Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm McDermott, Will & Emery
  • Patent number: 8329353
    Abstract: A fuel cell system of the present invention includes a fuel cell (3); a water passage (8, 10, 12, 15, 17, 18); an electric heater (19) configured to heat the water passage; a water-related temperature detector (20); a first abnormality detector (22, etc.) configured to detect first abnormalities; a second abnormality detector (28, etc.) configured to detect second abnormalities; and a controller (21), and the controller is configured to stop an operation of the fuel cell system when the first abnormality is detected by the first abnormality detector or when the second abnormality is detected by the second abnormality detector. In a case where the fuel cell system stops since the second abnormality is detected by the second abnormality detector, the controller causes the electric heater (19) to carry out an operation as an antifreezing operation when the water-related temperature detector detects a temperature that is not more than a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeki Yasuda, Takashi Nishikawa, Hideo Ohara, Masataka Ozeki
  • Patent number: 8332066
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling removal of one or more receptacles from a receptacle tray are described herein, in which a removal indicator indicates which of the one or more receptacles to remove. Thereafter, the indicated one or more receptacles may be manually removed from the receptacle tray using a gripping mechanism. The receptacles are secured in the tray with two or more tangs protruding from a front face of the receptacle closest to a connector interface. The two or more tangs fit into respective mating units in the receptacle tray, and one or more protrusions toward the rear of the receptacle, with respect to the two or more tangs, mate with respective mating units in the receptacle tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: CareFusion 303, Inc.
    Inventor: Frank Weber
  • Patent number: 8330373
    Abstract: Lighting systems and devices offer dynamic control or tuning of a color characteristic, e.g. color temperature, of white light. The exemplary lighting systems and devices are used for general lighting applications that utilize solid state sources to pump remotely deployed phosphors. Two or more phosphors emit visible light of different visible spectra, and these spectra are somewhat broad, e.g. pastel, so that combinations thereof can approach white light temperatures including points along the black body curve. Independent adjustment of the intensities of electromagnetic energy emitted by the solid state sources adjusts levels of excitations of the phosphors, in order to control a color characteristic of the visible white light output of the lighting system or device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC
    Inventors: David P. Ramer, Jack C. Rains, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8330807
    Abstract: An automated skin lesion assessment system may automatically assess a suspect skin lesion. An electronic image library may contain diagnosed skin lesion image data representative of images of a plurality of diagnosed skin lesions and, for each, a diagnosis of the skin lesion. An image capture system may capture an image of the suspect skin lesion. A computer processing system may compare the image of the suspect skin lesion with the diagnosed skin lesion image data and, based on this comparison, identify one or more diagnosed skin lesions which match the suspect skin lesion. A user interface may report the diagnoses of the diagnosed skin lesions that match the image of the suspect skin lesion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Convergent Medical Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Raymond H. Chen, Ramez Emile Necola Shehada
  • Patent number: 8329750
    Abstract: Methods for treating vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Depomed, Inc.
    Inventors: Bret Berner, Sui Yuen Eddie Hou, Theophilus J. Gana, Marilou S. Cramer, Carl A. Pelzel
  • Patent number: 8331214
    Abstract: In a recording medium, an extension address is obtained without changing the number of bits of the address embedded in the wobble. The wobble address is partially or wholly encoded to embed the address information. At the time of reproducing the address information, the original address information is obtained by restoring the embedded information by the decoding process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Consumer Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akio Fukushima, Masakazu Ikeda, Koichi Hirose, Koichiro Nishimura
  • Patent number: 8331079
    Abstract: A multilayer ceramic capacitor and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The multilayer ceramic capacitor includes a capacitive part, a passivation layer, and first and second outer electrodes. In the capacitive part, a plurality of dielectric layers and a plurality of first and second inner electrodes are alternately laminated, and ends of the first and second inner electrodes are alternately and respectively exposed in a direction of lamination of the dielectric layers. The passivation layer is provided at either or both of the top and bottom surfaces of the capacitive part. The first and second outer electrodes are electrically connected to the first and second inner electrodes exposed in a direction of lamination of the dielectric layers. One or more inner electrodes disposed at both ends in a direction of lamination among the plurality of inner electrodes include oxide represented by Ni—Mg—O.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kang Heon Hur, Doo Young Kim, Mun Su Ha, Chul Seung Lee
  • Patent number: 8327882
