and wound around the plurality of legs, respectively. The high-voltage side coils and the corresponding low-voltage side coils constitute a plurality of coil groups. The transformer further includes the second iron core provided between the coil groups adjacent to each other.
US08421570B2	Rotating transformer The transformer ensures the transmission of electrical power by electromagnetic induction between the first (11) and second (12) coils concentrically arranged on the first (7) and second (8) tubular parts respectively, which are made of a ferromagnetic material, and coaxially mounted in such a way that an outer surface (13a, 13b, 13c) of one part can rotate in relation to an inner surface (14a, 14b, 14c) of the other. These surfaces each consist of two straight cylindrical rotation surfaces (13a, 13c; 14a, 14c) of different diameters, each extending from one of the axial ends of the part (7; 8) to an intermediate radial shoulder (13b, 14b) for connecting these surfaces. The parts (7; 8) are arranged head-to-foot one inside the other so as to delimit, between the shoulders (13b; 14b), an annular space receiving the coils (11, 12), between two annular gaps each delimited by two (13a, 14a; 13b, 14b) of the facing cylindrical surfaces of the first (7) and second (8) parts. Each coil comprises at least one layer of a plurality of strip-like windings.
US08421568B2	Solenoid arrangement with segmented armature member for reducing radial force A solenoid arrangement having an armature member that is segmented to help minimize the radial force due to eccentricity of the armature member. The solenoid arrangement has a magnetic coil that when energized will create magnetic flux in the flux path. A pole piece is partly circumscribed by the armature member. Inner and outer air gaps are located about the armature member. Eccentricity of the armature member results in a decrease in one of the air gaps and a corresponding increase in the other. Radial gaps segment the armature member to interrupt the circumferential flux path about the armature member to inhibit magnetic flux from swirling to the side nearest the pole piece and to distribute magnetic flux substantially evenly. The radial force acting on the armature member is reduced resulting in reduced friction between solenoid components while substantially preserving the desirable level of axial force.
US08421566B2	Linear solenoid A linear solenoid includes a coil assembly having a coil, and a cup-shaped yoke arranged at an outer peripheral side of the coil. The yoke is provided with a recess portion that is opened at least at a position in a circumferential direction of the yoke and extends in an axial direction of the yoke. The coil assembly includes a connector portion that has a terminal connected to an exterior and is exposed from the recess portion to an exterior of the yoke, and a secondary molding portion made of a secondary molding resin in which the coil is insert-molded. Furthermore, the secondary molding portion includes a cover portion that is arranged to cover the recess portion of the yoke from an outer peripheral side of the recess portion. Thus, the cover portion can restrict foreign-material mixed oil from being introduced into the yoke.
US08421564B2	Electromagnetic actuator The electromagnetic actuator is a linear electromagnetic actuator in which the relative position between a slide table that supports permanent magnets thereon and a guide rail that supports a coil, which is arranged in confronting relation to the permanent magnets, is displaced by means of a thrust force generated by a current flowing through the coil. The coil is disposed on the guide rail through a low coercive force magnetizable material body, the coercive force of which is lower than a predetermined value. Consequently, generation of residual magnetization can be suppressed, and an influence on the thrust force caused by such residual magnetization can also be suppressed.
US08421562B2	Starting device for engines An electromagnetic switch unit comprises a solenoid device that pushes out a pinion gear to a ring gear side of an engine, and an electromagnetic switch that opens and closes a main point of contact of a motor circuit. The solenoid device and the electromagnetic switch are arranged in series in an axial direction, while a magnetic plate that forms a part of magnetic circuit between a first coil used for the solenoid device and a second coil used for the electromagnetic switch is shared by the solenoid device and the electromagnetic switch.
US08421561B2	High frequency relay and its connection structure A high frequency relay has at least two drive terminal units arranged at an outer peripheral brim portion of at least two regions of three regions divided from a plane region of a base with a signal line. The base may be a plane triangle, plane square, plane hexagon, or a plane circle.
US08421556B2	Switched capacitor array having reduced parasitics A switched capacitor includes a capacitor and a switch. The capacitor is coupled between a p-node and an n-node and includes interleaved p-fingers and n-fingers. A number of the p-fingers is greater than a number of the n-fingers. The switch is coupled between the n-node and ground.
US08421555B2	Receiving side filter of duplexer and duplexer To provide a receiving side filter of a duplexer and a duplexer capable of preventing a leakage of an electric field and a magnetic field to the outside. In a receiving side filter having a longitudinal mode resonator type filter including cross finger electrodes and reflectors respectively formed on a piezoelectric substrate and an unbalanced input signal path and balanced output ports respectively provided on an input side and on an output side of the longitudinal mode resonator type filter, and used on a receiving side of a duplexer, a shield electrode connected to a ground electrode side of the cross finger electrode is disposed to surround a periphery of the receiving side filter so that an electric field and a magnetic field leaked to the outside from the receiving side filter are short-circuited by the shield electrode.
US08421554B2	Filtering device for filtering RF signals and method for filtering RF signals A filtering device comprises an analogue quadrature splitter together with a first filtering element and a second filtering element. The filtering device is adapted to transform filtering characteristics of the first filtering element and filtering characteristics of the second filtering element into an effective filtering characteristic present in an output signal at an output terminal of the analogue quadrature splitter. The first filtering element and the second filtering element comprise filtering elements of high accuracy, with a steep roll-off but poor power handling capabilities. Using a high power quadrature splitter it is possible to transform the filtering characteristics of the first filtering element and/or the second filtering characteristic of the second filtering element into the effective filtering characteristics. The present disclosure further provides a method for filtering RF signals and a computer program implementing the manufacture of the filtering device and an execution of the method of filtering.
US08421546B2	Piezoelectric vibrator, oscillator, electronic equipment and radio-controlled timepiece, and method of manufacturing piezoelectric vibrator A piezoelectric vibrator according to the invention includes a base substrate and a lid substrate which are connected to each other and have a cavity formed therebetween; a piezoelectric vibrating reed that is mounted on the base substrate in the cavity; an external electrode that is formed on a lower surface of the base substrate; and a through electrode which is formed so as to pass through the base substrate, maintain the airtightness in the cavity, and electrically connect the piezoelectric vibrating reed with the external electrode. The through electrode is formed by a press molding by a forming mold having a pin, and includes a through hole of a taper-shaped section, in which a taper angle is in the range of 15° or more and 20° or less, and a conductive paste that is hardened after being filled in the through hole.
US08421544B2	Chaotic wide band frequency modulator for noise reduction The embodiments of the invention relate to apparatus and method for reducing electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI) in computer systems via a chaotic wide band frequency modulation. The chaotic noise modulator, in one embodiment, comprises: a master cell to generate a control voltage corresponding to an un-modulated reference signal; and a slave cell having a chaotic signal generator to generate a random noise signal, the slave cell coupled with the master cell and operable to generate a modulated output signal in response to the control voltage.
US08421541B2	RF single-ended to differential converter Techniques for designing a highly differential single-ended-to-differential converter for use in, e.g., communications receivers. In an exemplary embodiment, an auxiliary current path including cascomp transistors is coupled to a main current path including input transistors and cascode transistors. The transistors are biased such that inter-modulation products generated by the auxiliary current path cancel out inter-modulation products generated by the main current path. In another exemplary embodiment, current source transistors for the main current path are adaptively biased depending on the level of the input signal received. In an exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be applied to designing a converter for interfacing a single-ended low-noise amplifier (LNA) output voltage with a differential mixer input in a communications receiver.
US08421537B2	Electronic circuit An electronic circuit includes: a first transistor having a control terminal, a first terminal, and a second terminal; a second transistor having a control terminal connected to the second terminal of the first transistor, a first terminal, and a second terminal connected to a DC power supply; a plurality of DC paths that are mutually independent of each other and supply DC currents from the first terminal of the second transistor to the second terminal of the first transistor; and distributed constant lines connected in series with the plurality of DC paths.
US08421534B2	Predistorter for compensating for nonlinear distortion and method thereof The predistorter may include: a predistortion filter predistorting an input signal to provide an output signal; a predistortion output estimation unit estimating the characteristics of a nonlinear device based on a signal processed by the nonlinear device and the output signal, and calculating a desired output signal of the predistortion filter by using the estimated characteristics of the nonlinear device; and an adaptive algorithm driving unit comparing the output signal with the desired output signal to output an error as a comparison result, calculating a filter coefficient according to which the calculated error is minimized, and providing the calculated filter coefficient to the predistortion filter in order to update a filter coefficient of the predistortion filter.
US08421533B2	Adaptive digital predistortion device and method An adaptive digital predistortion device and method, the adaptive digital predistortion device including a predistortion unit for predistorting an input signal according to a predistortion parameter stored in a look-up table; a cost function generation unit for generating a cost function; a fixed segment point determination unit for determining a fixed segment point; and an update unit for updating parameters (u1, u2, ka) according to the cost function to update the look-up table based on the updated parameters (u1, u2, ka), wherein ka is an updated adaptive segment point, u1 and u2 are slopes on two sides of the adaptive segment point ka; and for subsequently updating parameters (v1, v2) according to the cost function to update the look-up table based on the updated parameters (v1, v2) and the fixed segment point, wherein v1 and v2 are slopes on two sides of the fixed segment point. Therefore, the adaptive digital predistortion device according to the present invention can obtain a good performance within an acceptable convergence time by combining the adaptive segment with the fixed segment.
US08421531B2	Low dissipation amplifier A low dissipation, low distortion amplifier includes a driver amplifier stage and a main output stage, with a plurality of impedance networks providing, among other things, feedback paths from outputs of the driver and main output stages to the input of the driver stage. The impedance networks also provide coupling paths from the outputs of the driver and main output stages to the load. The impedance networks can all be formed of resistors, capacitors, or network combinations thereof. An additional feedback path can be added from the load to the driver stage to flatten out the frequency response at low frequencies. The driver and main output stages may be operated in Class AB and B modes respectively, and/or in Class G or H modes. An intermediate amplifier driver stage may be added between the driver and main output stages.
US08421528B2	Semiconductor integrated circuit A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a first voltage line to which a first ground voltage is applied, a second voltage line to which a second ground voltage is applied, a third voltage line to which a first power supply voltage is applied, and a coupling unit including a MOS transistor having a source coupled to the first voltage line, a drain coupled to the second voltage line, and a gate coupled to the third voltage line.
US08421527B2	Semiconductor integrated circuit device The present invention is directed to perform fine low-voltage control without largely increasing the circuit layout area in a low-power consumption structure. In the case of shifting a region to a low-speed mode, a system controller outputs a request signal and an enable signal to a power switch controller and a low-power drive circuit, respectively, to turn off a power switch and to perform a control so that the voltage level of a virtual reference potential becomes about 0.2 V to about 0.3V. The region operates on voltages between a power supply voltage and a virtual reference potential, so that it is controlled in the low-speed mode.
US08421525B2	Semiconductor circuit device The semiconductor circuit device includes a power line receiving first voltage; each of internal circuits being provided with different operating voltages by the operation mode; a power supply circuit connected with one of internal circuits and the power line to provide second voltage lower than the first voltage to the one of internal circuits; and a control circuit controlling the power supply circuit in accordance with each of the operation modes, wherein when a change of a operation mode is performed, if a operating voltage after the change of a operation mode is higher than a operating voltage before the change of a operation mode, firstly the control circuit controls the power supply circuit to supply a second voltage higher than the operating voltage and secondly the control circuit controls the power supply circuit to supply the operation voltage after the change of a operation mode to the internal circuit.
US08421518B2	High speed level shifters and method of operation A circuit comprising an inverter coupled to an input and receiving an input signal. A first pull-down transistor coupled to the inverter, pulling down an output when the input signal is low. A second pull-down transistor coupled to the input, pulling down a complementary output when the input signal is high. A first pull-up transistor coupled to the complementary output, pulling up the output when the input signal is high. A second pull-up transistor coupled to the output, pulling up the complementary output when the input signal is low. A first switch receiving a first control signal, coupled to the complementary output. A first strong pull-up transistor coupled to the first switch, assisting the pull up of the output. A second switch coupled to the output, receiving a second control signal. A second strong pull-up transistor coupled to the second switch, assisting the pull up of the complementary output.
US08421515B2	Seamless coarse and fine delay structure for high performance DLL A clock synchronization system and method avoids output clock jitter at high frequencies and also achieves a smooth phase transition at the boundary of the coarse and fine delays. The system may use a delay line configured to generate two intermediate clocks from the input reference clock and having a fixed phase difference therebetween. A phase mixer receives these two intermediate clocks and generates the final output clock having a phase between the phases of the intermediate clocks. The shifting in the delay line at high clock frequencies does not affect the phase relationship between the intermediate clocks fed into the phase mixer. The output clock from the phase mixer is time synchronized with the input reference clock and does not exhibit any jitter or noise even at high clock frequency inputs.
US08421513B2	Master-slave flip-flop circuit A master-slave flip-flop circuit comprises a master stage for retaining a master signal, a slave stage for retaining a slave signal and a retention stage. During a normal mode of operation, the retention stage captures a retention signal having a value dependent upon the slave signal. During a retention mode of operation, the retention stage isolates the retention signal from changes in the stage signal and retains the retention signal. During the retention mode the retention stage also provides a master restore signal to the master stage and provides a slave restore signal to the slave stage. The master restore signal and the slave restore signal have values dependent on the retention signal for configuring the master stage and slave stage such that the master and slave signals have values corresponding to the retention signal.
US08421509B1	Charge pump circuit with low clock feed-through A charge pump circuit includes a first comparator, a PMOS tuner, a first current mirror, a first NMOS transistor, a first PMOS switch, an NMOS tuner, a second current mirror, a first PMOS transistor and a first NMOS switch. The first PMOS switch is coupled between the PMOS tuner and a first output PMOS transistor of the first current mirror, thus the parasitic capacitor formed between the gate and the drain of the first PMOS switch, the parasitic capacitor formed between the gate and the source of the first output PMOS transistor, and the parasitic capacitor formed between the gate and the drain of the first output PMOS transistor are equivalently coupled in series, lowering the capacitance between the PMOS tuner and the charge pump output, and reducing the clock feed through and the charge injection effect in the charge pump circuit.
US08421508B2	Spread spectrum clock generator A spread spectrum clock generator includes a phase comparator to detect a phase difference between a reference input clock signal and a feedback signal and output a control voltage, a voltage controlled oscillator to generate an output clock signal with a frequency in line with the control voltage, a phase selector to select any of equally divided phases of one cycle of the output clock signal, generate and transmit a phase shift clock signal to the phase comparator as the feedback signal, and a phase controller to decide a phase of the rising edge of the phase shift clock signal and control the phase selector to select the decided phase, and generate a second phase shift amount, decide the rising edge of the phase shift clock signal to and subject the output clock signal to spread spectrum modulation by the second phase shift amount.
US08421504B2	Microcomputer, hysteresis comparator circuit, and voltage monitoring apparatus A microcomputer includes a first comparator which compares a voltage to be monitored, with a first reference voltage, a second comparator which compares the voltage to be compared, with a second reference voltage, and an interrupt control circuit which monitors the voltage to be monitored by the first and second comparators in parallel and, when a preset condition is satisfied, generates an interrupt signal.
US08421502B2	Power reducing logic and non-destructive latch circuits and applications In some embodiments, a logic circuit is provided that has a plurality of gates with gate inputs. Also provided is one or more latch circuits coupled to the logic circuit to provide operational data when in an operational mode and to cause at least some of the gate inputs to be at values resulting in reduced leakage during a sleep mode. Additionally provided are embodiments of non-destructive latch circuits, which may be used to implement the latch circuits just discussed. Other embodiments are disclosed and/or claimed herein.
US08421501B1	Digital data handling in a circuit powered in a high voltage domain and formed from devices designed for operation in a lower voltage domain Circuitry, operating in a high voltage domain, including a high and low voltage inputs, and including a plurality of devices designed to operate optimally powered in a native voltage domain that is lower voltage than said high voltage domain and some devices arranged in two sets. The circuitry including a further input for receiving the high native voltage level. Each set having at least one device, a first set being arranged to receive an intermediate low reference voltage level as a low voltage level signal and the high voltage level as a high voltage level signal and the second set being arranged to receive the high native voltage level as a high voltage level signal and the low voltage level as a low voltage level signal. The intermediate low reference voltage level includes a voltage level generated by subtracting the high native voltage level from the high voltage level.
US08421500B2	Integrated circuit with stacked computational units and configurable through vias A technique for manufacturing a three-dimensional integrated circuit includes stacking a memory unit on a first die that includes a first computational unit. In this case, the memory unit is included in a second die. A second computational unit that is included in a third die is stacked on the second die. Sets of vertical vias that extend through the first, second, and third dies are connected to connect components of the first and second computational units and the memory unit. Multiplexers of the first and second computational units are configured to selectively couple the components to different ones of the sets of vertical vias responsive to respective control words for each of the first and third dies.
US08421497B2	Semiconductor chip and semiconductor module including the semiconductor chip A semiconductor chip including a termination resistance and a semiconductor module including the semiconductor chip. The semiconductor chip comprising a plurality of memory cells, the semiconductor chip including: at least one first center pads disposed on a center region of the semiconductor chip and connected to the plurality of memory cells; at least one first edge pads disposed on an edge region of the semiconductor chip and connected to a first transmission line of a semiconductor module; at least one second edge pads disposed on the edge region of the semiconductor chip and connected to a chipset voltage application unit of the semiconductor module; at least one first redistribution patterns connected between the at least one first center pads and the at least one first edge pads; and at least one second redistribution patterns connected between the at least one first edge pads and the at least one second edge pads, wherein an impedance of the at least one second redistribution patterns is impedance matched to an impedance of the first transmission line.
US08421494B2	Systems and methods for test time outlier detection and correction in integrated circuit testing Methods and systems for semiconductor testing are disclosed. In one embodiment, devices which are testing too slowly are prevented from completing testing, thereby allowing untested devices to begin testing sooner.
