| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08451191B2 |
Display system, display method, information processing apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium
In a display system which includes a plurality of space management units which are hierarchically connected, and each of which manages a predetermined space region as a management space region, a content management unit which manages one or a plurality of contents, and a plurality of display units which display information on display regions. Wherein each of the plurality of display units displays a content arranged in a subspace corresponding to a self display region in the management space region. |
| US08451189B1 |
Ultra-wide band (UWB) artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) metamaterials for electrically thin antennas and arrays
This disclosure demonstrates a new class of Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) AMC with very large fractional bandwidth (>100%) even at lower frequencies (<1 GHz). This new UWB AMC is enabled by recognizing that any AMC must be an antenna in order to accept the incident radiation into the circuit. Therefore, by using UWB antenna design features, one can make wide band AMCs. Additionally, by manipulation of the UWB AMC element design, a 1/frequency dependence can be obtained for instantiating the benefits of a quarter wave reflection over a large UWB bandwidth with a single physical thickness. |
| US08451180B2 |
Integrated antenna and display shade
In one embodiment, an integrated antenna and display shade for a wireless portable control unit is provided which includes a stowable display shade having two side panels and a front panel between the two side panels. Each of the two side panels are foldably connected to opposing edges of the front panel so as to be capable of folding into planes generally parallel with a plane of the front panel when stowed and into planes generally orthogonal to the plane of the front panel when deployed to shade a visual display. The front panel includes an active antenna and each of the side panels include a parasitic antenna. |
| US08451171B1 |
Tool to automatically align outdoor unit
An alignment tool for aligning an antenna to a satellite configuration and a method for aligning an antenna to a satellite configuration is disclosed. An alignment tool for aligning an antenna to a satellite configuration in accordance with the present invention comprises a meter for measuring a satellite downlink signal power from the antenna, a motor for adjusting at least one fine adjustment mechanism of the antenna, and a processor, coupled to the motor and to the meter, for commanding the motor based on the received power from the antenna, wherein the processor commands the motor to maximize a received power from the antenna. |
| US08451169B2 |
Method and apparatus of correcting clock drift error
In an apparatus of correcting a clock drift error, a receiver unit receives a first GNSS signal from a satellite. A Doppler correction unit obtains a first predicted frequency. A tracking unit can obtain a first tracked frequency. The satellite-positioning unit determines a clock offset based on a position fix. A computation unit calculates a first difference between the first predicted and tracked frequencies. When the receiver unit is turned off and then on for receiving a second GNSS signal from the satellite, the Doppler correction unit obtains a second predicted frequency, the tracking unit obtains a second tracked frequency, and the computation unit calculates a second difference between the second predicted and tracked frequencies. An error correction unit computes an estimated clock offset according to the clock offset, the first difference, and the second difference. |
| US08451167B2 |
Methods of calculating the position of a GNSS receiver from two-frequency and single-frequency pseudo-measurements
The method of determination of the position of a mobile receiver using at least four satellites of which at least one first satellite transmits a first signal on one frequency, the broadcasting of the first signal being single-frequency, and of which at least one second satellite transmits second and third signals respectively on a first and a second frequency, the broadcasting of the signals being two-frequency, the receiver including means for reception of at least two frequencies, makes it possible to determine the position by a calculation of at least four pseudo-distances corresponding to the distances between each satellite and the receiver. The calculation of a pseudo-distance at the first frequency includes a step of estimation of the inter-frequency bias between the first and second frequencies. |
| US08451163B2 |
Weather radar apparatus and weather observation method
According to one embodiment, a weather radar apparatus includes an antenna unit, a drive unit, an adjustment unit, and a control unit. The antenna unit is configured to transmit radio waves from a plurality of antenna elements, perform beam scan in a direction of elevation angle by phase control, and receive waves reflected by a weather target. The drive unit is configured to drive an elevation angle and an azimuth angle of an aperture plane of the antenna unit. The adjustment unit is configured to adjust an observation range and an observation elevation angle by the antenna unit and the drive unit in accordance with a plurality of observation modes. The control unit is configured to set the observation mode based on a received signal of the reflected waves. |
| US08451162B2 |
Microwave datum tool
In one aspect, a measurement system is disclosed that includes a source of microwave radiation having one or more wavelengths capable of penetrating through a visibly opaque obstruction, e.g., a wall. The source can be movably positioned on one side of the obstruction for illuminating thereof. The system can further include a microwave reflecting element disposed on another side of the obstruction, where the reflecting element is capable of reflecting at least a portion of the radiation transmitted through the obstruction. A plurality of radiation sensors are positioned relative to the obstruction so as to differentially detect at least a portion of the reflected radiation transmitted through the obstruction so as to determine a position of the source relative to the reflective element. |
| US08451161B2 |
Switched-capacitor pipeline stage
A circuit for an N-bit stage (110i) of a pipeline ADC having L=2N levels, the circuit comprising: an operational amplifier (420); a first feedback capacitor (Cf1) having a first plate connected to an input of the operational amplifier and a second plate switchably connected on a first clock signal (φ1) to a first input voltage (±Vm) and on a second clock signal (φ2) to an output of the operational amplifier; a second feedback capacitor (Cf2) having a first plate connected to the input of the operational amplifier and a second plate switchably connected on the first clock signal to a discharge connection and on the second clock signal (φ2) to an output of the operational amplifier; and a plurality of K sampling capacitors (Cu), each sampling capacitor having a first plate connected on the first clock signal to the input of the operational amplifier and a second plate switchably connected on the first clock signal to a second input voltage (Vin) and on the second clock signal to one of a positive and negative reference voltage (+Vref, −Vref) dependent on a quantized value of an analog input signal (Vm). |
| US08451158B2 |
Analog to digital converter with generalized beamformer
Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems, apparatuses and methods for performing analog to digital conversion. For example, an analog to digital converter circuit is discussed that includes an analog input, a number of analog to digital converters and a generalized beamformer. The analog to digital converters are operable to receive the analog input and to yield a number of digital streams. Each of the analog to digital converters samples the analog input with different phase offsets. The generalized beamformer is operable to weight and combine the digital streams to yield a digital output. |
| US08451154B2 |
Pipelined ADC calibration
A method of calibrating a pipelined analog to digital converter having a plurality of DAC elements and an additional calibration DAC element is provided. In the method as provided herein, a combination of positive, negative and zero reference voltages are applied to the element under calibration and positive and negative reference voltages are applied to the additional calibration DAC element to obtain four calibration states. An error of the DAC element under calibration is extracted by calculating an average of the difference between the four calibration states. |
| US08451151B2 |
Successive approximation analog to digital converter with capacitor mismatch calibration and method thereof
A capacitance mismatch calibrating method for a successive approximation register ADC which includes at least one array of capacitors is provided. The method includes the following steps: firstly, at least two compensating capacitors are configured. A capacitor from the array of capacitors is selected as a capacitor-under-test. Then, the terminal voltages on the terminals of the array of capacitors and on the terminals of the compensating capacitors are determined. A first comparison voltage is outputted based on the determined terminal voltages. Afterwards, a sequence of comparisons is controlled based on the first comparison voltage and a second comparison voltage to output a sequence of corresponding digital bits. Finally, a calibration value is calculated to calibrate the value of a capacitor-under-test according to the digital bits. |
| US08451142B2 |
Meterless remote parking monitoring system
A meter-less remote parking monitoring system, incorporating a plurality of vehicle detector and Radio Frequency Identification Reader (RFID) units deployed in individual parking spaces; a plurality of Cellular Gateway Radios, each Cellular Gateway Radio being connected to one of said plurality of vehicle detector and Radio Frequency Identification Units; a Command and Control Server; the plurality of Cellular Gateway Radios being connected to said Command and Control Server via the internet. |
| US08451141B2 |
Intersection visibility determination device, vehicle with intersection visibility determination device, and method for determining intersection visibility
An intersection visibility determination device includes an ECU that determines visibility at an intersection. When a host vehicle approaches an intersection with a stop sign, the ECU calculates conflict points at which a trajectory vector of the host vehicle intersects with virtual trajectory vectors of intersecting objects, which are presumed to come from the right side and the left side of the intersection, respectively. The conflict points are calculated based on information on types and traveling positions of the intersecting objects. The ECU sets visibility determination areas at the intersection as viewed from the host vehicle based on the positions of the conflict points, the right-side and the left-side visibility target distances, and the current location of the host vehicle, and calculates, based on the visibility determination areas, visibility distances that are used as visibility parameters indicating whether the visibility at the intersection is good or poor. |
| US08451140B2 |
Monitoring road surface conditions
Monitoring road surface conditions using a mobile computer unit carried by a vehicle operating on a road network and adapted to detect information about the road surface conditions. The detection may be done by means of bump sensors which may also provide information on the size and the depth of the bump according to a detected shock with respect to the vehicle speed. Such information may then be transmitted to a central controller server. The central server may use the collected information for several purposes, such as help in planning maintenance of the road network; forwarded to users and vehicles for journey planning purposes; and to deviate traffic in case of extreme surface damage. |
| US08451138B2 |
Cryogenic storage device comprising a transponder
A method for operating a cryostorage device (100), especially for biological samples, is described which comprises a sample carrier (10) to receive at least one sample (11) and a data storage (20), wherein data are inductively transmitted from the data storage device (20) into a wireless transmission channel (40) and/or conversely using a resonant circuit (30) connected to the data storage device (20). |
| US08451137B2 |
Actuating downhole devices in a wellbore
A downhole tool system includes a first downhole tool and a second downhole tool. The first downhole tool includes a first controller operable to receive an actuation signal including a tone. The first controller actuates the first downhole tool if the tone is a first specified frequency and changes the first downhole tool to communicate the actuation signal to the second downhole tool if first downhole tool is not actuated in response to the actuation signal. A second downhole tool includes a second controller operable to receive the actuation signal. The second controller actuates the second downhole tool if the tone is a second specified frequency. The second frequency is different from the first frequency. |
| US08451126B2 |
Combination electronic article surveillance/radio frequency identification antenna and method
A combination EAS/RFID antenna for use in an EAS/RFID surveillance system. The antenna includes an EAS antenna element and an RFID antenna element. The EAS antenna element includes an EAS loop antenna defining an interior area. The RFID antenna element is positioned within the interior area defined by the EAS loop antenna and includes a ground plane and RFID patch antenna. The ground plane and/or the RFID patch antenna have a segmented conductor pattern etched thereon. The segmented conductor pattern minimizes eddy currents in the ground plane produced by current flow through EAS loop antenna. The RFID antenna element is situated proximate the EAS loop antenna in such a fashion that the overall size of the antenna is reduced. |
| US08451125B2 |
Reader based on RFID
Disclosed is an RFID-based reader configured to allow a UHF band RFID reader unit to recognize an RFID tag in a short distance, and to minimize an erroneous recognition, the reader including a gate frame discretely installed at both sides of an entrance and exit, a parabolic surface type reflective plate perpendicularly installed inside of the gate frame, an array antenna arranged on the reflective plate for receiving a tag information transmitted from an RFID tag, and an RFID reader unit for controlling an operation of the array antenna and converting the tag information received from the array antenna to a tag data. |
| US08451122B2 |
Smartcard performance enhancement circuits and systems
An RFID card includes a smartcard controller that receives power from a host device. The RFID card also includes a small inductive device capable of inductive coupling with an RFID reader. The small inductive device is small enough to fit in the form factor of a memory card or SIM card. Enhancement circuits enhance the usable read and write distance of the RFID card. |
| US08451116B2 |
Wireless battery-powered daylight sensor
A wireless battery-powered daylight sensor for measuring a total light intensity in a space is operable to transmit wireless signals using a variable transmission rate that is dependent upon the total light intensity in the space. The sensor comprises a photosensitive circuit, a wireless transmitter for transmitting the wireless signals, a controller coupled to the photosensitive circuit and the wireless transmitter, and a battery for powering the photosensitive circuit, the wireless transmitter, and the controller. The photosensitive circuit is operable to generate a light intensity control signal in response to the total light intensity in the space. The controller transmits the wireless signals in response to the light intensity control signal using the variable transmission rate that is dependent upon the total light intensity in the space. The variable transmission rate may be dependent upon an amount of change of the total light intensity in the space. In addition, the variable transmission rate may be further dependent upon a rate of change of the total light intensity in the space. |
| US08451114B2 |
Brand mapping
A user uses a portable electronic device to select an image representative of a brand. In response to the user's selection of the image representative of the brand, the device automatically presents the user with an image of a map that indicates a current location of the device and shows one or more images representative of brand purchase sites where the selected brand may be accessed by the user. |
| US08451112B2 |
Methods and apparatus for estimating departure time based on known calendar events
A method and apparatus generating a departure alert for an event based on a current location. The method may comprises: obtaining scheduling data associated with a first event, wherein the first event scheduling data includes a first event time value and a first event location value, obtaining a device location value, obtaining a current time value, determining if the first event location value and the device location value differ by more than a event location threshold, upon a determination that the first event location value and the device location value differ by more than the event location threshold, estimating a first travel time value from the device location and the first event location, generating a departure time value by comparing the first event time value and the estimated first travel time value, and generating a departure alert by comparing the departure time value and the current time value. |
| US08451109B1 |
System and method for improving vehicle operator awareness
A system that includes at least one processor, a first set of sensors connected to a first means for controlling a vehicle and electronically connected to the at least one processor, wherein the first set of sensors includes at least one sensor, a second set of sensors connected to a second means for controlling a vehicle and electronically connected to the at least one processor, wherein the second set of sensors includes at least one sensor, at least one alarm electronically connected to the at least one processor, and computer executable instructions readable by the at least one processor and operative to activate the at least one alarm when the first set of sensors detects the absence of an operator's hand, and the second set of sensors detects the absence of an operator's hand. |
| US08451107B2 |
Imaging system for vehicle
An imaging system for a vehicle includes an imaging sensor (12) and a display device (15) for displaying images representative of image data captured by the imaging sensor. The imaging sensor (12) has a rearward field of view when mounted at the vehicle. The imaging system generates a plurality of graphic overlays (130a, 130b, 130c) on the displayed images to enhance the driver's cognitive awareness of an object rearward of the vehicle. The graphic overlays comprises a plurality of graphic overlay segments. The graphic overlay segments convey three dimensional information to a person viewing the displayed images and the graphic overlays. The imaging system may adjust at least one of a color, an intensity and a rate of flashing of at least one of the plurality of graphic overlay segments in response to an object being detected rearward of the vehicle and within a distance threshold. |
| US08451105B2 |
Security and driver identification system
A security and driver identification system for use within the commercial transportation industry and which can be applied to private vehicles. The central component of the system is a telecommunications mobile terminal located within the vehicle with primary capability being to positively identify driver and vehicle to facilitate transceiver wireless communications between vehicle and authorized personnel. The telecommunications mobile terminal is preprogrammed with wireless network number, and is accessible and security procedure implemented by biocell phone communication from authorized driver. |
| US08451103B2 |
Mobile device and method for controlling vibration thereof
A mobile device for controlling a vibration includes an input unit configured to receive an input from a user or an external device; an output unit configured to generate an output; a vibration pattern generation unit configured to generate a vibration, and to move a center of the vibration within the mobile device according to the input from the input unit or the output from the output unit; and a control unit configured to control the vibration pattern generation unit so as to create a moving vibration sensation from a movement of the center of the vibration. |
| US08451101B2 |
Speech-driven patient care system with wearable devices
Embodiments of the invention provide a communication system for care providers and a method of managing patient care utilizing same. The system comprises a patient communication unit configured to be positioned proximate to a patient and operable to capture a patient call that includes speech input of the patient, a central console communicably coupled with the patient communication unit for receiving the call from the patient communication unit, and a portable communication unit configured to be carried by a care provider and communicably coupled with the central console, the portable communication unit operable to receive the call from the central console, to capture speech input of the care provider, and to play at least a portion of the patient speech input, the portable communication unit further operable to convert at least a portion of the care provider speech input into at least one command associated with the call. |
| US08451100B2 |
Use of a transponder for servicing work on an installation component
Described is the use of a transponder in a commercial installation, particularly a power plant, which allows problems and dangerous situations existing in this context to be avoided and the attainable occupational safety in a commercial installation, particularly a power plant, to be increased. The transponder includes a reception element, a transmission element, a visual display unit and a memory element and also a control element which is operatively connected to these, in a commercial installation, particularly a power plant, in an arrangement or positioning on or in proximity to a component or at a switching or measuring point associated with the component for the purpose of visually displaying an operating state for the component or the switching or measuring point associated therewith using the visual display unit of the transponder. |
| US08451099B2 |
Method for duplicating electronic vehicle keys with mutual authentication
A method for duplicating electronic keys with mutual authentication includes: applying temporarily, to an original electronic key, an inductive reader for signals exchanged between the key transponder and the vehicle immobilizer control unit; activating the vehicle instrument panel at least twice with the original key to cause the inductive reader to acquire the RDN1, RDN2, SIG1 and SIG2 codes transmitted by the control unit; connecting the inductive reader to a transponder reader/writer to transfer all acquired data; determining the non-readable SK code of the immobilizer control unit via the reader/writer by using a function inverse to that creating the SIG code from the ID, RND, SK codes and the acquired data; reading from the original key, via the reader/writer, using the non-readable SK code, any other data memorized therein, reading the ID code from the original key, via the reader/writer; and memorizing in a new key all the read data. |
| US08451098B2 |
Switchable active-passive RFID tag
Various embodiments of the invention combine a passive RFID tag with a manually switchable battery for additional transmit range when needed. In some embodiments, connecting the battery may also modify the contents of the data transmitted from the RFID tag. This feature may be particularly useful in applications in which a device generally only needs to identify itself as being in a small area, but may occasionally need to send out an alert with greater range. |
| US08451094B2 |
Phase hopping to reduce interference and improve radio frequency identification (RFID) tag throughput
A radio frequency identification (RFID) reader outputs an interrogation signal, and hops/varies the phase of the interrogation signal sent by the RFID reader over time. Varying the phase of the interrogation signal enables the RFID reader to provide, for each zone of an RF field of the RFID reader, a particular phase that reduces of the effects of interference RF signal(s) present in that zone of the RF field. Reducing the interference in each zone of the RF field increases the throughput of RFID tags that can be successfully read by the RFID reader. |
| US08451092B2 |
Method and apparatus for efficiently querying and identifying multiple items on a communication channel
Systems and methods for efficiently querying and identifying multiple items on a communication channel are disclosed. The invention is well suited to use with radio frequency identification with interrogation devices and systems that identify radio frequency identification transponders. A depth-first tree traversal protocol algorithm, including commands and symbols, is used to more efficiently interrogate a plurality of transponders in a short amount of time. |
| US08451091B2 |
Control system, electronic control unit, and communication method
The present invention provides, as one aspect, a control system having sensor units and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit includes a transmission controlling means which sets a signal line connected to the sensor unit, which is a destination of communication data, to a first state, sets the signal line connected to the sensor unit, which is not the destination, to a second state, and transmits the communication data to the destination via a communication line. The sensor unit includes a reception controlling means which determines a state of the signal line connecting a sensor to the electronic control unit. When determining that the signal line of the sensor unit is in the first state, the reception controlling means receives the communication data and performs a predetermined process. When determining that the signal line is in the second state, the reception controlling means discards the communication data. |
| US08451088B2 |
Electronic lock box with transponder based communications
An electronic lock box contains a secure compartment for storing dwelling keys to a structure, and is typically mounted outside the dwelling structure. When properly instructed, usually with a coded message, the dwelling key can be accessed by opening the door to the secure compartment; such message can be manually entered on a keypad, or a programmed electronic key device can make the process more automatic. A lock box system uses a transponder at a dwelling base station (typically within the dwelling structure) to relay lock box status or access event information over a short range radio from the lock box to a remote central computer by using a more traditional communication system that is available within the dwelling. Additional sensors can be used to monitor the status of vandalism attempts. Furthermore, the lock box/transponder communications may be programmed so as to allow detection if the lock box is stolen. |
| US08451087B2 |
Passive entry system for automotive vehicle doors
A passive entry system for an vehicle door requires no active operator input to gain entrance to the vehicle. A door module recognizes the signal transmitted by an authorized key fob to identify the operator of the vehicle. The authentication of the operator coupled with the operator touching a sensor on the door to be opened actuates a release actuator that unlatches the selected door. The spring-load provided by the door seal will pop the door open from the closed position. A key cylinder, which can be located substantially anywhere on the door, is coupled mechanically to the release latch for use if the battery is weak and cannot activate the release actuator. An LED signals the state of the opening sequence for the door. The fixed door handle can incorporate a membrane switch or a capacitive sensor to indicate the selection of the door by the operator when touched. |
| US08451086B2 |
Remote control signaling using audio watermarks
A system for using a watermark embedded in an audio signal to remotely control a device. Various devices such as toys, computers, and appliances, equipped with an appropriate detector, detect the hidden signals, which can trigger an action, or change a state of the device. The watermarks can be used with a “time gate” device, where detection of the watermark opens a time interval within which a user is allowed to perform an action, such as pressing a button, typing in an answer, turning a key in a lock, etc. |
| US08451085B1 |
Co-fired multi-layer stack chip resistor and manufacturing method
A co-fired multi-layer stack chip resistor is provided. The co-fired multi-layer stack chip resistor includes a ceramic substrate and a multi-layer stack resistance structure monomer. The ceramic substrate is formed by stacking multiple layers of the ceramic membranes, wherein the ceramic membranes is formed of a bearing membrane and a porcelain slurry with the solvent, the binder and the dispersant. The multi-layer stack resistance structure monomer is stacked on the ceramic substrate, and includes multiple bearing membranes and multiple resistive layers, wherein each resistive layer is formed on the surface of the corresponding bearing membrane, the resistive layers are parallel to each other, and the contiguous resistive layers are stacked with the interval of the predetermined distance along the vertical direction. The multi-layer stack resistance structure monomer and the ceramic substrate are sintered and shaped with the predetermined sintering temperature and the predetermined sintering time in a kiln stove. |
| US08451083B2 |
Coil component and method of manufacturing the same
A coil component is provided with a magnetic substrate made of magnetic ceramic material, a thin-film coil layer containing a coil conductor formed on one principal surface of the magnetic substrate, a plurality of bump electrodes formed on the principal surface of the thin-film coil layer, and an insulating resin layer formed on the principal surface of the thin-film coil layer excluding formation positions of the bump electrodes. Each bump electrode has an exposure surface on a bottom surface and on two side surfaces of a layered product composed of the magnetic substrate, the thin-film coil layer and the insulating resin layer. A corner of the each bump electrode has a notch portion. The insulating resin layer includes a center resin portion provided in a center of the principal surface of the thin-film coil layer and a plurality of corner resin portions provided in the notch portion of each bump electrode. |
| US08451081B2 |
Coil assembly having pin support portions of different length
A coil assembly having a simplified bobbin structure and facilitating connection of a draw-out portion of a wire to a pin terminal. A coil assembly includes first and second pin support portions protruding in a protruding direction from a terminal base. First and second pin terminals protrude in the protruding direction from free end faces of the first and second pin support portions, respectively. The draw-out portion is electrically connected to an associated one of the pin terminals. The second pin support portion provides a protruding length from the terminal base greater than that of the first pin support portion, and the free end face of the second pin support portion is positioned downstream, in the protruding direction, of an imaginary linear draw-out portion directed linearly from the wire engaging portion to the first pin terminal, such that the second pin support portion is positioned and sized to intersect with the imaginary linear draw-out portion. |
| US08451080B2 |
Magnetic field focusing for actuator applications
The magnetic force between the electromagnet and plunger of a magnetic actuator, the electromagnet including a coil generating magnetic flux when the coil is energized, can be increased by locating a near field plate on the electromagnet. The near field plate has a spatially modulated surface reactance configured to focus the magnetic flux within a region of the plunger, such as the central portion of an end portion of the plunger proximate the electromagnet, so as to increase the magnetic force between the electromagnet and plunger. Examples also include permanent magnet based actuators and the use of other magnetic field focusing devices. |
| US08451074B2 |
Switch, in particular load breaking switch
A load breaking switch including a rotor embodied as a switch shaft segment, and a contact arm pivotally mounted in the rotor pivotable between an ON and OFF position about an axis of rotation and at the free end of which is a contact piece which is pivotable with the contact arm and is in contact with an opposite fixedly arranged contact piece when the contact arm is in its ON position. Current flows through the switch via the contact pieces and the contact arm. The contact arm is pivotable into its OFF position when the current flowing via the contact pieces exceeds a rated current value or an overload current value. A magnetizable area is spatially arranged inside the rotor such that the current flowing through the contact arm in this area induces a magnetic field which exerts a torque on the contact arm. |
| US08451073B2 |
Laminated RF device with vertical resonators having stack arrangement of laminated layers including dielectric layers
The present invention relates to a resonator device having a stacked arrangement of laminated layers including a plurality of dielectric layers, and at least one resonator comprising a short-circuit electrode, a first capacitor electrode and a second capacitor electrode. Each electrode comprises at least a portion of a layer of electrically conductive material provided on a surface of one of the dielectric layers. The second capacitor electrode is disposed spaced, in the stacking direction, from the short-circuit electrode and the first capacitor electrode. The short-circuit electrode and the second capacitor electrode are electrically interconnected by a first electrical connection comprising at least one via hole penetrating one or more of the dielectric layers. |
| US08451071B2 |
Low noise oscillators
An oscillator having: (A) a transistor for producing an oscillating output signal at an output electrode of the transistor. The oscillator includes; (B) a bias circuit for producing a bias signal for the transistor, said bias circuit including an amplifier coupled to the output electrode of the transistor; and (C) a circuit coupled between an output of the amplifier and a control electrode of the transistor, for isolating the bias signal provided by the amplifier from the oscillating signal. |
| US08451069B2 |
Oscillator having negative resistance device for generating electromagnetic wave
An oscillator having a negative resistance device and a resonator includes: a transmission line connected to the negative resistance device, a three-terminal device including a first terminal connected to the signal line side of the transmission line at a terminal part, a second terminal connected to the grounding line side of the transmission line and a third terminal receiving a control signal applied thereto; a first regulation unit for regulating the control signal to be applied to the third terminal; and a second regulation unit for regulating the voltage to be applied to the second terminal, the first and the second regulation unit being adapted to regulate respectively the control signal and the voltage so as to make the characteristic impedance of the transmission line and the impedance between the first and the second terminal show an impedance matching. The power consumption rate of the stabilizing circuit can be reduced. |
| US08451067B2 |
Variable modulus modulator for fractional-N frequency synthesizers
A variable modulus sigma delta (ΣΔ) modulator for a fractional-N frequency synthesizer in accordance with the present invention may include an integer division unit; a pulse-width modulation (PWM) generator, a ΣΔ noise-shaping unit, a first input FRAC for receiving a first programmable integer, and a second input MOD for receiving a second input, wherein the integer division unit is configured to perform a translation from the first input and the second input into a first output FRAC′ and a second output R, the PWM generator is configured to receive the second input MOD and the second output R, and generate a modulated pulse signal, and the ΣΔ noise-shaping unit is configured to receive the first output and the modulated pulse signal, and generate a sequence whose average equals approximately the first input over the second input. |
| US08451066B2 |
PLL circuit and angular velocity sensor using the same
A PLL circuit is provided with an AD converter, a DA converter to which output from the AD converter is inputted, a filter circuit filtering an output signal of the DA converter, a voltage control oscillator outputting a signal of a different frequency in accordance with an output signal from the filter circuit and a frequency divider dividing a signal which the voltage control oscillator outputs. The AD converter operates by a timing signal from the voltage control oscillator and the DA converter outputs an analog signal corresponding to a value which the AD converter outputs by the timing signal outputted from the frequency divider. |
| US08451061B2 |
Amplification of an incoming signal received via an antenna
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a radio frequency (RF) at an antenna; generating negative feedback to linearize an amplifier by resistively or transformer coupling an output signal of a transistor of the amplifier to the input of the transistor; generating a rectified voltage by rectification of the output signal of the transistor; generating a constant reference voltage; and outputting a control voltage or a control current to the transistor based on the sum of the reference voltage and a first voltage derived from the rectified voltage. The output of the control voltage or control current facilitates control of an operating point of the transistor. |
| US08451060B2 |
Amplifier device
An amplifier device including a gain stage, an output stage, at least one phase compensation circuit and at least one coupling suppression device is provided. The gain stage has at least one feedback node. The output stage is coupled to the gain stage and has an output node for outputting an output voltage. Each of the at least one phase compensation circuit is coupled between a corresponding one of the at least one feedback node and the output node. Each of the at least one coupling suppression device is coupled between a corresponding one of the at least one feedback node and a respective coupling node, and is spontaneously turned on in response to a change of a voltage level at the corresponding feedback node when the corresponding feedback node is coupled by noise, thereby suppressing the change of the voltage level at the corresponding feedback node. |
| US08451059B1 |
Capacitively-coupled distributed amplifier with baseband performance
The present disclosure relates to a capacitively-coupled distributed amplifier (DA) having an input line and an output line that are coupled to one another through a broadband interface network and DA segments. The input line receives an input signal and the output line provides an output signal based on amplifying the input signal. The broadband interface network includes a group of capacitive elements coupled between the input line and the DA segments to extend a gain-bandwidth product of the DA. The broadband interface network further includes a resistor divider network coupled between the input line and the DA segments to extend a lower end of an operating bandwidth of the DA. As such, the operating bandwidth of the DA may extend from baseband frequencies to microwave frequencies. |
| US08451056B2 |
Apparatus for outputting symmetrical signal and amplifier circuit
A symmetrical signal generator that includes a first signal part configured to produce a first output pulse signal using a first input pulse signal and a second input pulse signal asymmetrical to each other, and a second signal part configured to produce a second output pulse signal using the first input pulse signal and the second input pulse signal. The second output pulse signal is one inverted to be symmetrical to the first output pulse signal. |
| US08451054B2 |
Power amplifying devices
A radio frequency amplifier amplifies a modulation signal or its phase modulation component and outputs the resultant signal. A linear amplifier adds an output voltage to a power supply voltage supplied to the radio frequency amplifier, amplifies a difference between the output voltage and the amplitude modulation component, and outputs the resultant difference. A control signal generation section detects a direction in which an output current of the linear amplifying section flows and generates a pulse modulation signal according to the direction of the current. A switching amplifying section controls connection and disconnection of a DC current based on the pulse modulation signal as a control signal so as to perform switching amplification for an output signal of the linear amplifying section, add the resultant signal to a predetermined DC voltage, and supply the resultant signal as the power supply voltage to the radio frequency amplifier. The DC current and the predetermined DC voltage are supplied to the switching amplifying section. |
| US08451052B2 |
Instrumentation input systems
An input stage for an instrumentation system may include a resistor coupled between an input terminal and a summing node, and an amplifier arranged to maintain the voltage at the summing node. In anther embodiment, an instrumentation input system may include an input stage to receive a signal to be measured, and a variable gain amplifier having an input coupled to an output of the input stage, wherein the variable gain amplifier comprises two or more gain stages. A variable gain amplifier may include an attenuator having an input and a series of tap points and a series of low-inertia switches to steer outputs from the attenuator to an output terminal. |
| US08451051B2 |
Dual mode sigma delta analog to digital converter and circuit using the same
The present invention provides a dual mode sigma delta analog to digital converter (ADC), which only in one hardware implementation, used for low IF and near zero IF receiver. The dual mode sigma delta ADC comprises a first switched-capacitor integrator; a second switched-capacitor integrator; a quantizer; a feedback circuit and a mode device. By switching the mode device on or off, one could easily change the configuration of the disclosed ADC to decide the receiving signal falling in low-IF or near zero IF. |
| US08451049B2 |
Power supply switching circuit
Provided is a power supply switching circuit with a smaller circuit scale. When a detector (11) detects that a voltage (V1) as an input power supply voltage is higher than a detection voltage (VDET), a control circuit (41) operates with a voltage (V4) output from a diode OR circuit (42), supplies a voltage (V2) as an input power supply voltage to a gate of a PMOS transistor (17), supplies a voltage (V3) to a gate of a PMOS transistor (18), and supplies a ground voltage to a gate of a PMOS transistor (19). Then, the PMOS transistors (17 and 18) are turned OFF and the PMOS transistor (19) is turned ON. In this case, the voltage V1 of a first terminal (T1) is output from a third terminal (T3) as the voltage (V3), which is an output power supply voltage. |
| US08451048B2 |
Low voltage temperature sensor and use thereof for autonomous multiprobe measurement device