    Abstract: The invention provides a water faucet including a novel joystick mixing cartridge with internal structures that provide a direct path for water to be discharged from the faucet. The faucet includes a main body portion, a discharge segment and a handle that an operator actuates to deliver water at a desired temperature through the discharge segment. The cartridge includes a housing defining an internal chamber and a lower disk positioned within the chamber. The lower disk has a cold water inlet, a hot water inlet and a mixed water outlet. An intermediate disk is positioned adjacent the lower disk and includes a recessed mixing cavity extending inward from a lowermost wall. The intermediate disk includes a dual lobe sealing element that extends radially inward from the lowermost wall to provide the mixing cavity with an arcuate configuration. An upper disk is positioned adjacent the intermediate disk and a seat is positioned adjacent the upper disk within the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Xiamen Lota International Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keping Li, Xinlu Lan, Feng Zou
  • Patent number: 8331185
    Abstract: In fuse program circuits, fuse element FS is implemented using metal interconnect at third or higher layer of multilayer metal interconnect. In each fuse program circuit, program information and fuse select information are sequentially transferred using a scan flip-flops, and fuses are selectively and electrically blown one by one. The fuse program circuit provided with fuse elements that can be programmed even after packaging is implemented with low power consumption and a low occupation area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeki Obayashi, Toshiaki Yonezu, Takeshi Iwamoto, Kazushi Kono, Masashi Arakawa, Takahiro Uchida
  • Patent number: 8332206
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for providing a definition or a translation is disclosed according to an aspect of the subject technology. The method comprises receiving an input indicating a word selected by a user, sending a definition request for the word to a definition server, receiving a response to the definition request from the definition server, sending a translation request for the word to a translation server, and receiving a response to the translation request from the translation server. The method also comprises determining whether to provide the user with a definition or a translation of the word based on the responses from the definition server and the translation server, and providing the user with the definition or the translation of the word based on the determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Adam Sadovsky, Awaneesh Verma, Chen Ding
  • Patent number: 8330199
    Abstract: To eliminate the substrate voltage dependences of the respective resistance values of resistor elements, in the resistor elements coupled in series to each other over respective substrate regions, the ends of the resistor elements are coupled to the corresponding substrate regions by respective bias wires such that respective average potentials between the substrate regions of the resistor elements and the corresponding resistor elements have opposite polarities, and equal magnitudes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Masaomi Kamakura, Toshio Kumamoto, Takashi Okuda
  • Patent number: 8331797
    Abstract: The invention relates to a polarization-controlled encoding method, encoder and quantum key distribution system, which is characterized in that polarization maintaining light path or 90 degree rotation Faraday mirror are used inside the encoder to keep the polarization of the output pulses same, and that in the quantum key distribution system employing the polarization-controlled encoder the pulse emitted from transmitter is unidirectional-transmitted to receiver and then quantum key distribution is implemented using interference in the pulses according to the quantum key distribution protocol. The quantum key distribution system using the polarization-controlled encoder of the invention has the ability of avoiding the wiretapping to transmitter, receiver and quantum channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: University of Science and Technology of China
    Inventors: Zhengfu Han, Bing Zhu, Xiaofan Mo, Guangcan Guo
  • Patent number: 8328749
    Abstract: A blood purification apparatus includes a blood circuit having arterial and venous blood circuits, a blood pump, a blood purifying device, an indicator applying device that applies a predetermined indicator to the blood flowing extracorporeally through the blood circuit, a detecting device that detects the indicator applied by the indicator applying device, an arithmetic device that calculates, based on the indicator detected by the detecting device, a recirculation rate, and a calculating device that calculates an ideal extracorporeally circulating blood flow that results in the recirculation rate being no more than a predetermined value when the recirculation rate calculated by the arithmetic device is greater than the predetermined value. The recirculation rate is a proportion of a recirculated blood flow, which is reintroduced to the patient from the venous blood circuit and directed again to the arterial blood circuit, relative to an extracorporeally circulating blood flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Nikkiso Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoya Murakami, Masahiro Toyoda, Yoshihiro Mori
  • Patent number: 8330177
