Patents Assigned to INSTITUTE
  • Method for transferring graphene nondestructively with low cost
    Patent number: 9216559
    Abstract: A method for transferring graphene nondestructively and at a low cost. In the method, a graphene is used whose surface is coated with transferring media and whose original substrate is an electrode, the electrode is placed into an electrolyte, and the graphene is separated from the original substrate by means of the driving force of bubbles and the gas intercalation produced on the graphene electrode surface during electrolysis. Then, the graphene coated with transferring media is nondestructively combined with a target substrate. The transferring media is removed so as to transfer the graphene to the target substrate nondestructively. The transferring method results in no damage or loss with respect to the graphene and the original substrate, and the original substrate can be re-used. Furthermore, the method is easy to perform, works quickly, is easy to control, and is pollution-free.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: INSTITUTE OF METAL RESEARCH CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
    Inventors: Wencai Ren, Libo Gao, Laipeng Ma, Huiming Cheng
  • Isoamyl nitrite formulations
    Patent number: 9216222
    Abstract: The present invention is directed at isoamyl nitrite formulations suitable for use in medicinal applications. The formulations include a composition of isoamyl nitrite in combination with an epoxidized vegetable oil, identified as stabilized isoamyl nitrite. The isoamyl nitrite may also be combined with petrolatum. Methods of treatment of the formulations are applicable to cyanide poisoning, H2S poisoning as well as treatment for elevated blood pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Albert M. Zwiener, Kenneth H. Carson, Joseph A. McDonough, Larry A. Cabell, Norma L. Cantu, Sandra J. Drabik, Andrew P-Z. Clark, Paul M. Thompson, Richard Michael Corbett
  • Foldable vehicle and method of controlling the same
    Patent number: 9216776
    Abstract: A foldable vehicle which has a vehicle body divided into two sections of a front section and a rear section and has a size reduced by rotating the rear section of the divided vehicle body to be folded with respect to the front section thereof. The foldable vehicle includes a front vehicle body having a front wheel; a rear vehicle body having a rear wheel and having a lower front end rotatably connected to a lower rear end of the front vehicle body through a rotating shaft to rotate around the rotating shaft in a vertical direction, thereby being folded to overlap with the front vehicle body or unfolded; a folding drive unit for folding or unfolding the vehicle bodies by rotating the rear vehicle body with respect to the front vehicle body; and a control unit for controlling the operation of the folding drive unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: KOREA ADVANCED INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: In Soo Suh, Ka Ram Hwang
  • Porous polymer membrane with covalent network structure and production method thereof
    Patent number: 9216389
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a porous polymer membrane having a covalent network structure and a method for producing the same. The method includes: polymerizing a first monomer having four first functional groups oriented in a tetrahedral arrangement with a second monomer having at least two second functional groups to prepare porous organic framework nanoparticles; mixing the solution of the porous organic framework nanoparticles with a polymer; and applying the mixed solution to a substrate, followed by heating to form a polymer matrix containing the nanoparticles. According to the method, a polymer membrane with excellent chemical stability, heat resistance, durability and permeability can be produced through simple processes. Advantageously, the porous structure of the polymer membrane can be easily modified depending on intended applications of the polymer membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: GWANGJU INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Ji Woong Park, Jae Sung Bae, Su Young Moon
  • Inverse fluidization for purifying fluid streams
    Patent number: 9216915
    Abstract: A method for removing a contaminant from a fluid system comprises contacting the fluid system with an inversely fluidized material, for example a particulate aerogel, thereby removing at least a portion of the contaminant from the fluid system. The method can be used to remove oil or other organic materials from wastewater streams. It can be conducted in a fluidized bed, which includes nanoporous particles and a fluidizing medium, wherein the nanoporous particles have a density lower than that of the fluidizing medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: New Jersey Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Robert Pfeffer, Jose Quevedo
  • Method and apparatus for quantitative 3-D imaging
    Patent number: 9219907
    Abstract: Described is a method and apparatus for obtaining additional information from an object and a method for surface imaging and three-dimensional imaging. Single lens, single aperture, single sensor system and stereo optic systems may be modified in order to successfully generate surface maps of objects or three-dimensional representations of target objects. A variety of the aspects of the present invention provide examples of the use of an addressable pattern in order to overcome mismatching common to standard defocusing techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Morteza Gharib, Emilio Graff, Francisco Pereira
  • Method and apparatus for building three-dimensional MEMS elements
    Patent number: 9217755
