Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Townsend and Townsend and Crew LLP
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Patent number: 7890173Abstract: Receiver-stimulators comprise a nearly isotropic transducer assembly, demodulator circuitry, and at least two tissue contacting electrodes. Use of near isotropic transducers allows the devices to be implanted with less concern regarding the orientation relative to an acoustic energy source. Transducers or transducer elements having relatively small sizes, typically less than ½ the wavelength of the acoustic source, enhance isotropy. The use of single crystal piezoelectric materials enhance sensitivity.Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 2009Date of Patent: February 15, 2011Assignee: EBR Systems, Inc.Inventors: Axel F. Brisken, Mark W. Cowan, Debra S. Echt, Richard E. Riley
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Patent number: 7882840Abstract: A method for opening a portion of a passageway of a patient is disclosed. The patient has a first metallic structure attached to a portion of the patient's neck. The method includes obtaining a second magnetic structure, placing the second magnetic structure proximate the first metallic structure attached to the portion of the patient's neck, and pulling the second magnetic structure away from the patient's neck to thereby open the passageway.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 2006Date of Patent: February 8, 2011Assignee: The Regents of the University of CaliforniaInventors: Peter Belafsky, Joel Delman, John B. Freese
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Patent number: 7882842Abstract: An airway implant device for maintaining and/or creating an opening in air passageways is disclosed. Methods of using the device are also disclosed. The airway implant device comprises a deformable element to control the opening of an air passageway. Preferably the deformable element is an electroactive polymer element. Energizing of the electroactive polymer element provides support for the walls of an air passageway, when the walls collapse, and thus, completely or partially opens the air passageway. Some embodiments of the invention include a sensor capable of sensing the possible occurrence of an apneic event and activating the deformable element of the airway implant device. Methods of treating airway disorders such as sleep apnea and snoring with the airway implant device are disclosed herein.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2006Date of Patent: February 8, 2011Assignee: Pavad Medical, Inc.Inventors: Nikhil D. Bhat, Anant V. Hegde, George Yoseung Choi
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Patent number: 7885160Abstract: There is provided an information recording and reproducing method and an apparatus for the same capable of optimizing the shift adjustment of a recording pulse recorded in an optical disk even at the time of recording information on the optical disk at a high speed. The shift adjustment value of the recording pulse optimized at a low speed recording on an optical disk is multiplied by a constant value to be taken as the optimum shift conditions of the recording pulse at the high speed recording.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2008Date of Patent: February 8, 2011Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc.Inventors: Takakiyo Yasukawa, Koichi Watanabe, Naohito Ikeda, Toshio Shoji, Yasuhiro Wada
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Patent number: 7884390Abstract: A vertically conducting semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a topside surface and a backside surface. The semiconductor substrate serves as a terminal of the vertically conducting device for biasing the vertically conducting device during operation. An epitaxial layer extends over the topside surface of the semiconductor substrate but terminates prior to reaching an edge of the semiconductor substrate so as to form a recessed region along a periphery of the semiconductor substrate. An interconnect layer extends into the recessed region but terminates prior to reaching an edge of the semiconductor substrate. The interconnect layer electrically contacts the topside surface of the semiconductor substrate in the recessed region to thereby provide a topside contact to the semiconductor substrate.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2008Date of Patent: February 8, 2011Assignee: Fairchild Semiconductor CorporationInventors: John T. Andrews, Hamza Yilmaz, Bruce Marchant, Ihsiu Ho
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Patent number: 7883206Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to a multifocal lens having a mostly spherical power region and a progressive optical power region. Embodiments of the present invention provide for the proper alignment and positioning of each of these regions, the amount of optical power provided by each of the regions, the optical design of the progressive optical power region, and the size and shape of each of the regions. The combination of these design parameters allows for an optical design having less unwanted astigmatism and distortion as well as both a wider channel width and a shorter channel length compared to conventional PALs. Embodiments of the present invention may also provide a new, inventive far-intermediate distance zone and may further provide for increased vertical stability of vision within a zone of the lens.Type: GrantFiled: December 25, 2007Date of Patent: February 8, 2011Assignee: PixelOptics, Inc.Inventors: Ronald D. Blum, William Kokonaski, Venkatramani S. Iyer, Joshua N. Haddock, Mark Mattison-Shupnick
