Abstract: A composition that includes functionalized polymers and one or more types of particulate filler exhibits both an increased gum Mooney viscosity and a decreased compound Mooney viscosity relative to a comparable composition that includes only one such functionalized polymer. The functionalized polymers include first and second types of functionalities which exhibit a non-covalent interaction that has a bond energy of from about 0.1 to about 20 kJ/mol.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, a curable sealant composition and method for its preparation are provided. The composition includes a polymer which is prepared by functionalizing a poly(conjugated diene) with a curable group such as tetra-substituted silicon compound and then substantially hydrogenating the functionalized polymer in the presence of 2-jegler type catalyst. The composition can further include additional curable sealant ingredient selected from the group consisting of plasticizers, fillers, reinforcing agents, modifiers, curing catalysts/hardeners, stabilizers, and mixtures thereof.

Abstract: A functionalized polymer includes a directly bonded moiety, which can be located at a terminus of the polymer, defined by the formula —CR1R2NH-Q-M where M is (N?CR1R2) or N-(QN?CR1R2)2 each Q independently is a substituted or unsubstituted, cyclic or acyclic C1-C40 alkyl, aryl, or alkaryl radical, and each R1 and R2 independently is a hydrogen atom or a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, aryl, allyl, aralkyl, alkaryl, or alkynyl group. The polymer can be provided by introducing a polyimine compound into a system that includes carbanionic (living) polymer. Such polymers can be used in the production of compositions that include particulate fillers.

Abstract: A method for preparing a functionalized polymer, the method comprising the steps of (i) polymerizing conjugated diene monomer by employing a lanthanide-based catalyst to form a reactive polymer, and (ii) reacting the reactive polymer with a protected oxime compound.

Abstract: An LGA connector (100) includes a housing (2) and a number of contacts (1) received in the housing. Each contact has a base plate (10), a connecting portion (9) extending from a side of the base plate and a resilient contacting portion (93) projecting from the connecting portion. An elastic plate (11) extends from the base plate and has a spring arm (120) disposed at one side thereof. A curved receiving space (130) is formed between the spring arm and the elastic plate. The contact has a board terminal (12) extending from a lower end of the elastic plate for connecting to a printed circuit board.

Abstract: A functionalized polymer includes a directly bonded moiety, which can be located at a terminus of the polymer, defined by the formula —NH—NR1R2 where R1 and R2 independently are substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, aryl, allyl, aralkyl, alkaryl, or alkynyl groups, or together form a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene, alkenylene, cycloalkylene, cycloalkenylene, or arylene group. The functionalized polymer can be provided by reacting a living polymer with a hydrazone. Such polymers can be used in the production of compositions that include particulate fillers.

Abstract: A method of scaling complexity of a video processing system including determining a power saving factor based on an operating parameter and adjusting processing of video information based on the power saving factor to reduce computation complexity. The operating parameter may include available power and/or available processing capacity. A method of complexity scalability for a video processing system using prioritized layered coding including determining a power saving factor based on one or more metrics, such as power capacity and/or available processing capacity, and reducing processing complexity of multiple prioritized coding functions in a predetermined order of priority based on the level of the power saving factor. A video processing system including a power management circuit which determines the power saving factor and a video encoder system which correspondingly adjusts computation complexity.

Abstract: A localized content adaptive filter system including a tile buffer having an output providing first image information, a frequency analyzer providing a frequency information signal based on frequency content of the first image information, and an adaptive filter which is adjusted based on the frequency information signal. The frequency analyzer may include a wavelet transform filter and a frequency content analyzer. The adaptive filter may include filter select logic which receives the frequency information signal and second image information associated with the first image information, and which provides filtered image information. The filter select logic determines a filter based on the frequency information signal and the determined filter filters the second image information to provide the filtered image information.

Abstract: A dyadic spatial down sampling filter having tap values configured according to a Kaiser window function a beta factor of approximately 2.5, having approximately 1.5 side lobes, and having a down sampling ratio of approximately 1.9. The dyadic spatial down sampling filter may have tap values [?1, 17, 32, 17, ?1]/64. A dyadic spatial up sampling filter having tap values configured according to a Kaiser window function having a beta factor of approximately 1.5, having approximately 2 side lobes, and having an up sampling ratio of approximately 2. The dyadic spatial up sampling filter may have tap values [?5.44, 0, 20.71, 33.46, 20.71, 0, ?5.44]/64.0, or tap values [?5, 0, 21, 32, 21, 0, ?5]/64, or tap values [?5, 21, 21, ?5]/32.

Abstract: This invention relates to siloxy-functionalized polymers having the silicon of the siloxy group directly bonded to the end of a polymer chain through one or more carbon atoms, processes of producing the polymers, and initiators used to prepare the polymers. The polymers may be rubbery polymers, such as butadiene-styrene polymers, which are commonly used in tires.

