Document Document Title
US08462882B1 Measurement of transmitter I/Q impairments using shared local oscillators
Systems and methods for measuring transmitter and/or receiver I/Q impairments are disclosed, including iterative methods for measuring transmitter I/Q impairments using shared local oscillators, iterative methods for measuring transmitter I/Q impairments using intentionally-offset local oscillators, and methods for measuring receiver I/Q impairments. Also disclosed are methods for computing I/Q impairments from a sampled complex signal, methods for computing DC properties of a signal path between the transmitter and receiver, and methods for transforming I/Q impairments through a linear system.
US08462879B2 Systems and methods for increasing communications bandwidth using non-orthogonal polarizations
Systems and methods for increasing communications bandwidth using non-orthogonal polarizations are provided herein. Under one aspect, a method of transmitting M independent signals, where M is at least 3, includes receiving the M signals from respective sources; at a transmitter polarization module, obtaining first and second linear combinations of the M signals; providing the first and second linear combinations to first and second input ports of a transmitter antenna; and transmitting with the transmitter antenna the first linear combination at a first polarization and the second linear combination at a second polarization orthogonal to the first polarization. The method may further include receiving at a receiver antenna the first linear combination at the first polarization, and the second linear combination at the second polarization; obtaining at receiver circuitry the M signals based on the received first and second linear combinations; and outputting the M signals on respective output ports.
US08462873B2 Communication system performing interference alignment and interference alignment method
A communication device and a mobile station to perform interference alignment, and an interference alignment method are provided. Interference alignment may be performed to enable an interference signal, received in a mobile station, to be removed using channel information fed back from the mobile station.
US08462872B2 Scattered pilot pattern and channel estimation method for MIMO-OFDM systems
Methods and apparatus are provided for inserting data symbols and pilot symbols in an OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) transmission resource utilizing frequency hopping patterns for the data symbols and/or the pilot symbols. Data symbols and pilot symbols are allocated for down link (base station to mobile station) and up link (mobile station to base station) transmission resources in a two-dimensional time-frequency pattern. For each antenna of a MIMO-OFDM (multiple input multiple output OFDM) communication system, pilot symbols are inserted in a scattered pattern in time-frequency and data symbols are inserted in an identical frequency-hopping pattern in time-frequency as that of other antennas.
US08462866B2 Transmitting apparatus and method, and receiving apparatus and method
A method of transmitting data symbols via an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexed (OFDM) symbols that includes forming data symbols into pairs and generating a first pair of modulation symbols for each of the pairs of data symbols, where the first pair of modulation symbols form first and second modulation symbols of an Alamouti cell. The method further includes forming a first version of the OFDM symbols by modulating the sub-carriers allocated for carrying the data with the first and second modulation symbols of the Alamouti cells, and modulating the one or more pilot carriers of the first version of the OFDM symbol according to a predetermined pattern.
US08462864B2 OFDM transmitter and methods for reducing the effects of severe interference with symbol loading
Embodiments of an OFDM transmitter and method of reducing the effects of interference on subcarriers in an OFDM system by symbol loading are disclosed herein. A linear transformation is performed on a group of two or more input data symbols to generate a corresponding two or more output data symbols. Each of the output data symbols has an increased number of constellation points and are configured for transmission within one of the different signal dimensions using two or more antennas. Each of the two or more output data symbols carry the information of each of the input data symbols of the group. This coding together of input data symbols that are mapped to different signal dimensions may provide improved reliability against fading and severe interference. The different signal dimensions may comprise a frequency, a time and/or a space dimension.
US08462859B2 Sphere decoding apparatus
Methods and apparatuses for decoding codewords received over a MIMO channel are provided. According to one aspect of the disclosure, a cost function is computed for each constellation point of an Mth rank or spatial layer, and Ncand of those constellation points having minimum cost are preserved as candidate points, where Ncand is a parameter specified to the decoding algorithm. In addition, a cost function may be computed for all possible transitions from the Ncand candidate points of the Mth rank to all possible constellation points of the (M−1)th spatial layer, and Ncand of those transitions having minimum cost are preserved as candidate points. The process is repeated for all spatial layers, resulting in the identification of Ncand candidate codewords and their associated cost functions.
US08462856B2 Systems and methods for error resilience in video communication systems
Systems and methods for error resilient transmission and for random access in video communication systems are provided. The video communication systems are based on single-layer, scalable video, or simulcast video coding with temporal scalability, which may be used in video communication systems. A set of video frames or pictures in a video signal transmission is designated for reliable or guaranteed delivery to receivers using secure or high reliability links, or by retransmission techniques. The reliably-delivered video frames are used as reference pictures for resynchronization of receivers with the transmitted video signal after error incidence and for random access.
US08462852B2 Methods and apparatus for adaptively choosing a search range for motion estimation
Systems, methods, and computer program products that can be used to determine a search range (SR) when performing motion estimation at, for example, a video encoder or decoder. Determining a motion vector for a current block during motion estimation may involve searching within a search window that may reside in a reference frame, or in a previously decoded block that spatially or temporally neighbors the current block. Such a search seeks a motion vector that minimizes a metric, such as a sum of absolute differences between corresponding blocks of reference frames. A motion vector that minimizes such a metric may be a good candidate for use in motion estimation. The search may become more efficient if a search range is determined such that the extent of the search is bounded. A search range may be determined at the block level or at the picture level.
US08462851B2 Video encoding method and apparatus and video decoding method and apparatus
Provided are an encoding and decoding method and an apparatus for implementing the same in which a processing order for predetermined-size blocks included in a macroblock is defined in order to efficiently use spatial correlation in an image. After a macroblock is divided into first blocks of a predetermined size and motion compensation is performed on each of the first blocks, a second-block processing order for sequentially processing second blocks included in a current first block is determined in order to process a residue between a motion compensation value of the current first block and the current first block in units of the second blocks having a smaller size than that of the current first block.
US08462848B2 Method and system for intra-mode selection without using reconstructed data
A method and system are provided in which a current block of pixels of a video frame may be encoded and a direction associated with a next block of pixels of the video frame may be estimated. The direction estimation of the next block may be concurrent with the encoding of the current block. The current block and the next block may each be a sub-block in the same macroblock of the video frame. The current block and the next block may both be 4×4 or 8×8 pixel blocks. The encoding may comprise predicting values for the current block based on an estimated direction associated with the current block and values of previously reconstructed pixels adjacent to the current block. The encoding may comprise the generation of reconstructed values of the current block of pixels that may be fed back for the direction estimation associated with the next block of pixels.
US08462846B2 Video encoder and method for performing intra-prediction and video data compression
The invention provides a method for performing intra-prediction. A target pixel is selected from a plurality of pixels of a current block. A first intra-prediction mode of a left block and a second intra-prediction mode of an up block are then determined. A first prediction value of the target pixel is calculated according to the first intra-prediction mode. A second prediction value of the target pixel is calculated according to the second intra-prediction mode. The first prediction value and the second prediction value are then weighted-averaged to obtain a weighted-average prediction value as an intra-prediction value of the target pixel.
US08462845B2 Encoding parameter determination for a hybrid encoding scheme
A method for determining an order of values for an encoding parameter of a hybrid encoding scheme for each frame of a frame sequence for use for encoding the frame sequence by means of the hybrid encoding scheme is described. Using the hybrid encoding scheme, resulting distortions and compression rates for the frames of the frame sequence are established for the case of the complete encoding of the frame sequence, and for the case of the incomplete encoding of a real partial sequence of the frame sequence. Thereupon, establishing of estimated distortions and compression rates for frames of the frame sequence takes place, followed by determining the order of values for the encoding parameter of the hybrid encoding scheme based on the established resulting and estimated distortions and compression rates.
US08462843B2 Image transfer apparatus
The invention has: a first register that is set when receiving a CEC message which a video signal source reads an EDID of a video transmitting apparatus and issues and is reset in response to a leading edge of 5V that is supplied from the video signal source; and a second register which reads an EDID of a video displaying apparatus, is set when it is decided that the video displaying apparatus is a predetermined video displaying apparatus, and is reset when a state where an HPD is in a state of “L” has continued for a predetermined period of time or longer. Only when both of the first and second registers have been set, it is determined that a predetermined video signal source, the video transmitting apparatus, and the video displaying apparatus have directly been connected.
US08462842B2 Symmetry for interpolation filtering of sub-pixel positions in video coding
This disclosure describes filtering techniques applied by an encoder and a decoder during the prediction stage of a video encoding and/or decoding process. The filtering techniques may enhance the accuracy of predictive data used during fractional interpolation, and may improve predictive data of integer blocks of pixels. There are several aspects to this disclosure, including a useful twelve-pixel filter support that may be used for interpolation, techniques that use coefficient symmetry and pixel symmetry to reduce the amount of data needed to be sent between an encoder and a decoder to configure the filter support for interpolation, and techniques for filtering data at integer pixel locations in a manner that is similar to sub-pixel interpolation. Other aspects of this disclosure concern techniques for encoding information in the bitstream to convey the type of filter used, and possibly the filter coefficients used. Predictive coding of filter coefficients is also described.
US08462840B2 Digital to time converter and digital to time converting method
A digital-to-time converter for generating a first and a second output signal separated by a predetermined delay includes first and second periodic signal generators, respectively, generating a first and a second periodic signal, a periodic signal synchronizer detecting a phase difference between the first and the second periodic signals, and first and second output pulse generators, respectively, starting a count of the first and the second periodic signals when a phase of the first periodic signal coincides with a phase of the second periodic signal. When a first value is counted, the first output pulse generator outputs a pulse as the first output signal, and when a second value is counted, the second output pulse generator outputs a pulse as the second output signal.
US08462836B2 Method for detecting offset signal corresponding to transmission leakage signal
A method for detecting offset signal corresponding to transmission leakage signal is disclosed, whereby reception sensitivity can be improved by accurately offsetting a leakage signal in transmission signal mixedly inputted into the reception signal in a radio transceiver, and an offset signal corresponding to a transmission leakage signal can be rapidly detected in the radio transceiver to rapidly offset the transmission leakage signal included in a reception signal.
US08462832B1 Methods and apparatus for processing uplink signals
Methods and apparatus for dynamically allocating processing resources between low rate, e.g., standard rate, and high rate data channel processing chains are described. This allows for different numbers of high data rate and standard data rate uplink users to be supported at different times using the same set of hardware.
US08462823B2 Small packaged tunable laser with beam splitter
According to one embodiment, the present application includes a tunable laser configured in a small package. The tunable laser includes a housing with a volume formed by exterior walls. An electrical input interface is positioned at the first end of the housing and configured to receive an information-containing electrical signal. An optical output interface is positioned at the second end of the housing and configured to transmit a continuous wave optical beam. A tunable semiconductor laser is positioned in the interior space and operable to emit a laser beam having a selectable wavelength. A focusing lens assembly is positioned in the interior space along an optical path of the laser beam to operatively couple the laser beam to the optical output interface.
US08462820B2 Network traffic synchronization mechanism
Methods, apparatuses and systems directed to a network traffic synchronization mechanism facilitating the deployment of network devices in redundant network topologies. In certain embodiments, when a first network device directly receives network traffic, it copies the network traffic and transmits it to at least one partner network device. The partner network device processes the copied network traffic, just as if it had received it directly, but, in one embodiment, discards the traffic before forwarding it on to its destination. In one embodiment, the partner network devices are operative to exchange directly received network traffic. As a result, the present invention provides enhanced reliability and seamless failover. Each unit, for example, is ready at any time to take over for the other unit should a failure occur. As discussed below, the network traffic synchronization mechanism can be applied to a variety of network devices, such as firewalls, gateways, network routers, and bandwidth management devices.
US08462818B2 Method for processing CDMA signals and a device having CDMA signal capabilities
A device and a method for processing CDMA compliant signals. The method includes receiving input signals; selecting, for each time interval out of multiple evenly length successive time intervals, multiple selected channel processing tasks that are scheduled to be at least partially executed during the time interval; storing input data at a first input buffer and providing data associated with at least one selected processing task from a second input buffer during even time intervals; and storing input data at the second input buffer and providing data associated with at least one selected processing task from the first input buffer during odd time intervals.
US08462816B2 Method and apparatus for mapping and de-mapping service data
A method for mapping service data is provided. The method includes: calculating a payload value according to service data to be transmitted; inserting the payload value into a payload value region of a corresponding frame in one group of data frames, in which the payload value is used to indicate an amount of service data carried by corresponding containers in a next group of data frames; and extracting service data of a payload value size carried by a previous group of data frames, and mapping the service data to a payload region after being respectively carried by corresponding containers. Correspondingly, an apparatus for mapping service data, and a method and an apparatus for de-mapping service data are further provided. The invention can be applied to the mapping of service data of various rates, moreover, service data of various types can be mapped by adopting one data structure of data frames.
US08462814B2 Internet protocol using ethernet first mile physical layer
A method to transmit and receive Internet protocol data packets comprising running an Internet protocol application, outputting an Internet protocol data packet based on the running of the Internet protocol application and transmitting the Internet protocol data packet via a physical layer compliant with Ethernet first mile standards.
US08462812B2 Method for estimation of residual bandwidth
This invention related to a bandwidth estimation method which is easily implementable on network nodes and enables to be made better routing decisions (for example the link with higher residual bandwidth should be favored in routing decisions) and/or estimates the flow admission control (for example accept a new flow only if there is enough available path residual bandwidth) by enabling estimation of availability of the communication capacity estimates.
US08462811B2 Isochronous device communication management
Various embodiments of the invention relate to apportioning a total memory bandwidth available for a time period amongst a plurality of bandwidth requests according to a power managed profile. In addition, isochronous data transmission may be appended together and transmitted according to a data transmission policy, wherein the policy may include transmitting the appended isochronous data during an opportunistic data transmission, or during a time identified for transmitting a combined isochronous data transmission, but prior to a time delay compliance limit for isochronous requirements.
US08462807B2 Telecommunications systems
A method of reducing the load on a first node in a cellular telecommunications network, which network includes a plurality of nodes, each of the nodes serving a plurality of telecommunications devices by providing communication resources thereto is disclosed. The method includes selecting a target telecommunications device for handover from the first node to a second of said nodes; handing over the target device to the second node; allocating communication resources to the target device to enable the second node to serve the target device; selecting a matched telecommunications device that is served by the first node; and adjusting the communication resources allocated to the matched device, which resources enable the first node to serve the matched device, so that they correspond to the resources allocated to the target device, which resources enable the second node to serve the target device.
US08462802B2 Hybrid weighted round robin (WRR) traffic scheduling
A network device receives traffic associated with a network of intermediate network devices and user devices, classifies the received traffic, and allocates the classified traffic to traffic queues. The network device also schedules particular queued traffic, provided in the traffic queues and bound for particular intermediate network devices, using a hybrid weighted round robin (WRR) scheduler where the hybrid WRR scheduler schedules the particular queued traffic according to one of a 1-level WRR schedule, a 1.5 level WRR schedule, or a 2-level WRR schedule. The network device further provides the particular queued traffic to the particular intermediate network devices based on the scheduling of the hybrid WRR scheduler.
US08462800B2 Gateway device and port number assignment method
When streaming transfer of voice or image is performed using a real time streaming protocol (RTSP), streaming transfer of a high bit rate is enabled even in an environment of using network address port translation (NAPT) and network address translation-protocol translation (NAT-PT). When a SETUP message of RTSP is received, a port number having the same number of digits as a client port number notified by a client is assigned from a port number pool, and is registered in an NAPT table. The SETUP message is rewritten with the port number.
US08462794B2 Distributed connection-oriented services for switched communication networks
Connection-oriented services for packet switched data communications networks are provided, including distributed MAC and protocol alias addresses discovery. Link state topology exchanges provide each switch with network topology graphs to determine paths from source to destination end systems. Broadcast frames are resolved to unicast frames to reduce broadcast traffic. Policy restrictions may be applied prior to connection setup. Connection management includes source-routed mapping of connections on the desired path. Distributed call rerouting is provided so switches receive topology change notifications and unmap failed link connections. Broadcast/unknown services provide non-resolvable packet restricted flooding. Connection-oriented switching is provided based on source and destination MAC addresses. Resolution of networks outside the switch domain is enabled by listening for network and server route advertisements and maintaining best routes to the networks and servers. Route and path metrics may be combined to determine paths from access switches to egress switches connected to the external network.
US08462793B2 System for strategic management and communication of data in machine environments
A system for strategic management and communication of data in machine environments includes at least one communication module for communicating data with an off-board system, the communication module being disposed in a machine environment and adapted for use with one or more communication methods. The system also includes a data interpreter communicatively coupled to the at least one communication module. The data interpreter is configured to communicate operation data associated with a machine, the operation data including a plurality of operational aspects associated with at least a portion the machine. The data interpreter prioritizes each of the plurality of operational aspects in a communication queue associated with the data interpreter. The data interpreter is also configured to select a communication method for each of the plurality of operational aspects based on a priority associated with a respective operational aspect and transmit each of the operational aspects to the off-board system via the selected communication method.
US08462788B2 Method, system and network node for setting up a label switching path
The present invention relates to communications technologies and discloses a method, a system, and a label switching router for setting up a Label Switching Path (LSP). The method includes: an ingress edge node sends a label request packet to a downstream node, where the label request packet carries an Equal Cost Multi-Path (ECMP) property flag of a Forwarding Equivalence Class (FEC); the downstream node that receives the label request packet sends the label request packet to a next-hop node according to the property flag; and the node that receives the label request packet performs label mapping according to a path of the label request packet, binds a label to the FEC, and sets up an LSP. An ECMP property flag indicating setting up an ECMP route is permitted is introduced in the process of setting up an LSP. Therefore, setup of an ECMP route is prevented for the FEC that imposes special requirements, and management and maintenance of the network are facilitated.
US08462786B2 Efficient TCAM-based packet classification using multiple lookups and classifier semantics
A method is provided for constructing a packet classifier for a computer network system. The method includes: receiving a set of rules for packet classification, where a rule sets forth values for fields in a data packet and a decision for data packets having matching field values; representing the set of rules as a directed graph; partitioning the graph into at least two partitions; generating at least one lookup table for each partition of the graph; and instantiating the lookup tables from one partition on a first content-addressable memory and the lookup tables from the other partition on a second content-addressable memory device.
US08462784B2 Security approach for transport equipment
An apparatus comprising encryption logic that provides security for fiber-based communications may be implemented in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. A data super frame is created by the encryption logic to comprise two or more data frames. Each of the data frames contains a payload portion. The encryption logic may receive one or more data payloads that are associated with a client signal. Using a single set of security control parameters, the encryption logic encrypts and stores a different encrypted payload in a payload portion of a different frame of the data frames in the data super frame. Instead of storing the set of security control parameters in a single data frame, the encryption logic stores the set of security control parameters in different sets of unused bytes associated with at least two different frames of the data frames.
US08462779B2 Frame transfer apparatus and frame transfer method
A frame transfer apparatus includes a plurality of ports for transmitting and receiving frames which include transmitting source information and transmitting destination information. The apparatus further includes a processing unit to store information which relates the transmitting source information included in the received frame and port information of a port which receives the received frame, a frame transmitting unit to transmit the received frame via a port that is identified by the port information which corresponds to the transmitting destination information included in the received frame and is extracted from the information stored by the processing unit, and a learning information erasing unit to erase the information stored by the processing unit for every predetermined time.
US08462778B2 Method and device for transmitting data
The method of transmitting data packets associated with an importance level comprises a step (305) of estimating available rate on the network. In case a variation is detected in estimated available rate greater than a first predetermined value, determination is made (309-317) of whether there is an increase in the round trip time on said network that is greater than a second predetermined value. If yes, the data packets are transmitted (319-325) at a rate lower than the estimated available rate.In embodiments, in case a variation is detected in estimated available rate greater than a first predetermined value and before the step of detecting an increase in the round trip time, a step (307) is carried out of transmitting packets of lower importance level than the average of said importance levels by using the current estimated available rate and the round trip time is determined on the basis of the sending of those packets.
US08462772B1 Method and system for providing party line emulation in a SIP-based network
A method and system of an embodiment of the present invention may involve receiving an incoming call from a calling party for one or more members of a group; transmitting an invite message to the one or more members; identifying an acceptance of the invite message by at least one member of the one or more members; and establishing an active dialog between the calling party and the at least one member.
US08462764B2 Apparatus and method for transmitting and receiving automatic repeat request feedback message in wireless communication system
An apparatus and a method for transmitting and receiving an Automatic Repeat reQuest (ARQ) feedback message in a wireless communication system are provided. A method for receiving an ARQ feedback message at a transmitting unit in a wireless communication system includes allocating a fixed-size resource for transmitting an ARQ feedback message, to a receiving unit, the resource being an unsolicited bandwidth, and receiving an ARQ feedback message or a resource request message from the receiving unit over the fixed-size resource allocated.
US08462763B2 Use of group poll scheduling for broadband communication systems
A group poll mechanism (GPM) that schedules upstream bandwidth for cable modems by pointing a request opportunity normally reserved for a single service flow to more than one service flow. Essentially, instead of using the seldom-used poll requests one per service flow, this same request opportunity is pointed to multiple service flows. In such kind of a scheme the GPM gives the same mini-slot to multiple service flows. The GPM implements the use of place-holder SIDs and novel mapping of information elements in MAP messages.
US08462753B2 Low profile mobile tri-band antenna system
Provided is a mobile tri-band antenna system having low profile. The antenna system includes a tri-band feeding unit for dividing a satellite broadcasting signal by a signal channel in an azimuth angle and an elevation angle, and transmitting/receiving the satellite communication signal through distinguishing the satellite communication signal; a beam shaping unit for dividing the satellite broadcasting signals into a first channel signal and a second channel signal, combined power thereof through channel switching; an antenna controlling unit for driving an antenna system in an azimuth and elevation angle to direct the satellite according to the power combined second channel signal from the beam shaping unit; a first triplexer unit for outputting the power combined first channel signal to a rotary joint unit; a second triplexer unit for converting the first channel signal inputted to a downlink frequency and providing the converted first channel signal to the indoor apparatus.
US08462752B2 Method and arrangement for processing mobile station history information in a wireless communication system
Methods and apparatus for processing mobile station transaction information at a serving control node in a wireless communication system are disclosed. The serving control node may be a base station, such as an eNodeB in an LTE/SAE wireless communication system. The transaction information, which may include, for example, mobility-related transaction information and traffic-related transaction information for a given mobile station, may be passed between controlling control nodes as the corresponding mobile station is handed over, so that a controlling control node has access to information characterizing the past activities of the mobile station. This information may be used in some embodiments for selecting a target control node for handover or for allocating link resources.
US08462751B1 Managing wireless local area networks
A geolocation utilization manager for managing wireless local area networks (WLAN) each supporting wireless communications between an associated access point node and associated station nodes on a corresponding one of a plurality of communication channels. The geolocation utilization manager for aggregating channel utilization information from the WLANs, and consolidating channel usage between neighboring underutilized ones of the WLANs, thereby maximizing utilization of a shared channel between neighboring underutilized ones of the WLANs. Whereby underutilized neighboring WLANs otherwise utilizing unique channels instead share a single channel, thereby freeing up other communication channels across an available WiFi, IEEE 802.11 or other such spectrum.
US08462748B2 Layer-2 IP networking method and apparatus for mobile hosts
A method and apparatus to enable IP networking for mobile hosts without requiring changes to be made to the TCP/IP stack in the operating system installed on the mobile hosts. The apparatus is an “intelligent device” that can be installed on or connected to a mobile host, and may comprise a software-only logical module, physical hardware, or a combination of both. To a mobile host, the intelligent device emulates a network interface such as an Ethernet card or a telephone modem. The intelligent device appears to an access network just like any regular IP host connected to the access network through a physical network interface device. The intelligent device handles all mobile networking functions for the mobile host, and may control multiple different physical network interface devices to enable a connection to the “best” access network available to the mobile user at his location.
US08462742B2 System and method for optimizing authentication procedure during inter access system handovers
Disclosed is a method and system of deriving new keys for accessing a new system. The method enables an optimized authentication procedure during handover form an existing system to a new system by using the existing system access keys. The user equipment that is accessing the new system receives a temporary ID during handover preparation which enables the user equipment to perform a fast re-authentication. The method uses existing system access keys to derive system access keys for the new network.
US08462740B2 Method for generating control channel and decoding control channel, base station and mobile station thereof
A control channel generation method, a control channel decoding method, and a BS and an MS for implementing the methods are provided. The control channel generation method includes placing a frame control header (FCH) and a MAP within a TTI and generating a control channel for an enhanced communication system at a position after the MAP within the TTI. Another control channel generation method includes generating a control channel for the enhanced communication system and placing an FCH and a preamble at a position after the control channel. These methods enable implementation of an enhanced system that overcomes problems of the legacy system while minimizing influence exerted upon legacy MSs in the case where the base station generates a new control channel for a new MS or where an MS decodes a new control channel.
US08462734B2 Wireless docking with out-of-band initiation
Example method, apparatus, and computer program product embodiments are disclosed to enable out-of-band communications to be used in out-of-band initialization methods for simplified configuring of an in-band wireless docking environment for wireless devices. An example embodiment of the invention includes composing a wireless configuration for a plurality of devices in an in-band short-range wireless docking environment, by using out-of-band connections from a mobile device to the plurality of devices to send in-band short-range communication connection parameters including a timer value related to an expected completion time of a connection handover to in-band short-range communication.
US08462724B1 Transmission mode control for inter-band multi-carrier capable devices
There are provided measures for enabling transmission mode control for inter-hand multi-carrier capable devices, such as inter-band carrier aggregation capable devices. Such measure may exemplarily include acquiring at least one output power restriction value for a cumulative output power for a combination of at least two uplink carriers of a terminal device. The two uplink carriers operate on different bands, at the terminal device, and perform transmission mode control in terms of switching between an uplink carrier combination transmission mode and a single uplink carrier transmission mode using the acquired at least one output power restriction value at the terminal device.
US08462723B2 Methods and systems for transmission of multiple modulated signals over wireless networks
A method and apparatus for requesting and allocating bandwidth in a broadband wireless communication system. The inventive method and apparatus includes a combination of techniques that allow a plurality of CPEs to communicate their bandwidth request messages to respective base stations. One technique includes a “polling” method whereby a base station polls CPEs individually or in groups and allocates bandwidth specifically for the purpose of allowing the CPEs to respond with bandwidth requests. The polling of the CPEs by the base station may be in response to a CPE setting a “poll-me bit” or, alternatively, it may be periodic. Another technique comprises “piggybacking” bandwidth requests on bandwidth already allocated to a CPE. In accordance with this technique, currently active CPEs request bandwidth using previously unused portions of uplink bandwidth that is already allocated to the CPE. The CPE is responsible for distributing the allocated uplink bandwidth in a manner that accommodates the services provided by the CPE. By using a combination of bandwidth allocation techniques, the present invention advantageously makes use of the efficiency benefits associated with each technique.
US08462717B2 Method and apparatus for dynamically allocating H-ARQ processes
A method and apparatus for supporting enhanced uplink (EU) transmissions, implemented in a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), is disclosed. The WTRU provides hybrid automatic repeat request (H-ARQ) processes for supporting transmission over an enhanced dedicated channel (E-DCH), wherein at least one H-ARQ process is reserved for a dedicated channel medium access control channel (MAC-d) flow. The WTRU receives H-ARQ information, wherein the information indicates H-ARQ processes for which transmission of data from the MAC-d flow is allowed. For each transmission time interval (TTI), the WTRU allocates an H-ARQ process for use by the MAC-d flow, from the allowed H-ARQ processes. The WTRU transmits data from the MAC-d flow over the E-DCH using the allocated H-ARQ process.
US08462715B2 Communication system and individual control information transmission and reception method
A communication system that transmits individual control information to a plurality of respective user terminals using a shared control channel, wherein when transmitting individual control information and prescribed control information to the user terminals, a base station device divides user terminals into groups according to the contents of the prescribed control information for the respective user terminals, arranges the individual control information for each user terminal in a specified group order, creates number-in-group information wherein the number of user terminals belonging to each group is arranged in the group order, and transmits the number-in-group information together with the individual control information for each user terminal in the group order.
US08462712B2 Base station device, mobile station device, program, uplink synchronization requesting method, and synchronization-shift measurement signal transmitting method
A base station device includes: a re-synchronization factor detector that detects an uplink re-synchronization factor of a mobile station device; a data controller that generates, when the re-synchronization factor detector detects the uplink re-synchronization factor, data in which information indicative of an uplink synchronization request addressed to the mobile station device is set to a region on a radio frame to which parameters to be used for synchronous communication with the mobile station device are to be set; and a transmitter that transmits data generated by the data controller.
US08462711B2 Base station apparatus, user apparatus, and method used in mobile communications system
A base station apparatus in a mobile communications system which uses orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) for downlink is disclosed. The base station includes a unit which generates a first signal; a unit which generates a second signal; a unit which multiplexes the first signal and the second signal to map the multiplexed signals to a sub-carrier to generate a transmit symbol; and a mapping determining unit which determines a position of mapping the second signal to the sub-carrier, wherein the mapping determining unit determines the mapping position based on a cell ID or cell group ID, and a mapping pattern defined with a sequence having two-stage structure.
US08462710B2 Mechanism to uniquely identify and unify a user's set of packet bearer contexts in a mobile telecommunications network
A traffic plane entity (e.g., user plane entity (UPE), serving gateway (S-GW)) and method are described herein for allocating a unique identifier (e.g., UPE/S-GW UE-Context-Id) which identifies and unifies a set of bearers within a UE context that is associated with a given UE. In operation, the traffic plane entity can then send the allocated unique identifier to another entity (e.g., mobility management entity (MME)) which at a subsequent time re-sends the unique identifier back to the traffic plane entity along with a request to have the traffic plane entity perform a specific operation or procedure on the bearers associated with the UE context of the given UE. Upon receiving the request, the traffic plane entity uses the unique identifier to perform the requested operation or procedure simultaneously on all of the bearers associated with the UE context of the given UE.
US08462706B2 Method for requesting and reporting channel quality information in wireless system and apparatus thereof
The subscriber station of claim 15, wherein the uplink data includes data to be transmitted, and a header having information on the data and the subscriber, and the uplink data generator adds the subheader includDisclosed is a method and device for requesting and reporting channel quality information in a mobile communication system. An uplink radio resource for a subscriber station having data to transmit is allocated and a CQI indicator for requesting channel quality information is added to the allocation information to be transmitted to a subscriber station. The subscriber station having received the uplink radio resource allocation information generates channel quality information by measuring the radio channel quality for communication with the base station according to existence of the indicator and transmits desired uplink data having the generated channel quality information to the base station. As a result, the seamless and efficient channel quality report can be performed in the wireless communication system, and the optical modulation and the channel coding level can be adapted for the subscriber to transmit or receive the data corresponding to the channel quality. ing the channel quality information to the header of the uplink data.
US08462703B2 Information processing system, information processing apparatus and communication process allowing connection to network in accordance with a plurality of communication methods
An information processing system includes an information processing apparatus for connecting to a network by: 1) a first communication method with a first connection control device; and/or 2) a second communication method with a second connection control device. The information processing apparatus includes a relay destination determining unit for determining a relay destination based on an identifier provided by a first providing unit, and a second providing unit for providing a predetermined identifier defined under the first communication method for indicating the second connection control device to be a relay destination. The relay destination determining unit determines any of the first and second connection control devices to be the relay destination, based on any of the identifier provided by the first providing unit and the identifier provided by the second providing unit.
US08462699B2 Admission control of emergency connections
The present invention relates to a solution for handling emergency or prioritized communication in a wireless communication network during negotiation of access to the wireless communication network from a mobile station using dedicated emergency multiple-access sequences which are also used as communication division codes in communication with a base station of the network.
US08462698B2 Apparatus and method for searching route of mobile node in short-range communication environment
A method is provided for searching a route of a mobile node in a short-range communication environment. A first router to which a mobile node belongs acquires a unique address of the mobile node for communication with the mobile node. The first router determines whether the mobile node travels during communication. When the mobile node travels, the first router broadcasts the unique address of the mobile node to one or more neighboring routers and determines whether the one or more neighboring routers include the mobile node. If a second router, which is one of the one or more neighboring routers, includes the mobile node, the second router performs communication using the unique address without an additional address acquisition process.
US08462697B2 Sensor node having self localization function and self localization method thereof
Disclosed are a sensor node having a self localization function and a self localization method of the sensor node. The sensor node calculates a location thereof by receiving location information measured at each of two mobile nodes at different times and using four location information of the received location information. Additional cost and power consumption required for installing additional equipment such as an anchor node, a ultrasonic transceiver and a signal amplifier are reduced.
US08462690B2 Apparatus and method for asynchronous control message transmission for data retransmission in wireless relay communication system
An apparatus and a method for data retransmission in a multihop relay wireless communication system are provided. The retransmission method includes determining whether an error is detected in data received from an upper node; generating a message indicative of the data error; and sending the message to the upper node at a time that is not appointed with the upper node. Therefore, it is possible to reduce a retransmission delay time that occurs during synchronous retransmission.
US08462689B2 Receiver for time division multiplex system without explicit time slot assignment
A technique for a time division multiplex system in which access to shared broadcast communication media is granted on a demand basis. Particular connections are assigned slot times at the transmitter based on demand. However, no specific information regarding the assignment of time slots need be communicated to the receivers. The transmit side employs a forward error correction technique followed by multiplication by a cover sequence unique to each connection. All receivers listen to the broadcast transmission channel all of the time. The receiver assigned to each connection decodes the signals in such a manner that only the receiver with the correct cover sequence assigned to a particular connection will successfully decode the data associated with that connection. Data frames that fail the forward error correction process are discarded, and only those frames which are successfully decoded are passed up to a higher layer. The occurrence of an erroneously received frame is not necessarily always reported to the transmit side of the connection; only a packet level error indication is made. In this way, information containing time slot assignment need not be communicated between the transmitter and receiver, and yet data will be correctly received.