US08421488B1	Adherable holder and locater tool A locater tool for positioning a support device for supporting a test probe head or a test probe tip, the locater tool including a template, means for indicating a support device position associated with the template, and means for indicating an achievable probing zone on a surface having connection points when the support device is in the support device position. The locater tool may be a device-attachable locater tool or a pre-positioning locater tool.
US08421487B2	Method for extending the diagnostic capability of current regulators A method and a device for monitoring at least one output stage for an inductive load using a current regulator and an analysis device are described. A short circuit to a power supply or to ground is detected by comparing at least one current value in a switching phase of the at least one output stage with at least one current value in a free-wheeling phase of the at least one output stage.
US08421484B2	Dielectric spectroscopy assays for screening of ion channel ligands A method for measuring membrane potential using dielectric spectroscopy is described. A new theoretical model allows for the determination of membrane potential from low-frequency impedance measurements to provide a non-evasive method which is both rapid and inexpensive.
US08421482B2	Anti-pinching device An anti-pinching device (18) for a pivotable actuating element (6) of a motor vehicle (2) is specified. Said device comprises a capacitive sensor (8) which is intended to contactlessly detect an obstacle in the path of the actuating element (6) and has an electrode (14) for generating an external electric field opposite a counterelectrode (16), wherein the electrode (14) extends in a radial direction (R) of the pivoting movement of the actuating element (6), and a control unit (10) which is set up to interpret a change in a measurement capacitance (CM), which is formed between the electrode (14) and the counterelectrode (16), as pinching when the changed measurement capacitance (CM) exceeds a triggering threshold (A) which is predefined on the basis of an opening angle (φ) of the pivotable actuating element (6) and to track the triggering threshold (A). In order to achieve greater detection reliability of the anti-pinching device (18), the electrode (14) is subdivided into a plurality of segments (12) along the radial direction (R), wherein the control unit (10) is set up to track the triggering threshold (A) in a manner assigned to segments.
US08421481B2	Detection and mitigation of particle contaminants in MEMS devices Detecting and/or mitigating the presence of particle contaminants in a MEMS device involves including MEMS structures that in normal operation are robust against the presence of particles but which can be made sensitive to that presence during a test mode prior to use, e.g., by switching the impedance of sensitive structures between an exceptionally sensitive condition during test and a normal sensitivity during operation; surrounding sensitive nodes with guard elements that are at the same potential as those nodes during operation, thereby offering protection against bridging particles, but are at a very different potential during test and reveal the particles by their resulting leakage currents; extending the sensitive nodes to interdigitate with or otherwise extend adjacent to the guard structures, which neither contribute to nor detract from the device operation but cover otherwise open areas with detection means during test; and/or converting benign areas in which particles might become trapped undetectably by electric fields during test to field-free regions by extending otherwise non-functional conductive layers so that the particles can then be moved into detection locations by providing some mechanical disturbance.
US08421480B2	Multidirectional switch member and electronic device having same A multidirectional switch member and an electronic device includes an operation plate in which a pressing operation may be performed in a plurality of directions including four standard directions and a median direction extending between the four standard directions, a PCB that is located at the back side of the operation plate, a plurality of conductive bodies that are provided on the back side of the operation plate, a group of standard direction contact electrodes that each have a first electrode and a first ground potential electrode along each of the standard directions, and a group of median direction contact electrodes that have two of a second electrode and a second ground potential electrode along the median direction, wherein the two second electrodes and the first electrodes, which are located along both sides of the median direction, are located next to each other and are electrically connected to each other.
US08421477B2	Resistance variation detection circuit, semiconductor device and resistance variation detection method A circuit for detecting variation of a resistance value of a resistor with respect to a reference value includes a first resistor; a second resistor; a first current source circuit for supplying current to the first resistor; a second current source circuit for supplying current to the second resistor; a voltage comparator circuit for comparing a voltage across the first resistor and a voltage across the second resistor; and a control circuit for digitally adjusting the supply current of at least one of the first or second current source circuit. A ratio of resistance values of the first and second resistors can be obtained from an adjustment value from the control circuit and result of comparison from the voltage comparator circuit.
US08421470B2	Discharge ionization current detector A low-frequency high AC voltage from an excitation voltage power source (14) is applied between one electrode (8) and two other electrodes (9A and 9B) to generate a low-frequency AC-excited dielectric barrier discharge within a gas passage (3), thereby creating atmospheric pressure non-equilibrium micro-plasma. A sample gas is mixed with hydrogen inside the passage of a nozzle (51), and further mixed with air outside an exit port (53) to burn, forming a hydrogen flame (57). Then, the sample gas reaches an ionization area (56), where the sample components are ionized due to the effect of light emitted from the plasma. Meanwhile, water molecules generated in the hydrogen flame (57) are supplied into the ionization area (56), whereby some of the sample-molecule ions are hydrated while the others undergo a reaction to form a hydroxonium ion. These kinds of hydrated ions have long lifetimes and barely become extinct halfway, so that they can efficiently reach a detection electrode (13) and be detected as ion current. As a result, the detection sensitivity is improved and the dynamic range is enhanced.
US08421466B2	Apparatus and method for sensing leakage current of battery An apparatus for sensing a leakage current of a battery comprises a floating capacitor charged with voltage detected from a cathode or anode terminal of a battery, a cathode terminal selection switching unit for selecting a voltage detection path for the cathode terminal and charging the floating capacitor with a detection voltage of the cathode terminal, an anode terminal selection switching unit for selecting a voltage detection path for the anode terminal and charging the floating capacitor with a detection voltage of the anode terminal, a DC voltage applying unit for applying DC voltage through the voltage detection path for the anode terminal, a voltage measuring unit for measuring the charged detection voltage of the cathode or anode terminal, and a leakage current determining unit for determining the occurrence of leakage current based on the measured detection voltages of the cathode and anode terminals.
US08421464B2	Deep look electromagnetic detection and imaging transceiver (EDIT) system for detecting underground passageways An underground tunnel detection system does not employ radar. Instead, an automatic frequency control is used to keep a continuous wave (CW) transmission tuned to the resonant frequency of a resonant microwave patch antenna (RMPA). Changes in loading and the bulk dielectric constant of the mixed media in front of the RMPA will affect its resonant frequency and input impedance. A significant shift in the measured input impedance is interpreted as a possible tunnel, and the phase angle of the measured input impedance tends to indicate a slightly forward or aft position relative to the detection system rolling over it on the ground surface.
US08421463B2	Magnets for use in magnetic resonance imaging A magnetic resonance system uses a shielded superconducting magnet to produce a dsv useful for specialist imaging in an overall short magnet system at field strengths 1.5 Tesla and above. The magnet includes at least a first central coil C1, which has a length of at least 25% of the overall length of the magnet, and is used in concert with a series of symmetric primary coils, at least one set of which carry current in a direction opposite to that of the central coil. Force balancing is advantageously used in the design of the coils. The primary coils are shielded by at least one shielding coil, which carries current in a direction opposite to the majority of the primary coils. The magnet resonance system can be used for orthopedic imaging.
US08421462B2	Sinusoidally resonant radio frequency volume coils for high field magnetic resonance applications A radio frequency coil assembly includes an annular conductor (20, 22, 120) configured to support a sinusoidal electrical current distribution at a magnetic resonance frequency, and a radio frequency shield (30, 32, 34, 52, 60, 61, 130) shielding the annular conductor in at least one direction, the radio frequency shield including at least one of (i) a cylindrical shield portion (30, 60, 61, 130) surrounding a perimeter of the annular conductor, and (ii) a planar shield portion (32, 34, 52) arranged generally parallel with the annular conductor. In a magnetic resonance scanner embodiment, a magnet (10) generates a static magnetic field (B0), a magnetic field gradient system (14) is configured to superimpose selected magnetic field gradients on the static magnetic field, and said radio frequency coil assembly is arranged with the annular conductor generally transverse to the static magnetic field (B0).
US08421461B2	Upconverter A magnetic resonance imaging system upconverter stage has a number of local coils and a number of upconverters to receive a signal from an output of each coil. Each upconverter has a number of two port upconverter cores, each core having a first port to receive a signal from a local coil and a second port to output an upconverted signal at upper and lower sideband frequencies through an antenna coupled to the second port. The inputs of the plurality of upconverter cores are connected in parallel, and at least one antenna is associated with the second port of each core.
US08421459B2	System and method for reducing blurring artifacts in multi-spectral MR imaging near metal A system and method for reducing blurring artifacts in multi-spectral MR imaging near metal include an MRI system having a plurality of gradient coils positioned about a bore of a magnet and an RF transceiver system and an RF switch controlled by a pulse module to transmit RF signals to an RF coil assembly to acquire MR images. A computer is also included and programmed to acquire a plurality of three-dimensional (3D) MR data sets, each 3D MR data set acquired using a central transmit frequency and a central receive frequency set to an offset frequency value that is distinct for each 3D MR data set. The computer is also programmed to reconstruct a subimage for each of the plurality of 3D data sets, apply a de-blurring correction to each of the subimages, and generate a composite image based on the plurality of 3D MR data sets.
US08421453B2	Magnetic field sensor array for measuring spatial components of a magnetic field A magnetic field array for measuring spatial components of a magnetic field is proposed, in which with at least one magnetic field sensor utilizing the XMR effect in a magnetoresistive film structure, a further component, perpendicular or nonparallel to the film structure of the magnetic field to be detected, is detectable in that at least one flux concentrator is disposed above the film structure in such a way that the magnetic field lines in the peripheral regions of the flux concentrator are deflectable in such a way that there, the field lines embody a horizontal component of the magnetic field.
US08421452B2	Current sensor and battery with current sensor A current sensor includes a magnetic detection element having a resistance value changed by applying inductive magnetic field from measurement target current, a magnetic core provided in the vicinity of the magnetic detection element, and a coil generating magnetic field attenuating the inductive magnetic field. A constant level current in a predetermined range of output voltage of the magnetic detection element flows in the coil, and the measurement target current is detected on the basis of the output voltage of the magnetic detection element.
US08421446B2	Position encoder and a method for detecting the position of a movable part of a machine A rotation angle detection sensor system for a rotational body is provided, which has a reduced sensitivity against an interfering magnetic field and an interfering electric field. The rotation angle detection sensor system comprises an encoder structure that is attached to the rotational body of a machine and is movable along with this rotational body. A stationary sensor assembly is positioned opposite to this encoder structure and supplies at least one sensor signal for determining the angle position. The sensor assembly includes a first inductive element, the inductance of which is dependent on the angle position of the encoder structure.
US08421441B2	Current-controlled semiconductor device and control unit using the same A current-controlled semiconductor device is provided which corrects fluctuations of both gain and offset of a current detection circuit to thereby enable high-accuracy current detection within a single-chip IC. The current-controlled semiconductor device is provided on the same semiconductor chip with a MOSFET, two constant current sources, and a current detection circuit which detects a current of the MOSFET and currents of the constant current sources. Further, the constant current sources are equipped with an external connecting terminal for measuring their current values. A correction measured-value holding register holds therein the current values of the constant current sources, which have been measured from outside.
US08421439B2	Current detecting and indicating device A current detecting and indicating device includes a detection unit and a display unit. The detection unit has a power module, a current detecting module, a multiplexer module and a transmission module. The power module includes positive and negative electrodes. The current detecting module includes a plurality of upper-limit switching units and a lower-limit switching unit. Each upper-limit switching unit has two ends coupled to the positive and negative electrodes, and the lower-limit switching unit has two ends coupled to the positive and negative electrodes. The multiplexer module includes a first input port and a first output port. The transmission module includes a micro-controller unit and a transmission device. The micro-controller unit includes a low-level end, a high-level end and a second input port. The second input port is coupled to the first output port. The display unit is coupled to the transmission device for receiving signals therefrom.
US08421438B2	Apparatus and method for diffusion sensing Apparatuses and methods for diffusion sensing are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) switch and a switch sense block. The switch includes a gate, a drain, a source, and a well. The source and drain are formed in the well. The gate is formed adjacent the well between the source and drain, and the source is configured to receive a bias voltage from a power amplifier. The switch sense block is configured to measure a signal indicative of the voltage of at least one of the source or drain voltage of the switch and to generate an output signal based on the measurement.
US08421434B2	Bandgap circuit with temperature correction A temperature corrected voltage bandgap circuit is provided. The circuit includes first and second diode connected transistors. A first switched current source is coupled to the one transistor to inject or remove a first current into or from the emitter of that transistor. The first current is selected to correct for curvature in the output voltage of the bandgap circuit at one of hotter or colder temperatures.
US08421428B2	Current trigger circuit and switching power converter using the same A bias voltage is compared with a voltage difference in a detecting element according to the present invention. A bias voltage unit is coupled to the detecting element, so that they have a common voltage level to avoid noises when the circuit is operating. Accordingly, the erroneous detection caused by the noise interference can be avoided. Hence, a detecting element with a low resistance, such as an MOEFET, can be used in the present invention to decrease power consumption arisen from current detection and to further increase conversion efficiency.
US08421427B2	Reference voltage generation circuit, drive circuit, light emitting diode head, and image forming apparatus A reference voltage generation circuit for outputting a reference voltage from an input voltage includes a specific voltage output unit for outputting a specific voltage from the input voltage; a first circuit section for outputting the reference voltage with a positive temperature property from the specific voltage output from the specific voltage output unit; and a second circuit section for setting a level of the reference voltage output from the first circuit section. The specific voltage output unit is formed of a regulator circuit having a first terminal connected to a power source. The first circuit section is formed of a bi-polar transistor element connected to a second terminal of the regulator circuit. The second circuit section is formed of a resistor connected to the second terminal of the regulator circuit, a collector terminal of the bi-polar transistor element, and an emitter terminal of the bi-polar transistor element.
US08421425B1	Non-positive inductor current detector for step down switching regulators A current detector for an output load includes a high side power transistor; a low side power transistor coupled to the high side power transistor; and a controller coupled to the high and low side power transistors to provide cycle by cycle control of the conduction of the high and low side power transistors, wherein if the controller detects zero or negative current in the output inductor, using a dead time between when the low side power transistor turns off and before the high side power transistor turns on, the low side power transistor is held off during the entirety of the next switching cycle.
US08421424B2	Current driver circuit In order to provide a current driver circuit capable of achieving a stable operation without feeding a load current back, a current driver circuit of the present invention includes: a converter part (2a) having a switching element (21) and converting an input voltage (Vi) into an output voltage; a current detector (4) which generates a detection signal (Vfb) indicative of the current of the switching element; an input voltage compensating circuit (5) which generates a compensation signal (Vr) corresponding to the input voltage; a comparator (6) which compares the detection signal and the compensation signal against each other; and a switch driver circuit (7) which generates a drive signal (Vg). The drive signal (Vg) turns the switching element off in accordance with an output (Vc) of the comparator, and turns the switching element on again after a lapse of a prescribed time from the switching element being turned off.
US08421423B2	Output control apparatus of generator A generator (100) includes a generator winding (103) and an excitation winding (104), and a field winding (102). To converge an output voltage of the generator winding (103) to a target, a field current is varied by increasing/decreasing an energization duty ratio of a switching device (110) connected to the field winding (102). In a duty ratio zero determination unit (2) and a duty ratio zero continuation determination unit (3), when an output duty ratio continues for a predetermined time with duty ratio zero, a duty ratio increase amount restriction unit (4) restricts an upper limit of the duty ratio to a predetermined upper limit when the field current increases. A duty ratio restriction unit (21a) for restricting the duty ratio by a maximum value determined based on a voltage of a smoothing capacitor (113) in place of the determination of the duty ratio being zero may be provided.
US08421419B2	Antiferroelectric capacitor-enabled power converter A power converter utilizes one or more nonlinear composite film capacitors constructed solely of polymer anti-ferroelectric (AFE) particle composites and configured as DC-link bus capacitors providing an energy buffer to reduce DC-link voltage ripple.
US08421418B2	Charging/discharging control unit for lithium secondary battery In a charging/discharging unit provided with: a lithium secondary battery, a voltage detecting sensor for detecting a voltage and a current detecting sensor; the charging/discharging control unit is further provided with a controller, and a discharging element for performing a constant voltage discharging operation of 3 V. A voltage, V0, of the battery when a discharging operation is terminated (t=0) is measured by the voltage detecting sensor. If V0≦3.6 V, within a rest time during which the battery is not charged/discharged until a next charging operation, a voltage, V1, of the battery when a time, t1, has elapsed is measured by the voltage detecting sensor. If this voltage charge is in a range of V1-V0≧0.2 V, then the constant voltage discharging operation of 3 V is carried out for a time duration longer than or equal to 1 hour.
US08421415B2	Hybrid working machine having battery protecting function Provided is a hybrid working machine capable of performing battery charging control both for a working period and a standby period. The hybrid working machine includes a hydraulic actuator, an engine, a hydraulic pump driven by the engine to supply hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic actuator, a battery, a generator motor connected to the engine to serve as a generator by an output power of the engine to charge the battery and serve as a motor for assisting the engine by supply of an electric power from the battery, a battery monitor detecting a battery SOC, a controller which controls a charging power of the battery depending on the battery SOC, and a working state detector detecting a working state as information for discriminating between a working period during which the hydraulic actuator is actuated and a standby period during which the hydraulic actuator is not actuated. The controller limits the charging power in the standby period in comparison with in the working period.
US08421410B2	Resonance type non-contact charging device A resonance type non-contact charging device includes a high frequency power source, a primary side resonant coil, a secondary side resonant coil, a charger, a secondary battery, and a stop control unit. The primary side resonant coil receives supply of high frequency electric power from the high frequency power source. The secondary side resonant coil is arranged apart from the primary side resonant coil in a non-contact manner. The secondary side resonant coil receives electric power from the primary side resonant coil through magnetic field resonance between the primary side resonant coil and the secondary side resonant coil. The charger receives supply of high frequency electric power from the secondary side resonant coil. The secondary battery is connected to the charger. The stop control unit stops the high frequency power source before stopping the charger when charging is to be stopped.
US08421403B2	Thermoelectric power generating exhaust system An exhaust system for generating power includes a conduit in communication with a first atmosphere having a first temperature and through which said first atmosphere can flow, the conduit having an inner surface exposed to said first atmosphere and an exterior surface exposed to a second atmosphere having a second temperature external to the conduit; a thermoelectric power generating assembly mounted to the exterior surface of the conduit, said power generating assembly responsive to a temperature difference between the first and second atmospheres for providing electrical power.
