Patents Assigned to A-America, Inc.
  • Patent number: 6873909
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting uncoupling of a trailer outside a planned uncoupling area. A global positioning system determines the location of the trailer. A vehicle computer coupled to the global positioning system is used to determine whether the trailer has been uncoupled outside a planned uncoupling area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: Volvo Trucks North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Dennis A. Borugian
  • Patent number: 6872231
    Abstract: The present invention relates to Compositions of fuels for transportation are disclosed, particularly organic compositions which are liquid at ambient conditions. More specifically, it relates to transportation fuels comprising suitable organic distillates, as a predominant component, and limited, but essential, amounts of a component comprising oxygen-containing organic materials, which materials are typically derived from natural petroleum. Beneficially, the oxygen content of these transportation fuels is at least 0.02 percent by weight. Preferably the oxygen content these transportation fuels is in a range from about 0.2 percent to about 10 percent by weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: BP Corporation North America Inc.
    Inventors: George A. Huff, Jr., William H. Gong, Leslie R. Wolf, John C. Eckstrom, Douglas N. Rundell, Michael Hodges, Monica Cristina Regalbuto
  • Patent number: 6873191
    Abstract: An over-voltage protection circuit prevents an anomaly, such as a short circuit in the upper-switched electronic device of a DC—DC power supply, from propagating to downstream circuitry. The over-voltage protection circuit, which includes an overvoltage sense resistor coupled between an output of the upper or high side FET and the gate of the lower FET, is operative to sense a short circuit fault condition in the circuit path through the upper FET during initial power up of the system. In response to this condition, the lower NFET device is turned on so as to provide an immediate by-pass of the overvoltage condition to ground, and thereby prevent excessive voltage from being applied by the output terminal to downstream powered circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: Intersil Americas Inc.
    Inventors: Noel B. Dequina, Donald R. Preslar, Paul K. Sferrazza
  • Patent number: 6873048
    Abstract: A dual-gate MOSFET with metal gates and a method for setting threshold voltage in such a MOSFET is provided. The method comprises: forming a gate oxide layer overlying first and second channel regions; forming a first metal layer having a first thickness overlying the gate oxide layer; forming a second metal layer having a second thickness overlying the first metal layer first thickness; selectively removing the second metal layer overlying the first channel region; forming a third metal layer; establishing a first MOSFET with a gate work function responsive to the thicknesses of the first and third metal layer overlying the first channel region; and, establishing a second MOSFET, complementary to the first MOSFET, with a gate work function responsive to the combination of the thicknesses of the first, second, and third metal layers overlying the second channel region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Wei Gao, John F. Conley, Jr., Yoshi Ono
  • Publication number: 20050061172
    Abstract: A method for printing which includes the steps of: printing a web of material so as to define a printed web; winding the printed web onto at least one roll; cutting the printed web so as to define at least one printed roll; transporting the at least one printed roll in rolled form to a folder separate from a printing press; and processing the at least one printed roll in the folder into a finished printed product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2004
    Publication date: March 24, 2005
    Applicant: GOSS INTERNATIONAL AMERICAS, INC.
    Inventor: Roland Palmatier
  • Publication number: 20050064078
    Abstract: A method is provided for incorporating phytosterols into foods including steps of blending at least one phytosterol with at least one flavoring to provide an enhanced flavoring and adding the enhanced flavoring to a food to provide an enhanced food. Also provided is an enhanced flavoring composition comprising at least one phytosterol and at least one flavoring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2004
    Publication date: March 24, 2005
    Applicant: Degussa Health & Nutrition Americas, Inc.
