Patents Represented by Law Firm Townsend and Townsend
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Patent number: 7867160Abstract: Hearing systems for both hearing impaired and normal hearing subjects comprise an input transducer and a separate output transducer. The input transducer will include a light source for generating a light signal in response to either ambient sound or an external electronic sound signal. The output transducer will comprise a light-responsive transducer component which is adapted to receive light from the input transducer. The output transducer component will vibrate in response to the light input and produce vibrations in a component of a subject's hearing transduction pathway, such as the tympanic membrane, a bone in the ossicular chain, or directly on the cochlea, in order to produce neural signals representative of the original sound.Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 2005Date of Patent: January 11, 2011Assignee: EarLens CorporationInventors: Vincent Pluvinage, Rodney C. Perkins
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Patent number: 7869321Abstract: An optical disk discriminating method and an optical disk device which can detect reflected rays for making discrimination among kinds of optical disks with high accuracies. By switching a plurality of lasers and moving a spherical aberration corrector while moving an objective lens to cause it to approach or keep away from an optical disk, rays reflected light from the optical disk can be detected with high accuracies. Discrimination among the kinds of a plurality of optical disks can be made on the basis of signals generated from the detected reflected rays. This ensures that the kind of an optical disk can be determined through one operation of sweeping.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2008Date of Patent: January 11, 2011Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc.Inventors: Takeyoshi Kataoka, Motoyuki Suzuki
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Patent number: 7867727Abstract: Disclosed are screening methods for determining a human subject's propensity to develop a vascular disorder and/or age-related macular degeneration (AMD), therapeutic or prophylactic compounds for treating disease or inhibiting its development, and methods of treating patients to alleviate symptoms of the disease, prevent or delay its onset, or inhibit its progression. The inventions are based on the discovery that persons with a genome having a deletion of the CFHR-1 and/or CFHR-3 gene, which normally lie on human chromosome 1 between DNA encoding CFH and CFHR-4, are at reduced risk of developing AMD, and elevated risk of developing vascular disease such as aneurysm.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2007Date of Patent: January 11, 2011Assignee: University of Iowa Research FoundationInventor: Gregory S. Hageman
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Patent number: 7870479Abstract: A system, method and apparatus are disclosed for generating a composite message representative of an application experience to be sent to a remote recipient by receiving a user input selecting multimedia information provided by an application, generating a message form from within the application to receive message information, combining the selected multimedia information and the message information into a composite message, and sending the composite message to the intended recipient. A composite message is created by any or all of the following: capturing a current image, linking an associated audio file to the message, removing extraneous user interfaces from the image, scaling the image to a more appropriate display size, adding corporate logo or other identifying information to the message, and receiving text to be transmitted to the remote recipient.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2009Date of Patent: January 11, 2011Assignee: Electronic Arts Inc.Inventors: Richard Leinfellner, Karl Fitzhugh, Jeffrey Gamon
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Patent number: 7867093Abstract: A video game that provides a player game play experience that simulates an evolution process is disclosed. In each stage of the evolution process, the player can create game content that is uploaded to a server. Other players' game content can also be downloaded into the player's game. In an embodiment of the present invention, the player-defined content can be automatically uploaded to a server, where it can be automatically downloaded to players' games in accordance with criteria such as heuristics that are relevant to the game, player preferences, rankings, community preferences and combinations thereof.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2007Date of Patent: January 11, 2011Assignee: Electronic Arts Inc.Inventor: Will Wright
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Patent number: 7867763Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for conducting a reaction at a selected temperature or range of temperatures over time. An array device is provided. The array device contains separate reaction chambers and is formed as an elastomeric block from multiple layers. At least one layer has at least one recess that recess has at least one deflectable membrane integral to the layer with the recess. The array device has a thermal transfer device proximal to at least one of the reaction chambers. The thermal transfer device is formed to contact a thermal control source. Reagents for carrying out a desired reaction are introduced into the array device. The array device is contacted with a thermal control device such that the thermal control device is in thermal communication with the thermal control source so that a temperature of the reaction in at least one of the reaction chamber is changed as a result of a change in temperature of the thermal control source.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2005Date of Patent: January 11, 2011Assignee: Fluidigm CorporationInventors: Geoffrey Facer, Robert Grossman, Marc Unger, Phillip Lam, Hou-Pu Chou, Jake Kimball, Martin Pieprzyk, Antoine Daridon