A bandgap sensor which measures temperatures within an integrated circuit is presented. The sensor may include a first transistor having an emitter node coupled in series to a first resistor and a first current source, wherein a PTAT current flows through the first resistor, and a second transistor having a base node coupled to a base node of the first transistor, and a collector node coupled to a collector node of the first transistor, further wherein the first and second transistors are diode connected. The sensor may further include a first operational amplifier providing negative feedback to the first current source, wherein the negative feedback is related to a difference in the base-emitter voltages of the first and second transistors, and a second operational amplifier which couples the base-emitter voltage of the second transistor across a second resistor, wherein a CTAT current flows through the second resistor. |
| US08451043B2 |
On-chip self calibrating delay monitoring circuitry
The present disclosure relates to on-chip self calibrating delay monitoring circuitry. |
| US08451042B2 |
Apparatus and system of implementation of digital phase interpolator with improved linearity
An apparatus comprising: a first control switch driven by a first bit value; a first weighted switch driven by a first clock signal; a first intermediate node coupled between the first control switch and the second weighted switch; a first precharge transistor coupled to the first intermediate node, wherein the precharge transistor is driven by an inverse of the clock signal; a second control switch driven by an inverse of the bit; a second weighted switch driven by a second clock signal; a second intermediate node coupled between the second control switch and the second weighted switch; a second precharge transistor coupled to the second intermediate node, wherein the second precharge transistor is driven by an inverse of the second clock signal; and a capacitor coupled to the first control switch, the second control switch, the first precharge transistor and the second precharge transistor. |
| US08451041B2 |
Charge-injection sense-amp logic
A flip-flop circuit includes a charge injection module, a sense amp module, and a latch module. The charge injection module is configured to, in response to a clock signal, selectively provide electrical charge from a power supply to a first node. The sense amp module is configured to adjust a voltage of a second node in response to detecting a voltage of the first node crossing a threshold while the charge injection module is providing the electrical charge to the first node. The latch module is configured to in response to the clock signal, store a value based on a voltage of the second node. The latch module is also configured to provide the value as an output of the flip-flop circuit. |
| US08451038B2 |
Digital control unit having a transient detector for controlling a switched mode power supply
A switched mode power supply (SMPS) comprising a feedback unit, voltage feed forward (VFF) compensation signal generator and a transient detector. A VFF compensation signal is only applied to the output of the feedback unit when a transient is detected by the transient detector on the input voltage of the SMPS, thereby saving power and computation time. The transient detector comprises a first comparator to detect that a positive transient has occurred if a difference signal is greater than a positive threshold level; a second comparator to determine if the difference signal is within a predetermined range of positive values and output a result that indicates if the difference signal is within the predetermined range of positive values; and a first calculator to detect that a positive transient has occurred if, out of a first predetermined number of consecutive results of the output of the second comparator, there is at least a second predetermined number of results indicating that the difference signal is within the predetermined range of positive values. The transient detector comprises further features for similarly detecting a negative transient. |
| US08451037B2 |
Duty cycle correction circuit
A duty cycle correction circuit includes a duty cycle control unit configured to generate a corrected clock signal by correcting a duty cycle of an input clock signal in response to a control signal, a duty cycle detection unit configured to detect a duty cycle of the corrected clock signal and output a detection signal, and a control signal generation unit configured to generate the control signal in response to the detection signal. |
| US08451035B2 |
Synthesizable DLL on system-on-chip
The present disclosure provides an emulator mapping process on a system-on-a-chip (SoC) for debugging. The implementation reduces manual intervention and makes the emulation mapping process very generic and technology independent and hence it reduces overall project cycle time. In the present disclosure, the SoCs containing analog delay locked loops are made suitable for emulation by configuring analog delay locked loop module in parallel with a synthesizable delay logic module. Further, selection logic is provided to select any one of the module at a time. |
| US08451034B2 |
Clock hand-off circuit
A second latch latches the output data of a first latch using a third clock having the same frequency as that of a first clock. A third latch latches the output data of the second latch using a second clock having a frequency N (N represents an integer) times that of the first clock and the third clock. The second clock and the third clock have a frequency division/multiplication relation therebetween. |
| US08451033B2 |
Millimeter-wave wideband frequency doubler
A millimeter-wave wideband frequency doubler stage for use in a distributed frequency doubler includes: a differential input pair of transistors, each transistor having respective gate, drain and source terminals, wherein the source terminals are coupled together to a first power supply node and the drain terminals are coupled together at a first node to a second power supply node; first and second pairs of bandpass gate lines coupled to the gate terminals of the transistors; and a pair of bandpass drain lines coupled to the drain terminals of the transistors. |
| US08451032B2 |
Capacitive isolator with schmitt trigger
High voltage isolation capabilities are provided using a first integrated circuit die that includes an inverting circuit path and a non-inverting circuit path coupled to receive a single-ended signal and to generate a differential signal from the single-ended signal for transmission over an isolation link. A second integrated circuit die includes a differential Schmitt trigger circuit coupled to the differential signal communicated over the isolation link and to supply at least one output signal corresponding thereto. An isolation barrier is disposed between the inverting and non-inverting circuit paths and the differential Schmitt trigger circuit and includes at least two isolation capacitors coupled to respectively transmit each portion of the differential signal. |
| US08451030B2 |
Output device and test apparatus
An output device includes a main driver that outputs an output signal in accordance with an input signal input thereto, a noise driver that outputs a noise signal containing a noise waveform, a combiner that outputs a combined signal obtained by combining together the output signal and the noise signal, and a controller. The noise driver (i) sets an output end thereof at high impedance when not supplied with an enable signal, and (ii) varies an voltage level of the noise signal to be output therefrom in accordance with how a control signal supplied thereto varies when supplied with the enable signal. The controller controls the noise driver to output the noise signal containing the noise waveform that occurs when the output signal travels through a predetermined transmission line, by controlling a timing at which the control signal varies and a timing at which the enable signal is switched. |
| US08451028B2 |
Methods and devices for detecting single-event transients
Methods and devices for detecting single-event transients in combinational logic circuits and other circuits. A sensing circuit detects a voltage or current deviation at a bulk contact node of a transistor. Output of the sensing circuit is amplified and used to flip a latch. Output of the latch may be evaluated and used in possible error correction measures. |
| US08451025B2 |
Advanced repeater with duty cycle adjustment
An advanced repeater with duty cycle adjustment. In accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, an advanced repeater includes an output stage for driving an output signal line responsive to an input signal and a plurality of active devices for selectably adjusting a duty cycle of the signal. The advanced repeater may further include circuitry for producing a delayed version of the signal. |
| US08451024B2 |
Bipolar-MOS driver circuit
The present invention relates to electronic driver circuits, and more particularly, to low power electronic driver circuits having low manufacturing costs. The present invention is a circuit design that utilizes two transistor types that can be manufactured together thereby reducing the number of processing steps and masks and resulting in lower cost. |
| US08451021B1 |
Calibrating on-chip resistors via a daisy chain scheme
A method for calibrating resistors on an integrated circuit chip via a daisy chain scheme. The method comprises the step of configuring one or more links of the daisy chain scheme, wherein each of the one or more links comprises one or more master resistors and one or more slave resistors. The method further comprises the steps of calibrating at least one on-chip reference resistor, the one or more master resistors, and the one or more slave resistors via the daisy chain scheme. The method using the daisy chain scheme enables resistance of at least one off-chip reference resistor to be duplicated to multiple distant locations while maintaining a low mismatch error. |
| US08451020B2 |
System and method for integrated circuit module tamperproof mode personalization
A function of an integrated circuit is selectively disabled by mechanical intervention at a module that contains the integrated circuit, such as drilling a hole through the module, cutting a slot in the module or burning a hole with a laser through the laser. Mechanical destruction of the module at a predetermined spot disrupts a function enable signal that is otherwise provide through wires of the module to a connection with the integrated circuit. Without the function enable signal from the module wires to the integrated circuit connector, the function associated with the function enable signal cannot run on the integrated circuit. |
| US08451019B2 |
Method of detecting failure and monitoring apparatus
A method of detecting a failure in an information processing apparatus is provided. The method includes detecting at least one of a power supply failure and a unit failure, monitoring the detected unit failures, and determining a detected unit failure for a first unit is erroneous if the monitoring indicates another of the units receiving power from a same power supply system as the first unit has also detected a unit failure. The power supply failure indicates a failure associated with a power supply system affecting more than one of the units, and the unit failure indicates a failure of one of the units. |
| US08451013B1 |
Insulated fiber sensor apparatus and method
An insulated fiber sensor apparatus is used in a composite that includes a number of fibers in a matrix. An insulated fiber is connected with the composite and is covered with insulation such that the insulation separates the insulated fiber from the matrix and from the number of fibers in the matrix. Further, a measurement device is connected with the insulated fiber. According to one aspect of the invention, the fibers are carbon fibers. |
| US08451005B2 |
Device and method for detecting a street lamp fault
A device for detecting a fault of at least one street lamp of a plurality of street lamps which are connectable in common to an AC power supply is proposed. The proposed device allows detecting whether a fault has occurred based on obtaining measures representative of the total active and reactive power supplied by the AC power supply to the plurality of street lamps, and detecting variations in these measures. Optionally, also the type of fault can be determined based on detected variations in the power measures. |
| US08451004B2 |
Multicoil low-field nuclear magnetic resonance detection and imaging apparatus and method
A multicoil NMR detection and imaging apparatus allows multicoil NMR detection and imaging to be performed efficiently at low operating frequencies. The apparatus comprises an AC voltage generator, a transmit switching circuit, a coil switching network, an array of two or more detection coils, a set of receive switching circuits with one switching circuit for each detection coil, and a set of preamplifier circuits with input impedance substantially greater than the impedance of each respective detection coil at the intended operating frequency. The AC generator produces an alternating current waveform that is routed through one of more detection coils during transmit mode while the preamplifier circuits are isolated from the detection coil(s). During receive mode the AC generator is isolated from the detection coils to prevent noise from the transmitter from degrading the quality of received signals. |
| US08451003B2 |
Magnetic sensor having magneto-resistive elements on a substrate
A magnetic sensor having first to fourth magneto-resistive elements, where the first and second magneto-resistive elements are connected at respective ends through a first connecting portion in a central region, and the third and fourth magneto-resistive elements are connected at respective ends through a second connecting portion that is parallel to the first connecting portion. The first and fourth magneto-resistive elements are connected at respective other ends through a third connecting portion, and the second and third magneto-resistive elements are connected at respective other ends through a fourth connecting portion. Depending on an external signal magnetic field, resistance values of the first and third magneto-resistive elements change in a same increasing or decreasing direction, whereas resistance values of the second and fourth magneto-resistive elements change in an increasing or decreasing direction opposite to the direction of the first and third magneto-resistive elements. |
| US08451001B2 |
Utility meter adapter
An adapter assembly that works with a standard utility meter to wirelessly transmit data about consumption. The adapter assembly generates information about consumption by cooperating with a pointer or shaft of an index (or index bracket) of a utility meter. In some versions, the adapter assembly includes an upper portion and a lower portion that interface together. The upper portion and the lower portion are configured to maintain alignment with the pointer/shaft and not create stress on the index. |
| US08450995B2 |
Method and apparatus for monitoring power consumption
A power consumption monitor, system, and method for monitoring power consumed by equipment, appliances, devices, buildings, and campuses is accomplished by passive sensors (12, 40) that detect power transmitted by individual conductors (C), and which include a current to voltage transformer with a passive, open-circuit electromagnetic force concentrator (22) positioned near the conductor (C). The sensor (22) generates an amplitude signal proportional to the power passing through the conductor (C). Programmable radios on a chip (32, 62, 72) and systems on a chip (34, 64, 74) are used to transmit the amplitude signal to a monitor (50) that displays the power being consumed along with actual and estimated cost and historical information. Software programs are implemented across the sensors (12, 40) and monitors (50) and a remote computer (80) to enable real-time monitoring power consumption with a resolution that spans from entire campuses down to single devices. |
| US08450993B2 |
Semiconductor buck circuit with floating-voltage suppression shunting current load
The present invention relates to a conventional circuit connected with the direct-current (DC) power supply in series through the semiconductor forward voltage drop, for producing voltage drop to lower the output DC voltage, however, if the output current is smaller, the voltage drop produced is not enough, the floating-voltage accordingly rises and damages the load, so a shunting current load is arranged in the circuit to suppress the floating-voltage. |
| US08450988B2 |
Systems and methods for controlling inductive energy in DC-DC converters
A DC-DC converter comprises a high-side switch, a low-side switch connected to the high-side switch, and an output capacitance. An inductance has one end connected to the high-side switch and the low-side switch and another end connected to the output capacitance. A shunting device circulates current flowing through the inductance back to the inductance during a load reduction transition to control a voltage across the output capacitance. |
| US08450987B2 |
Switching apparatus and control signal generator thereof
A switching apparatus has a switch and a control signal generator. The control signal generator is configured to generate a control signal applied to the switch to control the operations of turning on and off of the switch. The control signal generator has an inverter and a regulating circuit. The input end of the inverter receives an input signal, and the output end of the inverter outputs the control signal. The regulating circuit has a switching unit and a capacitor. A first end of the switching unit is coupled to the output end of the inverter, a second end of the switching unit is coupled to a first system voltage, a third end of the switching unit is coupled to a first end of the capacitor, and a second end of the capacitor is coupled to a second system voltage. |
| US08450986B2 |
Voltage regulator
Provided is a voltage regulator capable of setting an accurate short-circuit current. Used as a circuit for determining a current value of a short-circuit current of an overcurrent protection circuit is not a resistor for converting current into voltage but a circuit for controlling in the form of current, that is, a circuit of an N-channel depletion type transistor including a gate and a drain that are connected to each other and operating in a non-saturated state. The N-channel depletion type transistor has process fluctuations that are linked with those of a detection transistor, and hence an accurate short-circuit current may be set without trimming. |
| US08450983B2 |
Secondary control system for maintaining motor generator power generation during primary control failure
A microcomputer that exercises driving control and power-generation control over a motor generator unit and a power-generation maintaining unit that, separately from the power-generation control exercised by the microcomputer, maintains a power-generation process performed by the motor generator unit are provided. While the microcomputer is operating normally, the power-generation maintaining unit allows the microcomputer to exercise the power-generation control. When an abnormality has occurred in the microcomputer, the power-generation maintaining unit acts as a backup or secondary controller to maintain the power-generation process performed by the motor generator unit, in an autonomous manner independently of the microcomputer. |
| US08450980B2 |
Providing resilient power to a system
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a resilient power supply having a charger to charge a battery with a low voltage and to provide back-up battery power to a system; and a main power supply to provide a plurality of voltages for operation of the system. The resilient power supply may be used to discharge the battery into the main power supply upon loss of alternating current (AC) power in the system. |
| US08450979B2 |
Power adapter with internal battery
An adapter including an associated battery capable of powering an electronic device. The power adapter typically includes the battery as an integral component that is connected to a plug or other interface capable of mating with a power source, such as a wall socket. Thus, the adapter battery may provide power either to operate the device or charge a battery within (or otherwise associated with) the device even if the adapter is not connected to a power source. |
| US08450978B2 |
Monitoring a rechargeable battery with multiple parameter update rates
Monitoring a state of a rechargeable battery involves repeatedly obtaining at least one measured value related to the battery during discharge of the battery; repeatedly calculating the state of the battery during discharge of the battery based on a previously calculated state of the battery, the measured value and at least one parameter of the battery; before the state of the battery passes a threshold value, updating the parameter of the battery at a first rate; after the state of the battery passes the threshold value, updating the parameter of the battery at a second rate, faster than the first rate; and correcting the state of the battery in response to each update of the parameter. |
| US08450974B2 |
Electric vehicle extended range hybrid battery pack system
A power source comprised of a first battery pack (e.g., a non-metal-air battery pack) and a second battery pack (e.g., a metal-air battery pack) is provided, wherein the second battery pack is only used as required by the state-of-charge (SOC) of the first battery pack or as a result of the user selecting an extended range mode of operation. Minimizing use of the second battery pack prevents it from undergoing unnecessary, and potentially lifetime limiting, charge cycles. The second battery pack may be used to charge the first battery pack or used in combination with the first battery pack to supply operational power to the electric vehicle. |
| US08450971B2 |
Lithium-based battery pack for a hand held power tool
A method for conducting an operation including a power tool battery pack. The battery pack can include a housing, a first cell supported by the housing and having a voltage, and a second cell supported by the housing and having a voltage. The battery pack also can be connectable to a power tool and be operable to supply power to operate the power tool. The method can include discharging one of the first cell and the second cell until the voltage of the one of the first cell and the second cell is substantially equal to the voltage of the other of the first cell and the second cell. |
| US08450969B2 |
System for automatically charging electrically powered automated guided vehicles
A system for automatically charging electrically powered automated guided vehicles in which a unique identification tag is attached to each vehicle in the system. A reader is positioned to periodically read the tags on each vehicle as the vehicle passes near the reader. The reader then produces an output signal which identifies the vehicle as an input signal to a processor. The processor receives the signal from the reader and is programmed to determine if the vehicle is scheduled for an electrical recharging. If so, the processor generates an output signal to the vehicle to divert the vehicle to an electrical charging station. At the charging station, an electrical charger automatically engages electrodes on the vehicle to initiate and thereafter complete the electrical charge. |
| US08450960B2 |
Machine control system and method
An electronic control module for a machine may include instructions for performing a method. The method may include obtaining a total torque load limit for one or more hydrostatic transmission loops in the machine. The method may also include allocating the total torque load limit between the one or more hydrostatic transmission loops in the form of one or more lower level torque load limits. |
| US08450956B2 |
Apparatus and method for controlling operation of inverter system
An apparatus for controlling operation of inverter system configured to drive a motor by using an inverter, and to normally operate the motor in a resonance-generated frequency band if the resonance occurs, and a method thereof are disclosed, wherein the method includes detecting a current outputted by an inverter system to a motor, if an operation frequency of the motor is in a resonance frequency band, converting the detected current to a d axis current and a q axis current, calculating a difference between the converted d axis current and pre-sampled d axis current (magnetic flux portion), multiplying the calculated difference by a preset comparative control gain to calculate a comparative control voltage, and adding the calculated comparative control voltage to a torque portion voltage responsive to an operation frequency of the motor to generate a driving voltage of the motor. |
| US08450952B2 |
Power supply apparatus and power supply arrangement
The invention relates to a power supply apparatus and also to a power supply arrangement. The power supply apparatus comprises an interface to the load. The power supply apparatus also comprises at least one controllable solid-state switch, for supplying power between the aforementioned load and the power supply apparatus. The power supply apparatus comprises a controller, which is fitted to control the at least one controllable solid-state switch at the selected switching frequency. The switching frequency is selected such that the noise of the load corresponding to the selected switching frequency meets the selection criterion. |
| US08450949B2 |
LED driving device and driving system thereof
A light emitting diode (LED) driving device outputs a driving signal according to a select signal, an update data, and an update command. The driving device includes a buffer circuit, a display data storage, and a signal generating circuit. The buffer circuit includes register series and a bypass register. The buffer circuit selectively stores the update data in the register series and the bypass register according to the update command. The display data storage stores multiple display data. The display data storage updates the display data by using the update data stored in the register series according to the update command. The signal generating circuit outputs the driving signal according to the display data. When the update data is stored in the bypass register, the clock of the update data passing through the driver is reduced. |
| US08450946B1 |
Zone addressing circuit for an electronic ballast
A zone addressing circuit is provided for an electronic ballast having a boost inductor with an auxiliary winding. The zone addressing circuit includes a first circuit branch coupled to a first addressing input terminal, a second circuit branch coupled to a second addressing input terminal, and a third (common) branch coupled on a first end to a third addressing input terminal and on a second end to the auxiliary winding of the boost inductor for providing a high frequency input pulse signal to excite the first and second branches. The first branch generates a first digital output for the zone addressing circuit when coupled to the common branch, and the second branch generates a second digital output for the zone addressing circuit when coupled to the common branch. A controller adjusts a dimming level of the ballast based on the first and second digital outputs from the zone addressing circuit. |
| US08450944B2 |
Intelligent light for controlling lighting level
An intelligent light, such as a light for connecting with a low voltage line, is provided. The intelligent light includes a light source for coupling with a low voltage line, and a processor in communication with the light source and the low voltage line. The processor determines a voltage on the low voltage line and operates intermittent switching of the light source as a function of the determined voltage and the intermittent switching used to maintain an output level of the light source. |
| US08450942B2 |
Light emitting diode driving apparatus
A light-emitting-diode (LED) driving apparatus is provided, and which includes a power switch having a first terminal coupled to a first node and a second terminal coupled to a second node, wherein an LED string is coupled between a DC voltage and the first node; a first resistor coupled between the second node and a ground potential; and a control chip for generating a driving signal in response to a voltage on the second node and a bandgap voltage during an activation phase of the LED driving apparatus, so as to switch the power switch and thus making the LED string to be operated under a constant current for producing light, and further comparing a detection voltage obtained in response to a voltage on the first node with a predetermined voltage, so as to stop generating the driving signal when the detection voltage is greater than the predetermined voltage. |
| US08450941B2 |
Systems and methods for dynamic power management for use with a video display device
Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and circuits for use with a system including a light emitting element (e.g., a laser diode or light emitting diode) that is driven by a current produced by a current output digital-to-analog converter (DAC), wherein the light emitting element or the DAC is powered by a supply voltage produced by a voltage supply. In accordance with an embodiment, a measure indicative of a voltage at an output of the DAC is obtained, wherein the voltage at the output of the DAC is indicative of a voltage headroom available for the DAC. The measure indicative of the voltage at the output of the DAC is compared to one or more predetermined references, and the supply voltage is controlled based on the comparison(s). |
| US08450940B2 |
Gas-discharge lamp controller utilizing a novel preheating phase control mechanism
A gas-discharge lamp controller utilizing a novel preheating phase control mechanism, having: a supply voltage tracking reference voltages generator, biased between a supply voltage and a reference ground, for generating a first reference voltage which is proportional to the supply voltage; and a control unit, for generating a high threshold signal according to the first reference voltage and a saw-tooth signal, the peak value of the saw-tooth signal being proportional to the supply voltage, wherein the control unit has a preheating phase, the high threshold signal is coupled with the first reference voltage during the preheating phase, and the time duration of the preheating phase is set by a predetermined number of periods of the saw-tooth signal. |
| US08450938B2 |
Analog LED controller
The present invention provides a cost effective analog apparatus to enable the user to obtain a display of varied color frequencies using a variety of LED light sources, both in the visual and non-visual ranges, acting in synchronous response to electronic input sources. The present invention provides an analog LED controller that includes a power supply terminal, an input terminal, and a plurality of color LED control circuits. The plurality of color LED control circuits include a first color LED control circuit, one or more nth color LED control circuits and a Nth color LED control circuit, wherein 1 |
| US08450935B2 |
Controller circuit for half wave LED light strings
A series connected light string using LEDs connected to an AC power source is disclosed. In order to make some or all of the lights color change, twinkle, and/or flash, controllers are provided in series with all or some of the LEDs. Because the supply source AC, but the active elements are essentially rectifiers, the circuit becomes a half wave DC circuit. Half wave DC will cause unpredictable behavior in DC circuit components. This will cause the controller to shut down during the zero voltage portion of the pulsating DC cycle. To prevent this a current supplying element is placed in parallel with the controller. |
| US08450932B2 |
High pressure sodium lamp
A high pressure sodium lamp includes a lamp base, a light admissible housing and a sodium vapor illumination arrangement, which includes a light core extended from the lamp base into the light admissible housing; a supporting frame, and an arc tube. The supporting frame longitudinally extends in the light admissible housing, and has an upper end portion supported by an upper portion of the light admissible housing, and a lower end portion supported by the light core. The arc tube has a first and a second electrode formed at two ends thereof and electrically connected with the upper end portion of the supporting frame and the light core respectively, wherein sodium vapor in the arc tube is electrically excited to discharge light having an intensity equivalent to that generated by more than 1000 W power. |
| US08450931B2 |
Process for minimizing electromigration in an electronic device
A process for reducing Ag electromigration in electronic circuitry includes the step of treating the electronic circuitry with an electromigration resistant composition. This process is useful in fabricating electronic devices having electronic circuitry that is close together, such as resistors, capacitors, and displays, e.g., a plasma display panel (PDP) or a liquid crystal display (LCD). |
| US08450929B2 |
Light emitting device, backlight unit, liquid crystal display apparatus, and lighting apparatus
Provided is a light-emitting device which can reduce grainy texture, suppress color unevenness and luminance unevenness. A light-emitting device according to the present invention includes: a board; a plurality of light-emitting parts each of which includes (i) a LED chip mounted on the board and (ii) a phosphor-containing resin including a light wavelength converter and covering the LED chip. Further, the light-emitting device includes a light-guiding member provided on the board, between the light-emitting parts which are adjacent to each other. Furthermore, the light-guiding member is formed to cover part of the phosphor-containing resin. |
| US08450928B2 |
Organic light emitting display device and method of manufacturing the same
Provided is an organic light emitting device, which is flexible and is capable of effectively preventing permeation of oxygen or moisture. The organic light emitting device includes a substrate; a metal sheet that faces the substrate; an organic light emitting unit that is interposed between the substrate and the metal sheet; an adhesive unit that is interposed between the substrate and the metal sheet to adhere the substrate and the metal sheet to each other and that is located around at least the organic light emitting unit; and an adhesive layer that is formed at a location on the metal sheet where the metal sheet contacts the adhesive unit and that is formed of a metal oxide or a metal nitride. |
| US08450927B2 |
Phosphor-containing LED light bulb
An LED bulb, which includes a shell, a filler material within the shell of the bulb, at least one type of phosphor dispersed inside the filler material and at least one LED within the shell. |
| US08450923B2 |
Luminescent material and light-emitting device
A luminescent material which is featured in that it exhibits an emission peak at a wavelength ranging from 490 to 580 nm as it is excited by light having a wavelength ranging from 250 to 500 nm and that it has a composition represented by the following general formula (2): (M1-xRx)a2AlSib2Oc2Nd2 (2) (In the general formula (2), M is at least one metallic element excluding Si and Al, R is a luminescence center element, and x, a2, b2, c2 and d2 satisfy the following relationships: 0 |
| US08450921B2 |
Wavelength conversion structure, manufacturing methods thereof, and lighting emitting device including the wavelength conversion structure
A wavelength conversion structure comprises a phosphor layer comprising a first part and a second part formed on the first part, wherein the first part and the second part have a plurality of pores, a first material layer formed in the plurality of pores of the first part, a second material layer formed in the plurality of pores of the second part and a plurality of phosphor particles, wherein the plurality of phosphor particles is distributed in the first material layer and the second material layer. |
| US08450909B2 |
Piezoelectric power generating apparatus
A piezoelectric power generating apparatus comprises a frame body having an axis line, a moving member and a plurality of piezoelectric portions. The moving member is penetrated into the frame body. Each of the piezoelectric portions comprises a first end and a second end. Each of the first ends is fixed at the frame body and each of the second ends is fixed at the moving member. The moving member is moved back and forth along the axis line of the frame body. |
| US08450903B2 |
Electrostrictive composite, method for making the same and electrothermic type actuator
An electrostrictive composite includes a first material layer and a second material layer. The first material layer and the second material layer are stacked to each other. The thermal expansion coefficients of the first material layer and the second material layer are different. The first material layer includes a polymer matrix and a plurality of carbon nanotubes dispersed therein. Also an electrothermic type actuator using the electrostrictive composite is provided. |
| US08450902B2 |
Electrostatic actuator device having multiple gap heights
The present application is directed to novel electrostatic actuators and methods of making the electrostatic actuators. In one embodiment, the electrostatic actuator comprises a substrate, an electrode formed on the substrate and a deflectable member positioned in proximity to the electrode so as to provide a gap between the electrode and the deflectable member. The deflectable member is anchored on the substrate via one or more anchors. The gap comprises at least one first region having a first gap height positioned near the one or more anchors and at least one second region having a second gap height positioned farther from the anchors than the first region. The first gap height is smaller than the second gap height. |
| US08450900B2 |
Method for the mechanical winding of a coil
A method for the mechanical winding of a coil having at least one wire is disclosed. The coil has a coil inner side and at least two winding layers, with one winding layer being formed by turns situated essentially parallel to the coil inner side, to increase the precision of the winding and to reduce the dimensional tolerances of the winding. At least during the winding of a first winding layer, a gap is formed at a predefinable position between a first turn and a second turn adjacent to the first turn, with the second turn being wound immediately following the first turn. The width of the gap at least regionally is at least one wire diameter, and the wire is guided into the gap after the winding of the second turn, and optionally after the winding of further turns, thereby forming at least one support turn. |
| US08450899B2 |
Stator for electric rotating machine
A stator includes a stator core and a multi-phase stator coil comprised of a plurality of electric wires. Each of the electric wires has first, second, . . . , nth in-slot portions and first, second, . . . , (n−1)th turn portions, where n is an integer not less than 4. The first in-slot portions of the electric wires are located most radially outward and the nth in-slot portions are located most radially inward in the slots of the stator core. Each of the electric wires also has a first end portion positioned on the first in-slot portion side and a second end portion positioned on the nth in-slot portion side. Each of phase windings of the stator coil is formed of at least two of the electric wires. The first end portion of one of the two electric wires is connected to the second end portion of the other electric wire. |
| US08450886B2 |
Linear vibrator
There is provided a linear vibrator including: a housing having an internal space formed therein; a magnetic field unit including a yoke disposed in the internal space and having a magnet and a magnet insertion part formed therein, and interacting with a coil to which power is applied to linearly move in the internal space, the magnet insertion part determining an insertion position of the magnet; and an elastic member disposed in a space between the housing and the magnetic field unit and elastically supporting linear movement of the magnetic field unit. |
| US08450885B2 |
Coolant-cooled linear motor
In a coolant-cooled linear motor includes an armature including armature windings and a cooling jacket arranged to surround the armature windings, the cooling jacket unit includes four cooling jackets defining four side faces parallel to the extension direction of the armature and two end blocks defining two opposite end faces in the extension direction of the armature, the cooling jackets and the end blocks being connected to one another in a box shape. Each of the cooling jackets has an internal space to be supplied with a coolant; and a field magnet unit includes a yoke made of a ferromagnetic material and permanent magnets arranged in the yoke, one of the armature and the field magnet unit making relative movement with respect to the other. |
| US08450884B2 |
Compressed air energy storage system utilizing two-phase flow to facilitate heat exchange
A compressed-air energy storage system according to embodiments of the present invention comprises a reversible mechanism to compress and expand air, one or more compressed air storage tanks, a control system, one or more heat exchangers, and, in certain embodiments of the invention, a motor-generator. The reversible air compressor-expander uses mechanical power to compress air (when it is acting as a compressor) and converts the energy stored in compressed air to mechanical power (when it is acting as an expander). In certain embodiments, the compressor-expander comprises one or more stages, each stage consisting of pressure vessel (the “pressure cell”) partially filled with water or other liquid. In some embodiments, the pressure vessel communicates with one or more cylinder devices to exchange air and liquid with the cylinder chamber(s) thereof. Suitable valving allows air to enter and leave the pressure cell and cylinder device, if present, under electronic control. |
| US08450873B2 |
AV system, power feeding apparatus and power receiving apparatus
An AV system in which a power feeding apparatus and a plurality of power receiving apparatuses are connected in a daisy chain with the power feeding apparatus in the lead, wherein the power feeding apparatus includes: a connection detecting line; an applying unit for applying a voltage to the connection detecting line; and a power supply unit for supplying a power to the power receiving apparatus or suspends the supply of the power according to a voltage level of the connection detecting line, the power receiving apparatuses include: a contents signal output unit for outputting a contents signal upon the supply of the power; a ground terminal having a ground potential; a conducting line connectable to the ground terminal in another power receiving apparatus adjacent on the rear; and a first switch unit for enabling the connection detecting line to be connected to any one of the ground terminal and the conducting line and holding a connected state even when the power is not supplied. |
| US08450872B2 |
Vertical wind power generator with automatically unstretchable blades
A vertical wind power generator with automatically unstretchable blades is disclosed. The vertical wind power generator includes a generator, a linkage mechanism, a lifting type blade assembly, a resistance type blade assembly and a drive unit. The drive unit provides power for driving the linkage mechanism. The drive unit has an output shaft movable between a first position and a second position. When the output shaft is moved to the first position, the linkage mechanism is driven to move the resistance type blades to a stretched position. When the output shaft is moved to the second position, the linkage mechanism is driven to move the resistance type blades to an unstretched position. |
| US08450866B2 |
Micromechanical device for amplifying a vibrating movement
