Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Intellectual Property
  • Patent number: 8342352
    Abstract: Disks configured to float on the surface of a body of liquid, including a top member configured to float substantially above the surface of the body of liquid, a bottom member spaced from the top member and configured to float substantially below the surface of the body of liquid, a sidewall extending between the top member and the bottom member along the periphery of the top member and along the periphery of the bottom member, wherein the top member, the bottom member, and the sidewall collectively define a cavity, a chamber mounted within the cavity, the chamber enclosing a predetermined volume of a gas, and a port defined in the sidewall to allow liquid from the body of liquid to enter the cavity, wherein the predetermined volume of gas enclosed in the chamber is selected to impart a buoyancy force sufficient to maintain the disk afloat on the body of liquid with the bottom member a predetermined depth below the member of the body of liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Inventor: Matt Alirol
  • Patent number: 8344888
    Abstract: The semiconductor device includes a signal processing circuit, an antenna circuit that is connected to the signal processing circuit, and a storage means that supplies electric power to the signal processing circuit. The signal processing circuit receives and transmits information through the antenna circuit, generates a direct current voltage from signals received by the antenna circuit, and stores the direct current voltage in the storage means. Furthermore, the antenna circuit has an antenna portion that receives signals by an electromagnetic induction method and an antenna portion that receives signals by a microwave method so that signals of frequencies from a wide band can be received. Because signals from a wide band can be received, the environment in which the storage means can be charged is widened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Osada, Hikaru Tamura
  • Patent number: 8342470
    Abstract: Hangers and methods for supporting an item from a structure. In some examples, the hanger includes a body configured to support the item and lines configured to bear tension, the lines supporting the body from corners of the structure. In some examples, the hanger includes an adjustment mechanism mounted to the body and coupled to the lines, wherein the adjustment mechanism is configured to selectively adjust the position of the body relative to the structure. In some examples, the method includes forming a portion of a first line into a first loop, forming a portion of a second line into a second loop, placing the first loop over the first corner of the structure, placing the second loop over the second corner of the structure, securing the item to the first line, and securing the item to the second line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Inventor: Dorota Shortell
  • Patent number: 8342137
    Abstract: An animal leash that is operable to be surroundably mounted proximate a user's waist wherein the animal leash is configured to allow the animal tethered thereto to move in a first direction and a second direction. The first direction permitted by the animal is such that the animal can move generally away or towards the user. A second direction is further allowed such that the animal can traverse in a circular direction about the user. The animal leash further includes a belt having a longitudinal track disposed therein. Captively engaged with the track is the wheel assembly, which is configured to traverse along the track. A connections module is secured to the wheel assembly and is intermediate the wheel assembly and the leash container. The connection assembly functions to disengage the leash assembly upon a substantial force being applied thereto. The leash container houses a spring-biased reel, which stores the leash. A plurality of pockets are further included which are integrally formed into the belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Inventor: Jill Burkhardt
  • Patent number: 8346312
    Abstract: A mobile communication device is capable of communicating with a battery authorization server. Determining an authorization status of a smart battery currently powering the mobile communication device involves an initial authorization process and a subsequent authorization process. The initial authorization process is conducted between the mobile communication device and the smart battery. If the initial authorization process is successful, it is followed by a subsequent authorization process between the mobile communication device and the battery authorization server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Michael K. Brown, Ian Robertson, Herbert A. Little, Lyall Winger
  • Patent number: 8347354
    Abstract: Users of a computer are prevented from directly accessing certain hardware for which a driver is installed on the computer. The users are provided a limited, indirect manner to access the hardware for a specific purpose or to do a specific job. One example of such hardware is a wireless hardware communication interface. The wireless activity of the computer may be restricted so that the wireless hardware communication interface is prevented from communicating with any devices compatible with the wireless hardware communication interface other than one or more specific devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Ravi Singh, Neil Adams
  • Patent number: 8343816