US08462688B1 Base station and wireless device radio resource control configuration
A base station transmits control message(s) to a wireless device configuring secondary cell(s). The control messages comprise common parameters and dedicated parameters. The common parameters comprise random access resource parameters and power control parameters for a secondary cell. The dedicated parameters comprise a cell group index for a secondary cell and a time alignment timer for a secondary cell group. The base station transmits a control command causing transmission of a random access preamble on the random access resources of the secondary cell. Transmission power of the random access preamble is calculated employing the power control parameters.
US08462685B2 Radio communication apparatus, radio communication method, program and radio communication system
A radio communication apparatus, including a communication control part that controls direct communication or relay communication via a base station with other radio communication apparatuses, a data generation part that generates a mode transition notification to notify the other radio communication apparatuses, which are targets of the direct communication, of a transition to a power thrifty mode or a switching request, notification to request switching from the direct communication to the relay communication via the base station, and the mode transition notification to the base station, and a mode control part that causes the transition of an operation mode to the power thrifty mode after all responses to the mode transition notification and the switching request notification are received.
US08462682B2 Method and arrangement for separate channel power control
Method and arrangement in a first node, for generating a first and a second correctness target value. The generated correctness target values are used by a power control of the radio signals sent from a second node to be received by the first node. The radio signals are sent over at least a first channel and a second channel. The method comprises establishing a difference between the obtained first quality value of the first channel with a first quality target value of the first channel and generating a first correctness target value. The method also comprises the step of establishing a second difference between the obtained second quality value of the second channel with a second quality target value of the second channel and generating a second correctness target value.
US08462681B2 Method and apparatus for adaptive transmission of sensor data with latency controls
Disclosed is a method and apparatus to continuously transmit high bandwidth, real-time data, on a communications network (e.g., wired, wireless, and a combination of wired and wireless segments). A control computing device uses user or application requirements to dynamically adjust the throughput of the system to match the bandwidth of the communications network being used, so that data latency is minimized. An operator can visualize the instantaneous characteristic of the link and, if necessary, make a tradeoff between the latency and resolution of the data to help maintain the real-time nature of the system and better utilize the available network resources. Automated control strategies have also been implemented into the system to enable dynamic adjustments of the system throughput to minimize latency while maximizing data resolution. Several applications have been cited in which latency minimization techniques can be employed for enhanced dynamic performance.
US08462680B2 Method and system for operating a communication network
A network node, a coordination node, a management node, a communication system and method for operating a communication system having a first type of communication network and a second type of communication network, wherein a request message identifying a network node in the first type of communication network is sent to the coordination node in the first type of communication network by the management node in the second type of communication network, the network node is removed from the first type of communication network by the coordination node, the removed network node is included in the second type of communication network by the management node, and a data interchange is performed between the management node and the network node inserted in the second type of communication network.
US08462679B2 Methods and apparatus for producing and submitting an HTTP request with a selected top-level domain from a mobile communication device
A mobile communication device is associated with a home wireless carrier that is identifiable by a home carrier identification stored in its memory. The mobile device also maintains a stored list of a plurality of carrier identifications, where each carrier identification is stored in association with one of a plurality of top-level domains. The mobile device reads the home carrier identification from the memory, and selects one of the plurality of top-level domains that is stored in association with the home carrier identification. During operation, the mobile device reads a specified domain name in response to a user-initiated request made via a Web browser or search application. Then, the mobile device produces a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request with a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) having the selected top-level domain and a second-level domain corresponding to the specified domain name. The HTTP request with the URL is submitted via the wireless communication network. Advantageously, consistency in accessing web sites, information, and/or search results may be achieved regardless of location of the mobile station.
US08462676B2 Frame structure for support of large delay spread deployment scenarios
A frame structure for support of large delay spread deployment scenarios (e.g., cellular system operation in large cell sizes or low frequency bands) is generally presented. In this regard a method is introduced comprising partitioning a radio frame into a plurality of equal-sized (or non-equal-sized) sub-frames to simplify system implementation. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.
US08462672B2 Method of communicating according to time division duplex
The present invention provides a method of performing communication using a TDD (Time Division Duplex) mode, the method comprising receiving, from a second system, TDD frame configuration information of the second system, which comprises information on punctured symbol, the information on punctured symbol to be obtained based on TDD frame configuration information of a first system and operating based on the received TDD frame configuration information of the second system.
US08462671B2 Terminal having a variable duplex capability
A cellular telecommunications terminal having a full-duplex mode of operation and a half-duplex mode of operation, including a first cellular transmitter and a first cellular receiver operable, when the terminal is in the full-duplex mode, to transmit and receive at the same time and operable, when the terminal is in the half-duplex mode, to transmit and receive at different times and not at the same time; and a switching control for changing the mode of operation of the terminal while operating in the full-duplex mode from the full-duplex mode to the half-duplex mode.
US08462670B2 Internet based communication system and method
A method of establishing a phone conversation between an initiator's device and a destination device and an Internet based communication system. The method comprises the steps of instructing one or more internal private branch exchange (PBX) telephone network/s to initiate separate calls to the initiator's device and the destination device respectively using existing termination option/s of the PBX network/s over an Internet network based system; and bridging of the two separate calls to establish a phone conversation between the initiator's device and the destination device.
US08462668B2 System and method for implementation of layer 2 redundancy protocols across multiple networks
The system, method, and article of manufacture of the present invention allows multiple customers connected to a common external network to each implement a layer 2 redundancy protocol, such as the spanning tree protocol, in order to prevent layer 2 loops. Accordingly, a method is presented for providing an independent loop free layer 2 topology between a external network and a customer network comprising tagging control packets originating on the customer network with a unique identifier and tunneling the control packets received from the customer network between a plurality of boundary interface devices at the external network such that the control packets are routed back to the customer network based on the presence of the unique identifier in the control packet. The layer 2 redundancy protocol on the customer network converges based at least in part on the presence of control packets appearing on more than one port on the customer network.
US08462666B2 Method and apparatus for provisioning a network switch port
A network switch is comprised of a control processor and one or more line cards. The control processor includes functionality to register interest with a hypervisor, operating in conjunction with a network host connected to the switch, in data object attributes maintained on the network host by the hypervisor. The hypervisor associated with the network host sends changes in the host attributes to the switch which the switch maintains in a listing of attributes. The switch traps and copies particular packets to the switch control processor where a provisioning function operates on the attribute information in the list with source information included in the packet header in order to configure a forwarding table on the line card.
US08462662B2 Updating node presence based on communication pathway
A data communications network, for which presence information is maintained for wireless data communication devices forming nodes of the network, includes: a presence server; and a plurality of nodes formed by the wireless data communication devices, each of the devices configured to send periodic check-in messages to the presence server. The presence server is configured to send an acknowledgment in response to a check-in message. Each of the wireless data communication devices is configured to reset a timer associated with the sending of the check-in messages by it upon (i) communicating, as an intermediate node, a check-in message originating at another node, and (ii) communicating, as an intermediate node, a corresponding acknowledgment originating at the presence server. The presence server is configured to update presence information of wireless data communication device from which a check-in message originates and each intermediate node.
US08462661B2 Auto-discovery in a switch
A wireless communication system comprises a hub; a plurality of radio access nodes; a plurality of forward devices that produce digitized versions of downstream analog radio frequency signals; a plurality of reverse devices that produce reconstructed versions of upstream analog radio frequency signals; a plurality of transport interfaces to couple the hub to the plurality of communication links; and a switch having a plurality of ports. The plurality of ports comprises a plurality of input ports and plurality of output ports. The switch listens for a device identifier on at least one of the plurality of input ports to determine if a device is communicatively coupled to the input port. The switch transmits a port identifier over at least one of the plurality of output ports and searches a shared data structure to determine if a device is communicatively coupled to the output port.
US08462656B2 Method and apparatus for multi-service adaptation and carriage
A method and an apparatus for multi-service adaptation and carriage, comprising: mapping at the service adaptation layer different types of services into uniform enhanced Gigabit Passive Optical Network Encapsulation Method (E-GEM) frames; combining at the channel layer E-GEM frames encapsulating the same type of services into the same type of T-CONT frames; setting a priority for each type of T-CONT; guaranteeing bandwidth for T-CONT frames with high priority and preferentially sending it.
US08462651B1 Methods and devices for using silence intervals to enhance wireless communications
Methods and devices for transmission of communications during a silence interval are described. A base station (BS) provides timing data to an access terminal (AT) and AT uses timing data to synchronize with BS to carry our silence and non-silence intervals for an RF air interface. AT attempts to initiate communications by transmitting an access probe (AP) to BS during a non-silence interval. Other ATs may transmit communications to BS during non-silence interval. If BS acknowledges AP during non-silence interval, AT does not transmit during a subsequent silence interval. If AP was for an emergency communication and BS does not acknowledge AP sent during non-silence interval, AT transmits another AP during the subsequent silence interval to initiate emergency communication. If AP was not for emergency communication, AT does not transmit AP during the subsequent silence interval. The other ATs do not transmit communications to BS during the subsequent silence interval.
US08462644B2 Ad hoc network initiation
Method, apparatus, and computer program product embodiments are disclosed to improve network performance for ad hoc network initiation. Example embodiments include a new operational sequence for wireless devices initiating the use of an ad hoc network. The example embodiments require appropriately enabled wireless devices to only respond to probe request frames from other similarly appropriately enabled wireless devices. In this manner, two devices may avoid the time consuming effort of combining two different ad hoc networks into a single ad hoc network so that the two devices can communicate.
US08462642B2 Method of analysis for internet telephone quality and its interference
A method for analyzing Internet telephone quality and interference has developed that two-way voice and video quality between IP phones and a measurement instrument measures in real time along the actual communication path using loopback functions of the IP phones. When interference is detected, the interference source location is identified by checking whether the interference has occurred in the internal section of the IP phones or in the IP network section on the basis of loopback results of the IP phones and ping and trace route analysis in a section-based manner.
US08462641B2 Power loss packet priority
An advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) enabled device, program product and communication system. An AMI enabled device is described that includes a power failure detection system that constructs a power loss message in response to a detected loss of power and a communication system for transmitting messages over a network. The communications system includes: a prioritization system for prioritizing the power loss message as a high priority message, and a queuing system that ensures that the power loss message is transmitted ahead of all low priority messages.
US08462640B2 Method of monitoring a tandem connection in a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) telecommunication network
It is disclosed a method of monitoring, a Multi-Protocol Label Switching network, a tandem connection of a Label Switched Path. The tandem connection to be monitored has an input node and an output node. The method comprises the following steps: receiving a first Operation Administration Management packet at the input node; and generating a second OAM packet at the input node. According to the invention, the following steps are further performed: a tandem connection header is inserted into the first OAM packet; both the first OAM packet with the tandem connection header and the second OAM packet are sent towards the output node; and the second OAM packet is identified according to the presence or absence of said tandem connection header.
US08462638B2 Soft preemption for minimizing preemptions in a network
In an embodiment, a method is disclosed for minimizing soft preemptions of LSPs. Upon receiving a reservation message for an LSP whose requested bandwidth that exceeds the available bandwidth of downstream links, a network node may select a set of LSPs for soft preemption and share the selection with other nodes along their paths, both upstream and downstream. By coordinating the selection of LSPs to soft-preempt among nodes on the path, fewer LSPs may require soft preemption, which may result in minimizing excessive network disruptions, and thus, allowing the network to function more efficiently.
US08462637B1 Dial plan routing for fragmented networks
In one configuration, the present invention is directed to an enterprise network that includes geographically dislocated first and second network regions communicating with one another through first and second networks and respectively comprising first and second gateways and first and second groupings of trunks. A media server is positioned in the first network region that includes a routing agent. When a WAN outage occurs, the routing agent, using a dial plan, maps the dialed digits to an electronic address addressable over the PSTN and routes the call over the PSTN to the destination second communication device in the second network region.
US08462636B2 Systems and methods for communication of management traffic over link aggregation group interface for a network element with distributed architecture
According to one embodiment, a network element may include one or more network interfaces and a master control unit communicatively coupled to the one or more network interfaces. The one or more network interfaces may include in the aggregate, a plurality of physical ports configured as member ports of a link aggregation group. The master control unit may be configured to maintain a routing table, such routing table including information regarding which of the plurality of physical ports of the link aggregation group is designated as an active port for management traffic egressing via the link aggregation group, wherein the active port carries a communication channel for the management traffic segregated from carrier traffic, and communicate the routing table to each of the one or more network interfaces.
US08462630B2 Early generation of acknowledgements for flow control
One or more flow control modules, implemented on various types of network topologies, provide a number of functionalities for controlling the flow of IP packets (such as TCP/IP packets) over a network connection. The flow control modules may be implemented within a sender and/or receiver or may be deployed into a network as a separate device without requiring significant additional resources.
US08462626B2 System and method for mapping end user identifiers to access device identifiers
The present system uses point-to-point data links between intelligent network elements located in the feeder/distribution network to provide reliable, secure, bi-directional broadband access. Digital signals, or messages, are terminated at the intelligent network elements, switched and regenerated for transmission across additional upstream or downstream data links as needed to connect a home to a headend or router. Messages indicative of an end user routing ID (RID) are identified and the information extracted for user with successive messages. In this manner, the data links are made over relatively short runs of coax cable, which can provide greater bandwidth than the typical end-to-end feeder/distribution connection between a home and the headend or optical network unit.
US08462625B2 System for estimating download speed from passive measurements
A system for passive estimation of throughput in an electronic network is disclosed. The system may include an plurality of mobile devices configured to operate in the network and may further include an electronic data processor. The processor may be configured to access flow records for data flows associated with the mobile devices during a predetermined time interval. Additionally, the processor may be configured to annotate the flow records with an application field and a content provider field. The processor may also be configured to determine a flow type of each data flow based on the application field and the content provider field of the flow records. Furthermore, the processor may be configured to generate a throughput index that only includes non-rate-limited flow types. Moreover, the processor may be configured to estimate maximum throughput for each data flow having non-rate-limited flow types in the throughput index.
US08462624B2 Congestion management over lossy network connections
A network stack includes a packet loss analyzer that distinguishes between packet losses due to congestion and due to lossyness of network connections. The loss analyzer observes the packet loss patterns for comparison with a packet loss model. The packet loss model may be based on a Forward Error Correction (FEC) system. The loss analyzer determines if lost packets could have been recovered by a receiving network device, if FEC had been used. If the lost packets could have been corrected by FEC, the loss analyzer assumes that no network congestion exists and that the packet loss comes from the lossy aspects of the network, such as radio interference for wireless networks. If the loss analyzer determines that some of the lost packet could not have been recovered by the receiving network device, the loss analyzer assumes that network congestion causes these packet losses and reduces the data rate.
US08462623B2 Bandwidth control method and transmission equipment
The present invention is comprised for pre-setting bandwidth control information of each user for each of the number of normal physical links which are integrated as a Link Aggregation, recognizing the number of currently normal physical links if a failure, or recovery therefrom, of a physical link which is integrated as the aforementioned Link Aggregation, and carrying out a bandwidth control, for each user traffic, corresponding to the number of the recognized normal physical links by referring to bandwidth control information of each user for each of the number of preset normal physical links, in order to prevent an occurrence of unfairness in usable bandwidth among the users even in the case of a failure occurrence in respective physical links which are logically integrated as a Link Aggregation.
US08462619B2 Systems and methods for providing fault detection and management
Methods and systems for providing fault detection and management are disclosed. A system includes a web-based interface that allows a user to access all elements of a customer service network, which spans multiple networks, departments, and external partners. The system, and thereby the user, is able to manage almost all aspects of the network, thereby giving the user end-to-end customer experience issue management. Real time and archived events are utilized, in some embodiments, for root cause analysis and/or process and/or performance improvement. Events from differing transport, platform, technology and OSI model levels are correlated for optimal customer experience monitoring alarming and analysis.
US08462612B2 Dynamic interleaving method and device
An interleaving method (2) and an interleaver (9) for frequency interleaving data symbols. The data symbols are for allocation to carriers in a set of NFFT carriers of a module for multiplexing and modulation by orthogonal functions in a multicarrier transmitter device (3). A block of Npm successive data symbols is interleaved in application of an interleaving law that varies over time for a given transmission mode of the transmitter device, where Npm is less than or equal to NFFT.
US08462608B2 Read-only optical recording medium
[Object] To provide a durable read-only optical recording medium having less variances in characteristics of a metal reflective film due to a temporal change.[Solving Means] Provided is a read-only optical recording medium (100) including: a substrate (101); an information recording surface onto which information is recorded by combining pits (P) and lands (L); and a metal reflective film (102) that is provided in contact with the information recording surface and represented by Al100-x-zXxZz, where x and z each represent an atomic %, X is constituted of an element including at least Ti, Z is constituted of an element including at least Fe, x is 1.0 to 3.0, and z is 0.05 to 1.0.
US08462603B2 Device for recording and reading data on a multi-layer optical disc
A three-dimensional optical memory device comprises an optical disc positioning system, two sources of radiation with wavelengths λ1 and λ2, a focusing system, an illumination system, focusing system positioning means, a spectrum splitter, an optical sensor, and a control unit. The radiation source with wavelength λ2 is an array of laser diodes, which optical axes are parallel and lie in the same plane. The illumination system comprises: a cylindrical lens positioned so that the generatrix of its cylindrical surface is parallel to the plane of the p-n junctions of the laser diodes; a focusing lens; and a stabilizing circuit comprising a beam splitter situated between the focusing lens and the cylindrical lens, a second optical sensor optically coupled to the focusing lens via the beam splitter, and a stabilizer coupled to the focusing lens, wherein the stabilizer and the second optical sensor are electrically connected to the control unit.
US08462601B1 Method and apparatus for optimizing optical recording
Aspects of the disclosure can provide a method to optimize optical recording. The method can include recording a pre-defined pattern on an optical medium according to a first write strategy, measuring edge timings corresponding to the pre-defined pattern recorded on the optical medium, determining a second write strategy including at least timing modifications to the first write strategy, and recording data on the optical medium according to the second write strategy. The timing modifications can be determined based on the measured edge timings, edge timing targets for desired edge timings and edge timing sensitivities to the timing modifications.
US08462600B2 Optical disc device
Even when a first differentiation value is equal to or greater than a first threshold value, this optical disc device does not confirm “CD” to be the differentiation result, as long as a first focus error signal FE1 or a first focus sum signal FS1 is less than a second threshold value; and even when the first differentiation value is equal to or greater than a second differentiation value, this optical disc device does not confirm “CD” to be the differentiation result, as long as the signal FE1 is less than a second focus error signal FE2, or as long as the signal FS1 is less than a second focus sum signal FS2. The signals FE1 and FS1 are obtained when a CD laser beam is directed onto an optical disc. The signals FE2 and FS2 are obtained when a DVD laser beam is directed onto the disc.
US08462597B2 Decoupling technique for optical disk drive optical pickup units
A low-cost technique to improve the performance of optical disk drives is presented. An algorithm is used to decouple electro-mechanical actuators thus compensating for inaccuracies in the control of the actuators. A similar method can be used to decouple the position sensors. Prior art methods treated cross-coupling between focus, tracking and sled control loops as noise and therefore increased the bandwidth of the system, also increasing the cost of the optical disk drive. The present disclosure actively decouples the control loops using a software algorithm to provide better performing optical disk drives. The cross-coupling effects are measured, a decoupling matrix is determined, and the output of the control laws is modified so as to decouple the actuators.
US08462593B1 Thermal-assisted magnetic recording head having dielectric waveguide, metal waveguide and near-field light generating element
A magnetic head includes a dielectric waveguide to propagate propagation light; a metal waveguide facing the dielectric waveguide, coupling to the propagation light propagating through the dielectric waveguide in a surface plasmon mode, generating first surface plasmon with larger wavenumber than that of the propagation light, and propagating the first surface plasmon; a near-field light generating element facing the metal waveguide and extending to ABS, coupling to the first surface plasmon propagating on the metal waveguide in a surface plasmon mode, generating second surface plasmon with wavenumber larger than that of the first surface plasmon, propagating the second surface plasmon to an end part on the ABS side, and generating near-field light at the end part on the ABS side; and a recording magnetic pole provided in the vicinity of the near-field light generating element and having an end part positioned on the ABS.
US08462590B2 Display for use in managing movement of a patient in a bed
A system is provided for communicating to health care workers the turning, positioning and schedule requirements of dependent patients with pressure ulcers, or at risk for the development of pressure ulcers. The system includes a display indicating a clock face divided into sections each with a respective window location for displaying graphics of a display element illustrating a required lying position for the patient. Each of the display elements comprises a disk mounted on the substrate for rotation about a center axis thereof at right angles to the substrate with the graphics arranged thereon at angularly spaced positions around the axis so as to rotate a selected one of the graphics to the window to be displayed.
US08462585B2 Acquiring seismic vibrator signals having distinguishing signatures
A method and apparatus for generating a seismic source signal are provided for generating energy in the form of a plurality of time sequence vibratory signals, the vibratory signals being partitioned as a function of time and/or frequency, wherein each of the plurality of signals comprises a distinguishing signature. The partitioned vibratory signals are emitted into a terrain of interest as seismic source signals for conducting a seismic survey.
US08462581B2 Marine seismic survey system and method for active steering of source arrays in such a system
A seismic survey array that includes one or more streamers adjustably fixed to a towing vessel by at least a first deflected lead-in and a second deflected lead-in and at least one group of source arrays having one or more devices for generating pulses in water vessel. The array is further provided with means for laterally and/or longitudinally changing the position of the source array(s) with respect to the vessel and/or its direction of motion, the means including a wire and winching system. The means for adjusting the position of the source arrays further includes a wire or rope with one end fixed to one front end of the units and extending from the unit to the adjacent lead-in and back to a capstan arranged on the front end of the unit.
US08462579B2 Method and apparatus for reducing oscillation in synchronous circuits
Control signal oscillation filtering circuits, delay locked loops, clock synchronization methods and devices and systems incorporating the control signal oscillation filtering circuits are described. An oscillation filtering circuit includes a first oscillation filter configured to filter oscillations and a majority filter configured to average filter an output of a phase detector and generate in response thereto control signals to an adjustable delay line.
US08462575B2 Multi-time programmable memory
Multi-time programmable memory elements are disclosed. The disclosed memory elements extend the capability of fuse elements, anti-fuse elements, and combinations thereof to enable multi-time programmability. The disclosed memory elements significantly reduce area requirements and control circuitry complexity of memory elements. The disclosed memory elements can be used in non-volatile memory storage, and are suitable for use in system on chip (SoC) products.
US08462574B2 Memory sensing with secondary buffer
A high-density dynamic memory device with compact sense amplifier circuit is described. The memory device achieves high density through the use of a compact sense amplifier circuit that employs a single transistor to sense stored dynamic data. Functionality of the device is enabled by an architecture and method of operation that support a compact sense amplifier circuit. Enabling techniques include sequential sensing of memory columns, a two-pass write operation, a two-step refresh operation, a reference scheme that uses reference data stored in regular memory cells, and the application of digital signal processing to determine sensed data and cancel crosstalk noise.
US08462569B1 Memory repair system and method
Systems and methods for operating an integrated circuit. The method includes: storing data in one or more of a plurality of locations in a memory module, wherein each location in the memory module has a corresponding memory address; storing a memory address of each location in the memory module detected to be defective in a memory repair module; detecting one or more locations in the memory module that are defective, locating one or more redundant memory elements in the memory module, and storing information in the memory repair database, the information associating the memory address of each location in the memory detected to be defective with the redundant memory elements; and physically remapping the memory addresses to a corresponding redundant memory element.
US08462567B2 Asynchronous semiconductor memory capable of preventing coupling noise
A semiconductor memory which is capable of performing data reading without a faulty operation irrespective of the span of an address skew period. In detecting whether an address transition has been made and precharging a bit line formed in a memory cell array when a certain delay period has elapsed after the address transition is detected, the delay period is adjusted based on a delay period extension signal.
US08462561B2 System and method for interfacing burst mode devices and page mode devices
A burst read control circuit acts as an interface to allow a burst-read capable device to execute burst reads from a page-mode capable memory device. The burst read control circuit coordinates burst read requests from the burst-read capable device and subsequent responses from the page-mode capable memory device by accessing subsequent and contiguous memory locations of the page-mode capable memory device.
US08462553B2 Cell array for highly-scalable, byte-alterable, two-transistor FLOTOX EEPROM non-volatile memory
Two-transistor FLOTOX EEPROM cells are collected to form an alterable unit such as a byte. Each of the two-transistor FLOTOX EEPROM cells has a bit line connected to a drain of a select transistor of each of the two-transistor FLOTOX EEPROM cells and a source line placed in parallel with the bit line and connected to a source of a floating gate transistor of each of the two-transistor FLOTOX EEPROM cells. In a program operation, the bit lines are connected to a very large programming voltage level and the source lines are connected to a punch through inhibit voltage level. The punch through inhibit voltage level is approximately one half the very large programming voltage level. The lower drain-to-source voltage level permits the select transistor and the floating gate transistor to have smaller channel lengths and therefore a lower drain-to-source breakdown voltage.
US08462550B2 Off-die charge pump that supplies multiple flash devices
A system and method for storing data uses multiple flash memory dies. Each flash memory die includes multiple flash memory cells. A charge pump is adapted to supply charge at a predetermined voltage to each flash memory die of the flash memory dies, and an interface is adapted to receive instructions for controlling the charge pump.
US08462547B2 Offset non-volatile storage
A plurality of non-volatile storage elements on a common active layer are offset from neighbor non-volatile storage elements. This offsetting of non-volatile storage elements helps reduce interference from neighbor non-volatile storage elements. A method of manufacture is also described for fabricating the offset non-volatile storage elements.
US08462543B2 Thermally assisted multi-bit MRAM
Methods of writing to a multi-bit MRAM memory unit are described. The method includes to self-detected writing to a multi-bit (i.e., multilevel) thermally assisted MRAM. The self-detected writing increases a reading margin between data state levels and decreases reading margin variability due to cell resistance variation.
US08462540B2 Static random access memory cell
A static random access memory cell comprising a first inverter, a second inverter, a first transistor, a second transistor, and a third transistor. The first inverter is cross-coupled with the second inverter. The first transistor is connected with a write word line, a write bit line, and a first output node of the first inverter. The second transistor is connected with a complementary write bit line, the write word line, and a second output node of the second inverter. The third transistor is connected with a read bit line, a read word line, and the first input node of the first inverter to form a read port transistor, and a read port is formed. The read port transistor has a feature of asymmetric threshold voltage, and the read bit line swing can be expanded by the decrease of clamping current or the boosted read bit line.
US08462539B2 Resistive memory element and use thereof
A resistive memory element that includes an element body and at least a pair of electrodes opposed to each other with at least a portion of the element body interposed therebetween. The element body is made of an oxide semiconductor which has a composition represented by the general formula: (Ba1-xSrx)Ti1-yMyO3 (wherein M is at least one from among Mn, Fe, and Co; 0≦x≦1.0; and 0.005≦y≦0.05). The first electrode of the pair of electrodes is made of a material which can form a Schottky barrier which can develop a rectifying property and resistance change characteristics in an interface region between the first electrode and the element body. The second electrode is made of a material which provides a more ohmic junction to the element body as compared with the first electrode.
US08462537B2 Method and apparatus to reset a phase change memory and switch (PCMS) memory cell
The present disclosure relates to the fabrication of non-volatile memory devices. In at least one embodiment, the non-volatile memory of the present disclosure may include a phase change memory and switch (hereinafter “PCMS”) memory cell and a process for resetting the PCMS memory utilizing a “look-up” table to calculate a current required to place a bit above a reference level to maximum threshold voltage.
US08462534B2 Memory module cutting off DM pad leakage current
A memory module includes: an ODT circuit on a memory device and including pull-up and pull-down resistors connected between pull-up and pull-down transistors. A data masking (DM) pad is provided in a tap region of the module board. A current leakage monitoring unit is also provided and receives a ground state signal from the DM pad and a bit configuration signal from the memory device and disables the pull-up transistors to cut off a current path between the pull-up resistors of the ODT circuit and the DM pad during a ODT enable mode.
US08462533B2 System for retaining state data
According to one embodiment, a system for retaining M bits of state data of an integrated circuit during power down includes M serially coupled scan flip flops divided into M/N groups, where the M scan flip flops are able to save/restore the M bits of state data. Each group contains a merged scan flip flop coupled to a series of scan flip flops. The merged scan flip flop in each of the groups is coupled to a respective read port of a memory unit, and a final scan flip flop in each of the groups is coupled to a respective write port of the memory unit. The system enables the memory unit to save the M bits of state data in N clock cycles. Each merged scan flip flop has a read select input that enables restoring of the state data into the M scan flip flops in N clock cycles.
US08462532B1 Fast quaternary content addressable memory cell
Quaternary CAM cells are provided that include one or more compare circuits that each has a minimal number of pull-down transistors coupled between the match line and ground potential. For some embodiments, the compare circuit includes two parallel paths between the match line and ground potential, with each parallel path consisting of a single pull-down transistor having a gate selectively coupled to the stored data value in response to a comparand value.
US08462530B2 Converter with short-circuit current limiting
A device for inverting an electric current has at least one phase module which has an alternating current connection and at least one direct current connection. Semiconductor valves having semiconductor modules are connected in series and are provided for switching the electric current between the alternating current connection and each direct current connection. At least one power storage device is provided for storing electrical power. In order to provide such a device, with which the adverse effects of a bridging short circuit are reliably and effectively reduced, it is proposed that each semiconductor module has semiconductor groups connected in parallel to each other, wherein each semiconductor group of the semiconductor module is connected via its own separate semiconductor current path to at least one of the power storage devices.
US08462529B2 Power converter assembly with symmetrical layout of power modules
A power converter assembly is provided. The power converter assembly includes first, second, and third power modules. The second power module is coupled to the first power module such that the second power module is separated from the first power module by a first distance. The third power module is coupled to the first and second power modules such that the third power module is separated from the second power module by a second distance and is separated from the first power module by a third distance. The first, second, and third distances are substantially the same.
US08462528B2 Systems and methods for reducing transient voltage spikes in matrix converters
Systems and methods are provided for delivering energy using an energy conversion module that includes one or more switching elements. An exemplary electrical system comprises a DC interface, an AC interface, an isolation module, a first conversion module between the DC interface and the isolation module, and a second conversion module between the AC interface and the isolation module. A control module is configured to operate the first conversion module to provide an injection current to the second conversion module to reduce a magnitude of a current through a switching element of the second conversion module before opening the switching element.
US08462524B2 3-level pulse width modulation inverter with snubber circuit
The present invention relates to a circuit arrangement which comprises at least one 3-level pulse width modulation inverter with a snubber circuit. The snubber circuit is formed by at least one coil (L), two capacitors (Cu, Co) and a series connection comprising four diodes (Dh1-Dh4) poled in the same direction, whereof the two outer diodes (Dh1, Dh4) are in each case directly connected to the input terminals (1, 3) for the positive and the negative pole of the input voltage. The electrical connection between the two inner diodes (Dh2, Dh3) is connected on the one hand via the coil (L) to the input terminal (2) for the center tap of the input voltage and on the other hand to the middle bridge branch of the pulse width modulation inverter. In one embodiment, the two capacitors (Cu, Co) are in each case connected with one terminal to the electrical connection between one of the inner diodes (Dh2, Dh3) and one of the outer diodes (Dh1, Dh4) and with the other terminal directly to the output terminal (4).With the proposed circuit, switching losses are completely avoided as a matter of principle with a simple and low-cost design.
US08462523B2 Phase angle measurement of a dimming circuit for a switching power supply
An example controller for a switched mode power supply includes a zero-crossing detector and a drive signal generator. The zero-crossing detector is coupled to generate a zero-crossing signal representative of a phase angle of a dimmer output voltage for a half line cycle of the power supply. The drive signal generator controls switching of a switch to regulate an output of the power supply in response to a feedback signal representative of the output. The drive signal generator further controls switching of the switch to adjust dimming of the output of the power supply in response to the phase angle indicated by the zero-crossing signal.
US08462520B2 Metal shielding can and assembly of the metal shielding can and a circuit board
A metal shielding can includes a top wall and a surrounding wall. The surrounding wall extends downwardly from a periphery of the top wall, and includes a bottom surface and a groove formed in the bottom surface for receiving a tin solder element. The strength of the tin solder element to bond the metal shielding can to a circuit board can thus be enhanced so that the metal shielding can can be secured firmly on the circuit board. Moreover, the tin solder element can be positioned accurately relative to a solder pad of the circuit board, so that the post-soldering precision is easy to control and there is no solder overflow or adverse effect on an electronic component mounted on the circuit board. Thus, rework yield can be enhanced considerably to reduce manufacturing costs.
US08462509B2 Heat-dissipating module and electronic device using same
A heat-dissipating module for use in an electric device includes a circuit board, at least one heat-generating element, and at least one heat-conducting element. The circuit board has a first surface, a second surface and at least one perforation. The heat-conducting element is disposed in the perforation. The heat-conducting element includes a base and a sidewall. The heat-generating element is disposed on the base or the sidewall of the heat-conducting element so that the heat by the heat-generating element is conducted to the second surface of the circuit board through the heat-conducting element.
US08462504B2 Air-cooled heat exchanger and electronic device with same
An air-cooled heat exchanger includes a casing, a first heat-exchanging core, a second heat-exchanging core, a first internal driving device, a second internal driving device and an external driving device. The first internal driving device is used for driving a first internally-circulated airflow to flow along a first internal circulation path. The second internal driving device is used for driving a second internally-circulated airflow to flow along a second internal circulation path. The external driving device is used for driving a first externally-circulated airflow to flow along a first external circulation path and driving a second externally-circulated airflow to flow along a second external circulation path. The first heat-exchanging core is configured to perform heat exchange between the first internally-circulated airflow and the first externally-circulated airflow. The second heat-exchanging core is configured to perform heat exchange between the second internally-circulated airflow and the second externally-circulated airflow.
US08462489B2 Case for portable communication device having sliding module portion
Provided is a case for a portable communication device having a sliding module portion to avoid a folded (or wrinkled) portion, which may be generated when a case provided on the exterior of the portable communication device is folded or unfolded by rotation. To this end, a case for a portable communication device including a main body, a folder, and a hinge device for rotatably coupling the main body with the folder, includes a case portion for covering the exterior of the portable communication device, and a sliding module portion provided on the case portion, the sliding module portion unfolding a folded portion of the case portion generated when the folder is folded or unfolded by rotation, by sliding movement.