An apparatus for amplifying a vibratory movement includes a micromechanical device having an interface for fixedly joining it to a vibrating member; a mass mounted to be mobile in at least one degree of freedom relative to the interface; a spring capable of exerting a return force between the mobile mass and the interface; an orientation-detecting member for detecting the orientation of the shift of the interface according to said degree of freedom; and a coupling member for coupling the mobile mass to the interface. The coupling member is configured to couple the mobile mass to the interface when an orientation of shift of the interface is opposite that of the mobile mass and to uncouple the mobile mass from the interface before a change in orientation of the interface and when the orientation of shift of the interface is identical to that of the mobile mass. |
| US08450859B2 |
Semiconductor device mounted structure and its manufacturing method
A semiconductor device mounted structure includes a semiconductor device having a plurality of first electrodes, a circuit board having a plurality of second electrodes, a plurality of bumps respectively formed on the plurality of first electrodes, a plurality of bonding members respectively positioned between the bumps and the second electrodes to electrically connect the first electrodes to the second electrodes via the bumps, and a plurality of reinforcing resin members respectively positioned around the bonding members so as to cover at least the bonding members and bonding regions between the bonding members and the bumps. Adjacent reinforcing resin members are spaced away from each other so as not to have contact with each other without being in contact with the semiconductor device. This semiconductor device mounted structure enhances the reliability of joints in impact resistance and makes it easy to repair it. |
| US08450858B2 |
Method of manufacturing semiconductor device including wiring layout and semiconductor device
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device having a first wiring layer, a first interlayer insulating film, a second interlayer insulating film, a third interlayer insulating film, and a second wiring layer, in which the method includes depositing the second wiring layer on the third interlayer insulating film and, where the widths of first wiring layer and the second wiring layer are 10.0 μm or greater, executing one of etching the second wiring layer to set a width of 1.0 μm or greater in a portion where the first wiring layer and the second wiring layer overlap and etching the second wiring layer to seta horizontal distance of 2.0 μm or greater between adjacent portions of the first wiring layer and the second wiring layer. |
| US08450855B2 |
Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device has a semiconductor substrate which has a plurality of pad electrodes provided on a top surface thereof and has an approximately rectangular shape; a rewiring layer which is provided with a plurality of contact wiring lines connected to the plurality of pad electrodes, is disposed on the semiconductor substrate through an insulating film, and has an approximately rectangular shape; and a plurality of ball electrodes which are provided on the rewiring layer. A plurality of first pad electrodes among the plurality of pad electrodes are arranged on an outer circumference of the semiconductor substrate to be along a first side of the semiconductor substrate, a plurality of first ball electrodes among the plurality of ball electrodes are arranged on an outer circumference of the rewiring layer to be along the first side, and any one of the plurality of first ball electrodes is connected to the first pad electrode positioned below the corresponding ball electrode through the contact wiring lines, and the first pad electrodes are not disposed on the lower side of the first ball electrodes positioned at an end of the first side. |
| US08450854B2 |
Interconnect structures with patternable low-k dielectrics and method of fabricating same
The present invention provides an interconnect structure in which a patternable low-k material is employed as an interconnect dielectric material. Specifically, this invention relates to single-damascene and dual-damascene low-k interconnect structures with at least one patternable low-k dielectric. In general terms, the interconnect structure includes at least one patterned and cured low-k dielectric material located on a surface of a substrate. The at least one cured and patterned low-k material has conductively filled regions embedded therein and typically, but not always, includes Si atoms bonded to cyclic rings via oxygen atoms. The present invention also provides a method of forming such interconnect structures in which no separate photoresist is employed in patterning the patterned low-k material. |
| US08450850B2 |
Thin-film transistor substrate and method of manufacturing the same
Provided are a thin-film transistor (TFT) substrate and a method of manufacturing the same. The method includes: forming a passivation film by forming an insulating film on a substrate; forming a photoresist pattern by forming a photoresist film on the passivation film, exposing the photoresist film to light, and developing the photoresist film; performing a first dry-etching by dry-etching the passivation film using the photoresist pattern as an etch mask; performing a baking to reduce a size of the photoresist pattern; performing a second dry-etching to form a contact hole by dry-etching the passivation film again using the photoresist pattern as a mask; removing the photoresist pattern; and forming a pixel electrode of a carbon composition that includes carbon nanotubes and/or graphene on a top surface of the passivation film. |
| US08450848B2 |
Semiconductor device and method for fabricating the same
A semiconductor device includes an electronic part including an electrode, a substrate including a substrate electrode electrically connected to the first electrode on an upper surface thereof, the first substrate electrode and the first electrode being arranged, facing each other, a connecting member configured to connect the electrode with the substrate electrode, and a sealing material including a first resin portion which contains flux and contacts at least a connection portion between the connecting member and the substrate electrode, and a second resin portion which contains a lower concentration of flux than that of the first resin portion. A gap between the electronic part and the substrate is filled with the sealing film. |
| US08450845B2 |
Semiconductor device
The object of the present invention is to efficiently dissipate heat from the upper and lower main surfaces of a semiconductor device carrying a semiconductor element. A semiconductor device (1) is provided with an insulating substrate (10A), an insulating substrate (10B) provided so as to face the insulating substrate (10A), and a semiconductor element (20) disposed between the insulating substrate (10A) and the insulating substrate (10B) and having a collector electrode and an emitter electrode provided on the side opposite to that of the collector electrode. The collector electrode is electrically connected to a metal foil (10ac) provided on the insulating substrate (10A), and the emitter electrode is electrically connected to the metal foil (10bc) provided on the insulating substrate (10B). As a result, heat generated by the semiconductor element (20) is efficiently dissipated from the upper and lower main surfaces of the semiconductor device (1). |
| US08450837B2 |
Circuit device having an improved heat dissipitation, and the method of manufacturing the same
In a hybrid integrated circuit device, a circuit board on which an island portion of a lead is fixedly attached and a control board on which a control element and the like are mounted are disposed in an overlapping manner. The circuit board and the control board are integrally encapsulated with an encapsulating resin. A transistor disposed on an upper surface of the circuit board and a control element mounted on an upper surface of the control board are also covered by the encapsulating resin. Thus, a module in which an inverter circuit and a control circuit are integrally encapsulated with resin is provided. |
| US08450834B2 |
Spacer structure of a field effect transistor with an oxygen-containing layer between two oxygen-sealing layers
This disclosure relates to a spacer structure of a field effect transistor. An exemplary structure for a field effect transistor includes a substrate; a gate structure that has a sidewall overlying the substrate; a silicide region in the substrate on one side of the gate structure having an inner edge closest to the gate structure; a first oxygen-sealing layer adjoining the sidewall of the gate structure; an oxygen-containing layer adjoining the first oxygen-sealing layer on the sidewall and further including a portion extending over the substrate; and a second oxygen-sealing layer adjoining the oxygen-containing layer and extending over the portion of the oxygen-containing layer over the substrate, wherein an outer edge of the second oxygen-sealing layer is offset from the inner edge of the silicide region. |
| US08450833B2 |
Spacer double patterning that prints multiple CD in front-end-of-line
A semiconductor device is formed with sub-resolution features and at least one additional feature having a relatively larger critical dimension using only two masks. An embodiment includes forming a plurality of first mandrels, having a first width, and at least one second mandrel, having a second width greater than the first width, overlying a target layer using a first mask, forming sidewall spacers along the length and width of the first and second mandrels, forming a filler adjacent each sidewall spacer, the filler having the first width, removing the filler adjacent sidewall spacers along the widths of the first and second mandrels using a second mask, removing the sidewall spacers, and etching the target layer between the filler and the first and second mandrels, thereby forming at least two target features with different critical dimensions. Embodiments further include using a third mask to form a semiconductor device having further features with a different critical dimension, but the same pitch, as the sub-resolution features. |
| US08450831B2 |
Semiconductor device having high frequency wiring and dummy metal layer at multilayer wiring structure
A semiconductor device, includes a semiconductor device, a wiring layer provided on the semiconductor substrate, a high frequency wiring provided in the wiring layer, and plural dummy metals provided in the wiring layer apart from the high frequency wiring, wherein the wiring layer in plan view includes a high frequency wiring vicinity region and an external region surrounding the high frequency wiring vicinity region, wherein the high frequency wiring vicinity region includes a first region enclosed by an outer edge of the high frequency wiring, and a second region surrounding the first region, wherein the plural dummy metals are disposed dispersedly in the high frequency wiring vicinity region and in the external region respectively, and wherein an average interval between the dummy metals in the high frequency wiring vicinity region is wider than that in the external region. |
| US08450830B2 |
Forming a ferromagnetic alloy core for high frequency micro fabricated inductors and transformers
A plurality of sequential electro-deposition, planarization and insulator deposition steps are performed over a patterned thick photoresist film to form a laminated ferromagnetic alloy core for micro-fabricated inductors and transformers. The use of a plurality of contiguous thin laminations within deep patterns on non-removable photoresist film provides sufficient volume of magnetic film in, for example, high frequency applications, and reduces eddy current loss at high frequency. |
| US08450829B2 |
Efficient pitch multiplication process
Pitch multiplied and non-pitch multiplied features of an integrated circuit, e.g., features in the array, interface and periphery areas of the integrated circuit, are formed by processing a substrate through a mask. The mask is formed by patterning a photoresist layer which simultaneously defines mask elements corresponding to features in the array, interface and periphery areas of the integrated circuit. The pattern is transferred to an amorphous carbon layer. Sidewall spacers are formed on the sidewalls of the patterned amorphous carbon layer. A layer of protective material is deposited and then patterned to expose mask elements in the array region and in selected parts of the interface or periphery areas. Amorphous carbon in the array region or other exposed parts is removed, thereby leaving a pattern including free-standing, pitch multiplied spacers in the array region. The protective material is removed, leaving a pattern of pitch multiplied spacers in the array region and non-pitch multiplied mask elements in the interface and periphery areas. The pattern is transferred to a hard mask layer, through which an underlying substrate is etched. |
| US08450825B2 |
Semiconductor package
A semiconductor package is disclosed. In one aspect, the package includes a base frame and a wiring substrate mounted on the base frame. The base frame has two pieces made of a material with respectively a first and a second coefficient of thermal expansion and connected to each other via resilient connecting structures. The wiring substrate has electric wiring tracks providing the electric connection between first and second bond pads, provided for being electrically connected to bond pads on respectively a die and a printed wiring board. The electrical wiring tracks have flexible parts provided to expand and contract along with the resilient connecting structures. |
| US08450824B2 |
Optically transmissive metal electrode, electronic device, and optical device
According to one embodiment, an optically transmissive metal electrode includes a plurality of first and second metal wires. The first metal wires are disposed along a first direction, and extend along a second direction intersecting the first direction. The second metal wires are disposed along a third direction parallel with a plane including the first and second directions and intersecting the first direction, contact the first metal wires, and extend along a fourth direction parallel with the plane and intersecting the third direction. A first pitch between centers of the first metal wires is not more than a shortest wavelength in a waveband including visible light. A second pitch between centers of the second metal wires exceeds a longest wavelength in the waveband. A thickness of the first and second metal wires along a direction vertical to the plane is not more than the shortest wavelength. |
| US08450821B2 |
Method and apparatus providing combined spacer and optical lens element
A method and apparatus used for forming a lens and spacer combination, and imager module employing the spacer and lens combination. The apparatus includes a mold having a base, spacer section, and mold feature. The method includes using the mold with a blank to create a spacer that includes an integral lens. The spacer and lens combination and imager modules can be formed on a wafer level. |
| US08450819B2 |
Plasma doping method and apparatus thereof
In a plasma torch unit, a conductor rod having a spiral shape is disposed inside a quartz pipe having a surface coated with boron glass, and a brass block is disposed on the periphery thereof. While a gas is being supplied into a cylindrical chamber, a high-frequency power is supplied to the conductor rod and a plasma is generated in the cylindrical chamber, so that a base material is irradiated with the plasma. |
| US08450818B2 |
Methods of forming spin torque devices and structures formed thereby
Methods of forming spin torque microelectronic devices are described. Those methods may include forming a free FM layer on a substrate, forming a non-magnetic layer on the free FM layer, forming at least three input pillars on the non-magnetic layer, and forming an output pillar on the non-magnetic layer to form a majority gate device. |
| US08450817B2 |
Microelectromechanical system package with strain relief bridge
A strain absorption bridge for use in a MEMS package includes a first substrate that is configured to be attachable to a circuit board. A first elastically deformable element is coupled to the first substrate and the first elastically deformable element is configured to be attachable to a MEMS device. Alternatively, the MEMS device may be attached to the first substrate. The elastically deformable element at least partially absorbs and dissipates mechanical strain communicated from the circuit board before the mechanical strain can reach the MEMS device. |
| US08450807B2 |
MOSFETs with reduced contact resistance
A method and structure for forming a field effect transistor with reduced contact resistance are provided. The reduced contact resistance is manifested by a reduced metal semiconductor alloy contact resistance and a reduced conductively filled via contact-to-metal semiconductor alloy contact resistance. The reduced contact resistance is achieved in this disclosure by texturing the surface of the transistor's source region and/or the transistor's drain region. Typically, both the source region and the drain region are textured in the present disclosure. The textured source region and/or the textured drain region have an increased area as compared to a conventional transistor that includes a flat source region and/or a flat drain region. A metal semiconductor alloy, e.g., a silicide, is formed on the textured surface of the source region and/or the textured surface of the drain region. A conductively filled via contact is formed atop the metal semiconductor alloy. |
| US08450805B2 |
Compound semiconductor switch circuit device
A high-resistance element is connected as a part of a control resistor between a control terminal pad and a protecting element, immediately near the control terminal pad. Thus, even if a high-frequency analog signal leaks to the control resistor, the leaked signal is attenuated by the high-resistance element. This substantially eliminates the possibility of the high-frequency analog signal transmitting to the control terminal pad. Accordingly, an increase in insertion loss can be suppressed. |
| US08450803B2 |
Semiconductor device and DC-to-DC converter
In general, according to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a device main body, a semiconductor substrate. The device main body includes a semiconductor substrate mounting part and a first conductor provided around the semiconductor substrate mounting part. The semiconductor substrate includes a DC-to-DC converter control circuit having a detector to detect at least one of a current flowing through the first conductor and a voltage supplied to the first conductor. The semiconductor substrate is disposed on the semiconductor substrate mounting part so that the detector comes close to the first conductor. |
| US08450781B2 |
Methods and apparatus for measuring analytes using large scale FET arrays
Methods and apparatus relating to very large scale FET arrays for analyte measurements. ChemFET (e.g., ISFET) arrays may be fabricated using conventional CMOS processing techniques based on improved FET pixel and array designs that increase measurement sensitivity and accuracy, and at the same time facilitate significantly small pixel sizes and dense arrays. Improved array control techniques provide for rapid data acquisition from large and dense arrays. Such arrays may be employed to detect a presence and/or concentration changes of various analyte types in a wide variety of chemical and/or biological processes. In one example, chemFET arrays facilitate DNA sequencing techniques based on monitoring changes in hydrogen ion concentration (pH), changes in other analyte concentration, and/or binding events associated with chemical processes relating to DNA synthesis. |
| US08450779B2 |
Graphene based three-dimensional integrated circuit device
A three-dimensional (3D) integrated circuit (IC) structure includes a first layer of graphene formed over a substrate; a first level of one or more active devices formed using the first layer of graphene; an insulating layer formed over the first level of one or more active devices; a second layer of graphene formed over the insulating layer; and a second level of one or more active devices formed using the second layer of graphene, the second level of one or more active devices electrically interconnected with the first level of one or more active devices. |
| US08450771B2 |
Semiconductor device and fabrication method
A semiconductor device comprising a plurality of regions of semiconductor material forming a junction at an interface there-between, the junction including a depletion region having a width which varies spatially in at least one direction along the depletion region. Without limitation, the spatial variation in depletion region width is provided by ionised dopants having a concentration which varies spatially along said at least one direction. Alternatively, or in addition, the spatial variation in depletion region width is achieved by varying the thickness of the region(s) of semiconductor spatially along said at least one direction, for example by creating a plurality of cells within said region(s) devoid of said semiconductor material. A method of fabricating a semiconductor device comprising the step of varying the width of the depletion region spatially there-within in at least one direction along the depletion region. |
| US08450767B2 |
Light-emitting device
This disclosure discloses a light-emitting device. The light-emitting device comprises: a substrate; and a first light-emitting unit comprising a plurality of light-emitting diodes electrically connected to each other on the substrate. A first light-emitting diode in the first light-emitting unit comprises a first semiconductor layer with a first conductivity-type, a second semiconductor layer with a second conductivity-type, and a light-emitting stack formed between the first and second semiconductor layers. The first light-emitting diode in the first light-emitting unit further comprises a first connecting layer on the first semiconductor layer for electrically connecting to a second light-emitting diode in the first light-emitting unit; a second connecting layer, separated from the first connecting layer, formed on the first semiconductor layer; and a third connecting layer on the second semiconductor layer for electrically connecting to a third light-emitting diode in the first light-emitting unit. |
| US08450765B2 |
Light emitting diode chip and method for manufacturing the same
An LED chip includes a transparent substrate and a number of lighting structure units each including a p-type semiconductor and an n-type semiconductor and a recess extending from the p-type semiconductor to the n-type semiconductor. The recess is filled with metal material which covers the surface of the lighting structure units. By filling the recess with metal material, the heat generated by the lighting structure units can rapidly transfer to the metal material. A method for manufacturing the light emitting diode chip is also provided. |
| US08450760B2 |
Semiconductor light emitting device with integrated electronic components
One or more circuit elements such as silicon diodes, resistors, capacitors, and inductors are disposed between the semiconductor structure of a semiconductor light emitting device and the connection layers used to connect the device to an external structure. In some embodiments, the n-contacts to the semiconductor structure are distributed across multiple vias, which are isolated from the p-contacts by one or more dielectric layers. The circuit elements are formed in the contacts-dielectric layers-connection layers stack. |
| US08450756B2 |
Multi-dimensional LED array system and associated methods and structures
A formed, multi-dimensional light-emitting diode (LED) array is disclosed. A substrate is bent into a trapezoidal shape having different sections facing in different directions. Each section has one or more mounted LEDs that emit light with an azimuthally non-circular, monotonic angular distribution. A converter material is placed in an optical path of the LEDs to alter characteristics of the light from the LEDs. |
| US08450754B2 |
Series connected flip chip LEDs with growth substrate removed
LED layers are grown over a sapphire substrate. Individual flip chip LEDs are formed by trenching or masked ion implantation. Modules containing a plurality of LEDs are diced and mounted on a submount wafer. A submount metal pattern or a metal pattern formed on the LEDs connects the LEDs in a module in series. The growth substrate is then removed, such as by laser lift-off. A semi-insulating layer is formed, prior to or after mounting, that mechanically connects the LEDs together. The semi-insulating layer may be formed by ion implantation of a layer between the substrate and the LED layers. PEC etching of the semi-insulating layer, exposed after substrate removal, may be performed by biasing the semi-insulating layer. The submount is then diced to create LED modules containing series-connected LEDs. |
| US08450750B2 |
Silicon carbide semiconductor device and method of manufacturing thereof
A silicon carbide semiconductor device is provided that includes a semiconductor layer made of silicon carbide and having a surface with a trench having a sidewall formed of a crystal plane tilted at an angle in a range of not less than 50° and not more than 65° relative to the {0001} plane, and an insulating film formed to contact the sidewall of the trench. A maximum value of the nitrogen concentration in a region within 10 nm from the interface between the sidewall of the trench and the insulating film is not less than 1×1021 cm−3, and the semiconductor device has a channel direction in a range of ±10° relative to the direction orthogonal to the <−2110> direction in the sidewall of the trench. A method of manufacturing the silicon carbide semiconductor device is also provided. |
| US08450749B2 |
Light emitting element and manufacturing method thereof
A light emitting element includes a substrate, a GaN layer formed on the substrate, a first low refractive index semiconductor layer formed on the GaN layer, and a lighting structure having a high refractive index formed on the first low refractive index semiconductor layer. A second low refractive index semiconductor layer is embedded in the first low refractive index semiconductor layer. The first low refractive index semiconductor layer and the GaN layer exhibit a lattice mismatch therebetween. |
| US08450748B2 |
Solid state light emitting device
A light emitting device comprises: an LED chip array comprising a plurality of LEDs formed on a single die (monolithic chip array) and at least one discrete LED that is separate from the LED chip array connected in series with the LED chip array. In an AC-drivable device the LED chip array is AC-drivable and two or more discrete LEDs are configured to be AC-drivable. The device can further comprise a package in which the LED chip array and discrete LED(s) are mounted. The discrete LEDs are configured such that positive and negative half wave periods of an AC drive voltage are mapped onto oppositely connected LED such that oppositely connected LED chips are alternately operable on a respective half wave period. |
| US08450747B2 |
Light emitting element and method of making same
A light emitting element has a substrate of gallium oxides and a pn-junction formed on the substrate. The substrate is of gallium oxides represented by: (AlXInYGa(1-X-Y))2O3 where 0≦x≦1, 0≦y≦1 and 0≦x+y≦1. The pn-junction has first conductivity type substrate, and GaN system compound semiconductor thin film of second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type. |
| US08450744B2 |
High light transmittance in-plane switching liquid crystal display device and method for manufacturing the same
The present disclosure relates to a high light transmittance in-plan switching liquid crystal display device and a method for manufacturing the same. The liquid crystal display device includes: a substrate; a gate line disposed in horizontal direction on the substrate; a gate insulating layer covering the gate line; a data line disposed in vertical direction on the gate insulating layer; an additional insulating layer on the data line having same size and shape with the data line; a passivation layer covering the additional insulating layer; and a common electrode overlapping with the data line on the passivation layer. According to the present disclosure, the failure due to the parasitic capacitance and the load for driving the display panel are reduced and it is possible to make large and high definition display panel. |
| US08450740B2 |
Visible sensing transistor, display panel and manufacturing method thereof
A display device includes an infrared sensing transistor and a visible sensing transistor. The visible sensing transistor includes a semiconductor on a substrate; an ohmic contact on the semiconductor; an etch stopping layer on the ohmic contact; a source electrode and a drain electrode on the etch stopping layer; a passivation layer on the source electrode and the drain electrode; and a gate electrode on the passivation layer. The etch stopping layer may be composed of the same material as the source electrode and the drain electrode. The infrared sensing transistor is similar to the visible sensing transistor except the etch stopping layer is absent. |
| US08450737B2 |
Thin film transistor array panel and method for manufacturing the same
A thin film transistor array panel includes: a substrate; a signal line disposed on the substrate and including copper (Cu); a passivation layer disposed on the signal line and having a contact hole exposing a portion of the signal line; and a conductive layer disposed on the passivation layer and connected to the portion of the signal line through the contact hole, wherein the passivation layer includes an organic passivation layer including an organic insulator that does not include sulfur, and a method of manufacturing the thin film transistor prevents formation of foreign particles on the signal line. |
| US08450734B2 |
Semiconductor device and fabrication method for the same
A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor element (1) having an internal circuit (17); and electrode pads (22, 22, . . . ) provided for the semiconductor element (1). The electrode pads (22, 22, . . . ) are electrically connected to the internal circuit (17) via control portions (31) for controlling electrical connection between the electrode pads (22, 22, . . . ) and the internal circuit (17). |
| US08450721B2 |
III-nitride power semiconductor device
A III-nitride semiconductor device which includes a barrier body between the gate electrode and the gate dielectric thereof. |
| US08450711B2 |
Semiconductor memristor devices
Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to electronic devices, which combine reconfigurable diode rectifying states with nonvolatile memristive switching. In one aspect, an electronic device (210,230,240) comprises an active region (212) sandwiched between a first electrode (104) and a second electrode (106). The active region includes two or more semiconductor layers and at least one dopant that is capable of being selectively positioned within the active region to control the flow of charge carriers through the device. |
| US08450708B2 |
Arrangement for and method of generating uniform distributed illumination pattern for imaging reader
A substantially uniform distributed illumination pattern of light is generated on and along a symbol to be read by image capture. A solid-state imager is mounted on a tilted printed circuit board in a tilted handle of an ergonomic reader. An imaging lens assembly captures return light over a field of view from the symbol along an imaging axis, and projects the captured return light onto the imager. An illumination light source is mounted on the board for emitting illumination light at an acute angle of inclination relative to the imaging axis. An optical component includes a first lens portion with a polynomial incident surface for intercepting, bending and aligning the emitted illumination light to generate the pattern in a scan direction along the symbol, and a second lens portion with a toroidal or cylindrical aspherical surface for collimating the aligned illumination light to generate the pattern in a transverse direction. |
| US08450703B2 |
Method and system for imaging samples
The invention provides a method for imaging samples, at least comprising: —staining of a sample with a first marker material and with a second marker material; —utilizing the first marker material in a focusing step for focusing an imaging device with respect to the sample; and —utilizing the second marker material and the imaging device, which has been focused in the focusing step, in an imaging step to acquire an image of the sample. The invention also relates to a system for imaging samples. |
| US08450693B2 |
Method and system for fault-tolerant reconstruction of images
A method and system for reconstructing an image of an object. The method includes acquiring an image dataset of an object of interest, identifying valid data and invalid data in the image dataset, determining a time period that includes the valid data, weighting the valid data based on the determined time period, and reconstructing an image of the object using the weighted valid data. |
| US08450691B2 |
Antenna for use in THz transceivers
A high frequency radiation transceiver is presented. The transceiver includes an electrodes' arrangement, including two or more electrodes, where two of said electrodes are accommodated in a spaced-apart relationship defining a cavity for free space propagation of electrons between them. One of said two electrodes is configured to be responsive to an external input optical signal to emit an electron flux towards the other electrode. Said two or more electrodes are configured to define first and second electrode portions, the first portion having at least a region thereof exposed to said electron flux and operable as an antenna feeding port causing an electric current in said second portion and the second portion being configured and operable as an antenna radiating portion. |
| US08450686B1 |
System and method for analyzing thermal images
A thermal imaging system to facilitate analysis of thermal images comprises a portable thermal imager having a communication interface for transfer of data. The imager also has an on-board memory in which image data for corresponding thermal images is stored. A remote computer is operative to communicate with the thermal imager via the communication interface for download of the image data. The computer runs software operative to superimpose at least one marker at a selected location on a thermal image, the marker being saved on the image. |
| US08450683B2 |
Image processing apparatus, an image generating method, and a system
The method disclosed in this specification includes: acquiring a dark-field image produced by capturing an image of a sample with a scanning transmission electron microscope by detecting electrons scattered at angles between a first angle to the optical axis of the scanning transmission electron microscope and a second angle which is larger than the first angle; acquiring a bright-field image captured simultaneously with the dark-field image by detecting electrons scattered within a third angle which is smaller than the first angle; generating a reverse image by reversing lightness and darkness of the dark-field image; and generating a difference image each of whose pixels has a brightness value equal to the difference between the brightness of the corresponding pixel in the reverse image and the brightness of the corresponding pixel in the bright-field image. |
| US08450675B2 |
Image projector having a photo sensor providing measurement values necessary for a color calibration
An image projector for calibrating a color of an image and recalibrating the color of the image is provided. The image projector includes an illuminating optical part having at least three independent light sources; a light modulator for modulating light emitted from the illuminating optical part according to an image signal; an imaging optical part for projecting the light modulated by the light modulator onto the screen to form an image; and a photo sensor disposed in a light path traveling in a different direction than a direction of the light beam to be projected on the screen, receiving a portion of the light beam modulated by the light modulator and providing measurement values necessary for a color calibration. |
| US08450672B2 |
CMOS image sensors formed of logic bipolar transistors
An integrated circuit structure includes an image sensor cell, which further includes a photo transistor configured to sense light and to generate a current from the light. |
| US08450669B2 |
Projectile body equipped with deployable control surfaces
A projectile body intended to evolve in a fluid, such body equipped with at least two radially deployable control surfaces, such control surfaces being accommodated prior to their deployment in housings made in the body, such that the housings communicate at their intersection point, each housing being blocked by sealing device preventing any fluid from the exterior of the projectile body from passing through the housings when the control surfaces are deployed. |
| US08450667B2 |
Flexible, electrically heatable hose
A flexible, electrically heatable hose having an elongated electrical conductor which extends in the helical shape in the hose direction is illustrated and described. The object of providing a flexible, electrically heatable hose in which uniform heating over the hose length is ensured even in the event of major deformation of the hose, is achieved by a hose which has an elongated electrical conductor which extends in a helical shape in the hose direction, wherein the electrical conductor is embedded in a braid. In this case, the braid has first and second strands, wherein the first strands extend in a helical shape in the hose direction in the same winding direction as the electrical conductor, and the second strands extend in a helical shape in the hose direction in the opposite winding direction to the electrical conductor. The pitch angle of the electrical conductor, which extends in a helical shape in the hose direction, of the first strands and of the second strands is in this case between 50° and 80°. |
| US08450666B2 |
High-efficiency water boiling device
A water boiling device includes a heat tank unit received in a machine body, a high frequency induction heater, and a heat pipe unit. The heat tank unit includes first and second heating tanks in communication with each other. Outside water can flow into the first and second heating tanks. The high frequency induction heater includes a heat pipe induction coil and first and second induction coils. The heat pipe unit includes first and second heating pipes. An upper section of each heating pipe is received in one of the heating tanks, and a lower section of each heating pipe extends out of the heating tanks and is inserted into the heat pipe induction coil. The first and second heating tanks will heat up to heat the water in the first and second heating tanks when a high frequency current is passed through the heat pipe induction coil and first and second induction coils. |
| US08450664B2 |
Radio frequency heating fork
An apparatus for heating a target comprises a radio frequency heating fork having two substantially parallel tines, the substantially parallel tines electrically connected at a loop end of the radio frequency heating fork, and the substantially parallel tines separated at an open end of the radio frequency heating fork, and a feed coupler connection, the feed coupler connection connecting a power source across the substantially parallel tines of the radio frequency heating fork. The application of power across the substantially parallel tines of the radio frequency heating fork results in induction heating near the loop end of the radio frequency heating fork, and dielectric heating near the open end of the radio frequency tuning fork. A target can be positioned relative to the heating fork to select the most efficient heating method. The heating fork can provide near fields at low frequencies for deep heat penetration. |
| US08450662B2 |
Sheet heater
A sheet heater structured so that heating wire is fixed to air-passing base material by sewing. This structure can provide a sheet heater that has improved durability of heating wire 2 against the load imposed on the seat during sitting, comfortable feeling of sitting in the seat, and high air-passing capability. |
| US08450661B2 |
Method of manufacturing heat-generating panel, heat-generating panel manufactured by the same, panel-shaped structure, and heat-generating system
A method of manufacturing a heat-generating panel 100 having a configuration in which an electrically-conductive thin layer 120 is provided on at least one surface of a translucent plate 110 and the electrically-conductive thin layer 120 is caused to generate heat by supplying electric power to the same. The method comprises fixing a metal strip 132 onto the electrically-conductive thin layer 120 formed on the plate 110 along each of opposing sides of the plate 110; applying an electrically-conductive paste 134 over each of the metal strips 132 to cover the same; contacting a heat-generating portion 220 of the heating device 200 at edges forming the two sides of the plate 110 where the metal strip 132 is fixed in a state in which a temperature of the heat-generating portion 220 is above a predetermined temperature, the heat-generating portion 220 being longer than at least a full length of the metal strip 132, and curing the electrically-conductive paste 134 to form electrodes having the metal strip and the electrically-conductive paste 134; and connecting a conductor wire 140 electrically to each of the electrodes 130. |
| US08450660B2 |
Electrical connection to printed circuits on plastic panels
A system for effectively defrosting a plastic window includes a transparent plastic panel, a heater grid having a plurality of grid lines that are integrally formed with the plastic panel, and equalizing means for equalizing the electrical current traveling through each of the grid lines. |
| US08450659B2 |
Control system and method for high density universal holding cabinet
A load control system and method of time multiplexing power to a plurality of holding shelves in a food holding cabinet to allow total cabinet power to be limited to electrical distribution capabilities. This method allows for individual shelf heaters to be utilized normally to maintain food temperatures during normal use and modulates power when multiple shelves demand heating that would normally exceed branch circuit capabilities thus tripping the breaker. The system monitors temperature of each shelf and based upon demand executes a logical demand schedule for each shelf heater output (time multiplexing or modulating AC power to each) such that total system demand does not exceed available power to the system. |
| US08450657B2 |
Temperature controlled substrate holder having erosion resistant insulating layer for a substrate processing system
A substrate holder for supporting a substrate in a processing system includes a temperature controlled support base having a first temperature, a substrate support opposing the temperature controlled support base and configured to support the substrate, and one or more heating elements coupled to the substrate support and configured to heat the substrate support to a second temperature above the first temperature. An erosion resistant thermal insulator disposed between the temperature controlled support base and the substrate support, wherein the erosion resistant thermal insulator includes a material composition configured to resist halogen-containing gas corrosion. |
| US08450656B2 |
Cooking apparatus with protective shield
A cooking apparatus is provided that comprises a housing structure, an internal heating source, an exit, a control panel, and a protective shield. The internal heating source is located within the housing structure. The exit is located at an exterior portion of the housing structure where the exit is configured to transport heat emissions from the internal heating source. The control panel is located above the exit. The protective shield is coupled to the housing structure where the protective shield is configured to deflect the heat emissions in a direction away from the control panel. |
| US08450654B2 |
Method and apparatus for transferring heat to a surface