    Inventors: Albert Nasser, Ruth Yong, Lauren Hammerschmidt, William Startup, H. Fairow, Mary Bishop
  • Publication number: 20050065912
    Abstract: A digital media system includes a changer control system that controls an optical disc changer. The changer control system includes a local database of metadata records containing information regarding the optical discs in the optical disc changer. The changer control system is also networked to a digital media server that stores digital media files. The digital media server includes a remote database of metadata records containing information regarding the digital media files. The changer control system provides a user interface that allows a user to access information regarding both the optical discs in the optical disc changer and the digital media files stored in the digital media server. To provide this information, a file system of the changer control system creates a merged set of selected metadata records from the local database and the remote database, in response to a request from the user interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2003
    Publication date: March 24, 2005
    Applicant: Digital Networks North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Cafrelli, David Stern, F. Emerson
  • Publication number: 20050064536
    Abstract: A process for the production of a valuable compound, comprising the steps of a) fermentation of a filamentous bacterial or fungal strain (e.g. a Streptomyces strain or an Aspergillus strain) in a fermentation medium wherein a carbohydrate during fermentation is added in a cyclic pulse dosing/pause way, wherein the pulse dosing time is shorter than the pause time and b) recovery of the valuable compound from the fermentation broth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2002
    Publication date: March 24, 2005
    Applicants: Novozymes A/S, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Novozymes North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Wenger, Maria Caicedo, Stuart Stock, Swapnil Bhargava, Mark Marten
  • Patent number: 6870082
    Abstract: A novel potato cultivar of the genus and species Solanum tuberosum, designated FL2006, is disclosed. The invention relates to the tubers of potato variety FL2006, to the plants of potato variety FL2006, to the seeds of the potato variety and to methods for producing a hybrid potato variety. The invention relates to methods of producing potato tubers, seeds and plants by crossing the potato variety FL2006 with another potato plant. The invention further relates to methods of using potato variety FL2006 to produce genetically transformed potato plants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Frito-Lay North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert W. Hoopes
  • Patent number: 6870581
    Abstract: A projection display system. The projection system includes a light source, illumination optics that are capable of splitting the light from the source into individual color bands, and folding mirrors. The folding mirrors operate to direct the color bands to a reflective element that has a contoured surface. The contoured surface of the reflective element causes the light to form into scanning rasters that are recombined and sent to a spatial light modulator. The spatial light modulator is typically made up of a panel of individually addressable elements. If the spatial light modulator requires polarized light, a polarizing beam splitter and quarter-wave plate are included as part of the illumination optics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Lin Li, Jeffrey Brian Sampsell, Jagtar Singh Saroya, George Stuart Vernon
  • Patent number: 6869624
    Abstract: A product and process for stabilizing Aloe vera gel is disclosed. The process includes the steps of rapidly heating the Aloe vera gel to a temperature in the range of from about 35° C. to about 80° C., adding to the heated Aloe vera gel one or more stabilizing antioxidants, and rapidly cooling the heated Aloe vera gel to a temperature in the range of from about 20° C. to about 30° C. The stabilizing antioxidants may be a tocotrienol/tocopherol blend, rosmarinic acid, polyphenols, or any combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Aloe Vera of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Rex G. Maughan, Roger A. Poore, Banh V. Phan
  • Patent number: 6868880
    Abstract: A wheel assembly comprises a generally frustoconical wheel having an upper wall defining a recessed area and a lateral wall with a tapered outer surface; a generally frustoconical rim having a top wall defining a central hole and a side wall with an outer surface and a tapered inner surface complementary with the outer surface of the wheel; and a solid tire attached to the outer surface of the rim. The recessed area is partially covered by the top wall of the rim when the rim is installed on the wheel. To install, the rim is slid over the wheel, and the rim and tire are bolted to the wheel. To remove, the bolts are removed, a pry bar is inserted in the recessed area of the wheel, and the rim is pried away from the wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Trelleborg Wheel Systems Americas, Inc.
    Inventor: William T. Cummins
  • Patent number: 6870352
    Abstract: A DC-to-DC converter includes one or more power switches, a pulse width modulation circuit for generating control pulses for the power switches, and an output inductor connected to the power switches. A thermally compensated current sensor is connected to an intrinsic current sensing element exhibiting a temperature-based parameter non-linearity. The thermally compensated current sensor has a temperature coefficient that substantially matches a temperature coefficient of an intrinsic power converter element used to measure current flow, thus linearizing the current measurement. Also, a current feedback loop circuit cooperates with the pulse width modulation circuit to control the power switches responsive to the thermally compensated current sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Intersil Americas Inc.