US08462487B2 ESS with integrated DC/DC converter and hybrid power electronics
A power system for connecting high voltage components includes an enclosure having an interior space. A plurality of high voltage (HV) components are removably coupled to the enclosure and positioned in the interior space of the enclosure. The plurality of HV components are electrically coupled to each other. A motor is positioned outside the enclosure, and the motor is electrically interconnected through the enclosure to one of the HV components. A heat sink is positioned within the interior space for providing thermal heat transfer away from the components.
US08462485B2 Switchgear for underground electric power distribution line
A switchgear for a ground distribution line includes a base frame, vacuum switch units each installed on the base frame and configured by laying a first vacuum interrupter and a second vacuum interrupter within an epoxy resin mold, the first vacuum interrupter opening or closing a main circuit between a power source side and a load side and the second vacuum interrupter opening or closing a ground circuit, a main circuit interface protruding from one side of each vacuum switch unit, and a phase connector interface protruding from the other side of each vacuum switch unit in the same direction as the main circuit interface.
US08462480B2 In-line gas ionizer with static dissipative material and counterelectrode
An in-line gas ionizer has a gas inlet, an ionizing chamber, and a gas outlet, wherein at least one of the gas outlet and the ionizing chamber comprises static dissipative material which may be connected to ground.
US08462479B2 Surge protection device with improved response time
A surge protection device with an internal circuitry that protects a premise device from a surge input that arises from a transient event, e.g., a lightning strike. The internal circuitry can comprise a surge path that includes windings, e.g., inductors, and in one embodiment the surge path comprises a first winding and a second winding that is coupled in series to the first winding. The internal circuitry can also comprise a blocking element that is positioned relative to the surge path so that the blocking element receives the surge input before the premise device, wherein the blocking element can be selected so as to isolate the premise device from the surge input.
US08462477B2 Junction field effect transistor for voltage protection
Apparatus and methods are disclosed, such as those involving a junction field effect transistor for voltage protection. One such apparatus includes a protection circuit including an input, an output, and a JFET. The JFET has a source electrically coupled to the input, and a drain electrically coupled to the output, wherein the JFET has a pinch-off voltage (Vp) of greater than 2 V in magnitude. The apparatus further includes an internal circuit having an input configured to receive a signal from the output of the protection circuit. The protection circuit provides protection over the internal circuit from overvoltage and/or undervoltage conditions while having a reduced size compared to a JFET having a Vp of smaller than 2 V in magnitude.
US08462473B2 Adaptive electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit
For adaptive electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection, an integrated circuit device having an adaptive electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection, has an external connection pin to be protected from ESD; an external ground connection pin; an adaptive electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit having: an ESD protection N-metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS) transistor having drain connected to the external connection pin and a source and bulk connected to ground; a resistor coupled between a gate of the NMOS transistor and ground; a first PMOS transistor having a source coupled to a gate of the NMOS transistor and a drain connected to ground; a first capacitor having a first terminal connected to the external connection pin and a second terminal that is coupled with the gate of the NMOS transistor, wherein the first capacitor within the adaptive ESD protection circuit is the only capacitor connected to the external connection pin.
US08462459B1 Method and system for determining relationship between hard disk drive throughput and vibration source
A method for determining a relationship between a hard disk drive throughput and a vibration source adapted in a computer device having a hard disk drive and the vibration source is disclosed. The method includes receiving a vibration sensing signal associated with the vibration source and a hard disk drive throughput rate associated with operations of the hard disk drive substantially at the same time, deriving a vibration sensing frequency function and a hard disk drive frequency function, determining whether a linear relationship exists between the vibration sensing frequency function and the hard disk drive frequency function, comparing the vibration sensing frequency function and the hard disk drive frequency function to derive a vibration information, and generating a counter vibration control signal according to the vibration information.
US08462456B2 Magnetic data eraser
The present invention relates providing a magnetic data eraser that is capable of performing magnetizing process for magnetizing magnetic recording medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD) is easily and with reduced electric power.The magnetic data eraser includes: holding drawer means for holding a magnetic recording medium which means has a mounting tray for mounting the magnetic recording medium, wherein the mounting tray is inclined a predetermined value of degrees of angle; and magnetizing means for magnetizing the magnetic recording medium, wherein the magnetizing means is covered by a magnetizing coil and has a hollow body portion, the holding drawer means being accommodated in the hollow body portion, and the magnetic recording medium being placed on the mounting tray of the holding drawer means.
US08462454B1 Null servo demodulation for short servo wedge in disk storage systems
In a disk storage system, the disk may include a full null servo position error signal (“PES”) wedge, followed by a data wedge, and then a short null servo PES wedge. To improve the accuracy with which information read from the short null servo PES wedge can be used to help keep the read head centered over the information track being read, the short null servo PES wedge may include a calibration field. Information read from the calibration field can be used to compensate the subsequently read PES information in the short wedge for possible sampling phase error that may have accumulated since the full null servo PES wedge was read. This type of short null servo PES wedge also has other possible uses.
US08462450B2 Optical apparatus
The optical apparatus includes a first optical unit and a second optical unit that are movable in an optical axis direction, actuators that respectively move the first and second optical units in the optical axis direction, and a linking mechanism that is configured to link the first and second optical units with each other such that, in a state where the optical axis direction is tilted with respect to a horizontal direction and thereby an obliquely downward force caused by gravity acts on each of the first and second optical units in an obliquely downward direction, one of the first and second optical units works as a counterweight to provide an obliquely upward force acting on the other of the first and second optical units in an obliquely upward direction.
US08462447B2 Photographic lens optical system
A lens optical system including, in a sequence from an object to an imaging device on which an image of the object is formed; a first lens having a a positive refractive power; a second lens having negative refractive power; a third lens having a a positive refractive power; and a fourth lens having a negative refractive power and an incident surface facing the object is concave and an exit surface facing the imaging device has an inflection point.
US08462444B2 Compact zoom lens
A zoom lens including, in a sequence from an object side to an image plane side: a first lens group having a negative refractive power; a second lens group having a positive refractive power; a third lens group having a negative refractive power; and a fourth lens group having a positive refractive power. During zooming from a wide angle position to a telephoto position, an interval between the first lens group and the second lens group decreases, an interval between the second lens group and the third lens group increases, and an interval between the third lens group and the fourth lens group decreases. When the location of an object changes from ∞ to a close location, the first lens group is moved toward the object to perform focusing.
US08462436B2 Solar photon filter
This invention relates to a solar photon filter, hereafter known as the SPF, which is a combination band-pass filtering system consisting of a multiple set of cold or hot mirrors and infra-red absorbers set in a 360-degree or linear arrangement. The system removes almost all of the photons carried by waves having lengths longer than 1000 nm (nanometers)+/−100 nm, while passing almost all of the incoming photons carried by waves having lengths shorter than 1000 nm+/−100 nm and/or variations thereof. This is accomplished by positioning a set of cold or hot mirrors in constant optical track with the sun. Such an assembly of cold or hot mirrors allows solar photons carried by light to be split into two distinct bands of frequencies for use requiring such filtering separation.
US08462435B2 Imaging apparatus with light transmissive filter
An imaging apparatus includes a light receiving device array having light receiving devices two-dimensionally arranged in both a row direction and a column direction, and a light transmissive filter disposed in front of the light receiving device array, wherein the light transmissive filter includes plural types of band-shaped light transmissive sections having respective, different light transmissive characteristics, and the plural types of band-shaped light transmissive sections are arranged in sequence in a width direction thereof.
US08462434B2 Polarizing beam splitter and optical apparatus including the same
A polarizing beam splitter has a periodic structure including a plurality of structured portions periodically disposed in a first direction at intervals equal to or shorter than a used wavelength. The periodic structure satisfies a condition that, of an incident light flux, polarized light that vibrates in one direction is totally reflected. The polarizing beam splitter has an optical interference layer disposed adjacent to the periodic structure and including at least one thin film layer.
US08462432B2 Tensioned projection screen
A projection screen apparatus having a perimeter frame and a substantially blank screen is provided.
US08462428B2 Method and device for providing and/or controlling an optical signal
A method provides and/or controls an optical signal, wherein a control signal and at least one data signal are optically processed into a combined signal of substantially constant optical power. The level of the at least one data signal is substantially maintained within the combined signal. In addition, an according device is provided. Suitable for compensation of Raman tilt in WDM communication systems.
US08462423B2 Coloured particles for electrophoretic displays
This invention relates to colored polymer particles preferably with surface functionality for charge retention, a process for their preparation, the use of these particles for the preparation of an electrophoretic device, and to color electrophoretic displays comprising such particles.
US08462422B2 Security element
The invention relates to a security element including at least one display element for non-resettable visible display of information, wherein said display element comprises a first and a second volume which are fluidically connected via at least one duct, and only one electrically controllable electrode which is associated to one of said volumes and is configured, when charged with an electric voltage, to vary the surface tension of a liquid which is present in said associated volume, wherein said liquid comprises at least an electrically conducting and/or polar and a non-polar fraction, and at least said electrically conducting fraction being completely and in a stable manner provided in that of both volumes which is not associated with an electrode and wherein said electrically conducting and/or polar fraction may be moved irreversibly and at least partly due to a single charging of the electrode into the volume which is associated with an electrode.
US08462419B2 Composition for electrochromic devices and electrochromic display device using the same
There is provided a composition for electrochromic devices which clearly present only two states, a white-colored state and a decolored state. The composition for electrochromic devices contains (A) a specific quaternary ammonium salt, (B) a supporting electrolyte containing bromide ion, and (C) a solvent containing water as an essential component, and (A) is soluble in (C).
US08462417B2 Light adjusting apparatus for positioning an incident light adjusting unit
A light adjusting apparatus includes a substrate (10, 40) having an aperture, a plurality of incident light adjusting units (20a, 20b, 20c) each moving in a same plane, and a plurality of driving units (50a, 50b, 50c) respectively driving the incident light adjusting units (20a, 20b, 20c), and adjusts an incident light passing through the aperture by mutually moving the incident light adjusting units (20a, 20b, 20c) with the driving units to an aperture position that is center-aligned with the aperture and a retracted position that is retracted from the aperture. An incident light adjusting unit that is moved to the aperture position is positioned by contacting with at least one of other incident light adjusting units that are retracted from the aperture.
US08462412B2 Optical scanner
An optical scanner includes a light source, an optical splitter which splits light from the light source into a plurality of light beams, an input optical element on which the light beams split by the optical splitter are incident, a driver which generates a voltage signal, an optical deflector which comprises at least two deflector portions formed close to each other on a same substrate and individually supplied with an electric action of the driver so as to capture and deflect the incident light beams using the electric action, and an output optical element which emits the deflected light beams to an image plane, wherein the optical scanner is configured to scan the image plane with the light beams by adjusting the voltage signal of the driver.
US08462408B2 Holographic reconstruction system with an optical wave tracking means
A holographic reconstruction system is disclosed with spatial light modulation means, modulating interferable light waves from light sources with at least one video hologram, comprising optical focusing means, focusing the modulated light waves with the reconstructed object light points for at least one eye position for the eyes of observers and controllable electro-optical deflector means, which direct the focused modulated light waves with the reconstructed light points to at least one eye position in order to reduce the aberrations. The reconstruction system has the optical focusing means in a field of focusing elements, wherein each focusing element is provided with at least one interferable light source. The electro-optical deflector means lie in the light path of the interferable light waves after the optical focusing mean and have at least one field of deflector elements, which has at least one separately controllable electro-optical deflector element for each focusing element.
US08462407B2 Measuring separation of patterns, and use thereof for determining printer characteristics
Disclosed are methods (900) and apparatuses (600) for determining a location of a graphical object (2220) printed onto a print medium (230), said graphical object comprising a plurality of object marks, the method comprising the steps of superposing a two-dimensional reference pattern (710) having a pre-defined degree of accuracy over the printed graphical object, the two-dimensional reference pattern comprising a plurality of pattern marks (770); scanning the superposed printed graphical object and reference pattern to produce a scanned image (2400); determining a location coordinate (2923) of the graphical object in the scanned image (2400); and refining the location coordinate dependent upon the scanned reference pattern to determine a reference pattern coordinate (2904′) associated with the location coordinate (2923). Also disclosed are methods (1800), apparatuses, and computer program products for determining a head size (420) of a print head (3110) of a printer (3100) using the aforementioned method.
US08462393B2 Image reading apparatus and image forming apparatus
An image reading apparatus includes a scanner part reading an original on a contact glass, and a projector part projecting image information onto the contact glass as first image displaying. The projector part projects thumbnails or an image to have an image processing operation carried out or be printed. The display part carries out second image displaying obtained from reducing the first image displaying in size. At a time of the scanner part being operated, transmittance of the contact glass is increased and the projector part stops projecting the image information, and at a time of the scanner part not being operated, the transmittance of the contact glass is decreased and the projector part carries out the first image displaying. Setting of the image processing operation for the image data is reflected on the first image displaying and the second image displaying.
US08462391B2 Method for producing a pseudo-stochastic master surface, master surface, method for producing a cylinder cover, cylinder cover, machine processing printing material, method for producing printed products and method for microstamping printing products
A method for producing a pseudo-stochastic master surface for producing a cover or jacket of a cylinder for contacting printing material, includes providing the master surface with a pseudo-stochastic distribution of microsurfaces. The master surface is produced on the basis of a digital master in a jacket preliminary stage and serves for a preferably galvanic production of a microstructured cover, in which structure elevations correlate with the microsurfaces. The pseudo-stochastic distribution helps to avoid disruptive discernible effects, for example the moiré effect and helps to construct the microstructuring in a targeted manner. A master surface, a method for producing a cylinder cover, a cylinder cover, a machine for processing printing material, a method for producing printed products and a method for microstamping printed products, are also provided.
US08462387B2 Image processing device, printing apparatus, and image processing method
Multi-valued image data stored in an input image buffer are read out for each time of scans, and the color space conversion and image distribution are performed to read multi-valued image data. The binarized result is sent to the print buffer and at the same time, is accumulated as the print information to execute processing of reflecting it to the image distribution processing of the next pass. It is possible to appropriately restrict the density fluctuation due to the print position shift between planes without providing pixels where dots are overlapped and printed more than necessary. With this, by accumulating the multi-valued image data at the stage of RGB in the input image buffer to read out data stored in input image buffer for executing processing, a capacity required for input image buffer does not change even if the number of the ink colors provided on the printing apparatus increases.
US08462384B2 Methods and apparatuses for aesthetically enhanced image conversion
Methods and apparatuses for automated conversion of color images to aesthetically enhanced gray scale images. In one embodiment, the mix of color channels of a color image is automatically determined as a result of analysis of the image for the generation of a gray scale image. In one example, the data of a color channel (e.g., Blue) that is not suitable for a gray scale representation is not used. The adjustment strength depends on the image itself. In one example, a stronger color channel is automatically weighted less than a weaker color channel for enhancement. In one example, after the contrast is further strengthened through nonlinear scaling, the boundary portion of the image is darkened to strengthen the edges and draw attention to the center of the image. Optionally, an attractive color balance adjustment is also made according to the gray levels to further enhance the appearance.
US08462383B2 Bidirectional multi-pass inkjet printer suppressing density unevenness based on image information and scan line position of each dot
An image forming apparatus includes a color converting unit 330 for subjecting the input image data to a color conversion in accordance with ink color, and generating a print image 400; a print data generator 370-x for generating print data of each scan corresponding to multiple scans of the print image generated by the color converting unit 330; print controller 380-x for controlling at least one of the color converting unit 330 or print data generator 370-x based upon the input image data 320 or a position on a scanning line of each dot to be printed in the print image 400 generated by the color converting unit 330; and a printer engine 180 for printing on the print medium based upon the print data generated by the print data generator 370-x.
US08462380B2 In-line image geometrics measurement via local sampling on sheets in a printing system
This invention generally relates to accurately measuring image geometries in-line within a printing system. One or more two-dimensional array sensors may be located adjacent to a sheet of media printed with a predefined array of indicia marks so that the sensor field of view is contained within the plane of sheet transport. As the sheet is transported by the sensor, the sensors continuously record the locations of the indicia marks within its field of view. The spatial frequency of the indicia marks is arranged so that at least two indicia marks are within the field of view of the sensor at any instant for each of the process and cross-process directions. The two-dimensional array sensor can thus measure the absolute spacing between adjacent local indicia marks within the precision of the sensor construction. The cumulative spacing along each direction may then calculated to determine the overall dimensions of the indicia marks array. A measurement procedure is also provided to accurately measure image geometries, even in the presence of significant sheet velocity variations.
US08462373B2 Job-sharing among interconnected image forming apparatuses
Each of a plurality of image reading units reads an image of an original and outputs image data. An image processing unit performs an image processing on the image data based on either one of a read characteristic of the image data and a parameter set according to the read characteristic of the image data. A storing unit stores therein the image data. A printing unit prints the image data processed by the image processing unit. A communication unit exchanges the image data stored in the storing unit with other image forming apparatus for sharing printing of the image data.
US08462372B2 Image processing apparatus and image processing method for storing output pattern data according to a kind of document
An image processing apparatus for outputting a document including a data group containing plural data items is disclosed that includes a storing part configured to store document definition data in which a document kind information is defined in correspondence with an output pattern information, the output pattern information including an output method data and an output condition data, a structured data fabricating part configured to fabricate structured data including the group of data according to the document kind information, an image data fabricating part configured to fabricate image data of the document according to the structured data, an identifying part configured to identify target document definition data among the document definition data that correspond to designated document kind information, and an outputting part configured to output the image data according to the output pattern information corresponding to the document kind information defined in the target document definition data.
US08462363B1 Faster monochrome printing for in-line electrophotographic color printers
A method and apparatus for faster monochrome printing in an in-line electrophotographic printer is described. The printer is configured such that it has more light emitting sources for use in an image transfer assembly for black than for image transfer assemblies for any other color in the printer. When printing a color print job, less than all of the light emitting sources in the black image transfer assembly are used. A print controller directs print data for a monochrome print job to all of the available light emitting sources in the black image transfer assembly and increases the print medium transport speed. The system and method may be configured to operate with dedicated data channels for each light emitting source or may share some data channels for monochrome and color print jobs.
US08462356B2 Apparatus and method for observing the surface of a sample
An apparatus for observing the optical appearance of a surface (2) of a sample (1) of semitransparent material, in particular the surface (2) of a human skin, the apparatus comprising a light source (11,12,13,16,17) for illuminating at least a region of interest of the surface (2) of the sample (1) from a predetermined direction, a camera (14) for observing a response to the illumination of the region of interest and an optical focus device (21,31) for determining if the camera (14) is in focus with the surface (2) of the region of interest. The invention also relates to a method for observing the optical appearance of the surface (2) of a sample (1) of semitransparent material, in particular the surface (2) of a human skin.
US08462353B2 Surface shape measurement apparatus
An apparatus for measuring a shape of a surface, comprises a measurement head which measures a direction of a normal from the surface to a reference point by detecting test light obtained when light that passes through the reference point is emitted, is reflected by the surface, and returns to the reference point, a scanning mechanism which scans the measurement head, and a processor which calculates the shape of the surface based on the direction of the normal measured using the measurement head and a position of the reference point.
US08462339B2 Scanning analyzer for single molecule detection and methods of use
The invention encompasses analyzers and analyzer systems that include a single molecule analyzer, methods of using the analyzer and analyzer systems to analyze samples, either for single molecules or for molecular complexes. The single molecule uses electromagnetic radiation that is translated through the sample to detect the presence or absence of a single molecule. The single molecule analyzer provided herein is useful for diagnostics because the analyzer detects single molecules with zero carryover between samples.
US08462335B2 System for analyzing a low-pressure gas by optical emission spectroscopy
The object of the invention is a system for analyzing gases which are at a pressure on the order of a secondary vacuum. The system includes a gas ionization device that includes a cathode having conducting walls defining a cylindrical volume and a disc including at least one central through hole, an anode placed substantially at the center of the hole, a plasma source, the plasma being generated in the cylindrical volume by the combined action of an electric field and a magnetic field, orthogonal to the electric field, a system for collecting the light radiation emitted by the plasma, a cylindrical cavity coaxial to the anode having a conductance lower than that of the cylindrical volume and arranged between the ionization device and the collector system, and an analysis device for the ionized gases including an optical spectrometer for analyzing the evolution of the radiating spectrum. Preferably, the end of the cavity opposite the cylindrical volume is closed by a window that is transparent to the light radiation emitted by the plasma.
US08462331B2 Laser processing method and laser processing apparatus
The present disclosure relates to laser processing and a laser processing apparatus for processing materials using laser. Processing performed after loading a wafer on a work stage and a laser processing apparatus for implementing such processing, among others, are disclosed. The laser processing includes loading a wafer on a work stage; determining the number of chips formed on the wafer loaded on the work stage, performing chip defect inspection and aligning the wafer while moving the work stage; measuring a height of a surface of the wafer loaded on the work stage using a displacement sensor; monitoring output power of a processing laser using a power meter; and shifting the work stage while irradiating a laser beam on the wafer to process the wafer.
US08462327B2 Appearance inspection apparatus
An appearance inspection apparatus analyzes a difference in detection characteristics of detection signals obtained by detectors to flexibly meet various inspection purposes without changing a circuit or software. The apparatus includes a signal synthesizing section that synthesizes detection signals from the detectors in accordance with a set condition. An input operating section sets a synthesizing condition of the detection signal by the signal synthesizing section, and an information display section displays a synthesizing map structured based on a synthesized signal which is synthesized by the signal synthesizing section in accordance with a condition set by the input operating section.
US08462325B2 Light directionality sensor
The present invention relates to light sensors for measuring light characteristics. In particular, the present invention relates to a light directionality sensor that is capable of measuring light characteristics such as the light direction, light collimation, and light distribution. According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a light directionality sensor comprising a photo-sensor (2), comprising a plurality of photo-sensitive elements (3), and a plurality of light-absorbing light selecting structures (1) arranged on the photo-sensor so as to form an array of light-absorbing light selecting structures. In the array of light-absorbing light selecting structures, a succession of at least some of the light-absorbing light selecting structures has varying structural characteristics. The varying structural characteristics is achieved by each individual structure of the succession being formed such that it allows light within a different angle interval with respect to the array to be sensed. Further, according to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for forming a light sensor according to the first aspect of the present invention.
US08462312B2 Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method
In a single or multiple stage lithography apparatus, a table provides a confining surface to a liquid supply system during, for example, substrate table exchange and/or substrate loading and unloading. In an embodiment, the table has a sensor to make a measurement of the projection beam during, for example, substrate table exchange and/or substrate loading and unloading.
US08462297B2 Polarizing diffuser film, method for producing polarizing diffuser film, and liquid crystal display device comprising polarizing diffuser film
Disclosed is a film having polarization selectivity and diffusibility, and a means for easily producing the film. The polarizing diffuser film is composed of substantially one kind of crystalline resin having an intrinsic birefringence of not less than 0.1, has a total light transmittance to visible light of 50-90%, a transmission haze to visible light of 15-90% and a transition polarization degree to visible light of 20-90%.
US08462294B2 Backlight unit and liquid crystal display device having the same
A backlight unit is provided and includes a light source emitting light, a light guide plate disposed parallel to the light source, and a reflective sheet disposed at a bottom of the light guide plate. One side of the reflective sheet is slanted toward the light guide plate. A reflective member includes three sides surrounding the light source and a slanted fourth side supporting a slanted bottom of the reflective sheet. A bottom cover contacts the three sides of the reflective member.
US08462293B2 Illuminating device and liquid crystal display device
A tandem type backlight comprises plural light-emitting units (11) including at least one point light source (5) and a light guide plate (7) for causing light from the at least one point light source to be diffused and surface-emitted. In each of the light-emitting units (11), a length X of a light guide area (9) is set so that an area, on a boundary surface between a light-emitting area (10) and the light guide area (9), of a cross-section of a light beam that is emitted from the at least one point light source (5) and is diffused in the light guide plate (7) is equal to or larger than an area of the boundary surface (interface). Moreover, a length X, in a length direction D1, of the light guide area is smaller than a length Y, in the length direction D1, of the light-emitting area.
US08462290B2 Flat screen device with transparent protection housing
The display device comprises a display screen comprising a bonding surface and a mechanical structure. The display device also comprises a glass protective casing consisting of two sheets of glass and inserts. This protective casing is bonded to the structure beneath the second sheet of glass. The screen is bonded to the inside of the protective casing on only one of the two sheets.The invention proposes a compact protective device for a flat screen which is applied essentially to liquid crystal matrix screens comprising light-emitting diode light. The preferred field of application is that of screens used for aviation.
US08462287B2 Active matrix substrate and display device using the same
An active matrix substrate capable of suppressing a change in an off characteristic of the TFT even when current passage time becomes longer is provided. A diode is connected between a video signal line and a conductive plate formed so as to cover a TFT of a pixel formation portion. Current is passed to the diode when a potential of a video signal applied to the video signal line is lower than that of the conductive plate, and the potential of the conductive plate becomes equal to that of the video signal line. No current flows when the potential of the video signal is higher than that of the conductive plate and the potential of the diode remains the same. Consequently, a leak current which flows from the pixel electrode of the pixel formation portion to the video signal line when the TFT is in the off state is suppressed.
US08462282B2 Liquid crystal display and driving method thereof
A liquid crystal display and a driving method thereof are provided. A pixel of the liquid crystal display includes a first pixel capacitor, a second pixel capacitor, a first transistor, and a second transistor. A first terminal and a second terminal of the first pixel capacitor are respectively coupled to the first transistor and a common voltage. A first terminal and a second terminal of the second pixel capacitor are respectively coupled to the second transistor and the common voltage. A voltage between the first and the second terminals of the first capacitor is differentiated from a voltage between the first and the second terminals of the second capacitor by modulating the common voltage. A coupling voltage of the first pixel capacitor is differentiated from a coupling voltage of the second pixel capacitor by modulating the common voltage. Thereby, the phenomenon of color wash-out is reduced.
US08462278B2 Transparent conductive film, method for production thereof and touch panel therewith
A transparent conductive film includes: a transparent film substrate; a transparent conductor layer provided on one or both sides of the transparent film substrate; and at least one undercoat layer interposed between the transparent film substrate and the transparent conductor layer; wherein: the transparent conductor layer is patterned; and a non-patterned portion not having the transparent conductor layer has the at least one undercoat layer.
US08462276B2 System, method and apparatus for illuminating a bezel
An application for a bezel with internal lighting includes at least one illuminated element situated behind a monitor/television bezel. The brightness and color of the illuminating elements and hence the bezel appearance are modified based upon either user preference or an internal or external parameters such as time, content being viewed, recording status, etc.
US08462270B2 Digital image transmission apparatus for transmitting video signals having varied clock frequencies
When transmitting a digital video signal having, as a variant clock signal, a clock signal of a frequency which does not fall within a predetermined frequency range, a frequency multiplier 21 carries out a frequency conversion of the frequency of the variant clock signal so as to generate a transmit side clock signal which falls within the predetermined frequency range, and a transmitting unit transmits, as a transmission digital video signal, the digital image data and control signal, as well as the transmit side clock signal, according to this transmit side clock signal. A receive side divides the frequency of the transmit side clock signal using a frequency divider 22 to obtain the variant clock signal after acquiring the digital image data and control signal from the transmit side digital video signal according to the transmit side clock signal.
US08462263B2 Image pickup apparatus
An image pickup apparatus includes a body to which a lens barrel is attached, a grip portion fixed onto the body, the grip portion including a handle to be gripped in holding the body, an extension that extends from the handle to a object side, and a projection that upwardly projects from the extension, and a tally lamp unit formed on a top surface of the projection and a rear surface of the projection which is a surface opposite to an object.
US08462261B2 Image pickup apparatus and control method and program of the same
An image pickup apparatus for wireless-communicating with a camera accessory which periodically transits to a sleep state, transmits a change signal for changing the setting of a power saving state in an accessory apparatus, to the accessory apparatus in accordance with a first operation for instructing an image pickup preparation to decide an setting for image pickup or a second operation for instructing the image pickup based on the image pickup preparation operation being accepted by an operation unit of the image pickup apparatus, thereby efficiently suppressing stand-by electricity consumption and preventing a delay from occurring in timing when a predetermined process is executed between apparatuses.
US08462244B2 Adaptively reading one or more but fewer than all pixels of image sensor
A method, of selectively reading less than all information from an image sensor for which member-pixels of a subset of the entire set of pixels are individually addressable, may include: sampling information from a targeted member-pixel of the subset without having to read information from the entire set of pixels; and adaptively reading information from another one or more but fewer than all member pixels of the entire set based upon the sampling information without having to read all pixels on the image sensor. A related digital camera may include features similar to elements of the method.
US08462241B2 Image sensing apparatus and image capturing system
An image sensing apparatus includes a pixel unit which has an array of a plurality of groups each including a plurality of pixels arrayed in a row direction and a column direction, and an adding unit configured to add, of pixel signals output from the plurality of pixels arrayed in the groups, homochromatic pixel signals. The adding unit has, for each group, a common pixel amplifier commonly connected to homochromatic pixels. The adding unit adds the pixel signals of the homochromatic pixels in the gate portion of the common pixel amplifier so that the spatial centers of gravity of the pixels added in the group are arranged at equal pitches in at least one of the row direction and the column direction.
US08462236B2 Method of operating an image sensor
An image sensor may include a shared memory resource, which can be selectively used by a digital filter for image scaling or by a defect correction circuit.
US08462235B2 Method and system for X-droop correction in solid state image sensor
A method and system is for limiting the x-droop effect in the digital image captured with solid state image sensors with a correction mechanism which instead of using only correction values from the same column to which the correction is applied, also takes the neighboring pixels into account to provide an averaged value to aid in the reduction of temporal and fixed noise contributions associated with the readout of a single pixel.
US08462234B2 Image pickup apparatus and dark current correction method therefor
Disclosed are an image pickup apparatus and a dark current correction method that make it possible to correct the dark current at high precision without using a driving pattern of a peripheral circuit or a layout on an image pickup device chip. The image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup device provided with an effective pixel area, an OB part and a drive circuit of the image pickup device. In the dark current correction method, a black level (hereinafter, referred to as “second black level”) included in the detected signal of the effective pixels of the effective pixel area is obtained (steps S3, S6, S7) based on a black level detected from the pixel of the OB pixels by performing a correction computation in accordance with an operation pattern (steps S1, S2, S5) of the drive circuit in which the temperature difference between the light receiving pixel part and the optical black part is occurred, and the second black level as a clamp level is subtracted from the level of the output signal of the effective pixels in accordance with the operation pattern of the drive circuit.
US08462233B2 Special effects in image sensors
An image sensor may selectively produce an effect, such as simulating a night vision scope, by controlling existing hardware to vary anti-vignetting and gamma.
US08462230B2 Circuit for automatically detecting image flicker and method thereof
A circuit for automatically detecting image flicker includes an image sensor, an average unit, a difference generation unit, a transform unit, and a flicker detection unit. The image sensor captures an image frame. The average unit generates a luminance average value according to a luminance sum of predetermined pixels of each pixel row of an image frame. The difference generation unit generates a corresponding difference according to a luminance average value of each pixel row of two consecutive image frames. The transform unit performs a discrete Fourier transform on a difference corresponding to a corresponding pixel row of the two consecutive image frames to generate a transform result. The flicker detection unit determines whether a flicker is shown in the two consecutive image frames to generate a detection result according to the transform result.
US08462218B2 Real-time image stabilization
An apparatus and method for stabilizing image frames in a video data stream. A weighted average or centroid of the intensity or hue associated with pixels vs. the horizontal and vertical position of each pixel is calculated for a reference frame in the video data stream. A corresponding centroid is calculated for a subsequent frame in the stream. This image frame is then translated so that the centroid of the subsequent frame and the centroid of the reference frame coincide, reducing artifacts from shaking of the video capture device. Alternatively, the video stream frames may be divided into tiles and centroids calculated for each tile. The centroids of the tiles of a subsequent frame are curve fit to the centroids of tiles in a reference frame. An affine transform is then performed on the subsequent frame to reduce artifacts in the image from movements of the video capture device.
US08462216B2 Optical apparatus and camera system having a function of moving a focus lens in an optical axis direction to reduce focus shake generated in the optical axis direction
The optical apparatus includes an image pickup optical system including a focus lens, a controller controlling movement of the focus lens in an optical axis direction of the image pickup optical system, a shake detector detecting a shake amount of the optical apparatus in the optical axis direction, and a memory storing plural shake amounts sequentially detected by the shake detector. The controller calculates, in response to a start instruction of exposure for the image pickup and before start of the exposure, a predictive value of the shake amount for a time point of the exposure based on the plural shake amounts stored in the memory and including at least one shake amount detected after the start instruction of exposure. The controller moves the focus lens to a position corresponding to the predictive value before the start of the exposure.
US08462214B2 Apparatus and method for obtaining motion adaptive high dynamic range image
Disclosed is an apparatus and method for obtaining a motion adaptive high dynamic range image, in which a motion degree of a first image and a second taken using different exposure times is calculated. The motion calculation intensity is adjusted based on the calculated motion degree. The motion compensation intensity involves a global motion compensation and/or a location motion compensation. Images subjected to compensation are synthesized and output, so that an image having high dynamic range is obtained.
US08462211B2 Method of detecting objects
The invention, at the first frame, records the background, as the threshold of detection-constant image with the predeterming minimum threshold, and with each subsequent frame, corrects the background and threshold with formulas while producing the adaptation of a renewal-constant in each pixel depending on the presence of the detected object, defines the difference between the current frame and background, compares it with the threshold, combines elements exceeding a threshold into detection zones, performs rejection of the detection zones, divides the zones in order to separate shadows, forms a tracking zone, searches already-detected segment of objects, forming clusters of the tracking zones. The coordinates of the obtained rectangles are assumed as the coordinates of the objects located in the frame.
