Patents Represented by Attorney Whitham, Curtis, Christofferson & Cook P.C.
  • Patent number: 7236596
    Abstract: The Evidentiary Imaging System (EIS) provides secure storage or transmission of a digital image into which is encoded the date, time, and location at which the image was taken, along with the camera ID and frame number. The encoding is dispersed throughout the image so that the image cannot be modified without distorting the encoding. The image may be encrypted for additional security. Annotation can be superimposed on the encoded or encoded and encrypted image to classify or identify the image to human or automated scanning systems. The annotation can also be used to key the decoding and decryption tasks. The EIS produces imagery which may be authenticated as to originality, time and location of imaging. The imagery may be stored, duplicated, and transmitted while retaining its authenticity. However, any modifications to the image, including any local changes, are readily detected because the encoding will not decode correctly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: Mikos, Ltd.
    Inventor: Francine J. Prokoski
  • Patent number: 7217448
    Abstract: A limited portion of a surface of a glass substrate is removed by application of a laser beam on the limited portion of the glass substrate to thereby produce a glass structure according to the invention. The glass substrate contains at least one element such as titanium, iron, vanadium, bismuth, lead, thallium, tin, cerium, rhodium or cobalt capable of absorbing energy of the laser beam and has a threshold of not larger than 1.0 J/cm2 per laser beam pulse in terms of machining energy of the laser beam. When such a glass substrate 21 is used, a glass structure having a through-hole 61 or cavity optional in sectional shape can be formed by irradiation with the laser beam 10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Koyo, Keiji Tsunetomo
  • Patent number: 7218284
    Abstract: An antenna unit includes an antenna module that receives radio waves sent from a satellite or earth, a cover member that has enough inner space to house the antenna module and has an opened bottom surface, and a bottom plate that closes the opened bottom surface of the cover member, and the antenna unit is attached to a resin-made attachment part. A metal sheet is provided on a back surface side of the resin-made attachment part, and the antenna unit is adhesive bonded and fixed on a surface side of the resin-made attachment part correspondingly to an arrangement position of the metal sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiaki Aizawa, Junichi Noro, Kyuichi Sato, Yuichi Saito
  • Patent number: 7215774
    Abstract: A video data transfer control system allowing secure protection of video data from unauthorized copying is disclosed. A scrambling key used to scramble video data is stored in a key register and a new scrambling key is stored in a register. At the timing of a vertical sync signal of the video data, the scrambling key is changed to the new one. As a result, the scrambling key can be frequently changed while transferring the video data, achieving enhanced protection of the video data from unauthorized copying.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Seiki Onagawa
  • Patent number: 7212722
    Abstract: A backlight unit that makes it sure to assemble many optical members in a casing in a right order with their right attitude in its assembly stage is provided. Each of the optical members to be assembled in a predetermined order has a protruding part including at least one protrusion. A count of the protrusions of each member is increased according to the predetermined assembly order. The casing has a depressed part for receiving the protrusions of the members, the depressed part including notches or depressions corresponding to the protrusions of the optical members. Each of the notches or depressions has a depth in a stacking direction that varies according to stacking state of the optical members. The notches or depressions may be formed to penetrate through the casing to thereby confirm easily the order and attitude of the assembled members after the assembly operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshiya Shinohara
  • Patent number: 7202048
    Abstract: Platelet contractile force (PCF) is used as a surrogate marker of thrombin generation. PCF generation occurs concomitant with the burst of prothrombin fragment F 1+2 release. The time between assay start and PCF onset is identified as the thrombin generation time (TGT), and is used in assessing risk of bleeding, in diagnosing various disorders, and in monitoring the effects of pharmaceutical and other treatments. TGT is prolonged in clotting factor deficiencies and in the presence of direct and indirect thrombin inhibitors. TGT shortens to normal with clotting factor replacement and shortens with administration of rVIIa. TGT is short in thrombophilic states such as coronary artery disease, diabetes and thromboangiitis obliterans and prolongs toward normal with oral and intravenous anticoagulants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: Hemodyne, Inc.