A heating apparatus is disclosed having a first region containing a heat source and a second region that is separate from and thermally coupled with the first region via an interface element. The heating apparatus also includes a convection deflector disposed within the interior of the first region to direct convective heat towards the interface element. The deflector can have a geometric shaped cross-section with a first side oriented towards the heat source and an opposing second side oriented away from the heat source. The first and second sides are adapted to reflect radiant and convective heat. |
| US08450652B2 |
Apparatus for thermally treating semiconductor substrates
An apparatus for thermally treating semiconductor substrates has a processing space which is defined by first walls substantially parallel to the semiconductor substrate and a second side wall connected to the first walls; a substrate holding device disposed in the processing space which defines a substrate retaining region for a semiconductor substrate in the processing space; and heating elements which are disposed in the processing space between at least one of the first walls and the substrate retaining region. The thermal gradient between the edge of the semiconductor substrate and the center of the semiconductor substrate can be effectively compensated by providing a shutter between the substrate retaining region and the heating elements which limits the radiation emitted in the processing space by the heating elements in the direction of the substrate retaining region. |
| US08450648B2 |
Closed-end welding electrode holder
Disclosed is an electrode holder to be used in welding that has a closed-end structure that removes the gripping problems inherent with open-jawed “tong-type” electrode holders. The electrode holder contains a grooved hole that allows tighter clamping onto an electrode, easing the process of bending an electrode by hand. The electrode holder also has a comfortable handle covered by a sleeve that keeps the electrode holder cool to the touch, allowing a welding lead to be fed through the sleeve and connected to the electrode holder without removing the handle of the electrode holder. |
| US08450645B2 |
Flexible guide device for a welding rod
A flexible guide device for a welding wire, formed by a plurality of individual elements which are connected to each other in an articulated manner, characterized in that the individual elements are adapted to swivel in relation to each other in any direction. |
| US08450642B2 |
Operating head, particularly for a laser machine
A management method for a redundant axis laser machine of the type comprising a movable structure controlled by actuators and operated according to a first set of variables (X, Y, Z, A) and an operating head operated according to a second set of said variables (W, B, C), said first set of variables (X, Y, Z, A) and second set of variables (W, B, C) identifying one or more redundant variables. Such method envisions a filtering allowing the work trajectory to be decomposed into defined trajectories for a first low dynamic system made up of said first set of variables (X, Y, Z, A) and a second high dynamic system made up of said second set of said variables (W, B, C), respectively. |
| US08450637B2 |
Apparatus for automated application of hardfacing material to drill bits
A system and method for the automated or “robotic” application of hardfacing to a surface of a drill bit. |
| US08450636B2 |
Template devices for cutting and marking sheet metal
The embodiments disclosed herein provide a device suitable for assisting cutting and/or marking metal, such as sheet metal, comprising a template member, and optionally, an attachment component such as a magnetic component. The template member may further comprises a solid substrate material or a solid component and an outer edge and/or a window component. The device is configured so that the magnetic component allows the template member to be affixed to a metal object so that the outer edge and/or the window component may be used as a guide for cutting the metal, and allows the component to be removed from the metal when it is no longer needed for cutting. |
| US08450633B2 |
Method and system for automated selection of a set of candidate weld guns including orientations of the selected guns
The disclosure relates to the automatic selection of a set of candidate weld guns and candidate orientations for the weld guns from a library of existing weld guns. Minimum values for weld points and test orientations are calculated. The calculated minimum values are added to the library. As each point is added to the library, the set of weld guns that are candidates for the weld point at the tested orientation may be efficiently retrieved, and a matrix of candidate weld guns and orientations is produced. |
| US08450631B2 |
Preserving apparatus for welded joint portion and preserving method therefor
A preserving apparatus for preserving welded joint portions 7, 8 by deposit welding on the inner surface of the welded joint portions 7, 8, in which a nozzle 4 and a pipe 5 supported under water are joined, the apparatus having: a seal member 9 that is disposed in front and behind the welded joint portions 7, 8 to be deposit welded within the nozzle 4 and pipe 5, and serves to demarcate and form a closed operation area A within the nozzle 4 and pipe 5; water drainage means 12 for draining the inside of the operation area A demarcated and formed by the seal member 9 and obtaining a gas atmosphere therein; and welding means 13 for deposit welding on the inner surface of the welded joint portions 7, 8 within the operation area A in which the gas atmosphere has been created. |
| US08450625B2 |
Switch device and circuit including switch device
According to one embodiment, a switch device includes a first switching unit provided on a base substance. The first switching unit includes a first supporting electrode, a first beam, a first contact point electrode, a first floating conductive layer and a first control electrode. The first supporting electrode is fixed to the base. The first beam includes a first holding part and a first movable part. The first holding part is fixed to the base. The first movable part has one end connected to the first holding part. The first contact point electrode is fixed to the base and faces the first movable part. The first floating conductive layer is fixed to the first movable part via a first insulating part and stores a charge. The first control electrode is fixed to the base and faces the first floating conductive layer. |
| US08450621B2 |
Wiring board and process for fabricating the same
A process for fabricating a wiring board is provided. In the process, a wiring carrying substrate including a carry substrate and a wiring layer is formed. Next, at least one blind via is formed in the wiring carrying substrate. Next, the wiring carrying substrate is laminated to another wiring carrying substrate via an insulation layer. The insulation layer is disposed between the wiring layers of the wiring carrying substrates and full fills the blind via. Next, parts of the carry substrates are removed to expose the insulation layer in the blind via. Next, a conductive pillar connected between the wiring layers is formed. Next, the rest carry substrates are removed. |
| US08450620B2 |
Electronic assembly and method for manufacturing same
An electronic assembly is provided, which includes a circuit board, in which a solder pad is disposed at a position close to an end edge on at least one surface of the circuit board, and a depression is disposed between the solder pad and the end edge; and, an electronic element, including an insulating body and a plurality of terminals fixed to the insulating body, in which each of the terminals has a protruding portion and a soldering portion respectively corresponding to the depression and the solder pad. A method for manufacturing the electronic assembly is also provided. |
| US08450617B2 |
Multilayer wiring substrate
A multilayer wiring substrate has a main face and a back face, and a configuration in which a plurality of resin insulation layers and a plurality of conductor layers are laminated. A plurality of conductor layers provided on the side toward the back face in relation to a resin insulation layer serving as a center layer are formed such that the average of their area ratios becomes greater than the average of area ratios of a plurality of conductor layers provided on the side toward the main face in relation to the center layer. A plurality of resin insulation layers provided on the side toward the back face are formed such that the average of their thicknesses becomes greater than the average of thicknesses of a plurality of resin insulation layers provided on the side toward the main face. |
| US08450613B2 |
Suspension board with circuit and production method thereof
A suspension board with circuit includes a metal supporting board, an insulating base layer formed on the metal supporting board, a conductive pattern formed on the insulating base layer, an insulating cover layer formed on the insulating base layer so as to cover the conductive pattern, and an insertion portion to be inserted into an E-block. A thickness of the insulating cover layer in the insertion portion is larger than a thickness of the insulating cover layer in a portion other than the insertion portion. |
| US08450612B2 |
Anti-theft marking for copper clad steel
A copper clad steel (CCS) wire is at least partially covered on its exterior to visibly distinguish the CCS wire from a pure/solid copper wire. A coating, such as tin, zinc or paint, covers at least portions of the CCS wire. The coating may be applied in strips, rings or a helix to identify the CCS wire as not be formed of solid copper. In the instance of a stranded CCS wire, one or more of the outer strands may be partially or entirely coated to give the overall stranded CCS wire a distinguishing outer structure. |
| US08450608B2 |
Electrical junction box
An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical junction box having a new structure that can restrain noises from leaking through a support member and can advantageously secure a fixing strength onto the support member in the electrical junction box fixed on a support member by inserting an arm section projecting from a box main body into an attaching aperture in the support member. An arm section is loosely inserted into a support member. The arm section is provided on its extending distal end with an engaging portion that is pushed through an attaching aperture in the support member into an interior of the support member to be engaged with a rear surface of the support member. The arm section is integrally provided with a first wall portion opposed through the support member to the engaging portion. The first wall portion covers the attaching aperture. |
| US08450607B2 |
Electronic device housing
An electronic device housing is provided. The electronic device housing includes a substrate, a metallic-appearing coating formed on the substrate, and a top coating formed on the metallic-appearing coating. The top coating contains nano-titanium dioxide powder and fluorocarbon resin. The electronic device housing has self-cleaning and anti-fingerprint properties. |
| US08450605B2 |
Photoelectric conversion device and method for making the same
The present disclosure relates to a method for making a conjugated polymer. In the method, polyacrylonitrile, a solvent, and a catalyst are provided. The polyacrylonitrile is dissolved in the solvent to form a polyacrylonitrile solution. The catalyst is uniformly dispersed into the polyacrylonitrile solution. The polyacrylonitrile solution with the catalyst is heated to induce a cyclizing reaction of the polyacrylonitrile, thereby forming a conjugated polymer solution with the conjugated polymer dissolved therein. |
| US08450602B2 |
Solar cell and manufacturing method thereof
A solar cell comprises a substrate that includes a photoelectric conversion function, a first electrode provided on one surface of the substrate, a second electrode provided on other surface of the substrate, and a third electrode provided on the other surface of the substrate with its periphery overlapping the second electrode in the in-plane direction of the substrate for extracting an electric power from the second electrode. The thickness of the second electrode is larger than that of the third electrode, and the difference between the thickness of the second electrode and that of the third electrode is within a range from equal to or more than 10 micrometers to equal to or less than 30 micrometers. Thereby, in the solar cell, an electrode separation (alloy separation) can be effectively prevented. |
| US08450601B2 |
Integrated photovoltaic modular panel
An integrated photovoltaic modular panel for a curtain wall glass is used for the field of building integrated photovoltaic. The invention provides the standardized photovoltaic units, so that the electrodes in a photovoltaic panel main body can be internally parallel connected. The connector may be a metal piece of stamping or casting, which has a plug 1 and a socket 2 on both ends, a waist b in the middle, an inward concave straight strip 4 on both sides of the waist, an electrode plug-in socket 3 in the waist for firmly clamping solar cell, a plastic injection molding crust 5 for fixing and securing the connector, forming a module. It can combine with different kinds of glass, forming different kinds of photovoltaic curtain wall glass. The solar cell here may be an amorphous silicon solar cell. |
| US08450595B2 |
Non-aqueous electrolyte battery and method for producing the same
A non-aqueous electrolyte battery includes a battery element, a film-form casing member, and a resin protective layer. The battery element includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The film-form casing member contains the battery element and an electrolyte in an enclosed space thereof. The resin protective layer is formed along the surface of the film-form casing member and has a substantially uniform thickness. |
| US08450593B2 |
Stringed instrument with active string termination motion control
A system for controlling for at least one string of a musical instrument by selectively exciting or damping vibration of the string is provided. The system includes at least one transducer configured to sense a lateral vibration of the string and/or to apply an actuating force to the string. A controller is configured to determine an actuating signal for driving the actuator to apply a longitudinal actuating force to the string at a termination point of the string. The longitudinal actuating force are operable to modulate a tension of the string that increases and/or damps the lateral vibration and/or selected harmonics thereof. |
| US08450590B2 |
Reproducing apparatus, recording medium, reproducing method, and reproducing program
Disclosed herein is a reproducing apparatus for continuously reading and reproducing a plurality of content data items from a content data storage unit which stores the plurality of content data items and a plurality of specific position information items representative of specific positions each corresponding to a specific portion of each of the content data items. The reproducing apparatus includes: an input unit; a reproduction unit; and a control unit. |
| US08450589B2 |
Nonvolatile storage module, access module, musical sound data file generation module and musical sound generation system
Musical sound data groups are recorded in nonvolatile memory banks by multiplexing the data without being compressed. A data reader reads the musical sound data in parallel from the plurality of nonvolatile memory banks according to reading instructions from an access module. In a musical sound generation system that cannot expect which pitch of the musical sound data is instructed to be read, since a plurality of pieces of data can be read in parallel from the plurality of nonvolatile memory banks, a sound production delay time can fall within an allowable time. Thus, by using a currently dominant large-capacity multi level NAND flash memory as a memory for the musical sound data, a high sound quality and compact musical sound generation system can be realized. |
| US08450580B1 |
Maize variety inbred PH11YK
A novel maize variety designated PH11YK and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH11YK with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH11YK through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH11YK or a locus conversion of PH11YK with another maize variety. |
| US08450577B1 |
Soybean cultivar S110145
A soybean cultivar designated S110145 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar S110145, to the plants of soybean cultivar S110145, to the plant parts of soybean cultivar S110145, and to methods for producing progeny of soybean cultivar S110145. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. The invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean cultivar S110145. The invention also relates to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines, or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar S110145, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing cultivar S110145 with another soybean cultivar. |
| US08450574B1 |
Soybean cultivar 13350612
A soybean cultivar designated 13350612 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 13350612, to the plants of soybean cultivar 13350612, to the plant parts of soybean cultivar 13350612, and to methods for producing progeny of soybean cultivar 13350612. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. The invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 13350612. The invention also relates to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines, or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 13350612, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing cultivar 13350612 with another soybean cultivar. |
| US08450571B1 |
Soybean variety XBP35007
A novel soybean variety, designated XBP35007 is provided. Also provided are the seeds of soybean variety XBP35007, cells from soybean variety XBP35007, plants of soybean XBP35007, and plant parts of soybean variety XBP35007. Methods provided include producing a soybean plant by crossing soybean variety XBP35007 with another soybean plant, methods for introgressing a transgenic trait, a mutant trait, and/or a native trait into soybean variety XBP35007, methods for producing other soybean varieties or plant parts derived from soybean variety XBP35007, and methods of characterizing soybean variety XBP35007. Soybean seed, cells, plants, germplasm, breeding lines, varieties, and plant parts produced by these methods and/or derived from soybean variety XBP35007 are further provided. |
| US08450570B2 |
Soybean variety A1023833
The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1023833. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1023833. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1023833 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1023833 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods. |
| US08450566B2 |
Soybean variety A1023611
The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1023611. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1023611. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1023611 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1023611 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods. |
| US08450565B2 |
Soybean cultivar 98179010
A soybean cultivar designated 98179010 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 98179010, to the plants of soybean 98179010, to plant parts of soybean cultivar 98179010, and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing soybean cultivar 98179010 with itself or with another soybean variety. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. This invention also relates to soybean cultivars, or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean variety 98179010, to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 98179010, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing the cultivar 98179010 with another soybean cultivar. |
| US08450562B2 |
Stress resistant plants
Stress tolerance in plants and plant cells is achieved by using nucleotide sequences encoding enzymes involved in the NAD salvage synthesis pathway and/or the NAD de novo synthesis pathway from fungal or yeast like organisms other than Saccharomyces cereviseae, e.g., for overexpression in plants. |
| US08450549B2 |
Fuel compositions comprising isoprene derivatives
The invention provides for methods, compositions and systems using bioisoprene derived from renewable carbon for production of a variety of hydrocarbon fuels and fuel additives. |
| US08450548B2 |
Process for converting aliphatic oxygenates to aromatics
The invention relates to a process for converting a feed stream comprising oxygenated lower aliphatic hydrocarbon compounds, especially methanol, to a product stream comprising aromatic hydrocarbons, especially BTX, which process comprises a step of contacting said feed with a catalyst composition La-M/zeolite, which consists essentially of from 0.0001 to 20 mass % (based on total catalyst composition) of lanthanum; from 0.0001 to 20 mass % of at least one element M selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, copper, cerium and caesium; zeolite in hydrogen form; and optionally a binder. |
| US08450547B2 |
Process for cooling the stream leaving an ethylbenzene dehydrogenation reactor
The present invention is a process for the production of styrene monomer from ethylbenzene comprising the steps of: a) catalytically dehydrogenating said ethylbenzene in the presence of steam thereby catalytically producing a dehydrogenation effluent gas containing essentially unreacted ethylbenzene, styrene monomer, hydrogen, steam and divinylbenzene; b) quenching said effluent gas with an aqueous reflux in at least a quenching column to cool said effluent gas, and thereby obtaining a gas at the overhead and in the bottom a liquid stream warmer than the aqueous reflux; c) condensing said overhead gas thereby producing a liquid organic phase, an aqueous phase and a gaseous phase; d) using a portion or the whole of said aqueous phase of step c) as reflux for said step b) of quenching; e) sending to a decanter the liquid stream obtained at step b) to recover an aqueous phase and an organic phase. |
| US08450542B2 |
Integrated process for converting carbohydrates to hydrocarbons
An integrated process for the conversion of carbohydrate containing materials to gasoline boiling range hydrocarbons is disclosed. A carbohydrate containing material may be converted to a hydrogenated carbohydrate containing material with a bi-functional catalyst. The hydrogenated carbohydrate containing material may be reacted in the presence of another catalyst to form a reaction product containing non-aromatic and aromatic gasoline boiling range hydrocarbons. |
| US08450539B2 |
High shear process for producing micronized waxes
A method and system for producing dispersed waxes, including a high shear mechanical device. In one embodiment, the method comprises forming a dispersion of wax globules in a carrier liquid in a high shear device prior to implementation in a waxy product. In another instance the system for producing waxy products comprises a high shear device for dispersing wax in a carrier liquid. |
| US08450538B2 |
Hydrocarbon composition
A hydrocarbon composition is described herein. The hydrocarbon composition has a relatively low viscosity and a relatively low oxygen content while having a relatively high vanadium, nickel, and iron metals content, and a relatively high distillate, residue, and micro-carbon residue content. |
| US08450537B2 |
Processes for the production of fluoropropanes and halopropenes
A process is disclosed for making CF3CH2CHF2, CF3CH═CHF, and/or CF3CH═CHCl. This process involves reacting at least one starting material selected from the group consisting of halopropenes of the formula CX3CH═CH2 and halopropenes of the formula CX2═CHCH2X, wherein each X is independently F or Cl, with HF and Cl2 in a reaction zone to produce a product mixture comprising HF, HCl, CF3CH2CHF2, CF3CH═CHF and CF3CH═CHCl; and recovering the CF3CH2CHF2, CF3CH═CHF, and/or CF3CH═CHCl from the product mixture. The molar ratio of HF to the total amount of starting materials fed to the reaction zone is at least stoichiometric, and the molar ratio of Cl2 to total amount of starting material fed to the reaction zone is 2:1 or less. |
| US08450536B2 |
Methods of higher alcohol synthesis
Systems, catalysts, and methods are provided for transforming carbon based material into synthetic mixed alcohol fuel. |
| US08450532B2 |
Compounds useful in the preparation of tryptophan hydroxylase inhibitors
Intermediates and synthetic processes for the preparation of substituted phenylalanine-based compounds (e.g., of Formula I) are disclosed: |
| US08450524B2 |
Process for producing carboxylic acid anhydrides
The present invention relates to a process for producing carboxylic acid anhydrides by the carbonylation reaction of a carboxylic acid ester, derived from an alcohol and a carboxylic acid, with carbon monoxide containing a small amount of hydrogen in a liquid reaction medium in the presence of a Group VIII B catalyst to produce a carboxylic acid anhydride. The liquid reaction medium comprises the Group VIII B catalyst, an organic halide, the carboxylic acid ester, an alkali metal salt, the carboxylic acid anhydride, the carboxylic acid, N-acetylimidazole as a protecting agent, and ethylidene diacetate (EDA) as an organic promoter. By making use of the protecting agent of N-acetylimidazole, metal ions in the reactor can be prevented from reacting with EDA so as to reduce the formation of hardly-soluble tars during the reaction. Also, the EDA organic promoter is kept at a certain content in the system to promote the overall carbonylation reaction rate. |
| US08450522B2 |
Conformationally constrained carboxylic acid derivatives useful for treating metabolic disorders
The present invention provides compounds useful, for example, for treating metabolic disorders in a subject. Such compounds have the general formula I or the general formula III: where the definitions of the variables are provided herein. The present invention also provides compositions that include, and methods for using, the compounds in preparing medicaments and for treating metabolic disorders such as, for example, type II diabetes. |
| US08450521B2 |
Carbonylation process catalysed by mordenite supported on inorganic oxides
Process for preparing methyl acetate and/or acetic acid by contacting a carbonylatable reactant selected from dimethyl ether and methanol with carbon monoxide in the presence of a catalyst. The catalyst is a H-mordenite bound with a mesoporous binder selected from silicas, aluminas, silica-aluminas, magnesium silicates and magnesium aluminum silicates. |
| US08450520B2 |
Process for preparation of 2-fluoroacrylic esters
According to the present invention, there is provided a production process of a 2-fluoroacrylic ester including: a bromination step of converting a 2-fluoropropionic ester to a 2-bromo-2-fluoropropionic ester by reaction of the 2-fluoropropionic ester with a nitrogen-bromine bond-containing brominating agent in the presence of a radical initiator; and a dehydrobromination step of reacting the 2-bromo-2-fluoropropionic ester with a base. It is not necessary in this process to adopt very-low-temperature conditions and to use a stoichiometric amount of expensive reagent. The target 2-fluoroacrylic ester can be thus produced at low cost. |
| US08450518B2 |
Method for preparing a carbamate, a catalyst applied in the method, a method for preparing the catalyst and use thereof
The present invention pertains to a novel method for preparing a carbamate, in which the method comprises reacting an aliphatic substituted urea and/or its derivatives, with a hydroxyl group containing compound to obtain a carbamate. In addition, the present invention provides a novel catalyst which is suitable for catalyzing the reaction to form a carbamate, and a method for preparing the novel catalyst. The method of the present invention for preparing a carbamate does not involve the application of carbon monoxide which is toxic, and the reaction conditions are relatively mild with high catalytic activity, high reaction selectivity of the catalyst, and a relatively short reaction time. Furthermore, the catalyst is separated from the reaction system and reused easily, which will facilitates scale up and industrial application. |
| US08450514B2 |
Polyether alcohols bearing alkoxysilyl groups by alkoxylation of epoxy-functional alkoxysilances over double metal cyanide (DMC) catalysts, and processes for preparation thereof
Polyether alcohols having alkoxysilyl groups, the use thereof and a process for their preparation by means of DMC catalysis, characterized in that one or more epoxy-functional alkoxysilanes are added individually or in a mixture with further epoxide compounds and optionally further comonomers, either in block form or in random distribution, onto a chain starter of the formula (VII) R1—H(VII) having at least one reactive hydroxyl group, where R1 is a saturated or unsaturated, optionally branched radical, or a polyether radical of the alkoxy-, arylalkoxy or alkylarylalkoxy group type, in which the carbon chain may be interrupted by oxygen atoms or corresponds to a polyetheralkoxy radical or to a singularly or multiply fused phenolic group. |
| US08450513B2 |
Silane compositions for polyester nanocomposites
Novel silane compositions have been prepared by reacting a 3-isocyanatopropyl trialkoxysilane with an alcohol or diol having a divalent alkylene or alkylene-ether group. The alcohol or diol has a formula weight less than about 5000. The compositions can be used to modify the surfaces of inorganic oxygen-containing materials, including but not limited to silica, silicates, borosilicates, aluminosilicates, days, and metal oxides. Surface treatment of silica nanoparticles with these compositions improves their improved dispersion in polyester nanocomposites. |
| US08450510B2 |
Amine bridged metallocene catalyst, method for preparing thereof and method for polymerizing ethylene-alpha olefin copolymer using amine bridged metallocene catalyst
The present invention relates to an amine bridged metallocene catalyst, a method for producing the same, and a method for producing an ethylene-alpha olefin copolymer, which comprises polymerizing ethylene and alpha olefin in the presence of an olefin polymerization catalyst composition including a metallocene catalyst. The amine bridged metallocene catalyst may be produced by reacting one or more of substituted or unsubstituted cyclopentadiene and substituted or unsubstituted fluorene with amine to bridge them with nitrogen, and reacting them with a transition metal to coordinate them. |
| US08450506B2 |
Compounds and their salts specific to the PPAR receptors and the EGF Receptors and their use in the medical field
The present invention relates to compounds of formula (I), where R1 and R2, which may be identical or different, are selected from the group comprising H, CnH2n-1, a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbons, or together form an aromatic or aliphatic ring with 5 or 6 atoms; R3 is —CO—CH3, —NHOH, —OH, or —OR6 where R6 is a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms; R4 is H, linear or branched alkyl group having from 1 to 6 atoms, phenyl, benzyl, —CF3 or CF2CF3, vinyl or allyl; R5, R7, R8 are hydrogen atoms; or R3 and R4, R4 and R5, or R7 and R8 together form a ring, fused to the benzene, aromatic or aliphatic ring with 5 or 6 atoms comprising from 1 to 2 heteroatoms selected independently from the group comprising N, O, and use thereof in the medical field. |
| US08450505B2 |
Polymers bearing pendant pentafluorophenyl ester groups, and methods of synthesis and functionalization thereof
A one pot method of preparing cyclic carbonyl compounds comprising an active pendant pentafluorophenyl ester group is disclosed. The cyclic carbonyl compounds can be polymerized by ring opening methods to form ROP polymers comprising repeat units comprising a side chain pentafluorophenyl ester group. Using a suitable nucleophile, the pendant pentafluorophenyl ester group can be selectively transformed into a variety of other functional groups before or after the ring opening polymerization. |
| US08450503B2 |
Photochromic and electrochromic compounds and methods of synthesizing and using same
This invention relates to novel photochromic and electrochromic monomers and polymers based on 1,2-dithienylcyclopentene derivatives and method of using and synthesizing same. The compounds are reversibly interconvertible between different isomeric forms under suitable photochromic or electrochromic conditions. The electrochromic conversion may be catalytic. The application also relates to ultra-high density homopolymers prepared using ring-opening methathesis polymerization (ROMP) where the central ring of the 1,2-bis(3-thienyl)-cyclopentene is incorporated directly into the polymer backbone. The monomer units may be readily functionalized to enable the synthesis of polymers with diverse structural and electronic properties. The compounds have many potential applications including high-density optical information storage systems, photoregulated molecular switches, reversible holographic systems, ophthalmic lenses, actinometry and molecular sensors, photochromic inks, paints and fibers and optoelectronic systems such as optical waveguides, Bragg reflectors and dielectric mirrors. |
| US08450499B2 |
Process for the preparation of pyrazole carboxylic acid amides
The invention relates to a process for the preparation of formula (I), which process comprises a) reacting the compound (II), with cyclopentadiene to (III); b) reacting this compound in the presence of an oxidant to the compound of formula (IV); c) hydrogenating this compound in the presence of a metal catalyst and an inert solvent under hydrogen atmosphere to the compound of formula (V); d) reacting this compound in the presence of a Brönsted acid followed by a reducing agent to the compound of formula (VI); e) reacting VI with a compound (VII), in the presence of a base to a compound of formula (VIII); f) converting the compound of formula VIII in the presence of an oxidizing agent to the compound of formula (IX); and g) reacting the compound of formula IX in the presence of triphenylphosphane/carbon tetrachloride or riphenylphosphane/bromotrichloromethane to the compound of formula I. |
| US08450495B2 |
11C-labeled benzophenone/benzoxazole analogues as an inflammation imaging agent
A method of preparing novel [11C]-labeled benzophenone/bezoxazole analogues is provided. The present invention also provides novel [11C]-labeled benzophenone/bezoxazole analogues prepared from the GMP synthesis method. Kit claims for preparing novel [11C]-labeled benzophenone/bezoxazole analogues and a method of use thereof are also provided. |
| US08450489B2 |
Azaindoles useful as inhibitors of janus kinases
The present invention relates to compounds useful as inhibitors of protein kinases, particularly of JAK family kinases. The invention also provides pharmaceutically acceptable compositions comprising said compounds and methods of using the compositions in the treatment of various disease, conditions, or disorders. |
| US08450487B2 |
Process for the preparation of cis-2-methylspiro (1,3-oxathiolane 5-3′) quinuclidine
Methods are provided for making pharmaceutical-grade cis-2-methylspiro(1,3-oxathiolane-5,3′)quinuclidine and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof by isomerizing racemic 2-methylspiro(1,3-oxathiolane-5,3′)quinuclidine to cis-2-methylspiro(1,3-oxathiolane-5,3′)quinuclidine and subsequent purification of the C-MSOQ by salt formation with inexpensive and commercially available material such as sulfuric acid. Purification methods are disclosed which employ an organic solvent/water system and recrystallization with an organic solvent such as acetone. |
| US08450486B2 |
6-alkenyl and 6-phenylalkyl substituted 2-quinolinones and 2-quinoxalinones as poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors
The present invention provides compounds of formula (I) and compounds of formula (VII-a) as well as pharmaceutical compositions comprising said compounds and their use as PARP inhibitors wherein n, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, Re, Rd and X have defined meanings. |
| US08450485B2 |
Organic compound, benzoxazole derivative, and light-emitting element, light-emitting device, and electronic device using benzoxazole derivative
Novel benzoxazole derivatives are provided to reduce driving voltage of light-emitting elements, and to reduce power consumption of light-emitting elements, light-emitting devices, and electronic devices. A benzoxazole derivative represented by the general formula (G1) is provided. Since the benzoxazole derivative represented by the general formula (G1) has an electron-injecting property, the benzoxazole derivative can be suitably used for light-emitting elements, light-emitting devices, and electronic devices. |
| US08450476B2 |
Process for the preparation of 17-hydroxy-6β,7β;15β,16β-bismethylene-17α-pregn-4-ene-3-one-21-carboxylic acid γ-lactone and key intermediates for this process
The invention relates to a process for the preparation of 17-hydroxy-6β,7β;15β,16β-bismethylene-17α-pregn-4-ene-3-one-21-carboxylic acid γ-lactone of formula (I) as well as to key-intermediates for this process. |
| US08450475B2 |
Hyaluronic acid-based gels including lidocaine
Disclosed herein are soft tissue fillers, for example, dermal and subdermal fillers, based on hyaluronic acids and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. In one aspect, hyaluronic acid-based compositions described herein include a therapeutically effective amount of at least one anesthetic agent, for example, lidocaine. The present hyaluronic acid-based compositions including lidocaine have an enhanced stability, relative to conventional compositions including lidocaine, for example when subjected to sterilization techniques or when stored for long periods of time. Methods and processes of preparing such hyaluronic acid-based compositions are also provided. |
| US08450466B2 |
Compounds and compositions for the detection and treatment of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders
One aspect of the present invention relates to compounds, compositions and methods for diagnosis and/or treatment of a subject suffering from an amyloidosis-associated pathological condition. In certain embodiments, the imaging and/or therapeutic agents of the instant invention may be administered to a subject for identification and/or treatment of amyloid deposits. A specific imaging method detects amyloid deposits by administering the imaging agent to the subject and detecting the spatial distribution of the agent. Differential accumulation of the agent is indicative of AD or an amyloidosis-associated pathological condition and can be monitored by using a PET or SPECT camera. |
| US08450463B2 |
Method for the determination of the formation of endothelins for medical diagnostic purposes, and antibodies and kits for carrying out such a method
Described herein is an in vitro method for the determination of the formation of endothelins in serious diseases, in particular cardiovascular diseases, inflammations, sepsis and cancer, in whole blood, plasma or serum of a human patient, in which relatively long-lived peptide fragments of the processed primary prepro- or proendothelins are determined which contain neither the actual biologically active endothelin nor its direct precursor big endothelin. In particular, disclosed are antibodies and kits for selectively detecting these fragments. |
| US08450453B2 |
Process for isolation of fatty acids, resin acids and sterols from tall oil pitch
The invention relates to a process for recovering fatty acids, resin acids and sterols from tall oil pitch, said process comprising a) saponifying the tall oil pitch with an alkali to hydrolyse esters included in the pitch to free alcohols and organic acids in salt form, b) acidulating the saponified pitch with a mineral acid to convert the organic acids in salt form into free organic acids and to form an organic phase and an aqueous phase, c) separating the aqueous phase from the organic phase, d) evaporation fractionating the organic phase to obtain a distillate rich in sterols, fatty acids and resin acids, e) evaporation fractionating the distillate to obtain a bottom fraction rich in sterols, and a distillate rich in fatty acids and resin acids, and f) subjecting the sterols in the sterol-rich bottom fraction to crystallization purification. The invention also relates to an alternative process including steps a) to c) followed by d1) treating the organic phase with an alkali to destroy excess mineral acid used for acidulating the saponified pitch, e1) evaporation fractionating the alkali-treated organic phase to obtain a distillate rich in fatty acids and resin acids and a bottom fraction rich in sterols, f1) evaporation fractionating the bottom fraction to obtain a distillate rich in sterols, and g1) subjecting the sterols in the sterol-rich distillate to crystallization purification. |
| US08450447B2 |
Copolyesteramides with decreased perfection of the amide sequence
Polyesteramides prepared from decreased perfection diamide diester monomers. The polymers exhibit improved physical properties. |
| US08450445B2 |
Light emitting diode manufacturing method
A method of making a light emitting diode (LED) having an optical element is provided, comprising: providing a curable liquid polysiloxane/TiO2 composite, which exhibits a refractive index of >1.61 to 1.7 and which is a liquid at room temperature and atmospheric pressure; providing a semiconductor light emitting diode die having a face, wherein the semiconductor light emitting diode die emits light through the face; contacting the semiconductor light emitting diode die with the curable liquid polysiloxane/TiO2 composite; and, curing the curable liquid polysiloxane/TiO2 composite to form an optical element; wherein at least a portion of the optical element is adjacent to the face. |
| US08450441B2 |
Synthetic N-linked sialo-glycan-containing polymer and method for producing the same
A polymer containing an N-linked sialo-glycan wherein a sialo-glycan is condensed to a γ-polyglutamic acid using a chemical compound having an amino group on one end and a carboxyl group on another end and represented by the structural formula (I). Formula (I) (In the formula, Z means a hydroxy group or a residue represented by the formula (II), and n represents an integer of 10 or more, with the proviso that any one or more of the Z's is represented by the formula in (II).) Formula (II) (In the formula, X means a hydroxy group or an acetylamino group, Y1 and Y2 mean a hydroxyl group or an N-acetylneuraminic acid residue, L means a hydrocarbon, an m represents 0 or an integer of 1 or 2, with the proviso that Y1 and Y2 are not the same.) |
| US08450440B2 |
Method for purifying polymer and polymer
Disclosed is a method for purifying a polymer in which a solution containing a cyclic olefin polymer having at least a repeating structural unit [A] represented by the general formula (1) and a metal component is brought into contact with an organic compound having a basic functional group and an acidic functional group, and then the resulting solution is brought into contact with a basic adsorbent to remove the metal component contained in the solution. |
| US08450439B2 |
Method of forming thin film
There is provided a method of forming a thin film of vinylidene fluoride homopolymer having crystal form I which is applicable to various substrates in relatively easy way (coating conditions, application method, etc.), a process for preparing a vinylidene fluoride homopolymer having crystal form I efficiently at high purity, and novel vinylidene fluoride homopolymers which can give a thin film being excellent in ferroelectricity. The method of forming a thin film of vinylidene fluoride homopolymer comprises (i) a step for preparing a green powder product of vinylidene fluoride homopolymer comprising crystal form I alone or as main component by subjecting vinylidene fluoride to radical polymerization in the presence of a bromine compound or iodine compound having 1 to 20 carbon atoms which contains at least one moiety represented by —CRf1Rf2X1, wherein X1. is iodine atom or bromine atom; Rf1. and Rf2. are the same or different and each is selected from fluorine atom or perfluoroalkyl groups having 1 to 5 carbon atoms and (ii) a step for forming a thin film on a substrate surface by using vinylidene fluoride homopolymer which comprises crystal form I alone or as main component and is obtained from the green powder product of vinylidene fluoride homopolymer comprising crystal form I alone or as main component. |