US08462206B1 Image acquisition system
A system for acquiring images includes a photographing machine. The photographing machine includes a base, a carrier coupled to the base, a camera coupled to the carrier, a camera positioning system, and a background panel coupled to the carrier. The camera can take photographs of an object when the object is in a target zone. The camera positioning system moves the carrier to position the camera and to point the camera at the target zone. When the carrier is moved to position the camera, at least a portion of the background panel moves such that at least a portion of the background panel maintains a position opposite the camera relative to the target zone.
US08462205B2 Landing Aid Device and Method
A landing aid device for an aircraft generates video images of a portion of the field of vision using a sensor situated in front of the aircraft intended for picture-taking during poor visibility conditions, and extracts contours from the video images making it possible to delimit at least one first known shape included in each image. A first head up display includes a display zone, which occupies a portion of the visor of the cockpit superimposed on the exterior landscape, and a symbology for generating information representing symbols intended to aid piloting is displayed on the display, wherein at least one first symbol comprising landing aid information is generated on the basis of the contours of the first shape and displayed on the display.
US08462204B2 Vehicular vision system
A vehicular vision system includes at least a first image capture sensor and a second image capture sensor disposed at a vehicle and spatially separated and having respective fields of view with respect to the direction of travel of the equipped vehicle. A control receives a first image input from the first image capture sensor and a second image input from the second image capture sensor and generates a composite image synthesized from at least the first image input and the second image input. A display system displays the composite image on a single video screen located in a cabin of the equipped vehicle and viewable by a driver of the equipped vehicle when the driver is normally operating the equipped vehicle. The single video screen of the display system may have a display luminance that is variable responsive to a sensing of an ambient light level.
US08462203B2 Method and system for monitoring and controlling a glass container forming process
The present invention relates to a method and system for monitoring and controlling a glass container forming process. The radiation emitted by each hot glass container is measured with measurement unit immediately after the forming machine. The described method normalizes the measurement from glass container to glass container and thereby removes the effects of overall temperature variations between glass containers, changing ambient conditions, and other variations affecting the measurements, which provides a unique quality reference for each glass container. By reviewing this reference for each produced glass container, the quality of the produced containers can be improved.
US08462198B2 Animation generation systems and methods
The animation generation system includes: an avatar generation module for generating an avatar in a virtual space, wherein the avatar has a set of skeletons and a skin, and the movable nodes of the set of skeletons are manipulated so that a motion of the skin is induced; and an avatar manipulation module for manipulating the movable nodes, including: a position mark which is moved to at least one first real position in a real space; at least one control mark which is moved to at least one second real position in the real space; and a video capturing unit for capturing the images of the real space; an arithmetic unit for identifying the first real position and the second real position from the images of the real space, and converting the first real position into a first virtual position, and the second real position into a second virtual position.
US08462197B2 3D video transforming device
A 3D video conversion device is operable to convert a first MPEG stream to a second MPEG stream. The 3D video conversion device includes an input module operable to receive a multiple-view stream, a conversion module operable to convert the multiple-view stream. The conversion module includes a decoding module operable to decode the multiple-view stream, a reformatting module operable to generate 3D views from decoded information, and an encoding module operable to re-encode the 3D views to an STB format stream, and an output module operable to output a reformatted stream.
US08462195B2 Panoramic imaging lens and panoramic imaging system using the same
A panoramic imaging system includes a panoramic imaging lens, a relay lens, an imaging device, and a display device. The panoramic imaging lens includes an annular incident surface and a bottom surface adjacent to the annular incident surface. The bottom surface includes an annular reflective portion substantially opposite to the annular incident surface. An image light incident through the annular incident surface can be total reflected by the annular reflective portion.
US08462194B2 Multi-compatible low and high dynamic range and high bit-depth texture and video encoding system
A method of processing image data includes generating image data including luminance and chrominance data representing a selected object, separating the luminance and chrominance data, storing the separated luminance and chrominance data in corresponding separate spaces in memory, and separately compressing the stored luminance and chrominance data.
US08462189B2 Optical scanner used in color image-forming device
An optical scanner used for an image-forming device to form a color image includes a plurality of photosensitive drums for superimposing a developer image formed on each of the plurality of photosensitive drums. The optical scanner includes a casing, a plurality of light sources, a deflector, an optical system, and a storage device. The plurality of light sources is provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of photosensitive drums. Each of the plurality of light source emits a laser beam. The deflector is provided in the casing for deflecting the laser beam. The optical system is provided in the casing for guiding the deflected laser beam to a corresponding one of the plurality of photosensitive drums to make the laser beam scan the corresponding one of the plurality of photosensitive drums. The storage device stores a characteristic related to the laser beam scanning the corresponding one of the photosensitive drums.
US08462181B2 Driving method and display device capable of enhancing image brightness and reducing image distortion
A driving method for a display device provides a first input pixel data corresponding to a pixel, and generates a second input pixel data by multiplying the first input pixel data by a predetermined rate. Next, an output pixel data corresponding to the second input pixel data is obtained from a predetermined gamma curve. When receiving the first input pixel data, the output pixel data is used for driving a display panel, and the second input pixel data is used for driving a backlight module of the display panel.
US08462178B2 Image display method, program, and image display apparatus
A table is allocated indexes corresponding to display positions on a monitor screen, respectively, and data indicating an unexposed part at each of the display positions is stored in each index of the table. Focal position information is acquired from Exif header information on image data of an image, and a location of one of the indexes in the table at which no image data is registered is searched in an ascending order of the indexes. According to the table, the images are arranged so that the focal position of each image differs from the unexposed part at the display position of the image.
US08462176B1 Automatic annotation generation
Systems, methods, and computer program products automatically generate and place annotations on an image (e.g., a rendering of a computer aided design model). Regions within an image are identified, and a representation of the image is generated, where the representation characterizes each of the image regions. Annotation leader locations are determined based on the representation of the image. Thereafter, annotation leaders are automatically generated and displayed using at the annotation leader locations.
US08462174B2 Smart color bars
A computer implemented method and system for enhancing color bars utilized in color rendering applications. One or more primary color bars are associated with an electronic document in response to at least one input by a user, wherein the primary color bar(s) is based on a plurality of input color spaces utilized by the electronic document. Additionally, a dynamic color bar can be automatically configured that includes a plurality of spot colors associated with the electronic document, wherein the dynamic color bar permits the user to determine all spot colors defined for the electronic document. The primary color bar(s) permits a single set of rules for color bar content and placement to be governed by the primary color bar, thereby enhancing the use of color bars in color rendering applications.
US08462173B2 System and method for simulation of paint deposition using a pickup and reservoir model
Systems, methods, and apparatus for simulating natural media painting in a digital painting application (or painting simulation module) using a two-layer model of a virtual paint brush may more accurately simulate real world painting techniques than conventional painting simulations. A two-layer brush model may include a reservoir buffer and a pickup buffer to separately represent the paint stored in the belly of a paint brush tip and paint that has been picked up on the surface of the brush tip during a brush stoke, respectively. The two-layer brush model may also include methods that automatically control how virtual paint moves between these layers and a digital canvas. In simulations that employ this two-layer brush model, virtual paint may be deposited on the digital canvas directly from both of the buffers. The amount of paint deposited from each buffer (and/or the ratio of the amounts) may be configurable by a user.
US08462167B2 Memory access control circuit and image processing system
A memory access control circuit includes a first internal register, an address transmitting unit that sets a state of the first internal register to a first state to transmit a first address and sets a state of the first internal register to a second state to transmit a second address, a second internal register, a data receiving unit that sets a state of the second internal register to a third state to receive first data corresponding to the first address, performs data processing on the first data without delay, sets a state of the second internal register to a fourth state to receive second data corresponding to the second address, and performs data processing on the second data after delaying the second data by a given delay time, a first backup unit and a second backup unit.
US08462165B1 System, method, and computer program product for voice control of a graphics hardware processor
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for controlling at least one aspect of a graphics hardware processor, in response to a command that is prompted by a vocal utterance.
US08462160B2 Displaying demographic information of members discussing topics in a forum
Users in public forums often mention certain topics in the course of their discussions. Member's comments in messages to other members are analyzed to obtain terms that co-occur with topics. Frequencies of co-occurrence of a term with topics are normalized based on frequency of the term in a random sample of message. The terms are ranked by their normalized frequency of co-occurrence with a topic in messages. The top terms are selected based on their rank. Analysis of demographic information associated with members that mentioned top terms associated with a topic is displayed in graphical format that highlights the relationship between the age, gender, and usage of the top terms over time. The demographic information presented includes average age of members that mentioned a top term or their gender information within a selected time interval.
US08462150B2 Stereoscopic image display device
The present invention may provide a stereoscopic image display device capable of preventing crosstalk or reduction of viewing angles upon displaying stereoscopic images, and improving image quality such as contrast ratio; an optical filter for the stereoscopic image display device; polarizing glasses for observing stereoscopic images; or a method of improving stereoscopic image quality.
US08462147B2 Mega-mesh sculpting for environments
A method for sculpting a three-dimensional, graphical environment. The method comprises receiving structure data that structurally defines the graphical environment at a first resolution, and storing composite data based on the structure data received. The composite data includes a first subset defining the graphical environment at the first resolution. The method further comprises exporting section-localized data based on the composite data, the section-localized data defining a section of the graphical environment at least structurally, and receiving refined section-localized data defining a section of the graphical environment at a second resolution finer than the first resolution. The method further comprises augmenting the composite data to include a second subset, which, in combination with the first subset, defines at least the section at the second resolution, according to the refined section-localized data received.
US08462146B1 Parallel processing of object subtrees for multiprocessor systems
A method implemented by one or more computers may include receiving data for graphical rendering and distributing a first portion of the data to a first computation process. The method may further include distributing a second portion of the data to a second computation process, where the second computation process is different than the first computation process, creating a first object subtree via the first computation process based on the first portion of the data, and creating a second object subtree via the second computation process based on the second portion of the data. The method may further also include assembling an object tree via a third computation process based on the first object subtree and the second object subtree and rendering a graphical scene based on the assembled object tree.
US08462136B2 Pointer detection apparatus and pointer detection method
A pointer detection apparatus and a pointer detection method of the cross point electrostatic coupling type are disclosed, by which a pointer on a conductor pattern can be detected at a higher speed. The pointer detection apparatus includes a conductor pattern, a spread code supplying circuit, a reception conductor selection circuit, an amplification circuit, an analog to digital conversion circuit, and a correlation value calculation circuit. The spread code supplying circuit supplies a plurality of spread codes at the same time. The correlation value calculation circuit determines correlation values between signals output from the analog to digital conversion circuit and the correlation calculation codes respectively corresponding to the spread codes. A pointer is detected based on the determined correlation values.
US08462132B2 Method and implementation device for inertial movement of window object
Provided are a method and an implementation device for inertial movement of a window object, to realize inertial movement effect of a window object based on linear speed and angular speed. When an input device releases a window object being dragged, the initial linear speed and the initial angular speed are obtained, and then the deceleration of linear speed and the deceleration of angular speed are used to obtain quantity of displacement and quantity of rotation corresponding to each processing period; the inertial movement effect of the window object is simulated after the release of a mouse button or the release of a finger from a touch screen. Through the method and device, the inertial movement effect of the window object is realized, thereby facilitating touch operation, enhancing ease of use of terminal software, and improving user experience.
US08462131B2 Electronic device having virtual keyboard with predictive key and related methods
An electronic device may include a housing, a touch screen display carried by the housing, and a processor being carried by the housing and cooperating with the touch screen display. The processor may be for operating a virtual keyboard on the touch screen display for receiving textual input from a user. The virtual keyboard may include keys with at least one remappable key with a set position in the virtual keyboard. The processor may selectively assign a predicted key value to the at least one remappable key based upon prior textual input.
US08462126B2 Method for implementing zoom functionality on a portable device with opposing touch sensitive surfaces
An improved mobile electronic device 100 with a unique thin and cost-effective form and design can have a large display 170 in the outward surface of a flip 102, a large full qwerty keypad 138 in the outward surface of a base 108, and a touchpad 186 in the inward surface of the flip. This arrangement provides useful zooming functionality and magnification techniques, as well as the ability to navigate the display using the touchpad while assuring that the full view of the display is not blocked. This arrangement also accommodates changing the mode of the touchpad from a navigation mode to a zoom mode and vice versa.
US08462123B1 Constrained keyboard organization
The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a method for generating a keypad layout. The method may include determining a frequency distribution of characters for a text sample and generating character groupings using the frequency distribution. The method may further comprise assigning the character groupings to keys on the keypad so that characters that appear most frequently in the text sample can be selected with a single keystroke.
US08462122B2 Apparatus for controlling digital device based on touch input interface capable of visual input feedback and method for the same
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for controlling a digital device, which controls the digital device by using a sensor sensing a touch of a human body, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for controlling a digital device, which controls a digital device via a touch sensor and provides feedback information based on touch information of a sensor. The digital device control apparatus comprises a sensor including a plurality of touch-sensitive switches separated from each other by a certain distance and sensing user's touch on the touch-sensitive switches for generating touch information; a control information generating unit generating control information for controlling the mobile device based on the touch information; a control unit controlling the mobile device according to the generated control information; a feedback information generating unit generating feedback information based on the touch information; and a plurality of light-emitting devices visually displaying the feedback information to the user corresponding to the plurality of the touch-sensitive switches. According to the present invention, the user may clearly recognize the plurality of the touch-sensitive switches being touched.
US08462121B1 Circuit for reading buttons and controlling light emitting diodes
A circuit including a first pin connection, a second pin connection, a first diode-switch arrangement and a second diode-switch arrangement. The first diode-switch arrangement is connected in series and configured to allow a current to pass from the second pin connection to the first pin connection. The second diode-switch arrangement is connected in series and configured to allow a current to pass from the first pin connection to the second pin connection. An energized state of the first and second diode-switch arrangements is determined according to a voltage detected on the first or second pin connection.
US08462114B2 Computer navigation devices
An optical mouse includes an image sensor for providing image data via an analog-to-digital converter to a correlation circuit and a motion estimation circuit to provide output signals representative of motion of the mouse. The output signals may be disabled when the mouse is lifted away from the working surface. This may be achieved by high-pass filtering the signals, summing each frame in a summer to provide a single value, and comparing this to a threshold. If the filtered and summed value exceeds the threshold, this may indicate that the image contains in-focus objects, and that the mouse is on the working surface.
US08462110B2 User input by pointing
Presented is apparatus for capturing user input by pointing at a surface using pointing means. The apparatus comprises: a range camera for producing a depth-image of the pointing means; and a processor. The processor is adapted to determine from the depth-image the position and orientation of a pointing axis of the pointing means; extrapolate from the position and orientation the point of intersection of the axis with the surface; and control an operation based on the location of the point of intersection.
US08462109B2 Controlling and accessing content using motion processing on mobile devices
Various embodiments provide systems and methods capable of facilitating interaction with handheld electronics devices based on sensing rotational rate around at least three axes and linear acceleration along at least three axes. In one aspect, a handheld electronic device includes a subsystem providing display capability, a set of motion sensors sensing rotational rate around at least three axes and linear acceleration along at least three axes, and a subsystem which, based on motion data derived from at least one of the motion sensors, is capable of facilitating interaction with the device.
US08462108B2 Scene launcher system and method using geographically defined launch areas
A computer-implemented method of defining and presenting a presentation including a plurality of scenes and a presenter appearing in the scenes. The method includes defining a first scene including a geographic background, receiving geographic location information and remote video and/or data information from a remote site, and defining within the first scene a launch area within the geographic background corresponding to the geographic location information. The method further includes associating a destination scene with the defined launch area. The method yet further includes displaying the destination scene in place of the first scene when the presenter provides a scene change signal with the pointing element located at the defined launch area in the first scene, wherein the destination scene displayed is a background scene generated based on remote video and/or data information received from the remote site.
US08462105B2 Three-dimensional object display control system and method thereof
Provided is a three-dimensional object display control system that enables a three-dimensional object displayed on a screen to be freely rotated by means of instinctive operation. A computer system (10) includes, e.g., a computer (12), a display (14), and a rotation information input device (20). The rotation information input device (20) includes a sphere (22), a tripod (24) that rotatably supports the sphere (22), and a camera (26) that takes an image of the sphere (22). The computer (12) selects two feature points from the image of the sphere (22) taken by the camera (26), and sets two-dimensional coordinates in the image of the feature points. While tracking the feature points, the computer (12) samples the two-dimensional coordinates and transforms them into three-dimensional coordinates on a surface of the sphere (22). Then, the computer (12) calculates a rotation matrix representing a rotation of the sphere (22), based on the three-dimensional coordinates, and multiplies the respective vertex coordinates of the three-dimensional object displayed on the display (14) by the rotation matrix, thereby calculating the respective vertex coordinates of the three-dimensional object after rotated.
US08462103B1 Computer display screen system and adjustable screen mount, and swinging screens therefor
A dual screen display system (10) having, a base (24), a pair of electronic display screens (16), an arm assembly (20, 22) supporting the display screens (16) and connected to the base, swingable mountings (28, 30) for swingably mounting the display screens, the mountings being adjustable as to the angular orientation of each of the display screens relative to the arm assembly between a first arrangement with the screens in a common plane, and a second arrangement in which the screens are inwardly swung positions thereby to permit each of the screens to be swung into desired operative angular orientation, and adjustable movement limiting devices (54), engaging the swinging mountings and limiting movement of the screens. Also disclosed are interchangeable mounting brackets (80, 86) for mounting screens of varying sizes, or for mounting screens in various configurations, and hingeable screens (12A, 12B) swingable to display to opposite sides, and a swingable ball and socket mounting for mounting various articles in a desired orientation. Various alternative embodiments of support arm assemblies are disclosed.
US08462099B2 Display panel and display device
In one embodiment of the present invention, a display panel includes an active matrix type pixel region including scanning signal lines each of which is connected to three terminal elements each of which serves as an active element, the active matrix type pixel region including a non-rectangular shape by being configured such that the respective scanning signal lines are connected with various numbers of the three terminal elements according to where the scanning signal lines are located, and a shift register which drives the scanning signal lines, the shift register being formed in a region on a panel substrate, the region being adjacent to the pixel region in a direction in which the scanning signal lines extend.
US08462092B2 Display panel having sub-pixels with polarity arrangment
A display panel includes at least twelve sub-pixels, arranged continuously in a row. In a scanning time of the display panel, sub-pixels respectively disposed at a 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 8th, 10th and 12th column have a first polarity, and sub-pixels respectively disposed at a 1st, 4th, 6th, 7th, 9th and 11th column have a second polarity. The first polarity is opposite to the second polarity.
US08462089B2 Organic light emitting display device and driving method thereof
An organic light emitting display device includes: a display unit including pixels coupled to scan lines and data lines; one or more control lines coupled to the pixels; a control line driver for supplying control signals to the pixels through the control lines; a first power driver for applying a first power having a low voltage level or a high voltage level to the pixels; and a second power driver for applying a second power having a low voltage level or a high voltage level to the pixels, in which each of the pixels includes: an organic light emitting diode (OLED); a driving transistor for controlling an amount of current supplied to the OLED; and an initializing transistor coupled to a gate electrode of the driving transistor and for supplying a reset voltage to the gate electrode of the driving transistor.
US08462082B2 Driving method for high efficiency mercury-free flat light source structure, and flat light source apparatus
Disclosed are a new Mercury-free flat light source structure capable of enhancing and adjusting brightness, maintaining stable and uniform discharge, and improving luminous efficiency, and a large flat light source apparatus using the same Mercury-free flat light source structure as a unit cell capable of adjusting the brightness and causing local discharges in selected areas, and a driving method thereof.The flat light source structure according to the present invention includes an upper substrate made of a light transmitting material; a lower substrate separated from the upper substrate by a distance; a barrier rib for maintaining the distance, thereby defining a discharge space filled with a discharge gas with a predetermined pressure; a phosphor coated on at least one of the inner surfaces of the upper substrate and the lower substrate, respectively; a pair of main electrodes disposed at predetermined positions on the surface of the upper or lower substrate and applied with a predetermined driving voltage, frequency and duty ratio to excite the phosphor by plasma generated due to electric field induced in the discharge space; an auxiliary electrode formed at a predetermined position on the lower and/or upper substrate(s) to have a parallel component which is parallel with any one of the main electrodes when viewing the discharge space from the upper substrate and a perpendicular component which traverses the electrodes across the pair of main electrodes.
US08462081B2 See-through display
A screen includes a first set of louver members at least partially disposed in the screen and located proximate to a first side of the screen, and a second set of louver members at least partially disposed in the screen and located proximate to a second side of the screen. An observer on either side of the screen sees an image produced by light directed to that observer by that set of louvers on the same side of the screen as the observer. Objects on the other side of the screen from the observer are visible to the observer between the louvers.
US08462076B2 Adjustable mounting assembly for an antenna
A mounting assembly for an antenna includes a mounting foot, an antenna mast, and two mast positioning components. The foot includes a base that can be attached to a mounting structure, and two opposing sidewall flanges extending from the base. Each sidewall flange has a respective slot formed therein. The antenna mast has a proximal end pivotally coupled to the foot between the sidewall flanges. The first mast positioning component is coupled between the sidewall flanges, it is movable within the slots, and it provides a first adjustable support structure for the antenna mast. The second mast positioning component is coupled between the sidewall flanges, it is movable within the slots, and it provides a second adjustable support structure for the antenna mast.
US08462074B2 Planar antenna and wireless communication apparatus
A planar antenna disposed on a plate having a first surface and a second surface is provided. The planar antenna includes a metal layer, an antenna body, a stepped impedance device, a coupling device and a matching device. The metal layer is disposed on the first surface and has a slot line exposing the first surface. The antenna body, the stepped impedance device, the coupling device and the matching device are disposed on the second surface. The antenna body is corresponding to a surrounding of the metal layer except a feed end thereof, the stepped impedance device and the matching device are corresponding to the metal layer, and the coupling device is corresponding to the slot line. The matching device is coupled between the coupling device and the feed end. The stepped impedance device has a transmission zero in a radio frequency band operated by the antenna body.
US08462072B2 Antenna device, printed circuit board including antenna device, and wireless communication device including antenna device
An antenna device includes a substrate, a pair of antenna elements formed on a face of the substrate and which is arranged so as to be axisymmetrical with respect to a symmetrical axis, and a ground section formed on the face of the substrate on which the pair of antenna elements is formed and which is arranged proximal to the pair of antenna elements, wherein the ground section is arranged so as to be axisymmetrical with respect to the symmetrical axis, and the ground section includes a first pair of slit sections notched from an end section and extending in one direction of the symmetrical axis.
US08462071B1 Impedance matching mechanism for phased array antennas
A technique for improving impedance matching in a phased array antenna involves placing a segmented fence around the antenna elements of the array. The antenna elements are arranged above a ground surface such as a ground plane. The segmented fence includes spaced-apart conductive projections electrically coupled to and extending from the ground surface, such that the segmented fence partially terminates electric fields traveling in directions parallel to the ground surface. The segmented fence lies in paths extending in at least two directions along the ground surface to define fence enclosures that surround individual antenna elements. With dual-polarization or multi-polarization dipole antenna elements, the fence enclosures partially terminate the electric field in each direction parallel to the ground surface to simplify impedance matching without unduly restricting the magnetic field.
US08462070B2 Antenna having planar conducting elements, one of which has a plurality of electromagnetic radiators and an open slot
An antenna includes a dielectric material having i) a first side opposite a second side, and ii) a conductive via therein. A first planar conducting element is on the first side of the dielectric material and has an electrical connection to the conductive via. A second planar conducting element is also on the first side of the dielectric material. A gap electrically isolates the first and second planar conducting elements from each other. An electrical microstrip feed line on the second side of the dielectric material electrically connects to the conductive via and has a route that extends from the conductive via, to across the gap, to under the second planar conducting element. The first planar conducting element has a plurality of electromagnetic radiators, each having dimensions that cause it to resonate over a range of frequencies that differs from a range of frequencies over which an adjacent radiator resonates. At least first and second of the radiators bound an open slot in the first planar conducting element. The open slot has an orientation perpendicular to the gap.
US08462065B2 Antenna apparatus and communication apparatus
The present invention relates to an antenna apparatus and a communication apparatus able to provide an antenna apparatus having wide band characteristics or diversity characteristics. A first antenna element 11, a second antenna element 12, and a divider circuit 13 to which both the antenna elements 11 and 12 are coupled via respectively separate transmission lines 15 and 16 are included. Additionally, a delay process is conducted on one of the transmission lines by modifying the lengths of the transmission line 15 coupling the first antenna element 11 to the divider circuit 13 and the transmission line 16 coupling the second antenna element 12 to the divider circuit 13. By conducting this delay adjustment, the input impedance and/or phase of the first and second antenna elements are adjusted, and wider band characteristics than the antenna characteristics of the first and second antenna elements individually are configured.
US08462063B2 Metamaterial antenna arrays with radiation pattern shaping and beam switching
Apparatus, systems and techniques for using composite left and right handed (CRLH) metamaterial (MTM) structure antenna elements and arrays to provide radiation pattern shaping and beam switching.
US08462062B2 RF passive repeater for a metal container
A storage container assembly includes a container having a metal side wall, and a passive wireless repeater mounted on the side wall. The repeater includes a first antenna on one side of the side wall, a second antenna on an opposite side of the side wall, and an electrical connection between the first antenna and the second antenna. The electrical connection may be in the form of a first connector mounted to the first antenna and a second connector mounted to the second antenna.
US08462060B2 Embedded antenna apparatus for utility metering applications
An embedded antenna for facilitating wireless transmission of utility meter data is disclosed, where in one embodiment an RF antenna is a part of the faceplate of the utility meter. In another embodiment the utility meter faceplate is a single-layer or a multi-layer printed circuit board (PCB) with the RF antenna printed on any desired layer. Such faceplates may be labeled to be viewable from outside of the meter housing and/or have openings to accommodate visual access to an output display of the meter consumption information.
US08462059B2 Vehicle antenna
The invention relates to a vehicle antenna with a bottom part, comprising a metallic base area, a top latched with the bottom part, and a printed circuit board held between the bottom part and the top and carrying at least one transmission or receiver element,wherein the top has at least one latching hook for latching into a mounting opening of a body part.
US08462050B2 System and method for an integrated antenna in a cargo container monitoring and security
A system and method for an antenna which is constructed into or conforming onto the roof or wall of a cargo container is provided. The antenna system may have multiple antennas for short range wireless, cellular, global positioning, or satellite built into a single functional element. The antenna system may utilize a patch or phased array design. The method of construction of the antenna system may as part of the container fabricated or installed at the factory, applied as an adhesive film kit, or applied as a successive spray coating and etching process.
US08462044B1 Determining transmit location of an emitter using a single geostationary satellite
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for determining the transmit location of an emitter using a single geostationary satellite. In an embodiment, a signal is received at a ground station from the emitter and relayed by the geostationary satellite. The signal is received at the ground station at a plurality of time instances and has a plurality of observed frequencies, one for each time instance. A plurality of lines of position are determining based on the plurality of observed frequencies. The transmit location of the emitter is determined based on at least one intersection among the plurality of lines of position.
US08462039B2 Indoor electromagnetic environment implementing structure and a constructing method thereof
Disclosed is an indoor electromagnetic environment implementing structure. A shield room in a polyhedron structure for blocking electromagnetic waves output from the interior toward the exterior thereof and electromagnetic waves input from the exterior toward the interior when measuring a characteristic of the electromagnetic waves is installed, an electromagnetic wave absorber is installed at a door and a window on a wall through which the electromagnetic waves are output in the shield room, and a cover for covering the electromagnetic wave absorber with a size corresponding to the electromagnetic wave absorber is installed. In this instance, the cover transmits or blocks the electromagnetic waves according to utilization of electromagnetic wave measurement tests.
US08462036B2 Digital-to-analog converter with non-uniform resolution
A circuit includes a digital-to-analog converter with non-uniform resolution for converting a digital signal into an analog signal. The digital-to-analog converter includes high-resolution circuitry, reduced-resolution circuitry coupled to the high-resolution circuitry and a switch coupled to the high-resolution circuitry and to the reduced-resolution circuitry. The switch couples one of the high-resolution circuitry and the reduced-resolution circuitry to an output node. The circuit also includes a decoder coupled to the switch. The decoder receives the digital signal to control the switch.
US08462035B2 Digital-to-analog conversion arrangement with power range dependent D/A converter selection
A digital-to-analog conversion arrangement for converting a digital input signal comprises first and second digital-to-analog converters (DACs) having different signal resolutions and a digital-to-analog converter selector for selecting the first DAC or the second DAC if the digital input signal has a power in a first or a second power range, respectively. The digital-to-analog conversion arrangement further comprises an analog signal merger for merging a first analog signal and a second analog signal, the first analog signal being based on a first analog output signal of the first digital-to-analog converter and the second analog signal being based on a second analog output signal of the second analog-to-digital converter. A corresponding method for digital-to-analog conversion of a digital input signal and a computer readable digital storage medium are also described.
US08462033B2 Reconfigurable delta-sigma modulator ADC using noise coupling
A reconfigurable analog-to-digital (ADC) modulator structure that includes a plurality of ADC structures being coupled to each other through their respective noise quantization transfer functions. Each ADC structure receives as input an analog signal and each ADC structure outputting a plurality of first output signals. An adder module receives the first output signals and performs addition on the first output signals and generates a second output signal. A division module receives the second output signal and performs division on the second output signal by a predetermined factor.
US08462032B2 Sigma delta modulator
A method for driving a sigma delta modulator, a sigma delta modulator comprising at least one integrator device and one quantizer device, and a readable medium having a computer program stored thereon for performing the method are described. The method comprises setting a sigma delta modulator to an irrational operation mode. The method comprises monitoring at least one output signal of the sigma delta modulator. The method comprises resetting the sigma delta modulator to the irrational operation mode depending on the monitored output signal.
US08462031B2 Continuous time analogue/digital converter
Continuous time analogue/digital converter, comprising a sigma delta modulator (MSD1) configured to receive an analogue input signal (x(t)) and comprising high-pass filtering means (MF) the chopping frequency of which is equal to half of the sampling frequency (Fs) of the quantization means (QTZ) of the modulator (MSD1).
US08462030B2 Programmable loop filter for use with a sigma delta analog-to-digital converter and method of programming the same
The present invention is directed to a programmable loop filter, a method of programming the same and a sigma delta analog-to-digital converter (ADC) incorporating the programmable loop filter or the method. In one embodiment, the programmable loop filter includes: (1) a configurable filter structure containing selectably interconnectable alternative filter elements and (2) a configuration controller coupled to the configurable filter structure and operable to interconnect at least a selected one of the filter elements to determine a transfer characteristic of the configurable filter structure and set an operating condition of the sigma delta ADC.
US08462029B2 Analog-to-digital conversion apparatus and signal processing system
An analog-to-digital conversion apparatus includes: a first analog-to-digital converter and a second analog-to-digital converter that are configured to convert an input analog signal into a digital signal; a difference imparting part configured to provide a difference of at least a fixed signal α between input analog signals to the first and second analog-to-digital converters, to input the input analog signals thereto; a first non-linear compensation part and a second non-linear compensation part that are configured to compensate non-linear distortions of a first output signal and a second output signal depending on the control variable signal to be supplied; and a non-linear detection part configured to estimate how much the non-linear distortions are compensated by the first and second non-linear compensation parts depending on a first signal by the first non-linear compensation part and a second signal by the second non-linear compensation part.
US08462025B2 Signal transmission between a controller and an optical pickup unit
An improved transmission protocol is used to transmit a signal between two components of an electronic device. The improved transmission protocol is configured to reduce the number of simultaneous channel transitions that occur when multiple signal channels are transmitted in parallel. Reducing the number of simultaneous channel transitions is beneficial because a signal that is subject to skew, distortion, or electromagnetic interference during transmission may have a shorter settling time when fewer channels undergo a transition simultaneously. When the protocol is used to transmit a signal from a controller to an optical pickup unit in an optical data storage system, the reduced settling times allow for a higher data transmission rate.
US08462020B1 Attitude and configuration indicator display system and method
Attitude and Configuration Indicator Display System and Method within the context of an Electronic Instrument System in which the configuration status of a piloted craft; typically the instant positions of lift inducing elements and drag inducing elements, are represented by symbol groupings integrated with an a parent icon, typically a chevron-type symbol representative of the piloted craft. The symbol groupings receive data from associated on-board sensors and are displayed singly or in combination with each other anytime the piloted craft is not in a clean configuration to instantly alert the pilot(s) of the configuration status with a single glance directed to the attitude indicator.
US08462014B1 Meter data management systems, methods, and software with outage management capabilities
The present inventors recognized a need to leverage the data from Advanced Metering Systems (AMIs) in the management of electrical outages. To address this and/or other needs, the present inventors devised, among other things, systems, methods, and software that not only intelligently filter and communicate AMI outage data to Outage Management Systems (OMSs), but also facilitate communications between OMSs and multiple types of AMI systems. One exemplary system includes an outage management module that receives AMI outage data in the form of “last gasp” messages from meters and determines whether the OMS is already aware of a power outage associated with those meters. If the OMS is already aware of an outage associated with these meters, the outage management module excludes the outage reports from its communications with the OMS, thereby preserving its capacity to handle new outage information and overcoming a significant obstacle to using AMI data within OMSs.
US08462008B2 System and method for introducing a substrate into a process chamber
A system and method for introducing a substrate into a process chamber is provided. A presence or absence of a substrate on a stage in an apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor or a flat panel display may be determined by lift pins used for loading and unloading a substrate, the introduction of another substrate may be prevented and a broken state or the erroneously loaded state of the substrate may be detected. An opening or closing of a gate valve may also be determined, and the introduction of a substrate into the process chamber may be prevented while the gate valve is closed.