US08421402B2	Method and apparatus for providing charging information regarding portable terminal with solar cell A method and apparatus provides charging information regarding devices such as a portable terminal with a solar cell. The solar cell charges the battery of the portable terminal with the highest charging efficiency at an optimal charging angle. The optimal charging angle is determined according to the location information regarding the portable terminal and time information. When the solar cell performs a charging process with the highest charging efficiency, the portable terminal provides a user with an average charging efficiency and the help containing a user's manual of the solar cell. The average charging efficiency is determined according to environmental conditions, such as temperature, humidity, weather conditions, etc.
US08421400B1	Solar-powered battery charger and related system and method A solar-powered charger includes a solar panel configured to generate electrical energy at a first voltage level. The charger also includes a converter configured to receive the electrical energy from the solar panel, perform temperature compensation, and output the electrical energy to a load at a second voltage level. The second voltage level could be between 13.2V and 14.4V, inclusive. The converter could be configured to output the electrical energy at the second voltage level with a substantially constant current over temperatures between 0° C. and 100° C., inclusive. The converter could be configured to be coupled to and recharge a lead acid battery, a lithium ion battery, or a nickel metal hydride battery.
US08421388B2	Multi-phase rotary machine control apparatus and electric power steering system using the same A failure identification part identifies a switching element pair having off-failure, in which a FET of the switching element pair in a first inverter part is disabled to turn on. A failure-time control part controls other switching element pairs and of the first inverter part based on failure-time phase current command values calculated as a function of a rotation position and a q-axis current command value. The failure-time control part controls a second inverter part normally. A motor is persistently driven with the minimum reduction in motor torque, even when the FET fails.
US08421386B2	Control apparatus for multi-phase rotary machine A control apparatus controls an inverter (electric power converter circuit) which is connected for selectively applying a plurality of voltage levels to each phase of a polyphase rotary machine. In each of successive control periods, the apparatus determines the inverter operation state (combination of respective voltage levels applied to the phases) to be set for the succeeding control period, by performing prediction calculations based on a model of the rotary machine, for each of a plurality of candidates for the next operation state, to select an optimum candidate. The candidates are restricted to those operation states whereby the voltage level of no more than one of the phases will be changed, at changeover to the operation state of the next control period.
US08421382B2	Apparatus motor control method A method for controlling a motor can suppress an influence of speed variation due to cogging of the motor. The method includes performing a preliminary drive process to output a first driving signal to the motor to move the mechanism, performing the preliminary drive process to output a second driving signal corresponding to a cogging period of the motor to the motor as well as output the first driving signal, to move the mechanism, determining parameters which include an output waveform and output timing of the second driving signal based on a speed of the mechanism in the preliminary drive process, and outputting the second driving signal according to the determined parameters to the motor as well as outputting the first driving signal to the motor in an actual drive process to perform predetermined processing by moving the mechanism.
US08421380B2	Electric motor A direct current motor includes a stator and a rotor. The rotor has a shaft; a rotor core fixed to the shaft; a commutator fixed to the shaft; and rotor windings wound about poles of the rotor core and terminated on the commutator. The motor also has a common brush and at least two selectable brushes in sliding contact with the commutator; at least two direct current power sources; and a switching device configured to connect the common brush and a selected one of the selectable brushes with predetermined combinations of the power sources to operate the motor in different speed modes.
US08421374B2	Apparatus for driving load An apparatus for driving loads is disclosed. The apparatus mentioned above for driving a plurality of loads includes a protection module and a current generating module. The protection module has a plurality of detection terminals and generates a plurality of detection results according to a plurality of driving voltages on the detection terminals. The current generating module provides a plurality driving currents according to the detection results for flowing through each of the loads, separately.
US08421372B2	Frequency converted dimming signal generation There is provided a lighting control circuit comprising a duty cycle detection circuit, an averaging circuit, a waveform generator and a comparator circuit. The duty cycle detection circuit generates a first periodic waveform having a duty cycle and frequency corresponding to an input waveform duty cycle and frequency. The averaging circuit generates a first signal having a voltage level corresponding to the duty cycle of the first periodic waveform. The waveform generator outputs a second periodic waveform having a frequency different from the input waveform frequency. The comparator circuit compares the second periodic waveform with the first signal to generate an output waveform having a duty cycle corresponding to the input waveform duty cycle and a frequency corresponding to the frequency of the second periodic waveform. Also, there are provided methods.
US08421371B2	LED drive circuit, LED illumination fixture, LED illumination device, and LED illumination system An LED drive circuit in which an alternating voltage is input and an LED is driven, and which can be connected to a phase control dimmer The LED drive circuit is provided with an edge detector for detecting an edge of the output voltage of the phase control dimmer; and a current extractor for extracting a current from a current feed line for feeding an LED drive current to the LED; wherein the value of the current extracted from the current feed line by the current extractor is varied in accordance with the detection results of the edge detector.
US08421369B2	Light emitting diode having protection function The present invention relates to a light emitting diode driver having a protection function that activates hiccup mode for a predetermined period of time when a light emitting diode performs an abnormal operation to thereby protect the light emitting diode. A light emitting diode driver having a protection function according to an aspect of the invention may include: a light emitting unit emitting light; a reference signal generating unit generating a reference signal having pulses with a predetermined period when the light emitting unit performs an abnormal operation; a control unit controlling operating time in hiccup mode according to the reference signal from the reference signal generating unit, the hiccup mode where output is switched on and off at a predetermined period; and a driving unit driving the light emitting unit in the hiccup mode for the operating time determined by the control unit.
US08421368B2	Control of light intensity using pulses of a fixed duration and frequency A method and circuit to control the intensity of lights, illumination fixtures, and displays using pulses of a fixed duration and a fixed frequency (FD/FF) is provided. In particular, the method may be used to control one more light sources. By varying the number of pulses in a control burst, the total current flowing through the light source may be precisely controlled providing greater accuracy than other methods, such as, for example, PWM or variable pulse frequency. The FD/FF technique may be used in conjunction with any number of light sources, and finds particular application in LED displays and for any type of LED illumination fixture.
US08421366B2	Illumination device including LEDs and a switching power control system Disclosed herein is an illumination device including light-emitting diodes, an alternating current input, a full-wave rectifier coupled to the alternating current input and configured to produce a rectified voltage output and a power converter, the power converter having a switching element electrically coupled to the rectified voltage output of the full-wave rectifier. An improvement of the illumination device includes a feedback circuit configured to determine an average current across the light-emitting diodes and to invert a signal representing the average current to provide a switching signal to the switching element such that, for a range of operating points, increasing a current drawn into the power converter will decrease LED power and decreasing the current drawn into the power converter will increase LED power.
US08421365B2	Apparatus for driving light emitting device using pulse-width modulation An apparatus for driving a light emitting device (LED) is provided. The apparatus for driving the LED includes a first driving control element, a first current detection unit, a first effective value detection unit, a first reference signal generation unit, and a first comparison unit. The first driving control element controls a current flowing through a first LED channel, in response to a first pulse-width modulated control signal. The first current detection unit detects the current flowing through the first LED channel. The first effective value detection unit detects an effective value of the current detected by the first current detection unit. The first reference signal generation unit generates a preset reference signal having a sawtooth waveform. The first comparison unit compares the reference signal from the first reference signal generation unit with the effective value from the first effective value detection unit.
US08421364B2	Transient suppression for boost regulator A circuit for generating an output voltage to a top node of a plurality of LED strings. The circuit includes an inductor having a load current flowing therethrough and a switching transistor responsive to a switching control signal. An integrator generates a compensation voltage responsive to a voltage at a bottom node of the LED string and a reference voltage. Circuitry for combining an offset with the compensation voltage is responsive to the compensation voltage and the load current through the inductor. The offset is generated only during a step load change of the load current and substantially reduces voltage transients from the compensation voltage and the output voltage. A summation circuit sums the compensation voltage including the offset with at least the voltage at the bottom node of the LED string to generate a first control signal. A latch generates the switching control signal responsive to the first control signal and a leading edge blanking signal.
US08421360B2	Load determination device and illumination apparatus using same An illumination load determination device includes an illumination load; a voltage applying unit for applying a voltage to the illumination load; a connection unit for connecting the illumination load and the voltage applying unit; a detection unit for detecting at least one of a current flowing through the illumination load and a voltage across the illumination load when the voltage is applied to the illumination load from the voltage applying unit via the connection unit; and a determination unit for determining a type of the illumination load based on an output from the detection unit. The determination unit has a comparator for comparing a detection value detected by the detection unit to a predetermined threshold, and determines that the illumination load has a capacitance based on an output of the comparator. The voltage applying unit lights on the determined illumination load with a rated driving voltage.
US08421355B2	Plasma tube array-type display device In a plasma tube array-type display device, a first surface of the intermediate member, which is a flexible and bumpy intermediate member 4 interposed between a plasma tube array and a frame substrate, is attached with the rear surface of the plasma tube array at a top face of a plurality of convex portions provided on the first surface, and a second surface opposite to the first surface is attached with the frame substrate so as to define a screen shape, thereby the plasma tube array can be separated easily from the frame substrate.
US08421353B2	Organic light emitting diode display with specific sealing member Embodiments may include an OLED display including a substrate, a display unit over the substrate and including a plurality of pixels, a conductive contact layer outside the display unit at a distance from the display unit, and a sealing member facing the display unit and fixed to the substrate by the conductive contact layer. The sealing member may include a plurality of metal layers laminated with an insulating adhesive layer, the insulating adhesive layer being between the metal layers, and a supporting layer neighboring the metal layers with the insulating adhesive layer being between the supporting layer and the metal layers. The plurality of metal layers may be electrically connected to the display unit through the conductive contact layer.
US08421349B2	Display device with improved moisture prevention In a display device including, a display area having a plurality of organic EL devices on a substrate; a peripheral area having a driving circuit for the organic EL devices and surrounding the display area on the substrate; and an organic insulating film covering at least the driving circuit, the organic insulating film has a separating groove which divides itself into the inner part and outer part at the periphery of the display area.
US08421347B2	Integrated organic light-emitting device, method for producing organic light-emitting device and organic light-emitting device produced by the method In a device according to the present invention, a first conductive electrode layer being patterned and light transmissive is formed on a light-transmissive substrate and a laminated layer containing a plurality of organic-compound layers is formed so as to cover at least a part of the first electrode layer. The laminated layer is partly removed so that the first electrode layer is partly exposed. At least one layer containing a second conductive electrode layer is formed on the laminated layer and the exposed part of the first electrode layer. A part of the laminated layer and a part of the second electrode layer are simultaneously removed by application of a laser beam from a side of the substrate, so that a plurality of light-emitting sections are electrically connected in series on the substrate.
US08421344B2	Organic light emitting element and manufacturing method of the same, organic display panel, and organic display device An organic light emitting element and method for manufacturing an organic light emitting element. A first electrode is formed from a metal alloy that includes a first metal material that exhibits a carrier-injection property upon oxidation, and a second metal material that is light-reflective and electrically conductive, a precipitate of the first metal material forming on at least part of a surface of the first electrode, and a metal oxide layer being formed in the precipitate. A functional layer contacts the surface of the first electrode and includes at least a light-emitting layer configured to accept a carrier injected by the first electrode. A second electrode is disposed opposite the first electrode with the functional layer therebetween and has a polarity different from a polarity of the first electrode.
US08421338B2	Organic luminescence display panel The present invention relates to an organic luminescence display panel and a method for fabricating the same which can improve a lifetime and luminous efficiency of an organic luminescence display device.The organic luminescence display panel includes a first electrode connected to a thin film transistor formed on a substrate, an organic layer having a light emission layer formed on the first electrode, a second electrode formed opposite to the first electrode with the organic layer disposed therebetween, a buffer layer formed between the first electrode and the light emission layer of a mixture of an inorganic material of an inorganic halide compound having fluorine and an organic material for interface stabilization between the first electrode and the organic layer, and an electron acceptor layer of an organic material having a strong electron accepting action group selected from cyanide group —CN, —NC, hydroxy group —OH, or halide group —I, Br, —F for making hole injection and transportation between the buffer layer and the light emission layer easy.
US08421336B2	Light emitting diode device A manufacturing method of an LED device includes the following steps. First, a substrate and at least one LED disposed on the substrate are provided. Next, a porous material layer having a plurality of pores is formed on a surface of the LED. Finally, a plurality of nanocrystals are formed in the pores to construct a phosphor layer on the surface of the LED.
US08421334B2	Surface light-emitting device A surface light-emitting element radiates light emitted to a side of a surface light-emitting device. The surface light-emitting device includes: a polygonal transparent substrate, and a light-emitting element disposed on one face of the transparent substrate. The light-emitting element is a laminated body including a transparent electrode which is positively charged and functions as an anode, a negative electrode which becomes negatively charged and functions as a cathode opposite the transparent electrode, and a light-emitting layer between the transparent electrode and a negative electrode. Lengths of respective sides and a thickness of the transparent substrate have a relationship that if b denotes the thickness of transparent substrate, dividing the lengths of the respective sides by 4b results in values ranging from 0.5 (inclusive) to 10 (inclusive).
US08421333B2	Energy saving gas discharge lamp including a xenon-based gaseous mixture An energy saving gas discharge lamp, and method of making same, is provided. The gas discharge lamp includes a light-transmissive envelope, and an electrode within the light-transmissive envelope to provide a discharge. A light scattering reflective layer is disposed on an inner surface of the light-transmissive envelope. A phosphor layer is coated on the light scattering reflective layer. A discharge-sustaining gaseous mixture is retained inside the light-transmissive envelope. The discharge-sustaining gaseous mixture includes more than 80% xenon, by volume, at a low pressure.
US08421331B2	Electron emitting element and method for producing the same The present invention provides an electron emitting element, comprising: a first electrode; an insulating fine particle layer formed on the first electrode and composed of insulating fine particles; and a second electrode formed on the insulating fine particle layer, wherein the insulating fine particles are monodisperse fine particles, and when voltage is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode, electrons are discharged from the first electrode into the insulating fine particle layer and accelerated through the insulating fine particle layer to be emitted from the second electrode.
US08421330B2	Carbon film having shape suitable for field emission A carbon film of the present invention has an elongated needle shape whose radius decreases toward a tip. The shape is, preferably, a shape in which a field concentration coefficient β in the Fowler-Nordheim equation is expressed by h/r where r denotes the radius in an arbitrary position and h denotes height from the arbitrary position to the tip.
US08421327B2	Emitter having carbon nanotubes An emitter includes an electrode, and a number of carbon nanotubes fixed on the electrode. The carbon nanotubes each have a first end and a second end. The first end is electrically connected to the substrate and the second end has a needle-shaped tip. Two second ends of carbon nanotubes have a larger distance therebetween than that of the first ends thereof, which is advantageous for a better screening affection. Moreover, the needle-shaped tip of the second ends of the carbon nanotube has a lower size and higher aspect ratio than the conventional carbon nanotube, which, therefore, is attributed to bear a larger emission current.
US08421323B2	Light blocking layer, display filter having the light blocking layer, and display apparatus having the display filter An external light-shielding layer, a display filter including the external light-shielding layer and a display apparatus including the display filter to enhance brightness, a viewing angle, and a contrast ratio. The external light-shielding layer including: a base substrate including a transparent resin; and wedge-shaped light-shielding patterns spaced apart from each other in a surface of the base substrate at predetermined intervals, and made of a resin including a coloring agent having a concentration of about 0.5% to about 1.5% by weight.
US08421322B2	LED-based light bulb device An LED light bulb device including a bulb body, a cap and an LED assembly. The bulb body defines an exterior surface and an interior. The cap is mounted to the bulb body, combining to define a light bulb-like structure. The LED assembly includes a substrate, LEDs, transformer circuitry and connective circuitry. The LEDs and the connective circuitry are maintained by the substrate, with the connective circuitry electrically connecting the LEDs and the transformer circuitry. The transformer circuitry is adapted to modify incoming power for powering the LEDs. The LED assembly is mounted to the light bulb-like structure such that the LEDs are disposed along the exterior surface of the bulb body, with light from the LEDs being directed inwardly into the interior and then outwardly from the interior. The LED assembly can further include a heat sink body encompassing the LEDs.
US08421320B2	LED light bulb equipped with light transparent shell fastening structure An LED light bulb includes a power conversion board, at least one light source baseboard electrically connected to the power conversion board, a heat sink and a light transparent shell to hold the light source baseboard. The heat sink has a wedged groove with a first holding portion formed thereon. The light transparent shell includes a sphere and a neck wedged in the wedged groove. The sphere and neck have an inner wall surrounded to hold the power conversion board and an outer wall opposite to the inner wall. The neck has a longitudinal shell retaining portion on the outer wall corresponding and fastening to the first holding portion and at least one transverse shell retaining portion. The wedged groove has at least one second holding portion corresponding and fastening to the transverse shell retaining portion to restrict relative turning of the light transparent shell and heat sink.
US08421319B2	Bearing holder mounting structure and motor A bearing holder mounting structure which allows a motor to be manufactured with a small number of parts without needing complex processing, and such motor are provided. A rotor 1 having a pair of bearings 5A and 5B and a washer 28 mounted thereon is inserted into an opening portion 23a of a motor housing 7 such that a rotor member 11 of the rotor 1 is received in a receiving concave portion 23. A bearing holder 9 is disposed on a bottom wall portion 29a of a fitting recessed portion 29 such that a flange portion 37 of the bearing holder 9 abuts on the bottom wall portion 29a of the fitting recessed portion 29. A retaining fitting 33 is then pressed into the fitting recessed portion 29 such that six engaging pieces 41 are located at positions slightly deviated from positions of six lead-out groove portions 31. With this arrangement, leading ends 41a of the six engaging pieces 41 are bitten in an inner peripheral wall portion 29b of the fitting recessed portion 29 due to resilient force by which the six engaging pieces 41 return to an original state from a warped state.