| US08450430B2 |
Functionalized olefin polymers, compositions and articles prepared therefrom, and method of making the same
In one aspect the invention provides a melt process for preparing a functionalized olefin multiblock interpolymer, said process comprising grafting onto the backbone of the olefin multiblock interpolymer at least one compound comprising at least one “amine-reactive” group to form a grafted olefin multiblock interpolymer, and reacting a primary-secondary diamine or an alkanolamine with the grafted olefin multiblock interpolymer, without the isolation of the grafted olefin multiblock interpolymer. |
| US08450427B2 |
Living radical polymerization of activated and nonactivated monomers containing electron-withdrawing side groups
The invention concerns a method of polymerizing an alkene monomer to produce a polymer using a catalyst that is Cu(O), Cu2Te, CuSe, Cu2S, Cu2O, or a combination thereof, an initiator, and a component comprising a solvent and optional nitrogen-containing ligand, where the combination of the component and monomer is capable of diproportionating Cu(I)X into Cu(O) and Cu(II)X2 where X is Cl, Br, or I. |
| US08450411B2 |
Curable composition having a silane-modified reactive thinner
A solvent-free and anhydrous hardenable composition that contains at least one polymer A. Polymer A being obtainable by reacting a polyether with at least one ethylenically unsaturated silane in the presence of a radical starter, the ethylenically unsaturated silane carrying at least one hydrolyzable group on the silicon atom. The composition provides low viscosity prior to curing along with good elasticity after curing and a broad adhesion spectrum in a solvent-free and water-free hardenable composition. Also methods for producing the composition and use of the composition as an adhesive, sealant, or coating agent. |
| US08450409B2 |
Method for mixing a rubber composition
Disclosed is a method comprising: (a) mixing in a first mixing step ingredients comprising (i) first polymer, (ii) a low molecular weight polymer having a number average molecular weight of about 5,000 to about 100,000, and (iii) a filler, and (b) mixing in a second mixing step ingredients comprising (i) the mixture obtained in step (a), (ii) a second polymer that is different from said first polymer, and (iii) optionally a filler. In one embodiment, the method further comprises mixing sulfur and vulcanization accelerator(s) into the composition, forming the rubber composition into a sidewall for a tire, and vulcanizing the rubber composition. |
| US08450405B2 |
Interlayer film for laminated glass and laminated glass
The invention provides an interlayer film for a laminated glass and a laminated glass, which are protected against a slump in TL value through attenuation of said coincidence effect and adapted to display an outstanding sound insulation performance over a broad temperature range. An interlayer film for a laminated glass comprising a plasticizer and a polyacetal resin, which is a blend of a polyacetal resin having an average polymerization degree of 1,000 to 3,000 and a polyacetal resin having an average polymerization degree of 3,000 to 5,000, and which has an acetalization degree of 60 to 85 mol % and an acetyl group content of 8 to 30 mol %. An interlayer film for a laminated glass which shows a temperature dependence of loss tangent in which the lowest-temperature side maximum of loss tangent appears at 30° C. or lower when examined for dynamic viscoelasticity. |
| US08450398B2 |
Oxygen scavengers, compositions comprising the scavengers, and articles made from the compositions
The disclosure relates to oxygen scavenging molecules, compositions, methods of making the compositions, articles prepared from the compositions, and methods of making the articles. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention. |
| US08450380B2 |
Method for implementing active ingredients in order to protect them and optimize their delivery method
The invention pertains to a new method for formulating pharmaceutical active ingredients in such a way as to protect them when ingested orally, and to allow for the controlling of the release of the active ingredient in the intestine. It relies upon the use of thickening acrylic emulsions with a pH greater than 5, containing hydrophobic groups, in order to encapsulate the pharmaceutical active ingredients for the purpose of encouraging their passage through the gastrointestinal barrier, while controlling the release kinetics of said active ingredients. |
| US08450378B2 |
Antiviral method
This invention provides a method of inactivating human noroviruses and other acid stable viruses. The method includes the step of contacting the virus with a virucidally-enhanced alcoholic composition that includes an alcohol, and an enhancer selected from cationic oligomers and polymers, chaotropic agents, and mixtures thereof. |
| US08450377B2 |
1-adamantyl chalcones for the treatment of proliferative disorders
The present invention relates to the compounds of the general formula (I), a composition for and a method of treating breast cancer or other proliferative disorders in a subject using a compound of general formula [I], wherein the substituents are as defined in the specification. |
| US08450376B2 |
Amorphous bupropion hydrobromide and preparation thereof
The present invention provides an amorphous bupropion hydrobromide and an amorphous bupropion hydrobromide granulates with at least one pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, and a process for its preparation. |
| US08450370B2 |
Production of glycerol-related products from a high temperature reaction
Disclosed are processes for producing glycerol related products. One process comprises introducing a biomass and an alkylation reagent to a substantially oxygen free environment, hydrolyzing at a temperature at or above 200° C. one or more lipid glycerides in the biomass, methylating one or more fatty acids in the biomass with methyl groups from the alkylation reagent, wherein the hydrolyzing and methylating occur contemporaneously and separating resulting biodiesel and methylated glycerol-related products from a residue of the biomass by condensation. |
| US08450369B1 |
Hypoglycemic oral drug for treating non-insulin dependent and insulin dependent diabetes
The present invention is directed to novel diacid derivatives, pharmaceutical compositions comprising the diacid derivatives and methods for the treatment of insulin and non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and related disorders comprising administering to a subject in need thereof, the compounds of the present invention. |
| US08450366B2 |
Isobenzofuran analogs of sclerophytin A
Isobenzofuran analogs of sclerophytin A are prepared in a highly concise fashion via an aldol-cycloaldol sequence. The analogs exhibit IC50's as low as 1 μM in growth inhibitory studies against KB3 cells using an MTT assay. Preferred analogs have one of the following structural formulas, where R is hydrogen or a substituted or unsubstituted lower alkyl group and Ar is a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group. |
| US08450365B2 |
Efficient synthesis of galanthamine
The present invention relates to methods for the synthesis of galanthamine, morphine, intermediates, salts and derivatives thereof. In preferred embodiments, the invention relates to methods for improving the efficiency and overall yield of said morphine, morphine related derivatives and intermediates thereof. In further embodiments, the invention relates to methods for improving the efficiency and overall yield of galanthamine and intermediates thereof. |
| US08450363B2 |
Inhibitors of Jun N-terminal kinase
The present disclosure provides inhibitors of c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) having a structure according to the following formula: or a salt or solvate thereof, wherein ring A, Ca, Cb, Z, R5, W and Cy are defined herein. The disclosure further provides pharmaceutical compositions including the compounds of the present disclosure and methods of making and using the compounds and compositions of the present disclosure, e.g., in the treatment and prevention of various disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease. |
| US08450362B2 |
Amidine-containing compounds useful as muscarinic receptor antagonists
The invention relates to compounds of formula I: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, where R1-3, R5, R7, a, b, Q, X, X′, X″, Y, Z, and Ar are as defined in the specification. These compounds are muscarinic receptor antagonists. The invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds, processes for preparing such compounds and methods of using such compounds to, for example, treat pulmonary disorders such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. |
| US08450360B2 |
Process for preparing dithiine-tetracarboximides
The present invention relates to a new process for preparing dithiine-tetracarboximides. |
| US08450359B2 |
Polymer-supported photosensitizers for the generation of singlet oxygen
A material comprising at least one polymer and at least one sensitizer wherein the sensitizer is localised at a surface of the material wherein the sensitizer is an agent or compound able to provide improved anti-bacterial and/or anti-viral activity following exposure of the sensitizer to a particular wavelength or range of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation. |
| US08450357B2 |
Compositions comprising an aryl pyrazole and/or a formamidine, methods and uses thereof
This invention relates to compositions for combating parasites in animals, comprising 1-arylpyrazole compounds alone or in combination with formamidine compounds. This invention also provides for an improved methods for eradicating, controlling, and preventing parasite infestation in an animal comprising administering the compositions of the invention to the animal in need thereof. |
| US08450356B2 |
Pharmaceutical composition
To provide a pharmaceutical composition which can enhance the storage stability of 1-(1-hydroxymethyl-2,3-dihydroxypropyloxymethyl)-2-nitroimidazole without impairing the effect of the compound.The pharmaceutical composition includes 1-(1-hydroxymethyl-2,3-dihydroxypropyloxymethyl)-2-nitroimidazole, which is represented by formula (1): and a compound having chelating ability. |
| US08450353B2 |
Topical compositions containing desthiobiotin and its derivatives and a method of treating skin
Topical compositions and methods of use to treat symptoms of reduced skin elasticity are provided comprising desthiobiotin and certain desthiobiotin analogues. These compounds are effective in stimulating LOXL-1 activity and can thus increase elastin remodeling and improve appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, skin sagging and other symptoms of reduced elastin function. |
| US08450351B2 |
N-hydroxyamidinoheterocycles as modulators of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase
The present invention is directed to N-hydroxyamidino compounds which are modulators of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), as well as pharmaceutical compositions thereof and methods of use thereof relating to the treatment of cancer and other diseases. |
| US08450348B2 |
Derivatives of squaric acid with anti-proliferative activity
The present invention provides derivatives of squaric acid, in particular derivatives of 3,4-diamino-cyclobut-3-ene-1,2-dione and tautomers and isomers thereof, as a single stereoisomer or a mixture of stereoisomers, or as a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. These compounds show anti-proliferative activity, including against tumor cells, and are useful in the treatment of diseases including cancer. |
| US08450342B2 |
Perharidines as CDK inhibitors
The invention relates to trisubstituted or tetrasubstituted imidazo[4,5b]pyridines, to their uses as well as to a process for manufacturing them.The compounds of the invention are imidazo[4,5b]pyridines.The first general synthesis of 3,5,7 imidazo[4,5b]pyridines is disclosed in the description.The invention founds application, in particular, in the pharmaceutical field. |
| US08450340B2 |
1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridines and therapeutic uses thereof
Provided herein are compounds according to Formula I and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, and compositions comprising the same, for use in various methods, including treating cancers such as colon, ovarian, pancreatic, breast, liver, prostate and hematologic cancers: |
| US08450339B2 |
Compositions for treatment of common cold
New stable compositions comprising the combination of a topically active vasoconstrictor and a topically active anticholinergic drug are disclosed. Preferably, the composition comprises ipratropium or a salt thereof in combination with xylometazoline hydrochloride and a salt thereof. Upon topically administering such compositions to a nasal mucosa in individuals suffering from the common cold the symptoms of rhinorrhea are significantly reduced. |
| US08450337B2 |
Methods of treating skin disorders with caffeic acid analogs
Embodiments of the invention generally relate to pharmaceutical compositions containing at least one caffeic acid compound and methods for the topical treatment of proliferative and inflammatory skin disorders such as plaque psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and other disorders. In some embodiments, the topical treatment includes applications of the pharmaceutical composition containing at least one caffeic acid compound or a mixture of caffeic acid compounds such as caffeic acid ester compounds, caffeic acid amide compounds, analogues thereof, derivatives thereof, salts thereof, or mixtures thereof. The pharmaceutical composition or topical dosage may contain the caffeic acid compound at a concentration by weight within a range from about 0.01% to about 20%, preferably, from about 0.1% to about 15%, preferably, from about 1% to about 10%, more preferably, from about 3% to about 7%, and more preferably, from about 4% to about 6%. |
| US08450336B2 |
Use of D-serine derivatives for the treatment of anxiety disorders
Compounds of Formula I are useful for the treatment of anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic attack, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and social phobias. wherein: A is chosen from: aryl or heteroaryl, A being optionally substituted with up to 5 independently-selected groups R8; R1 is chosen from: alkyl or haloalkyl; R2 is chosen from: H, C(O)R6, C(O)OR6, SO2R6 or C(O)NR6R7; R3, R4 and R5 are independently chosen from: H or alkyl; R6 and R7 are independently chosen from: H or alkyl; and R8 is chosen from: OH, CN, halo, alkyl, alkoxy, haloalkyl, haloalkoxy, C(O)R6, C(O)OR6, SO2R6 or C(O)NR6R7. |
| US08450333B2 |
Molecules for regulating cell death
The present invention provides compounds capable of regulating apoptosis, e.g., via regulating mitochondrial fission or fusion. The present invention also provides methods of screening for compounds capable of regulating apoptosis and methods of treating conditions association with apoptosis. |
| US08450331B2 |
Thiophenyl-substituted 2-imino-3-methyl pyrrolo pyrimidinone compounds as BACE-1 inhibitors, compositions, and their use
In its many embodiments, the present invention provides certain thiophenyl-substituted 2-imino-3-methyl pyrrolo pyrimidone compounds, including compounds (or tautomers or a pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof) having the structural Formula (III): wherein R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, and R9 are each selected independently and as defined herein. Pharmaceutical compositions comprising one or more such compounds, and methods for their preparation and use in treating pathologies associated with amyloid beta (Aβ) protein, including Alzheimer's Disease, are also disclosed. |
| US08450326B2 |
Multiheteroaryl compounds as inhibitors of H-PGDS and their use for treating prostaglandin D2 mediated diseases
Multiheteroaryl compounds, their preparation, pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds, and their pharmaceutical use in the prevention and treatment of prostaglandin D2 mediated diseases and conditions that may be modulated by the inhibition of hematopoietic prostaglandin D synthase (H-PGDS). |
| US08450325B2 |
Methods for reducing the recurrence of cardiac arrhythmia
Disclosed are methods of preventing or treating cardiac arrhythmia comprising administering to a mammal in need thereof, such as a human, an effective amount of vanoxerine (GBR 12909) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, derivative or metabolite thereof. |
| US08450324B2 |
Crystalline base of trans-1-((1R,3S)-6-chloro-3-phenylindan-1-yl)-3,3-dimethylpiperazine
Crystalline base of compound trans-1-((1R,3S)-6-chloro-3-phenylindan-1-yl)-3,3-dimethylpiperazine, processes for the preparation of purified free base or salts of this compound, pharmaceutical compositions comprising the base and medical use thereof, including for treatment of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. |
| US08450322B2 |
Substituted imidazo[1,2b]pyridazine compounds as Trk kinase inhibitors
Compounds of Formula (I): in which R1, R2, R3, R4, X, Y and n have the meanings given in the specification, are inhibitors of Trk kinases and are useful in the treatment of diseases which can be treated with a Trk kinase inhibitor. |
| US08450321B2 |
6-(1H-indazol-6-yl)-N-[4-(morpholin-4-yl)phenyl]imidazo-[1,2-A]pyrazin-8-amine, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, as a SYK inhibitor
An imidazopyrazine having the structure or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and pharmaceutical compositions thereof are provided herein. Methods of treating patients suffering from certain diseases and disorders responsive to the inhibition of Syk activity, which comprises administering to such patients an amount of at least one chemical entity effective to reduce signs or symptoms of the disease or disorder are provided. Also provided are methods for determining the presence or absence of Syk kinase in a sample. |
| US08450319B2 |
Pyrrolopyridazinone compound
The present invention discloses a pyrrolopyridazinone compound represented by the formula (1): useful, for example, as an anti-inflammatory agent or an inhibitor of respiratory tract contraction. |
| US08450316B2 |
Niacin mimetics, and methods of use thereof
Disclosed are 6-(morpholinoalkyl)-substituted pyridines, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts and prodrugs thereof, that are active against a range of mammalian therapeutic indications. |
| US08450311B2 |
Pharmaceutical compositions containing a fluoroquinolone antibiotic drug
Pharmaceutical compositions containing a fluoroquinolone antibiotic drug are disclosed. The compositions exhibit improved homogeneity, improved bioavailability, lower turbidity or a combination thereof. The composition can be use as otic or nasal compositions, but are particularly useful as ophthalmic compositions. |
| US08450306B2 |
Bradykinin B1-receptor antagonists
Novel compounds which are useful for treating acute pain, visceral pain, neuropathic pain, inflammatory/pain receptor-mediated pain, tumor pain and headache diseases. The following is exemplary: |
| US08450304B2 |
4-azetidinyl-1-heteroaryl-cyclohexanol antagonists of CCR2
The present invention comprises compounds of Formula (I). wherein: R1, R2, R3, and R4 are as defined in the specification. The invention also comprises pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds of formula (I) and methods of preventing, treating or ameliorating a CCR2 mediated syndrome, disorder or disease, for example, type II diabetes, obesity or asthma, by administering the compounds of formula (I). |
| US08450303B2 |
Azetidinyl diamides as monoacylglycerol lipase inhibitors
Disclosed are compounds, compositions and methods for treating various diseases, syndromes, conditions and disorders, including pain. Such compounds are represented by Formula (I) as follows: wherein Y, Z, R1, and s are defined herein. |
| US08450302B2 |
2-(3-aminoaryl) amino-4-aryl-thiazoles and their use as c-kit inhibitors
The present invention relates to the use of masitinib or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and in particular of masitinib mesylate, for the preparation of a medicament for the treatment of GIST, to the use of this therapy for the treatment of GIST, and a method of treating mammals, including humans, suffering from GIST by administering to said mammal in need of such treatment an effective dose of masitinib, and in particular masitinib mesylate. |
| US08450301B2 |
Piperazine compounds with a herbicidal action
The invention relates to the use of piperazine compounds of formula (I) or the agriculturally useful salts of piperazine compounds of formula (I) as herbicides, the variables in formula (I) being defined as cited in the claims and the description. |
| US08450300B2 |
Fusidic acid dosing regimens for treatment of bacterial infections
Novel dosing regimens for the treatment and prevention of bacterial infections using fusidic acid are described. The use of a high loading dose of fusidic acid, followed by moderate maintenance doses of the drug, have been found to prevent development of drug-resistant strains of bacteria, to increase the effective spectrum of the drug, and to avoid nausea and vomiting associated with a prolonged course of therapy of high amounts of the drug. |
| US08450299B2 |
Methods of hormonal treatment utilizing ascending-dose extended cycle regimens
The present invention provides ascending-dose extended cycle regimens in which a female is administered an estrogen and a progestin for a period of greater than 30 or 31 consecutive days, optionally followed by a hormone-free period or by a period of administration of estrogen. The disclosed regimens can be administered to a female to provide contraceptive and non-contraceptive benefits. |
| US08450298B2 |
Aminoalcohol lipidoids and uses thereof
Aminoalcohol lipidoids are prepared by reacting an amine with an epoxide-terminated compound are described. Methods of preparing aminoalcohol lipidoids from commercially available starting materials are also provided. Aminoalcohol lipidoids may be prepared from racemic or stereochemically pure epoxides. Aminoalcohol lipidoids or salts forms thereof are preferably biodegradable and biocompatible and may be used in a variety of drug delivery systems. Given the amino moiety of these aminoalcohol lipidoid compounds, they are particularly suited for the delivery of polynucleotides. Complexes, micelles, liposomes or particles containing the inventive lipidoids and polynucleotide have been prepared. The inventive lipidoids may also be used in preparing microparticles for drug delivery. They are particularly useful in delivering labile agents given their ability to buffer the pH of their surroundings. |
| US08450296B2 |
Methods of use of biomaterial and injectable implant containing biomaterial
This invention relates to the use of a biomaterial for the treatment, repair and/or enhancement of bodily tissue insufficiencies of the vocal chords, muscles, ligaments, cartilage, post-operative regions, sexual organs and/or weight supporting areas of the feet as well as other conditions of the bones and joints. The biomaterial for use in the invention may comprise an injectable bioresorbable polysaccharide composition wherein the polysaccharide may be succinochitosan glutamate. This invention also relates to the use of a biomaterial comprising an injectable bioresorbable polysaccharide composition in which resorbable particles may be in suspension, the said particles comprising or consisting essentially of chitin and/or chitosan, which may be free of any additional formulation modifying agents, and a process for manufacturing the same. The invention also includes the use of various medicaments in the biomaterial formulations to enhance the treatment of the affected area of the body. |
| US08450294B2 |
Shampoo compositions
The present invention relates to a shampoo composition comprising a minced polygalactomannan hydrocolloid(s) in combination with a water soluble silicone compound. |
| US08450289B2 |
Compositions comprising a parvovirus VP1-variant and a parvovirus NS1 protein for induction of cytolysis
The present invention provides a composition comprising (a) a parvovirus NS1 protein and (b) a parvovirus VP1 protein. Furthermore, the present invention provides DNA sequences encoding said proteins. The composition of the invention is useful for the preparation of a toxin for treating tumoral diseases. |
| US08450284B2 |
Coiled-coil lipopeptide helical bundles and synthetic virus-like particles
The invention relates to lipopeptide building blocks consisting of a peptide chain comprising a coiled-coil domain, linked covalently to a lipid moiety comprising long alkyl or alkenyl chains, and optionally linked to an antigen; and to helical lipopeptide bundles and synthetic virus-like particles formed by aggregation. The nanometer size and shape of these bundles and particles, their stability under aqueous physiological conditions, their chemical composition, the possibility to incorporate B- and T-cell epitopes, and their production by chemical synthesis, make them highly suitable as vaccine delivery vehicles. |
| US08450282B2 |
Anionic polymer, polyion complex and ternary polymer composite using anionic polymer, and pharmaceutical composition
There are provided an anionic polymer, a polyion complex, and a ternary polymer composite, each of which is stable in a biological environment and is capable of realizing small RNA delivery without causing any undesired immune response. An anionic polymer according to an embodiment of the invention includes: a main chain which includes repeating units having carboxyl groups; and a side chain which is linked with part of the carboxyl groups in the main chain and is represented by the following formula: -A-B—X where: A represents a residue having one or more aminoethyl bonds; B represents an in vivo cleavable bond; and X represents a small RNA. A polyion complex according to an embodiment of the invention includes the anionic polymer as described above and a cationic polymer. A ternary polymer composite according to an embodiment of the invention includes the polyion complex as described above and a charge conversional polymer. |
| US08450273B2 |
Fusion proteins of collagen-binding domain and parathyroid hormone
Fusion proteins containing active agonist or antagonist fragments of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and parathyroid hormone related peptide (PTHrP) coupled to a collagen-binding domain are presented. The fusion proteins can be used to promote bone growth, to promote hair growth, to prevent cancer metastasis to bone, to promote immune reconstitution with a bone marrow stem cell transplant, to promote mobilization of bone marrow stem cells for collection for autologous stem cell transplant, and to treat renal osteodystrophy. Pharmaceutical agents comprising a collagen-binding polypeptide segment linked to a non-peptidyl PTH/PTHrP receptor agonist or antagonist are also presented. |
| US08450272B2 |
Combinations of somatostatin-analogs with different selectivity for human somatostatin receptor subtypes
The present invention relates to a combination of two or more Somatostatin (SRIF) peptidomimetics (also referred to as Somatostatin- or SRIF-analogs) which have different selectivity for the five human somatostatin receptor subtypes, the use of such combination in the treatment of a disease mediated by activation of somatostatin receptors, and to pharmaceutical compositions comprising such a combination. |
| US08450270B2 |
Glucagon analogs exhibiting enhanced solubility and stability in physiological pH buffers
Modified glucagon peptides are disclosed having improved solubility and/or half-life while retaining glucagon agonist activity. The glycogen peptides have been modified by substitution of native amino acids with, and/or addition of, charged amino acids to the carboxy terminus of the peptide. The modified glucagon agonists can be further modified by pegylation, or the addition of a carboxy terminal peptide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 20, SEQ ID NO: 21, SEQ ID NO: 23, or both to further enhance the solubility of the glucagon agonist analogs. |
| US08450269B2 |
Long-acting growth hormone and methods of producing same
Use of a growth hormone protein and polynucleotides encoding same comprising an amino-terminal carboxy-terminal peptide (CTP) of chorionic gonadotrophin and two carboxy-terminal chorionic gonadotrophin CTPs attached to the growth hormone in methods of inducing growth or weight gain, method of increasing insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) levels, and methods of reducing the dosing frequency of a growth hormone in a human subject are disclosed. Pharmaceutical compositions comprising the growth hormone and polynucleotides encoding the growth hormone of the invention and methods of using same are also disclosed. |
| US08450267B2 |
GRG23 EPSP synthases: compositions and methods of use
Compositions and methods for conferring herbicide resistance or tolerance to bacteria, plants, plant cells, tissues and seeds are provided. Compositions include polynucleotides encoding herbicide resistance or tolerance polypeptides, vectors comprising those polynucleotides, and host cells comprising the vectors. The nucleotide sequences of the invention can be used in DNA constructs or expression cassettes for transformation and expression in organisms, including microorganisms and plants. Compositions also include transformed bacteria, plants, plant cells, tissues, and seeds. In particular, isolated polynucleotides encoding glyphosate resistance or tolerance polypeptides are provided. Additionally, amino acid sequences corresponding to the polynucleotides are encompassed. In particular, the present invention provides for isolated polynucleotides containing nucleotide sequences encoding the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, or 35, or the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, or 34. |
| US08450266B2 |
Analogues of glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide
There is provided a novel series of analogues of glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide compounds, pharmaceutical compositions containing said compounds, and the use of said compounds as GIP-receptor agonists or antagonists for treatment of GIP-receptor mediated conditions, such as non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and obesity. |
| US08450265B2 |
3-methyl-6-cyclohexadecen-1-one and its use in perfume compositions
The present invention is directed to a novel compound, 3-methyl-cyclohexadec-6-enone, and a method of improving, enhancing or modifying a fragrance formulation through the addition of an olfactory acceptable amount of 3-methyl-cyclohexadec-6-enone. |
| US08450264B1 |
Fast drying and fast draining rinse aid
The present invention is directed to rinse aid compositions and methods for making and using the rinse aid compositions. The compositions of the invention include a sheeting agent, a defoaming agent, and an association disruption agent. The rinse aid compositions of the present invention result in a faster draining/drying time on most substrates compared to conventional rinse aids. The rinse aid compositions of the present invention are especially suitable for use on plastic substrates. |
| US08450259B2 |
Benefit agent delivery compositions
Benefit agent delivery compositions, compositions, packaged products and displays comprising such benefit agent delivery compositions, and processes for making and using such benefit agent delivery compositions, compositions, packaged products and displays. Such compositions have improved deposition and retention properties that may impart improved benefit characteristics to a composition and/or situs. |
| US08450258B2 |
Compositions comprising at least one silicone phosphate compound and at least one amine compound, and methods for using the same
Compositions, methods, and kits for caring for, treating, conditioning or durable conditioning of at least one keratinous fiber comprising at least one silicone compound comprising at least one phosphate group compound and at least one amine compound comprising greater than three amino groups, wherein the amino groups are identical or different. |
| US08450256B2 |
High- and low-viscosity estolide base oils and lubricants
Provided herein are compounds of the formula: in which n is an integer equal to or greater than 1; R2 is selected from hydrogen and optionally substituted alkyl that is saturated or unsaturated, and branched or unbranched; and R1, R3, and R4, independently for each occurrence, are selected from optionally substituted alkyl that is saturated or unsaturated, and branched or unbranched, wherein compositions comprising the compounds are characterized by particular combinations of values for estolide number, kinematic viscosity, and pour point. Also provided are compositions containing the compounds and methods of making both the compounds and compositions thereof. |
| US08450255B2 |
Functional fluid
The disclosed invention relates to a functional fluid comprising: at least one oil of lubricating viscosity; at least one detergent, the detergent contributing an amount of metal to the functional fluid equal to a concentration in the range from about 0.015 to about 1% by weight of the functional fluid, the detergent contributing an amount of basicity to the functional fluid equal to a total base number in the range from about 0.3 to about 2; and at least one friction modifier, the friction modifier comprising at least two hydrocarbyl groups attached to a polar group or atom (eg., a nitrogen atom). |
| US08450254B2 |
Solid stick compositions comprising thermosetting plastic
The present invention provides a modified solid stick composition comprising a thermosetting plasticizer, a resin, a lubricant, a friction modifier, or a combination thereof. The solid stick compositions may be used for application between two metal surfaces in sliding and rolling-sliding contact such as steel wheel-rail systems including mass transit and freight systems. A method of reducing energy consumption, or controlling friction between a metal surface and a second metal surface by applying the solid stick composition to one or more than one of the metal surfaces, is also provided. |
| US08450253B2 |
Lubricating oil composition
The present invention provides a lubricating oil composition that is excellent in anti-fatigue properties for metals and load bearing properties while having improved fuel efficiency. The lubricating oil composition comprises (A) one type or a mixture of two or more types of mineral base oil having a 40° C. kinematic viscosity of from 5 to 15 mm2/s; and (B) one type or a mixture of two or more types of ester-based base oil having a 40° C. kinematic viscosity of from 3 to 25 mm2/s and a 0° C. kinematic viscosity of from 10 to 130 mm2/s, the 40° C. kinematic viscosity of the mixed base oil of (A) and (B) being 18 mm2/s or lower, the blend ratio of the ester-based base oil being from 0.58 to 80 percent by mass, and the 40° C. kinematic viscosity of the composition being from 4 to 23 mm2/s. |
| US08450251B2 |
Drag reduction of asphaltenic crude oils
A system for reducing pressure drop associated with the turbulent flow of asphaltenic crude oil through a conduit. The crude oil has a high asphaltene content and/or a low API gravity. Such reduction in pressure drop is achieved by treating the asphaltenic crude oil with a high molecular weight drag reducing polymer that can have a solubility parameter within about 20 percent of the solubility parameter of the heavy crude oil. The drag reducing polymer can also comprise the residues of monomers having at least one heteroatom. |
| US08450249B2 |
Drag reduction of asphaltenic crude oils
A method of introducing a drag reducing polymer into a pipeline such that the friction loss associated with the turbulent flow though the pipeline is reduced by suppressing the growth of turbulent eddies. The drag reducing polymer is introduced into a liquid hydrocarbon having an asphaltene content of at least 3 weight percent and an API gravity of less than about 26° to thereby produce a treated liquid hydrocarbon. The treated liquid hydrocarbon does not have a viscosity less than the viscosity of the liquid hydrocarbon prior to treatment with the drag reducing polymer. Additionally, the drag reducing polymer is added to the liquid hydrocarbon in the range from about 0.1 to about 500 ppmw. |
| US08450239B2 |
Reversible thermosensitive recording medium
A reversible thermosensitive recording medium including an electronic information recording sheet having at least an electronic information recording element projecting from a surface thereof, a first sheet having a through hole into which the electronic information recording element can be inserted, and a second sheet having a cut-out portion capable of housing the entire electronic information recording sheet, wherein the second sheet houses in the cut-out portion the entire electronic information recording sheet, with being laid over the first sheet, and the electronic information recording element is inserted into the through hole. |
| US08450234B2 |
Method of producing a catalyst used for synthesizing dimethylether from a synthesis gas containing carbon dioxide
The present invention relates to a catalyst used for producing dimethylether, a method of producing the same, and a method of producing dimethylether using the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a catalyst used for producing dimethylether comprising a methanol synthesis catalyst produced by adding one or more promoters to a main catalyst comprised of a Cu—Zn—Al metal component and a dehydration catalyst formed by mixing Aluminum Phosphate (AlPO4) with gamma alumina, a method of producing the same, and a method of producing dimethylether using the same, wherein a ratio of the main catalyst to the promoter in the methanol synthesis catalyst is in a range of 99/1 to 95/5, and a mixing ratio of the methanol synthesis catalyst to the dehydration catalyst is in a range of 60/40 to 70/30. |
| US08450233B2 |
Process for obtaining catalyst composites comprising MeAPO and their use in conversion of organics to olefins
The present invention relates to a mixture comprising 0.01 to 30% by weight of at least one medium or large pore crystalline silicoaluminate, silicoaluminophosphate materials or silicoaluminate mesoporous molecular sieves (co-catalyst) (A) and respectively 99.99 to 70% by weight of at least a MeAPO molecular sieve. The present invention also relates to catalysts consisting of the above mixture or comprising the above mixture. The present invention also relates to a process (hereunder referred as “XTO process”) for making an olefin product from an oxygen-containing, halogenide-containing or sulphur-containing organic feedstock, wherein said oxygen-containing, halogenide-containing or sulphur-containing organic feedstock is contacted with the above catalyst (in the XTO reactor) under conditions effective to convert the oxygen-containing, halogenide-containing or sulphur-containing organic feedstock to olefin products (the XTO reactor effluent). The present invention also relates to a process (hereunder referred as “combined XTO and OCP process”) to make light olefins from an oxygen-containing, halogenide-containing or sulphur-containing organic feedstock comprising: contacting said oxygen-containing, halogenide-containing or sulphur-containing organic feedstock in the XTO reactor with the above catalyst at conditions effective to convert at least a portion of the feedstock to form an XTO reactor effluent comprising light olefins and a heavy hydrocarbon fraction; separating said light olefins from said heavy hydrocarbon fraction; and contacting said heavy hydrocarbon fraction in the OCP reactor at conditions effective to convert at least a portion of said heavy hydrocarbon fraction to light olefins. |
| US08450224B2 |
Pressure-sensitive adhesive composition and pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet
The present invention provides a water-dispersed acrylic PSA composition suitable for forming a PSA sheet. The PSA composition contains 100 parts by weight of an acrylic copolymer with a Tg of −70° C. to −50° C. obtained by polymerization of a monomer starting material containing 60 wt % or more of an alkyl (meth)acrylate with a C8-12 alkyl group and 5 wt % or less of a radical polymerizable monomer with a carboxyl group. When an adhesive sheet is formed therefrom, it exhibits an average SUS adhesive strength of 11 N/20 mm or greater, PP adhesive strength of 8.5 N/20 mm or greater, 80° C. hold time of 1 hour or longer, and gap height of 10 mm or less in a curved surface adhesion test. |
| US08450208B2 |
Semiconductor device manufacturing method
In a semiconductor device manufacturing method according to an exemplary embodiment, a sulfur-containing film containing sulfur is deposited on an n-type semiconductor, a first metal film containing a first metal is deposited on the sulfur-containing film, a heat treatment is performed to form a metal semiconductor compound film by reacting the n-type semiconductor and the sulfur-containing film, and to introduce sulfur to an interface between the n-type semiconductor and the metal semiconductor compound film being formed. |
| US08450204B2 |
Structure and process for metallization in high aspect ratio features
A high aspect ratio metallization structure is provided in which a noble metal-containing material is present at least within a lower portion of a contact opening located in a dielectric material and is in direct contact with a metal semiconductor alloy located on an upper surface of a material stack of at least one semiconductor device. In one embodiment, the noble metal-containing material is plug located within the lower region of the contact opening and an upper region of the contact opening includes a conductive metal-containing material. The conductive metal-containing material is separated from plug of noble metal-containing material by a bottom walled portion of a U-shaped diffusion barrier. In another embodiment, the noble metal-containing material is present throughout the entire contact opening. |
| US08450202B1 |
Nanotube electronics templated self-assembly
A fabricated substrate has at least one plurality of posts. The plurality is fabricated such that the two posts are located at a predetermined distance from one another. The substrate is exposed to a fluid matrix containing functionalized carbon nanotubes. The functionalized carbon nanotubes preferentially adhere to the plurality of posts rather than the remainder of the substrate. A connection between posts of the at least one plurality of posts is induced by adhering one end of the functionalized nanotube to one post and a second end of the functionalized carbon nanotube to a second post. |
| US08450199B2 |
Integrating diverse transistors on the same wafer
Different types of transistors, such as memory cells, higher voltage, and higher performance transistors, may be formed on the same substrate. A transistor may be formed with a first polysilicon layer covered by a dielectric. A second polysilicon layer over the dielectric may be etched to form a sidewall spacer on the gate of the transistor. The sidewall spacer may be used to form sources and drains and to define sub-lithographic lightly doped drains. After removing the spacer, the underlying dielectric may protect the lightly doped drains. |
| US08450191B2 |
Polysilicon films by HDP-CVD
Methods of forming polysilicon layers are described. The methods include forming a high-density plasma from a silicon precursor in a substrate processing region containing the deposition substrate. The described methods produce polycrystalline films at reduced substrate temperature (e.g. <500° C.) relative to prior art techniques. The availability of a bias plasma power adjustment further enables adjustment of conformality of the formed polysilicon layer. When dopants are included in the high density plasma, they may be incorporated into the polysilicon layer in such a way that they do not require a separate activation step. |