    Abstract: A display device is provided with a pair of a first electrode and a second electrode, at least one electrode of the first and second electrodes being transparent or translucent and a phosphor layer provided as being sandwiched between the first electrode and the second electrode, and at least one buffer layer provided as being sandwiched between the first or second electrode and the phosphor layer, and the phosphor layer has a plurality of pixel regions that are selectively allowed to emit light in a predetermined range thereof and non-pixel regions that divide at least one portion of the pixel regions, and wherein the buffer layer is sandwiched between the first or second electrode and the phosphor layer so that the size of an electric potential barrier between the first or second electrode and the phosphor layer via the buffer layer is made smaller than the size of a Schottky barrier between the first or second electrode and the phosphor layer that are directly made contact with each other without the buffe
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Masayuki Ono, Shogo Nasu, Toshiyuki Aoyama, Eiichi Satoh, Reiko Taniguchi, Masaru Odagiri
  • Patent number: 8330623
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for recognizing a parking area are disclosed. The parking area recognizing apparatus includes: a signal transmitter transmitting a signal using a sensor; an echo signal receiver receiving an echo signal for the signal; a multiple signal generator generating a multiple echo signal using the echo signal based on first and second preset thresholds; and a parking area recognizer recognizing a parking area by calculating a round trip time and a duration time for the multiple echo signal and selecting an available echo signal based on at least one of the round trip time and the duration time. Accordingly, a precision in recognition of a parking area is enhanced by reducing a measurement error by processing an echo signal received after it is reflected on an object with a multiple echo signal in recognition of the parking area using a sensor such as an ultrasonic sensor or a radar sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Mando Corporation
    Inventor: Dong-suk Kim
  • Patent number: 8332398
    Abstract: The present invention provides a database system capable of dealing with dynamic changes in an event that vary continuously with time. A database system outputs a retrieval output from data in response to a user's retrieval request on the basis of a retrieval logic. The retrieval logic is allowed to evolve on the basis of a logical model. This logical model establishes a general relationship which leads results from conditions relating to a group of events that are dealt by a data group. Moreover, a database system optimizes a data structure on the basis of the logical model. The logical model can be transferred in a separated manner from the specific data contents of the data group. Therefore, the logical model can be exported to another database system of the same kind, and also imported from another data base system of the same kind.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignees: Minolta Co., Ltd., Yuji Ikeda, Naoaki Suganuma
    Inventors: Kosuke Sasai, Masahiro Hayakawa, Yuji Ikeda, Naoaki Suganuma
  • Patent number: 8329215
    Abstract: Drugs are formulated as oral dosage forms for controlled release in which the release rate limiting portion is a shell surrounding the drug-containing core. The shell releases drug from the core by permitting diffusion of the drug from the core. The shell also motes gastric retention of the dosage form by swelling upon imbibition of gastric fluid to size that is retained in the stomach during the postprandial or fed mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Depomed, Inc.
    Inventors: Bret Berner, Jenny Louie-Helm, Gloria Gusler, John N. Shell
  • Patent number: 8329572
    Abstract: In a method for fabricating a semiconductor device, first, a first metal interconnect is formed in an interconnect formation region, and a second metal interconnect is formed in a seal ring region. Subsequently, by chemical mechanical polishing or etching, the upper portions of the first metal interconnect and the second metal interconnect are recessed to form recesses. A second insulating film filling the recesses is then formed above a substrate, and the upper portion of the second insulating film is planarized. Next, a hole and a trench are formed to extend halfway through the second insulating film, and ashing and polymer removal are performed. Subsequently to this, the hole and the trench are allowed to reach the first metal interconnect and the second metal interconnect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Shunsuke Isono
  • Patent number: 8329251
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a dye sensitized nanocrystal film having the steps of exposing a tin oxide layer on a surface of a substrate to a flame for a time sufficient to form a layer of mesoporous, crystalline titanium oxide on the fluorinated tin oxide layer followed by sintering the substrate at a temperature of from about 300 to about 500° C. The flame contains a fuel gas, such as ethylene and oxygen and titanium organometallic. The concentration of titanium organometallic is from about 10 to about 2000 ppm. During the flame exposure step, the substrate is rotated about a central axis at a speed of from about 100 to about 600 RPM, and the flame is kept at a constant distance from the surface of the substrate. The temperature of the substrate is maintained at a temperature of less than 200° C. via the rotation and jets of gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: University of Southern California
    Inventors: Hai Wang, Denis J. Phares, Erik Tolmachoff
  • Patent number: 8329621
    Abstract: Methods that include a method comprising: providing a degradable polymer, a viscosifier, and one solvent; combining the degradable polymer and the solvent to form a degradable polymer composition; allowing the degradable polymer to at least partially plasticize; and applying sufficient shear to the degradable polymer composition so that degradable particulates begin to form. Additional methods are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Trinidad Munoz, Jr., Kirk Schreiner