US08462007B2 Monitoring device, information processing apparatus, and alarm signal output method having an alarm storage unit for storing alarm signals for itself and other units
A monitoring device configured to be installed in an information processing apparatus to detect a failure of the information processing apparatus, and to output an alarm signal when the failure is detected, the monitoring device including an alarm signal generating unit that generates the alarm signal upon detecting the failure, an alarm signal storing unit that stores the generated alarm signal, an alarm signal output unit that outputs the stored alarm signal to outside, an alarm signal input unit that receives, when the monitoring device is in a standby state, another alarm signal from another monitoring device in an active state, and an alarm signal storage instructing unit that supplies to the alarm signal storing unit an instruction signal for storing said another alarm signal in the alarm signal storing unit.
US08462006B2 GFCI with overcurrent protection and end-of-life warning and tripping functions
The invention relates to a GFCI that trips and provides indication at the end of its life. It comprises a leakage signal detection circuit (LSDC) and a failure alarm for providing indication in case of failure. The LSDC includes a leakage signal amplification circuit (LSAC) which amplifies the signal from test and neutral toroidal coils and controls a mechanical tripping mechanism through a silicon control unit and an igniter. The mechanical tripping mechanism is controlled by the LSDC through the silicon control unit by a forcible tripping coil connected thereto. This LSDC is powered by a power unit. Additionally, a failure alarm circuit which triggers and supplies visual indication through an optical display element in the event of failure is connected to the power unit of the LSDC. This alarm circuit also includes a forcible tripping coil to control the mechanical tripping mechanism at the end of the device life.
US08462005B2 Communication circuit to measure and communicate the state of a battery unit in a vehicle
According to one embodiment, a communication circuit includes a direct-current converter circuit configured to generate a second power supply potential different from a second reference potential by a predetermined potential, from a first power supply potential, a first receiving circuit configured to receive a binary communication signal, whose one level is at a first reference potential, through a first signal input terminal, by a differential transmission method, a first level shift circuit configured to convert the communication signal received by the first receiving circuit into a binary communication signal, whose one level is at the second reference potential, and the other level is at the second power supply potential, and a first transmission circuit configured to output the binary communication signal converted by the first level shift circuit, through a first signal output terminal, by a differential transmission method.
US08462000B2 Infrared control system
An exemplary infrared control system includes an infrared control unit and a computer. The infrared control unit is capable of transmitting an infrared signal. The computer includes an infrared response unit, and the infrared response unit includes an infrared receiving circuit and a control circuit electrically connected to the infrared receiving circuit. The infrared receiving circuit is capable of receiving the infrared signal from the infrared control unit. Accordingly the control circuit is capable of processing the infrared signal from the infrared receiving circuit to generate a corresponding command signal to control the computer to power on/off or reset.
US08461994B2 RF receiver and RFID/USN system having the same
A radio frequency receiver comprises a first signal coupler coupling and branching a radio frequency signal received from a tag or a reader, a voltage regulator receiving the coupled signal and outputting a voltage-regulated signal having a predetermined level, a signal converter mixing the radio frequency signal transmitted from the first signal coupler by using the voltage-regulated signal as an oscillation frequency signal and generating a baseband frequency signal, a signal processor processing the baseband frequency signal and extracting tag information, and a data transceiver transmitting the tag information through a wire and/or wireless network.
US08461989B2 Smart container UWB sensor system for situational awareness of intrusion alarms
An in-container monitoring sensor system is based on an UWB radar intrusion detector positioned in a container and having a range gate set to the farthest wall of the container from the detector. Multipath reflections within the container make every point on or in the container appear to be at the range gate, allowing intrusion detection anywhere in the container. The system also includes other sensors to provide false alarm discrimination, and may include other sensors to monitor other parameters, e.g. radiation. The sensor system also includes a control subsystem for controlling system operation. Communications and information extraction capability may also be included. A method of detecting intrusion into a container uses UWB radar, and may also include false alarm discrimination. A secure container has an UWB based monitoring system.
US08461987B2 System and method for performing chemical analysis of fingerprints for providing at least one response
A fingerprint recognition system is presented including a fingerprint collecting module positioned about an electronic device for collecting fingerprint information related to one or more fingerprints; a chemical analysis module for performing a chemical analysis of the fingerprint information collected; and an evaluating module for evaluating the chemical analysis of the fingerprint information collected to provide at least one response. Additionally, a chemical analysis system for performing substantially instantaneous chemical analysis of received fingerprints and providing substantially instantaneous recommendations or feedback or responses based on the chemical analysis of the fingerprints received is presented. The chemical analysis indicates at least one or more of the following: age, gender, race, dietary information, and lifestyle information or a combination thereof.
US08461982B2 Communication system for patient handling devices
A patient handling device communication system enables patient handling devices, such as bed, cots, stretchers, and the like, to communicate with other patient handling devices. Communication from one or more patient handling devices may thereby be forwarded to other patient handling devices. Such information may also be forwarded to a healthcare communication network. The patient handling devices may form a mesh network for communicating information amongst themselves and/or to the healthcare communications network.
US08461978B2 Wireless ultrasound probe asset tracking
A wireless ultrasound probe has a probe case enclosing a transducer array, an acquisition circuit, a transceiver and a battery. The probe also includes a loudspeaker which produces audible sounds as a function of the range between the wireless probe and a host system. When the probe is within a near field range of the host system, the loudspeaker is silent. But if the probe is moved to an intermediate or a far field range from the host system, the loudspeaker sounds an alert. This audible alert can be used to locate the probe by transmitting a paging signal which, upon reception by the probe, causes the probe to sound its alert. If the probe is moved to an unauthorized location where it is within range of a transmitter or receiver, the reception of a signal by the probe, the transmitter, or receiver will sound an alert signaling the unauthorized presence of the wireless probe.
US08461974B2 Electric circuit for an access control and for an immobilizer of a vehicle and method for calibrating an antenna driver
An electric circuit for controlling the access and immobilizing a vehicle has a first antenna driver (12) for driving a first antenna (19) for emitting a signal (100) in the event of identification of an ID transmitter (3) for access control of a vehicle. A second antenna driver (24) is provided for driving a second antenna (21) for emitting a signal (104) in the event of identification of an ID transmitter (3) for the immobilizer of the vehicle. In addition, the electric circuit has a receiver device (14) for receiving a signal captured by an antenna (21) for the identification of an ID transmitter (3) for the immobilizer. The first antenna driver (12) and the receiver device (14) are commonly integrated into a semiconductor chip (1).
US08461969B2 Dual mode vibrator
A dual mode vibrator is disclosed. There are available two vibrating units to enable obtainment of a variety of vibrations. Each lateral portion of the first and second vibrating units respectively supported by the first and second elastic members is supported by the first and second support bars secured at the housing for rotatable installation. Therefore, although the first and second vibrating units may rotate about the first and second support bars, the first and second vibrating units are not allowed to deviated or disengaged from the first and second support bars, whereby the plastic deformation of the first and second elastic members is prevented, and the first and second vibrating units can be positioned at predetermined positions at all times to enhance reliability of product. Furthermore, each lateral portion of the first and second vibrating units is respectively supported by the first and second elastic members while the other lateral portions of the first and second vibrating units are restrained by a stopper at a predetermined distance or more.
US08461965B2 Portable radio frequency identification (RFID) reader
A particular portable radio frequency identification (RFID) reader includes an active antenna array including a plurality of antenna elements to receive RFID signals from RFID devices. The antenna elements include control circuitry to control a beam pattern generated by the active antenna array. The portable RFID reader further includes sum circuitry and difference circuitry. The sum circuitry is operable to determine a sum signal by summing the RFID signals received by at least two of the plurality of antenna elements. The difference circuitry is operable to determine a difference signal between the RFID signals received by at least two of the plurality of antenna elements. The portable RFID reader also includes a controller to electronically steer the beam pattern and to determine a direction from the RFID reader to a particular RFID device.
US08461963B2 Access authorization method and apparatus for a wireless sensor network
An access authorization method and apparatus for a wireless sensor network comprises at least a base station and a wireless sensor network formed by a plurality of sensor nodes. After having obtained an access authorization of a user, the at least a base station issues a request message to a target sensor node in the wireless sensor network. The target sensor node requests at least a controlling node in the wireless sensor network for sensing data sensed by the at least a controlling node, and checks if the sensing data meets the requirements of the access authorization of the user. Whether the target sensor node responds with the required multimedia or not is based on the checking result.
US08461959B2 Consumable holder with process control apparatus
A consumable holder has a source of a consumable, a first appliance coupling point configured to receive a resource from and convey the resource or consumable to an appliance configured to use the consumable and the resource in a physical operation on an article, a process control apparatus to control conveyance of the resource or consumable to and from the consumable holder, and a second appliance coupling point in communication with the process control apparatus and configured to connect to an appliance. Thus, an appliance coupled to the consumable holder can communicate with the process control apparatus via the second coupling point.
US08461957B2 In-molded resistive and shielding elements
An article of manufacture having an in-molded resistive and/or shielding element and method of making the same are shown and described. In one disclosed method, a resistive and/or shielding element is printed on a film. The film is formed to a desired shape and put in an injection mold. A molten plastic material is introduced into the injection mold to form a rigid structure that retains the film.
US08461953B1 System, method and apparatus for transformer cooling
An air cooling system, method, apparatus and kit applied to lower transformer operating temperatures, such as governed by a tank or container of oil, allowing transformer components to run more efficiently at a lower temperature level, e.g., down from the hot level operating temperatures typical in stressed conventional devices. By lowering the operational levels to within or below the nominal operational temperature ranges for the equipment, and recovering heat generated during operation, several advantages are obtained.
US08461952B1 Field emission system and method
An improved field emission system and method is provided that involves field emission structures having electric or magnetic field sources. The magnitudes, polarities, and positions of the magnetic or electric field sources are configured to have desirable correlation properties, which may be in accordance with a code. The correlation properties correspond to a desired spatial force function where spatial forces between field emission structures correspond to relative alignment, separation distance, and the spatial force function.
US08461944B2 First and second U-shape waveguides joined to a dielectric carrier by a U-shape sealing frame
The present invention relates to a transition arrangement comprising a first surface-mountable waveguide part and a second surface-mountable waveguide part, each of the first and second surface-mountable waveguide parts comprising a first wall, a second wall and a third wall, which second and third walls are arranged to contact a dielectric carrier material, all the walls together essentially forming a U-shape, where the first and second surface-mountable waveguide parts are arranged to be mounted on the dielectric carrier material in such a way that the first and second surface-mountable waveguide parts comprise ends which are positioned to face each other. The transition arrangement further comprises an electrically conducting sealing frame that is arranged to be mounted over and covering the ends, where the electrically conducting frame has a first wall, a second wall and a third wall, where the second and third walls are arranged to contact the dielectric carrier material, all the walls together essentially forming a U-shape.
US08461942B2 Surface acoustic wave device
A surface acoustic wave device includes a first filter and a second filter, each of them being a surface acoustic wave (SAW) filter including an odd number of at least three InterDigital Transducers (IDTs); an unbalanced terminal to which an unbalanced signal is input; a first balanced terminal from which a signal having a same phase as the unbalanced signal is output; and a second balanced terminal from which a signal having an opposite phase to the unbalanced signal is output. One of electrodes of a first center IDT and one of electrodes of a second center IDT are commonly connected to the unbalanced terminal, the first center IDT and the second center IDT being one out of the odd number of IDTs and locating at a center in the first filter and the second filter respectively. The number of electrode fingers of the first center IDT is an odd number, and the number of electrode fingers of the second center IDT is an even number.
US08461940B2 Elastic wave device and method for manufacturing the same
An elastic wave device has a structure that prevents flux from flowing into a hollow space of the device during mounting of the device using solder bumps. The elastic wave device includes a substrate, a vibrating portion located on a first main surface of the substrate, pads located on the first main surface of the substrate and electrically connected to electrodes of the vibrating portion, a supporting layer arranged on the first main surface of the substrate so as to enclose the vibrating portion, a sheet-shaped cover layer composed of resin including synthetic rubber and disposed on the supporting layer so as to form a hollow space around the periphery of the vibrating portion, a protective layer composed of resin having resistance to flux and disposed on a side of the cover layer remote from the supporting layer, via conductors extending through the protective layer, the cover layer, and the supporting layer and connected to the pads, and external electrodes including solder bumps, disposed at ends of the via conductors adjacent to the protective layer.
US08461939B2 Waveguide orthomode transducer
A waveguide orthomode transducer includes a waveguide including a first waveguide portion and a second waveguide portion placed along a transmission direction of radio signals, the size of an aperture of the second waveguide portion smaller than the size of an aperture of the first waveguide portion, a first probe disposed at a first position, a second probe disposed at a second position, a third probe disposed at a third position, and a fourth probe disposed at a fourth position, wherein at least two of the first position, the second position, the third position, and the fourth position are located in the same plane perpendicular to the transmission direction of the radio signals.
US08461937B2 Method for pseudo-differential transmission using natural electrical variables
The invention relates to a method and a device for pseudo-differential transmission in interconnections used for sending a plurality of electrical signals.The ends of an interconnection having 4 transmission conductors and a return conductor distinct from the reference conductor are each connected to a termination circuit. Three damping circuits are connected between the return conductor and the reference conductor. The transmitting circuits receive at their inputs the signals from the 4 channels of the two sources, and are connected to the conductors of the interconnection. A transmitting circuit in the activated state produces natural electrical variables, each natural electrical variable being allocated to one and only one channel. The receiving circuits are connected to the conductors of the interconnection, each receiving circuit being such that the 4 channels of a source connected to a transmitting circuit in the activated state are sent to the four channels of the destinations without noticeable echo, internal crosstalk and external crosstalk.
US08461936B2 MEMS oscillator
A piezoresistive MEMS oscillator comprises a resonator body, first and second drive electrodes located adjacent the resonator body for providing an actuation signal; and at least a first sense electrode connected to a respective anchor point. The voltages at the electrodes are controlled and/or processed such that the feedthrough AC current from one drive electrode to the sense electrode is at least partially offset by the feedthrough AC current from the other drive electrode to the sense electrode.
US08461935B2 Hybrid system having a non-MEMS device and a MEMS device
A hybrid system having a non-MEMS device and a MEMS device is described. The apparatus includes a non-MEMS device and an integrated circuit including a MEMS device, the integrated circuit formed on a substrate. The integrated circuit includes a control circuit for the non-MEMS device and a MEMS control circuit for the MEMS device.
US08461932B2 Signal amplifier, bridge connection signal amplifier signal output device, latch-up prevention method, and program storage medium
A signal amplifier includes an inverting amplification circuit, a first switching element, a second switching element, and a control section. The inverting amplification circuit includes a first voltage terminal, a second voltage terminal, an inverting input terminal, an output terminal, a first protected switching element, and a second protected switching element. The control section controls such that when an overcurrent has flowed in the first voltage line, the first and second protected switching elements are switched to a non-conducting state after switching the first switching element in a conducting state and switching the second switching element in a non-conducting state, and when an overcurrent has flowed in the second voltage line, the first the second protected switching elements are switched to a non-conducting state after switching the first switching element in a non-conducting state and switching the second switching element in a conducting state.
US08461931B1 Wideband RF power amplifier for multi-mode multi-band applications
A Multi-Mode Multi-Band (MMMB) radio frequency (RF) power amplifier circuit operating at multiple frequency bands. The power amplifier circuit comprises a single wideband power amplifier having high output impedance which is configured to be equal to a load impedance of the load connected to the power amplifier circuit. A bias voltage applied to the wideband power amplifier is changed from a first value to a second value to provide a predetermined output power of the wideband power amplifier to the load with the output impedance of wideband power amplifier being equal to the load impedance. The power amplifier circuit also includes an individual harmonic filter for filtering each frequency band independently.
US08461930B2 Monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) including air bridge coupler
A monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) includes a transistor, coupled line and multiple air bridges. The coupled line is configured to output a coupled signal from the transistor, the coupled line running parallel to a drain of the transistor. The air bridges connect the drain of the transistor with a bond pad for outputting a transistor output signal, the bridges being arranged parallel to one another and extending over the coupled line. The air bridges and the coupled line effectively provide coupling of the transistor output signal to a load.
US08461928B2 Constant-gain power amplifier
A method includes amplifying a non-constant-envelope input signal using a main amplifier having a first gain that varies depending on a supply voltage of the main amplifier. A constant-envelope signal is amplified using a reference amplifier having a second gain that varies depending on the supply voltage of the reference amplifier. Both the main amplifier and the reference amplifier are operated using a same variable supply voltage whose amplitude varies over time. A gain control signal is produced so as to compensate for changes in the second gain of the reference amplifier that are caused by the variable supply voltage. The gain control signal is applied in compensating for variations in the first gain of the main amplifier.
US08461926B2 Differential amplifier circuit
A differential amplifier circuit includes a first/second field effect transistor including a gate coupled to a first/second differential input signal terminal, a source coupled to a reference potential node, and a drain coupled to a first/second differential output signal terminal, a first variable capacitor coupled between the gate of the first field effect transistor and the drain of the second field effect transistor, a second variable capacitor coupled between the gate of the second field effect transistor and the drain of the first field effect transistor, and a first envelope detector configured to detect an envelope of a signal at the first differential output signal terminal or the second differential output signal terminal, the first variable capacitor and/or the second variable capacitor has a capacitance that varies in accordance with an envelope detected by the first envelope detector.
US08461925B2 Distortion compensating apparatus, amplifying apparatus, transmitting apparatus, and distortion compensating method
A distortion compensating apparatus that compensates signal distortion caused by an amplifier includes a distortion compensating process unit that using a distortion compensation coefficient, compensates distortion of an input signal; a memory unit that stores the distortion compensation coefficient; and an address generating unit that generates a first address that is based on electrical power of the input signal and for acquiring the distortion compensation coefficient from the memory unit and that generates a second address that is based on a phase of the input signal and for acquiring the distortion compensation coefficient from the memory unit. The distortion compensating process unit acquires the distortion compensation coefficient from the memory unit based on the first and the second addresses to compensate the distortion.
US08461924B2 Systems and methods of RF power transmission, modulation, and amplification, including embodiments for controlling a transimpedance node
Multiple-Input-Single-Output (MISO) amplification and associated VPA control algorithms are provided herein. According to embodiments of the present invention, MISO amplifiers driven by VPA control algorithms outperform conventional outphasing amplifiers, including cascades of separate branch amplifiers using conventional power combiner technologies. MISO amplifiers can be operated at enhanced efficiencies over the entire output power dynamic range by blending the control of the power source, source impedances, bias levels, outphasing, and branch amplitudes. These blending constituents are combined to provide an optimized transfer characteristic function.
US08461919B2 Radio frequency switch circuit
A radio frequency (RF) switch circuit in which an RF switch and a switch controller are formed on a single CMOS substrate and floating resistors are connected to a deep N type well substrate, an N type well substrate, and a P type well substrate to thereby increase linearity with respect to input power. In the RF switch having at least one NMOS (N type Metal Oxide Semiconductor) switch changing a transmission path of an RF signal, an N type terminal formed on a first deep N type well substrate receives driving power through a floating resistor, a P type terminal formed on a first P type substrate receives body power through a floating resistor, and the two N type terminals formed on the first P type substrate receive gate power through a floating resistor, and in the switch controller having at least one NMOS switch and at least one PMOS (P type Metal Oxide Semiconductor) switch controlling changing of a path of the RF switch, an N type terminal formed on a second deep N type well substrate and an N type terminal formed on the first N type substrate receive driving power through floating resistors.
US08461917B2 Complimentary single-ended-input OTA-C universal filter structures
A complimentary single-ended-input OTA-C universal filter structures in terms of integrated circuits is provided. The integrated circuit comprises a plurality of amplifiers and a plurality of capacitors. In some capacitors, one electrode is electrically connected to the positive input of its corresponding amplifier, and the other electrode can be electrically connected to an electrical source. In addition, the negative input of one amplifier is electrically connected to the negative input of another amplifier. Besides, there are a head amplifier and a tail amplifier. The output of the head amplifier is electrically connected to the negative input of the head amplifier, and the positive input of the tail amplifier can be electrically connected to an electrical source.
US08461916B2 Filter circuit and integrated circuit including the same
A filter circuit includes a plurality of shifting units configured to each store an initial value, receive at least one input signal, and shift the stored value to a next shifting unit in sequence from among the shifting units in response to at least one input signal, and an initial value setting unit configured to set the initial stored values of the shifting units to different sets of initial stored values in response to different filter setting signals, respectively, wherein the different filter setting signals represent respectively different criteria for filtering the at least one input signal, wherein the initially stored values have a first logic value or a second logic value, wherein the filter circuit is configured to activate an output signal when the first logic value is shifted to a selected shifting unit among the plurality of shifting units.
US08461913B2 Integrated circuit and a method for selecting a voltage in an integrated circuit
An integrated circuit comprising an adjustable voltage source to allow a plurality of voltage values to be selected; means for measuring a voltage value derived from the adjustable voltage source; and means for configuring the adjustable voltage source to provide a selected voltage value, wherein the selected voltage value is selected based upon a voltage value measured by the means for measuring and a voltage selected by a controller.
US08461912B1 Switched-capacitor, curvature-compensated bandgap voltage reference
In a novel aspect, producing a reference bandgap voltage includes generating a proportional to absolute temperature (PTAT) voltage difference based on respective voltages across a first pair of diodes. The PTAT voltage difference is sampled and scaled using a switched-capacitor amplifier. The switched-capacitor amplifier also is used to sample and scale a difference in voltages across a second pair of diodes, one of which is biased with a PTAT current and the other of which is biased with a current that exhibits little or no linear temperature dependency. The scaled voltage differences are combined with a voltage corresponding to a voltage across the diode that is biased with the PTAT current so as to at least partially compensate for linear and non-linear temperature-dependent components of the voltage across the diode.
US08461906B2 Cell-based integrated circuit and a method of operating a thyristor circuit in a standard cell of a cell-based integrated circuit
A cell-based integrated circuit comprises a first supply voltage terminal and a second supply voltage terminal. A standard cell comprising a thyristor circuit comprising a first input inputs the first supply voltage. A second input inputs the second supply voltage. A first output outputs a first output voltage corresponding to the first supply voltage and a second output to output a second output voltage corresponding to the second supply voltage.
US08461904B2 Switching device and semiconductor integrated circuit device including the same
A switching device includes a first switch disposed between a power source voltage and an intermediate node, the first switch forming a current path on the basis of an input signal, a second switch disposed between the intermediate node and a ground, the second switch forming a current path on the basis of a voltage of the intermediate node, and a transmission gate receiving the input signal, the transmission gate outputting the input signal on the basis of the voltage of the intermediate node.
US08461903B1 SOI switch enhancement
The described FET switch topology greatly reduces the off state loading experienced by the gate biasing resistors in a stacked FET structure. The FET switch topology evenly distributes the voltage across the FET switch topology which reduces the voltage across the gate biasing resistors when the stacked FET structure is in an off state. Because the off state loading is reduced, there is a corresponding reduction of the current through bias resistors, which permits a reduction in the size of the bias resistors. This permits a substantial reduction in the area attributed to the bias resistors in an integrated solution.
US08461901B1 Harmonic reject mixer with active phase mismatch compensation in the local oscillator path
A harmonic rejection mixer having a phase rotator fed by a local oscillator signal. The local oscillator signal has a reference frequency. The phase rotator produces a plurality of output signals, each one of the signals having a common frequency related to the reference frequency and having different relative phase shifts. A plurality of mixer sections, each one of the sections being fed an input signal and a corresponding one of the plurality of output signals mixes the local oscillator signal with the corresponding one of the plurality of output signals fed thereto. A combiner combines the mixer signal from the plurality of mixer sections into a composite output signal. A detector detects energy in a harmonic of the composite signal and for adjusting the output signal of the phase rotator to reduce the selected harmonic of the composite signal.
US08461890B1 Phase and/or frequency detector, phase-locked loop and operation method for the phase-locked loop
The present invention provides a phase and/or frequency detector, a PLL and an operation method for the PLL. The phase and/or frequency detector comprises two flip-flops, a logic gate, a control circuit and a delay circuit. The clock-input terminals of the two flip-flops receive a reference signal and a frequency-divided signal respectively. The logic gate receives signals outputted from the data-output terminals of the two flip-flops. The control circuit is configured for generating a corresponding delay control signal according to an oscillating frequency of an oscillating signal outputted from the PLL. The delay circuit is configured for altering a prolonged period according to the delay control signal to output a reset signal to the reset terminals of the two flip-flops.
US08461889B2 Clock signal generators having a reduced power feedback clock path and methods for generating clocks
Memories, clock generators and methods for providing an output clock signal are disclosed. One such method includes delaying a buffered clock signal by a adjustable delay to provide an output clock signal, providing a feedback clock signal from the output clock signal, and adjusting a duty cycle of the buffered clock signal based at least in part on the feedback clock signal. An example clock generator includes a forward clock path configured to provide a delayed output clock signal from a clock driver circuit, and further includes a feedback clock path configured to provide a feedback clock signal based at least in part on the delayed output clock signal, for example, frequency dividing the delayed output clock signal. The feedback clock path further configured to control adjustment a duty cycle of the buffered input clock signal based at least in part on the feedback clock signal.
US08461887B2 Integrated circuit
There is provided an integrated circuit in which a reference-signal source generates a reference signal having a basic frequency, a phase locked loop includes a voltage-controlled oscillator, a first frequency divider to generate a first frequency-divided signal based on the signal by N, a phase detector, a charge pump and a loop filter, the second frequency generates a second frequency-divided signal based on the signal generated by the voltage-controlled oscillator by M, wherein a minimum absolute value of a difference between the basic frequency multiplied by “K” and a frequency of the second frequency-divided signal is equal to or less than a low cutoff frequency of a bandpass filter or equal to or higher than a high cutoff frequency of the bandpass filter, the bandpass filter being represented by a transfer function from an input of the voltage-controlled oscillator to an output of the phase locked loop.
US08461880B2 Buffer with an output swing created using an over-supply voltage
A pre-drive circuit with an output buffer that may contain a bootstrap circuit is described. The bootstrap circuit may be configured to output a voltage level greater in magnitude than the supply voltage that the bootstrap circuit is coupled with. The pre-drive circuit may contain a timing circuit. The timing circuit may be configured to at least partially determine when the bootstrap circuit outputs a voltage greater in magnitude than the supply voltage. The pre-drive circuit may also contain a pre-drive buffer circuit. This pre-drive buffer circuit may be capable of three outputs: (1) logical zero, or roughly electrical ground; (2) logical one, or roughly the level of the voltage supply, and (3) an outputted voltage greater than the voltage supply.
US08461879B1 Low latency inter-die trigger serial interface for ADC
A packaged controller for closed-loop control applications includes two dice packaged together in a semiconductor package. The first die is optimized for digital circuitry and includes a processor, an ADC, a serial bus interface, and a sequencer. The second die is optimized for analog circuitry and includes a serial bus interface, a plurality of sample/hold circuits, and an analog multiplexer. The sequencer on the first die causes a series of multi-bit values to be communicated serially across a low latency serial bus to the second die, and thereby controls the analog multiplexer and the asserting of a sample/hold signal on the second die. Under control of the sequencer, multiple voltages are captured simultaneously on the second die, and then are multiplexed one by one to the ADC on the first die for conversion into digital values. The architecture reduces complexity and cost of the overall packaged controller.
US08461878B2 Input buffer circuit of semiconductor apparatus
The input buffer circuit of a semiconductor apparatus includes a first buffering unit that that is activated by a voltage level difference between a first voltage terminal and a second voltage terminal, and generates a first compare signal and a second compare signal by comparing the voltage levels of reference voltage and an input signal; a control unit that controls the amount of current flowing between the second voltage terminal and a ground terminal by comparing the voltage levels of the reference voltage and the second compare signal; and a second buffering unit that generates an output signal by comparing the voltage levels of the input signal and the first compare signal.
US08461875B1 Digital circuits having improved transistors, and methods therefor
Digital circuits are disclosed that may include multiple transistors having controllable current paths coupled between first and second logic nodes. One or more of the transistors may have a deeply depleted channel formed below its gate that includes a substantially undoped channel region formed over a relatively highly doped screen layer formed over a doped body region. Resulting reductions in threshold voltage variation may improve digital circuit performance. Logic circuit, static random access memory (SRAM) cell, and passgate embodiments are disclosed.
US08461872B2 Two LVDS comparators controlling multiplexer
First and second devices may simultaneously communicate bidirectionally with each other using only a single pair of LVDS signal paths. Each device includes an input circuit and a differential output driver connected to the single pair of LVDS signal paths. An input to the input circuit is also connected to the input of the driver. The input circuit may also receive an offset voltage. In response to its inputs, the input circuit in each device can use comparators, gates and a multiplexer to determine the logic state being transmitted over the pair of LVDS signal paths from the other device. This advantageously reduces the number of required interconnects between the first and second devices by one half.
US08461869B1 Apparatus for configuring performance of field programmable gate arrays and associated methods
An apparatus includes a temperature sensor, a voltage regulator, and a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The temperature sensor and the voltage regulator are adapted, respectively, to provide a temperature signal, and to provide at least one output voltage. The FPGA includes at least one circuit adapted to receive the at least one output voltage of the voltage regulator, and a set of monitor circuits adapted to provide indications of process and temperature for the at least one circuit. The FPGA further includes a controller adapted to derive a body-bias signal and a voltage-level signal from the temperature signal, from the indications of process and temperature for the at least one circuit, and from the at least one output voltage of the voltage regulator. The controller is further adapted to provide the body-bias signal to at least one transistor in the at least one circuit, and to provide the voltage-level signal to the voltage regulator.
US08461868B1 Chip comprising a signal transmitting circuit, communication system between multiple chips and its configuration method
A chip comprising a signal transmitting circuit, a communication system between multiple chips and a method for configuring the communication system between multiple chips are provided. The signal transmitting circuit of the chip comprises a multi-route selector, a first bias resistor and a second bias resistor, a first signal line and a second signal line, and a signal transmitting end; wherein the multi-route selector comprises a first input end, a second input end, a selection input end and an output end, wherein the first input end is grounded, the second input end is connected to a DC bias voltage and the selection input end receives a selection signal; wherein the multi-route selector selects the first input end when the selection signal is a first selection signal, and the multi-route selector selects the second input end when the selection signal is a second selection signal.
US08461867B2 Semiconductor device having plural unit buffers constituting output buffer
To include an output terminal, unit buffers, and plural output-wiring paths that respectively connect the unit buffers and the output terminal. The output wiring paths have individual output wiring sections individually allocated to corresponding unit buffers. Unit buffers corresponding to these output wiring paths are common output wiring sections shared by the output wiring paths, and are connected to the output terminal without via a common output wiring section having a higher resistance value than those of the individual output wiring sections. Accordingly, an deviation of impedance due to a parasitic resistance between the output terminal and the unit buffers is suppressed.
US08461862B2 Quantum processor
One embodiment of the invention includes a quantum processor system. The quantum processor system includes a first resonator having a first characteristic frequency and a second resonator having a second characteristic frequency greater than the first characteristic frequency. A qubit cell is coupled to each of the first resonator and the second resonator. The qubit cell has a frequency tunable over a range of frequencies including the first characteristic frequency and the second characteristic frequency. A classical control mechanism is configured to tune the frequency of the qubit cell as to transfer quantum information between the first resonator and the second resonator.
US08461857B2 Distance adjustment system for use in solar wafer inspection machine and inspection machine provided with same
The present invention relates to a distance adjustment system and a solar wafer inspection machine provided with the system. The inspection machine has a conveyer for carrying a solar wafer, an optical inspection system for inspecting the surface and color appearance of the wafer and an illumination inspection system. A holder is provided in the inspection position where the wafer is clamped along its width direction to prevent the wafer from offset. During the opto-electrical inspection, probes are brought into contact with conductive buses of the wafer and light is applied to the wafer to allow the probing of electric energy thus generated. An adjusting device is employed to adjust the clamping gap of the holder and the distance of the probes in accordance with the size of the solar wafer. The data are collected and transmitted to a sorting system for sorting the wafer.
US08461856B2 Interface test device and method for using the interface
A monitored test block for use in medium and high voltage electrical monitoring circuits such as found in substation facilities that signals via a communication protocol the operational status of potential, current and signal secondary circuits when connected to protection and monitoring devices (or test devices) such as protective relays, fault recorders or any other monitoring and controlling device. The monitored test block includes various safety features to prevent damage to the equipment or harm to a technician. The monitoring circuits may be located in the front for ease of access.
US08461849B1 Multivariate predictive insulation resistance measurement
A plurality of capacitors is subjected to a test cycle of charging, soaking and discharging. While in the soaking cycle, a plurality of measurements of current is obtained. The data is used to train a predictive function. Then, a test capacitor is charged and soaked for a shorter period than the plurality of capacitors. The current through the test capacitor is measured more than once during its soak period, and the measured current values are applied to the predictive function to predict whether the current through the test capacitor at the end of the soak time period would be higher than a predetermined value, thus indicating failure of a leakage test by test capacitor.
US08461845B2 Detection of the state of the elements of an electric branch comprising a load and a switch
A method for detecting the state of at least one element of a circuit comprising one or several loads, powered by an A.C. voltage and in series with at least one first switch. The state of the element is obtained by analyzing, at several times in a period of the A.C. voltage, the amplitude of a current sampled from the junction point of the load and of the first switch.
US08461844B2 Self charging ion sensing coil
A self charging ion current sensing circuit is provided. The self charging ion current sensing circuit is coupled to spark generation circuitry, and utilizes the spark plug electrodes as the ion current sensing electrodes. The self charging is achieved by utilizing the spark current during an ignition event to charge an ion bias capacitor. After the ignition event, the charge voltage build up on the ion bias capacitor is used to provide an ion current across the spark plug gap. The ion current is passed through an offset stage that translates the ion current sense voltage to a voltage that can be buffered and amplified from a single power source available in automotive and vehicular applications. The output of the circuit provides tri-state information, including spark current, null current, and linear representation of ion sense current.
US08461829B2 Magnetic angle sensor unit having ferromagnetic conductive shielding
A sensor unit including a Hall or magnetoresistive angle sensor detecting around its longitudinal axis. The angle sensor includes a magnetically sensitive face surface portion and sensor element proximal to a face surface fixed in place. At least one magnet unit is disposed so that its magnetic field permeates the angle sensor, and field lines of at least one encoder magnetic of the at least one magnetic unit extend parallel to a sensitive plane of the sensor element wherein the encoder magnet is rotatable. A magnetically conductive shielding made of ferromagnetic material includes at least one sensor shielding fixed in place and an encoder shielding rotatable together with the encoder magnet.