    Abstract: It is an object to form a high quality gate insulating film which is dense and has a strong insulation resistance property, and to propose a high reliable organic transistor in which a tunnel leakage current is little. One mode of the organic transistor of the present invention has a step of forming the gate insulating film by forming the conductive layer which becomes the gate electrode activating oxygen (or gas including oxygen) or nitrogen (or gas including nitrogen) or the like using dense plasma in which density of electron is 1011 cm?3 or more, and electron temperature is a range of 0.2 eV to 2.0 eV with plasma activation, and reacting directly with a portion of the conductive layer which becomes the gate electrode to be insulated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryota Imahayashi, Shinobu Furukawa, Atsuo Isobe, Yasuyuki Arai, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 8342590
    Abstract: A pickup truck bed having a tailgate operable to slidably stow underneath the floor of the pickup truck bed. The pickup truck bed further includes a first channel and a second channel integrally formed into the bed to facilitate the positioning of the tailgate such that the tailgate can be stowed underneath the floor of the bed. The tailgate further includes a plurality of wheels operable to engage the first channel and the second channel so as to slidably move the tailgate such that the tailgate is substantially underneath the floor of the pickup truck bed. The tailgate further includes a first attachment pin and a second attachment pin that are operable to pivotally transition the tailgate from a closed position to an open position. The first attachment pin and second attachment pin are further configured to be retractable so as to facilitate the tailgate being slidably transitioned such that the tailgate is underneath the floor of the pickup truck bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Inventor: William Richburg
  • Patent number: 8345742
    Abstract: A method of processing moving picture and an apparatus thereof are disclosed. A method of processing a moving picture comprising: calculating a color distribution vector for each of plural sub-frames which are generated by dividing a frame of the moving picture; generating a first order differential of the color distribution vector based on the color distribution vector; generating a second order differential of the color distribution vector based on the first order differential of the color distribution vector; and generating a feature vector of the frame based on the color distribution vector, the first order differential of the color distribution vector and the second order differential of the color distribution vector, is provided. The moving picture processing method can provide an efficient mean to determine commonality between moving pictures by extracting a feature from a frame of the moving pictures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Enswers Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae-Hyung Lee, Sun-Ok Cho, Kil-Youn Kim, Dae-Bong Park
  • Patent number: 8346497
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for testing a semiconductor film, a manufacturing method of a semiconductor film, a laser crystallization method, a laser crystallization device, and a laser crystallization system, for testing a laser crystallized semiconductor film, which require less time, have sufficient reliability, are excellent in cost management and applicable to mass production. In the method for testing a semiconductor film having an improved crystallinity by irradiating an energy light, the tested semiconductor film is photographed in a dark field digital image and then the luminance of the digital image is calculated by a computer in a constant direction for testing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidekazu Miyairi, Hideyuki Ebine
  • Patent number: 8344721
    Abstract: A method for locating sub-surface natural resources. The method utilizes lightning data to discern relatively likely locations for finding the sub-surface natural resources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Vaisala Oyj
    Inventors: H. Roice Nelson, Jr., Joseph H. Roberts, D. James Siebert, Wulf F. Massell, Samuel D. LeRoy, Leslie R. Denham, Robert Ehrlich, Richard L. Coons
  • Patent number: 8343849
    Abstract: To provide a technical means which is capable of increasing crystallinity and planarity of a single crystal semiconductor layer, crystal defects are reduced in such a manner that a single crystal semiconductor substrate, in which an insulating film is formed on its surface and an embrittlement region is formed in a region at a predetermined depth from the surface, and a supporting substrate are attached to each other with the insulating film interposed therebetween; the single crystal semiconductor substrate is separated in the embrittlement region by a heat treatment; a single crystal semiconductor layer is irradiated with laser light over the supporting substrate with the insulating film interposed therebetween; a surface of the single crystal semiconductor layer is etched; and a plasma treatment is performed on the surface of the single crystal semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinya Sasagawa, Motomu Kurata
  • Patent number: 8346212