Abstract: A polymer includes directly bonded aromatic pendent groups and at least one moiety defined by one of the following formulas >N—N?CR1R2 or —N?N—CR1R2— where R1 and R2 (a) are independently H or a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, aryl, allyl, aralkyl, alkaryl, or alkynyl group, or (b) together form a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene, alkenylene, cycloalkylene, cycloalkenylene, or arylene group. The moiety can be attached to the polymer through one or both of the two open bonds and, where it is attached through only one bond, the other bond attaches to a hydrogen atom, i.e., the moiety is at a terminus of the polymer. Such polymers can be used to provide compositions that also include particulate fillers.

Abstract: An initiator is presented for anionically polymerizing monomers, to provide a functional head group on the polymer. A polymer having a functional head group derived from a sulfur containing anionic initiator, and optionally as additional functional group resulting from the use of a functional terminating reagent, coupling agent or linking agent is also provided. A method is presented for anionically polymerizing monomers comprising the step of polymerizing the monomers with a sulfur containing anionic initiator to provide a functional head group on the polymer. An elastomeric compound, comprising a functional polymer and filler is also described. Also provided is a tire having decreased rolling resistance resulting from a tire component containing a vulcanizable elastomeric compound.

Abstract: Forming image information of image units (e.g. pixels) of a higher resolution by convoluting information of image units of a lower resolution with coefficients of a multiphase filter. The information of one set of higher resolution image units is formed by convoluting in a first direction the information of the lower resolution image units with a first set of four coefficients. The information of a second set of higher resolution image units is form by convoluting in the first direction the information of the lower resolution image units with a second set of four coefficients. Convolution may also be performed in a second direction with a set of four coefficients. In one example, the image information formed includes intensity information for each image unit.

Abstract: An initiator is presented for anionically polymerizing monomers, to provide a functional head group on the polymer. A polymer having a functional head group derived from a sulfur containing anionic initiator, and optionally as additional functional group resulting from the use of a functional terminating reagent, coupling agent or linking agent is also provided. A method is presented for anionically polymerizing monomers comprising the step of polymerizing the monomers with a sulfur containing anionic initiator to provide a functional head group on the polymer. An elastomeric compound, comprising a functional polymer and filler is also described. Also provided is a tire having decreased rolling resistance resulting from a tire component containing a vulcanizable elastomeric compound.

Abstract: An initiator is presented for anionically polymerizing monomers, to provide a functional head group on the polymer. A polymer having a functional head group derived from a sulfur containing anionic initiator, and optionally as additional functional group resulting from the use of a functional terminating reagent, coupling agent or linking agent is also provided. A method is presented for anionically polymerizing monomers comprising the step of polymerizing the monomers with a sulfur containing anionic initiator to provide a functional head group on the polymer. An elastomeric compound, comprising a functional polymer and filler is also described. Also provided is a tire having decreased rolling resistance resulting from a tire component containing a vulcanizable elastomeric compound.

Abstract: A macromolecule including a polymer and a polyhedral radical chemically bonded to a terminus of the polymer provides numerous processing and performance advantages. Further functionalization of this macromolecule also is described as being advantageous in certain circumstances. Methods of providing, functionalizing, and utilizing the macromolecule also are provided.

Abstract: A composition that includes functionalized polymers and particulate filler is provided. The composition includes at least three components: (1) a polymer that includes a first type of functionality such as a functional group including a primary or secondary amine functionality, (2) a polymer that includes a second type of functionality such as an alkoxysilane or other silica interacting functionality, and (3) at least two types of particulate filler. One of the functionalized polymers can be made in the presence of the other.

Abstract: A method for reducing or eliminating coding artifacts in video pictures processed using intra block prediction methods, for example, according to the H.264 standard. The causes of the coding artifacts are identified to be the intra prediction modes with prediction directions that are not in the direction of the raster scan. Filtering the affected blocks with a simple one-dimensional spatial filter will reduce or even eliminate these coding artifacts.

Abstract: A fast motion estimation system that determines a reference macroblock or sub-block combination within a reference frame for a current macroblock in a current frame includes a memory, a reference macroblock search circuit, a sub-block combination search circuit, and a comparator circuit. The reference macroblock search circuit determines a motion vector, multiple difference values, and a cost value for each macroblock within the reference frame according to a fast motion estimation search pattern, and stores the motion vector and the difference values in the memory. The sub-block combination search circuit searches the motion vector and the difference values in the memory for determining a corresponding one of multiple lowest cost sub-block combinations for each of multiple sub-block motion modes. The comparator circuit determines a lowest cost macroblock and selects from among the lowest cost macroblock and the lowest cost sub-block combinations to determine the reference macroblock.

Abstract: A functionalized polymer includes an elastomer, a terminal functional group including at least one heteroatom, and a unit intermediate the elastomer and the functional group; the intermediate unit includes a terminal moiety which, in its anionic form, is less basic than a secondary amino radical ion. Methods of making the functionalized polymer and of using it with particulate filler to make, e.g., a tire tread composition also are disclosed.