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Patent number: 7884660Abstract: A programmable delay element, variable-length delay chain, and ring oscillator are disclosed. The programmable delay element performs phase interpolation of input signals in response to a control signal and can be used in combination with other delay elements to create a highly-modular, variable-length delay chain or ring oscillator. The ring oscillator can be used as part of a digitally-controlled oscillator (DCO) in a digital clock synthesizer to adjust the frequency and phase of a clock signal by fractional unit delay steps. Within the variable-length delay chain, some programmable delay elements can be configured to scale the delay-step of other programmable delay elements so that a plurality of step sizes can be implemented with identical delay elements. Also, variations of the delay chain generate in-phase and quadrature phase (I/Q) signals in either an end-tap or center-tap configuration.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2010Date of Patent: February 8, 2011Assignee: PMC-Sierra, Inc.Inventors: Jean-Francois Delage, Hormoz Djahanshahi, Guillaume Fortin
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Patent number: 7885454Abstract: A computer-implemented method for generating depth-of-field effects includes receiving information specifying an input image rendered using a pinhole camera. A first set of circles of confusion associated with portions of the input image are determined based a set of parameters associated with the pinhole camera. The first set of circles of confusion are then associated with heat conductivity of a medium. The portions of the input image are blurred according to heat diffusion in the medium to generate a first output image having a first depth-of-field effect.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 2010Date of Patent: February 8, 2011Assignee: PixarInventor: Michael Kass
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Patent number: 7883836Abstract: The method for forming a fine pattern of a semiconductor device includes depositing a photoresist film over a semiconductor substrate having an underlying layer, performing a first exposure process using a first exposure mask to form a first photoresist pattern, the first exposure mask defining a first and a second exposure patterns, the first exposure pattern finer than the second exposure pattern, depositing a photoresist film over an entire surface of the resultant including the first photoresist pattern, performing a second exposure process using a second exposure mask to form a second photoresist pattern, the second exposure mask defining a third and a fourth exposure patterns, the third exposure pattern finer than the fourth exposure pattern and disposed between the first exposure patterns, the fourth exposure pattern overlapped with a portion of the second exposure pattern, and patterning the underlying layer using the first and the second photoresist patterns.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2006Date of Patent: February 8, 2011Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.Inventor: Sun Young Koo
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Patent number: 7884831Abstract: Circuits, methods, and apparatus that provide texture caches and related circuits that store and retrieve texels in a fast and efficient manner. One such texture circuit provides an increased number of bilerps for each pixel in a group of pixels, particularly when trilinear or aniso filtering is needed. For trilinear filtering, texels in a first and second level of detail are retrieved for a number of pixels during a clock cycle. When aniso filtering is performed, multiple bilerps can be retrieved for each of a number of pixels during one clock cycle.Type: GrantFiled: January 19, 2010Date of Patent: February 8, 2011Assignee: NVIDIA CorporationInventors: Alexander L. Minkin, Joel J. McCormack, Paul S. Heckbert, Michael J. M. Toksvig, Luke Y. Chang, Karim Abdalla, Bo Hong, John W. Berendsen, Walter Donavan, Emmett M. Kilgariff
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Patent number: 7883520Abstract: Corneal epithelial pocket formation systems include a cutting head and a blade coupled to the cutting head. The blade is coupled to the cutting head at an orientation that is effective in maintaining a viable separated pocket defining portion of corneal epithelium of an eye of a patient during formation of a corneal epithelial pocket of the eye. The blade includes a cutting edge surface at its distal end. The cutting edge surface is effective in separating the corneal epithelium from the underlying Bowman's membrane of the eye without leaving residual corneal epithelial cells in contact with Bowman's membrane that may result in corneal epithelial cell growth between a corneal implant located in the corneal epithelial pocket and the underlying Bowman's membrane. Versions of the present systems include spring loaded blade holders, which may be removable from the cutting head. Versions also can include applanators.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2007Date of Patent: February 8, 2011Assignee: ForSight Labs, LLCInventors: Markus Gaeckle, Helmut Maas, Daniel Wolf, Tanja Riehl
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Patent number: 7885137Abstract: Provided is a method of operating a flash memory device having a first area and a second area, in which a programmed state and an erased state of the first area are opposite to that of the second area. The method includes receiving a program command, inverting the program data when the received program command is a command for programming the second area, and programming the inverted program data into the second area.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2007Date of Patent: February 8, 2011Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.Inventor: Seok-Jin Joo