    Inventors: Michael M. Walters, Matthew B. Harris, Bogdan M. Duduman
  • Patent number: 6868783
    Abstract: A multiple-image-carrying cylinder has a cylinder section having at least part of a first image to be printed, a shell axially movable with respect to the cylinder section, the shell having at least part of a second image to be printed, and a ring located between the shell and the cylinder section and axially movable with respect to the shell and the cylinder section, the ring capable of having another part of the first image when connected to the cylinder section and capable of having another part of the second image when connected to the shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Goss International Americas, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Henry Dufour, John Sheridan Richards
  • Patent number: 6871292
    Abstract: A sequencer executes instructions based on a function clock signal to perform I/O functions in a serial peripheral interface based on a source clock signal. The function clock signal has a frequency of two times the frequency of the source clock signal. A function clock generator generates the function clock signal and operatively selects the instruction to be decoded. The instruction selectively forces the frequency of the function clock signal to be equal to the frequency of the source clock signal during the duration of that function clock signal during which the predetermined instruction is decoded to execute a single instruction during the source clock signal, to advantageously repeat the execution of the instruction without consuming clock cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Intersil Americas, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael A. Fischer
  • Patent number: 6869485
    Abstract: A semiconductor processing chamber, capable of withstanding low pressures while transmitting radiant energy, is provided in a lightweight, compact design. The inner surface of the window is preferably substantially flat and parallel to the wafer to be processed. The window is thin in a center portion and thicker in a surrounding peripheral portion. The thickness increases in the radially outward direction, defined between the flat inner surface and a concave outer surface. Deposition uniformity is improved by employing multiple outlet ports for distributing gas laterally in a short length, enabling a compact, symmetrical geometry. Preferably, a quadra-flow system of gas distribution is used, whereby the chamber contains one inlet port and three outlet ports distributed approximately at 90 degrees around a cylindrical side wall defining the chamber space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: ASM America, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael W. Halpin
  • Publication number: 20050057482
    Abstract: A multiple channel programmable gamma correction voltage generator including a resistor ladder, buffers, select logic, and a programmable non-volatile memory device. The memory provides select values indicative of one or more stored gamma correction values. The resistor ladder includes adjustable tap resistors distributed along the resistor ladder. The adjustable tap resistors provide multiple tap voltages distributed according to the gamma correction value. The buffers receive the tap voltages and provide gamma correction voltages. The select logic selects tap points of the adjustable tap resistors to select the tap voltages based on the select values stored in the memory. Additional resistors and switch logic may be included to enable re-positioning of the adjustable tap resistor within the resistor ladder. Latches and address control may be provided on the memory to enable programming and selection of multiple gamma correction values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2004
    Publication date: March 17, 2005
    Applicant: Intersil Americas Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas Youngblood, Steven Smith
  • Publication number: 20050059055
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for quantitative design and optimization of polymers. More specifically, the present invention relates to method for calculating the solvent-exposed area of a polymer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2004
    Publication date: March 17, 2005
    Applicant: NEC Laboratories America, Inc.
    Inventors: Naigong Zhang, Chen Zeng, Ned Wingreen
  • Patent number: 6866300
    Abstract: A flange (62) includes a first flange section (64) configured for coupling with a first tube (102), and a second flange section (66) configured for coupling with a second tube (104). A first mating portion (70) of the first flange section (64) connects to a second mating portion (74) of the second flange section (66) to form the flange (62) for retaining the first tube (102) beside the second tube (104). The flange (62), first tube (102), and second tube (104) form a subassembly (100). The subassembly (100) is subsequently assembled so that a third tube (112) is retained in fluid communication with the first tube (102) and a fourth tube (114) is retained in fluid communication with the second tube (104) to form a tube joint assembly (110) for roughly parallel sets of tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: CalsonicKansei North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Lisa M. Hayes, Thomas F. Morse, Christopher L. Traskos
  • Patent number: D503256
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: Frito-Lay North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Eugenio Bortone