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Patent number: 7866035Abstract: Embodiments in accordance with the present invention relate to the design and manufacturing of inexpensive photovoltaic or thermal receivers for cost-effective solar energy conversion of concentrated light. Particular embodiments in accordance with the present invention disclose the design of a photovoltaic receiver and a low-pressure, low-flow-rate liquid cooler. Embodiment of the present invention also disclose a preferred low-cost and scalable manufacturing approach.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2007Date of Patent: January 11, 2011Assignee: CoolEarth SolarInventors: Eric Bryant Cummings, Kevin Christopher Moore
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Patent number: 7869672Abstract: An optical assembly is formed with a silicon substrate having a first surface and a second surface confronting the first surface. A reflective coating is formed over the first surface. Multiple diffraction gratings are formed integrally within the second surface of the silicon substrate. An optical absorber is formed over the second surface between the diffraction gratings.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2007Date of Patent: January 11, 2011Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Andreas Goebel, Lawrence C. West, Gregory L. Wojcik
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Patent number: 7867454Abstract: An M.times.N matrix microfluidic device for performing a matrix of reactions, the device having a plurality of reaction cells in communication with one of either a sample inlet or a reagent inlet through a via formed within an elastomeric block of the device. Methods provided include a method for forming vias in parallel in an elastomeric layer of an elastomeric block of a microfluidic device, the method comprising using patterned photoresist masks and etching reagents to etch away regions or portions of an elastomeric layer of the elastomeric block.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2007Date of Patent: January 11, 2011Assignee: Fluidigm CorporationInventors: Federico Goodsaid, Marc Unger, Jiang Huang, Emerson Quan
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Patent number: 7870069Abstract: Techniques for switching a financial institution account for a debit account holder are provided. A request to convert a financial institution account is received from a customer. Information is obtained from the customer and used to identify a list of possible financial institution candidates. The list of possible financial institution candidates includes financial institutions that have an on-going relationship with an existing payment association and are interested in offering a new financial institution account to the customer. A new financial institution account is then established with a financial institution selected from a list of possible financial institution candidates. Then, the new financial institution account is linked to one or more additional accounts. The one or more additional accounts may be an account with the customer's existing payment association or accounts associated with any recurring transactions.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2010Date of Patent: January 11, 2011Assignee: Visa U.S.A. Inc.Inventors: Tolan Doak Steele, Fran Schall, Kim Randall
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Patent number: 7868150Abstract: The invention provides nucleic acid and amino acid sequences for a novel family of taste transduction G-protein coupled receptors, antibodies to such receptors, methods of detecting such nucleic acids and receptors, and methods of screening for modulators of taste transduction G-protein coupled receptors.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2009Date of Patent: January 11, 2011Assignee: The Regents of the University of CaliforniaInventors: Charles S. Zuker, Jon E. Adler, Nick Ryba, Ken Mueller, Mark Hoon
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Patent number: 7870412Abstract: Methods, systems, and machine-readable media are disclosed for passing executable instructions via synchronized data objects. According to one embodiment, passing executable instructions from a first device to a second device during a synchronization operation between the first device and the second device can comprise synchronizing one or more data objects between the first device and the second device. At least one of the one or more data objects can include one or more executable instructions from the first device. The one or more executable instructions can be read from the data objects on the second device. Each of the one or more executable instructions may then be executed on the second device.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2007Date of Patent: January 11, 2011Assignee: Oracle International CorporationInventor: Stephane H. Maes
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Patent number: 7867115Abstract: Embodiments of the instant invention include lighted bounceable toys for play and amusement. Such toys or structures can be made in an infinite number of graceful and useful configurations. Exemplary bounceable ball toys include a light assembly having a power source and a plurality of light emitting elements, and a spherical skeletal structure having a plurality of segments. The spherical skeletal structure defines an open interior cavity, and at least some segments of the skeletal structure include a channel opening that faces toward the interior cavity. Light emitting elements transmit light to the channel openings.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2007Date of Patent: January 11, 2011Assignee: Tangle, Inc.Inventor: Richard E. Zawitz