    Abstract: The disclosure generally relates to method and apparatus for forming three-dimensional MEMS. More specifically, the disclosure relates to a method of controlling out-of-plane buckling in microstructural devices so as to create micro-structures with out-of-plane dimensions which are 1×, 5×, 10×, 100× or 500× the film's thickness or above the surface of the wafer. An exemplary device formed according to the disclosed principles, includes a three dimensional accelerometer having microbridges extending both above and below the wafer surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Brian Lee Wardle, Fabio Ferruccio Fachin, Stefan Nikles, Mathew Varghese
  • Quadrature-based injection locking of ring oscillators
    Patent number: 9219486
    Abstract: Technologies are generally described for quadrature-based injection-locking of ring oscillators. In some examples, an external signal may be injected into a ring oscillator. Phase signals may be measured from within the ring oscillator and used to determine a mean quadrature error (MQE) that characterizes the difference in frequency between the external signal and the ring oscillator's natural frequency. A control signal may then be generated from the MQE and used to adjust the ring oscillator natural frequency to reduce the difference between the ring oscillator natural frequency and the external signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Mayank Raj, Azita Emami
  • Surgical forceps
    Patent number: 9216029
    Abstract: This application presents a bifurcated, optimally-angled surgical forceps. In one example, this surgical forceps may enable a more natural maneuver for initial clamping of the vas deferens through the scrotal skin. This may be more comfortable for users and easier to maintain, and may provide greater tactile surface contact between the thumb and vas deferens. This device also may provide the surgeon with an entire segment of vas deferens upon which the vasectomy may be performed, thus reducing the need for frequent repositioning of instruments. The device may also be applied to other surgical procedures that may benefit from the features of the device and where a section of a tubular anatomical structure may need clamping at two points along its length. Examples include blood and lymphatic vessels, ducts of the digestive system, and large nerves or nerve bundles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: ALFRED E. MANN INSTITUTE FOR BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Ricardo G. Hahn, Afshin Nadershahi, Sudeep Deshpande
  • Extraction of lipids from living cells utilizing liquid CO
    Patent number: 9217119
    Abstract: A process for the extraction of lipids from living cells utilizing liquid carbon dioxide optionally in the presence of a porous inorganic matrix or polymer coating as well as additional solvents to improve extraction efficiency. The cells may also optionally be treated a photosensitive material to promote cellular photosynthesis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Maoqi Feng, Darius D. Daruwalla, Jimell Erwin, W. Kennedy Gauger
  • BMP-2 upregulating compounds for healing bone tissue and screening methods for selecting such compounds
    Patent number: 9216181
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method to stimulate endogenous BMP-2 up-regulation in a subject which method comprises administering to a subject an effective amount of an H1 receptor antagonist, whereby endogenous BMP-2 up-regulation is stimulated in said subject. Also provided is a pharmaceutical formulation including an H1 receptor antagonist present in an effective amount to stimulate BMP-2 up-regulation in a subject and a kit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventor: Jorge Gianny Rossini
  • Compact camera module with zoom and auto-focus actuators sharing the same rotating annular magnet with alternating thick and thin poles
    Patent number: 9217841
    Abstract: A compact camera modules has first, second, and third lens groups that move along an optical axis. A stepping motor is centered on the optical axis rather than offset from the optical axis. The motor has two coils that are fixed in place and a shared rotating magnet. The magnet is attached to a rotating guide that has slots to move the first and second lens groups as it rotates. The two coils are alternately energized to rotate the magnet, the rotating guide, and to move the first and second lens groups for zoom. The magnet has alternating thicker and thinner segments of opposite polarity. The thicker segments exert a greater force on an autofocus coil that is energized to move the third lens for the autofocus function. The same shared rotating magnet is used for both zoom and autofocus functions. A more compact design is possible using a shared magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Hong Kong Applied Science & Technology Research Institute Company, Limited
    Inventors: Kin Ming Fan, Kwok Sing Cheng
  • Energy storage system using supercritical air
    Patent number: 9217423
    Abstract: Disclosed is an energy storage system using supercritical air, comprising a compressor unit, a heat exchanger and storage device, a cold exchanger and storage device, a cryogenic tank, a throttling valve, at least one cryogenic pump, an expander unit, a generator, and a driver unit. There are several advantages of this invention, including high energy density, high efficiency, no storage cycle and geographical conditions restriction, easy implementation with all kinds of power stations, environment friendliness and capability of recycling low to medium temperature waste heat and so on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Inventors: Haisheng Chen, Chunqing Tan, Jia Liu, Yujie Xu
  • Converged PON for TDMA-PON service based on OFDMA-PON
    Patent number: 9219567