    Inventor: Marcus Carr, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7200570
    Abstract: A way to conduct complex transactions by auction efficiently and with a high degree of automation is provided by a methodology for conducting auctions in which bids contain multiple attributes, as opposed to a single attribute (price). Bidders are requested to specify values for each of a set of attributes, which can include transaction terms as well as product and/or service specifications. The bids are evaluated according to criteria that are functions of these attributes in order to reject losing bids and assist the auctioneer in selecting the winning bid(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Frederick Yung-Fung Wu
  • Patent number: 7196914
    Abstract: Power converters having reduced body diode conduction loss, reduced reverse recovery loss and lower switching noise, among other benefits, have a resonant capacitor Cr connected across an unfiltered output. The resonant capacitor Cr resonates with the leakage inductance Lk of the transformer. The resonant capacitor and leakage inductance are selected such that ½ a LC resonance period is equal to an ON time of each secondary switch S1 S2. The resonance provides zero current switching for secondary switches S1 S2, eliminates zero body diode conduction during dead times, and eliminates reverse recovery losses in the secondary switches. The present invention is applicable to many different circuit topologies such as full bridge, active clamp forward, push-pull forward, and center-tap secondary. The present converters provide high energy conversion efficiency and high frequency operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuancheng Ren, Fred C. Lee, Ming Xu
  • Patent number: 7187333
    Abstract: An antenna device that can surely prevent water from coming into the part where the transmission table is introduced and allows the number of parts to be reduced so that the cost can be reduced. The antenna device includes an antenna module that receives radio waves transmitted from a satellite, a cover member having a sufficient internal space to store the antenna module and its bottom opened, and a bottom plate to close the open bottom of the cover member. The transmission cable is connected to the antenna module. The transmission cable is inserted from the hole provided at the cover member and sealed by a seal material including silicon resin in the hole. The bottom plate is made of a metal plate and a magnet plate and the magnet plate has projections to position the magnet. After the bottom plate is attached, a composite resin material is filled and the cover member has its bottom side sealed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Yoneya, Yoshiaki Imano, Akemi Kato, Tsutomu Ito
  • Patent number: 7183783
    Abstract: A control unit of a wafer prober for implementing wafer examination, using a probe card including a multiple number of probes, executes a multiple number of measuring operations by bringing the probes of the probe card into contact with bonding pads formed on a wafer and by measuring the electric characteristics between predetermined pads of the bonding pads, each of the measuring operations being implemented after varying the relative position between the probe card and the wafer, in directions parallel to the face of the wafer. The control unit, upon execution of each of the measuring operations, implements the measuring operation after adjusting the relative position between the probe card and the wafer so that the contact position of each probe of the probes against each pad of the bonding pads is separated from all the positions at which the probes have already touched that pad of the bonding pads for a predetermined number of different times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Elpida Memory, Inc.
    Inventor: Toru Sakata
  • Patent number: 7180389
    Abstract: An electromagnetic interference (EMI) filter or frequency filters (e.g. bandpass or band reject filters) in which a capacitor has an inductance cancellation loop. Inductive coupling between capacitors can allow undesired high frequencies to propagate across a filter. This is particularly a concern when the capacitors are oriented in parallel. In the present invention, the inductance cancellation loop is disposed adjacent to one capacitor so that mutual inductance between the capacitors is reduced. The attenuation of the filter at high frequencies is thereby increased. The loop can increase voltage attenuation of an EMI filter by about 20 dB. In another aspect, inductors in the filter are oriented horizontally relative to a circuitboard. Horizontal orientation reduces leakage inductance coupling between the inductors and circuitboard traces, and between the inductor and capacitors, thereby preventing unwanted propagation of high frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Shuo Wang, Fred C. Lee, Williem Gerhardus Odendaal
  • Patent number: 7175269
    Abstract: An apparatus detects image information ans surface quality of a subject image and for forms a copy with an image and surface quality corresponding to that of the subject. The apparatus generates image data and surface quality data, forms an image on a sheet based on the image data, and forms a surface textures on the sheet according to the surface quality data. The surface treatment optionally forms a non-uniform surface quality corresponding to a non-uniform surface quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Eiichi Kito
  • Patent number: 7175334
    Abstract: A test vessel agitator assembly that agitates test vessels and the contents therein within an immunoassay automated analyzer system. The test vessels are transported along an element that is comprised of ridges and troughs such that the test vessel is moved in a directions that is approximately perpendicular to the direction of transportation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: DPC Cirrus, Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur L. Babson, Thomas Palmieri