    Abstract: Methods and systems for resource and utilization management of telecommunications devices within an enterprise, where the enterprise contracts for telecommunications service from one or more service providers, comprising components configured to receive quantity data corresponding to the amount of telecommunications service used by the enterprise per period into a resource management system including a microprocessor executing programmed instructions, group telecommunications devices into pools of shared use for the telecommunications service, the pools of shared use including one or more telecommunication devices, analyze for each telecommunications device telecommunications services plans available from the service providers to determine the total quantity of telecommunications service provided by the service providers and the cost per unit of telecommunications service, select selected telecommunications service plans for each telecommunications device that accommodate a target quantity of projected teleco
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Inventors: James Breitzman, Jonathan Brown
  • Patent number: 8346247
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for monitoring the quality of a communication session with a mobile device. Should the communication session degrade, rather than dropping the communication session the user of a device communicating with the mobile device is prompted to wait while an attempt is made to improve the quality of the communication session. Similarly if the user of the mobile device moves out of a coverage area, rather than dropping the communication session the user of the device communicating with the mobile device is prompted to wait until a new communication session can be established.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Leonardo Salomone, Rudy Eugene Rawlins
  • Patent number: 8343858
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a microcrystalline semiconductor film having high crystallinity is provided. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device which has favorable electric characteristics with high productivity is provided. After a first microcrystalline semiconductor film is formed over a substrate, treatment for flattening a surface of the first microcrystalline semiconductor film is performed. Then, treatment for removing an amorphous semiconductor region on a surface side of the flattened first microcrystalline semiconductor film is performed so that a second microcrystalline semiconductor film having high crystallinity and flatness is formed. After that, a third microcrystalline semiconductor film is formed over the second microcrystalline semiconductor film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuhiro Tanaka, Tomokazu Yokoi, Koji Dairiki
  • Patent number: 8344372
    Abstract: With an increase in the definition of a display device, the number of pixels is increased, and thus the numbers of gate lines and signal lines are increased. The increase in the numbers of gate lines and signal lines makes it difficult to mount an IC chip having a driver circuit for driving the gate line and the signal line by bonding or the like, which causes an increase in manufacturing costs. A pixel portion and a driver circuit driving the pixel portion are provided over the same substrate. The pixel portion and at least a part of the driver circuit are formed using thin film transistors in each of which an oxide semiconductor is used. Both the pixel portion and the driver circuit are provided over the same substrate, whereby manufacturing costs are reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Kengo Akimoto, Atsushi Umezaki
  • Patent number: 8338226
    Abstract: An object is to provide a thin film transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer, in which the contact resistance between the oxide semiconductor layer and source and drain electrode layers is reduced and whose electric characteristics are stabilized. Another object is to provide a method for manufacturing the thin film transistor. The thin film transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer is formed in such a manner that buffer layers whose conductivity is higher than that of the oxide semiconductor layer are formed and the oxide semiconductor layer and the source and drain electrode layers are electrically connected to each other through the buffer layers. In addition, the buffer layers whose conductivity is higher than that of the oxide semiconductor layer are subjected to reverse sputtering treatment and heat treatment in a nitrogen atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuji Asano, Junichi Koezuka
  • Patent number: 8340614
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining proximity of a mobile radio relative to its base radio. Antenna diversity is utilized to provide improved proximity detection, such as NEAR state or FAR state, of the mobile radio relative to its base radio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas Kenneth Rosener, William Owen Brown
  • Patent number: 8337450
    Abstract: An apparatus that includes two syringes, or a “double barrel syringe,” includes one syringe that injects or infuses while the other syringe aspirates. In the double barrel syringe, injection and aspiration may be effected by a single action. The double barrel syringe may include a handle with two members. A first member of such a handle includes one arm that pivotally couples to a plunger of a first syringe and another arm that pivotally couples to a barrel of a second syringe. A second member of the handle includes one arm that pivotally couples to a barrel of the first syringe and another arm that pivotally couples to a plunger of the second syringe. Methods for injecting or infusing simultaneously with aspirating are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Control Medical Technology, LLC
    Inventor: Shawn P. Fojtik
  • Patent number: D673574
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Zagg Intellectual Property Holding Co., Inc.
    Inventor: David P. Gengler