| US08450186B2 |
Optical modulator utilizing wafer bonding technology
Optical modulator utilizing wafer bonding technology. An embodiment of a method includes etching a silicon on insulator (SOI) wafer to produce a first part of a silicon waveguide structure on a first surface of the SOI wafer, and preparing a second wafer, the second wafer including a layer of crystalline silicon, the second wafer including a first surface of crystalline silicon. The method further includes bonding the first surface of the second wafer with a thin oxide to the first surface of the SOI wafer using a wafer bonding technique, wherein a second part of the silicon waveguide structure is etched in the layer of crystalline silicon. |
| US08450185B2 |
Semiconductor structures having directly bonded diamond heat sinks and methods for making such structures
A semiconductor structure is bonded directly to a diamond substrate by Van der Waal forces. The diamond substrate is formed by polishing a surface of diamond to a first degree of smoothness; forming a material, such as diamond, BeO, GaN, MgO, or SiO2 or other oxides, over the polished surface to provide an intermediate structure; and re-polishing the material formed on the intermediate structure to a second degree of smoothness smoother than the first degree of smoothness. The diamond is bonded to the semiconductor structure, such as GaN, by providing a structure having bottom surfaces of a semiconductor on an underlying material; forming grooves through the semiconductor and into the underlying material; separating semiconductor along the grooves into a plurality of separate semiconductor structures; removing the separated semiconductor structures from the underlying material; and contacting the bottom surface of at least one of the separated semiconductor structures to the diamond substrate. |
| US08450182B2 |
Method of manufacturing non-volatile semiconductor memory element and method of manufacturing non-volatile semiconductor memory device
A method of manufacturing a non-volatile semiconductor memory element including a variable resistance element and a non-ohmic element. The variable resistance element includes a first electrode, a variable resistance layer, and a shared electrode. The non-ohmic element includes the shared electrode, a semiconductor or insulator layer, and a second electrode. The method includes: forming the first electrode on a substrate; forming the variable resistance layer on the first electrode; forming the shared electrode by nitriding a front surface of the variable resistance layer; forming the semiconductor or insulator layer on the shared electrode; and forming the second electrode. In the forming of the shared electrode, a front surface of a transition metal oxide is nitrided by a plasma nitriding process to form the shared electrode comprising a transition metal nitride. |
| US08450180B2 |
Methods of forming semiconductor trench and forming dual trenches, and structure for isolating devices
Methods of forming a semiconductor trench and forming dual trenches and a structure for isolating devices are provided. The structure for isolating devices is disposed in a substrate having a periphery area and an array area. The structure for isolating devices includes a first isolation structure and a second isolation structure. The first isolation structure has a profile with at least three steps and is disposed in the substrate in the periphery area. The second isolation structure has a profile with at least two steps and is disposed in the substrate in the array area. |
| US08450179B2 |
Semiconductor device having a first bipolar device and a second bipolar device and method for fabrication
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device having a first and second bipolar devices of the same dopant type includes: depositing a dielectric layer over a semiconductor layer, depositing a gate conductor layer over the dielectric layer, defining base regions of both bipolar devices, removing the gate conductor layer and dielectric layer in the base regions, depositing a base layer on the gate conductor layer and on the exposed semiconductor layer in the base regions, depositing an insulating layer over the base layer, forming a photoresist layer and defining emitter regions of both bipolar devices, removing the photoresist layer in the emitter regions thereby forming two emitter windows, masking the emitter window of the first bipolar device and exposing the base layer in the base region of the second bipolar device to an additional emitter implant through the associated emitter window. |
| US08450169B2 |
Replacement metal gate structures providing independent control on work function and gate leakage current
The thickness and composition of a gate dielectric can be selected for different types of field effect transistors through a planar high dielectric constant material portion, which can be provided only for selected types of field effect transistors. Further, the work function of field effect transistors can be tuned independent of selection of the material stack for the gate dielectric. A stack of a barrier metal layer and a first-type work function metal layer is deposited on a gate dielectric layer within recessed gate cavities after removal of disposable gate material portions. After patterning the first-type work function metal layer, a second-type work function metal layer is deposited directly on the barrier metal layer in the regions of the second type field effect transistor. A conductive material fills the gate cavities, and a subsequent planarization process forms dual work function metal gate structures. |
| US08450167B2 |
Method of fabricating semiconductor devices
A method of fabricating semiconductor device includes forming a plurality of gates on a substrate, forming a top layer on a top surface of each gate, forming sidewall spacers on opposite sides of each gate, and forming sacrificial spacers on the sidewall spacers. The method further includes performing a dry etching process on the substrate using the top layer and the sacrificial spacers as a mask to form a recess of a first width in the substrate between two adjacent gates, performing an isotropic wet etching process on the recess to expand the first width to a second width, and performing an orientation selective wet etching process on the recess to shape the rectangular-shaped recess into a Σ-shaped recess. |
| US08450165B2 |
Semiconductor device having tipless epitaxial source/drain regions
A semiconductor device having tipless epitaxial source/drain regions and a method for its formation are described. In an embodiment, the semiconductor device comprises a gate stack on a substrate. The gate stack is comprised of a gate electrode above a gate dielectric layer and is above a channel region in the substrate. The semiconductor device also comprises a pair of source/drain regions in the substrate on either side of the channel region. The pair of source/drain regions is in direct contact with the gate dielectric layer and the lattice constant of the pair of source/drain regions is different than the lattice constant of the channel region. In one embodiment, the semiconductor device is formed by using a dielectric gate stack placeholder. |
| US08450162B2 |
HBT and field effect transistor integration
Methods and systems for fabricating an integrated BiFET using two separate growth procedures are disclosed. Performance of the method fabricates the FET portion of the BiFET in a first fabrication environment. Performance of the method fabricates the HBT portion of the BiFET in a second fabrication environment. By separating the fabrication of the FET portion and the HBT portion in two or more separate reactors, the optimum device performance can be achieved for both devices. |
| US08450159B2 |
Thin film transistor, fabrication method of same, and display device having the same
A thin film transistor, a method of manufacturing the same, and a display device including the same, the thin film transistor including a substrate; a polysilicon semiconductor layer on the substrate; and a metal pattern between the semiconductor layer and the substrate, the metal pattern being insulated from the semiconductor layer, wherein the polysilicon of the semiconductor layer includes a grain boundary parallel to a crystallization growing direction, and a surface roughness of the polysilicon semiconductor layer defined by a distance between a lowest peak and a highest peak in a surface thereof is less than about 15 nm. |
| US08450158B2 |
Method for forming microcrystalline semiconductor film and method for manufacturing semiconductor device
A seed crystal which includes mixed phase grains including an amorphous silicon region and a crystallite which is a microcrystal that can be regarded as a single crystal is formed on an insulating film by a plasma CVD method under a first condition that enables mixed phase grains having high crystallinity and high uniformity of grain sizes to be formed at a low density, and then a microcrystalline semiconductor film is formed to be stacked on the seed crystal by a plasma CVD method under a second condition that enables the mixed phase grains to grow to fill a space between the mixed phase grains. |
| US08450157B2 |
Methods of manufacturing master, pixel array substrate and electro-optical device
A master having a substrate including displaying units and an ESD protection structure including an adjacent first region and a second region is provided. The displaying units have a predetermined-cutting region therebetween. Each displaying unit includes a peripheral circuit region and a display region having pixels. The ESD protection structure disposed on the predetermined-cutting region, located in the peripheral circuit region, and connecting the display region includes a first patterned conductive layer disposed on the first region and having an end away from the predetermined-cutting region, a first patterned dielectric layer disposed on the first patterned conductive layer and the substrate and having a first opening exposing a portion of the first patterned conductive layer, a patterned transparent conductive layer disposed corresponding to the predetermined-cutting region and connecting the first patterned conductive layer, and a second patterned dielectric layer covering the patterned transparent conductive layer and the substrate. |
| US08450156B2 |
Method for producing a thyristor
In a method for producing a thyristor, first and second connection regions are formed on or above a substrate; the first connection region is doped with dopant atoms of a first conductivity type and the second connection region is doped with dopant atoms of a second conductivity type; first and second body regions are formed between the connection regions, wherein the first body region is formed between the first connection region and second body region, and the second body region is formed between the first body region and second connection region; the first body region is doped with dopant atoms of the second conductivity type and the second body region is doped with dopant atoms of the first conductivity type, wherein the dopant atoms are in each case introduced into the respective body region using a Vt implantation method; a gate region is formed on or above the body regions. |
| US08450152B2 |
Double-side exposed semiconductor device and its manufacturing method
A double-side exposed semiconductor device includes an electric conductive first lead frame attached on top of a thermal conductive but electrical nonconductive second lead frame and a semiconductor chip flipped and attached on top of the first lead frame. The gate and source electrodes on top of the flipped chip form electrical connections with gate and source pins of the first lead frame respectively. The flipped chip and center portions of the first and second lead frames are then encapsulated with a molding compound, such that the heat sink formed at the center of the second lead frame and the drain electrode at bottom of the semiconductor chip are exposed on two opposite sides of the semiconductor device. Thus, heat dissipation performance of the semiconductor device is effectively improved without increasing the size of the semiconductor device. |
| US08450150B2 |
Manufacturing method of semiconductor integrated circuit device
While an adhesive layer is provided over the rear surface of a semiconductor chip in die bonding, a lamination processing (main pressure bonding) is necessary for securing the adhesive state of the adhesive layer after the die bonding process (temporary pressure bonding). In this case, typically the hardening of the adhesive is developed by applying heat while pressing down the rear surface of the chip from above with a pressurization member. It has become clear that various problems exist in the lamination processing of the laminate chips by such a mechanical pressurization method as the chip becomes thinner. That is, the problems include chip damage at a part in an overhang state, a chip position shift caused by bending and non-uniform pressurization, and the like.One invention of the present application is to perform the lamination processing by static gas pressure after laminating and temporarily pressure-bonding the plurality of semiconductor chips over a circuit substrate in the die bonding process of a substrate product. |
| US08450148B2 |
Molding compound adhesion for map-molded flip-chip
A semiconductor device whose semiconductor device components have particularly reliable adhesion to a plastic housing composition surrounding them is intended to be produced by a simplest possible method. An adhesion promoting solution is introduced into the interspace between the front side of the flip-chips and the top side of the substrate and the solvent from the adhesion promoting solution is evaporated with formation of an adhesion promoting coating on the front sides of the semiconductor chips and the top side of the substrate. The semiconductor chip and the top side of the substrate are subsequently embedded into a plastic housing composition. |
| US08450146B2 |
Transistor assembly and method for manufacturing the same
A method for manufacturing a transistor assembly includes the steps of: (a) forming a transistor; (b) polishing a base substrate; and (c) securing the transistor of which the base substrate is polished to a support substrate. The step (a) is a step of forming a first semiconductor layer and a second semiconductor layer on a principle surface of the base substrate. The step (b) is a step of polishing a surface of the base substrate opposite to the principle surface. The step (c) is a step of securing the transistor on the support substrate in the presence of a stress applied on the base substrate in such a direction that a warp of the base substrate is reduced. The base substrate is made of a material different from that of the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer, and a tensile stress is applied on the second semiconductor layer. |
| US08450145B2 |
Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device and method for producing the same
A first opening and a second opening are formed at the same time over a first metal wiring and a second metal wiring, respectively which are provided as the same layer on a substrate on which a transistor for selecting a memory cell is formed. Then, a variable resistor and an upper electrode are deposited on a whole surface so as to completely fill the first opening with the upper electrode but not to completely fill the second opening with it. Thereafter, a variable resistive element is formed in the first opening and a via hole to connect to the third metal wiring (bit line), in the second opening, at the same time, by performing back-etching until a surface of the second metal wiring is exposed at a bottom of the second opening. |
| US08450144B2 |
Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same
An object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor device provided with a thin film transistor which includes an oxide semiconductor layer and has high electric characteristics. The semiconductor device includes a gate electrode over an insulating surface, an oxide semiconductor layer including silicon oxide, an insulating layer between the gate electrode and the oxide semiconductor layer, and source and drain regions between the oxide semiconductor layer including silicon oxide and source and drain electrode layers. The source and drain regions are formed using a degenerate oxide semiconductor material or a degenerate oxynitride material. |
| US08450143B2 |
Organic semiconductor compositions with nanoparticles
A method of fabricating a circuit includes chemically bonding a coating to a plurality of nanoparticles. The nanoparticles are dispersed in a medium comprising organic molecules. An organic semiconductor channel is formed that comprises the medium. A plurality of electrodes is formed over the substrate. The electrodes are located to function as two of a gate electrode, a drain electrode, and a source electrode of a field-effect transistor. |
| US08450142B2 |
Organic thin film transistors
An organic thin film transistor comprising: a substrate; a source electrode and a drain electrode defining a channel; a layer of insulating material disposed over the source and drain electrodes; a layer of organic semi-conductive material extending across the channel; a layer of dielectric material; and a gate electrode disposed over the layer of dielectric material. |
| US08450141B2 |
Processes for fabricating all-back-contact heterojunction photovoltaic cells
Processes for fabricating back contacts for photovoltaic cell devices are disclosed. The processes involve depositing a passivation layer on the back surface of a wafer, depositing an emitter layer on the passivation layer, depositing a metal layer on the emitter layer, laser firing selected areas of the metal layer to form base contacts, laser cutting the metal layer to create at least one isolation region between emitter contacts and base contacts, and applying a stream of reactive gas to form a second passivation layer in the isolation region. The process may further involve inkjetting a resist on the passivation layer in a pattern corresponding to a boundary between the one or more emitter contacts and the one or more base contacts, and laser cutting the metal layer over the resist to create the isolation region. |
| US08450139B2 |
Method for manufacturing photoelectric conversion device
A method for manufacturing a photoelectric conversion device including a forming a semiconductor film by a plasma CVD method. The semiconductor film is an amorphous film of SiGe-based compound or a microcrystalline film of SiGe-based compound. The plasma CVD controls bandgap in thickness direction of the semiconductor film by varying the ON or OFF time of electric power applied to generate a plasma and intermittently supplying the power. The ON time and OFF time of the power fall in a range where the duty ratio ON time/(ON time+OFF time)×100(%) is 10% or more and 50% or less. |
| US08450137B2 |
Method for reducing tilt of transparent window during manufacturing of image sensor
The present invention discloses a method for reducing the tilt of a transparent window during manufacturing of an image sensor. The method includes the following steps: providing a semimanufacture of the image sensor; carrying out a preheating process; carrying out an adhesive spreading process; carrying out a transparent window closing process; and carrying out a packaging process. By carrying out the preheating process, the environmental conditions can be stabilized during the adhesive spreading process and the transparent window closing process such that the transparent window can be kept highly flat after combining. By the implementation of the present invention, the chance of tilt and crack of the transparent window during manufacturing of the image sensor can be reduced, thereby achieving the goal for a better yield rate. |
| US08450134B2 |
Trench process and structure for backside contact solar cells with polysilicon doped regions
A solar cell includes polysilicon P-type and N-type doped regions on a backside of a substrate, such as a silicon wafer. An interrupted trench structure separates the P-type doped region from the N-type doped region in some locations but allows the P-type doped region and the N-type doped region to touch in other locations. Each of the P-type and N-type doped regions may be formed over a thin dielectric layer. Among other advantages, the resulting solar cell structure allows for increased efficiency while having a relatively low reverse breakdown voltage. |
| US08450125B2 |
Methods of evaluating epitaxial growth and methods of forming an epitaxial layer
A method of evaluating an epitaxial growing process includes forming a mold layer on each of a plurality of substrates, forming a photoresist pattern on each mold layer, the photoresist pattern having opening portions, a total area of a bottom portion of the opening portions being different for each substrate, patterning each mold layer to expose a surface portion of the substrate to form an evaluation pattern on each substrate, evaluation patterns including opening portions corresponding to the opening portion in the photoresist pattern, determining substrate opening ratios for each substrate based on the opening portions in the evaluation pattern thereon, the substrate opening ratios being different for each substrate, performing a selective epitaxial process on each substrate to form an epitaxial layer, and evaluating characteristics of the epitaxial layer for each substrate to determine an optimal substrate opening ratio. |
| US08450122B2 |
Test structures and methods
Test structures and methods for semiconductor devices, lithography systems, and lithography processes are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes using a lithography system to expose a layer of photosensitive material of a workpiece to energy through a lithography mask, the lithography mask including a plurality of first test patterns having a first phase shift and at least one plurality of second test patterns having at least one second phase shift. The layer of photosensitive material of the workpiece is developed, and features formed on the layer of photosensitive material from the plurality of first test patterns and the at least one plurality of second test patterns are measured to determine a optimal focus level or optimal dose of the lithography system for exposing the layer of photosensitive material of the workpiece. |
| US08450120B2 |
SEM repair for sub-optimal features
A method and system for repairing photomasks is disclosed. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) is used to identify, measure, and correct defects. The SEM is operated in multiple modes, including a measuring mode and a repair mode. The repair mode is of higher landing energy and exposure time than the measuring mode, and induces shrinkage in the photoresist to correct various features, such as vias that are too small. |
| US08450119B2 |
Magnetic tunnel junction patterning using Ta/TaN as hard mask
An MTJ MRAM cell is formed by using a reactive ion etch (RIE) to pattern an MTJ stack on which there has been formed a bilayer Ta/TaN hard mask. The hard mask is formed by patterning a masking layer that has been formed by depositing a layer of TaN over a layer of Ta on the MTJ stack. After the stack is patterned, the TaN layer serves at least two advantageous purposes: 1) it protects the Ta layer from oxidation during the etching of the stack and 2) it serves as a surface having excellent adhesion properties for a subsequently deposited dielectric layer. |
| US08450117B2 |
Method to detect beryllium by fluorescence
A method of determining beryllium or a beryllium compound thereof in a sample is disclosed by measuring fluorescence. This method discloses improved sample preparation methods, particularly for refractory beryllium materials. The method also discloses methods to improve the detection limit of beryllium including use of optical filters with specific characteristics for selecting the emission wavelengths of the fluorescence signal. |
| US08450116B2 |
Method of applying a biological specimen to an analytic plate
A method applying a biological specimen to an analytic plate by using an applicator device to apply a coating to the analytic plate and adhering the biological sample to the plate. The coating is substantially transparent, translucent or invisible, and is substantially flush with the surface of the analytic plate. The coating is preferably comprised of a polysiloxane, siloxane, silicone, a silane, a silicon fluid, or a combination thereof and optionally an acid. |
| US08450111B2 |
Lipid extraction from microalgae using a single ionic liquid
A one-step process for the lysis of microalgae cell walls and separation of the cellular lipids for use in biofuel production by utilizing a hydrophilic ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium. The hydrophilic ionic liquid both lyses the microalgae cell walls and forms two immiscible layers, one of which consists of the lipid contents of the lysed cells. After mixture of the hydrophilic ionic liquid with a suspension of microalgae cells, gravity causes a hydrophobic lipid phase to move to a top phase where it is removed from the mixture and purified. The hydrophilic ionic liquid is recycled to lyse new microalgae suspensions. |
| US08450105B2 |
Mechanically reversible gel
A process for making a gel comprising combining a silanol species comprising at least two silanol groups per molecule and a hydrophilic hydroxyl species comprising at least two hydroxyl groups per molecule. The gel is capable of being converted to a liquid by application of a mechanical shear force and the liquid is capable of being converted to the gel in the absence of the mechanical shear force. |
| US08450104B2 |
Method of optical detection of binding of a material component to a sensor substance due to a biological, chemical or physical interaction and apparatus for its embodiment (variants)
Apparatus for detecting biological or chemical components in liquid or gas is based on measuring changes of the sensor layer thickness due to binding reactions. A plate or a gap with two surfaces of a solid optical material is used as the sensor layer. The surfaces are located at a distance of more than 10 μm, which allows pumping liquids through the gap at moderate pressure drops and investigating large biological objects (e.g., cells), or employment of affordable plates that are rigid enough without any substrate. The indicated thickness of the plate or the gap permits using of the superluminescent diodes as light sources, because it allows recording within their narrow spectrum a sufficient number of interference maxima and minima for precise registration of molecular binding reactions, which lead to much higher sensitivity of the apparatus as compared with apparatus based on thin-film sensor layers. |
| US08450102B2 |
Device and method for stabilising the flow through a chamber
A device 1 with at least one electrode 8 for generating an electrical field in a chamber 7 is disclosed. The device 1 comprises at least one input channel 6 for introducing a fluid into the chamber 7, and at least one output channel 11 for discharging the fluid from the chamber 7. Also disclosed is a method for stabilizing the flow of a fluid through a chamber 7 in which an electrical field is generated and which has at least one input channel 6 for introducing the fluid into the chamber and at least one output channel 11 for discharging the fluid from the chamber 8. To avoid undesirable backflow of the fluid due to gas formation, the average inside diameter of the input channel 6 of device 1 is smaller than the average inside diameter of the output channel 11. |
| US08450099B2 |
Process for producing thioredoxin by stressing yeast cells
An object of the present invention is to provide a process for conveniently and efficiently producing high purity thioredoxin from yeast.In the production of thioredoxin using yeast, thioredoxin is produced through the following steps (i) to (iii): (1) culturing the yeast; (2) stressing the yeast obtained in step (1) to cause a release of thioredoxin from a cell of the yeast; and (3) collecting the thioredoxin released from the yeast cell. |
| US08450098B2 |
Method for introducing nucleic acids into fungal cells
The method disclosed herein, relates generally to introducing molecules such as biomolecules (e.g., nucleic acids) into a filamentous fungus. More specifically, the methods disclosed herein relate to introducing one or more nucleic acids into a filamentous fungus. |
| US08450096B2 |
Polypeptides having phytase activity and polynucleotides encoding same
The invention relates to Citrobacter phytases derived from Citrobacter amalonaticus, Citrobacter gillenii, and related phytases. The phytases belong to the acid histidine phosphatase family, are acid-stable, and expectedly of a high specific activity. The invention also relates to the corresponding DNA, the recombinant and wild-type production of the phytases, as well as the use thereof, in particular in animal feed. |
| US08450095B2 |
Systems and methods for effecting a physical change in a biological sample
The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for processing a biological sample that result in a physical change, such as reacting two molecules together to form a reaction product or for use in lysing viruses or biological cells for analysis using biological assay systems. As such, the present invention relates both to breaking apart biological species such as viruses and cells, as well as the formation of reactants from one or more reactive species. The sample has a volume in the range from about 1 microliter to 10 milliliters. The sample is processed by applying pressure, and either sonic energy or thermal energy to the sample, wherein the pressure achieved is usually at least 24 atmospheres, and the temperature of the sample is usually raised to at least 50° C. |
| US08450092B1 |
Process for harvesting and processing sugar-producing crops
Present-day harvest methods for sweet sorghum are labor intensive, and/or require that large quantities of matter be removed to a central location for processing. A field harvesting process for harvesting and further processing sweet sorghum includes cutting the crop and reducing it to its separated juice and solids in the field. Separation is carried out using a roller press that is water-washed with water removed from the juices in a nanofiltration process. The juice is stored and fermented on the farm, followed by distillation by a mobile distillation process to separate the valuable alcohol from the stillage. |
| US08450089B2 |
Compounds as L-cystine crystallization inhibitors and uses thereof
A method of preventing or inhibiting L-cystine crystallization using the compounds of formula I is disclosed. R1a—O-(-A-L-)m-A-O—R1b I, wherein A, L, R1a, R1b, and m are as described herein. The compounds may be prepared as pharmaceutical compositions, and may be used for the prevention and treatment of conditions that are causally related to L-cystine crystallization, such as comprising (but not limited to) kidney stones. |
| US08450088B2 |
Process for producing CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid
A method by which high-purity CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid (HPLC purity, 95% or higher), which has been difficult to obtain with any technique other than chromatography, can be easily obtained in satisfactory yield by a simple operation without the need of chromatography. The process, which is for producing high-purity CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid (CMP-NeuAc), is characterized by conducting a suitable combination of the following steps (1) to (4). Step 1: a step in which divalent cations are added to a solution containing CMP-NeuAc to thereby precipitate the phosphoric acid, pyrophosphoric acid, and nucleotide which coexist; Step 2: a step in which a phosphatase is added to a solution containing CMP-NeuAc to thereby convert the coexistent nucleotide into nucleoside; Step 3: a step in which an organic solvent is added to precipitate the CMP-NeuAc; and Step 4: a step in which the CMP-NeuAc precipitated is recovered. |
| US08450087B2 |
Use of triplex structure DNA in transferring nucleotide sequences
The invention concerns a recombinant vector characterized in that it comprises a polynucleotide comprising a central initiation cis-active region (cPPT) and a termination cis-active region (CTS), the regions being of retroviral or retroviral-like origin, and the vector further comprising a predetermined nucleotide sequence (transgene or nucleotide sequence of interest) and retrotranscription regulating, expressing, and packaging signals of retroviral or retroviral-like origin. |
| US08450086B2 |
Bacterial membrane protein secretion
Improved bacterial secretion signals derived from pelB and ompA are provided. The improved variants enhance bacterial membrane secretion are thus useful for production of proteins secreted from bacteria including proteins displayed on filamentous phage particles, and, in particular, proteins requiring oxidative formation of covalent bonds, such as disulfide bonds within or between polypeptide chains in order to form a correctly folded and functional protein structure. Described herein are methods for the multivalent display of complex dimeric proteins on the surface of a bacteriophage particle and combinatorial synthetic libraries of such proteins displayed as a fusion polypeptide with filamentous phage pIX coat protein. Heterodimeric or more complex interchain bonded structures may also be displayed using the method of the invention. |
| US08450080B2 |
Methods of monitoring metabolic pathways
The present invention provides methods and compositions for monitoring cofactors and metabolites of a metabolic pathway of interest. The subject compositions and methods are particularly suited for monitoring the mevalonate pathway in a variety of cells. The invention also provides fermentation methods for the production of isoprenoids. |
| US08450078B2 |
Portable coagulation monitoring device and method of assessing coagulation response
A device, system and method is disclosed in which small volume blood samples are subjected to shear forces and shear stresses between two parallel planar surfaces to which linear motion trajectories are imparted. The formation of clots or coagulation of the sample is measured from dynamic mechanical coupling which occurs between the two parallel planar surfaces. Detection of the coagulation response can be achieved through optical probing or by measurement of physical effects of the blood sample binding to the planar surfaces, and restricting movement thereof. |
| US08450076B2 |
Monitoring and inhibiting human immunodeficiency virus infection by modulating HMGB1 dependent triggering of HIV-1 replication and persistence
Compositions and methods for modulating human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection involving substances that inhibit the ability of high mobility box 1 (HMGB1) protein to interact with natural killer (NK) cells. Therapeutic compositions comprising antibodies and drugs, such as glycyrrhizin, which bind to HMGB1. Methods of detecting or monitoring HIV infection involving detection or quantitation of HMGB1 or antibodies specific for HMGB1 in a biological sample. |
| US08450075B2 |
Protein, an antibody and measurement of the protein
Methods for determining the occurrence or level of a mammalian protein in a sample and methods for determining the capability of a compound to transform or to inhibit the transformation of a selected mammalian protein in pro-phospholipase B form to an enzyme active phospholipase B form employ a pro-phospholipase B (PLB-II) mammalian protein which comprises at least one SU2 subunit comprising SEQ ID NO: 3 and having a molecular weight within the range of 30-60 kDa. Methods for determining the capability of a compound to enhance or inhibit the enzymatic activity of a selected protein having phospholipase B enzyme activity employ a protein comprising an activated form of such a pro-phospholipase B (PLB-II) mammalian protein. |
| US08450074B2 |
Multi-stage nutrigenomic diagnostic food sensitivity testing in animals
A multi-stage method for diagnosing an immunologic food sensitivity or intolerance in a companion animal. Firstly a saliva or blood spot or other non-serum bodily fluid sample is collected. The screening the saliva or blood spot or other non-serum bodily fluid sample detects the presence of at least one of IgA or IgM antibody to a particular food ingredient or composition. An immunologic food sensitivity or intolerance based on the presence of the antibody is diagnosed. Secondly a blood sample is collected and serum from the sample is screened to detect the semi-quantitative or quantitative presence of at least one of an IgA, IgM or IgG antibody or immune complex to a particular food ingredient or composition. An immunologic food sensitivity or intolerance based on the presence of the antibody or immune complex is diagnosed. Thirdly, a biologically active nutrient in relation to the animal from a molecular dietary signature is determined. The molecular dietary signature for the animal is a variation of expression of a set of genes, proteins or metabolites which may differ for the genotype of each animal. |
| US08450069B2 |
Highly sensitive biomarker panels
Cardiovascular disease, e.g., congestive heart failure, is often first diagnosed after the onset of clinical symptoms, eliminating potential for early intervention. The invention provides a multi-marker immunoassay, including cardiac pathology and vascular inflammation biomarkers, yielding a more sensitive assay for early detection of CHF in plasma. A panel consisting of cardiac pathology (cTnI, BNP) and vascular inflammation (IL-6, TNFα, IL-17a) biomarkers provided a sensitivity of 94% for association with CHF. |
| US08450066B2 |
Methods for identifying the activity of gene products
The invention comprises compositions and methods for determining the function of proteins. It advantageously uses cotransfection of a reporter gene to remove transfection efficiency as a factor affecting the success of cell based assays. This method links the activity of the gene product of interest to the expression of the reporter gene. In addition, it also allows for the development of assays that allow for rapid screening for protein function in cells and whole animals by using cloned genes in a high throughput assay format which is simple, fast and inexpensive. |
| US08450062B2 |
SOCS-3 promoter methylation in cancer
This invention provides compositions and methods for the diagnosis and treatment of cancers that exhibit decreased SOCS-3 expression. |
| US08450061B2 |
Quantification of a minority nucleic acid species
The technology relates in part to quantification of a minority nucleic acid species from a nucleic acid sample. In some embodiments, methods for determining the amount of fetal nucleic acid (e.g. absolute amount, relative amount) in a maternal sample are provided. |
| US08450058B2 |
Method of detecting target substance
Provided are a method of detecting a target substance, by which the detection sensitivity in the PALSAR method can be improved and multiple genes can be simultaneously detected, and a kit for detection. The method is a method of detecting a target substance by forming a signal probe polymer with the use of multiple dimer probes or dimer-forming probes and an assist probe, in which each dimer probe is made up of two kinds of dimer-forming probes including a 5′-side region, a central region and a 3′-side region (the central regions of the two kinds of dimer-forming probes are complementary to each other and the 3′-side regions and the 5′-side regions thereof are not complementary to each other), the multiple dimer probes are constituted such that a dimer probe polymer is formed via a self-assembly reaction, and the assist probe is designed so as to have a structure having a region complementary to the 5′-side region of one dimer-forming probe in one dimer probe, a region complementary to the 3′-side region of the other dimer-forming probe, and a target region capable of binding to the target substance. |
| US08450055B2 |
Malaria antigen screening method
The invention provides a method of identifying an antigen from a pathogen or a disease antigen comprising the use of an adenoviral vector array comprising two or more different adenoviral vectors, wherein each adenoviral vector comprises a nucleic acid sequence encoding a different antigen of a pathogen. The adenoviral vectors are administered to antigen presenting cells (APCs) in vitro or to an animal in vivo. The immunogenicity of the antigen is measured by screening for an immune response from effector T lymphocytes in vitro and by screening for the absence of pathogen-induced disease onset in vivo. |
| US08450052B2 |
Double patterning strategy for contact hole and trench in photolithography
A method of lithography patterning includes forming a first resist pattern on a substrate, the first resist pattern including a plurality of openings therein on the substrate; forming a second resist pattern on the substrate and within the plurality of openings of the first resist pattern, the second resist pattern including at least one opening therein on the substrate; and removing the first resist pattern to uncover the substrate underlying the first resist pattern. |
| US08450049B2 |
Process for forming an anti-oxidant metal layer on an electronic device
A process for forming an anti-oxidant metal layer on an electronic device comprises the steps of providing a substrate; forming a conductive metal layer on the substrate; forming a first photoresist layer on the conductive metal layer; patterning the first photoresist layer to form apertures and first grooves; forming a connecting member having a top surface and a lateral surface in the aperture and the first groove; removing the first photoresist layer to reveal the top surface and the lateral surface; forming a second photoresist layer on the conductive metal layer; patterning the second photoresist layer to form apertures and second grooves; forming an anti-oxidant metal layer in aperture and second groove, the anti-oxidant metal layer covers the top surface and the lateral surface of the connecting member; and removing the second photoresist layer to reveal the anti-oxidant metal layer and the conductive metal layer. |
| US08450048B2 |
Method for forming resist underlayer film, patterning process using the same, and composition for the resist underlayer film
There is disclosed a method for forming a resist underlayer film of a multilayer resist film having at least three layers used in a lithography, comprising at least; a step of coating a composition for resist underlayer film containing a novolak resin represented by the following general formula (1) obtained by treating a compound having a bisnaphthol group on a substrate; and a step of curing the coated composition for the resist underlayer film by a heat treatment at a temperature above 300° C. and 600° C. or lower for 10 to 600 seconds. There can be provided a method for forming a resist underlayer film, and a patterning process using the method to form a resist underlayer film in a multilayer resist film having at least three layers used in a lithography, gives a resist underlayer film having a lowered reflectance, a high etching resistance, and a high heat and solvent resistances, especially without wiggling during substrate etching. |
| US08450047B2 |
Method of controlling the states and vortex chirality in hexagonal ring structures comprising nanoscale magnetic elements
A method is provided for achieving specific magnetic states with a given vortex chirality in artificial kagome spin ice building block structures containing one or more hexagonal rings of ferromagnetic islands created with electron beam lithography, where a subgroup of the ferromagnetic islands have a smaller width and therefore higher switching field than the other normal (wider) islands and are placed at specific positions in each of the rings. The positioning of the islands determines the magnetic state of the building block structure during magnetization reversal, and determines the chirality of the magnetic vortices that occur in each ring. |
| US08450046B2 |
Methods for enhancing photolithography patterning