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Patent number: 7867921Abstract: A processing chamber is seasoned by providing a flow of season precursors to the processing chamber. A high-density plasma is formed from the season precursors by applying at least 7500 W of source power distributed with greater than 70% of the source power at a top of the processing chamber. A season layer having a thickness of at least 5000 ? is deposited at one point using the high-density plasma. Each of multiple substrates is transferred sequentially into the processing chamber to perform a process that includes etching. The processing chamber is cleaned between sequential transfers of the substrates.Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 2008Date of Patent: January 11, 2011Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Anchuan Wang, Young S. Lee, Manoj Vellaikal, Jason Thomas Bloking, Jin Ho Jeon, Hemant P. Mungekar
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Patent number: 7867545Abstract: The present invention relates to a homogeneous solid matrix composition containing vegetable proteins, lecithin and at least one ingestible bioactive compound which is at least partially insoluble in an aqueous medium.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2007Date of Patent: January 11, 2011Assignee: J.P.M.E.D. Ltd.Inventor: Doron I. Friedman
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Patent number: 7867923Abstract: A method of depositing a silicon and nitrogen containing film on a substrate. The method includes introducing silicon-containing precursor to a deposition chamber that contains the substrate, wherein the silicon-containing precursor comprises at least two silicon atoms. The method further includes generating at least one radical nitrogen precursor with a remote plasma system located outside the deposition chamber. Moreover, the method includes introducing the radical nitrogen precursor to the deposition chamber, wherein the radical nitrogen and silicon-containing precursors react and deposit the silicon and nitrogen containing film on the substrate. Furthermore, the method includes annealing the silicon and nitrogen containing film in a steam environment to form a silicon oxide film, wherein the steam environment includes water and acidic vapor.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2007Date of Patent: January 11, 2011Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Abhijit Basu Mallick, Srinivas D. Nemani, Ellie Yieh
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Patent number: 7868384Abstract: A high-voltage semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer having a plurality of pillars of a first conductivity type defined by a plurality of trenches which extend from a top surface of the semiconductor layer toward a bottom surface thereof. A charge compensation layer of a second conductivity type is disposed over at least sidewalls of each trench to a predetermined thickness to form a groove in each trench. A charge compensation plug of the first conductivity type substantially fills each groove.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2007Date of Patent: January 11, 2011Assignee: Fairchild Korea Semiconductor Ltd.Inventors: Jae-gil Lee, Chang-wook Kim, Ho-cheol Jang, Chong-man Yun
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Patent number: 7870049Abstract: To protect a person with a property interest in real property against a loss of market value thereof, a base market value of the real property is determined at a current time when the property interest in the real property arises or thereafter, and a number of types of events that cause the real property to lose market value as compared with the base market value are defined. A number of the defined types of events are selected, and a real estate market value policy is issued to the person at about the current time. The policy promises to compensate the person for any loss experienced by the person if the real property loses market value as compared with the base market value based on any of the selected types of events.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2008Date of Patent: January 11, 2011Assignee: United Services Automobile Association (USAA)Inventor: Arthur Quentin Smith
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Patent number: 7870608Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide solutions (including inter alia, systems, methods and software) for dealing with online fraud. In particular, various embodiments of the invention can provide early warning of an online fraud, for instance by finding suspicious domains and/or monitoring those domains for activity. If a suspicious domain shows activity (for example, if a web site associated with the domain becomes active), one or more actions may be taken with respect to the domain.Type: GrantFiled: November 23, 2004Date of Patent: January 11, 2011Assignee: MarkMonitor, Inc.Inventors: Ihab Shraim, Mark Shull
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Patent number: 7867070Abstract: A system includes a substantially sealed, substantially airtight cabinet sized for housing a vertical array of heat-producing units, the cabinet having an exterior shell and the system including an interior divider wall disposed inside the cabinet, the shell and divider wall providing an equipment chamber adapted to support the array such that the array cooperates with the shell and divider wall in use to define a first plenum, the first plenum having a first inlet defined by the divider wall for receiving a flow of cooling gas and having a first outlet defined by a plurality of openings through the array whereby the first plenum communicates with the openings in use to exhaust substantially all of the flow of cooling fluid through the openings and hence through the array, wherein the divider wall is configured to allow the first inlet to admit the gas to the first plenum in a substantially horizontal direction.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2006Date of Patent: January 11, 2011Assignee: American Power Conversion CorporationInventor: Tony Day