US08461823B2 System for metering electricity by integrating in-phase current
There is disclosed a method of metering electricity that includes calculating a first accumulated in-phase current indicative of a non-voltage component of energy flow to one or more customer premises during a period of time by a distribution transformer meter (DTM) coupled to a distribution transformer (DT) and calculating second accumulated in-phase current (AIPC) indicative of a non-voltage component of energy flow during a period of time by a feeder current meter coupled to a feeder line. The method further includes transmitting the first AIPC and the second AIPC to a data collecting computing device and comparing the first AIPC with the second AIPC to determine if electricity theft has occurred.
US08461822B2 Temperature compensated fiber optic current or magnetic field sensor with insensitivity to variations in sensor parameters
A fiber optic current or magnetic field sensor uses a sensing fiber in a coil for measuring a current or a magnetic field and has a retarder for converting between linearly polarized light and elliptically polarized light. The retardation of the retarder, its temperature dependence as well as its azimuth angle in respect to the plane of the fiber coil are optimized in dependence of the birefringence in the sensing fiber in order to minimize the influence of temperature variations and manufacturing tolerances on the overall scale factor of the sensor.
US08461820B2 Perturb voltage as a decreasing non-linear function of converter power
Methods, apparatus and media for controlling a switching circuit controlling an amount of power drawn from an energy converter, to optimize the amount of power drawn from the energy converter. An output voltage and an output current of the energy converter are measured to produce signals representing converter output voltage and current. Converter power is calculated from the product of the converter output voltage and current. A perturb voltage is calculated as a decreasing nonlinear function of the converter power. A new reference voltage signal representing a desired converter output voltage is produced in response to a previous reference voltage signal and the perturb voltage. The reference voltage signal is used by the switching circuit to adjust the power drawn from the converter to achieve the desired converter output voltage.
US08461815B1 Fast transient buck regulator with dynamic charge/discharge capability
Systems and methods are disclosed to control a buck converter with a first switching circuit including a first upper power transistor coupled to a first lower power transistor at a first junction; a second switching circuit including a second upper power transistor coupled to a second lower power transistor at a second junction; an inductor coupled to the first and second junctions; and a load coupled to the second junction.
US08461813B2 Method and device for controlling a configurable power supply to provide AC and/or DC power output
An apparatus, device, and system for generating an amount of output power in response to a direct current (DC) power input includes a configurable power supply, which may be electrically coupled to the DC power input. The configurable power supply is selectively configurable between multiple circuit topologies to generate various DC power outputs and/or and AC power output. The system may also include one or more DC power electronic accessories, such as DC-to-DC power converters, and/or one or more AC power electronic accessories such as DC-to-AC power converters. The power electronic accessories are couplable to the configurable power supply to receive the corresponding DC or AC power output of the configurable power supply.
US08461812B2 Shunt regulator having over-voltage protection circuit and semiconductor device including the same
A shunt regulator includes a control circuit, a bypass circuit and a protection circuit. The control circuit is coupled between a first node and a ground, and generates a gate control signal in response to a voltage of the first node and a reference voltage. The bypass circuit forms a first current path between the first node and the ground in response to the gate control signal. The protection circuit has an MOS transistor that is fully turned on in response to a current flowing through the bypass circuit, and forms a second current path between the first node and the ground. Therefore, the shunt regulator occupies a relatively small area in an integrated circuit.
US08461804B1 System for replenishing energy sources onboard different types of automatic vehicles
A service station facility for replenishing various motivational energy sources onboard different types of automotive vehicles is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the service station facility includes a rack, replaceable fuel tanks, a service module, and an electronic computer control system. The replaceable fuel tanks are stocked on the rack and substantially filled with various fluids, such as hydrogen, which are utile as motivational energy sources within fuel-operated automotive vehicles. The service module is mounted on the rack, and the electronic computer control system is connected in electrical communication with the service module. In this configuration, the service module is controllably operable to receive a depleted replaceable fuel tank from a fuel-operated automotive vehicle and also selectively deliver one of the filled replaceable fuel tanks onboard the automotive vehicle. In another embodiment, the service station facility may also stock replaceable batteries for selective delivery onboard battery-operated automotive vehicles.
US08461803B2 Autonomous robot auto-docking and energy management systems and methods
A method for energy management in a robotic device includes providing a base station for mating with the robotic device, determining a quantity of energy stored in an energy storage unit of the robotic device, and performing a predetermined task based at least in part on the quantity of energy stored. Also disclosed are systems for emitting avoidance signals to prevent inadvertent contact between the robot and the base station, and systems for emitting homing signals to allow the robotic device to accurately dock with the base station.
US08461802B2 Wireless driver system
A wireless driver system includes a mobile power supply module consisting of a transmitter-receiver coil, a resonant circuit, a charging circuit assembly, a power supply circuit assembly, a signal generator circuit, a power storage unit, a microprocessor and a voltage sensing circuit and controllable to transmit an electrical energy and a control signal wirelessly to a driver, and a driver consisting of a receiver coil, a resonant circuit, a signal sensing circuit, a power-receiving circuit, a microprocessor, a motor driver circuit and a driving mechanism and adapted for receiving the electrical energy and control signal from the mobile power supply module for switching the driving mechanism between two opposing positions.
US08461798B2 Apparatus and method for extracting maximum power from solar cell by changing the duty cycle of a pulse width modulation signal
An apparatus and method for extracting maximum power from a solar cell are provided. The apparatus includes a solar cell for producing power from solar energy, a maximum power extractor for generating a pulse width modulation signal for extracting the maximum power from the solar cell, and a DC-DC converter for adjusting an amount of current generated from the solar cell according to the pulse width modulation signal.
US08461797B2 Current direction detection module
The invention discloses a current direction detection module including a conversion unit, a bridge unit and an operation unit. The conversion unit has primary and secondary sides, wherein the secondary side has first and second ends. The bridge unit has first, second, third and fourth rectifying elements and first, second, third and fourth nodes. Each rectifying element has an anode and a cathode. The anode of the first rectifying element is coupled to the fourth rectifying element. The anode of the second rectifying element is coupled to the first rectifying element. The anode of the third rectifying element is coupled to the second rectifying element. The anode of the fourth rectifying element is coupled to the third rectifying element. The first and second nodes are coupled to the first and second ends. The operation unit amplifies two bridge voltages at the third and fourth nodes and outputs an operation voltage.
US08461793B2 Motor load control apparatus
A motor load control apparatus capable of suppressing heat generation of an electronic switch and suppressing occurrence of noise associated with rotation of a fan and vibration of the fan is provided. A switch section (17) in which a first electronic switch (T1) and a second electronic switch (T2) are connected in parallel is provided, and the first electronic switch (T1) is driven by a PWM signal with a predetermined duty ratio and a predetermined frequency and the second electronic switch (T2) is driven in a state of delaying the PWM signal by which the first electronic switch (T1) is driven by a predetermined time. Consequently, as compared with the case of one electronic switch, a heating value of each of the electronic switches can be reduced and radiation measures of the whole apparatus can be reduced. Further, noise or vibration occurring by PWM control can be reduced by changing delay time at random.
US08461791B2 Inverter for electric vehicle
An inverter for an electric vehicle includes a speed instruction generating unit, a frequency voltage converting unit, an integrator and a 2-to-3 phase converter. The speed instruction generating unit outputs a speed instruction for changing the rotational frequency of an electric motor based on the on/off of a signal outputted from the accelerator pedal. The frequency voltage converting unit outputs a voltage instruction based on the frequency of the speed instruction. The integrator outputs a rotational angle by performing integration on the frequency of the speed instruction. The 2-to-3 phase converter receives the voltage instruction and the rotational angle and converts the received voltage instruction and rotational angle into three-phase voltage instructions.
US08461790B2 Rotary encoder, rotary motor, and rotary motor system
The encoder includes a disk in a disk shape that is arranged rotatably about a rotation axis and that includes one track in a ring shape on which a rotating grating is formed and one or more origin detection areas serving as partial areas on which a rotating grating is formed, and a mask that is fixed and arranged in a manner facing the disk and on which one or more fixed gratings are formed so as to constitute a diffraction interference optical system together with the rotating gratings. A plurality of slits and included in at least one rotating grating are formed along a curved line obtained by curving a plurality of radial lines about the rotation axis in the circumferential direction at predetermined curvature such that pitches and of the slits and can be set to a predetermined value.
US08461785B2 Speed controller for electric motor
A speed controller for a small electric motor is described. The controller is used to control small electric motors such as those used in small power tools such as electric screwdrivers. A series of electrical components are used to allow the motor to remain idle until a load is applied to the motor. When a load is applied to the motor, it increases in speed quickly to its maximum speed and remains there until the load is removed from the motor.
US08461783B2 Electric drive unit for a water-bearing domestic appliance
An electric drive unit for a water-bearing domestic appliance having a converter to provide a supply voltage from a multiphase voltage system; a control device to control the converter in order to operate a first electric motor connected to the multiphase voltage system; a load-current-carrying DC link arranged upstream of the converter; and an electrical device connected to at least part of the multiphase voltage system or the load-current-carrying DC link via a connection device, wherein the electrical device has a second electric to operate a hydraulic pump and/or a blower and/or a valve.
US08461781B2 Configuration of a luminaire system
There is provided a method for advanced configuration and initialization of a luminaire system. The luminaire system comprises one or more lighting devices (102), an apparatus (104) and a user interface (106). The apparatus comprises a light sensor. One or more of the lighting devices are not connected to a central controller by means of a wired/wireless connection. Therefore, techniques and procedures to use manual interaction by an operator (114) to control these lighting devices are proposed. The proposed techniques enable backward compatible and low-cost implementations of advanced luminaire initialization and configuration. Moreover, this invention proposes to combine the user input, sensing and control functionality into one device, thereby reducing the total cost of implementation and ownership of the proposed system. A corresponding system and apparatus are also presented.
US08461779B2 Alternating turn off timing of a fluorescent lamp starter unit
A starter unit (for example, an RF-enabled and replaceable starter unit) has an ability both to turn on and to turn off a fluorescent lamp. The starter unit detects whether a ballast in the circuit with the fluorescent lamp is of a first type (for example, an L-type ballast) or is of a second type (for example, a C-type ballast). If the determination is that the ballast is of the first type, then the starter unit turns off the lamp in a first way (for example, using C-type timing and then using L-type timing alternatingly). If the determination is that the ballast is of the second type, then the starter unit turns off the lamp in a second way (for example, using only C-type timing). The same starter unit design is usable both in single-lamp fixtures and in multi-lamp fixtures where a mix of ballast types may be used.
US08461778B2 Controlling intensity of a light through qualified motion sensing
Methods and apparatuses for controlling light intensity of a light through motion sensing are disclosed. One method includes sensing a first instance of motion. The light is activated only if consecutive instances of motion are sensed, wherein each instance is sensed within a gap of time of a previously sensed instance of motion, and the consecutive instances of motion being sensed span an entire window of time after sensing the first instance of motion. One apparatus includes a motion sensor for sensing a first instance of motion. The apparatus further includes a controller interfaced to the motion sensor and the light, the controller operative to activate the light only if consecutive instances of motion are sensed, wherein each instance is sensed within a gap of time of a previously sensed instance of motion, and the consecutive instances of motion being sensed span an entire window of time after sensing the first instance of motion.
US08461777B1 Protection from short cathode condition in LED driver and method therefor
A Light Emitting Diode (LED) driver for preventing shorting has an LED driver circuit. A protection circuit is coupled to the LED driver to detect a fault condition by monitoring a cathode of an LED string of the LED driver, an LED current sense voltage of the LED driver, an LED current feedback error voltage of the LED driver circuit, and a state of a dimming switch of the LED driver.
US08461774B2 Lighting power circuit with peak current limiter for EMI filter
Light source power circuits and EMI filters therefor are presented in which a depletion mode field effect transistor is connected in series with an EMI filter capacitor following an input rectifier to allow filtering of EMI and to limit capacitive currents during triac switching when powered through a phase-cutting dimmer circuit.
US08461768B2 Transmitter and information processing device converting supply voltage to drive voltage
A transmitter includes a voltage conversion circuit converting supply voltage externally supplied into drive voltage and outputting the drive voltage; and an optical output unit which is supplied with the drive voltage and outputs an optical signal, wherein the voltage conversion circuit and the optical output unit are included in a same module.
US08461766B2 Driver circuit with primary side state estimator for inferred output current feedback sensing
An LED driver circuit and an isolated DC-DC converter therefor are presented, in which a primary side state estimator circuit is provided for inferred output current sensing for closed loop control of pulse width modulated flyback or buck converters. Specifically, the estimator circuit includes a capacitance having a first terminal coupled to a comparator input of a pulse width modulation controller, and a second terminal coupled to an error input of an error amplifier, and a switching device having a first power terminal coupled to the second terminal of the capacitance, a second power terminal coupled to the circuit ground, and a control input terminal coupled to a drive output of the pulse width modulation controller.
US08461763B2 Electron cyclotron ion source and manufacturing method thereof
An apparatus of an electron cyclotron resonance ion source may include: a magnet unit containing a magnet for generating magnetic fields; an ionizing chamber housing unit for generating ions through electron cyclotron resonance from a plasma; a microwave generating unit for injecting microwaves to the ionizing chamber housing unit to generate ions; and a beam integrating and guiding unit for treating the generated ions. The magnet unit may include: a bobbin for winding the magnet; a variable spacer for dividing the bobbin into a plurality of sections; and the magnet which is wound into the form of a wire or a tape in the plurality of sections formed by the variable spacer.
US08461762B2 Apparatus for magnetic and electrostatic confinement of plasma
An apparatus and method for containing plasma and forming a Field Reversed Configuration (FRC) magnetic topology are described in which plasma ions are contained magnetically in stable, non-adiabatic orbits in the FRC. Further, the electrons are contained electrostatically in a deep energy well, created by tuning an externally applied magnetic field. The simultaneous electrostatic confinement of electrons and magnetic confinement of ions avoids anomalous transport and facilitates classical containment of both electrons and ions. In this configuration, ions and electrons may have adequate density and temperature so that upon collisions ions are fused together by nuclear force, thus releasing fusion energy. Moreover, the fusion fuel plasmas that can be used with the present confinement system and method are not limited to neutronic fuels only, but also advantageously include advanced fuels.
US08461761B2 Lucent plasma crucible
A lucent plasma crucible having a closed body for enclosing a fill material filled in a void formed within the closed body and enclosed by the closed body, the fill material being excitable by microwave energy to generate a light-emitting plasma. The crucible is dimensioned to have low order TE or TM microwave mode properties. The orders of the modes are 0, 1 or 2. Crucibles may be regular or irregular in shape. For circular cylindrical crucibles having diameter (d) in cm, length (l) in cm, and operating frequency (f) in MHZ, (d/l)2 is between 0 and 100, and (d×f)2 is between 0 and 2×109. Also 0<(d/l)2<20 and 0<(d×f)2<1.5×109 may be used.
US08461753B2 Fluorescent lamp with multi-layer phosphor coating
A low-pressure discharge lamp includes, in an exemplary embodiment, a light-transmissive envelope, a fill-gas composition capable of sustaining a discharge sealed inside the light-transmissive envelope, and a phosphor composition at least partially disposed on an interior surface of the light-transmissive envelope. The phosphor composition is disposed on an interior surface of the light-transmissive envelope in a plurality of layers that include at least a basecoat phosphor layer and a topcoat phosphor layer. The basecoat phosphor layer includes at least one halophosphor and the topcoat phosphor layer includes a blend of at least two rare earth phosphors. The basecoat phosphor layer has a greater Color Rendering Index (CRI) value than the topcoat phosphor layer.
US08461748B1 LED lamp
An LED lamp has an arrangement of LEDs that results in light emitted in a substantially spherical light field. The LED lamp has a bulb-shaped body with at least one LED at the top and a number of LEDs positioned around the circumference of the body. The LEDs are arranged such that light is emitted forward from the lamp and also from the sides of the lamp. Accordingly, the LED lamp, for example, in operation provides illumination in direction and intensity very similar to an incandescent bulb.
US08461744B2 Rotating transducer mount for ultrasonic surgical instruments
In one general aspect, various embodiments are directed to an ultrasonic surgical instrument that comprises a handpiece housing that operably supports an electrical contact assembly therein that is in electrical communication with a signal source. An acoustic assembly is supported within the handpiece housing in rotatable contact with the electrical contact assembly. In various embodiments, the signal source produces at least one of an ultrasonic signal and a radio frequency signal.
US08461743B2 Electrostatic actuator apparatus and method of driving the same
According to one embodiment, a method of driving an electrostatic actuator includes a first electrode provided on a substrate, a second electrode arranged above the first electrode to be movable in a vertical direction, and an insulating film provided between the first electrode and the second electrode, includes boosting a power supply voltage to generate a driving voltage of the electrostatic actuator, and applying the driving voltage to each of the first electrode and the second electrode when setting the electrostatic actuator in an up state.
US08461740B2 Rotary electric machine
A rotary electric machine comprises a rotor rotatable within a stator assembly, the stator assembly comprising a stator body defining a plurality of stator slots accommodating electrical conductors, a slot liner being provided within each slot to provide electrical insulation between the stator body and the electrical conductors, wherein each slot liner protrudes from an end of the stator slot and carries an armor element to protect the slot liner and associated conductors from erosion while permitting efficient cooling.
US08461738B2 Single-layer coil with one bent endwinding and one straight endwinding
The present invention provides an improved single-layer coil 10 for a rotating or linear electrical machine. The coil 10 has a first endwinding 12 that is substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis LA of the coil and a second endwinding 14 that is bent away from, or towards, the longitudinal axis. The coil 10 therefore has differently shaped endwindings with one end 12 being ‘straight’ and the other end 14 being ‘bent’.
US08461737B2 Permanent-magnet (PM) rotors and systems
Line-start permanent-magnet (LSPM) rotors, rotor components, and machines using LSPM rotors, where the PM rotors have PM bulks in W-like shapes, vent openings between PM bulks, and/or air gaps at ends of PM bulks in the W-like shapes.
US08461735B2 Magnetically levitated and controlled body of revolution
The invention relates to a body of revolution, in particular for a centrifugal, which comprises a rotator, an electric motor with a stator and a rotor wherein said latter is fixed to the rotator for rotational movement therewith, a support to which the stator of the electric motor is attached and a bearing unit for rotational arrangement of the rotor around an axis of rotation which comprises at least one bearing adapted to coact with an electromagnetic stabilizer unit in such a way that disturbing forces and/or disturbing vibrations of the rotator are counteracted and/or compensated.
US08461733B2 Power supply unit-integrated dynamoelectric machine
A dynamoelectric machine main body that includes: a housing that is constituted by a rear bracket and a front bracket; a rotor; a stator; and a fan, and a power supply unit that is mounted integrally onto the dynamoelectric machine main body are included, the power supply unit is disposed between the fan and a bottom portion of the rear bracket, and the power supply unit is disposed between the fan and a bottom portion of the rear bracket, and the rear bracket has: air discharge ports that are formed on portions that are positioned radially outside the fan; and air suction ports that have openings nearer to a bottom portion than the power supply unit, and includes a partitioning member for configuring a ventilation channel that extends from the air suction ports to the air discharge ports that is disposed between the power supply unit and the fan.
US08461725B1 Identification of powered devices for energy saving
A computer-implemented method for electronic content management includes physically exposing an electric appliance to a power providing device that is arranged to provide electrical power to various electric appliances, including the electric appliance; automatically obtaining an electronic identifier for the electric appliance using the power providing device; and transmitting the electronic identifier from the power providing device to a remote computing system.
US08461723B2 Non-contact electric power transmission circuit
A non-contact electric power transmission circuit according to an embodiment of the invention includes an electric power transmission circuit and an electric power receiving circuit. The electric power transmission circuit includes a full bridge circuit and a resonant type full bridge circuit. A direct-current power supply is used as an input of the full bridge circuit, the full bridge circuit includes two sets of switching elements, two switching elements being connected in series in each set of the switching elements, a drive circuit alternately feeds a pulse signal to gates of the switching elements to perform switching of the direct-current input in the full bridge circuit, and a serial resonant circuit of a resonant capacitor and an electric power transmission coil is connected to an output of the full bridge circuit in the resonant type full bridge circuit. The electric power receiving circuit includes an electric power receiving coil and a rectifying and smoothing circuit. The electric power receiving coil is electromagnetically coupled to the electric power transmission coil, and the rectifying and smoothing circuit rectifies an output of the electric power receiving coil. In the non-contact electric power transmission circuit, a push-pull output PWM control circuit is provided in the drive circuit that controls the full bridge circuit, and only one of the switching elements in each set of switching elements performs a regenerative operation. Therefore, a non-contact electric power transmission circuit in which the resonant type full bridge circuit can be controlled by PWM control at a level similar to that of a phase shift operation can be provided.
US08461722B2 Wireless energy transfer using conducting surfaces to shape field and improve K
In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for a method and system comprising a source resonator optionally coupled to an energy source and a second resonator located a distance from the source resonator, where the source resonator and the second resonator are coupled to provide near-field wireless energy transfer among the source resonator and the second resonator, and where the field of at least one of the source resonator and the second resonator is shaped using conducting surfaces to increase the coupling factor among the resonators.
US08461721B2 Wireless energy transfer using object positioning for low loss
In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for a method and system comprising a source resonator optionally coupled to an energy source and a second resonator located a distance from the source resonator, where the source resonator and the second resonator are coupled to provide near-field wireless energy transfer among the source resonator and the second resonator and where a loss inducing object is positioned to minimize loss in at least one resonator.
US08461716B2 Photovoltaic power generating device, and controlling method
A photovoltaic power generating device comprising a current collecting box side detector for detecting a ground fault in each of the photovoltaic strings, a switch disposed in correspondence to each of the photovoltaic strings and interposed between the photovoltaic string and a connecting cable, a current collecting box including a control unit providing an on/off control of the switch according to the detection result from the detector, a detector for detecting a ground fault in a connecting cable between the current collecting box and the power conditioner, a switch interposed between the connecting cable and the inverter, and a power conditioner having a control unit providing an on/off control of the switch according to the detection result from the detector.
US08461713B2 Adaptive control ducted compound wind turbine
A high efficiency, adaptive control, compound ducted wind turbine capable of providing higher efficiency in energy extraction from a fluid. Performance of efficiency expressed as coefficient of performance (Cp) in accordance with the Lanchester-Betz-Joukowski limits is sustainable and significantly higher than an un-ducted, mono-propeller wind turbine of comparable diameter.
US08461708B2 Wind driven power generator
A wind driven generator includes a rotor disposed in a cylindrical duct and supported by a frame for rotation in response to wind flowing through the duct. The rotor includes plural circumferentially spaced paralleled rotor blades supported for rotation about a generally horizontal axis. Each blade is supported for pivotal movement to change blade pitch, angle of attack or camber as the rotor rotates. A pitch or camber control motor, self-governing wind vane mechanism, or governing mechanism is operable to move a circular cam to vary blade pitch or camber to control rotor speed. The duct is mounted on a mast having a base supported on a foundation for pivotal movement to face the wind for maximizing air flow through the duct. Electric power generators are connected to opposite ends of the rotor at respective power output or drive shafts.
US08461707B2 Wind turbine generator and nacelle turning method
A wind turbine generator is provided with: a nacelle mounting a wind turbine rotor; a yaw drive device generating drive force for causing yaw turning of the nacelle; a brake mechanism generating braking force for braking the turning of the nacelle; a control system controlling the yaw drive device and the brake mechanism; and a wind speed measurement device measuring wind speed. When detecting occurrence of a high wind speed state based on the wind speed while the nacelle is turned by the yaw drive device, the control device provides braking force for the nacelle by using the brake mechanism in response to the detection of the occurrence of the high wind speed state.
US08461700B2 Transient absorber for power generation system
A vehicle energy harvester including a subunit having an upper surface forming a roadway surface; a vehicle activated treadle on the subunit, the vehicle activated treadle moveable between a first position in which an upper surface of the treadle is at an angle with respect to the upper surface of the roadway surface and a second position in which the upper surface of the treadle is flush with the upper surface of the roadway surface; a generator that generates power in response to movement of the vehicle activated treadle; and a transient absorption device coupled between the vehicle activated treadle and the generator.
US08461697B2 Semiconductor integrated circuit device
In a semiconductor integrated circuit device, arrangement relationship of power source area I/O pads differs between a peripheral portion and a center portion of a gate region of a chip. That is, in two columns and two rows of the peripheral portion of the gate region, VDD area I/O pads connected to a high-voltage power source VDD and GND area I/O pads connected to a ground power source GND are alternately aligned and arranged both in a row direction and in a column direction. Moreover, in the center portion of the gate region, the same VDD area I/O pads or the same GND area I/O pads are successively aligned in the row direction, and the VDD area I/O pads and the GND area I/O pads are alternately aligned and arranged in the column direction.
US08461693B2 Substrate arrangement
In an embodiment, a substrate arrangement is provided. The substrate arrangement may include a semiconductor substrate including a first contact portion and a second contact portion on a first surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the semiconductor substrate is arranged such that the first contact portion and the second contact portion face each other. The substrate arrangement may further include an electrical connector configured to connect the first contact portion and the second contact portion.
US08461691B2 Chip-packaging module for a chip and a method for forming a chip-packaging module
A chip-packaging module for a chip is provided, the chip-packaging module including an isolation material configured to cover a chip on at least one side, the isolation material having a first surface proximate to a first side of a chip, and said isolation material having a second surface facing an opposite direction to the first surface; and at least one layer in connection with the chip first side, the at least one layer further configured to extend from the chip first side to the second surface of the isolation material.
US08461690B2 Semiconductor device capable of suppressing generation of cracks in semiconductor chip during manufacturing process
A semiconductor device includes a chip stacked body where a plurality of semiconductor chips are stacked, and penetration electrodes respectively formed in the semiconductor chips are electrically interconnected in stacking order of the semiconductor chips, a first support member that is disposed to face a first semiconductor chip formed in one end of the chip stacked body, and including electrodes electrically connected to the penetration electrodes of the first semiconductor chip, and a wiring board that is disposed to face a second semiconductor chip formed in an end opposed to the one end of the chip stacked body, and including external electrodes on a surface opposed to a surface facing the second semiconductor chip that is to be electrically connected to the penetration electrodes of the second semiconductor chip.
US08461688B2 Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same
Even when a stiffener is omitted, the semiconductor device which can prevent the generation of twist and distortion of a wiring substrate is obtained. As for a semiconductor device which has a wiring substrate, a semiconductor chip by which the flip chip bond was made to the wiring substrate, and a heat spreader adhered to the back surface of the semiconductor chip, and which omitted the stiffener for reinforcing a wiring substrate and maintaining the surface smoothness of a heat spreader, a wiring substrate has a plurality of insulating substrates in which a through hole whose diameter differs, respectively was formed, and each insulating substrate contains a glass cloth.
US08461687B2 Semiconductor devices including bit line contact plug and buried channel array transistor, and semiconductor modules, electronic circuit boards and electronic systems including the same
A semiconductor device having a cell area and a peripheral area includes a semiconductor substrate, a cell insulating isolation region delimiting a cell active region of the semiconductor substrate in the cell area, a word line disposed within the semiconductor substrate in the cell area, a bit line contact plug disposed on the cell active region, a bit line disposed on the bit line contact plug, a peripheral insulating isolation region delimiting a peripheral active region of the semiconductor substrate in the peripheral area, and a peripheral transistor including a peripheral transistor lower electrode and a peripheral transistor upper electrode. The bit line contact plug is formed at the same level in the semiconductor device as the peripheral transistor lower electrode, and the bit line electrode is formed at the same level in the semiconductor device as the peripheral transistor upper electrode.
US08461686B2 Post passivation interconnection schemes on top of IC chip
A new method is provided for the creation of interconnect lines. Fine line interconnects are provided in a first layer of dielectric overlying semiconductor circuits that have been created in or on the surface of a substrate. A layer of passivation is deposited over the layer of dielectric, a thick second layer of dielectric is created over the surface of the layer of passivation. Thick and wide interconnect lines are created in the thick second layer of dielectric. The first layer of dielectric may also be eliminated, creating the wide thick interconnect network on the surface of the layer of passivation that has been deposited over the surface of a substrate.
US08461682B2 Ruthenium silicide diffusion barrier layers and methods of forming same
A method for use in the fabrication of integrated circuits includes providing a substrate assembly having a surface. A diffusion barrier layer is formed over at least a portion of the surface. The diffusion barrier layer is formed of RuSix, where x is in the range of about 0.01 to about 10. The barrier layer may be formed by depositing RuSix by chemical vapor deposition or the barrier layer may be formed by forming a layer of ruthenium relative to a silicon containing region and performing an anneal to form RuSix from the layer of ruthenium and the silicon containing region. Capacitor electrodes, interconnects or other structures may be formed with such a diffusion barrier layer.
US08461680B2 Integrated circuit packaging system with rounded interconnect
An integrated circuit packaging system includes: a package carrier; an integrated circuit attached to the package carrier; a rounded interconnect on the package carrier; and an encapsulation over the package carrier covering the integrated circuit and exposing the rounded interconnect having a characteristic free of denting.
US08461678B2 Structure with self aligned resist layer on an interconnect surface and method of making same
A structure is provided with a self-aligned resist layer on a surface of metal interconnects for use in forming air gaps in an insulator material and method of fabricating the same. The non-lithographic method includes applying a resist on a structure comprising at least one metal interconnect formed in an insulator material. The method further includes blanket-exposing the resist to energy and developing the resist to expose surfaces of the insulator material while protecting the metal interconnects. The method further includes forming air gaps in the insulator material by an etching process, while the metal interconnects remain protected by the resist.
US08461677B2 Magnetic field sensors and methods for fabricating the magnetic field sensors
Magnetic field sensors and associated methods of manufacturing the magnetic field sensors include molded structures to encapsulate a magnetic field sensing element and an associated die attach pad of a lead frame and to also encapsulate or form a magnet or a flux concentrator.
US08461676B2 Soldering relief method and semiconductor device employing same
A semiconductor device includes a substrate having a first side and a second side, the second side having a mounting location for at least one semiconductor element, and the first side having a plurality of locations electrically connected to locations on the second side. A plurality of electrically conductive interconnects are provided at the locations, each having a first end attached at the location and a second end spaced from the substrate, and an encapsulant partially encapsulates the plurality of interconnects and has a surface lying in a first plane. The second ends are located on the side of the first plane opposite from the substrate first side, an annular space in the encapsulant surrounds each of the plurality of electrically conductive interconnects, and the annular space has a bottom located between the first plane and the substrate first side. Also a method for making such a semiconductor device.
US08461675B2 Substrate panel with plating bar structured to allow minimum kerf width
A semiconductor die substrate panel is disclosed including a minimum kerf width between adjoining semiconductor package outlines on the panel, while ensuring electrical isolation of plated electrical terminals. By reducing the width of a boundary between adjoining package outlines, additional space is gained on a substrate panel for semiconductor packages.
US08461671B2 Miniature packaging for discrete circuit components
A miniature packaging for a discrete circuit component that comprises a core dice for the circuit component fabricated on a semiconductor substrate. The core dice has at least a pair of metallization electrodes formed on the same or different surfaces of the semiconductor substrate. An end electrode covers a corresponding side surface of the core dice and electrically connects to a corresponding one of the pair of metallization electrodes. The end electrode extends toward the center of the core dice on both the top and bottom surface of the core dice.
US08461669B2 Integrated power converter package with die stacking
An integrated circuit for implementing a switch-mode power converter is disclosed. The integrated circuit comprises at least a first semiconductor die having an electrically quiet surface, a second semiconductor die for controlling the operation of said first semiconductor die stacked on said first semiconductor die having said electrically quiet surface and a lead frame structure for supporting said first semiconductor die and electrically coupling said first and second semiconductor dies to external circuitry.
US08461666B2 Gallium nitride-based semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same
A gallium nitride-based semiconductor device includes a composite substrate and a gallium nitride layer. The composite substrate includes a silicon substrate and a filler. The silicon substrate includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and the first surface defines a number of grooves therein. The filler is filled into the number of grooves on the first surface of the silicon substrate. A thermal expansion coefficient of the filler is bigger than that of the silicon substrate. The gallium nitride layer is formed on the second surface of the silicon substrate.
US08461658B2 Spin transport device
The spin transport device includes a semiconductor layer; a first ferromagnetic layer provided on the semiconductor layer via a first tunnel barrier layer; a second ferromagnetic layer provided on the semiconductor layer via a second tunnel barrier layer so as to be divided from the first ferromagnetic layer; and a first wire which generates, upon application of an electric current, a magnetic field in a region between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer in the semiconductor layer.
US08461655B2 Micromechanical sound transducer having a membrane support with tapered surface
A method for manufacturing a micromechanical sound transducer includes depositing successive layers of first and second membrane support material on a first main surface of a substrate arrangement with a first etching rate and a lower second etching rate, respectively. A layer of membrane material is then deposited. A cavity is created in the substrate arrangement from a side of the substrate arrangement opposite to the membrane support materials and the membrane material at least until the cavity extends to the layer of first membrane support material. The layers of first and second membrane support material are etched by applying an etching agent through the cavity in at least one first region located in an extension of the cavity also in a second region surrounding the first region. The etching creates a tapered surface on the layer of second membrane support material in the second region. The etching continues at least until the layer of second membrane support material has been removed in the first region to expose the layer of membrane material.
US08461652B2 Semiconductor device having an n-channel MOS transistor, a p-channel MOS transistor and a contracting film
In a second direction, in a plan view, an n-channel MOS transistor and an expanding film are adjacent. Therefore, the n-channel MOS transistor receives a positive stress in the direction in which a channel length is extended from the expanding film. As a result, a positive tensile strain in an electron moving direction is generated in a channel of the n-channel MOS transistor. On the other hand, in the second direction, in a plan view, a p-channel MOS transistor and the expanding film are shifted from each other. Therefore, the p-channel MOS transistor receives a positive stress in the direction in which a channel length is narrowed from the expanding film. As a result, a positive compressive strain in a hole moving direction is generated in a channel of the p-channel MOS transistor. Thus, both on-currents of the n-channel MOS transistor and the p-channel MOS transistor can be improved.