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device that includes: providing a substrate prepared with a photoresist layer; providing a photomask comprising a first and a second pattern having a respective first and second pitch range; providing a composite aperture comprising a first and a second off-axis illumination aperture pattern, the first off-axis aperture pattern having a configuration that improves the process window of the first pitch range and the second off-axis aperture pattern having a configuration that improves the process window for a second pitch range; exposing the photoresist layer on the substrate with radiation from an exposure source through the composite aperture and the photomask; and developing the photoresist layer to pattern the photoresist layer. |
| US08450045B2 |
Pattern forming method
A pattern forming method includes providing and curing a under-layer film containing a radiation-sensitive acid generator which generates an acid upon exposure to radiation on a substrate. The under-layer film is irradiated with radiation through a mask to cause an acid to be selectively generated in an exposed area of the under-layer film. An upper-layer film which does not contain a radiation-sensitive acid generator and which contains a composition capable of polymerizing or crosslinking by an action of an acid is provided. A cured film is provided by polymerization or crosslinking selectively in an area of the upper-layer film corresponding to the exposed area of the under-layer film in which the acid has been generated. An area of the upper-layer film corresponding to an area of the under-layer film in which the acid has not been generated is removed. |
| US08450044B2 |
Positive resist composition and method of forming resist pattern
A positive resist composition including a resin component (A) which exhibits increased solubility in an alkali developing solution under the action of acid and an acid-generator component (B), the resin component (A) including a polymeric compound (A1) having a structural unit (a1) containing an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group, a structural unit (a5) containing a base dissociable group an a structural unit (a6) represented by general formula (a6-1) (R represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms or a halogenated alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms; each of R2 and R3 independently represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group that may contain an oxygen atom at an arbitrary position, or R2 and R3 are bonded together to form an alkylene group; and W represents a cyclic alkylene group that may include an oxygen atom at an arbitrary position). |
| US08450042B2 |
Positive resist composition and patterning process
A positive resist composition comprising as a base resin a polymer having carboxyl groups whose hydrogen is substituted by an acid labile group of fluorene structure exhibits a high contrast of alkaline dissolution rate before and after exposure, a high resolution, a good pattern profile and minimal LER after exposure, a significant effect of suppressing acid diffusion rate, and improved etching resistance. |
| US08450041B2 |
Actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition and pattern forming method using the same
An actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition includes (A) a compound capable of generating a specific acid having a norbornyl structure upon irradiation with an actinic ray or radiation, and (B) a resin capable of increasing the dissolution rate of the resin (B) in an alkali developer by an action of an acid, the resin (B) containing a specific repeating unit having a lactone structure on the resin side chain through a linking group, and a pattern forming method uses the composition. |
| US08450036B2 |
Electrophotographic photoreceptor, image forming apparatus, and process cartridge
An electrophotographic photoreceptor containing fluororesin particles in which the cross-section obtained by cutting a surface layer along the thickness direction satisfies the following (1) and (2): 0≦A1≦0.5×A2 (1): 0.7×A3≦A2≦1.2×A3 (2): wherein A1 represents the proportion (%) of the area of the fluororesin particles occupying a region designated as a first region; A2 represents the proportion (%) of the area of the fluororesin particles occupying a region designated as a second region; and A3 represents the proportion (%) of the area of the fluororesin particles occupying the entire cross-section with respect to the entire area of the cross-section. |
| US08450033B2 |
Latent electrostatic image bearing member, and image forming apparatus, image forming method and process cartridge using the same
To provide a latent electrostatic image bearing member including: an outermost surface layer that comprises a compound represented by the following General Formula (1) and a crosslinked resin formed by crosslinking between an isocyanate compound and a reactive charge transporting substance having at least two hydroxyl groups. where R1 and R2 may be identical or different and each represent a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group; and R3 represents one of alkyl and aryl groups which have at least one hydroxyl group. |
| US08450032B2 |
Electrophotographic photoreceptor, electrophotographic photoreceptor cartridge, and image-forming apparatus
The invention provides an electrophotographic photoreceptor for use in an image-forming apparatus comprising a charging unit which charges an electrophotographic photoreceptor, an exposure unit which exposes the charged electrophotographic photoreceptor to light to form an electrostatic latent image on the electrophotographic photoreceptor, and a developing unit which develops the electrostatic latent image, wherein the electrophotographic photoreceptor comprises a conductive substrate and a photosensitive layer and the photosensitive layer contains a compound represented by the following formula (1). |
| US08450028B2 |
Holographic storage method
A method of recording a volume holographic image is described in which a holographic recording medium containing a photoreactive dye is exposed to a plurality of coherent light sources emitting at a wavelength to which the dye is sensitive, thereby forming an interference fringe pattern therein. The photoreaction occurring in the areas of constructive interference generates a periodic array of photoreacted areas of the dye and unreacted areas of the dye. This generated interference fringe pattern may contain, but does not have to contain any image or other encoded information. Selected areas of the interference fringe pattern are then exposed to actinic radiation in such a manner to partially or fully bleach, remove, or deactivate the photoreactive dye fringe pattern, thereby producing a holographic pattern, shape, or image formed by areas of the interference fringe pattern that were not bleached, removed, or deactivated. |
| US08450026B2 |
Solid electrolyte fuel cell comprising an electrocatalyst/electrolyte assembly supported by a nano-structured material
A membrane electrode assembly for a solid electrolyte fuel cell comprises: an electrode having a layer of nano-structured material on one of its faces, an electrocatalyst deposited on the nano-structured material and an electrolyte deposited on the electrocatalyst/nano-structured material. The nano-structured material can comprise carbon, silicon, graphite, boron, titanium and be in the form of multi-walled nano-tubes (MWNTs), single-walled nano-tubes (SWNTs), nano-fibers, nano-rods or a combination thereof. The nano-structured material can be grown or deposited on one face of an electrode of the cell or on a substrate such as a flexible sheet material of carbon fibers using chemical vapor deposition. The electrocatalyst and electrolyte can be incorporated in the nano structured material using physical vapor deposition (PVD), ion beam sputtering or molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). |
| US08450025B2 |
Assisted stack anode purge at start-up of fuel cell system
A fuel cell system that enables an assisted anode purge upon start-up is provided. The fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack having a plurality of fuel cells with anodes and cathodes. The fuel cell stack has an anode supply manifold and an anode exhaust manifold in fluid communication with the anodes. The fuel cell system further includes a suction device in fluid communication with at least one of the anode supply manifold and the anode exhaust manifold. The suction device adapted to selectively draw a partial vacuum on the fuel cell stack during a start-up of the fuel cell system. Methods for starting the fuel cell system are also provided. |
| US08450024B2 |
Fuel cell having a separator with a folded back part
A fuel cell comprises a membrane electrode assembly including an electrolyte membrane and electrode layers arranged on each surface of the electrolyte membrane respectively, and first and second separators that are formed by processing a metal plate and are arranged so as to sandwich the membrane electrode assembly. At a position outside a position facing the membrane electrode assembly, the separators have an opening that constitutes a reaction gas flow path that is roughly perpendicular to a surface direction of the membrane electrode assembly. The first separator has a folded back part that is formed by folding back at least part of the metal plate of the position at which the opening is formed toward the membrane electrode assembly side along a boundary line on the membrane electrode assembly side of the opening as a fold line. The folded back part has a communication hole that allows communication between an internal flow path space and the reaction gas flow path, the internal flow path space being a space communicated with an end surface of the membrane electrode assembly and being formed between the folded back part and the first separator. The second separator does not have the folded back part. |
| US08450018B2 |
Method to automatically enable/disable stack reconditioning procedure based on fuel cell stack parameter estimation
A system and method for determining when to trigger reconditioning of a fuel cell stack and when to disable the reconditioning of the fuel cell stack. In one embodiment, the stack reconditioning is triggered when a maximum stack power estimation falls below a first predetermined power threshold. The reconditioning of the stack can be disabled so it is not performed when the trigger occurs if the reconditioning process does not raise the maximum power estimation above a second predetermined power threshold or the time from one reconditioning trigger to a next reconditioning trigger is less than a predetermined time threshold, or both. |
| US08450015B2 |
Fuel cell bioreactor
The present invention discloses a fuel cell bioreactor, based on the microbial regeneration of the oxidant, ferric ions and on the cathodic reduction of ferric to ferrous ions, coupled with the microbial regeneration of ferric ions by the oxidation of ferrous ions, with fuel (such as hydrogen) oxidation on the anode. The microbial regeneration of ferric ions is achieved by iron-oxidizing microorganisms such as Leptospirillum. Electrical generation is coupled with the consumption of carbon dioxide from atmosphere and its transformation into microbial cells, which can be used as a single-cell protein. |
| US08450010B2 |
Sealing assembly of battery, method of fabricating the same, and lithium battery
A sealing assembly of a battery, a method for fabricating the sealing assembly and a lithium ion battery are provided. The sealing assembly may comprise: a ceramic ring having a receiving hole; a metal ring fitted over the ceramic ring; and a core column formed in the receiving hole, which comprises a metal-ceramic composite. |
| US08450008B2 |
Secondary battery
A secondary battery including an electrode assembly, the electrode assembly including a separator between a positive electrode and a negative electrode; current collectors, the current collectors being electrically connected to the positive electrode and the negative electrode, respectively; a case, the case accommodating the electrode assembly and the current collectors; a cap plate, the cap plate coupled to an opening in the case; and an insulating film, the insulating film insulating the electrode assembly and the electrode collectors from the case, wherein the insulating film includes a protuberance pattern on at least one surface thereof to compensate for vibration of the electrode assembly current collectors with respect to the case. |
| US08450007B2 |
Stacked secondary battery
A stacked secondary battery includes battery element including a multilayer structure formed by laying alternately flat plate-shaped positive electrodes and flat plate-shaped negative electrodes by way of separators, the number of the positive electrodes being larger by one than that of the negative electrodes or vice versa, and connecting positive electrode draw-out terminals of the positive electrodes to each other and also negative electrode draw-out terminals of the negative electrodes to each other, plate-shaped metal members respectively arranged on and held in contact with the opposite end surfaces of the multilayer structure as viewed in the stacking direction, binding members binding the plate-shaped metal members so as to pinch and hold the multilayer structure from the end surfaces thereof and a film casing containing the battery element pinched by and held between the plate-shaped metal members in a sealed condition. |
| US08450004B2 |
Intrinsically-safe battery power supply for underground mining
An intrinsically-safe battery power supply for electrical equipment in underground mining and in other areas exposed to the danger of explosion is disclosed. The power supply includes at least one chargeable storage battery cell disposed in a battery housing. At least one storage battery cell comprises a chargeable lithium storage battery cell and the battery housing is configured to be pressure-resistant and to receive all lithium storage battery cells in a manner so as to be protected from explosion. The pressure-resistant configuration of the battery housing enables the use of lithium storage battery cells in underground mining. Once the battery power supply fulfills all requirements of ignition protection certification, even modern types of lithium storage battery cell can be disposed in the battery housing. |
| US08450001B2 |
Flow batter with radial electrolyte distribution
An electrochemical flow cell includes a permeable electrode, an impermeable electrode located adjacent to and spaced apart from the permeable electrode and a reaction zone electrolyte flow channel located between a first side of the permeable electrode and a first side of the impermeable electrode. The electrochemical flow cell also includes at least one electrolyte flow channel located adjacent to a second side of the permeable electrode, at least one central electrolyte flow conduit extending through a central portion of the permeable electrode and through a central portion of the impermeable electrode and at least one peripheral electrolyte flow inlet/outlet located in a peripheral portion of the electrochemical cell above or below the permeable electrode. |
| US08449999B2 |
Safety battery cell with safety exhaust part corresponding to the electrode lead
Disclosed herein is a battery cell constructed in a structure in which an electrode assembly is mounted in a battery case made of a laminate sheet including a metal layer and a resin layer, and the battery case is thermally welded along the edge of a receiving part thereof to form a sealing part, wherein a weak part is formed at a portion of the sealing part (‘an electrode lea correspondence portion’) corresponding to one of electrode leads (a, b) connected to the electrode assembly, e.g., the electrode lead (a) having relatively low flexibility, the weak part being physically deformed, such that internal gas is discharged outside through the weak part, when predetermined pressure is applied to the weak part, and the weak part is not formed at an electrode lead correspondence portion of the other electrode lead (b). |
| US08449998B2 |
Battery system and method for increasing an operational life of a battery cell
A battery system and a method for increasing an operational life of a battery cell are provided. The battery system includes a voltage sensor that generates a first signal indicative of a voltage level output by the battery cell, and a current sensor that generates a second signal indicative of a level of electrical current flowing through the battery cell. The battery system further includes a microprocessor that calculates a resistance level of the battery cell based on the first and second signals, and generates a control signal to induce a fluid supply system to increase a pressure level of the coolant fluid being supplied to the heat exchanger to a first pressure level, based on the resistance level. |
| US08449992B2 |
Surface-coated member and cutting tool
Disclosed is a surface coated member having excellent adhesion resistance and fracture resistance. A surface coated member (1) comprises a coating layer (3) on the surface of a base (2). The coating layer (3) is composed of a multilayer body wherein a titanium carbonitride (TiCN) layer (4), a continuously existing intermediate layer (5) containing titanium, aluminum, carbon and oxygen and having an average film thickness of 5-30 nm, and an α-aluminum oxide (Al2O3) layer (9) composed of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) having an α crystal structure are sequentially formed by deposition. |
| US08449991B2 |
Use of SN and pore size control to improve biocompatibility in polycrystalline diamond compacts
Polycrystalline diamond compacts for use in artificial joints achieve reduced corrosion and improved biocompatibility through the use of solvent metal formulations containing tin and through the control of solvent metal pore size, particularly in inner layers of the compact. Solvent metal formulations containing tin have been discovered which provide sintering ability, part strength, and grind resistance comparable to levels achieved by using CoCrMo solvent metals. It has been discovered that limiting the solvent metal pore size in the diamond layers minimizes or eliminates the occurrence of micro cracks in the solvent metal and significantly reduces the corrosion of the compact as manifested by the release of heavy metal ions from the compact. Polycrystalline diamond compacts which utilize both the solvent metal formulations containing tin and the control of pore sizes achieve significantly reduced corrosion and improved biocompatibility compared to prior art polycrystalline diamond compacts. |
| US08449990B2 |
Electroluminescent efficiency
An organic light emitting device is provided. The device has an anode, a cathode, and an emissive layer disposed between the anode and the cathode. The emissive layer further includes a molecule of Formula I (shown below) wherein an alkyl substituent at position R′5 results in high efficiency and operational stability in the organic light emitting device. |
| US08449988B2 |
High-strength cold-rolled steel sheet excellent in bending workability
A cold-rolled steel sheet has a chemical composition of C: 0.12% to 0.3%, Si: 0.5% or less, Mn: less than 1.5%, Al: 0.15% or less, N: 0.01% or less, P: 0.02% or less, and S: 0.01% or less, with the remainder including iron and inevitable impurities and has a martensite single-phase structure as its steel microstructure. In a surface region of the steel sheet from the surface to a depth one-tenth the gauge, the number density of n-ary groups of inclusions determined by specific n-th determinations is 120 or less per 100 cm2 of a rolling plane, where the distance in steel sheet rolling direction between outermost surfaces of two outermost particles of the group of inclusions is 100 μm or more. The steel sheet is a high-strength cold-rolled steel sheet which has a sufficiently minimized rate of bending fracture starting from inclusions and thereby has excellent bending workability. |
| US08449983B2 |
Interlayer film for laminated glass, laminated glass, and method of producing interlayer film for laminated glass
It is an object of the present invention to provide an interlayer film for laminated glass containing gallium-doped zinc oxide fine particles as heat shielding fine particles and exhibiting a high transparency and an excellent heat shielding performance. The present invention is an interlayer film for laminated glass, which comprises gallium-doped zinc oxide fine particles, a plasticizer, a dispersant, and a thermoplastic resin, wherein the gallium-doped zinc oxide fine particles have a hexagonal crystalline structure and a c-axis crystal lattice constant of 0.5207 nm or more, and a visible light transmittance TV of 70% or more and an infrared transmittance TIR of less than 75% are obtained from measurement by the method according to JIS R 3106 performed on laminated glass obtained by interposing the interlayer film for laminated glass between a pair of 2.5 mm-thick clear glass sheets. |
| US08449982B2 |
Gas barrier film
The present invention relates to a gas barrier film where a polyurethane resin layer and an inorganic layer are disposed in this order from a polyester resin film side on at least one surface of a polyester resin film, wherein the polyurethane resin constituting said polyurethane resin layer is a resin containing a skeleton represented by the following formula (1) and/or the following formula (2). The present invention provides a gas barrier film having excellent oxygen insulation and water vapor insulation. |
| US08449980B2 |
Composite particles for an electrode comprising lithium vanadyl phosphate (LiVOPO4), production process thereof and electrochemical device
Composite particles for an electrode comprising LiVOPO4 particles and a metal, wherein the metal is supported on at least a portion of the surface of the LiVOPO4 particles to form a metal coating layer. |
| US08449970B2 |
Antistatic article, method of making the same, and display device having the same
An antistatic article having an antistatic layer disposed on a substrate is disclosed herein. The antistatic layer is formed from a cationic copolymer, a non-cationic (meth)acrylic polymer, and a crosslinking agent. The cationic copolymer consists essentially of a cationic monomer, a hydrophobic monomer, a crosslinkable monomer, and an optional nitrogen-containing monomer. The substrate may comprise an optical film such as a multilayer optical film. Methods for making the antistatic article and display devices containing the antistatic article are also disclosed. |
| US08449965B2 |
Multilayer optical recording medium and optical recording method
A multilayer optical recording medium including at least multiple information layers each having at least a phase change recording layer capable of recording information by laser irradiation and a reflection layer, wherein each information layer other than the innermost information layer as seen from a side of the laser irradiation has at least a lower protection layer, the phase change recording layer, an upper protection layer, the reflection layer and an optical transmission layer, the upper protection layer and the optical transmission layer in each information layer other than the innermost information layer as seen from the side of the laser irradiation are composed of an Sn oxide-containing material and a thickness of the upper protection layer in each information layer other than the innermost information layer as seen from the side of the laser irradiation is 2 nm to 15 nm is provided. |
| US08449963B1 |
Integrated form including label and concealed document
An improved integrated multi-use label and concealed document form. In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, such a form comprises a first sheet material, a second sheet material, and a third sheet material. The sheet materials are joined together with the first sheet material between the other two sheet materials. Lines of weakness defining at least one multi-use label and concealed document label are cut into the joined together sheet materials. |
| US08449962B2 |
Adhesive assembly tapes
The invention relates to double-sided adhesive tape comprising a viscoelastic, first polymer layer, a second polymer layer on the top face and a third polymer layer on the bottom face of the viscoelastic, first polymer layer, where the viscoelastic, first polymer layer is based on a polymer which is obtainable by polymerization of a monomer composition of 65% to 97% by weight of ethylhexyl acrylate and/or butyl acrylate, 0% to 30% by weight of methyl acrylate, 3% to 15% by weight of acrylic acid, the viscoelastic interlayer being crosslinked, the second polymer layer is based on a polymer which is obtainable by polymerization of a monomer composition of 85% to 95% by weight of ethylhexyl acrylate and/or butyl acrylate, 5% to 15% by weight of acrylic acid, this second polymer layer being thermally crosslinked using at least one epoxycyclohexyl derivative in the absence of accelerators. |
| US08449960B2 |
Polymer having unsaturated cycloaliphatic functionality and coating compositions therefrom
A polymer is provided that preferably includes at least one unsaturated cycloaliphatic group. In one embodiment, the polymer is combined with an optional crosslinker and an optional carrier to form a coating composition suitable for use in coating articles such as packaging articles. In one embodiment, the polymer has at least one unsaturated cycloaliphatic group that is at least bicyclic. |
| US08449955B2 |
Acrylic resin containing film, and polarizing plate and a liquid crystal display device employing the same
This invention provides an acrylic resin containing film, which is transparent and highly heat resistant and has significantly improved brittleness, and a polarizing plate using the acrylic resin containing film. Further yield in punching work and laminating work of the polarizing late is improved and a liquid crystal display device which can maintain good visibility in long term use is also provided by the polarizing plate. The acrylic resin containing film is composed mainly of an acrylic resin and is characterized in that the film contains the acrylic resin and the cellulose ester resin in a weight ratio of 51:49 to 95:5 and further contains a retardation control agent. |
| US08449954B2 |
Compound having photoreactive functional group, photoreactive polymer, and alignment film comprising the same
The present invention relates to a specific photoreactive polymer that shows excellent alignment stability and thermal stability together with excellent liquid crystal alignment, thereby being desirably used in an alignment film of a liquid crystal display device, a compound having a photoreactive functional group that is used as a monomer for the preparation of the photoreactive polymer, and an alignment film. |
| US08449953B2 |
Chiral dopants, liquid crystal matrix and manufacturing method thereof and liquid crystal display
An embodiment of the invention provides a chiral dopant having the following formula: wherein X1 and X2 are independently wherein F is fluorine, m is a positive integer from 1 to 8, and n is a positive integer from 1 to 4; Y1 and Y2 are independently —O—, —CH2CH2—, —CH═CH—, —C(O)O—, or —CH2O—; and R1, R2 are independently substituted or non-substituted C1-C10 linear alkyl, wherein substituents of the substituted C1-C10 linear alkyl are independently —F, —Cl, —OCF3, —NCS, or —CN, wherein a number of backbone carbon atoms in each of —Y1R1 and —Y2R2 is larger than 3. |
| US08449952B2 |
Method and system for coating vinyl products
A method and system for coating a vinyl workpiece includes denibbing the workpiece and deionizing the air around the workpiece. The workpiece is roll coated using a roll coating machine, wherein the roll coating machine includes a plurality of engraving rollers. An angular surface of the workpiece is roll coated using a corresponding angularly positioned application roller. The workpiece is coated with an ultraviolet (UV) curable coating using a vacuum coating machine. The UV coating is cured using the vacuum coating machine. |
| US08449948B2 |
Method and system for corrosion protection of layers in a structure of a magnetic recording transducer
A method for providing a structure in a magnetic recording transducer is described. The method includes plating a first layer in a plating bath using a first plurality of plating conditions. The first layer has a first galvanic potential. The method also includes modifying the plating bath and/or the first plurality of plating conditions to provide a modified plating bath and/or a second plurality of plating conditions. The method further includes plating a second layer using the modified plating bath and/or the second plurality of plating conditions. The second layer has a second galvanic potential. The first galvanic potential is between the second galvanic potential and a third galvanic potential of a third layer if the third layer adjoins the first layer. The second galvanic potential is between the first galvanic potential and the third galvanic potential of the third layer if the third layer adjoins the second layer. |
| US08449939B2 |
Crosslinkable, cellulose ester compositions and films formed therefrom
New compositions for forming films for use in optical devices are provided. The compositions comprise a cellulose and a crosslinking agent dissolved or dispersed in a solvent system. Preferred celluloses are cellulose esters such as cellulose acetates, cellulose triacetates, cellulose acetate phthalates, and cellulose acetate butyrates. Preferred crosslinking agents are triazines such as those derived from melamine and benzoguanamine. The inventive compositions can be used to form, for example, protective and/or compensation films for use in polarizing plates. |
| US08449934B2 |
Tofu prep
An apparatus for easily removing excess moisture from blocks of tofu. The apparatus is constructed of a sturdy plastic material and is substantially box or rectangular shaped. It is designed to be approximately the size of a block of commercially available tofu. The container which holds the tofu has perforations on the bottom which permits the extracted moisture to drain out and away from the unit. The container with the tofu features four feet on the corners with a drain tray to capture the extracted moisture. There is a flat member that sits on the top of the tofu and an inner top lid that has a spring attached to it. The inner top lid engages a pair of arm like projections and the spring engages another tray that sits on the top of the tofu so that as the spring exerts pressure on the flat member on the tofu water is removed from the tofu. |
| US08449931B2 |
Chewing gum composition
The present invention relates to a chewing gum base formulation comprising a biocompatible particulate polymer having an average particle size of from about 200 μm to about 2000 μm wherein the polymer fibrillates when subjected to a shear stress such as that encountered during chewing. |
| US08449929B2 |
Herbal medicinal composition and extract thereof for inhibiting growth of cancer cells
The present invention relates to herbal medicinal compositions and extracts thereof for inhibiting growth of cancer cells. One of the examples described in the present invention comprises Forsythiae fructus, Menthae Herba, Gardeniae Fructus, Scutellariae Radix, Lophatheri Folium, Glycyrrhizae Radix, Rhei Rhizoma, Na2SO4, and Atractylodis Rhizoma. The residual examples are described herein. |
| US08449928B2 |
Cleanser compositions and methods for using the same
The present invention is directed to anti-microbial cleanser compositions comprising linalool, hinokitiol and dipropylene glycol. The present invention further provides methods for using these compositions to maintain eyelid hygiene, to treat an ocular disorder or to clean a skin surface. The cleanser compositions of the present invention can be in the form of a foam, gel or liquid. |
| US08449926B2 |
Topical antifungal composition
A composition obtained primarily from plant materials provides antimicrobial activity for use as an anti-fungal agent. The anti-fungal agent is effective in inhibiting the growth of Trichophyton rubrum, the fungus that is the most common cause of Tinea pedis. The composition includes selective mixtures of the origanum oil, menthol, and Atlantic cedarwood oil, thuja oil, cedarwood oil, cinnamon oil, clove oil, cumin oil, fennel oil, peppermint oil, or rosemary oil. |
| US08449920B2 |
Sustained release beads and suspensions including the same for sustained delivery of active ingredients
Sustained-released beads providing active ingredients over an extended period of time to an individual orally ingesting the sustained release beads. The sustained-release beads can be part of a suspension wherein the sustained-release beads are suspended and evenly dispersed in the suspension. Binding agents are used to form the structural framework of the sustained released beads and retain the active ingredients without chemical or electrical bonding. The components of the dispersion medium are GRAS designated, making the suspension suitable for use as a food product. |
| US08449918B2 |
Composition exhibiting enhanced formulation stability and delivery of topical active ingredients
A therapeutic, cosmetic or cosmeceutic composition for topical application, capable of stabilizing an active ingredient and delivering the active ingredient, comprising a plurality of microcapsules having a core-shell structure. The microcapsules have a diameter of approximately 0.1 to 100 micron. The core of each microcapsule includes at least one active ingredient, and is encapsulated within a microcapsular shell. The shell is comprised of at least one inorganic polymer obtained by a sol-gel process, and the shell protects the active ingredient before topical application and is designed to release the active ingredient from the microcapsules following application. The composition is useful in encapsulating active ingredients, such as benzoyl peroxide, that are unstable in other formulation, or are irritating to the skin. |
| US08449917B2 |
Solid herbicide compositions with built-in adjuvant
The present invention concerns stable herbicidal solid compositions containing built-in adjuvant which exhibit improved herbicidal efficacy when used to control weeds in flooded rice paddies or fields. |
| US08449916B1 |
Antimicrobial compositions and methods
The invention provides compositions and methods to treat microbial infections in animals, to inhibit the replication of microbes in infected cells, and to kill pathogens in infected cells. The methods can include administering to an animal in need of such treatment an effective antimicrobial amount of a composition comprising polyanhydride microparticles or nanoparticles that encapsulate a plurality of antimicrobial agents. The polyanhydride microparticles or nanoparticles can be, for example, copolymers of sebacic anhydride (SA) and 1,6-bis-(p-carboxyphenoxy)hexane (CPH) anhydride, copolymers of 1,8-bis(carboxyphenoxy)-3,6-dioxaoctane (CPTEG) anhydrides and 1,6-bis-(p-carboxyphenoxy)hexane (CPH) anhydride, or various combinations thereof. The microparticles or nanoparticles can accumulate in infected monocytes, dendritic cells, both, or on or in other infected cells, and degrade by surface erosion over a period of time to release the antimicrobial agents, thereby killing or inhibiting the microbes and treating the infection. |
| US08449915B1 |
Pharmaceutical composition of nanoparticles
The invention discloses a pharmaceutical composition of multifunctional core-shell nanoparticles, each nanoparticle comprising: a core portion comprised of hydrophobic poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and a detection-enhancing substance, and a shell portion comprised of positively charged chitosan adapted to cause no aggregation of nanoparticles due to electrostatic repulsion between the positively charged nanoparticles. In one embodiment, the detection-enhancing substance includes SPIO, a quantum dot, a fluorescent quantum dot, a bubble, an air bubble, and the like. |
| US08449913B2 |
Methods of administering a dermatological agent to a subject
Methods for administering a dermatological agent to a subject are provided. In the subject methods an effective amount of a topical formulation of the dermatological agent is topically applied to a host. The topically applied formulation of dermatological agent is then occluded with a hydrogel patch, where a feature of the hydrogel patch is that it lacks a pharmaceutically active agent. Also provided are methods of treating a subject for a disease condition by administering a dermatological agent to the subject. Also provided are kits for use in practicing the subject methods. The subject methods and compositions find use in a variety of different applications. |
| US08449910B2 |
Stable compositions of famotidine and ibuprofen
Stable pharmaceutical compositions of famotidine and ibuprofen in a single unit dosage form are disclosed herein. The compositions comprise a famotidine core having a reduced or minimal surface area surrounded by a layer of ibuprofen. In some embodiments, the ibuprofen is in direct physical contact with the famotidine. |
| US08449903B2 |
Crosslinked bioabsorbable medical devices
The present invention is directed to bioabsorbable medical devices which are introduced into the body of a subject in a first configuration and deformed in the subject's body to a second configuration. The devices generally include at least one bioabsorbable expandable device component that comprises at least one type of biodegradable polymer. In accordance with an aspect of the invention, the expandable device component is crosslinked while in an expanded configuration. The crosslinked device component is then heated to a temperature above the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the material forming the device component. Upon heating to this temperature, the device component is compressed into a contracted configuration and cooled to below the Tg of the material to maintain the contracted configuration. |
| US08449902B2 |
Methods for producing biomaterials with variable stiffness
This invention relates to the production of biomaterials with variable stiffness by subjecting a gel which varies in at least one dimension to plastic compaction. These biomaterials may be useful, for example, for the directional control or guidance of cells within tissue equivalent implants. |
| US08449899B2 |
Non-aqueous generation of chlorine dioxide
Disclosed is a method of making a non-aqueous chlorine dioxide solution by combining a chlorite salt and a non-aqueous carboxylic acid and the non-aqueous chlorine dioxide solution made by this method. Also disclosed are methods of disinfecting an object by applying the non-aqueous chlorine dioxide solution to the object and methods of disinfecting a liquid by adding the non-aqueous chlorine dioxide solution to the liquid. |
| US08449898B2 |
Fungicidal mixtures
Disclosed is a fungicidal composition comprising (a) at least one compound selected from the compounds of Formula 1 N-oxides, and salts thereof, wherein R1, R2, A, G, W, Z1, X, J, and n are as defined in the disclosure, and (b) at least one additional fungicidal compound. Also disclosed is a method for controlling plant diseases caused by fungal plant pathogens comprising applying to the plant or portion thereof, or to the plant seed, a fungicidally effective amount of the aforesaid composition.Also disclosed is a composition comprising component (a) of aforesaid composition and at least one insecticide.Also disclosed are compounds of Formula 1A, 1B and 1C, wherein R1, R2, A, G, W, Z1, X, J, n, Z3, M and J1 are as defined in the disclosure. |
| US08449897B2 |
Refreshment towel and applied solution
A refreshment towel with applied solution is an apparatus consisting of a carrying agent, most likely a high quality cotton towel or towelette, that has been saturated with an aqueous solution comprised of various ingredients. The resulting saturated towel can be rubbed on a user's skin such that the aqueous solution that has been absorbed by the towel is transferred. The aqueous solution is compounded specifically to provide cooling, insect repellant, sun protection, freshness, cleansing and other uses. More specifically, the aqueous solution is specially formulated so that desired sensory results take place when the towel comes in contact with the skin. |
| US08449893B2 |
Compositions and dosage regimes comprising a clostridial vaccine and levamisole
A composition and dosage regime including a vaccine and levamisole for the treatment of clostridial diseases and helminthiasis. New methods of administration relating to particular dosage regimes of such a composition are also claimed. |
| US08449891B2 |
Recombinant flagellin protein and preparation and use thereof
The present invention provides an optimized recombinant flagellin protein and preparation and use thereof. The protein is with a deletion in the hypervariable region, said hypervariable region is the region from 180 to 400 amino acid of the flagellin protein, and the proteins include FliCΔ190-278, FliCΔ220-320 or FliCΔ180-400. The method of preparing said protein, comprising introducing a deletion into the hypervariable region of the flagellin protein. First constructed the flagellin protein recombinant plasmid, and then used it as template to construct the flagellin deletion cloning, and expressed and purified. The present invention also provides the use of the recombinant flagellin protein as adjuvant. The recombinant flagellin protein in present invention decreases the potential risks it may have, and decreases its antigenicity and immunogenicity and the inflammatory response induced by it, through deleting its main areas of immunogenicity and antigen activity. |
| US08449890B2 |
Neprilysin inhibitors
In one aspect, the invention relates to compounds having the formula: where R1, R2a, R2b, R3-R6, a, b, Z, and X are as defined in the specification, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. These compounds have neprilysin inhibition activity. In another aspect, the invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds; methods of using such compounds; and processes and intermediates for preparing such compounds. |
| US08449884B2 |
Clotting factor-fc chimeric proteins to treat hemophilia
The invention relates to a chimeric protein comprising at least one clotting factor and at least a portion of an immunoglobulin constant region. The invention relates to a method of treating a hemostatic disorder comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of a chimeric protein wherein the chimeric protein comprises at least one clotting factor and at least a portion of an immunoglobulin constant region. |
| US08449881B2 |
Anti-α-enolase I antibodies for diagnosis and treatment of α-enolase I-associated diseases
The invention relates to antibodies against α-enolase I, their pharmaceutical compositions and diagnosis and treatment uses. Particularly, the invention provides polyclonal anti-α-enolase I antibodies and monoclonal single-chain variable fragment (scFv) anti-α-enolase antibodies, pharmaceutical compositions containing the same and their uses in uses in diagnosis and treatment of cancers, autoimmune disorders, ischemia and bacterial infection. |
| US08449876B2 |
Human lysosomal proteins from plant cell culture
A device, system and method for producing glycosylated proteins in plant culture, particularly proteins having a high mannose glycosylation, while targeting such proteins with an ER signal and/or by-passing the Golgi. The invention further relates to vectors and methods for expression and production of enzymatically active high mannose lysosomal enzymes using transgenic plant root, particularly carrot cells. More particularly, the invention relates to host cells, particularly transgenic suspended carrot cells, vectors and methods for high yield expression and production of biologically active high mannose Glucocerebrosidase (GCD). The invention further provides for compositions and methods for the treatment of lysosomal storage diseases. |
| US08449875B2 |
Targeting pseudotyped retroviral vectors
The present invention provides targeted lentiviral vectors that are psuedotyped with mutated Sindbis envelopes. For example, mutations in the Sindbis E2 protein are used to alter viral titer, specificity, specificity index, tropism, and susceptibility to host immune response. Typically, one or more of the E1, E2, or E3 proteins can be mutated at one or more amino acid positions. The psuedotyped, targeted lentiviral vectors of the invention are used to transduce heterologous genes into a cell and can be used for in vivo and ex vivo therapeutic applications, as well as for diagnostic and research tool applications. |
