Patents Represented by Attorney Nixon & Vanderhye P.C.
  • Patent number: 8347728
    Abstract: An integrated circuit 2 is formed of multiple wafer layers 4, 6, 8, 10 arranged in a stack and connected with through silicon vias 12. Mechanical strain sensors 26, 28, 30, 32 in the form of ring oscillators are provided proximal to the through silicon vias 12 and detect mechanical strain associated with the through silicon via 12. The measured mechanical strain may be used to dynamically adjust operating parameters of the integrated circuit either as a whole or in regions where the mechanical strain is detected. The operating parameters adjusted can include clock frequency, operating voltage and heat generation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: ARM Limited
    Inventor: Robert Campbell Aitken
  • Patent number: 8350835
    Abstract: Dynamic range is widened in a display device with a photosensor that can read an image due to having a photodetection element inside a pixel thereof. A sensor driving circuit switches ON a reset signal (RST) that is supplied via reset signal bus line, and after a predetermined time has elapsed, switches ON a readout signal (RWS) that is supplied via readout signal bus line. Thus, in the photosensor, from which a photosensor signal is output in accordance with an amount of light received by the photosensor in the predetermined time, the capacitance of a capacitor provided in the photosensor is made variable from when the reset signal (RST) is supplied to the photosensor until when the predetermined time has elapsed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiromi Katoh, Christopher Brown
  • Patent number: 8350959
    Abstract: A camera lens actuation apparatus for driving motion of a camera lens supported on a support structure by a suspension system. The apparatus incorporates a subassembly comprising SMA wire connected to at least one mounting member which is mounted to the support structure. At least one pair of lengths of SMA wire are held in tension between the camera lens element and the support structure at respective acute angles to the optical axis applying a tensional force having a component along the optical axis. The lengths of SMA wire in the pair are held at angle as viewed along the optical axis. There may be plural pairs with a balanced arrangement in which the forces generated have no net component perpendicular to the optical axis and generate no net torque around any axis perpendicular to the optical axis. A control circuit controls heating of the SMA wire in response to a measure of its resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: 1 . . . Limited
    Inventors: Richard Topliss, David Livingstone, Robert John Leedham
  • Patent number: 8350823
    Abstract: A coordinate detection device according to the present invention includes: a conductor for locating a point of contact; multiple terminals that are connected to the conductor at mutually different points; a signal output section, which includes a charge storage section to store electrical charge there and which outputs a signal with a voltage value representing the quantity of charge stored in the charge storage section; a setting section for setting a voltage for the charge storage section equal to a predetermined value; and a switching section for selectively connecting or disconnecting a particular one of the terminals to/from not only the charge storage section but also a predetermined power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takao Hasegawa, Takeshi Yamaguchi, Hiroshi Hamada, Ryota Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8348644
    Abstract: A pump includes a cylinder and a plunger. The cylinder defines an outlet-side passage therein. The plunger is reciprocably received within the cylinder. An inner peripheral surface of the cylinder and an end surface of the plunger define a pump chamber. The outlet-side passage is communicated with the pump chamber. When the plunger reciprocates within the cylinder, fluid inside the pump chamber is pressurized such that fluid is discharged to an exterior through the outlet-side passage. The inner peripheral surface includes a spherical surface part that surrounds the pump chamber. The spherical surface part is defined by a curved surface having a predetermined curvature such that the pump chamber defines a spherical space. The spherical surface part is provided with an opening of the outlet-side passage, which has a circular shape when observed from a spherical center of the pump chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Shinya Tsutsumidani
  • Patent number: 8352815
    Abstract: The application discloses a circuit comprising at least one flip flop, said flip flop comprising: a master latch and a slave latch; a data signal input and a scan signal input arranged in parallel to each other and each input comprising a tristateable device; and a scan enable signal input, a functional clock signal input and a scan clock signal input; wherein: in response to a first predetermined value of said scan enable signal indicating a functional mode of operation, said scan input tristateable device is operable to isolate said scan input from said master latch, and said master latch is operable in response to said functional clock to receive data from said data input and to output data to said slave latch and said slave latch is operable in response to said functional clock to receive data from said master latch and to output data at said data output; and in response to a second predetermined value of said scan enable signal indicating a scan mode of operation said data input tristateable device is op
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: ARM Limited
    Inventor: Marlin Frederick, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8348575
    Abstract: A self-countersinking screw (10) is capable of full penetration into wood, plastic veneered wood, and cementaceous products. An alternating sequence of peripheral cutters (A, B) extend from the periphery of the underside of the screw head (11), acting in conjunction with countersink cutting edges (24) and debris receiving recesses (20). Cutter (A) has an arcuate notch (30) in the cutting face (28), cutter (B) has a rectangular notch (31) in the trailing edge. Full countersinking without tearing, cracking or dimpling of the surface is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventor: Mirco Walther
  • Patent number: 8348761
    Abstract: In a game played by a plurality of game machines through teamwork, an evaluation is performed according to the correlation among operation information obtained through communications with each of the game machines. A plurality of game machines communicate with one another to establish timing synchronization. After the game, input timings at which buttons are operated during the game are collected and then evaluated so as to determine an absolute and relative timing coincidence in a predetermined period (unison part). A predetermined number of points are added to its game score based on the evaluation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Nintendo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akito Nakatsuka, Yuichi Ozaki
  • Patent number: 8349503
    Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte battery, including a case, a positive electrode housed in the case, a negative electrode housed in the case, and a nonaqueous electrolyte containing an ionic liquid and lithium ions of which molar amount is no smaller than 1.8×10?5 mol per mAh of the battery capacity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hidesato Saruwatari, Takashi Kishi, Takashi Kuboki, Norio Takami
  • Patent number: 8352794
    Abstract: Clock signal control circuitry is disclosed along with a method for switching a clock between modes and a computer program product. The clock signal control circuitry is for receiving a clock signal from a clock signal generator and for outputting said clock signal to synchronous circuitry that is to be clocked by said clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: ARM Limited
    Inventors: Remi Teyssier, Florent Begon, Jocelyn Francois Orion Jaubert, Cédric Denis Robert Airaud
  • Patent number: 8351816
    Abstract: An ion generating unit comprises a duct, an ion generating device, a mounting plate and a fan. The duct is configured so as to have an air intake port at a first end and so as to have an exhaust port at a second end. The ion generating device is disposed inside the duct. The mounting plate is configured so as to serve to attach the duct to the housing. The mounting plate has an opening aperture communicating with the duct, and is configured so as to be attachable to the housing and so as to function as a part of the housing when it is attached to the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuhi Akagawa
  • Patent number: 8348076
    Abstract: A collapsible container includes a main frame and at least one pivotable side wall that is pivotable between a collapsed position and an opened position. The pivotable side wall is provided with a spring lock insert secured therein and biased toward a lock position in which a lock portion of the spring lock insert extends beyond an end edge of the pivotable side wall. The main frame includes a latch opening that receives the spring lock insert when the pivotable side wall is in the opened position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Monoflo International, Inc.