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Patent number: 7886352Abstract: A reverse proxy server can provide access to web applications. The reverse proxy system can produce interstitial pages not generated with the web application code and optionally block access to the web application until the interstitial pages have been processed.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 2007Date of Patent: February 8, 2011Assignee: Oracle International CorporationInventors: Phani Pandrangi, Michael Lossos, Don L. Hayler, Daniel Vu, William Adjie-Winoto
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Patent number: 7882841Abstract: Methods and systems for resecting and debulking prostatic tissue to utilize a shaft carrying an energy source. The shaft is anchored by a balloon or other structure expanded in the bladder, and the energy source is capable of directing ablative energy radially outwardly from the urethra, where the energy source will be moved in order to remove a pre-defined volume of prostatic tissue.Type: GrantFiled: January 2, 2008Date of Patent: February 8, 2011Assignee: Procept CorporationInventors: Nikolai Aljuri, Rodney C. Perkins
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Patent number: 7883207Abstract: Aspects of the present invention provide multifocal lenses having one or more multifocal inserts comprising one or more diffractive regions. A diffractive region of a multifocal insert of the present invention can provide a constant optical power or can provide a progression of optical power, or any combination thereof. A multifocal insert of the present invention can be fabricated from any type of material and can be inserted into any type of bulk lens material. A diffractive region of a multifocal insert of the present invention can be positioned to be in optical communication with one or more optical regions of a host lens to provide a combined desired optical power in one or more vision zones. Index matching layers of the present invention can be used to reduce reflection losses at interfaces of the host lens and multifocal insert.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2008Date of Patent: February 8, 2011Assignee: PixelOptics, Inc.Inventors: Venkatramani S. Iyer, William Kokonaski, Joshua N. Haddock, Roger Clarke, Ronald D. Blum
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Patent number: 7883717Abstract: A delivery device that allows for the sustained release of an agent, particularly useful for the sustained release of a therapeutic agent to limited access regions, such as the posterior chamber of the eye and inner ear. The delivery device is minimally invasive, refillable and may be easily fixed to the treatment area. The delivery device includes a hollow body with an inlet port at its proximal end for insertion of the agent, a reservoir for holding the agent and a delivery mechanism for the sustained delivery of the agent from the reservoir to the patient.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2002Date of Patent: February 8, 2011Assignee: Johns Hopkins UniversityInventors: Signe Erickson Varner, Eugene Dejuan, Aaron Christopher Barnes, Terry Harrison Shelley, Michael J. Cooney
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Patent number: 7885298Abstract: A system for producing frequency converted light includes a first seed laser operable to provide a first laser signal and a second seed laser operable to provide a second laser signal. The system also includes an optical combiner optically coupled to the first seed laser and the second seed laser. The optical combiner is operative to combine the first laser signal and the second laser signal into a combined laser signal. The system further includes a power amplifier optically coupled to the optical combiner. An intensity of both the first laser signal and the second laser signal are increased by the power amplifier. The system additionally includes a harmonic converter optically coupled to the power amplifier.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2009Date of Patent: February 8, 2011Assignee: Deep Photonics CorporationInventor: Michael J. Munroe
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Patent number: 7886297Abstract: In an information processing apparatus which executes first and second threads which executes methods, the first thread transmits a stop instruction for terminating execution of the second thread to the second thread. In response to the reception of the stop instruction, the second thread terminates execution of a first method in execution and initiates execution of the second method which should be executed subsequent to the first method.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2005Date of Patent: February 8, 2011Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Kyohei Nagano, Mutsuko Kondo
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Patent number: D632415Type: GrantFiled: June 13, 2009Date of Patent: February 8, 2011Assignee: Stion CorporationInventors: Frank Yang, Robert Wieting
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Patent number: PP21699Abstract: A new and distinct cultivar of Cynara named ‘X42’ that has improved productivity and year round harvest. ‘X42’ produces one central and about fifteen lateral edible immature flower buds, and four side shoots during the first year.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2009Date of Patent: February 8, 2011Assignee: Baroda Farms, Inc.Inventor: Stephen Jordan