| US08449874B2 |
Interleukin-1 muteins linked to virus-like particles to treat IL-1 associated diseases
The present invention is related to the fields of molecular biology, virology, immunology and medicine. The invention provides a composition comprising an ordered and repetitive antigen array, wherein the antigen is an IL-1 mutein. More specifically, the invention provides a composition comprising a virus-like particle, and at least one IL-1 mutein linked thereto. The invention also provides a process for producing the composition. The compositions of the invention are useful in the production of vaccines for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, and chronic autoimmune diseases, genetic diseases and cardiovascular diseases. The composition of the invention efficiently induces immune responses, in particular antibody responses. Furthermore, the compositions of the invention are particularly useful to efficiently induce self-specific immune responses within the indicated context. |
| US08449870B2 |
Stable cosmetic emulsion with polyamide gelling agent
The present invention relates to a gelled cosmetic emulsion comprising an oil phase, an aqueous phase and a gelling system which contains at least one non-siloxane based polyamide in a sufficient amount to gel the emulsion. The polyamide can have an tertiary amide, ester, acid, or amine terminal end group. The emulsion is stabilized with an alkylene oxide containing emulsion stabilizer. The polyamide resin is stabilized with a resin stabilizer containing an atom with a certain electronegativity. The emulsions of the present invention are substantially transparent and when colorants are added the color is especially bright and clear. The emulsions are used in lipstick and mascara products as well as other gel and stick products. |
| US08449868B2 |
Preparation of cationic nanoparticles and personal care compositions comprising said nanoparticles
The present invention is directed to cationic nanoparticles, methods to make them, and the use of compositions containing said nanoparticles in personal care compositions or formulations. The nanoparticles are useful in personal care applications and impart antimicrobial properties to home and personal care products containing them. These cationic nanoparticles also contribute useful conditioning properties to hair-care and skin-care products. |
| US08449867B2 |
Microemulsion and sub-micron emulsion process and compositions
An oil in water microemulsion or sub-micron emulsion composition for dermal delivery of at least one pharmaceutically active ingredient, is provided. The composition includes an oil phase dispersed throughout a water phase, the oil phase including at least one member selected from the group consisting of an animal oil, a mineral oil, a vegetable oil, a silane member, a siloxane, an ester, a fatty acid, a fat, a halogen compound, and an alkoxylated alcohol; and at least one lipophilic surfactant, the water phase including at least one hydrophilic surfactant, water and optionally a non-surfactant amphiphilic compound, the weight ratio of the at least one hydrophilic surfactant to the at least one lipophilic surfactant being approximately 9.0:1.0 to 2.0:3.0. |
| US08449861B2 |
Generation of hydrogen and oxygen from water and storage thereof with silicides
In a process for photochemical and thermochemical generation of hydrogen and/or oxygen, water is contacted with at least one Si-containing compound selected from silicides, silicide-like compositions, and oxides of the silicides and silicide-like compositions. The Si-containing compound is selected from metallosilicides and non-metallic silicides of the formula RSixOy wherein R represents an organic, metallic, organometallic, biochemically derived and/or inorganic residue, wherein Si is silicon. The compound is preferably a silicide moiety with X>zero. |
| US08449860B2 |
Method and system for recovering sulfur in the thermal stage of a Claus reactor
Method and system are presented for the combustion of hydrogen sulfide mixed with other gases for simultaneous recovery of sulfur and energy from hydrogen sulfide at higher efficiency. The amounts and velocity of the hydrogen sulfide into the reactor is selected in such a way that it is not possible to burn the hydrogen sulfide in a normal thin reaction zone during its combustion. The injected hydrogen sulfide gas is mixed in a thermal reactor with fresh air and hot active combustion gases in the reactor on account of internal jet pump effect and self-induced entrainment. The reaction is exothermic so that the chemical energy present in hydrogen sulfide is recovered together with the sulfur. Various reactors are shown capable of controlling the formation of a thermal distribution flow pattern based on the position, and position and direction (and other factors) regarding fluid introduction within a combustion chamber of the reactors. |
| US08449858B2 |
Continuous extraction technique for the purification of carbon nanomaterials
Systems and methods for the purification of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by continuous liquid extraction are disclosed. Carbon nanotubes are introduced to a flow of liquid that enables the separation of CNTs from impurities due to differences in the dispersibility of the CNTs and the impurities within the liquid. Examples of such impurities may include amorphous carbon, graphitic nanoparticles, and metal containing nanoparticles. The continuous extraction process may be performed in one or more stages, where one or more of extraction parameters may be varied between the stages of the continuous extraction process in order to effect removal of selected impurities from the CNTs. The extraction parameters may include, but are not limited to, the extraction liquid, the flow rate of the extraction liquid, the agitation of the liquid, and the pH of the liquid, and may be varied, depending on the impurity to be removed from the CNTs. |
| US08449857B2 |
Method for saturating and re-saturating ammonia storage material in containers
A method for saturating or re-saturating ammonia storage material (1) capable of reversibly absorbing and desorbing ammonia in one or more storage containers (2), wherein said material is partly or fully depleted of ammonia, with ammonia to a predetermined saturation degree comprises a. placing the storage container(s) (2) in direct or indirect contact with a thermostatting medium (4) at a temperature level TT≦ about 65° C.; and b. connecting the storage container(s) (2) to a source of gaseous ammonia wherein at least during a part of the method the gaseous ammonia during saturating or re-saturation of the ammonia storage material (1) is at a pressure PS≦ about PT, wherein PS is the ammonia pressure during saturating or re-saturating of the ammonia storage material (1) and PT is the equilibrium vapor pressure of liquid ammonia at the temperature level TT. |
| US08449855B2 |
Inorganic compounds
The invention is related to a boride of a metal of transition group four of the periodic table of the elements, wherein at least 40 wt. % of the particles have a grain size of more than 106 μm, determined by sieve analysis according to ASTM B 214, and these particles consist of grown, monocrystalline grains. The invention also relates to a cermet, wettable powder and a surface coating which contain the boride. The invention further relates to a process to prepare the boride. The invention additionally relates to a process to prepare a cermet or a wettable powder. |
| US08449852B1 |
Diesel oxidation catalysts, systems and methods of treatment
Diesel oxidation catalysts comprising a first washcoat layer including a platinum group metal impregnated on a promoted non-zeolitic support are described. The promoter is one or more of tin, manganese, indium, group VIII metals. Methods of making and using the diesel oxidation catalyst, including emissions treatment systems, are also described. |
| US08449850B2 |
Method and apparatus for the extraction and processing of molybdenum-99
A method for the extraction and purification of molybdenum, the method comprising the steps of: transferring an irradiated fuel solution to an extraction system, the irradiated fuel solution comprising iodine and molybdenum and other fission products, the extraction system comprising at least one sorbent column; passing the irradiated fuel solution upwards through the at least one sorbent-containing extraction column; directing the irradiated fuel solution towards a fuel management system by means of at least one discharge alignment valve; directing the extraction column eluate towards an iodine removal system; removing the iodine from the extraction column eluate; purifying the extraction column eluate; and collecting the purified eluate. Also disclosed is an apparatus for accomplishing the aforementioned method. |
| US08449835B2 |
Device for fecal occult blood test
A devise for fecal occult blood test comprises a first and a second casings, a sampling portion extending from the first casing, a specimen processing portion, at least a testing portion and a packing cylindrical member. The packing cylindrical member is coupled between the first and second casings when unused and dismantled therefrom when used. After sampling via a specimen collecting portion of the sampling portion, the specimen collecting portion is drawn into the first casing to reduce the device size. The first and second casings are fixedly coupled together in a specimen processing position thereof to mix specimens with a liquid of the specimen processing portion into a testing liquid, and then in a specimen testing position thereof to disperse onto the testing portions for testing and directly display test results. The present invention advantages high accuracy, rather hygiene, significant size reduction, real-time testing-result display and convenient use. |
| US08449831B2 |
Spin formed catalyst
A catalytic device and method for forming a catalytic device are described. The devices and methods described can be used for emissions systems in heavy duty diesel engines. In particular, a method of spin forming a catalytic device generally includes disposing a mat about an outer surface of a catalyst substrate and inserting the catalyst substrate and mat inside a shell. The mat is between the shell and the catalyst substrate. The shell, catalyst substrate, and mat can be spin formed into at least a generally elliptical shape but generally other than a circle shape. |
| US08449830B2 |
Microfluidic extraction and reaction device
A microfluidic arrangement for extracting and optionally processing an extract from a sample and for transferring the extract in flowable form to a microfluidic chip using an extractor with a compressible extraction chamber and at least one opening thereof, a reactor that has a reaction chamber, an inlet opening that communicates with the at least one opening of the extractor, wherein the two openings define a flow path between the chambers, an outlet opening for fluidically connecting to the microfluidic chip and a ventilation opening of the reaction chamber, and having a filter arrangement installed in the flow path between the extractor and the reactor. A lab-on-a-chip system with such a microfluidic arrangement and a microfluidic chip that is rigidly connected to the reactor. |
| US08449829B2 |
Method of sterilization in clean air supply apparatus and clean air supply apparatus
A clean air supply apparatus is provided which has an ability of sterilizing effectively and uniformly also a secondary side surface of a filter. The apparatus has a pre-filter 23 for roughly filtering air sequentially introduced from an air inlet port 18 for introducing air to an air supply port 22 for sending clean air to a work environment, a blower 24 for sucking air to the introduced, a heater 25 for adjusting a temperature of introduced air, a chemical agent gas supply apparatus 27, a chemical agent gas eject apparatus 26 for supplying chemical agent gas into the air path, high performance filters or ultrahigh performance filters 41 and 42 for filtering air to be delivered from an air supply port 22 to generate clean air. |
| US08449828B2 |
Blower type chemical diffusing apparatus, and chemical cartridge and chemical impregnated body used therefor
A chemical cartridge for a blower-type chemical diffusing apparatus includes a chemical-impregnated body including an air-permeable and liquid-absorptive sheet impregnated with a chemical, and a retainer receptacle for containing the chemical-impregnated body. The retainer receptacle includes a liquid pool recess formed at a central area thereof such that liquid chemical stored in the liquid pool recess is permeable towards a peripheral area of the sheet. |
| US08449827B2 |
Reaction well for an automatic analysis appliance
A reaction well, intended for use in an automatic analysis appliance and including an opening at its top end and one or two flaps for partially closing said opening, the flaps being separated by a slot enabling a liquid injection or sampling needle to pass through, and preventing stirrer means contained within the well from escaping. |
| US08449825B2 |
High throughput screen
The present invention relates to a structure comprising a biological membrane and a porous or perforated substrate, a biological membrane, a substrate, a high throughput screen, methods for production of the structure membrane and substrate, and a method for screening a large number of test compounds in a short period. More particularly it relates to a structure comprising a biological membrane adhered to a porous or perforated substrate, a biological membrane capable of adhering with high resistance seals to a substrate such as perforated glass and the ability to form sheets having predominantly an ion channel or transporter of interest, a high throughput screen for determining the effect of test compounds on ion channel or transporter activity, methods for manufacture of the structure, membrane and substrate, and a method for monitoring ion channel or transporter activity in a membrane. |
| US08449822B2 |
Smear preparing apparatuses and methods of preparing sample smears
Smear preparing apparatuses for preparing a smear of a specimen on a glass slide are described that include a memory for storing smearing conditions in connection with pertinent information required for establishing the smearing condition; and a controller for retrieving one of the stored smearing conditions corresponding to the pertinent information of the specimen from the memory and for determining it as the smearing condition of the specimen. Methods of preparing sample smears on a glass slide are also described that include receiving condition identification data; storing smear preparing conditions correlated with the condition identification data; retrieving the smear preparing conditions correlated with the condition identification data; and applying the sample smear to the glass slide based on the smear preparing conditions. |
| US08449821B2 |
Slug mitigation by increasing available surge capacity
A system includes a controller and an apparatus that includes a housing having a volume and an inlet. The inlet can receive a fluid that includes a gas and a liquid. The apparatus also includes a baffle that partitions the volume into a first portion and a second portion. The baffle extends from a base of the housing. The first portion can receive the liquid and separate the liquid into a first part and a second part. The second portion can receive the second part of the liquid from the first portion. The controller regulates an amount of the second part of the liquid in the second portion such that a level of the second part of the liquid is higher than a height that the baffle extends from the base of the housing, thus enabling the use of the extra surge capacity in the vessel. |
| US08449816B2 |
Composition and methods of preparation of target material for producing radionuclides
A composition suitable for use as a target containing antimony to be irradiated by accelerated charged particles (e.g., by protons to produce tin-117m) comprises an intermetallic compound of antimony and titanium which is synthesized at high-temperature, for example, in an arc furnace. The formed material is powdered and melted in an induction furnace, or heated at high gas pressure in gas static camera. The obtained product has a density, temperature stability, and heat conductivity sufficient to provide an appropriate target material. |
| US08449814B2 |
Systems and methods for melting scrap metal
A scrap submergence vessel for melting scrap metal is disclosed. The vessel comprises a front wall comprising an inlet, a back wall (opposite the front wall) comprising an outlet, and a flow direction member that causes molten metal flowing into the inlet to be directed at least partially upward against a portion of the back wall. The movement of molten metal through the vessel creates a downward pull that draws metal scrap placed above or within the vessel downward into the molten metal bath where it melts. |
| US08449804B2 |
Evacuation process for use in a method for producing a composite structure
The present invention relates to a method for producing a composite structure comprising fiber reinforced material by means of vacuum assisted resin transfer molding, where fiber material is impregnated with liquid resin. The method comprises an evacuation process of a mold cavity by initially providing an under-pressure in a part of the mold cavity in order to provide a first vacuum front having a first pressure gradient oriented towards a first side of the forming structure, and a second vacuum front with a second pressure gradient oriented towards a second side of the forming structure, and controlling the first vacuum front and the second front to move towards the first side and the second side of the forming structure, respectively. |
| US08449801B2 |
Composition and process for preparing NIR shielding masterbatch and NIR shielding masterbatch and application thereof
Disclosed herein is a method for preparing a near infrared shielding masterbatch. The method includes the steps of preparing and compounding a composition, and then pelletizing the compounded composition. The composition includes at least one metallic ionic compound powder in an amount of about 1-25 wt %, a cross-linking agent in an amount of about 0.1-5 wt %, a thermoplastic polymer in an amount of about 67-98.7 wt %, an initiator in an amount of about 0.1-1 wt %, and a dispersing agent in an amount of about 0.1-2 wt %. |
| US08449796B2 |
Method of manufacturing light guide and method of manufacturing a radiation detector
According to a method of manufacturing a light guide of this invention, a shaping member is provided that covers a molding frame. In a releasing step, when the shaping member is lifted up in a direction apart from the molding frame, the light guide is lifted and pulled out from an aperture of the molding frame accordingly. As a result, there is no need to pull out the light guide by conventionally providing a pressing plug on a bottom of the molding frame and pressing the plug in a direction. In addition, there is no need to perform a grinding process to the light guide. |
| US08449794B2 |
Non-resonant two-photon absorption recording material and non-resonant two-photon absorption compound
A non-resonant two-photon absorption recording material containing at least (a) a non-resonant two-photon absorption compound, and (b) a recording component in which at least either a refractive index or fluorescence intensity changes, wherein the non-resonant two-photon absorption compound (a) is a compound having a structure represented by formula (1) as described. |
| US08449786B2 |
Film adhesive for semiconductor vacuum processing apparatus
A bonded assembly to reduce particle contamination in a semiconductor vacuum chamber such as a plasma processing apparatus is provided, including an elastomeric sheet adhesive bond between mating surfaces of a component and a support member to accommodate thermal stresses. The elastomeric sheet comprises a silicone adhesive to withstand a high shear strain of ≧800% at a temperature range between room temperature and 300° C. such as heat curable high molecular weight dimethyl silicone with optional fillers. The sheet form has bond thickness control for parallelism of bonded surfaces. The sheet adhesive may be cut into pre-form shapes to conform to regularly or irregularly shaped features, maximize surface contact area with mating parts, and can be installed into cavities. Installation can be manually, manually with installation tooling, or with automated machinery. Composite layers of sheet adhesive having different physical properties can be laminated or coplanar. |
| US08449781B2 |
Selective etch back process for carbon nanotubes intergration
The present disclosure relates to a method for selectively etching-back a polymer matrix to expose tips of carbon nanotubes comprising: a. growing carbon nanotubes on a conductive substrate; b. filling the gap around the carbon nanotubes with a polymeric fill matrix comprising at least one latent photoacid generator; and c. selectively etching-back the polymeric fill matrix to expose tips of the carbon nanotubes. |
| US08449779B2 |
Backflow collection receptacle and method for reclaiming the same
The present disclosure provides a collection receptacle and a method for reclaiming backflow from a wellbore. The collection receptacle, in one embodiment, includes an enclosure configured to collect solid and liquid matter, and an elevated auger extending into the enclosure and configured to remove the solid matter from the enclosure. In this embodiment, the auger includes a housing and a flighting, the housing and flighting configured in such a way as to promote separation of the solid matter from the liquid matter as the solid matter travels up the auger and out of the enclosure. |
| US08449778B2 |
Ballast water treatment method
A method for treating ballast water with sulfurous acid to kill invasive species and remove oxygen from the ballast water to preserve hulls from rusting. |
| US08449775B2 |
Adsorption of heavy metals in waste water
A method and adsorbent composition for removing heavy metals from contaminated water, including mixing a water having a concentration of one or more heavy metals with an adsorbent including granules of a mixture of 3.33 wt % bentonite clay and a siwak stick powder; and collecting water having a reduced concentration of the heavy metal(s). |
| US08449773B2 |
Method for pretreatment of cellulosic and lignocellulosic materials for conversion into bioenergy
A process for converting organic waste materials into usable products and products thereof is disclosed. According to the process, organic waste materials are contacted with an oxidant to form a product and then an amount of the oxidant is removed from the product to form a reactor-ready feedstock. The oxidant is removed by various means, including washing, photolysis, catalytic means, oxidation of the oxidant, reduction of the oxidant, and heat. The reactor-ready feedstock may then be introduced into a reactor, such as a digester or incubator, and the reactor-ready feedstock is converted by microorganisms into biofuel or other products. |
| US08449772B2 |
Micro fluidic system and a method of attaching a membrane to a tube
A micro fluidic system comprising at least one tube (1), a membrane (3) and at least one fitting member (4). The fitting member (4) is positioned around the membrane (3) and an end part (2) of the tube(s) (1), thereby fitting the membrane (3) to the end part(s) (2). The fitting member(s) (4) is/are made from a shrinkable material, and it/they is/are fitted tightly around the membrane (3) end part(s) (2). This is obtained by causing the shrinkable material to shrink, e.g. by heating the material, while the fitting member (4) is positioned around the membrane (3) and the end part(s) (2). It is an advantage that the fitting member (4) is made from a shrinkable material because this provides the possibility of fitting the membrane (3) tightly to the end part(s) (2) in an easy and cost effective manner. The micro fluidic system is very suitable for use in a probe, such as a dialysis probe. Also claimed is a method of manufacturing the micro fluidic system. |
| US08449771B2 |
Pump for a desalination system
A pump assembly to move water past a reverse osmosis membrane, the pump assembly having a first pump and a second pump each including a bore having a longitudinal axis and surrounding a chamber. First and second partition members extend longitudinally of the chamber. The second partition is moveable relative to the first partition member, and divides the chamber into a first sub chamber and a second sub chamber. A shaft is attached to the second member to cause angular movement thereof about the axis to change the volumes of the sub chambers. End caps are fitted to ends of each chamber to contain pressure, and ducting is provided to provide for the flow of water. The shaft of the first pump is coupled to the shaft of the second pump so that the first pump second partition angularly oscillates in phase with the second pump second partition. |
| US08449766B2 |
Device for capturing odor and/or taste-generating substances present in water flowing in a network
The invention relates to a device (10) for capturing odor- and/or taste-generating substances present in water flowing continuously in a water distribution network via a pipe (12). In characteristic manner, the device comprises: capture means (22) for capturing said substances; at least one chamber (18) containing said capture means (22) and suitable for having network water flow therethrough; and hydraulic link and connection means (14; 42) between said chamber (18) and said pipe (12). The invention is applicable to networks for distributing drinking water. |
| US08449763B2 |
Nozzle reactor and method of use
Embodiments of a nozzle reactor of the type useable to inject a first material feed stock and a second material feed stock to cause interaction between the first material feed stock and second material feed stock are described herein. According to some embodiments, the nozzle reactor may crack residual oil produced by other processing units in a refinery process. Furthermore, nozzle reactors may replace traditional processing units of a refinery process, such as cokers, hydrocrackers and deasphalting units. |
| US08449759B2 |
Apparatus and method for controlling a gas sensor
A gas sensor control apparatus including internal resistance detection means for detecting an internal resistance value of one of cells of a gas sensor, concentration detection means for detecting a concentration value of a specific gas component in a gas to be measured and outputting the detected concentration value, heater current supply control means for controlling a current to be supplied to a heater of the gas sensor such that the detected internal resistance value becomes a target value, determination means for determining whether or not the detected internal resistance value is within a permissible range including the target value, nullification information generation means for generating nullification information to nullify the detected concentration value, when it is determined that the target value is out of the permissible range, and nullification information output means for outputting the nullification information to an external device connected to the gas sensor control apparatus. |
| US08449758B2 |
Small volume in vitro analyte sensor and methods of making
A sensor utilizing a non-leachable or diffusible redox mediator is described. The sensor includes a sample chamber to hold a sample in electrolytic contact with a working electrode, and in at least some instances, the sensor also contains a non-leachable or a diffusible second electron transfer agent. The sensor and/or the methods used produce a sensor signal in response to the analyte that can be distinguished from a background signal caused by the mediator. The invention can be used to determine the concentration of a biomolecule, such as glucose or lactate, in a biological fluid, such as blood or serum, using techniques such as coulometry, amperometry; and potentiometry. An enzyme capable of catalyzing the electrooxidation or electroreduction of the biomolecule is typically provided as a second electron transfer agent. |
| US08449755B2 |
Process for the anodic dehydrodimerization of substituted phenols
The invention relates to a process for preparing biaryl alcohols, in which anodic dehydrodimerization of substituted phenols is carried out in the presence of partially fluorinated and/or periluorinated mediators and a supporting electrolyte at a graphite electrode. |
| US08449752B2 |
Trailing plated step
Methods for fabrication of magnetic write heads, and more specifically to fabrication of magnetic poles and trailing magnetic pole steps. A write pole may first be patterned on a substrate. Then a side gap material may be patterned along sidewall portions of the write pole. Thereafter, a masking layer may be deposited and patterned to expose a portion of the write pole. A trailing magnetic pole step may be formed on the exposed portion of the write pole. |
| US08449751B2 |
Copper electrolytic solution containing amine compound having specific skeleton and organosulfur compound as additives, and electrolytic copper foil produced using the same
The invention has an object of obtaining a low-profile electrolytic copper foil made by electrolytic copper foil manufacturing using a cathode drum such that the surface roughness on the rough surface side (the opposite side to the lustrous surface) is low. In particular, the invention has an object of obtaining an electrolytic copper foil that can be finely patterned and have an excellent elongation and tensile strength at normal and high temperatures. This object is attained by using a copper electrolytic solution containing, as additives, an organosulfur compound, and an amine compound having a specific skeleton obtained by additively reacting an amine compound and a compound having one or more epoxy groups in a molecule thereof to an addition reaction. |
| US08449750B2 |
Fluid separator with smart surface
A separating system for separating a fluid mixture incorporates a smart surface having reversibly switchable properties. A voltage is selectively applied to the smart surface to attract or repel constituents of a fluid mixture, such as oil and water produced from a hydrocarbon well. The smart surface can be used in a conditioner to increase droplet size prior to entering a conventional separator, or the smart surface and other elements of the invention can be incorporated into an otherwise conventional separator to enhance separation. In a related aspect, a concentration sensor incorporating smart surfaces senses concentration of the fluid mixture's constituents. |
| US08449748B2 |
Sample separation/adsorption appliance
A sample separation/adsorption appliance (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: a first buffer solution tank (103) equipped with a first electrode (101) and used for holding a first buffer solution; a second buffer solution tank (104) equipped with a second electrode (102) and used for holding a second buffer solution; a sample separation section (110) that holds a sample separation medium (131) for separating a sample; and a conductive section (120) that holds a conductive medium (133), wherein: the sample separation medium (131) and the conductive medium (133) are in contact with the sample adsorption member (132), respectively, on the opposite sides thereof; an end of the sample separation medium (131) opposite to an end being in contact with the sample adsorption member (132) is connected to an inside of the first buffer solution tank (103); and an end of the conductive medium (133) opposite to an end being in contact with the sample adsorption member (132) is connected to an inside of the second buffer solution tank (104). With this arrangement, a sample separation/adsorption appliance that enables efficient transfer of a sample is offered. |
| US08449745B2 |
Monolithic electrophoresis flat gel system
Apparatus, systems and methods for performing gel electrophoresis using a horizontal monolithic electrophoresis unit that at least includes first and second buffer chambers containing buffer solution and a gel chamber containing a pre-cast flat gel, whereby all of these chambers are integrated into a pre-fabricated single unit that is ready for use. In performing gel electrophoresis, a top seal of this monolithic electrophoresis unit is removed, target samples are loaded into the pre-cast gel, interior walls of the unit are broken to allow buffer from anode and cathode chambers to combine within the gel chamber and cover the loaded gel matrix, a reusable lid is attached to the top surface of the unit, and an electrical connection is provided through the reusable lid into the horizontal monolithic electrophoresis unit for performing electrophoresis on the flat pre-cast gel. |
| US08449742B2 |
Gas sensor and method of manufacturing same
The gas sensor includes a sensor element having electrode pads formed in its electrode forming surfaces at the proximal end portion thereof, an insert-holding insulator insert-holding the sensor element, a housing insert-holding the insert-holding insulator, and a terminal unit. The proximal end portion of the sensor element is held by the terminal unit which includes a pair of proximal end insulators formed with metal terminals at their inner surfaces, and a spring member pressing the proximal end insulators in a direction that they approach each other. Each of the proximal end insulators includes an insulator contact portion in contact with one of the electrode forming surfaces. The insulator contact portion is located closer to the proximal end of the sensor element than a terminal contact portion at which the metal terminal contacts a corresponding one of the electrode pads. |
| US08449741B2 |
Method for influencing the properties of cast iron, and oxygen sensor
A method is provided for influencing the properties of cast iron by adding magnesium to the cast iron melt and measuring the oxygen content of the cast iron melt. Magnesium is added to the cast iron melt until the oxygen content of the cast iron melt is approximately 0.005 to 0.2 ppm at a temperature of approximately 1,420° C. A sensor for measuring the oxygen content in cast iron melts contains an electrochemical measuring cell containing a solid electrolyte tube. |
| US08449739B2 |
Metal-coated carbon surfaces for use in fuel cells
A method of coating a carbon article with a metal by reductively electropolymerizing the metal via cyclic voltammetry on the carbon article, thereby forming a metal coating on the carbon article and the polymerized metal-coated carbon article made by the method. A polymerized metal-coated carbon article having a carbon article and a metal coating disposed on an exterior surface of the carbon article, the coating being present in an amount less than about 0.1 mg/cm2. A method of using a fuel cell by forming a fuel cell with a polymerized metal-coated carbon article as a working electrode and reducing oxygen, thereby providing power to a vehicle. A fuel cell including a polymerized metal-coated carbon article as a working electrode. |
| US08449736B2 |
Hydrogen supplemental system for on-demand hydrogen generation for internal combustion engines
A hydrogen generation system for producing hydrogen and injecting the hydrogen as a fuel supplement into the air intake of internal combustion engines. Hydrogen and oxygen is produced with a fuel cell at low temperatures and pressure from water in a supply tank. The hydrogen is directed to the air intake of the engine while the oxygen is vented to the atmosphere. The device is powered by the vehicle battery. The system utilizes an engine sensor that permits power to the system only when the engine is in operation. |
| US08449731B1 |
Method and apparatus for increasing local plasma density in magnetically confined plasma
Local plasma density, e.g., the plasma density in the vicinity of the substrate, is increased by providing an ion extractor configured to transfer ions and electrons from a first region of magnetically confined plasma (typically a region of higher density plasma) to a second region of plasma (typically a region of lower density plasma). The second region of plasma is preferably also magnetically shaped or confined and resides between the first region of plasma and the substrate. A positively biased conductive member positioned proximate the second region of plasma serves as an ion extractor. A positive bias of about 50-300 V is applied to the ion extractor causing electrons and subsequently ions to be transferred from the first region of plasma to the vicinity of the substrate, thereby forming higher density plasma. Provided methods and apparatus are used for deposition and resputtering. |
| US08449723B2 |
Shoe press belt
A shoe press belt includes a substrate, a wet paper web-side layer provided on the outer side of the substrate; and a shoe-side layer on the inner side; the wet paper web-side layer and the shoe-side layer are made from a high-polymer elastic material. The surface layer of the wet paper web-side layer includes concave water catching parts and land parts which are projecting parts occurring due to formation of the water catching parts. The occurrence of cracks in the surface part of the land part and the bottom part and corner parts of the water catching part of the shoe press belt is suppressed by setting the hardness of the surface part of the land part at a relatively higher value than the hardness of the bottom part of the water catching part. Thereby, occurrence of cracks in the surface part of the land parts and the bottom part of the water catching part in a shoe press belt having water catching parts and land parts in the surface layer of the wet paper web-side layer can be suppressed. |
| US08449722B2 |
Used paper recycling apparatus and its constitutent devices
A used paper recycling apparatus being installed in a room of a small shop or the like, friendly to the environment, low in running cost, and capable of maintaining a high confidentiality. The apparatus includes, in an apparatus case of furniture size, a pulp making section for manufacturing used paper pulp by macerating and mashing used paper, a paper making section for manufacturing recycled paper by making the used paper pulp manufactured in the pulp making section, and a control section for driving and controlling the pulp making section and paper making section, in which the pulp making section comprises a macerating unit for macerating the used paper by agitating and tearing, and a mashing unit for mashing the used paper macerated in the macerating unit, and the mashing machine of the mashing unit has mashing members rotating relatively being disposed oppositely across a slight mashing clearance, and the opposing faces of these mashing members cooperate to form a mashing action surface, and the used paper passing the mashing clearance is pressurized and mashed by the mashing action surface, and the inks forming characters and patterns on the used paper are pulverized. |
| US08449721B2 |
Aqueous suspensions of fine-particulate fillers, method for the manufacture thereof and use thereof for the manufacture of fluid-containing papers
Aqueous slurries of finely divided fillers which are at least partly covered by anionic latices, the slurries being obtainable by treating aqueous slurries of finely divided fillers with at least one anionic latex which comprises, incorporated in the form of polymerized units, at least one monomer comprising phosphonic and/or phosphoric acid groups, preparation of the aqueous slurries and their use as an additive to the paper stock in the production of filler-containing paper, filler-containing cardboard or filler-containing board by draining the paper stock. |
| US08449717B2 |
Method for preventing clogging in a strainer construction for a continuous digester
The method is for influencing the flow from a strainer construction in a continuous digester. In order to avoid clogging of the withdrawal compartment in the strainer construction, an additive that counteracts precipitation processes is added directly to the withdrawal compartment while the cooking fluid is withdrawn from the withdrawal compartment. The addition of chemicals can take place at the same time as the withdrawn cooking fluid is withdrawn from the digester and the strainer construction, or while the withdrawn cooking fluid is fully or partially re-circulated back to the withdrawal compartment. |
| US08449716B2 |
Device and method for separating a substrate from a carrier substrate
Device for separating a substrate from a carrier substrate which is connected to the substrate by an interconnect layer. The device includes a carrier substrate holder with a holding surface for holding the carrier substrate, and a substrate holder which is located opposite the carrier substrate holder with a substrate holding surface which can be located parallel to the holding surface for accommodating the substrate. There are separating means for parallel displacement of the substrate relative to the carrier substrate in the interconnected state of the substrate and carrier substrate. |
| US08449712B2 |
Electrode bonding method and part mounting apparatus
An electrode bonding method according to the present invention includes: a plasma cleaning step of irradiating an electrode surface to be cleaned of at least either one of a part, such as a semiconductor device, and a substrate with atmospheric pressure plasma for cleaning; an inert gas atmosphere maintaining step of covering the electrode surface to be cleaned and its vicinity with a first inert gas before the irradiation of the atmospheric pressure plasma is ended, and maintaining that state even thereafter; and a bonding step of bonding an electrode of the part and an electrode on the substrate before the inert gas atmosphere maintaining step is ended. The electrode surface is thereby plasma-cleaned without the possibility of damaging the part to be bonded to the substrate, and the cleaned state is maintained while bonding the electrodes to provide an electrode bonding state of high bonding force and high reliability. |
| US08449709B2 |
Method of fabricating fiber reinforced composite structure having stepped surface
Fiber reinforced composite structures having curved stepped surfaces are fabricated by laying up plies of fiber reinforced material over a tool having a stepped tool feature. The plies are rotated about a fixed axis as they are laid up to substantially form a fixed axis rosette pattern. The plies are angularly oriented such that at least certain of the plies have fiber orientations other than 0, +45, −45 and 90 degrees. Potential bridging of the fibers over the stepped tool features is reduced or eliminated by cutting slits in the plies in the area of the stepped features, so that the plies can be fully compacted. |
| US08449707B2 |
Method of manufacturing a structural polymer core assembly
A composite structure, and method of manufacturing it, having a specified width, length, and height defining a top and bottom the composite structure. The composite structure includes a three dimensional structural core constructed of a polymer with a first series of a geometric pattern repeated along its length. The structural core also has a second series of the geometric pattern repeated along the width thereof. The geometric patter may be a sinusoidal curve or a substantially pyramidal shape. The composite structure also includes a first reinforcement layer made of a polymer positioned above the structural core and bonded thereto. It also includes a second reinforcement layer made of a polymer that is positioned below the structural core and bonded thereto. The composite structure may also include a decorative layer above the first reinforcement layer, an acoustical batting layer positioned between the first reinforcement layer and the structural core, and may include fire retardant chemicals. |
| US08449706B2 |
Process for manufacturing deaerating hollow fiber module
A process for manufacturing a deaerating hollow fiber module with no core, including the steps of wrapping a sheet containing a multiplicity of hollow fibers around a temporary core; retaining in tubular form the sheet wrapped around the temporary core; and removing the temporary core from the sheet retained in tubular form. |