US08421316B2	Transducer comprising a composite material and method of making such a composite material The invention provides a transducer for converting between mechanical and electrical energies. The transducer comprises an EAP laminate with a layer of an elastomer material arranged between two electrode layers, each electrode layer comprising a second layer of a plastically deformable material, e.g. metal or a thermoplastic material, and a third layer of an electrically conductive material. Due to the layer of plastically deformable material, the electrode layers can be shaped into various shapes which can provide anisotropic characteristics of the transducer.
US08421315B2	Electrostrictive structure incorporating carbon nanotubes and electrostrictive actuator using the same An electrostrictive structure includes a flexible polymer matrix and a carbon nanotube film structure at least partly embedded into the flexible polymer matrix. The carbon nanotube film structure includes a number of carbon nanotubes combined by van der Waals attractive force therebetween. The carbon nanotube film structure extends in a curve in the flexible polymer matrix.
US08421311B2	Flexible piezoelectric tactile sensor A flexible piezoelectric tactile sensor having a piezoelectric thin film, a first flexible substrate, a second flexible substrate, and at least one elastic body is revealed. The piezoelectric thin film includes an upper surface and a lower surface while the first flexible substrate is disposed on the upper surface of the piezoelectric thin film. The first flexible substrate consists of a first surface facing the upper surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface and a plurality of first electrodes formed on the first surface. The second flexible substrate, including a third surface facing the lower surface and a plurality of second electrodes formed on the third surface, is arranged on the lower surface of the piezoelectric thin film. Both the first electrodes and the second electrode are electrically connected with the piezoelectric thin film. The elastic body is set on the second surface, corresponding to the first electrodes.
US08421303B2	System for securing permanent magnets The present invention relates to an alternating-current-synchronous-servomotor having a disk-shaped rotor (55, 56) which is located between two stator halves. The rotor comprises an even number of flat permanent magnets pieces (56) having magnet field lines extending parallel to the shaft of the rotor. The permanent magnet pieces (56) form an annular like series including interstices extending around a hub (55) supported on the shaft. The magnet pieces are made of a magnetically non-conductive material and have flat sides acting as magnetic pole surfaces (N, S) which extend in parallel planes to which the axis of the shaft extend perpendicularly. The permanent magnet pieces (56) have limiting surfaces located radially inwards, which are supported each on one of peripheral planes of the hub (55). Said peripheral planes and said limiting surfaces comprise cooperating means (57, 58, 59, 60) for fixing said magnet pieces (54) on said hub (55).
US08421302B2	Rotating electrical machine and coil According to one embodiment, there is provided a rotating electrical machine including a core, a coil extending from the core, and an electromagnetic shield which is provided outside the core, and has a plurality of shoulders projecting toward the coil. The coil includes an insulator covering outside of a conductor, a resistance layer formed on a surface of the insulator and contacting the core, and at least one potential grading layer formed on a surface of the insulator adjacent to the resistance layer. A boundary between the resistance layer and potential grading layer is provided at a position farther from the core than a point on a surface of the coil, where a distance between the coil and a shoulder of the electromagnetic shield closest to the core is the shortest.
US08421294B2	Rotary electric machine including auxiliary slot with center opposed to specified rotor portion A rotor includes permanent magnets arranged such that magnetic poles of N poles and S poles are arranged alternately in a rotation circumferential direction. The permanent magnets form a plurality of rows in a rotation axis direction. The rotor includes a change section in which arrangements of the magnetic poles change with respect to the rotation axis direction due to the permanent magnets being arranged such that arrangements of the magnetic poles change, in the rotation circumferential direction, between the permanent magnets in the plurality of rows. A stator includes tooth sections opposed to the rotor to surround the rotor, and auxiliary slots each of which is selectively formed at one portion of a front end portion of each tooth section in the rotation axis direction such that substantially a center of the auxiliary slot in the rotation axis direction is opposed to the change section.
US08421292B2	Permanent magnet motor having composite magnets and manufacturing method thereof A permanent magnet motor includes: a rotor and a stator; and a plurality of permanent magnets placed on either the rotor or the stator. Each permanent magnet is an R—Fe—B based rare-earth sintered magnet including a light rare-earth element RL (at least one of Nd and Pr) as a major rare-earth element R, and partially includes a high coercivity portion in which a heavy rare-earth element RH (at least one element selected from the group consisting of Dy, Ho and Tb) is diffused in a relatively higher concentration than in the other portion.
US08421288B2	Motor having a serial port disposed on a control board received in a screw hole at the bottom of a control box A motor with a body, including: a housing, a stator, and a rotor; and a controller, including a control box, and a control circuit board. The body is disposed at the top of the motor. The controller is disposed at the bottom of the motor. The control circuit board is disposed in the control box. The control box extends from a side of the housing and forms a platform. A control cable and a power line enter the control box via the platform, and are connected to the control circuit board. The control cable and the power line are sealed via a sealing screw joint and a nut.
US08421282B2	Power tool It is an object of the invention to provide a technique for easily controlling the output characteristic of a brushless motor in a power tool by adjusting the number of turns of a coil that forms a stator winding. A power tool has a brushless motor which includes a rotor 133 having a permanent magnet, a cylindrical stator, and three-phase stator windings which are installed on an inner circumferential side of the stator and rotationally drive the rotor. A plurality of slots are formed in an inside surface of the stator at predetermined intervals in a circumferential direction. Each of the three stator windings is formed by a plurality of coils wound through the slots of the stator and connected to each other. The total number of turns of the coils wound through the slots in each phase is the same in the three phases and not a multiple of the number of the slots in each phase.
US08421281B2	Linear drive for a machine tool and method for moving a tool carriage The invention relates to a linear drive for a machine tool having a housing, having a carriage, which is mounted so it is axially movable in the housing via two bearings, and has a central axis and a length, and having at least one first motor, having a first motor element and a second motor element, wherein said first motor element is disposed on said carriage and said second motor element is disposed on said housing, wherein said first motor element is implemented on said carriage as a primary part and said second motor element is implemented on said housing as a secondary part. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for moving a carriage for a lathe tool of a highly-dynamic machine tool employing a crossed roller bearing for mounting the carriage, wherein all roller bodies of said crossed roller bearing are always operationally linked to a carriage-side bearing surface, and said carriage is driven at an oscillation frequency of at least 50 Hz, in particular between 60 Hz and 200 Hz.
US08421280B2	Electromagnetic moving system An electromagnetic moving system comprises a stator, at least one moving body and at least one controller. The stator comprised of electrically connected flat coil windings spaced apart in a series way and forming a three phase stator. Each of the coil windings has a magnetic axis substantially perpendicular to the coil winding. The moving body comprises 4 permanent magnets placed in pairs. Each pair of magnets includes two alternatively pointed and spaced apart magnets. The magnetic axes of the permanent magnets substantially parallel to the magnetic axes of the coil windings such as to cause interaction with the stator when it is powered, thus creating a force tending to propel the body along the line connected the center points of the coil windings.
US08421276B2	Battery backup protection circuit An exemplary control system has an input connector operable to connect to a power source and at least one output connector operable to connect to either a load or a power source. A first solid state switch is also provided, operable to control a flow of current between the input connector and the output connector. A second solid state switch communicates with the first solid state switch and is operable to command the first solid state switch to prevent the flow of current between the output connector and input connector in response to the power source being connected to the output connector.
US08421275B2	Apparatus for providing zero standby power control in an appliance An apparatus is provided that includes first and second switches in line between an appliance and terminals of the appliance that are connectable to a power source. The first switched is configured to open and close based on closing and opening of a door of the appliance, and the second switch is configured to open and close based on the mode of the appliance. Thus, the appliance may be connected to the power source when the first switch or the second switch is closed, and disconnected from the power source when both the first switch and the second switch are open. The apparatus further includes a third switch connected to the second switch and configured to control the second switch to close upon actuation of the third switch by a user, where actuation of the third switch may cause the appliance to enter an operational mode.
US08421274B2	Wireless energy transfer system A wireless energy transfer system includes a first energy transfer unit having at least one resonant frequency, a second energy transfer unit having the at least one resonant frequency, and a load. The first wireless energy transfer unit includes a first coil magnetically coupled to a first wireless energy transfer cell, and the second wireless energy transfer unit includes a second coil magnetically coupled to a second wireless energy transfer cell. The first coil receives first energy and through the magnetic coupling between the first coil and the first wireless energy transfer cell, the first wireless energy transfer cell is caused to generate second energy, wherein the second wireless energy transfer cell receives the second energy and through the magnetic coupling between the second wireless energy transfer cell and the second coil, the second coil is caused to provide third electromagnetic wave energy to the load.
US08421271B2	Apparatus for transferring energy using onboard power electronics and method of manufacturing same An apparatus includes an energy storage device, a bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter coupled to the energy storage device, and an input device. A voltage bus is coupled to the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter and to the input device. The apparatus also includes a controller configured to control the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter to convert a charging energy on the voltage bus into a charging energy suitable for charging the energy storage device during a charging operation and to monitor a voltage of the energy storage device during the charging operation. The controller is also configured to control the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter to convert the charging energy into a charging energy configured to maintain the voltage of the energy storage device at a pre-determined value.
US08421266B2	Power distribution systems for powered rail vehicles A power distribution system for a rail vehicle includes a propulsion alternator, a first bus, a Head End Power (HEP) alternator, and a second bus. The propulsion alternator is joined to an engine of the rail vehicle. The first bus is joined with the propulsion alternator and is configured to electrically couple the propulsion alternator with a propulsion electric load that propels the rail vehicle. The HEP alternator is joined to the engine. The second bus is joined with the HEP alternator and is adapted to electrically couple the HEP alternator with a non-propulsion electric load of the rail vehicle. The propulsion alternator generates a first electric current to power the propulsion electric load and the HEP alternator separately generates second electric current to power the non-propulsion electric load. The HEP alternator and the second bus are electrically separate from the propulsion alternator and the first bus.
US08421261B2	Water wheel comprising a built-in generator In a water wheel with an integrated electrical generator, a ring element for forming a rotor is rigidly concentrically connected with the water wheel. The ring element is assembled of modular individual segments with inserted permanent magnets. At least one corresponding partial ring as a stator is allocated to the rotor, whereby each partial ring carries electrical coils in correlation to the permanent magnets of the ring element of the rotor. The partial rings of the stator are stationarily mounted by holding elements on support struts of the water wheel.
US08421258B2	Power recovery machine A machine for recovering power from a flow of compressed gas, for example, natural gas includes a turbo-expander having a turbo-expander wheel, and a generator having a rotor able to be driven by the turbo-expander wheel and a stator about the rotor. The turbo-expander and the generator are housed in a length of pipe. The turbo-expander wheel has an obverse side facing the generator. There is a flow passage for the flow of expanded gas that places the obverse side of the wheel in gas flow communication with an outer surface of the stator. This outer surface typically carries fins to facilitate cooling of the stator by expanded gas from the turbo-expander.
US08421254B2	Stream flow hydroelectric generator system, and method of handling same The hydroelectric generator system can include a structure supporting a plurality of watermill units and having an enclosed internal volume and a plurality of lower openings, a stabilizer reservoir having an internal volume and positionable above a center of gravity of the system and an aperture, and connection tubes providing internal fluid flow communication between the stabilizer reservoir and the internal volume of the structure; wherein air can be extracted from the internal volume of the structure via the stabilizer reservoir, and blown into the internal volume of the structure via the stabilizer reservoir, to lower or raise the hydroelectric generator system in water, respectively.
US08421252B1	Solar wind chime A solar wind chime includes a chime and a striker suspended from a body. A solar energy system is carried by the body and includes a solar energy collection system configured to recharge a rechargeable electrical power source. An electrical subsystem conductively couples to the rechargeable electrical power source.
US08421251B2	Enhancing the effectiveness of energy harvesting from flowing fluid An apparatus and method to enhance the efficiency of an energy harvesting device is disclosed. A modulator module creates fluctuations in the flow at a predetermined frequency or group of frequencies and these fluctuations increase mechanical vibrations which are then harvested by an energy harvesting module.
US08421249B2	Epoxy resin composition for semiconductor encapsulation and semiconductor device using the same The present invention relates to an epoxy resin composition for semiconductor encapsulation, including the following ingredients A to E: A: an epoxy resin; B: a silicone mixture containing the following ingredients b1 and b2, with a weight ratio of the ingredients b1 and b2 being from 5/95 to 25/75 in terms of b1/b2: b1: a silicone compound having an amino group in both ends thereof and having a weight average molecular weight of from 600 to 900, and b2: a silicone compound having an amino group in both ends thereof and having a weight average molecular weight of from 10,000 to 20,000; C: a phenol resin; D: a curing accelerator; and E: an inorganic filler containing the following ingredients e1 and e2: e1: a crystalline silica, and e2: a fused silica.
US08421247B2	Connecting material having metallic particles of an oxygen state ratio and size and semiconductor device having the connecting material A connecting material that includes metallic particles with an oxygen state ratio of less than 15% as measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and a mean particle size between 0.1 μm and 50 μm; and especially a connecting material that includes metallic particles that have been subjected to treatment for removal of a surface oxide film and subjected to surface treatment with a surface protective material, so as to provide a connecting material having a high coefficient of thermal conductivity even when joined at a curing temperature of up to 200° C. without application of a load, and that has sufficient bonding strength even when the cured product has been heated at 260° C.; as well as a semiconductor device employing the connecting material to bond a semiconductor element to a support member.
US08421245B2	Substrate with embedded stacked through-silicon via die A substrate with an embedded stacked through-silicon via die is described. For example, an apparatus includes a first die and a second die. The second die has one or more through-silicon vias disposed therein (TSV die). The first die is electrically coupled to the TSV die through the one or more through-silicon vias. The apparatus also includes a coreless substrate. Both the first die and the TSV die are embedded in the coreless substrate.
US08421244B2	Semiconductor package and method of forming the same A semiconductor package includes a first package substrate, a first semiconductor chip disposed on the first package substrate, the semiconductor chip including first through hole vias, and a chip package disposed on the first semiconductor chip, the chip package including a second package substrate and a second semiconductor chip disposed on the second package substrate, wherein a first conductive terminal is disposed on a first surface of the semiconductor chip and a second conductive terminal is disposed on a first surface of the second package substrate, the first conductive terminal disposed on the second conductive terminal.
US08421239B2	Crenulated wiring structure and method for integrated circuit interconnects A method for forming crenulated conductors and a device having crenulated conductors includes forming a hardmask layer on a dielectric layer, and patterning the hardmask layer. Trenches are etched in the dielectric layer using the hardmask layer such that the trenches have shallower portions and deeper portions alternating along a length of the trench. A conductor is deposited in the trenches such that crenulated conductive lines are formed having different depths periodically disposed along the length of the conductive line.
US08421238B2	Stacked semiconductor device with through via A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate including a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a through-via penetrating the semiconductor substrate. The through-via has a stacked structure of a first conductive film formed in a portion of the semiconductor substrate closer to the first surface, and a second conductive film formed in a portion of the semiconductor substrate closer to the second surface. An insulating layer is buried inside the semiconductor substrate. The first conductive film is electrically connected to the second conductive film in the insulating layer.
US08421237B2	Stacked memory layers having multiple orientations and through-layer interconnects In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a first memory layer oriented in a first planar orientation, a second memory layer oriented in a second planar orientation, a third memory layer oriented in the first planar orientation; and a connector that is connected to the first memory layer at an electrical contact of the first memory layer and to the third memory layer at an electrical contact of the third memory layer, where the connector is unconnected to the second memory layer. At least one of the electrical contact of the first memory layer and the electrical contact of the third memory layer comprises a through-layer via. The second planar orientation is angularly offset a predetermined number of degrees from the first planar orientation.
US08421235B2	Semiconductor device with heat spreaders The semiconductor device has a unit stack body including a plurality of units stacked on one another. Each unit includes a power terminal constituted of a lead part and a connection part. The connection part is formed with a projection and a recess. When the units are stacked on one another, the projection of one unit is fitted to the recess of the adjacent unit, so that the power terminals of the respective unit are connected to one another.
US08421233B2	Semiconductor device A semiconductor device includes a lower-layer wire, an upper-layer wire including a wire portion and a first wide portion whose wire width is greater than the wire portion, and a contact formation portion in which a contact portion for connecting the lower-layer wire and the first wide portion with each other is provided. The contact formation portion has a planar shape of which a length L1 in a direction parallel to a wire width direction of the first wide portion is greater than a length L2 in a direction parallel to a wire length direction of the first wide portion.
US08421229B2	Semiconductor device having metal lines with slits A semiconductor device including a semiconductor substrate, an integrated circuit on the semiconductor substrate, an insulation layer covering the integrated circuit, and a plurality of metal line patterns on the insulation layer. First and second adjacent metal line patterns of the plurality of metal line patterns are spaced apart from each other by a space, and each of the first and second adjacent metal line patterns has at least one slit.
US08421228B2	Structure and methods of forming contact structures A contact structure and a method of forming the contact structure. The structure includes: a silicide layer on and in direct physical contact with a top substrate surface of a substrate; an electrically insulating layer on the substrate; and an aluminum plug within the insulating layer. The aluminum plug has a thickness not exceeding 25 nanometers in a direction perpendicular to the top substrate surface. The aluminum plug extends from a top surface of the silicide layer to a top surface of the insulating layer. The aluminum plug is in direct physical contact with the top surface of the silicide layer and is in direct physical contact with the silicide layer. The method includes: forming the silicide layer on and in direct physical contact with the top substrate surface of the substrate; forming the electrically insulating layer on the substrate; and forming the aluminum plug within the insulating layer.
US08421227B2	Semiconductor chip structure A semiconductor chip structure includes a semiconductor substrate, an circuit structure, a passivation layer, a first adhesion/barrier layer, a metal cap and a metal layer. The semiconductor substrate has multiple electric devices located on a surface layer of a surface of the substrate. The circuit structure had multiple circuit layers electrically connecting with each other and electrically connecting with the electric devices. One of the circuit layers has multiple pads. The passivation layer is located on the circuit structure and has multiple openings penetrating through the passivation layer. The openings expose the pads. The first adhesion/barrier layer is over the pads and the passivation layer. The metal cap is located on the first adhesion/barrier layer and the passivation layer. The metal layer is on the metal layer.