    Abstract: A converged passive optical network (CPON) and a data transmission method are disclosed. The CPON is a combination of a time division multiple access-passive optical network (TDMA-PON) and an orthogonal frequency division multiple access-passive optical network (OFDMA-PON) and is able to dynamically controlling a bandwidth for upstream signal transmission through allocation of multiple subcarriers to each single optical network unit (ONU).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Kwang Ok Kim, Seung-Hyun Cho, Jie Hyun Lee, Seung Il Myong, Sang Soo Lee, Jong Hyun Lee
  • 3-D imaging sensor based location estimation
    Patent number: 9218529
    Abstract: A system and method for estimating a location of an object or vehicle is provided. Images of a region encompassing the object are obtained, providing a three dimensional (3-D) view frame of the region. 3-D view frames are collected along a direction of travel of the object. A 3-D map is generated along the direction of travel of the object, the map based on the 3-D view frames and further based on an estimate of motion of the object at times associated with the 3-D view frames. A first set of features is extracted from the 3-D map. A geo-referenced feature database is searched for a second set of features that match the first set of features. A geo-location associated with the second set of features is retrieved from the feature database. The location of the object is estimated based on the retrieved geo-location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Christopher L. Lewis, William C. Flannigan, Michael O. Blanton, Douglas A. Brooks
  • Wireless inducememt system and auto driving apparatus for driving vehicle and method of driving the same
    Patent number: 9218001
    Abstract: A wireless inducement system and an auto driving apparatus for driving a vehicle and a method of driving the same are provided. The wireless inducement system includes an implanted road positioning signaler, an auto driving apparatus, and smart roadside equipment. The implanted road positioning signaler is installed in a lane and transmits a reference location wireless signal including information about location coordinates and an electric wave sending time. The auto driving apparatus grasps a location using the received reference location wireless signal and performs auto driving, and the smart roadside equipment transmits situation information about an adjacent region of the vehicle to the auto driving apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventor: Seok-Jin Lee
  • Inorganic optical filter, optical element, and light source
    Patent number: 9217910
    Abstract: The inorganic optical filter of the invention consists of a NdF3 single crystal. The optical element of the invention comprises a wavelength conversion element wherein incident light is subjected to wavelength conversion to twice the frequency by quasi-phase-matching using primary matching or tertiary matching, and emitted, and an inorganic optical filter situated in the optical path of light emitted from the wavelength conversion element, wherein the wavelength conversion element consists of a ferroelectric fluoride single crystal represented by Ba1?y(Mg1?xZnx)1+yF4 (where 0?x?1, and ?0.2?y?0.2), and the inorganic optical filter consists of a NdF3 single crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: National Institute for Materials Science
    Inventors: Keiji Sumiya, Kiyoshi Shimamura, Garcia Villora
  • Virtual mouse driving apparatus and virtual mouse simulation method
    Patent number: 9218060
    Abstract: A virtual mouse simulation method used in a virtual mouse driving apparatus is provided. The method has the following steps of: capturing a plurality of input images continuously; detecting a finger area from the plurality of input images; detecting a specific event of the finger area; and generating a corresponding virtual mouse control command according to the specific event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: INSTITUTE FOR INFORMATION INDUSTRY
    Inventors: Cheng-Yuan Ho, I-Heng Meng, Chen-Chiung Hsieh
  • Hydrophobic coating composition and method of imparting hydrophobicity onto a surface
    Patent number: 9217069
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of producing a water repelling surface or imparting hydrophobicity onto a surface comprises applying a polymer-based coating composition. The water repelling surface or the hydrophobic surface imparted by the present method has at least 90° of water contact angle. The water repelling surface or the hydrophobic surface imparted by the present method is preferably on a concrete surface. The present method imparts hydrophobicity onto surfaces that are durable without an additional primer layer between the surfaces and the coating composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: NANO AND ADVANCED MATERIALS INSTITUTE LIMITED
    Inventors: Kai Tai Wan, Su Ping Bao, Hong Gang Zhu, Ran Yuan Wang, Bin Meng Chen
  • Biogas purification system and methods of use thereof
    Patent number: 9217116
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a biogas purification system and method for removal of sulfur and halogenated compounds and acidic reaction products from biogas. A contaminant removal module is supplied containing a catalytic oxidation catalyst comprising vanadium oxide (V2O5) on a metal oxide support where the catalyst oxidizes 85% or more of the sulfur and halogenated compounds. This may be followed by a contaminant removal module containing alkali impregnated carbon which removes 85% or more of the acidic reaction products. If siloxane impurities are present in the biogas, one may utilize a contaminant removal module containing alumina oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventor: Francis Y. Huang