US08461650B2 Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same
Semiconductor devices and methods for manufacturing the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, the semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate; an insulating layer located on the semiconductor substrate; a semiconductor body located on the insulating layer; a cavity formed in the semiconductor body and into the insulating layer; source/drain regions abutting opposite first side faces of the semiconductor body; gates located on opposite second side faces of the semiconductor body; a channel layer interposed between the respective second side faces and the cavity; and a super-steep-retrograded-well and a halo super-steep-retrograded-well formed in the channel layer. The super-steep-retrograded-well and the halo super-steep-retrograded-well have opposite dopant polarities.
US08461647B2 Semiconductor device having multi-thickness gate dielectric
A semiconductor device is provided that, in an embodiment, is in the form of a high voltage MOS (HVMOS) device. The device includes a semiconductor substrate and a gate structure formed on the semiconductor substrate. The gate structure includes a gate dielectric which has a first portion with a first thickness and a second portion with a second thickness. The second thickness is greater than the first thickness. A gate electrode is disposed on the first and second portion. In an embodiment, a drift region underlies the second portion of the gate dielectric. A method of fabricating the same is also provided.
US08461643B2 High-density flash memory cell stack, cell stack string, and fabrication method thereof
A flash memory cell stack includes a semiconductor substrate; a control electrode formed in a vertical pillar shape on a surface of the semiconductor substrate; an insulating film formed between the control electrode and the semiconductor substrate; a gate stack formed on a side surface of the control electrode; a plurality of first insulating films formed as layers on a side surface of the gate stack; a plurality of second doping semiconductor areas formed as layers on a side surface of the gate stack; and a first doping semiconductor area formed on a portion of side surfaces of the first insulating films and the second doping semiconductor areas and formed on side surfaces facing each other in a first direction. The first insulating films and the second doping semiconductor areas are alternately provided on the side surface of the gate stack.
US08461637B2 Electronic component with reactive barrier and hermetic passivation layer
An electronic component is provided on a substrate. A thin-film capacitor is attached to the substrate, the thin-film capacitor includes a pyrochlore or perovskite dielectric layer between a plurality of electrode layers, the electrode layers being formed from a conductive thin-film material. A reactive barrier layer is deposited over the thin-film capacitor. The reactive barrier layer includes an oxide having an element with more than one valence state, wherein the element with more than one valence state has a molar ratio of the molar amount of the element that is in its highest valence state to its total molar amount in the barrier of 50% to 100%. Optionally layers of other materials may intervene between the capacitor and reactive barrier layer. The reactive barrier layer may be paraelectric and the electronic component may be a tunable capacitor.
US08461636B2 Ferroic sensor having tini-film field-effect transistor and ferroic layer applied to substrate
A ferroic component is described, comprising a ferroic layer (10) arranged between two electrodes (12,13), a thin-film field-effect transistor (4) whose gate electrode (3) forms one of the two electrodes (12, 13) of the ferroic layer (10) which is joined to the gate electrode (3) via an intermediate layer (11) acting as a bonding agent, and a substrate that is used as a support. In order to obtain a flexible component it is proposed that the thin-film field-effect transistor (4) on the one hand and the ferroic layer (10) which consists of an internally charged cellular polymer on the other hand are applied to the substrate which is arranged as a flexible plastic film (1), optionally by interposing an insulating layer (2) therebetween.
US08461634B2 Divot engineering for enhanced device performance
An integrated circuit device and method for manufacturing the same are disclosed. An exemplary device includes a semiconductor substrate having a substrate surface; a trench isolation structure disposed in the semiconductor substrate, the trench isolation structure having a trench isolation structure surface that is substantially planar to the substrate surface; and a gate feature disposed over the semiconductor substrate, wherein the gate feature includes a portion that extends from the substrate surface to a depth in the trench isolation structure, the portion being defined by a trench isolation structure sidewall and a semiconductor substrate sidewall, such that the portion tapers from a first width at the substrate surface to a second width at the depth, the first width being greater than the second width.
US08461633B2 Thin film transistor and manufacturing method thereof
A thin film transistor includes a substrate; a gate electrode on the substrate; a gate insulating layer covering the gate electrode; a semiconductor layer corresponding to the gate electrode on the gate insulating layer; a protective layer covering the semiconductor layer and the gate insulating layer and having a source contact hole and a drain contact hole exposing a portion of the semiconductor layer; and a source electrode and a drain electrode on the protective layer and coupled to the semiconductor layer through the source contact hole and the drain contact hole, respectively, wherein the semiconductor layer has a source offset groove at a portion corresponding to the source contact hole of the protective layer.
US08461627B2 Stack array structure for a semiconductor memory device
In a stack array structure for a semiconductor memory device, a first semiconductor layer includes a plurality of first cell strings, and a second semiconductor including a plurality of second cell strings. Bit-line contact plugs are configured to couple a bit-line to two adjacent first cell strings aligned in series in a bit-line direction, and to further couple the bit-line to two adjacent second cell strings respectively located over the two adjacent first cell strings. Common source line contact plugs are configured to couple a common source line to the two adjacent first cell strings and the two adjacent second cell strings. Pocket p-well contact plugs are located at positions corresponding to a layout of the bit-line plugs and/or common source line plugs, and are configured to couple a pocket p-well line to the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer.
US08461625B2 Carrier mobility enhanced channel devices and method of manufacture
An integrated circuit with stress enhanced channels, a design structure and a method of manufacturing the integrated circuit is provided. The method includes forming a dummy gate structure on a substrate and forming a trench in the dummy gate structure. The method further includes filling a portion of the trench with a strain inducing material and filling a remaining portion of the trench with gate material.
US08461622B2 Reverse-conducting semiconductor device
A reverse-conducting semiconductor device includes a freewheeling diode and an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) on a common wafer. Part of the wafer forms a base layer with a base layer thickness. The IGBT includes a collector side and an emitter side arranged on opposite sides of the wafer. A first layer of a first conductivity type and a second layer of a second conductivity type are alternately arranged on the collector side. The first layer includes at least one first region with a first region width and at least one first pilot region with a first pilot region width. The second layer includes at least one second region with a second region width and at least one second pilot region with a second pilot region width. Each second region width is equal to or larger than the base layer thickness, whereas each first region width is smaller than the base layer thickness. Each second pilot region width is larger than each first pilot region width. Each first pilot region width is equal to or larger than two times the base layer thickness, and the sum of the areas of the second pilot regions is larger than the sum of the areas of the first pilot regions.
US08461620B2 Laser pumping of thyristors for fast high current rise-times
An optically triggered semiconductor switch includes an anode metallization layer; a cathode metallization layer; a semiconductor between the anode metallization layer and the cathode metallization layer and a photon source. The semiconductor includes at least four layers of alternating doping in the form P-N-P-N, in which an outer layer adjacent to the anode metallization layer forms an anode and an outer layer adjacent the cathode metallization layer forms a cathode and in which the anode metallization layer has a window pattern of optically transparent material exposing the anode layer to light. The photon source emits light having a wavelength, with the light from the photon source being configured to match the window pattern of the anode metallization layer.
US08461615B2 Semiconductor light emitting device
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor light emitting device includes a stacked structural body, a first electrode, and a second electrode. The stacked structural body includes a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, a second semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type, and a light emitting portion. The stacked structural body has a first major surface on a side of the second semiconductor layer. The first electrode is provided on the first semiconductor. The second electrode is provided on the second semiconductor layer. The first electrode includes a first pad portion and a first extending portion that extends from the first pad portion along a first extending direction. The first extending portion includes a first width-increasing portion. A width of the first width-increasing portion along a direction orthogonal to the first extending direction is increased from the first pad portion toward an end of the first extending portion.
US08461611B2 Semiconductor light emitting device and method for manufacturing the same
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor light emitting device includes a first semiconductor layer, a second semiconductor layer and a light emitting part. The first semiconductor layer includes an n-type semiconductor layer. The second semiconductor layer includes a p-type semiconductor layer. The light emitting part is provided between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer, and includes a plurality of barrier layers and a well layer provided between the plurality of barrier layers. The first semiconductor layer has a first irregularity and a second irregularity. The first irregularity is provided on a first major surface of the first semiconductor layer on an opposite side to the light emitting part. The second irregularity is provided on a bottom face and a top face of the first irregularity, and has a level difference smaller than a level difference between the bottom face and the top face.
US08461606B2 Semiconductor light-emitting device and method for manufacturing same
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor light-emitting device includes an n-type semiconductor layer including a nitride semiconductor, a p-type semiconductor layer including a nitride semiconductor, a light-emitting portion and a stacked body. The light-emitting portion is provided between the n-type and p-type semiconductor layers and includes a barrier layer and a well layer. The well layer is stacked with the barrier layer. The stacked body is provided between the light-emitting portion and the n-type semiconductor layer and includes a first layer and a second layer. The second layer is stacked with the first layer. Average In composition ratio of the stacked body is higher than 0.4 times average In composition ratio of the light-emitting portion. The layer thickness tb of the barrier layer is 10 nanometers or less.
US08461600B2 Method for morphological control and encapsulation of materials for electronics and energy applications
An electronic device comprises a drawn glass tube having opposing ends, a semiconductive material disposed inside of the drawn glass tube, and a first electrode and a second electrode disposed at the opposing ends of the drawn glass tube. A method of making an electrical device comprises disposing a semiconductive material inside of a glass tube, and drawing the glass tube with the semiconductive material disposed therein to form a drawn glass tube. The method of making an electrical device also comprises disposing a first electrode and a second electrode on the opposing ends of the drawn glass tube to form an electric device.
US08461589B1 Circuit having integrated heating structure for parametric trimming
An integrated circuit (IC) includes a heated portion. The heated portion/IC includes a substrate having a topside semiconductor surface having circuitry configured to provide a circuit function. A pre-metal dielectric (PMD) layer is on the topside semiconductor surface. A metal interconnect stack is on the PMD. A trim portion includes one or more temperature sensitive circuit components which affect a temperature behavior of the IC. The heated portion extends over and beyond an area of the trim portion having an integrated heating structure including at least a first heater formed from a metal interconnect level that includes a first plurality of winding segments which have a varying pitch. A heat spreader formed from a second metal interconnect layer is between trim portion and the first heater. Thermal plugs are lateral to the temperature sensitive circuit components and thermally couple the heat spreader to the topside semiconductor surface.
US08461588B2 In-situ monitoring and method to determine accumulated printed wiring board thermal and/or vibration stress fatigue using a mirrored monitor chip and continuity circuit
A monitoring system includes a monitor chip or chips soldered to a printed wiring board. By mirroring a function IC chip interface with the monitor chip, the consumed and remaining thermal/and or vibration-fatigue life of the function IC chip based on the life-environment actually experienced through monitoring of the monitor chip is readily determined. The monitor chip includes monitoring interconnections and/or circuitry which determines the number and/or location of failed-open solder terminations of the monitor chip.
US08461579B2 Organic radiation-emitting component and method for producing an organic radiation-emitting component
An organic radiation-emitting component, including a first electrode (1) having a first electrical contact region (10) for making electrical contact with the first electrode (1), a first organic functional layer (31) on the first electrode (1), on the first organic functional layer (31) at least one organic active region (4) suitable for emitting electromagnetic radiation during operation, and a second electrode (2) on the active region (4), wherein the first organic functional layer (31) includes a plurality of laterally arranged partial regions (30) each including a first material (51) having a first electrical conductivity and a second material (52) having a second electrical conductivity, the second electrical conductivity is greater than the first electrical conductivity, and the ratio of the proportion of the second material (52) to the proportion of the first material (51) in the partial regions (30) of the first organic functional layer (31) varies in a manner dependent on a lateral distance from the first electrical contact region (10).
US08461575B2 Organic light-emitting display device and method of manufacturing the same
An organic light-emitting display device and a method of manufacturing the same, the organic light-emitting display device including: a substrate; a display unit disposed on the substrate; a sealing substrate disposed facing the display unit; a sealant adhering the substrate to the sealing substrate; and a getter formed on surfaces of the substrate, the sealing substrate, and the sealant that face a space formed inside the display device.
US08461572B2 Organic luminescent device and manufacturing method thereof
There is provided a polymer or low-molecular-weight compound multilayer type organic EL device configured such that a light-emitting layer formed on a hole transport layer includes a mixture of a polymer material and a low-molecular weight material. With such a configuration, the low-molecular-weight material added to the polymer material serves as a binder filling the gap of the steric hindrance to form entanglement of the polymer material and the low-molecular-weight material. This results in that the interface between the hole transport layer and the light-emitting layer is an interface high in adhesion and also high in carrier injectability. Further, optimization of the formation conditions and materials can achieve still higher reliability and longer lifetime.
US08461569B2 Semiconductor device and a method of fabricating a semiconductor device
A semiconductor device includes a quantum dot and a plurality of layers, wherein said plurality of layers includes: a first layer; a stressor layer; and a patterned layer wherein said stressor layer overlies said first layer and said patterned layer overlies said stressor layer; wherein said stressor layer has a substantially different lattice constant to said first layer and said patterned layer and has a pit provided in said layer; said quantum dot lying above said patterned layer aligned with said pit.
US08461568B2 Re-emitting semiconductor construction with enhanced extraction efficiency
A stack of semiconductor layers forms a re-emitting semiconductor construction (RSC). The stack includes an active region that converts light at a first wavelength to light at a second wavelength, the active region including at least one potential well. The stack also includes an inactive region extending from an outer surface of the stack to the active region. Depressions are formed in the stack that extend from the outer surface into the inactive region. An average depression depth is at least 50% of a thickness of the inactive region or at least 50% of a nearest potential well distance. The depressions may have at least a 40% packing density in plan view. The depressions may also have a substantial portion of their projected surface area associated with obliquely inclined surfaces.
US08461565B2 Electrically actuated devices
An electrically actuated device comprises an active region disposed between a first electrode and a second electrode, a fixed dopant distributed within the active region, and at least one type of mobile dopant situated near an interface between the active region and the second electrode.
US08461562B2 Web carrier, web carrying method, and web carriage control program
Provided is a web carrier which can prevent creasing of a web by detecting a sign of creasing of a web during carriage of the web. The web carrier (1) for carrying a sheetlike web (10) by means of a plurality of rollers (2) detects the linear pattern of a waveform generated on the web (10) from an image picked up by means of a camera (imaging means) (3) using an image analysis means (73) in a controller (7), recognizes a state becoming the sign of creasing with the aid of the image and simultaneously analyzes the entering direction of the linear pattern into a guide roller (2c), drives the shaft (20c) of the guide roller (angle adjusting roller) (2c) in the direction of canceling the waveform (so that the web is not creased), and controls an alignment adjusting means (5) such that the web is not creased.
US08461557B2 Ion sources, systems and methods
Ion sources, systems and methods are disclosed. In some embodiments, the ion sources, systems and methods can exhibit relatively little undesired vibration and/or can sufficiently dampen undesired vibration. This can enhance performance (e.g., increase reliability, stability and the like). In certain embodiments, the ion sources, systems and methods can enhance the ability to make tips having desired physical attributes (e.g., the number of atoms on the apex of the tip). This can enhance performance (e.g., increase reliability, stability and the like).
US08461556B2 Using beam blockers to perform a patterned implant of a workpiece
Blockers in an ion beam blocker unit selectively block or trim an ion beam. In one instance, the ion beam has first current regions and second current regions. These current regions may be unequal. The ion beam is then implanted into a workpiece to form regions with different doses. The workpiece may be scanned so that the entirety of its surface is implanted.
US08461551B2 Document production and authentication system and method
A method of authenticating a document including data printed on a media includes detecting one of a presence and an absence of authentication fibers in the media, detecting one of a presence and an absence of authentication indicia on the media, and continuing the method if detecting one of the presence and the absence of authentication fibers in the media includes detecting the presence of authentication fibers in the media and if detecting one of the presence and the absence of authentication indicia on the media includes detecting the presence of authentication indicia on the media.
US08461550B2 Electron beam sterilizer
Plastic containers fed by an article feeder housed in a shield chamber are sterilized by being irradiated with an electron beam that is radiated from an irradiation window of an electron beam irradiation unit which is coupled to an opening of the shield chamber. In a maintenance mode, an adjustment irradiation box is detachably mounted on the electron beam irradiation unit in covering relation to the irradiation window of the electron beam irradiation unit. The adjustment irradiation box houses therein an electron beam receiver for receiving the electron beam radiated from the irradiation window, a cooling mechanism for cooling the electron beam receiver, and an exhaust mechanism for discharging an atmosphere in the adjustment irradiation box.
US08461545B2 Radiographic imaging device and radiographic imaging system using the same
This invention provides a radiographic imaging device, having: a scintilator layer which converts transmitted radiation incident with emission of radiation to an imaging target to light; a first organic photoelectric conversion layer which is continuous and converts a first light containing the maximum peak wavelength from the scintilator layer to a charge; an insulating substrate having a storage capacitor and a thin film transistor for reading the charge generating in the first organic photoelectric conversion layer for each image detection pixel; a second organic photoelectric conversion layer which converts a second light from the scintilator layer to a charge; and a radiation dose detection circuit for reading the charge generating in the second organic photoelectric conversion layer for each radiation dose detection pixel and a radiographic imaging system using the same.
US08461538B2 Method and apparatus for emission guided radiation therapy
An apparatus comprising a radiation source, coincident positron emission detectors configured to detect coincident positron annihilation emissions originating within a coordinate system, and a controller coupled to the radiation source and the coincident positron emission detectors, the controller configured to identify coincident positron annihilation emission paths intersecting one or more volumes in the coordinate system and align the radiation source along an identified coincident positron annihilation emission path.
US08461537B2 Solid state radiation detector elements including magnetic hard silicon photomultipliers
A radiation detector comprises: a substrate (54); a two-dimensional array of solid state detector elements (50) disposed on or in the substrate and defining a detector array area (52); electrodes (Ec, Ea) disposed on or in the substrate; and electrically conductive connecting lines (60, 64) disposed on or in the substrate and operatively electrically connecting the solid state detector elements and the electrodes, the electrically conductive connecting lines arranged to define a maximum area in conjunction with any one conducting solid state detector element that is less than or about one tenth of the detector array area. An imaging system comprises an MR scanner (10) and a PET or SPECT imaging system arranged to have some interaction with a magnetic field generated by the MR scanner, the PET or SPECT imaging system including scintillator elements (40) and the aforesaid radiation detectors arranged to detect scintillations generated in the scintillator elements.
US08461533B2 Radiation sensor
A radiation sensor includes first and second pixels with a radiation absorption filter positioned over the first pixel and an interference filter positioned over both the first and second pixels. The combined spectral response of the absorption filter and the first pixel has a first pixel pass-band and a first pixel stop-band. The spectral response of the interference filter has an interference filter pass-band which is substantially within the first pixel pass-band for radiation incident on the interference filter at a first angle of incidence, and substantially within the first pixel stop-band for radiation incident on the interference filter at a second angle of incidence greater than the first angle of incidence.
US08461532B2 Refraction assisted illumination for imaging
An illumination source may be directed towards a surface of an object comprising subsurface features, wherein the illumination from the source is directed at a first angle relative to the normal of the surface. The object may have a portion between the subsurface features and the surface, the portion having an index of refraction that is greater than the index of refraction of a surrounding medium that surrounds the object. An imaging device may be placed with an objective lens. The first angle may be larger than an acceptance angle of the objective lens. In some embodiments, multiple illumination beams may be generated by one or more illumination sources. The beams may be rotated relative to one another about the normal of the surface. Also, in some embodiments, multiple images may be taken with the objective of the imaging device at different positions rotated off of the normal. The multiple images may be combined to generate a composite image.
US08461521B2 Linear time-of-flight mass spectrometry with simultaneous space and velocity focusing
A time-of-flight mass spectrometer includes an ion source that generates ions. A two-field ion accelerator receives the ions generated by the ion source and generates an electric field that accelerates the ions through an ion flight path. A pulsed ion accelerator generates an accelerating electric field that focuses the ions to a focal plane where the ion flight time to the focal plane for an ion of predetermined mass-to-charge ratio is substantially independent to first order of an initial velocity of the ions prior to acceleration. An ion detector is positioned at the focal plane to detect ions. The two-field ion accelerator generates electric fields that cause the ion flight time to the ion detector for an ion of predetermined mass-to-charge ratio to be substantially independent to first order of both the initial position and the initial velocity of the ions prior to acceleration.
US08461520B2 Sourceless gamma ray production system and methods
An apparatus for performing an operation in a borehole penetrating the earth includes a carrier and a neutron source that emits neutrons and is disposed in the carrier. The apparatus also includes a target disposed in the carrier and that produces gamma rays as a result of interactions between neutrons produced by the neutron source and at least one material forming the target. The apparatus also includes a gamma ray detector that detects the gamma rays produced by the target and is disposed in the carrier.
US08461508B2 Device, system, and method for sectioning and coupling multiple photovoltaic strings
A photovoltaic system has a power converter connected by power rails to a plurality of photovoltaic strings, each string has serially connected photovoltaic panels and switches. The switches divide each string into sections, and the strings are distributed in electrical parallel paths over a plurality of arrays with one section per string in each array. A first set of strings to be brought online with the power converter is initialized. A drive signal is sent to switches in the initial set of strings to couple the sections in each string of the initial set so that the set of strings come online with the power converter providing voltage and current to the power converter.
US08461507B2 Device system and method for coupling multiple photovoltaic arrays
A photovoltaic system, method and apparatus are disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, the system includes a power converter configured to convert power from one form to another form, and an interface portion adapted to couple to the power converter, a first photovoltaic array, a second photovoltaic array, and a third photovoltaic array. In variations, the interface portion is configured to modulate an application of a voltage from the first photovoltaic array to the second and third photovoltaic arrays so as to adjust a voltage applied from the three photovoltaic arrays to the power converter.
US08461500B2 Microwave oven
A microwave oven is provided. A component generating relatively high temperature heat and a component generating a relatively low temperature heat are cooled by airflow divided and provided by a cooling part, thereby improving operation reliability and durability of a product.
US08461493B1 Energy conservation system
An energy conservation system to selectively control the operation of the heating elements of a water heater including a water storage tank operable in an automated mode to control the temperature of water within the water storage tank comprising a flow detector such as temperature sensor to sense the inlet or outlet water temperature to detect a change in temperature measured in time and duration and a tank temperature to sense the water temperature within the storage tank and generate corresponding temperature signals and a microprocessor coupled to the flow detector and tank temperature sensor to receive the corresponding signals including means to determine when there is a demand for hot water and means to determine a pattern of hot water usage over a water usage cycle to maintain the water in the water storage tank at a minimum temperature to supply a minimum quantity of hot water and increase the temperature of the water to a maximum temperature to supply a maximum quantity of hot water corresponding to the pattern of hot water usage over the water usage cycle.
US08461486B2 Heating tile and heated floor using the same
A heating tile includes an upper substrate, a lower substrate and a heating module. The heating module is disposed between the upper substrate and the lower substrate. The heating module includes a first electrode, a second electrode and a heating element being electrically connected with the first electrode and the second electrode. The heating element includes a carbon nanotube layer structure. The heating tile defines a first side surface and a second side surface opposite to the first side surface. The first electrode and the second electrode are both oriented from the first side surface to the second side surface. The first electrode includes two exposed first ends. The second electrode includes two exposed second ends.
US08461485B2 Solid wire
A solid wire contains in mass percent C 0.005 to 0.080%, Si 0.30 to 1.20%, Mn 1.15 to 1.65%, S 0.050 to 0.200%, P 0.017% or less, O 0.0070% or less, and N 0.0050% or less, wherein C+(P*5)≦0.135 mass percent is satisfied, and the remainder includes Fe and impurities, and the content of each of Ti, B, Cr, Ni, Nb, V, Zr, La and Ce as the impurities is controlled to be a certain content or less, and the amount of adhered oil on a surface of the relevant solid wire is controlled to be 1.2 g or less per wire of 10 kg. According to such a configuration, while increase in welding cost is controlled to the minimum, stability of wire feed, burn-through resistance, undercut resistance, and crack resistance becomes excellent, slag and spatter becomes hard to be generated, hardness of weld metal becomes equal to or higher than that of base metal, and brittle fracture becomes hard to occur.
US08461484B2 Conductive stud welding
A method for welding a first workpiece with a joining element, wherein the joining element and the first workpiece consist at least partially of a metal, includes moving the joining element relative to the first workpiece during welding and at the same time pressing the joining element against the first workpiece. This method for welding a joining element with a material permits a reliable firmly-bonded connection between joining element and workpiece, when the workpiece consists of a composite material or has low rigidity, and is achieved by generating an electrical current between workpiece and joining element during mechanical contact of the joining element with the first workpiece.
US08461483B2 Engine driven welding power supplies with two piece shaft
An engine driven welding system includes two power generators, each having a rotor and a stator. Each rotor is mounted on a respective drive shaft, with one of the drive shafts being driven by the engine and the other drive shaft being releasably coupled to the engine driven drive shaft. This provides a modular type construction of the welding system, in that the outboard power generator can be selected or changed as needed for a particular application. The coupled drive shafts are supported by two bearing assemblies. Also disclosed as additional features for any welding system power supply is a removable plate having one or more connectors releasably attached thereto for facilitating installation of an electrical component for a welding system power supply; and also a power switch having a member that restricts rotational movement of the switch.
US08461482B2 Pre-process stress loading components for post-process warp control
A process and apparatus neutralizes a warp effect resulting from a build up of micro strains caused by machining a part with a long wavelength laser. The part to be machined is pre-stressed in an opposite direction of a warp stress due to machining using a fixture for holding the part without yielding any other features in the part. The part is machined while held in the pre-stressed position in the fixture.
US08461481B2 Methods and apparatus for reducing variations in the laser intensity during scribing a photovoltaic device
Methods are generally provided of reducing speckle of a laser beam from a laser source guided through an optical waveguide. The method includes vibrating an optical waveguide at a first point along the optical waveguide at a first frequency (e.g., having a range of about 20 kHz to about 20 GHz) for a certain distance (e.g., a distance of about 0.1 mm to about 5 cm), and directing the laser beam out of the optical waveguide from the laser source to a target. Such methods are particularly useful for scribing a thin film layer on a photovoltaic module (e.g., a cadmium telluride-based thin film photovoltaic device). Fiber optic laser systems are also generally provided for reducing speckle of a laser beam from a laser source guided through an optical waveguide.
US08461479B2 Adaptive processing constraints for memory repair
An apparatus and method for processing a plurality of semiconductor parts in a laser-based system adjusts a default recipe to account for work to be performed on at least one part of the plurality of parts. The work to be performed on a part is analyzed using the default recipe and a part-specific recipe including a modified parameter of the default recipe. The default or part-specific recipe is selected based on a desired processing result, and the selected recipe replaces the default recipe to perform the work using the laser-based system.
US08461477B2 Method for determining laser shock peening approach accessibility
A method for determining accessibility of a tool to an object is provided. The method provides for selecting one or more sections on the object to be laser shock peened, selecting a region of interest on the one or more sections and determining a set of feasible solutions to access the selected region of interest on each of the one or more sections via use of an accessibility system. Systems and computer programs that afford functionality of the type defined by this method may be provided by the present technique.
US08461476B2 Method and device for plasma tap hole welding
In connection with plasma tap hole welding, in which a plasma jet (7) directed towards a workpiece (8) to be welded is generated by means of a welding current applied onto an electrode (2) and a plasma gas, the plasma jet at least partly penetrating through the workpiece (9), wherein at least one electrical conductor (10, 50, 60, 61) is arranged at the exit side (8″) of the plasma jet (7), a penetration current (I2′) being measured via the electrical conductor (10, 50, 60, 61), it is suggested that the penetration current (I2) is actively modified during the welding process.
US08461471B2 Tandem gas metal arc welding
The present invention provides a method for tandem gas metal arc welding using a leading electrode and a trailing electrode, wherein a shielding gas for the leading electrode is a two-component mixed gas containing argon and carbon dioxide, or a three-component mixed gas containing argon, carbon dioxide, and oxygen; a shielding gas for the trailing electrode is argon, a two-component mixed gas containing argon and carbon dioxide, a two-component mixed gas containing argon and oxygen, or a three-component mixed gas containing argon, carbon dioxide, and oxygen; and the concentration of carbon dioxide in the shielding gas for the trailing electrode is lower than the concentration of carbon dioxide in the shielding gas for the leading electrode.
US08461470B2 Method of measuring degradation condition of output mirror in laser oscillator and laser machining apparatus
In a laser machining apparatus that performs machining by a laser beam (4) emitted from a laser oscillator (1), the laser machining apparatus herein provided includes an aperture (5) placed in a light path of the laser beam (4) emitted from the laser oscillator (1) so as to block a perimeter portion of the laser beam (4) and to transmit a middle portion thereof, and a beam-power measurement sensor (6) for measuring beam power of a laser beam (20) transmitted through the aperture (5), whereby it utilizes that beam power of the laser beam transmitted through the aperture (5) significantly changes (the more degraded, the more the beam power rises) due to a degradation condition of an output mirror (2) when the output mirror in the laser oscillator (1) becomes in high thermal loading condition due to the laser beam with high beam power, so that the degradation condition of the output mirror (2) is determined.
US08461466B2 Truck scale with removable deck
A scale for weighing a vehicle which includes a removable platform supported by a plurality of load cells, the removable platform having a plurality of centering fixtures with each centering fixture having a cavity in its bottom section with a perimeter. The scale further including a plurality of centering projections having an outer surface which the perimeter of the cavity of the plurality of centering fixtures is guided upon lowering the removable platform onto the plurality of load cells.
US08461462B2 Circuit substrate, laminated board and laminated sheet
A circuit substrate includes a resin layer; and an inorganic insulating layer including a groove portion penetrating the inorganic insulating layer in a thickness direction thereof. A part of the resin layer is in the groove portion.
US08461460B2 Microelectronic interconnect element with decreased conductor spacing
A microelectronic interconnect element can include a plurality of first metal lines and a plurality of second metal lines interleaved with the first metal lines. Each of the first and second metal lines has a surface extending within the same reference plane. The first metal lines have surfaces above the reference plane and remote therefrom and the second metal lines have surfaces below the reference plane and remote therefrom. A dielectric layer can separate a metal line of the first metal lines from an adjacent metal line of the second metal lines.
US08461459B2 Flex-rigid wiring board and method for manufacturing the same
A flex-rigid wiring board includes an insulative substrate, a flexible connected body positioned beside the insulative substrate and including multiple flexible wiring boards, and an insulation layer positioned over the insulative substrate and the flexible connected body and having a portion exposing a portion of the flexible connected body. The flexible wiring boards include a double-sided flexible wiring board having a conductive layer on one surface of the double-sided flexible wiring board and a conductive layer on the opposite surface of the double-sided flexible wiring board. The flexible connected body has a conductor on one side of the flexible connected body, a conductor on the opposite side of the flexible connected body, and a through-hole conductor electrically connecting the conductors of the flexible connected body. The through-hole conductor is penetrating from one side through the opposite side of the flexible wiring boards.
US08461456B2 Electrical lead-through for safety tanks
An improved electrical lead-through, particularly for safety tanks, is provided that includes at least one electrical conductor which is guided through a rigid insulation material, wherein a silicone insulation is introduced over at least one segment of the conductor projecting on one side of the insulation material.
US08461455B2 Elastic electric contact terminal
An elastic electric contact terminal including an elastic foam core having a sheet form, a non-foam rubber coating layer adhered to upper and lower surfaces of the elastic foam core and continued along any one side surface of the elastic foam core, and a heat-resistant polymer film, one side of which is adhered to the non-foam rubber coating layer in an enclosing manner and the other side of which is integrally formed with a metal layer.
US08461450B2 Solar cell module and manufacturing method of solar cell module
A manufacturing method of a solar cell module includes a rear-surface-side protection member having a metal layer sandwiched between a plurality of resin layers, the method comprising the steps of: forming a pair of first slits and a second slit in the rear-surface-side protection member to form a pair of movable portions on both sides of the second slit, the second slit extending between and communicating with the pair of the first slits; opening each of the pair of movable portions; performing an insulating treatment on at least a part of the metal layer exposed to the surface of each of the pair of movable portions; and sealing a solar cell between a light-receiving-surface-side protection member and the rear-surface-side protection member, wherein one end portion of an output lead is drawn out from between the pair of movable portions, the output lead being configured to draw electric power from the solar cell.
US08461444B2 Tone-generation timing synchronization method for online real-time session using electronic music device
An online real-time session is conducted between at least two electronic music devices each equipped with an interface connectible to a communication network and a display with a touch sensing ability. An electronic music device communicates with its counterpart device to count a time Ta1 of making an inquiry about a present time Tb of the counterpart device and a time Ta2 of receiving a response from the counterpart device while setting a time Ta3 which progresses from the time Ta2 and a time interval Td which is counted from the time Ta3. Thus, the electronic music device determines tone-generation timing at which the electronic music device is synchronized with its counterpart device in conducting an online real-time session by way of a calculation of Td+Tb+(Ta3−Ta1)−(Ta2−Ta1)/2, or Td+Tb+(Ta3−Ta2)+(Ta2−Ta1)/2.
US08461440B1 Quick change drum head assembly
A musical instrument fitted with a quick change percussion drum head/tuner assembly wherein, e.g., a conventional snare drum is provided on the open top end of its shell with a base ring of the assembly, a drum head/tuner unit of an adapter ring, percussion membrane and tuner ring is removably locked onto the base ring, and wherein said base ring is affixed to the shell by means of the conventional tie-down screw and nut mechanism secured to the exterior surface of the shell.
US08461433B2 Plants and seeds of hybrid corn variety CH158013
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH158013. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH158013, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH158013 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH158013.