US08421226B2	Device including an encapsulated semiconductor chip and manufacturing method thereof A device includes a semiconductor chip having contact pads arranged on a first main face of the semiconductor chip. A first material has an elongation to break of greater than 35% covering the first main face of the semiconductor chip. An encapsulation body covers the semiconductor chip. A metal layer is electrically coupled to the contact pads of the semiconductor chip and extends over the encapsulation body.
US08421223B2	Conductive structure for a semiconductor integrated circuit A conductive structure for a semiconductor integrated circuit is provided. The semiconductor integrated circuit comprises a pad, and a passivation layer partially overlapping the pad, which jointly define an opening portion. The conductive structure is adapted to be electrically connected to the pad through the opening portion. The conductive structure comprises an under bump metal (UBM). A first conductor layer formed on the under bump metal is electrically connected to the under bump metal. A second conductor layer formed on the first conductor layer and electrically connected to the first conductor layer and a cover conductor layer. Furthermore, the under bump metal, the first conductor layer, and the second conductor jointly define a basic bump structure. The cover conductor layer is adapted to cover the basic bump structure.
US08421220B2	Silicon based microchannel cooling and electrical package A chip package includes: a substrate; a plurality of conductive connections in contact with the silicon carrier; a silicon carrier in a prefabricated shape disposed above the substrate, the silicon carrier including: a plurality of through silicon vias for providing interconnections through the silicon carrier to the chip; liquid microchannels for cooling; a liquid coolant flowing through the microchannels; and an interconnect to one or more chips or chip stacks.
US08421219B2	Semiconductor component having adhesive squeeze-out prevention configuration and method of manufacturing the same A semiconductor component includes a semiconductor element that has a plurality of signals, a wiring board that is disposed below the semiconductor element and that draws the plurality of signals of the semiconductor element, a heat conduction member that dissipates heat generated by the semiconductor element, a joining member that is disposed between the semiconductor element and the heat conduction member and that joins the heat conduction member to the semiconductor element, a support member formed with an opening so as to surround the semiconductor element that supports the heat conduction member, a first adhesive member that is disposed between the support member and the wiring board to bond the support member with the wiring board and a second adhesive member that is disposed between the support member and the heat conduction member to bond the support member with the heat conduction member.
US08421216B2	Vacuum hermetic organic packaging carrier A vacuum hermetic organic packaging carrier is provided. The organic packaging carrier includes an organic substrate, a conductive circuit layer, and an inorganic hermetic insulation film. The organic substrate has a first surface. The conductive circuit layer is located on the first surface and exposes a portion of the first surface. The inorganic hermetic insulation film at least covers the exposed first surface to achieve an effect of completely hermetically sealing the organic packaging carrier.
US08421214B2	Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing a semiconductor device A semiconductor device mountable to a substrate is provided. The device includes a semiconductor package having at least one semiconductor die, an electrically conductive attachment region, and a packaging material in which is embedded the semiconductor die and a first portion of the electrically conductive attachment region contacting the die. A metallic shell encloses the embedded semiconductor die and the first portion of the electrically conductive attachment region.
US08421213B2	Package structure A package structure includes a first carrier board provided with a through hole, at least a filling hole in communication with the through hole, a semiconductor chip received in the through hole, and a fastening member disposed in the filling hole and abutting against the semiconductor chip so as to secure the semiconductor chip in position, thereby preventing the semiconductor chip in the through hole from displacement under an external force.
US08421212B2	Integrated circuit packaging system with active surface heat removal and method of manufacture thereof A method of manufacture of an integrated circuit packaging system includes: providing an interconnect structure having a structure bottom side, a structure top side, and a cavity, the structure bottom side electrically connected to the structure top side; mounting an integrated circuit entirely within the cavity, the integrated circuit having an active side coplanar with the structure top side; forming an encapsulation partially covering the interconnect structure and the integrated circuit, the encapsulation having an encapsulation top side coplanar with the structure top side and the active side; forming a top re-passivation layer over the structure top side and the encapsulation; and mounting a heat sink over the top re-passivation layer for removing heat from the active side.
US08421208B2	Electrode pad having a recessed portion A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor integrated circuit device (1). In the semiconductor integrated circuit device (1), a semiconductor integrated circuit (5) is formed on a center of the surface of a semiconductor substrate (3), and a plurality of electrode terminals (71, 73, . . . ) are provided on the surface of the semiconductor substrate (3). A protection film (9) is provided on the surface of the semiconductor substrate (3) such that the surfaces of the electrode terminals (71, 73) are exposed. The electrode terminals (71, 73, . . . ) include an electrode terminal (73) having a thin portion (74). The surface of the thin portion (74) is located below the surfaces of the electrode terminals except for the electrode terminal (73) having the thin portion (74) among the electrode terminals (71, 73, . . . ).
US08421207B2	Semiconductor device, electronic apparatus, and manufacturing methods thereof According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface at an opposite side thereof. The first surface has an active layer with a light-receiving part. The semiconductor device also includes an adhesive layer provided to surround the light-receiving part on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate; a light-transmissive protective member disposed above the light-receiving part of the semiconductor substrate with a predetermined gap and adhered via the adhesive layer; and plural external connection terminals arranged in a predetermined array on the second surface of the semiconductor substrate are included. Each center point of the external connection terminals forming two facing edges is positioned inside of an area of the adhesive layer projected on the second surface among the outermost external connection terminals.
US08421201B2	Integrated circuit packaging system with underfill and methods of manufacture thereof A method of manufacture of an integrated circuit packaging system includes: providing a device having a conductor with ends exposed on opposite sides of the device; forming a first surface depression on the device around the conductor; connecting a first component over the conductor and surrounded by the first surface depression; and applying a first underfill between the first component and the device, the first underfill substantially filled within a perimeter of the first surface depression.
US08421199B2	Semiconductor package structure A semiconductor package structure includes: a dielectric layer; a metal layer disposed on the dielectric layer and having a die pad and traces, the traces each including a trace body, a bond pad extending to the periphery of the die pad, and an opposite trace end; metal pillars penetrating the dielectric layer with one ends thereof connecting to the die pad and the trace ends while the other ends thereof protruding from the dielectric layer; a semiconductor chip mounted on the die pad and electrically connected to the bond pads through bonding wires; and an encapsulant covering the semiconductor chip, the bonding wires, the metal layer, and the dielectric layer. The invention is characterized by disposing traces with bond pads close to the die pad to shorten bonding wires and forming metal pillars protruding from the dielectric layer to avoid solder bridging encountered in prior techniques.
US08421198B2	Integrated circuit package system with external interconnects at high density An integrated circuit package system includes: connecting an integrated circuit die and external interconnects; forming an encapsulation over the integrated circuit die and a portion of the external interconnects; and forming an isolation hole between the external interconnects and into a side of the encapsulation exposing the external interconnects.
US08421193B2	Integrated circuit device having through via and method for preparing the same An integrated circuit device includes a bottom wafer, at least one stacking wafer positioned on the bottom wafer, and at least one conductive via penetrating through the stacking wafer and into the bottom wafer in a substantially linear manner, wherein the bottom wafer and the stacking wafer are bonded by an intervening adhesive layer, and no bump pad is positioned between the bottom wafer and the stacking wafer. A method for preparing an integrated circuit device includes the steps of forming a bottom wafer, forming at least one stacking wafer, bonding the at least one stacking wafer to the bottom wafer by an intervening adhesive layer, and forming at least one conductive via penetrating through the stacking wafer and into the bottom wafer in a substantially linear manner, wherein no bump pad is positioned between the bottom wafer and the stacking wafer.
US08421189B2	Apparatus for electrostatic discharge protection An apparatus includes an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device. In one embodiment, the protection device electrically coupled between a first node and a second node of an internal circuit to be protected from transient electrical events. The protection device includes a bipolar device or a silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR). The bipolar device or SCR can have a modified structure or additional circuitry to have a selected holding voltage and/or trigger voltage to provide protection over the internal circuit. The additional circuitry can include one or more resistors, one or more diodes, and/or a timer circuit to adjust the trigger and/or holding voltages of the bipolar device or SCR to a desired level. The protection device can provide protection over a transient voltage that ranges, for example, from about 100 V to 330V.
US08421188B2	Semiconductor device including a guard ring surrounding an inductor A semiconductor device includes a substrate including a diffusion region, a device isolation region, an inductor region, and a guard ring region, a guard ring formed on the substrate to be connected to the diffusion region in the guard ring region, an insulating film formed on the substrate, in which the insulating film includes an interconnect, and an inductor formed in the inductor region, in which the guard ring region surrounds the inductor region and the device isolation region.
US08421186B2	Electrically programmable metal fuse A metal electrically programmable fuse (“eFuse”) includes a metal strip, having a strip width, of a metal line adjoined to wide metal line portions, having widths greater than the metal strip width, at both ends of the metal strip. The strip width can be a lithographic minimum dimension, and the ratio of the length of the metal strip to the strip width is greater than 5 to localize heating around the center of the metal strip during programming. Localization of heating reduces required power for programming the metal eFuse. Further, a gradual temperature gradient is formed during the programming within a portion of the metal strip that is longer than the Blech length so that electromigration of metal gradually occurs reliably at the center portion of the metal strip. Metal line portions are provides at the same level as the metal eFuse to physically block debris generated during programming.
US08421185B2	Parasitic vertical PNP bipolar transistor in BiCMOS process A parasitic vertical PNP device in one type of BiCMOS process with shallow trench isolation (STI) comprises a collector formed by a p type impurity ion implantation layer inside active area, the bottom of collector connects to a p type buried layer, the p type pseudo buried layer is formed in bottom of shallow trench at both sides of collector active region through ion implantation, deep contacts through field oxide to connect pseudo buried layers and to pick up the collector; a base, formed by n type impurity ion implantation layer which sits on top of above stated collector; an emitter, a p type epitaxy layer lies above base and is connected out directly by a metal contact. Part of the p type epitaxy layer is converted into n type, which serves as connection path of base. Present invented PNP can be used as output device of BiCMOS high frequency circuit. It has a small device area and conduction resistance.
US08421183B2	Structure of very high insertion loss of the substrate noise decoupling A structure includes a substrate comprising a region having a circuit or device which is sensitive to electrical noise. Additionally, the structure includes a first isolation structure extending through an entire thickness of the substrate and surrounding the region and a second isolation structure extending through the entire thickness of the substrate and surrounding the region.
US08421182B2	Field effect transistor having MOS structure made of nitride compound semiconductor A semiconductor layer of a second conductive type is formed on a RESURF layer of a first conductive type that is formed on a buffer layer. A contact layer of the first conductive type is formed in or on the semiconductor layer. A source electrode is formed on the contact layer. A drain electrode is formed on the RESURF layer. A gate insulating film is formed on the semiconductor layer to overlap with an end of the semiconductor layer. A gate electrode is formed on the gate insulating film to overlap with the end of the semiconductor layer. A channel formed near the end of the semiconductor layer is electrically connected to the RESURF layer.
US08421179B2	Schottky diode with high antistatic capability A Schottky diode with high antistatic capability has an N− type doped drift layer formed on an N+ type doped layer. The N− type doped drift layer has a surface formed with a protection ring. Inside the protection ring is a P-type doped area. The N− type doped drift layer surface is further formed with an oxide layer and a metal layer. The contact region between the metal layer and the N− type doped drift layer and the P-type doped area forms a Schottky contact. The P-type doped area has a low-concentration lower layer and a high-concentration upper layer, so that the surface ion concentration is high in the P-type doped area. The Schottky diode thus has such advantages of lowered forward voltage drop and high antistatic capability.
US08421177B2	Vertical silicon photomultiplier with superior quantum efficiency at optical wavelengths The vertical silicon photomultiplier according to the present invention includes a trench electrode and a PN-junction layer perpendicular to the trench electrode forms and can maximize the quantum efficiency at optical wavelengths, 200˜900 nm in such a way that: it generates electric fields horizontal thereto, by applying a reverse bias voltage to between the trench electrode and the PN-junction layer, so that, although ultraviolet light does not reach the PN-junction layer but is incident on the surface, electron-hole pairs can be produced by the horizontally generated electric fields although and an avalanche breakdown can be thus generated, and it allows ultraviolet light, capable of being transmitted to a relatively deep depth, to react with the PN-junction layer.
US08421175B2	Wafer level packaged integrated circuit A wafer level packaged integrated circuit includes an array of contacts, a silicon layer and a glass layer. The silicon and glass layers are bonded together to form a bonding material layer therebetween. The bonding material layer includes gaps between the silicon layer and the glass layer at areas where no bonding material is present. An array of contacts is adjacent the semiconductor layer on a side thereof opposite the bonding layer. The wafer level packaged integrated circuit is provided with additional bonding material layer portions within the gaps and aligned with at least some of the contacts. When the wafer level packaged integrated circuit is configured as an image sensor or display having a pixel array, the additional bonding material layer portions are not used in an area of the pixel array.
US08421173B2	Chip package structure and chip packaging process A chip package structure includes a silicon substrate, a sensing component, a metal circuit layer, a first insulating layer and a conductive metal layer. The silicon substrate has opposite first and second surfaces. The sensing component is disposed on the first surface. The metal circuit layer is disposed on the first surface and electrically connected to the sensing component. The first insulating layer covers the second surface and has a first through hole to expose a portion of the second surface. The conductive metal layer is disposed on the first insulating layer and includes first leads and a second lead. The first leads are electrically connected to the metal circuit layer. The second lead is filled in the first through hole to electrically connect to the silicon substrate and one of the first leads. A chip packaging process for fabricating the chip package structure is also provided.
US08421169B2	Gap control for die or layer bonding using intermediate layers A structure having a gap provided between a portion of two layers that are joined together is disclosed. The structure includes a first layer having an element formed within a first surface and a second layer having a second surface, adjacent to and in direct contact with at least a portion of the first surface on all sides of the element such that the element is completely enclosed. A recess of predetermined depth is arranged to provide the gap between the element and the second surface, and a groove formed in one of the first surface or second surface, the groove defining a boundary around the element. Sealing material is deformedly retained completely within the groove to form a seal around the element, such that the recess defines the gap.
US08421166B2	Semiconductor device and fabrication thereof A method for forming a semiconductor device is disclosed. A substrate including a gate dielectric layer and a gate electrode layer sequentially formed thereon is provided. An offset spacer is formed on sidewalls of the gate dielectric layer and the gate electrode layer. A carbon spacer is formed on a sidewall of the offset spacer, and the carbon spacer is then removed. The substrate is implanted to form a lightly doped region using the gate electrode layer and the offset spacer as a mask. The method may also include providing a substrate having a gate dielectric layer and a gate electrode layer sequentially formed thereon. A liner layer is formed on sidewalls of the gate electrode layer and on the substrate. A carbon spacer is formed on a portion of the liner layer adjacent the sidewall of the gate electrode layer. A main spacer is formed on a sidewall of the carbon spacer. The carbon spacer is removed to form an opening between the liner layer and the main spacer. The opening is sealed by a sealing layer to form an air gap.
US08421164B2	Memory cell array with semiconductor selection device for multiple memory cells A memory array that includes access devices that are each electrically coupled to more than one memory cell. The memory cells are coupled to the access devices via diode devices. The access devices include vertical semiconductor material mesas upstanding from a semiconductor base that form a conductive channel between first and second doped regions, and also planar access devices.
US08421163B2	Power module A power module comprises: first and second terminals; first and second switching elements having a first electrode and a second electrode which is connected to the second terminal; first and second wirings respectively connecting the first electrodes of the first and second switching elements to the first terminal; and a third wiring directly connecting the first electrode of the first switching element to the first electrode of the second switching element, wherein parasitic inductances of the first and second wiring are different or switching characteristics of the first and second switching elements are different.
US08421156B2	FET with self-aligned back gate A back-gated field effect transistor (FET) includes a substrate, the substrate comprising top semiconductor layer on top of a buried dielectric layer on top of a bottom semiconductor layer; a front gate located on the top semiconductor layer; a channel region located in the top semiconductor layer under the front gate; a source region located in the top semiconductor layer on a side of the channel region, and a drain region located in the top semiconductor layer on the side of the channel region opposite the source regions; and a back gate located in the bottom semiconductor layer, the back gate configured such that the back gate abuts the buried dielectric layer underneath the channel region, and is separated from the buried dielectric layer by a separation distance underneath the source region and the drain region.
US08421155B2	Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing semiconductor device A semiconductor device includes a first device isolation insulating film formed in a semiconductor substrate, a first well having a first conductivity type, defined by the first device isolation insulating film, and shallower than the first device isolation insulating film, a second device isolation insulating film formed in the first well, shallower than the first well, and defining a first part of the first well and a second part of the first well, a gate insulating film formed above the first part, a gate electrode formed above the gate insulating film, and an interconnection electrically connected to the second part of the first well and the gate electrode, wherein an electric resistance of the first well in a first region below the second device isolation insulating film is lower than an electric resistance of the first well in a second region other than the first region on the same depth level.
US08421154B2	Semiconductor device having super junction structure and method for manufacturing the same A semiconductor device having a super junction structure includes: multiple first columns extending in a current flowing direction; and multiple second columns extending in the current flowing direction. The first and second columns are alternately arranged in an alternating direction. Each first column provides a drift layer. The first and second columns have a boundary therebetween, from which a depletion layer expands in case of an off-state. At least one of the first columns and the second columns have an impurity dose, which is inhomogeneous by location with respect to the alternating direction.
US08421150B2	High voltage device and manufacturing method thereof The present invention discloses a high voltage device and a manufacturing method thereof. The high voltage device is formed in a first conductive type substrate, wherein the substrate has an upper surface. The high voltage device includes: a second conductive type buried layer, which is formed in the substrate; a first conductive type well, which is formed between the upper surface and the buried layer; and a second conductive type well, which is connected to the first conductive type well and located at different horizontal positions. The second conductive type well includes a well lower surface, which has a first part and a second part, wherein the first part is directly above the buried layer and electrically coupled to the buried layer; and the second part is not located above the buried layer and forms a PN junction with the substrate.