    Inventors: Henning Rader, Hans Niemann
  • Patent number: 8349968
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for radically curing an unsaturated polyester resin or vinyl ester resin composition, wherein the resin composition contains at least 10 ppm radical inhibitor; the resin composition has an acid value of from 0.001 to 300 mg KOH/g resin composition and the curing is effected in the presence of at least 5 mmol Mn/kg primary resin system and at least 10 mmol of thiol/kg primary resin system. The invention also relates to cured objects or structural parts obtained from a resin composition obtained by such a process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: DSM IP Assets B.V.
    Inventors: Johan Franz Gradus Antonius Jansen, Ronald Ivo Kraeger
  • Patent number: 8352814
    Abstract: An electronic control apparatus comprises a nonvolatile memory, operating means, determining means and retrying means. The nonvolatile memory stores predetermined data and has a memory region which is divided into a plurality of sub-regions. The operating means executes a check operation for each of the sub-regions in order to check whether the data stored in the nonvolatile memory are normal or not. The determining means determines whether the check operation has detected any data errors. The retrying means allows the operating means to retry the check operation for a predetermined number of times for the sub-regions that have been determined to be in data error by the determining means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Masashige Takasu
  • Patent number: 8352819
    Abstract: A data processing apparatus is provided with state retention circuits into which state values are saved from nodes within the data processing circuitry when entering a sleep mode from an active mode. Error management circuitry is coupled to the state retention circuits and detects errors in the retention of the state values. If errors are detected then an error recover response is triggered. A voltage controller coupled to the error management circuitry serves to vary a supply voltage to the state retention circuits during the sleep mode so as to maintain a finite non-zero error rate in the retention of the state values by the state retention circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: ARM Limited
    Inventor: David Walter Flynn
  • Patent number: 8349623
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a thin film photoelectric conversion module comprising the steps of: (A) forming a plurality of divided strings by dividing a string, in which thin film photoelectric conversion elements provided by sequentially laminating a first electrode layer, a photoelectric conversion layer and a second electrode layer on the surface of an insulating substrate are electrically connected in series, into a plurality of strings by dividing grooves, electrically insulating and separating the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer one from the other and extending in a serial connection direction; and (B) performing reverse biasing by applying a reverse bias voltage to each of thin film photoelectric conversion elements of the divided string.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinsuke Tachibana, Takanori Nakano
  • Patent number: 8348628
    Abstract: A system and method enable monitoring of a mechanical condition of a reciprocating compressor. The compressor includes a compressor frame, a pressure chamber, and a pressure head. A plurality of tie bolts are secured between the compressor frame and the pressure chamber head. A sensor assembly is secured to one of the plurality of tie bolts. The sensor assembly includes an elongation member positioned to extend in concert with extension of one of the tie bolts. A sensor measures extension of the elongation member to thereby monitor cylinder pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Roger A. Hala
  • Patent number: 8350817
    Abstract: A display device provided with a touch panel for detecting a contact position on a touch surface of the panel at which a contact object is brought into contact with the touch surface, the touch panel including an in-panel-surface electrode with a plurality of openings formed in a display area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Asahi Yamato, Kazuki Takahashi, Jun Nakata
  • Patent number: 8351334
    Abstract: The present invention relates to quality-based scheduling of data in wireless networks. In this scheduling, quality information representing the degree of decodability of previously transmitted but not correctly received and not successfully decoded data packets is estimated in receiving communications nodes. This quality information is reported back to the node that transmitted the packet. The quality information will be used by the transmitting node when scheduling subsequent data transmissions. In this scheduling process, at least one of selection of: i) receiving node(s), to which a second data packet is to be forwarded; ii) a type of the data in the second packet; and/or iii) a data flow, to which the second packet belongs, is performed based on the quality information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Peter Larsson, Niklas Johansson, Michael Meyer
  • Patent number: 8347827
    Abstract: A system for generating steam for a turbine of an electric generator includes a superheater that receives steam from a boiler and that superheats the steam. All or a portion of the superheated steam from the superheater is then passed through a heat exchanger to transfer some of the heat energy in the superheated steam to a flow of water. This reduces a temperature of the superheated steam to a temperature that is suitable for the turbine. The water heated in the heat exchanger can be condensed water that has already passed through the turbine, and the water heated in the heat exchanger can be routed to the boiler, where it is re-cycled back into steam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Andrew Travaly, Jonathan Marmillo