US08461423B2 Soybean cultivar 86142430
A soybean cultivar designated 86142430 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 86142430, to the plants of soybean 86142430, to plant parts of soybean cultivar 86142430 and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing soybean cultivar 86142430 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 86142430, to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 86142430 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 86142430 with another soybean cultivar.
US08461422B2 DIG-5 insecticidal Cry toxins
DIG-5 Cry toxins, polynucleotides encoding such toxins, use of such toxins to control pests, and transgenic plants that produce such toxins are disclosed.
US08461415B2 AXMI-192 family of pesticidal genes and methods for their use
Compositions and methods for conferring pesticidal activity to bacteria, plants, plant cells, tissues and seeds are provided. Compositions comprising a coding sequence for a toxin polypeptide are provided. The coding sequences can be used in DNA constructs or expression cassettes for transformation and expression in plants and bacteria. Compositions also comprise transformed bacteria, plants, plant cells, tissues, and seeds. In particular, isolated toxin nucleic acid molecules are provided. Additionally, amino acid sequences corresponding to the polynucleotides are encompassed, and antibodies specifically binding to those amino acid sequences. In particular, the present invention provides for isolated nucleic acid molecules comprising nucleotide sequences encoding the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:28-62, or the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1-27, as well as variants and fragments thereof.
US08461414B2 Gene having endoreduplication promoting activity
This invention is intended to identify a gene that regulates endoreduplication in a plant and to use such gene for breeding aimed at increasing the crop size. This invention provides a gene encoding an Arabidopsis thaliana-derived protein having an amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, or 12, which has endoreduplication promoting activity, a transgenic plant into which such gene has been introduced, thereby increasing the nuclear DNA content in the cells of such plant, and a method of using such gene to increase the size of the entire plant or a part thereof.
US08461411B2 Absorbent article having nonwoven lateral zones
A disposable hygiene article for collecting bodily fluid having a body-facing surface, a garment facing-surface and an absorbent structure. The article may include a central fluid acquisition zone which may be substantially white, a first visually discernible lateral zone situated on one side of the central zone and a second visually discernible lateral zone situated on the opposite side of the central zone, wherein the first and second lateral zones are formed by a nonwoven material including a colored pigment.
US08461409B2 Viscera protector
A composite viscera protector consisting of a silicone layer, a polypropylene mesh layer and an additional silicon layer having a thickness between 0.5 and 2.53 mm, with a repeating series of holes in a pattern over its entire surface or a portion thereof with the holes being slits on one or two planes non-intersecting and being of a size between 1 and 10 mm.
US08461407B2 Method for dehydrating fatty alcohols
A process for the production of hydrocarbons by dehydrating primary alcohols with a dehydration catalyst of trifluoromethansulfonic acid is disclosed. The hydrocarbons so produced have fewer undesired secondary reactions. Accordingly, cosmetic and cleaning compositions incorporating the hydrocarbons produced by way of the process are also disclosed.
US08461405B2 Process for the production of branched alkylbenzenes that uses a renewable carbon source
A process for the production of alkylbenzenes in the presence of an aromatic feedstock and an olefinic stream produced from an ethanol feedstock, itself produced from a renewable source obtained from biomass, is described, with said process comprising at least: a) A stage for purification of said ethanol feedstock, b) A stage for dehydration of said purified ethanol feedstock, obtained from said stage a), into an effluent that is for the most part ethylene, c) At least one stage for separation of the water that is present in said effluent that is for the most part ethylene obtained from said stage b), d) A first stage for oligomerization of said effluent that is for the most part ethylene in the presence of at least one catalyst that comprises at least one element of group VIII, e) A second stage for oligomerization of at least some of the effluent that is obtained from said stage d) in the presence of at least one amorphous catalyst or at least one zeolitic catalyst, f) A stage for fractionation of the effluent that is obtained from said oligomerization stage e) in such a way as to recover at least one olefin-enriched olefinic stream that has a number of carbon atoms that is greater than or equal to 9, g) An alkylation stage of said olefinic stream that is obtained from said stage f) by at least one aromatic feedstock.
US08461400B2 Method of making alcohols
Methods and systems for the synthesis of alcohol are described herein. The methods and systems include a method of hydrating an olefin that may include emulsifying an olefin gas in a water stream in a high shear device under high shear conditions to produce a dispersion; and contacting the dispersion with a catalyst to hydrate the olefin gas and form an alcohol.
US08461399B2 Separation process having an alcohol sidestream
Recovery of ethanol from a crude ethanol product obtained from the hydrogenation of acetic acid. The crude ethanol product is fed to a distillation column to yield an ethanol sidestream.
US08461394B2 Process for preparing C5 aldehyde mixtures with a high n-pentanal content
A process for preparing a C5 aldehyde mixture from a hydrocarbon mixture comprising at least one linear butene by terminal hydroformylation under isomerizing conditions, using a catalyst system comprising rhodium, a bisphosphite ligand, and an amine.
US08461390B2 Method for producing substituted biphenyls
A process for preparing substituted biphenyls of the formula I where R1=nitro or amino, R2=cyano, halogen, C1-C4-haloalkyl, C1-C4-haloalkoxy or C1-C4-haloalkylthio, n=from 0 to 3, and R3=hydrogen, cyano or halogen, which comprises reacting a halobenzene of the formula II in which Hal is chlorine or bromine, in the presence of a base and of a palladium catalyst which consists of palladium and a bidentate phosphorus ligand of the formula III where Ar is phenyl which is substituted if desired and R4 and R5 are each C1-C8-alkyl or C3-C6-cycloalkyl or together form a 2- to 7-membered bridge which may, if desired, bear a C1-C6-alkyl substituent, in a solvent or diluent, with a phenylboronic acid IVa a diphenylborinic acid IVb or a mixture of IVa and IVb.
US08461388B2 Process for the synthesis of propargylated aminoindan derivatives
A process for preparing a compound of formula (V) or its enantiomer, which comprises: (a) reacting racemic aminoindan of formula (II) or its enantiomer with allylhalide in presence of a base and an organic solvent at a temperature ranging from 25 C to the reflux temperature of the solvent to give compound of formula (III); Where R is H or (b) reacting the compound (III) with halogenating agent in a suitable organic solvent to give a dihalo compound of formula (IV). (c) treating the dihalo compound (IV) with a suitable base to give compound (V).
US08461387B2 Preparation of nitrones
A method for producing a nitrone of formula (I) wherein R is a branched alkyl group having from four to thirty carbon atoms; R1, R2, R3 and R4 independently are hydrogen or alkyl groups having from one to six carbon atoms from an imine having formula (II)
US08461386B2 Hydrogenation of imines
The present invention relates to a process for the asymmetric hydrogenation of imines with hydrogen under elevated pressure in the presence of a catalyst system. In particular the present invention relates to the use of the said catalytic system for the enantioselective hydrogenation of prochiral ketimines to asymmetric amines leading to the formation of herbicides.
US08461381B2 Preparation of organic compounds for enhanced reactivity
The present invention provides an improved method for preparing, purifying, precipitating, etc., a subject compound for use in a subsequent reaction carried out in suspension. The present invention relies on a precipitating solvent being added to an aqueous solution comprising the subject compound to form a precipitate of the subject compound, which may be further dried and/or purified. Compositions made according to present methods have improved characteristics and properties, such as increased surface and/or reduced density, resulting in a higher reactivity in a subsequent reaction carried out in suspension.
US08461379B2 Production of acetic acid comprising feeding at least one reactant to a recycle stream
This invention relates to processes for producing acetic acid from carbon monoxide and, in particular, to improved processes, wherein at least one reactant is fed upstream of a reactor recycle pump and/or to a pump-around loop.
US08461375B2 Method for the continuous production of alkyl(meth)acrylates with multiple catalyst recycling
The invention relates to an improved method for the continuous production of alkyl(methyl)acrylates by transesterification of methyl(meth)acrylate with alcohols that are heavy in comparison with methanol. A special processing technique makes it possible to obtain new levels of product quality. Very high space-time-overall yields can also be obtained. The invention is characterized by the multiple use of a homogeneous catalyst which thereby reduces the costs of auxiliary agents significantly.
US08461373B2 Catalyst for producing carboxylic acid esters, process for producing same and process for producing carboxylic acid esters
Disclosed is a catalyst for use in production of carboxylic acid ester by reacting (a) aldehyde and alcohol, or (b) one or more types of alcohols, in the presence of oxygen; wherein oxidized nickel and X (wherein X represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of nickel, palladium, platinum, ruthenium, gold, silver and copper) are loaded onto a support within the range of the atomic ratio of Ni/(Ni+X) of from 0.20 to 0.99.
US08461370B2 Process for producing 3-(2-cyano-1-propenyl)-2,2- dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylic acid or salt thereof
A process for producing comprising reacting a 3-formyl-2,2-dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylate and propionitrile in the presence of a base to obtain 3-(2-cyano-1-propenyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylic acid or its salt.
US08461369B2 Preparation of organomonoalkoxy (or monohydroxy) silanes from alkoxysilanes/organometallic compounds
Organomonoalkoxy/monohydroxy silanes, particularly halogenated or aklenylated organomonoalkoxy (or monohydroxy) silanes, which are useful intermediates in organic syntheses, are prepared by reacting an alkoxysilane with an organometallic compound suited for substituting at least certain of the alkoxy functions of the alkoxysilane with a monovalent hydrocarbon radical other than alkoxy and co-preparing a metallic alkoxylate by-product capable of denaturing the substituted silanes thus obtained, including contacting the metallic alkoxylate with at least one agent (A) reactive with the alkoxy functions of the alkoxylate to generate one or more species inert relative to the alkoxysilane, such agent (A) being selected from among the electrophile and/or mineral acid groups.
US08461367B2 Preparation process of trisilylamine
Provided is a preparation process of trisilylamine capable of preparing high-purity trisilylamine more easily at a lower cost. More specifically, provided is a preparation process of trisilylamine, comprising a step of thermally decomposing perhydropolysilazane under an oxygen-free or low oxygen atmosphere.
US08461364B2 Polymorphs of (S)-3-aminomethyl-7-(3-hydroxy-propoxy)-3H-benzo[C][1,2]oxaborol-1-OL
This invention provides, among other things, polymorphs of the hydrochloride salt of (S)-3-aminomethyl-7-(3-hydroxy-propoxy)-3H-benzo[c][1,2]oxaborol-1-ol.
US08461361B2 Chroman derivatives, medicaments and use in therapy
Novel chroman derivatives and intermediate compounds, compositions containing same, methods for their preparation and uses thereof as therapeutic agents particularly as anti-cancer and chemotherapeutic selective agents are described.
US08461360B2 Process for producing γ -mangostin
A process for the production of γ-mangostin comprising the steps of preparing O-methyl γ-mangostin preferably from plants, subjecting the pure or partially pure O-methylated γ-mangostin to demethylation reaction procedure followed by purification of the said demethylated product to obtain pure γ-mangostin.
US08461359B2 Short synthetic pathway for 1,6:2,3-dianhydro-β-D-mannopyranose
The invention relates to a method for preparing 1,6:2,3-dianhydro-β-D-mannopyranose and is characterized in that it includes a step of cyclizing the compound B, where R is an activating agent, in the presence of a base selected from among ammonium hydroxides and mineral bases.
US08461357B2 Expeditious synthesis of gibberellin A5 and esters thereof
An expeditious synthesis of gibberellin A5 (GA5) esters is presented, from which GA5 may be prepared. The synthesis offers an inexpensive route of few steps to these compounds, starting from gibberellin A3 (GA3) esters in the presence of a metal hydride.
US08461354B2 Organic thin film transistors comprising thienyl oligomers and their use as gaseous phase sensors
This invention pertains to gaseous analytes sensor devices comprising organic thin film transistor and, in particular, sensors able to perform the enantiomeric discrimination of gaseous analytes.
US08461353B2 Processes for the manufacture of a pharmaceutically active agent
Disclosed herein are processes for the preparation of a pharmaceutically active agent and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.
US08461349B2 Fungicidal active substance combinations containing trifloxystrobin
What are described are novel active compound combinations comprising a known oxime ether derivative (trifloxystrobin) and imidacloprid, which combinations are highly suitable for controlling phytopathogenic fungi and insects.
US08461341B2 Resolution of (±)-methyl phenyl[4-[4-[[[4′(trifluoromethyl)-2-biphenylyl]carbonyl]amino]Phenyl]-1-piperidinyl]acetate
The present invention relates to a resolution process of (±)-methyl phenyl[4-[4-[[[4′-(trifluoromethyl)-2-biphenylyl]carbonyl]amino]phenyl]-1-piperidinyl]acetate to isolate the MTP (microsomal triglyceride transfer protein) inhibitor methyl (2S)-phenyl[4-[4-[[[4′-(trifluoromethyl)-2-biphenylyl]carbonyl]amino]phenyl]-1-piperidinyl]acetate and an epimerisation procedure for racemizing methyl (2R)-phenyl[4-[4-[[[4′-(trifluoromethyl)-2-biphenylyl]carbonyl]amino]phenyl]-1-piperidinyl]acetate.
US08461340B2 Method for producing cis-3-substituted-3-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-8-ol derivative
There are provided, according to the present invention, a method for producing a cis-3-substituted-3-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-8-ol derivative, the method characterized in that a trans-3-substituted-3-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-8-ol derivative or a mixture of the trans- and cis-3-substituted-3-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-8-ol derivatives is isomerized in the presence of an aluminum compound represented by a formula Al(OR1)3 (wherein R1 represents a hydrocarbon group in which a carbon atom having an oxygen atom bonded thereto is a secondary carbon atom). In the process, a ketone compound may be further added, in addition to the aluminum compound.
US08461339B2 Pharmaceutical compounds
The invention provides kinase inhibitor compounds of the formula (1): or salts, solvates, tautomers or N-oxides thereof; wherein X is O, CO, X1C(X2), C(X2)X1, X1C(X2)X1, S, SO, SO2, NRc, SO2NRc or NRcSO2; m is 0-2; n is 0-1; q is 0-2; A is C1-6 alkylene optionally interrupted by O; R1 is halogen, cyano, nitro, an optionally substituted acyclic C1-6 hydrocarbon group, optionally substituted C3-7 cycloalkyl, optionally substituted phenyl, optionally substituted five membered heteroaryl, NR2R3, Ra—Rb, O—Rb or C(O)NR2R8; R4 is fluorine, chlorine, methyl or cyano; R2 is hydrogen or optionally substituted C1-4 alkyl; R3 is Ra—Rb; or NR2R3 forms a 4 to 7 membered non-aromatic heterocyclic ring; Ra is a bond, C(X2), C(X2)X1, SO, SO2 or SO2NRc; Rb is hydrogen or an optionally substituted 3 to 7-membered carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring or an optionally substituted C1-12 acyclic hydrocarbon group; Rc is hydrogen or a C1-4 hydrocarbon group; Rd is O, CO, X1C(X2), C(X2)X1, X1C(X2)X1, S, SO, SO2, NRc, SO2NRc or NRcSO2; X1 is O, S or NRc; X2 is ═O, ═S or ═NRc; but excluding the compound wherein m, n and q are all 0, A is CH2 and NR2R3 is a 2-phenylmorpholin-4-yl group.
US08461338B2 (1R, 1′R)-atracurium salts separation process
The present invention provides an improved method of chromatographically separating the isomers of (1R,rR)-atracurium salts by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), in the absence of a strong acid. The separation is preferably performed on a silica gel HPLC column using an eluent containing an organic solvent, a polar aprotic co-solvent and a weak organic acid.
US08461337B2 Sinomenine derivatives and processes for their synthesis
The invention generally provides processes and intermediate compounds useful for the production of sinomenine derivatives. In particular, the process may encompass synthetic routes for the production of (+)-sinomenine derivatives and their intermediates.
US08461333B2 Salts of prodrugs of piperazine and substituted piperidine antiviral agents
This invention provides for prodrug Compounds I, pharmaceutical compositions thereof, and their use in treating HIV infection. wherein: X is C or N with the proviso that when X is N, R1 does not exist; W is C or N with the proviso that when W is N, R2 does not exist; V is C; E is hydrogen or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof; and Y is selected from the group consisting of Also, this invention provides for intermediate Compounds II useful in making prodrug Compounds I. wherein: L and M are independently selected from the group consisting of C1-C6 alkyl, phenyl, benzyl, trialkylsilyl, -2,2,2-trichloroethoxy and 2-trimethylsilylethoxy.
US08461332B2 Method for producing curing agent having acidic substituent and unsaturated maleimide group, thermosetting resin composition, prepreg, and laminate
A method for producing a curing agent having an acidic substituent and an unsaturated maleimido group, including reacting, in an organic solvent, a maleimide compound (a) having at least two N-substituted maleimido groups in a molecule thereof with an amine compound (b) having an acidic substituent (represented by formula (I) below); a thermosetting resin composition containing the curing agent (A) produced through the method and a compound (B) which is cured with the curing agent, wherein a cured product of the composition has a glass transition temperature of 200° C. or higher; and a prepreg and a laminated sheet produced therefrom. The thermosetting resin composition can produce a prepreg or laminated sheet exhibiting excellent performance suitable for a printed wiring board for electronic devices and similar devices.
US08461328B2 Tricyclic heterocyclic compounds, compositions and methods of use thereof
The invention provides novel compounds of formula I having the general formula: wherein R1, R2, R3, X and Y are as described herein. Accordingly, the compounds may be provided in pharmaceutically acceptable compositions and used for the treatment of immunological or hyperproliferative disorders.
US08461324B2 Compositions and methods for detection of hepatitis A virus nucleic acid
Nucleic acid oligomeric sequences and in vitro nucleic acid amplification and detection methods for detecting the presence of HAV RNA sequences in samples are disclosed. Kits comprising nucleic acid oligomers for amplifying and detecting HAV nucleic acid sequences are disclosed.
US08461323B2 Characterization of granulocytic ehrlichia and methods of use
The present invention relates, in general, to polypeptides having antigenic epitopes from granulocytic ehrlichia (GE) proteins and methods of use thereof.
US08461320B2 Method to isolate mutants and to clone the complementing gene
The subject invention lies in the field of microorganism mutation and selection of the mutants. In particular, the invention is directed at obtaining metabolic mutants in a simple, direct and specific manner. In a preferred embodiment it is also possible to obtain desired mutants not comprising recombinant DNA, thereby facilitating incorporation thereof in products for human consumption or application, due to shorter legislative procedures. The method according to the invention involves random mutation and specific selection of the desired metabolic mutant. Knockout, mutants wherein a gene associated with metabolism is absent or inactivated and mutants with increased or decreased DNA binding capacity are also claimed.
US08461319B2 Poly-n-acetyl glucosamine (PNAG/dPNAG)-binding peptides and methods of use thereof
The present invention relates to peptides, particularly human monoclonal antibodies, that bind specifically to poly-N-acetyl glucosamine (PNAG), such as Staphylococcal PNAG, in acetylated, partially acetylated and/or fully deacetylated form. The invention further provides methods for using these peptides in the diagnosis, prophylaxis and therapy of infections by bacteria that express PNAG such as but not limited to Staphylococci and E. coli. Some antibodies of the invention enhance opsonophagocytic killing and in vivo protection against bacteria that express PNAG such as but not limited to Staphylococci and E. coli. Compositions of these peptides, including pharmaceutical compositions, are also provided, as are functionally equivalent variants of such peptides.
US08461316B1 Nanoparticles for delivery of bioactive agents
The invention discloses the nanoparticles composed of chitosan, poly-glutamic acid, and at least one DNA, RNA or bioactive agent characterized with a positive surface charge and their enhanced efficiency for gene delivery and bioactive agent delivery.
US08461312B2 Method for the production of 1,4-benzothiepin-1,1-dioxide derivatives
The invention relates to a method for producing 1,4-benzothiepin-1,1-dioxide derivatives substituted with benzyl groups.
US08461310B2 Anti-ADAM-15 antibodies and utilization of the same
A remedy for cancer obtained from a different viewpoint from the viewpoints employed in developing the existing anticancer drugs, i.e., focusing on the intercellular adhesion of cancer cells. Namely, provided is a remedy for cancer with fewer side effects which inhibits the proliferation of cancer cells and the intercellular adhesion of cancer cells. Also provided is an antibody, which recognizes the disintegrin domain of ADAM-15 and is usable as an anticancer agent, and so on. An antibody, which recognizes the disintegrin domain of ADAM-15 but does not recognize the RGD sequence or loop region in the disintegrin domain of ADAM-15, and so on; an antibody, which inhibits ADAM-15 and integrin αvβ3-dependent cell adhesion, and so on; and an antibody, which inhibits ADAM-15 and integrin αvβ1-dependent cell adhesion, and so on.
US08461309B2 Inhibitor protein of the wnt signal pathway
The present invention relates to an inhibitor protein of the wnt signal path, a DNA encoding such a protein and a process for the preparation of such a protein. In addition, this invention concerns the use of the DNA and the protein as well as antibodies directed against the protein.
US08461307B2 Antagonistic human LIGHT-specific human monoclonal antibodies
Provided herein are antibodies that immunospecifically bind to an hLIGHT polypeptide; isolated nucleic acids encoding the antibodies; vectors and host cells comprising nucleic acids encoding the antibodies; methods of making the antibodies; and a method of treating a hLIGHT-mediated disease in a subject comprising administering to the subject the antibodies. In preferred embodiments, the anti-hLIGHT antibodies provided herein will ameliorate, neutralize or otherwise inhibit hLIGHT biological activity in vivo (e.g., the hLIGHT-mediated production or secretion of CCL20, IL-8 or RANTES from a cell expressing a hLIGHT receptor). Also provided herein is a method for the detection of hLIGHT in a sample as well as a method for ameliorating, neutralizing or otherwise inhibiting hLIGHT activity, e.g., in a human subject suffering from a disorder in which hLIGHT activity is detrimental.
US08461305B2 L-fucose α1→6 specific lectin
Disclosed is a novel lectin which can bind specifically to an L-fucose α1→6 sugar chain. Also disclosed is use of the lectin. The L-fucose α1→6 specific lectin of the present invention is characterized in that: (1) the lectin is extracted from a basidiomycete or an ascomycete; (2) the lectin has a molecular weight by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) of 4,000 to 40,000; and (3) the lectin has an affinity to an L-fucose α1→6 sugar chain, the affinity being represented by an association constant of 1.0×104M−1 or more (at 25 degrees C.). The lectin can be used for detecting an L-fucose α1→6 sugar chain specifically, and is effective for the purification of an L-fucose α1→6 sugar chain or a non L-fucose α1→6 sugar chain.
US08461303B2 LOX and LOXL2 inhibitors and uses thereof
The present application relates to anti-LOX and anti-LOXL2 antibodies and their use in purification, diagnostic and therapeutic methods. Antibodies include monoclonal antibodies, humanized antibodies and functional fragments thereof. Anti-LOX and anti-LOXL2 antibodies can be used to identify and treat conditions such as a fibrotic condition, angiogenesis, or to prevent a transition from an epithelial cell state to a mesenchymal cell state.
US08461296B2 Method for mechanical stabilization of nitrogen-containing polymers
The invention relates to a process for preparing mechanically stabilized polyazole polymers. The process includes the steps of: a) producing a film comprising polyazoles with at least one amino group in a repeat unit, b) treating the film from step a) with a solution comprising (i) at least one acid and (ii) at least one stabilizing reagent, and c) performing the stabilization reaction in the membrane obtained in step directly or in a subsequent membrane processing step by heating to a temperature greater than 60° C. The stabilizing reagent contains at least one compound which has at least one aldehyde group and at least one hydroxyl group; or at least one hemiacetal group; or at least one acetal group. These polyazole polymer membranes have a high conductivity and a good mechanical stability and are suitable for applications in fuel cells.
US08461293B2 Methods of mercaptanizing olefinic hydrocarbons and compositions produced therefrom
The present invention discloses processes for forming polythiol compositions from olefinic hydrocarbons such as cyclooctadiene, cyclododecatriene, and trivinylcyclohexane. The polythiol compositions produced from these processes, including the sulfur-containing compounds of these compositions, also are described.
US08461291B2 Organic electroactive materials and an organic electronic device having an electroactive layer utilizing the same material
There is provided an electroactive material having Formula I wherein: Q is the same or different at each occurrence and can be O, S, Se, Te, NR, SO, SO2, or SiR3; R is the same or different at each occurrence and can be hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, alkenyl, or alkynyl; and R1 through R6 are the same or different and can be hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, halogen, hydroxyl, aryloxy, alkoxy, alkenyl, alkynyl, amino, alkylthio, phosphino, silyl, —COR, —COOR, —PO3R2, —OPO3R2, or CN.
US08461290B2 Monomers issued from renewable resources and process for polymerising them
This invention relates to the synthesis of polycarbonates prepared from carbonate monomers derived from the biomass in the presence of a system comprising an organometallic transfer agent and alcohol. It also relates to the polymers resulting from these cyclic compounds.
US08461289B2 Bioresorbable polymers synthesized from monomer analogs of natural metabolites
New bioresorbable polymers are synthesized from monomer analogs of natural metabolites In particular, polymers are polymerized from analogs of amino acids that contribute advantageous synthesis, processing and material properties to the polymers prepared therefrom, including particularly advantageous degradation profiles.
US08461286B2 Process for manufacturing liquid epoxy resins
A process for the production of liquid epoxy resins, including: contacting a polyhydric phenol and an epihalohydrin in the presence of an ionic catalyst to form a halohydrin intermediate reaction product; concurrently: reacting a portion of the halohydrin intermediate reaction product with an alkali hydroxide to form a solid salt suspended in a liquid mixture including a dehydrohalogenated product and unreacted halohydrin intermediate, wherein the alkali hydroxide is used at less than a stoichiometric amount; and removing water and epihalohydrin as a vapor from the reacting mixture; separating the solid salt from the liquid mixture; reacting at least a portion of the unreacted halohydrin intermediate with an alkali hydroxide in the presence of water to form an organic mixture including an epoxy resin and unreacted epihalohydrin and an aqueous solution including a salt; separating the aqueous mixture from the organic mixture; and separating the unreacted epihalohydrin from the liquid epoxy resin.
US08461285B2 Process for preparing polyether polyols
The present invention relates to a process for the catalytic preparation of polyetherols, wherein the power input by means of at least one stirrer and/or by means of at least one pump, based on the reactor volume, is in the range from 0.001 to 8.2 kW/m3.
US08461284B2 Silicon polymers, methods of polymerizing silicon compounds, and methods of forming thin films from such silicon polymers
Compositions and methods for controlled polymerization and/or oligomerization of hydrosilanes compounds including those of the general formulae SinH2n and SinH2n+2 as well as alkyl- and arylsilanes, to produce soluble silicon polymers as a precursor to silicon films having low carbon content.
US08461283B2 Room-temperature vulcanizable organopolysiloxane compound to give an elastomer and novel organopolysiloxane polycondensation catalysts
The present invention relates to an organopolysiloxane composition that can be vulcanized at room temperature into an elastomer that is crosslinked by polycondensation and that does not contain alkyltin-based catalysts and also to novel organopolysiloxane polycondensation catalysts.
US08461282B2 (Pentaphenyl)phenyl group containing compound, polymeric derivative thereof and method for forming the same
The present invention discloses an iridium complex containing a (pentaphenyl)phenyl ligand, having the following general equation: in which G is primary ligand, R′ and R″ are auxiliary ligands. On the other hand, the present invention discloses a compound with a 9-[(pentaphenyl)phenyl]carbazole structure and its polymeric derivative.
US08461280B2 Multi-stage process for producing multimodal linear low density polyethylene polymers
A multimodal linear low density polyethylene polymer having a final density of 900 to 940 kg/m3, and containing at least one α-olefin comonomer in addition to ethylene comprising: (A) 30 to 60 wt % of a lower molecular weight component being an ethylene homopolymer or a copolymer of ethylene and at least one α-olefin; and (B) 70 to 40 wt % of a higher molecular weight component being a copolymer of ethylene and at least one α-olefin, said α-olefin being the same or different from any α-olefin used in component (A) but with the proviso that both components (A) and (B) are not polymers of ethylene and butane alone; wherein the multimodal LLDPE has a dart drop of at least 700 g; and wherein components (A) and (B) are obtainable using a Ziegler-Natta catalyst.
US08461279B2 Method for producing devolatilized polyolefin and molded article of polyolefin
Disclosed is a method for producing a devolatilized polyolefin, wherein the method comprises a step that involves providing a twin screw extruder comprising a resin feeding port, a first molten resin kneading zone, a molten resin partially filled zone which is prevented from being fully filled with molten resin, a second molten resin kneading zone, and a devolatilization zone that are disposed in order from the upstream of a cylinder of the extruder, feeding a polyolefin through the resin feeding port, and feeding water to the molten resin partially filled zone in an amount of 0.01 to 50 parts by weight relative to 100 parts by weight of the polyolefin.
US08461278B2 Process for producing water-absorbing polymer particles
A process for producing water-absorbing polymer particles, wherein heated water-absorbing polymer particles are remoisturized and cooled in a high-speed mixer.
US08461275B2 Curing agents and process for their manufacture
Compounds having the formula (I) wherein L is a linking group, at least one of R1 to R10 comprises the group C≡N, at least one of R1 to R5 and at least one of R6 to R10 comprise the group NH2 for use as curing agents in an epoxy resin, together with a process for their synthesis and composites comprising the curing agents.
US08461271B2 Graft copolymer, thermoplastic resin composition comprising the graft copolymer, and those production method
Provided is a production process for a graft copolymer or a thermoplastic resin composition containing the above graft copolymer, which comprises graft-polymerizing 100 parts by mass of a combination of 20 to 100% by mass of a reactive polyolefin and 0 to 80% by mass of a polyolefin other than the reactive polyolefin with 0.2 to 300 parts by mass of at least one specific monomer under the presence of a radical initiator and which is useful as a sealant, a modifier for polyolefins, a surface treating agent, a primer treating agent, a coating agent component and the like.
US08461270B2 Olefin/aromatic vinyl copolymer, process for production thereof, resin compositions containing the copolymer, and stretched products of the copolymer
The present invention relates to such a copolymer comprising an olefin and an aromatic vinyl compound that has a syndiotactic structure, high block property and a wide molecular weight distribution. Specifically, it relates to a copolymer comprising an olefin and an aromatic vinyl compound, in which a content of the aromatic vinyl compound is from 1 to 99% by mol; a molecular distribution is 1.7 or more; a signal based on an (olefin-aromatic vinyl compound-olefin) linkage as a node of the copolymer, a signal based on an (aromatic vinyl compound-aromatic vinyl compound-olefin) linkage, a signal based on an (aromatic vinyl compound-aromatic vinyl compound-aromatic vinyl compound) linkage as a block linkage of the aromatic vinyl compound, and a signal based on an (olefin-olefin-olefin) linkage as a block linkage of the olefin are present; an index showing block property of the aromatic vinyl compound component is from 30 to 100%; and a stereoregularity of a repeating unit chain constituted by the aromatic vinyl compound is 80% by mol or more, a method for producing the same, a resin composition, and a stretched product.
US08461269B2 Elastomeric composition reinforced with a funtionalized non-aromatic vinyl polymer filler
Rubber composition based on at least one diene elastomer, a polymer filler as reinforcing filler, a coupling agent providing the bond between the polymer filler and the elastomer. The polymer filler comprises nanoparticles of non-aromatic vinnyl polymer (“NAVP”) bearing a function Z of formula ≡Si—X, X representing a hydroxyl or hydrolysable group. The NAVP is in particular a copolymer of methyl methacrylate, trimethoxysilylpropyl methacrylate and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, in the form of nanobeads the diameter of which is between 10 and 100 nm.
US08461260B2 Impact-modified polycarbonate compositions
Impact-modified polycarbonate compositions are disclosed that comprise a first graft polymer based on silicone-acrylate composite rubber as graft base, wherein the amount of silicone rubber is from 65 to 95 wt. % (based on the graft base), and a second graft polymer containing free copolymer, that is to say copolymer that is not chemically bonded to the rubber, and having a weight-average molecular weight of from 60,000 to 150,000 g/mol. The use of the polycarbonate compositions in the production of molded articles, and to the molded articles themselves are also disclosed. The compositions and molding compositions have an optimum combination of good elongation at tear, good hydrolytic stability and low melt viscosity.
US08461256B2 Low VOC aqueous compositions of acrylic-urethane block copolymers
The present invention provides compositions that enable excellent hardness and UV resistance in coating applications, the compositions containing one or more acrylic-urethane block copolymer having as copolymerized units one or more acrylic monomer, which acrylic monomers are polymerized into a polyurethane backbone polymer. The compositions may be ambient curable. The invention also provides methods to obtain such acrylic-urethane block copolymers, which methods include the incorporation of an initiating species into the polyurethane backbone polymer, and subsequent polymerization of acrylic monomers in the presence of both the initiating species attached to the polyurethane polymer and a reducing agent.
US08461255B2 Aqueous polyurethane resin, hydrophilic resin, and film
An aqueous polyurethane resin is prepared by reaction of an isocyanate group-terminated prepolymer with a chain extender containing polyamine. The isocyanate group-terminated prepolymer is obtained by reaction of at least a polyisocyanate containing 50 wt % or more of a non-multiple ring polyisocyanate that does not contain an aromatic ring and an aliphatic ring, or contains one aromatic ring or aliphatic ring; polyoxyethylene polyol; and a polyoxyethylene side chain-containing active compound having two or more hydroxyl groups or isocyanate groups at its molecular terminal and having a polyoxyethylene group in the side chain.
US08461252B2 Powder coated carrier
The instant disclosure describes methods for preparing latex resins for coated carriers using surfactant partitioning, which resins exhibit both lower ζ potential and greater latex stability, while not adversely affecting particle size, toner charge or other metrics.
US08461249B2 Compositions and articles of manufacture containing branched polycarbonate
A polycarbonate containing composition comprising a peak melt viscosity of at least 8,000 poise when measured using a parallel plate melt rheology test at a heating rate of 10° C./min at a temperature of between about 350° C. to about 450° C., and wherein a molded article of the composition has a UL 94 VO rating at a thickness of 1.0 mm, 1.5 mm, 2.0 mm, or between 1.0 mm and 2.0 mm is disclosed.