US08421149B2	Trench power MOSFET structure with high switching speed and fabrication method thereof A fabrication method of trench power semiconductor structure with high switching speed is provided. An epitaxial layer with a first conductivity type is formed on a substrate. Then, gate structures are formed in the epitaxial layer. A shallow doped region with the first conductivity type is formed in the surface layer of the epitaxial layer. After that, a shielding structure is formed on the shallow doped region. Then, wells with a second conductivity type are formed in the epitaxial layer by using the shielding structure as an implantation mask. Finally, a source doped region with the first conductivity type is formed on the surface of the well. The doping concentration of the shallow doped layer is smaller than that of the source doped region and the well. The doping concentration of the shallow doped layer is larger than that of the epitaxial layer.
US08421146B2	Semiconductor device having vertical transistor, manufacturing method thereof, and data processing system A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate; a silicon pillar provided perpendicularly to a main surface of the semiconductor substrate; a gate dielectric film that covers a portion of a side surface of the silicon pillar; an insulator pillar that covers remaining portions of the side surface of the silicon pillar; a gate electrode that covers the silicon pillar via the gate dielectric film and the insulator pillar; an interlayer dielectric film provided above the silicon pillar, the gate dielectric film, the insulator pillar, and the gate electrode; and a gate contact plug embedded in a contact hole provided in the interlayer dielectric film, and in contact with the gate electrode and the insulator pillar. A film thickness of the insulator pillar in a lateral direction is thicker than a film thickness of the gate dielectric film in a lateral direction.
US08421145B2	Power semiconductor device Provided is a power semiconductor device including a semiconductor substrate, in which a current flows in a thickness direction of the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate includes a resistance control structure configured so that a resistance to the current becomes higher in a central portion of the semiconductor substrate than a peripheral portion of the semiconductor substrate.
US08421143B2	Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device having element isolating region of trench type Disclosure is semiconductor device of a selective gate region, comprising a semiconductor layer, a first insulating film formed on the semiconductor layer, a first electrode layer formed on the first insulating layer, an element isolating region comprising an element isolating insulating film formed to extend through the first electrode layer and the first insulating film to reach an inner region of the semiconductor layer, the element isolating region isolating a element region and being self-aligned with the first electrode layer, a second insulating film formed on the first electrode layer and the element isolating region, an open portion exposing a surface of the first electrode layer being formed in the second insulating film, and a second electrode layer formed on the second insulating film and the exposed surface of the first electrode layer, the second electrode layer being electronically connected to the first electrode layer via the open portion.
US08421140B2	Dielectric structures A capacitor structure and method of forming it are described. In particular, a high-K dielectric oxide is provided as the capacitor dielectric. The high-K dielectric is deposited in a series of thin layers and oxidized in a series of oxidation steps, as opposed to a depositing a single thick layer. Further, at least one of the oxidation steps is less aggressive than the oxidation environment or environments that would be used to deposit the single thick layer. This allows greater control over oxidizing the dielectric and other components beyond the dielectric.
US08421137B2	Magnetic random access memory A device includes a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structure and a cap layer in contact with the MTJ structure. The device also includes a spin-on material layer in contact with a sidewall portion of the cap layer and a conducting layer in contact with at least the spin-on material layer and a portion of the MTJ structure. The cap layer has been etched to expose a portion of an electrode contact layer of the MTJ structure. The conducting layer is in electrical contact with the exposed portion of the electrode contact layer of the MTJ structure.
US08421133B2	Detector module A detector module, in particular for super-resolution satellites, contains a multi-chip carrier. At least one TDI-CCD detector and at least one CMOS chip are arranged on the multi-chip carrier, and are electrically connected to one another. The CMOS chip contains at least the digital output electronics for the TDI-CCD detector.
US08421126B2	Double-sided integrated circuit chips Semiconductor structures. The semiconductor structures include two silicon-on-insulator wafers having devices fabricated therein and bonding them back to back utilizing the buried oxide layers or bonding them back to back utilizing an inter-substrate dielectric layer and a bonding layer between the buried oxide layers. The structures include contacts formed in the upper wafer to devices in the lower wafer and wiring levels formed on the upper wafer. The lower wafer may include wiring levels. The lower wafer may include landing pads for the contacts. Contacts to the silicon layer of the lower wafer may be silicided.
US08421121B2	Antimonide-based compound semiconductor with titanium tungsten stack An apparatus in one example comprises an antimonide-based compound semiconductor (ABCS) stack, an upper barrier layer formed on the ABCS stack, and a gate stack formed on the upper barrier layer. The upper barrier layer comprises indium, aluminum, and arsenic. The gate stack comprises a base layer of titanium and tungsten formed on the upper barrier layer.
US08421120B2	Field effect transistor capable of reducing shift of threshold voltage A problem is arisen in conventional J-FETs that a shifting in a threshold voltage (VT) is generated before or after an energization with a gate current. A junction gate field effect transistor (J-FET) according to the present invention includes an undoped InGaAs channel layer 5, which is capable of accumulating carrier of a first conductivity type, a p+ type GaAs layer 17 (semiconductor layer), which is provided on the undoped InGaAs channel layer 5, and contains an impurity of a second conductivity type, and a gate electrode 18, which is provided on the p+ type GaAs layer 17. Here, the concentration of hydrogen contained in the p+ type GaAs layer 17 is lower than the concentration of the second conductivity type carrier in the p+ type GaAs layer 17.
US08421116B2	Light emitting device and method for manufacturing the same The light emitting device of the invention comprises a first electrode, a second electrode being light transmitting, and a carrier sandwiched between the first electrode and the second electrode and containing light emitters, wherein the first electrode has a plurality of projections or a pn junction formed with a p-type semiconductor and an n-type semiconductor each on a surface being in contact with the carrier.
US08421107B2	Group-III nitride semiconductor light emitting device and production method thereof, and lamp A group III nitride semiconductor light emitting device including an LED structure formed on top of a single crystal, base layer (103) formed on top of a substrate (101) including a principal plane (10) having a flat surface (11) configured from a (0001) C plane, and a plurality of convex portions (12) including a surface (12c) non-parallel to the C plane having a width (d1) of 0.05 to 1.5 μm and height (H) of 0.05 to 1 μm, the base layer is formed by causing a group III nitride semiconductor to grow epitaxially so as to cover the flat surface and convex portions, and the width (d1) of the convex portions and top portion thickness (H2) of the base layer at the positions of the top portions (12e) of the convex portions satisfy: H2=kd1 (wherein 0.5
US08421103B2	Semiconductor light emitting device and light emitting device package including the same A semiconductor light emitting device is provided. The semiconductor light emitting device comprises a plurality of compound semiconductor layers, an electrode layer, a conductive support member and a first buffer member. The compound semiconductor layers comprise a first conductive semiconductor layer, an active layer and a second conductive semiconductor layer. The electrode layer is disposed under the plurality of compound semiconductor layers. The conductive support member is disposed under the electrode layer. The first buffer member is embedded to be spaced apart, in the conductive support member.
US08421098B2	Semiconductor light emitting device having a roughness on a channel layer Disclosed is a semiconductor light emitting device. The semiconductor light emitting device includes a light emitting structure including a first conductive semiconductor layer, an active layer below the first conductive semiconductor layer, and a second conductive semiconductor layer below the active layer; a channel layer below the light emitting structure, in which an inner portion of the channel layer is disposed along an outer peripheral portion of the light emitting structure and an outer portion of the channel layer extends out of the light emitting structure; and a second electrode layer below the light emitting structure.
US08421089B2	Light emitting device A light emitting device includes a substrate, a first lead frame and a second lead frame on the substrate, an installation portion electrically connected to the first lead frame or the second lead frame, the installation portion being thinner than the first lead frame or the second lead frames, a light emitting diode on the installation portion, and a conductive member electrically connecting at least one of the lead frames to the light emitting diode.
US08421085B2	Semiconductor light-emitting device According to one embodiment, a semiconductor light-emitting device includes a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, a second semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type, a light-emitting layer, a third semiconductor layer and a first electrode. The light-emitting layer is provided between the first and second semiconductor layers. The third semiconductor layer is provided on opposite side of the first semiconductor layer from the light-emitting layer, has a lower impurity concentration than the first semiconductor layer, and includes an opening exposing part of the first semiconductor layer. The first electrode is in contact with the first semiconductor layer through the opening. The third semiconductor layer further includes a rough surface portion which is provided on opposite side from the first semiconductor layer and includes a surface asperity larger than wavelength in the third semiconductor layer of peak wavelength of emission light emitted from the light-emitting layer.
US08421084B2	Organic light emitting display and manufacturing method thereof An organic light emitting display includes a gate electrode on a substrate, an active layer insulated from the gate electrode, source and drain electrodes that are insulated from the gate electrode and contact the active layer, an insulating layer between the active layer and the source and drain electrodes, a light blocking layer that is on the active layer and that blocks light of a predetermined wavelength from the active layer, and an organic light emitting device that is electrically connected to one of the source and drain electrodes.
US08421081B2	Memory device, memory module and electronic device The first transistor includes first and second electrodes which are a source and a drain, and a first gate electrode overlapping with a first channel formation region with an insulating film provided therebetween. The second transistor includes third and fourth electrodes which are a source and a drain, and a second channel formation region which is provided between a second gate electrode and a third gate electrode with insulating films provided between the second channel formation region and the second gate electrode and between the second channel formation region and the third gate electrode. The first and second channel formation regions contain an oxide semiconductor, and the second electrode is connected to the second gate electrode.
US08421080B2	Thin-film transistor array device, organic EL display device, and method of manufacturing thin-film transistor array device A thin-film transistor array device includes: a driving TFT including a first crystalline semiconductor film including crystal grains having a first average grain size; and a switching TFT including a second crystalline semiconductor film including crystal grains having a second average grain size that is smaller than the first average grain size. The first crystalline semiconductor film and the second crystalline semiconductor film are formed at the same time by irradiating a noncrystalline semiconductor film using a laser beam having a Gaussian light intensity distribution such that a temperature of the noncrystalline semiconductor film is within a range of 600° C. to 1100° C., and the first crystalline semiconductor film is formed such that the temperature of the noncrystalline semiconductor film is within a temperature range of 1100° C. to 1414° C. due to latent heat generated by the laser irradiation.
US08421078B2	Thin film transistor substrate and method for manufacturing same A thin film transistor (TFT) substrate includes gate lines, data lines intersecting with the gate lines, a plurality of TFTs, pixel electrodes, and a common electrode insulating the gate lines, the data lines, the TFTs, and the pixel electrode. Each pixel electrode is connected to one of the gate lines and one of the data lines via one of the TFTs. A layer stack including an insulating layer and a passivation layer is sandwiched between the pixel electrodes and the common electrode.
US08421077B2	Replacement gate MOSFET with self-aligned diffusion contact A replacement gate field effect transistor includes at least one self-aligned contact that overlies a portion of a dielectric gate cap. A replacement gate stack is formed in a cavity formed by removal of a disposable gate stack. The replacement gate stack is subsequently recessed, and a dielectric gate cap having sidewalls that are vertically coincident with outer sidewalls of the gate spacer is formed by filling the recess over the replacement gate stack. An anisotropic etch removes the dielectric material of the planarization layer selective to the material of the dielectric gate cap, thereby forming at least one via cavity having sidewalls that coincide with a portion of the sidewalls of the gate spacer. A portion of each diffusion contact formed by filling the at least one via cavity overlies a portion of the gate spacer and protrudes into the dielectric gate cap.
US08421075B2	Light emitting device, light emitting device package, and lighting system including the same A light emitting device, a light emitting device package, and a lighting system are provided. The light emitting device includes a first conductive type semiconductor layer, a second conductive type semiconductor layer, and an active layer between the first and second conductive type semiconductor layers. The active layer includes a first active layer adjacent to the second conductive type semiconductor layer, a second active layer adjacent to the first conductive type semiconductor layer, and a gate quantum barrier between the first and second active layers.
US08421071B2	Memory device A memory device in which a write error can be prevented is provided. The memory device includes a NAND cell unit including a plurality of memory cells connected in series, a first selection transistor connected to one of terminals of the NAND cell unit, a second selection transistor connected to the other of the terminals of the NAND cell unit, a source line connected to the first selection transistor, and a bit line which intersects with the source line and is connected to the second selection transistor. In the memory device, a channel region of each of the first selection transistor and the second selection transistor is formed in an oxide semiconductor layer.
US08421070B2	ZnO based semiconductor devices and methods of manufacturing the same A semiconductor device may include a composite represented by Formula 1 below as an active layer. x(Ga2O3).y(In2O3).z(ZnO) Formula 1 wherein, about 0.75≦x/z≦about 3.15, and about 0.55≦y/z≦about 1.70. Switching characteristics of displays and driving characteristics of driving transistors may be improved by adjusting the amounts of a gallium (Ga) oxide and an indium (In) oxide mixed with a zinc (Zn) oxide and improving optical sensitivity.
US08421069B2	Semiconductor device An object is to reduce leakage current and parasitic capacitance of a transistor used for an LSI, a CPU, or a memory. A semiconductor integrated circuit included in an LSI, a CPU, or a memory is manufactured using the transistor which is formed using an oxide semiconductor which is an intrinsic or substantially intrinsic semiconductor obtained by removal of impurities which serve as electron donors (donors) from the oxide semiconductor and has larger energy gap than a silicon semiconductor, and is formed over a semiconductor substrate. With the transistor which is formed over the semiconductor substrate and includes the highly purified oxide semiconductor layer with sufficiently reduced hydrogen concentration, a semiconductor device whose power consumption due to leakage current is low can be realized.
US08421065B2	Organic electroluminescent display device An organic electroluminescent display device which satisfies all of chromatic purity, transmission factor, reduction in reflection, and reflected color in balance at low cost is provided. An organic electroluminescent (EL) display device includes: a main substrate; an organic light-emitting layer formed above the main substrate and including a red light-emitting layer which emits red light, a green light-emitting layer which emits green light, a blue light-emitting layer which emits blue light, and a bank which is a non-light emitting region; a first light-adjusting layer formed above the blue light-emitting layer and the bank, which selectively transmits the blue light and selectively absorbs the green light and the red light; and a second light-adjusting layer formed above the red light-emitting layer and the green light-emitting layer, which selectively absorbs the blue light and selectively transmits the green light and the red light.
US08421063B2	Organic light emitting display The general inventive concept relates to an organic light emitting display that has the same area where the upper and lower electrodes of a capacitor are overlapped for adjacent pixels, for respective pixels that constitute the organic light emitting display but implements the sizes of the upper and lower electrodes to be different. This thereby prevents the display quality of horizontal line shaped spot generated due to the effects of a critical dimension (CD) distribution from being degraded.
US08421062B2	Nanofiber composite, method of manufacturing the same, and field effect transistor including the same A nanofiber composite including a nanofiber formed of a hydrophobic polymer, a nanowire formed of a conductive or semiconductive organic material that is oriented in the nanofiber in the longitudinal direction of the nanofiber, and an ionic active material.
US08421060B2	Reconfigurable logic device using spin accumulation and diffusion A logic device includes: a substrate having a channel layer; two input terminal patterns of ferromagnetic material formed on the substrate and spaced apart from each other along a longitudinal direction of the channel layer so as to serve as the input terminals of a logic gate; and an output terminal pattern of ferromagnetic material formed on the substrate and disposed between the two input terminal patterns to serve as an output terminal of the logic gate. The output terminal pattern reads an output voltage by using spin accumulation and diffusion of electron spins which are injected into the channel layer from the input terminal patterns.
US08421059B2	Strain-inducing semiconductor regions A method to form a strain-inducing semiconductor region is described. In one embodiment, formation of a strain-inducing semiconductor region laterally adjacent to a crystalline substrate results in a uniaxial strain imparted to the crystalline substrate, providing a strained crystalline substrate. In another embodiment, a semiconductor region with a crystalline lattice of one or more species of charge-neutral lattice-forming atoms imparts a strain to a crystalline substrate, wherein the lattice constant of the semiconductor region is different from that of the crystalline substrate, and wherein all species of charge-neutral lattice-forming atoms of the semiconductor region are contained in the crystalline substrate.
US08421056B2	Light-emitting device epitaxial wafer and light-emitting device A light-emitting device epitaxial wafer includes an n-type substrate, an n-type cladding layer stacked on the n-type substrate, a light-emitting layer including a quantum well structure stacked on the n-type cladding layer, and a p-type cladding layer stacked on the light-emitting layer. The n-type cladding layer includes an epitaxial layer doped with a mixture of 2 or more n-type dopants including Si, and is not less than 250 nm and not more than 750 nm in thickness. Alternatively, a light-emitting device epitaxial wafer includes an n-type substrate, an n-type cladding layer stacked on the n-type substrate, a light-emitting layer stacked on the n-type cladding layer, and a p-type cladding layer stacked on the light-emitting layer. The n-type cladding layer includes 2 or more n-type impurities including Si.
US08421054B2	Light-emitting diode A light-emitting diode element includes: an n-type conductive layer 2 being made of a gallium nitride-based compound, a principal surface being an m-plane; a semiconductor multilayer structure 21 provided on a first region 2a of the principal surface of the n-type conductive layer 2, the semiconductor multilayer structure 21 including a p-type conductive layer 4 and an active layer 3; a p-electrode 5 provided on the p-type conductive layer 4; a conductor portion 9 provided on a second region 2b of the principal surface of the n-type conductive layer 2, the conductor portion 9 being in contact with an inner wall of a through hole 8; and an n-type front surface electrode 6 provided on the second region 2b of the principal surface of the n-type conductive layer 2, the n-type front surface electrode 6 being in contact with the conductor portion 9.
US08421048B2	Non-volatile memory with active ionic interface region An example memory cell may have at least a tunneling region disposed between a conducting region and a metal region, wherein the tunneling region can have at least an active interface region disposed between a first tunneling barrier and a second tunneling barrier. A high resistive film is formed in the active interface region with migration of ions from both the metal and conducting regions responsive to a write current to program the memory cell to a selected resistive state.