  • Patent number: 7172567
    Abstract: In an orthopedic aid with two parts (15, 16) which are movable relative to one another and with a locking device for locking the two parts (15, 16) in a predetermined relative position and for unlocking the parts (15, 16) in order to permit movement of the parts (15, 16) with respect to one another, the unlocking can be advantageously controlled by the fact that the locking device can be actuated electromechanically from a control module (8, 8?), and an actuating signal can be sent by wireless transmission from an actuating unit (9?, 14) to the control module (8, 8?).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Otto Bock HealthCare GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus Lidolt, Matthias Schilling
  • Patent number: 7170373
    Abstract: A conductive layer is formed on each of the upper and lower surfaces of a dielectric substrate, and the two conductive layers are connected by rows of via-holes that are formed which a spacing that is less than or equal to ½ of the wavelength in the dielectric substrate in the resonance frequency, whereby n stages of dielectric resonators and input/output waveguide structures are formed. If the number n of stages is assumed to be 3, the first-stage resonator and the second-stage resonator are coupled by an electromagnetic field by means of via-holes of a first spacing; the second-stage resonator and the third-stage resonator are coupled by an electromagnetic by means of via-holes of a second spacing, whereby a filter is formed. The input/output waveguide structure and the filter are coupled by an electromagnetic by means of via-holes of a fourth spacing. The first-stage resonator and the third-stage resonator are coupled by an electromagnetic field by means of via-holes of a third spacing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Masaharu Ito, Kenichi Maruhashi, Keiichi Ohata
  • Patent number: 7163407
    Abstract: A connector has an inner side face defining a chamber formed with an opening. A module body is inserted from the opening to be accommodated in the chamber. A first conductive member is provided on an outer periphery of the module body which is opposed to the inner side face of the connector in a case where the module body is accommodated in the chamber. A second conductive member is provided on the inner side face of the connector, such that the first conductive member is brought into contact with the first conductive member in a case where the module body is plenarily accommodated in the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Nishio, Takashi Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 7164967
    Abstract: An artificial Central Pattern Generator (CPG) based on the naturally-occuring central pattern generator locomotor controller for walking, running, swimming, and flying animals may be constructed to be self-adaptive, by providing for the artificial CPG, which may be a chip, to tune its behavior based on sensory feedback. It is believed that this is the first instance of an adaptive CPG chip. Such a sensory feedback-using system with an artificial CPG may be used in mechanical applications such as a running robotic leg, in walking, flying and swimming machines, and in miniature and larger robots, and also in biological systems, such as a surrogate neural system for patients with spinal damage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Iguana Robotics, Inc.
    Inventors: Ralph Etienne-Cummings, M. Anthony Lewis
  • Patent number: 7162412
    Abstract: A multilingual conversation database has subdatabases set according to a combination of languages different from each other for use in a conversation. Each of the subdatabases has a first area for setting a conversational situation and a second area for storing units of languages likely to be used for respective situations; if the situation in the first area is selected, a language unit in the second area corresponding to the situation is displayed. A multilingual conversation system comprises the multilingual conversation database and a communication facility into which the database is downloaded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Evidence Corporation
    Inventors: Toyomichi Yamada, Takahide Tamura
  • Patent number: 7162255
    Abstract: A location name server is disclosed, that comprises a database for storing peripheral information and location names that have been correlated with each other as a plurality of sets, a means for transmitting a request for peripheral information to an objective cellular phone terminal unit when a request for the name of a location at which the object cellular phone terminal unit is located is received, a means for searching the database for the name of the location corresponding to peripheral information (i.e. electric field level) received from the objective cellular phone terminal unit corresponding to the request for the peripheral information, and a means for transmitting the obtained name of the location to a transmission source of the request therefor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Taketoshi Nakajima
  • Patent number: 7158309
    Abstract: The invention provide a glass optical element which contains an alkaline metal oxide and an alkaline earth metal oxide, comprising an end portion that contains a fluoride ion or a fluorine compound on or in a vicinity of an exposed surface of the glass optical element. The end portion containing the fluoride ion or the fluorine compound is formed by contacting the surface with hydrofluoric acid. A rod lens array is fabricated by arranging a plurality of graded index rod lenses as glass optical elements of the invention. The weather resistance of the element or the lens array can be improved by the above treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Nippon Sheet Glass Company, Limited
    Inventor: Kei Yamada