US08421047B2	Electro-hydrodynamic wind energy system A system for electro-hydrodynamically extracting energy from wind includes an upstream collector that is biased at an electric potential and induces an electric field. An injector introduces a particle into the electric field. The wind drag on the particle is at least partially opposed by a force of the electric field on the particle. A sensor monitors an ambient atmospheric condition, and a controller changes a parameter of the injector in response to a change in the atmospheric condition.
US08421044B2	Radiation shielding lid for an auxiliary shield assembly of a radioisoptope elution system Disclosed herein are embodiments of a radiation shielding lid of a radiation shielding container (e.g., auxiliary radiation shield) designed to house a radioisotope generator assembly.
US08421041B2	Intensity control of a charged particle beam extracted from a synchrotron The invention comprises intensity control of a charged particle beam acceleration, extraction, and/or targeting method and apparatus used in conjunction with charged particle beam radiation therapy of cancerous tumors. Particularly, intensity of a charged particle stream of a synchrotron is described. Intensity control is described in combination with turning magnets, edge focusing magnets, concentrating magnetic field magnets, winding and control coils, and extraction elements of the synchrotron. The system reduces the overall size of the synchrotron, provides a tightly controlled proton beam, directly reduces the size of required magnetic fields, directly reduces required operating power, and allows continual acceleration of protons in a synchrotron even during a process of extracting protons from the synchrotron.
US08421040B2	Writing apparatus and writing method A writing apparatus includes a writing unit configured to write a first pattern onto a first mask substrate and a second pattern being complementary to the first pattern onto a second mask substrate using a charged particle beam, and an addition unit configured to add a positional deviation amount of the first pattern having been written on the first mask substrate to a writing position of the second pattern, wherein the writing unit writes the second pattern at the writing position on the second mask substrate, where the positional deviation amount of the first pattern has been added.
US08421038B2	Methods and systems for protecting critical structures during radiation treatment Methods and systems are provided for protecting a critical structure during the administration of radiation treatment to a patient. A register receives proposed positions for one or more radiation beams with respect to a critical structure. A processor predicts a cumulative dose volume for the critical structure based on the dose distribution, and determines if the cumulative dose volume exceeds a tolerance value. If the cumulative dose volume exceeds the tolerance value, the dose distribution may be translated at least in part based on a relationship between the cumulative dose volume and the dose distribution position.
US08421036B2	Optical signal detection method, apparatus, sample cell and kit A sensor chip includes a dielectric plate and a sensor portion having a metal layer deposited on a predetermined area on the dielectric plate. A photo-reactable labeling-substance of an amount corresponding to the amount of a substance to be detected in a sample binds to the sensor portion by contacting the sample with the sensor portion. The amount of the substance to be detected is obtained by irradiating the predetermined area with excitation light and by detecting light output from the photo-reactable labeling-substance in an enhanced electric field that has been generated on the metal layer by irradiation with the excitation light. The photo-reactable labeling-substance includes a photo-reactable substance enclosed by a light transmissive material that transmits light output from the photo-reactable substance to prevent metal quenching that occurs when the photo-reactable substance is located close to the metal layer.
US08421035B2	High-resolution microscope using optical amplification Systems and methods that enhance the resolution of a microscope in all three spatial dimensions. A microscope system is provided that typically includes a first objective lens (20), an illumination source that provides excitation illumination (λex) at a first wavelength through the objective lens (20) in a first direction onto a fluorescent sample so as to induce fluorescent emission in the sample at a second wavelength (λfl) different than the first wavelength. The system also typically includes an element (60) that provides illumination at the second wavelength (λfl) to the sample in a second direction different from the first direction, and a detector (10) for detecting the fluorescent emission. The optical gain of the fluorescent emission at the second wavelength is enhanced through stimulated emission.
US08421034B2	Fluoroscopy apparatus and fluorescence image processing method Provided is a fluoroscopy apparatus comprising a white-light-image generating section that generates a white-light image of observation target, a fluorescence-image generating section that generates a fluorescence image of the observation target, a fluorescence-image correcting section that normalizes the fluorescence image with the white-light image, a displacement calculating section that calculates the displacement of the observation target from a plurality of white-light images generated at time intervals, a region-size calculating section that calculates the size of a region having a fluorescence intensity higher than or equal to a predetermined threshold value from the fluorescence image, and a control unit that controls the fluorescence-image correcting section so that, when the displacement of the observation target relative to the size of the region is larger than or equal to a predetermined proportion, normalization of the fluorescence image is stopped.
US08421031B2	Particle beam therapy system The objective is to obtain a particle beam therapy system that can suppress the effect of a leakage dose. There are provided a scanning nozzle that irradiates in a predetermined direction a particle beam emitted from an accelerator; an irradiation control unit that controls operation of the irradiation nozzle in such a way that the particle beam of a predetermined dose is sequentially irradiated onto each of a plurality of spots set in a planar direction in an irradiation subject; and a control unit that on/off-controls emission of the particle beam from the accelerator. The irradiation control unit makes the irradiation nozzle scan in a diluting manner the particle beam onto a predetermined area in the irradiation subject, in a predetermined period after a time point when emission is switched from ON to OFF, or in a period from the time point when emission is switched from ON to OFF to a time point when the particle beam is cut off.
US08421028B2	Device for deflecting or guiding in a particle beam A device for deflecting a particle beam out of a beam axis, or for guiding a particle beam into the beam axis, has a simple design, requires little space, and additionally ensures that no area of an object that is not to be struck is struck by a particle beam. The device may include components in the following sequence along the beam axis: first deflection element, a magnetic apparatus for providing a magnetic field axially to the beam axis, and a second deflection element. A particle beam apparatus may have a device of this type.
US08421027B2	Charged particle analyser and method using electrostatic filter grids to filter charged particles A charged particle analyzer (1) comprises a first non-imaging electrostatic lens (8, 9) for receiving charged particles having divergent, trajectories and for converting the said trajectories into substantially parallel trajectories. At least one planar filter (10) is provided for receiving the charged particles having the substantially parallel trajectories and for filtering the charged particles in accordance with their respective energies. A second non-imaging electrostatic lens (11) receives the energy filtered charged particles and selectively modifies their trajectories as a function of their energies. A charged particle detector (12) then receives the charged particles in accordance with their selectively modified trajectories.
US08421022B2	Method and apparatus for tissue equivalent solid state microdosimetry A microdosimeter, comprising an array of three-dimensional p-n junction semiconductor detectors, each providing a sensitive volume-target and a tissue equivalent medium for generating secondary charged particles. The array is manufactured from a semiconductor on insulator wafer and the detectors are located to detect secondary charged particles generated in the tissue equivalent medium.
US08421009B2	Test structure for charged particle beam inspection and method for defect determination using the same A test structure and method thereof for determining a defect in a sample of semiconductor device includes at least one transistor rendered grounded. The grounded transistor is preferably located at at least one end of a test pattern designed to be included in the sample. When the test structure is inspected by charged particle beam inspection, the voltage contrast (VC) of the transistors in the test pattern including the grounded transistor is observed for determination of the presence of defect in the sample.
US08421008B2	Pattern check device and pattern check method Provided is a pattern inspection apparatus including: a charge formation means which forms charge on a surface of a substrate (7) by generating an electron beam from a second electron source (20) which is different from an electron source (1) which generates an electron beam before irradiating an electron beam (3), a current measuring means (34) which measures a value of current flowing in the substrate while the charge is formed on the surface of the substrate by the charge formation means; and an adjustment means (37) which adjusts the charge formed by the charge formation means so that the value of the current measured by the current measuring means is a predetermined target value. Provided is also a pattern inspection method which uses the pattern inspection apparatus. Thus, it is possible to easily set an optimal condition of precharge executed before inspection of a pattern formed by a semiconductor apparatus manufacturing process and automatically inspection whether the precharge is good. Then, the inspection result is fed back to the operation afterward. This prevents lowering of the reliability of the inspection result and always enables a stable inspection.
US08421000B2	Beam shaping without introducing divergence within a light beam An optical beam shaper comprises a polarization-dependent phase adjustment member which applies a phase pattern of equal magnitude and opposite sign to two orthogonal polarization states. In a preferred embodiment the beamer shaper is a dif tractive element made of a birefringent material, such as a photo-polymerizable liquid crystal polymer frozen in a uniaxial alignment, said dif tractive element comprising a plurality of zones, each zone having a stepped thickness defining a plurality of steps. The beam shaper can be used to introduce astigmatism to a polarized light beam or to undo the astigmatism to a beam with an orthogonal polarization state. The beam shaper is advantageously used within a detection device, such as a fluorescence scanner.
US08420998B2	Target detecting and determining method for detecting and determining target based on height information and storage medium for storing program executing target detecting and determining method In a target detecting technique using a laser sensor, misdetection can be reduced while maintaining a wide detecting range. A target detecting method for detecting a target by emitting a laser beam diagonally downward from an installing position of a laser emitting and receiving portion. The method includes the steps of: obtaining distance information from the laser emitting and receiving portion to an object to be detected; determining, when the object to be detected approaches the laser emitting and receiving portion, whether the tracking of the object to be detected is stopped or not; and determining, when the tracking of the object to be detected is stopped, whether the object to be detected is the target or a non-target based on distance information immediately before the tracking of the object to be detected is stopped.
US08420992B2	Microscope In microscopes, particularly laser scanning microscopes, for detecting light coming from a sample, it is known to protect detectors from excessively high light outputs by means of shutters in the detection beam path. Further, in order to measure the light output impinging on the detector when the detection beam path is closed, a portion of the light is coupled out of the detection beam path and directed to a monitor diode. Constructions of this kind are complicated and costly. In the microscope according to the invention, a monitor diode is arranged on the shutter in such a way that the monitor diode is situated in the detection beam path when the shutter is closed. This makes it possible in a simple manner to measure the light output in a microscope when the detection beam path is closed even without additionally coupling light out of the detection beam path.
US08420989B2	Coil and semiconductor apparatus having the same An apparatus to package a semiconductor chip includes a coil configured to use induction heating to reflow a solder ball of the semiconductor chip. The coil includes a first body, a second body parallel to the first body, a third body extending from the first body to the second body. The first and second bodies are symmetrical with respect to a vertical plane disposed therebetween. The first and second bodies have inclined surfaces facing each other, and the inclined surfaces are distant from each other downward.
US08420988B2	Cooktop control panel mounting assembly A domestic appliance includes a control panel and a control panel mounting bracket which includes a frame shaped for being installed on a surface panel of a domestic appliance. The surface panel has an opening therein for receiving the frame. The frame has an open portion for receiving a control mount adhered over the open portion. The surface panel has a top surface and a bottom surface, and the frame has a main securing member having at least one tab extending therefrom. The tab is bendable along a line off-set from vertical such that when the tab is bent, it bears against the bottom surface of the surface panel to urge the frame against the surface panel.
US08420985B2	Mirror and window de-fogging device The de-fogging device and has an elongated heating element mounted within a housing. There is an elongated opening in the housing beneath the heating element for admission of air below the device and a second elongated opening in the housing above the heating element through which air heated by the heating element flows by convection. The device is mounted to a mirror or window and is positioned such that the heated air flows upwardly across the mirror or window. There is means for regulating the temperature of the heating element such that the heated air prevents any moisture in the air surrounding the mirror or window from condensing on it.
US08420980B2	Ceramic heater, oxygen sensor and hair iron that uses the ceramic heater The conventional lead member had a constant thickness in a section parallel to a longitudinal direction, so that it has found it difficult to enlarge a joint area with a soldering material. Therefore, the lead member itself has to be enlarged so as to enlarge the contact area which contributes to the joining property between the lead member and the soldering material. In a section parallel to the longitudinal direction of a lead member (11) and containing the center axis (A) of the lead member (11), the distance from one point (X) of the soldered portion of the outer circumference of the lead member (11) to the center axis (A) of the lead member (11) is made shorter than the distance from another point (Y) of the soldered portion to the center axis (A), so that the contact area between the lead member (11) and the soldering material can be enlarged.
US08420978B2	High throughput, low cost dual-mode patterning method for large area substrates A high-throughput, low cost, patterning platform is provided that is an alternative to conventional photolithography and direct laser ablation patterning techniques. The processing methods are useful for making patterns of microsized and/or nanosized structures having accurately selected physical dimensions and spatial orientation that comprise active and passive components of a range of microelectronic devices. Processing provided by the methods is compatible with large area substrates, such as device substrates for semiconductor integrated circuits, displays, and microelectronic device arrays and systems, and is useful for fabrication applications requiring patterning of layered materials, such as patterning thin film layers in thin film electronic devices.
US08420977B2	High power laser system A modulation device for directing a mobile tracking device away from an asset is provided. The modulation device includes a continuous wave laser source whose output is directed at a seeker head of the mobile tracking device. The modulation device causes the generation of localized sources within the mobile tracking device and confuses the mobile tracking device as to the true location of the asset. A portable cutting device is disclosed. The portable cutting device may include a portable power supply and a laser source. The portable power supply and laser source of the portable cutting device may be positioned within a backpack and carried by a user. A handheld unit which is coupled to the laser source may be supported by the hands of the operator. The handheld unit provides power generated by the laser source to a barrier to be cut.
US08420976B2	Laser welder An apparatus for fitting two first workpieces with respective second workpieces of different dimensions has a track extending longitudinally through an assembly station and a welding station. An assembling appliance in the assembly station has a pair of jigs each dimensioned to fit with a respective one of the second workpieces, and a holdown appliance in the welding station similarly has a pair of differently sized holddowns. The holddown appliance can move between a pair of positions in each of which a respective one of the holddowns is aligned under the welding head. A workpiece holder in which either of the first workpieces can be held is shiftable between positions in the assembly station under the assembling appliances and a position in the welding station underneath a stationary welding head therein.
US08420974B2	Long life welding electrode and its fixing structure, welding head, and welding method A fixing structure for a welding electrode and a welding head is shown which enable improvement of durability of a welding electrode, improvement of work efficiency in welding, and a reduction of time required for welding and also which make it possible to execute welding for an extended time with high reliability. In the fixing structure, a fixed section of a welding electrode is inserted via a thermally conductive material into an inserting section of a fixing base and a peripheral surface of the fixed section of the welding electrode is uniformly contacted to the fixing base to affix the welding electrode to the fixing base.
US08420970B2	Touch panel A touch panel includes a substrate, plural first bridges, an insulating layer, plural conductive columns, plural second bridges, plural first sensing pads, plural second sensing pads, a reticulated electrode, and plural discharge electrodes. The insulating layer disposed on the substrate covers the first bridges and the substrate. The conductive columns are connected between the first sensing pads and the first bridges. The second bridges, the first sensing pads, the second sensing pads, the reticulated electrode, and the discharge electrodes are disposed on the insulating layer. Each of the second bridges is connected between two adjacent second sensing pads. The first sensing pads and the second sensing pads are located in openings of the reticulated electrode respectively and electrically insulated from the reticulated electrode. Each of the discharge electrodes connected to the reticulated electrode is located between two adjacent first sensing pads and between two adjacent second sensing pads.
US08420967B2	Back-lit operating unit for construction machinery A back-lit operating unit for construction machinery includes a front panel having a plurality of cut-outs. Operating components are received in the cut-outs. A lighting device is arranged behind the front panel. The front panel has a sandwich construction including a carrier panel, a transparent mounting panel located on a front of the carrier panel, and a transparent film located on a front of the mounting panel.
US08420964B2	Electrical apparatus, and racking assembly and coupling therefor A coupling is for a racking assembly for racking an electrical apparatus into and out of an enclosure with an actuator. The electrical apparatus includes a housing. The racking assembly includes a safety interlock, which is movable between a locked position, and an unlocked position corresponding to the racking assembly being operable to rack the electrical apparatus into or out of the enclosure. The coupling includes an adapter having a first portion coupled to the racking assembly, and a second portion coupled to the actuator. A sleeve is movably disposed on the adapter. The sleeve moves the safety interlock from the locked position to the unlocked position. When the safety interlock is disposed in the unlocked position, the adapter transfers movement of the actuator to the racking assembly to move the electrical apparatus.
US08420961B2	Contact block with interlock An interlock contact block providing an automatic electrical disconnect for pushbutton operated contact blocks when components of the pushbutton switch assembly become sufficiently loose or dislodged from one another that proper operation of one or more contact blocks associated with the switch assembly can not be operated by the pushbutton assembly.
US08420956B2	Electrical device mounting adapter In one embodiment, an adapter may include first and second mounting portions adapted to be attached to first and second mounting portions of an electrical device, and first and second spacers arranged to space the first and second mounting portion of the electrical device away from a building surface when the electrical device is mounted to an electrical box. In another embodiment, an adapter may include a ring to surround a body of a standard electrical device, and first and second slots to receive first and second mounting portion of the standard electrical device.
US08420955B2	Lead pin for package substrate A lead pin for a package substrate includes a coupling pin, a head portion, and a flowing prevention portion. The coupling pin is to be inserted into a hole which is formed in an external substrate. The head portion is formed at one end of the coupling pin. The flowing prevention portion is formed on the top surface of the head portion and prevents a solder paste from flowing toward the coupling pin on the top surface of the head portion when the head portion is mounted on the package substrate.
US08420951B2	Package structure A manufacturing method of a package structure is provided. In the manufacturing method, a metal substrate having a seed layer is provided. A patterned circuit layer is formed on a portion of the seed layer. A first patterned dry film layer is formed on the other portion of the seed layer. A surface treatment layer is electroplated on the patterned circuit layer with use of the first patterned dry film layer as an electroplating mask. The first patterned dry film layer is removed. A chip bonding process is performed to electrically connect a chip to the surface treatment layer. An encapsulant is formed on the metal substrate. The encapsulant encapsulates the chip, the surface treatment layer, and the patterned circuit layer. The metal substrate and the seed layer are removed to expose a bottom surface of the encapsulant and a lower surface of the patterned circuit layer.
US08420950B2	Circuit system with leads and method of manufacture thereof A method of manufacture of a circuit system includes: providing a carrier base; forming a cavity in the carrier base; forming a bridge lead over the cavity, the bridge lead exposing the cavity; and mounting a device having an anchor interconnect, the anchor interconnect is in the cavity and conformal to the bridge lead over the cavity.
US08420947B2	Integrated circuit system with ultra-low k dielectric and method of manufacture thereof A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit system includes: providing a etch stop layer; forming a layer stack over the etch stop layer with the layer stack having an anti-reflective coating layer over a low temperature oxide layer; forming a photoresist layer over the anti-reflective coating layer; forming a first resist line and a second resist line from the photoresist layer with the first resist line and the second resist line separated by a through line pitch on the anti-reflective coating layer; etching the anti-reflective coating layer using a low-pressure polymer burst with a non-oxidizing gas mixture to remove a portion of the anti-reflective coating layer; and forming a first polymer layer over the first resist line.
US08420941B2	Conductive channel of photovoltaic panel and method for manufacturing the same An electrically conductive ribbon, which is soldered on an electrically conductive busbar of a photovoltaic panel, includes a cooper core and a tin based solder. The tin based solder fully wraps an outer surface of the cooper core, and has a convex solder surface, which has a first curvature to be fitted with a second curvature of a concave solder surface of the electrically conductive busbar.
US08420937B2	Enclosure of outdoor apparatus An enclosure of an outdoor apparatus includes a first case, a second case and a gasket ring sealed between the first case and the second case. The first case includes a first cover and a flange portion extending from the first cover outwardly. The first case defines a first open surrounded by the flange portion. The flange portion defines a latching groove towards the first open. The second case includes a second cover and a stopper portion extending from the second cover outwardly. The stopper portion is received in the first open and matches with the flange portion. The cover defines a second open surrounded by the stopper portion and opposite to the first open. The stopper portion includes a latch portion protruded outwardly from the stopper portion to engage with the latching groove.
US08420935B2	Bus support system for a motor control center A bus support system is provided. The bus support system includes a bus support having a plurality of vertical channels configured to receive vertical bus conductors, each of the plurality of vertical channels having a rear protrusion on a rear side of the bus support. The bus support system also includes a plurality of add-on bus support braces disposed on the rear side of the bus support and configured to contact the plurality of channels to limit a movement of the vertical bus conductors during a high current event.
US08420931B2	Electrical junction box An electrical junction box includes a junction-box body having at least an outlet for discharging a liquid inside thereof to an outside thereof; and a bracket provided between the junction-box body and a vehicle-body panel. The bracket is adapted to attach the junction-box body to the vehicle-body panel such that the bracket resides in a lower space relative to the junction-box body in a vertical direction. The bracket includes a throughhole communicating with the outlet and adapted to guide the liquid from the outlet to the outside. The bracket may include a plurality of ribs spaced from each other and upstanding in a shape of a plate toward the vehicle-body panel such that the outlet is provided between the ribs. The ribs may be connected to each other via a foot of the bracket upstanding in a shape of a plate toward the vehicle-body panel.
US08420930B2	Method for making a protective element for items and casing obtained by said method The purpose of the disclosure is to provide an insulation structure for efficiently controlling a thermal flow and protecting objects that is easy to implement, has a low cost and is compliant with strict standards in terms of fire resistance while offering protection against crushing and immersion. Accordingly the disclosure relates to a method for protecting at least one object previously encapsulated in a sealed pocket, that comprises imbedding the objects without trapping any air in a body of a high thermal-resistance insulator containing gypsum crystals, said insulator body being cast in a structure having a high mechanical resistance to crushing, and said structure consisting of an intermediate mould or directly defining a housing. A casing obtained by said method comprises the body block of a high thermal-resistance insulator and the housing having a high mechanical resistance to crushing. Advantageously, the objects, such as an electronic board, are encapsulated in a silicone sealed pocket, and the housing includes steam discharge slots as well as an opening for casting the insulator body, said opening being then closed by a plate held on the housing by screws. Sealed ducts are provided in the plate, the insulator, and the pocket for passing electric wires therethrough.
US08420921B2	Information processing apparatus, sound analysis method, and program An information processing apparatus is provided which includes a beat analysis unit for detecting positions of beats included in an audio signal, a structure analysis unit for calculating similarity probabilities, each being a probability of similarity between contents of sound of beat sections divided by each beat position detected by the beat analysis unit, and a bar detection unit for determining a likely bar progression of the audio signal based on bar probabilities determined according to the similarity probabilities calculated by the structure analysis unit, the bar probabilities indicating to which ordinal in which meter respective beats correspond.
US08420920B2	Fret removal tool A hand tool for removing frets associated with guitars, banjos and other string instruments. The tool has a handle with a blade extending therefrom. At a distal end of the blade is a slot wider than a tang of a fret and smaller than a top of the fret. The tool is slid under the fret, thereby providing pressure both to raise the fret and at the same time also against the wood surrounding the tang to prevent undue breakage of the wood during removal of the fret.
US08420918B2	Pedal device, and electronic musical instrument including the pedal device Pedal device for an electronic keyboard instrument includes a pedal having opposed side walls extending downward from the opposite side edges, in a width direction, of an upper wall, and a reactive force imparting member which imparts reactive force to the pedal by being pressed by the lower surface of the pedal. The reactive force imparting member includes a plate-shaped base portion mounted on a mounting portion of a support member, and an upwardly-convexed dome-shaped body portion integrally formed with the upper surface of the base portion. The body portion and mounting portion each have a width dimension smaller than a distance between the opposed side walls of the pedal so that, during stroke action of the pedal, the body portion and mounting portion falls within a space between the opposed side walls.
US08420915B1	Inbred corn line NPXO5745GT21 Basically, this invention provides for an inbred corn line designated NPXO5745GT21, methods for producing a corn plant by crossing plants of the inbred line NPXO5745GT21, with plants of another corn plant. The invention relates to the various parts of inbred NPXO5745GT21, including culturable cells. This invention also relates to methods for introducing transgenic transgenes into inbred corn line NPXO5745GT21, and plants produced by these methods.
US08420914B1	Inbred corn line NPIJ7011Bt11/CRW604 Basically, this invention provides for an inbred corn line designated NPIJ7011BT11/CRW604, methods for producing a corn plant by crossing plants of the inbred line NPIJ7011BT11/CRW604, with plants of another corn plant. The invention relates to the various parts of inbred NPIJ7011BT11/CRW604, including culturable cells. This invention also relates to methods for introducing transgenic transgenes into inbred corn line NPIJ7011BT11/CRW604, and plants produced by these methods.
US08420913B1	Inbred corn line NPID5198BT11/CRW604 Basically, this invention provides for an inbred corn line designated NPID5198BT11/CRW604, methods for producing a corn plant by crossing plants of the inbred line NPID5198BT11/CRW604, with plants of another corn plant. The invention relates to the various parts of inbred NPID5198BT11/CRW604, including culturable cells. This invention also relates to methods for introducing transgenic transgenes into inbred corn line NPID5198BT11/CRW604, and plants produced by these methods.
US08420906B2	Inbred sorghum line ‘R07007’ An inbred sorghum line, designated R07007, is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of inbred sorghum line R07007, to the plants of inbred sorghum line R07007 and to methods for producing a sorghum plant by crossing the inbred line R07007 with itself or another sorghum line. The invention further relates to hybrid sorghum seeds and plants produced by crossing the inbred line R07007 with another sorghum line. The invention further relates to methods for producing a sorghum plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic plants produced by that method and to methods for producing other inbred sorghum lines derived from the inbred R07007.
US08420904B1	Soybean cultivar WN0810485 The present invention is in the field of soybean variety WN0810485 breeding and development. The present invention particularly relates to the soybean variety WN0810485 and its progeny, and methods of making WN0810485.
US08420902B2	Soybean variety A1024640 The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1024640. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1024640. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1024640 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1024640 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US08420901B2	Soybean variety A1024627 The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1024627. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1024627. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1024627 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1024627 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US08420899B2	Soybean variety A1023692 The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1023692. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1023692. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1023692 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1023692 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US08420898B2	Soybean variety A1024210 The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1024210. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1024210. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1024210 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1024210 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US08420894B2	Snap pea variety SL3118 A novel snap pea cultivar, designated SL3118, is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of pea cultivar SL3118, to the plants of pea-line SL3118 and to methods for producing a pea plant by crossing the cultivar SL3118 with itself or another pea line. The invention further relates to methods for producing a pea plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic plants produced by that method and to methods for producing other pea lines derived from the cultivar SL3118.
US08420893B2	AP2 domain transcription factor ODP2 (ovule development protein 2) and methods of use Methods and compositions for modulating plant development are provided. Nucleotide sequences and amino acid sequences encoding Ovule Development Protein 2 (ODP2) proteins are provided. The sequences can be used in a variety of methods including modulating development, developmental pathways, altering oil content in a plant, increasing transformation efficiencies, modulating stress tolerance, and modulating the regenerative capacity of a plant. Transformed plants, plant cells, tissues, and seed are also provided.
US08420890B2	Use of NAP gene to manipulate leaf senescence in plants The present invention discloses transgenic plants having an altered level of NAP protein compared to that of a non-transgenic plant, where the transgenic plants display an altered leaf senescence phenotype relative to a non-transgenic plant, as well as mutant plants comprising an inactivated NAP gene, where mutant plants display a delayed leaf senescence phenotype compared to that of a non-mutant plant. The present invention also discloses methods for delaying leaf senescence in a plant, as well as methods of making a mutant plant having a decreased level of NAP protein compared to that of a non-mutant plant, where the mutant plant displays a delayed leaf senescence phenotype relative to a non-mutant plant. Methods for causing precocious leaf senescence or promoting leaf senescence in a plant are also disclosed. Also disclosed are methods of identifying a candidate plant suitable for breeding that displays a delayed leaf senescence and/or enhanced yield phenotype.
US08420887B2	Plants having improved growth characteristics and method for making the same The present invention concerns a method for improving growth characteristics of plants by increasing expression and/or activity in a plant of an LRR receptor kinase or a homologue thereof. One such method comprises introducing into a plant an RLK827 nucleic acid molecule or functional variant thereof. The invention also relates to transgenic plants having improved growth characteristics, which plants have modulated expression of a nucleic acid encoding an LRR receptor kinase. The present invention also concerns constructs useful in the methods of the invention.
US08420885B2	Determining the capability of a test compound to affect solid tumor stem cells A small percentage of cells within an established solid tumor have the properties of stem cells. These solid tumor stem cells give rise both to more tumor stem cells and to the majority of cells in the tumor that have lost the capacity for extensive proliferation and the ability to give rise to new tumors. Thus, solid tumor heterogeneity reflects the presence of tumor cell progeny arising from a solid tumor stem cell. We have developed a xenograft model in which we have been able to establish tumors from primary tumors via injection of tumor cells in the mammary gland of severely immunodeficient mice. These xenograft assay have allowed us to do biological and molecular assays to characterize clonogenic solid tumor stem cells. We have also developed evidence that strongly implicates the Notch pathway, especially Notch 4, as playing a central pathway in carcinogenesis.
US08420880B2	Removal equipment and method for the storage facility for transuranium compounds A nuclear chemistry laboratory adopts In-site Cutting Technique to remove the large-scale glove box contaminated by transuranium compounds. During removal operation, to prevent further spreading of contamination, it is necessary to build an alpha airtight quarantine tent around the glove box that is ready to be cut. Each section of the quarantine tent maintains a stable airflow and sufficient air exchange to meet negative pressure requirements and effectively prevent leak of α contamination. It is necessary to install a negative pressure ventilation system to assure the operation of the quarantine tent that has a pressure gradient and allows airflow from low contamination area to high contamination area to effectively prevent spreading of α contamination and also increase the safety for the transuranium contaminated glove box that is not in service.
US08420871B2	Process for producing an organic compound Process for producing a chlorohydrin by reaction between a multihydroxylated-aliphatic hydrocarbon, an ester of a multihydroxylated-aliphatic hydrocarbon, or a mixture thereof, and a chlorinating agent, according to which the multihydroxylated-aliphatic hydrocarbon, the ester of a multihydroxylated-aliphatic hydrocarbon, or the mixture thereof used contains at least one solid or dissolved metal salt, the process comprising a separation operation to remove at least part of the metal salt.
US08420870B2	Process and apparatus for recovery of dichlorohydrins via codistillation A process and apparatus for recovering dichlorohydrins from a mixture comprising dichlorohydrins, one or more compounds selected from esters of dichlorohydrins, monochlorohydrins and/or esters thereof, and multihydroxylated-aliphatic hydrocarbon compounds and/or esters thereof, and optionally one or more substances comprising water, chlorinating agents, catalysts and/or esters of catalysts is disclosed. The mixture is stripped to recover dichlorohydrin(s) while distilling or fractionating the mixture to separate a lower boiling fraction comprising dichlorohydrin(s) from the mixture in one step. Advantages include more efficient recovery of dichlorohydrins for a given distillation column, less waste due to avoiding the conditions conducive to the formation of heavy byproducts, and reduced capital investment in recovery equipment.
US08420868B2	Process for the preparation of 2,2,4,4-tetraalkylcyclobutane-1,3-diols Disclosed is a process for the preparation of a 2,2,4,4-tetraalkylcyclobutane-1,3-diols by hydrogenation of a 2,2,4,4-tetraalkylcyclobutane-1,3-dione in the presence of a catalyst comprising ruthenium deposited on a carbon nanotube support. The process is useful for the preparation of 2,2,4,4-tetramethylcyclobutane-1,3-diol. The process may be carried out in the presence or absence of a solvent and in the liquid or vapor phase. Also disclosed is a process for modifying the cis:trans ratio of the 2,2,4,4-tetramethylcyclobutane-1,3-diol hydrogenation product by contacting the diol with hydrogen in the presence of a supported ruthenium catalyst.
US08420866B2	Process for preparing ketones by reacting 1,1-disubstituted olefins with N2O The present invention relates to a process for preparing a ketone, comprising the reaction of a composition (I) at least comprising a 1,1-disubstituted olefin, with a composition comprising dinitrogen monoxide, wherein the reaction is effected in the presence of a solvent which comprises at least one proton-donating functional group.
US08420862B2	Process for the preparation of highly pure monomers for polybenzimidazole materials Highly pure 2,3,5,6-tetraaminotoluene species are produced by chemically reducing undesirable oxidation byproducts. The 2,3,5,6-tetraaminotoluene species are then used in the manufacture of superior high-performance polybenzimidazole polymers.
US08420855B2	Insecticidal compounds A compound of formula (I), wherein A1, A2, A3, A4, R1, R2, G1, G2, Q1 and Q2 are as defined in claim 1; or salts or N-oxides thereof. Furthermore, the present invention relates to processes and intermediates for preparing compounds of formula (I), to insecticidal, acaricidal, molluscicidal and nematicidal compositions comprising them and to methods of using them to combat and control insect, acarine, mollusc and nematode pests.
US08420854B2	Di(meth)acrylate compound, polymerizable liquid crystal composition, optical anisotropic material, optical element and optical information writing/reading device The present invention provides an optical anisotropic material having a good light stability, and provides a di(meth)acrylate compound represented by the following formula (1) and a polymerizable liquid crystalline composition that are suitable for the production of the optical anisotropic material. Further, the present invention provides an optical element having a good light stability and an optical information writing/reading device using the same.
US08420850B2	Compounds for the synthesis of biostable polyurethane, polyurea or polyurea urethane polymers The invention comprises compounds which are derived from a drug or a substance with therapeutic properties, and useful as reagents for the synthesis of biostable polymers including said drug in their backbone, namely polyurethanes, polyureas or polyurea urethanes that are biocompatible and biostable. The invention also comprises the processes for preparing the compounds and the polymers, and to the use of these polymers for the manufacture of medical devices.
US08420849B2	Process for producing thiophene compound and intermediate thereof Provided are γ-ketosulfide compounds represented by the formula (5): where the structural variables R1, R2, R3 and R4 are as defined herein.
US08420843B2	Fluoroalkyl carbinol generating silane surface treatment agents The compound is a silane surface treatment agent and is useful for modifying the surfaces of silicon oxide and other metal oxides with hexafluorodimethyl carbinol functional groups. Additionally provided is a surface treatment procedure that effectively bonds it and other alkoxysilanes via homogeneous and heterogeneous amine catalysis onto metal oxide surfaces.
US08420842B2	Lanolin substitute, production method thereof and applications of same This invention proposes a lanolin substitute, capable of absorbing up to at least twice its weight of water or aqueous solution or aqueous suspension. It forms true emulsions, stable over time with a capacity for water absorption superior to that of lanolin.It also possesses the known emollient, moisturizing and occlusive properties of lanolin.This substitute is usable in all the present and future areas of application of lanolin: in the cosmetics industry, dermatology, and in industrial applications (polishes, lubricants . . . ).It is obtained by hemi-synthesis from a mixture of unsaturated fatty acids, esters of unsaturated fatty acids, unsaturated hydrocarbons or unsaturated derivatives of the latter and compounds comprising or generating hydroxyl functions, such as glycerol, preferably without a catalyst and in an atmosphere devoid of oxygen.Classical thermal treatment or preferably treatment by dielectric heating.
US08420839B1	Crystallization of 1α-hydroxy-2-methylene-18,19-dinor-homopregnacalciferol A method of purifying 1α-hydroxy-2-methylene-18,19-dinor-homopregnacalciferol to obtain 1α-hydroxy-2-methylene-18,19-dinor-homopregnacalciferol in crystalline form using precipitation with hexane from ethyl acetate. A method of preparing 1α-hydroxy-2-methylene-18,19-dinor-homopregnacalciferol crystals acceptable for X-ray experiment using precipitation with hexane from benzene by diffusive exchange of the solvents is also described.
US08420837B2	Method of preparing a nanoparticulate iron—crown ether complex A stabilized nano-Fe6-iron-crown ether complex is formed by preparing a solution of an iron salt and an olygomer crown compound in dialkylamine or diethylamine. Sodium tetrahydroboron (NaBH4) and dialkylamine or ethylendiamine are added at a temperature of 0-10° C. The mixture is heated to room temperature and boiled, thereby converting the formed iron (II)-borhydride complex (Fe(BH4)2) to a crown ether—iron-hydride complex [CWFe06]·(2H)6. At higher temperature this last complex is converted to the Fe06-crown nanocomposite complex.

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