2836results about How to "Reduce the value" patented technology

A system and method to help maintain quality control and reduce cannibalization of accessories and attached probes in a highly sensitive patient monitor, such as a pulse oximetry system. One or more attached components may have information elements designed to designate what quality control mechanisms a patient monitor should look to find on that or another component or designate other components with which the one component may properly work. In a further embodiment, such information elements may also include data indicating the appropriate life of the component.

Methods and systems for dynamic spectrum access (DSA) in a wireless network are provided. A DSA-enabled device may sense spectrum use in a region and, based on the detected spectrum use, select one or more communication channels for use. The devices also may detect one or more other DSA-enabled devices with which they can form DSA networks. A DSA network may monitor spectrum use by cooperative and non-cooperative devices, to dynamically select one or more channels to use for communication while avoiding or reducing interference with other devices.

In the preferred embodiment, a gate dielectric and an electrode are formed on a substrate. A pair of spacers is formed along opposite sidewalls of the gate electrode and the gate dielectric. Spacers are preferably formed of SiCO based material or SiCN based material. The source and drain are then formed. A contact etch stop (CES) layer is formed on the source/drain regions and the spacers. The CES layer is preferably formed of SiCO based material or SiCN based material. An Inter-Level Dielectric (ILD) is then formed on the CES layer.

A smart card stores monetary values and selectively transfers monetary values to and receives monetary values from a compatible smart card. The smart card includes a data storage device that stores data representing monetary values. Control circuitry controls the transfer of the monetary values into the data storage device and controls the transfer of the monetary values out of the data storage device. A data transfer interface couples directly to a like interface on the compatible card to enable data to be transferred between the smart card and the compatible card. A system for electronic transfer of monetary values includes first and second smart cards. Each of the first and second smart cards includes a data storage device that stores data representing monetary values.

A masking material 13, which includes stripe-like openings 12 parallel to the [1-100] direction of a nitride semiconductor thin film, is formed on a substrate. Nitride semiconductor thin films 11 doped with Mg are grown on the openings 12 by selective-area growth. The nitride semiconductor thin films 11 are composed of a portion 14 formed as a result of the growth in the direction perpendicular to a (0001) principal plane, and a portion 15 formed as a result of the growth of {11-2x} facets (x=0, 1, 2). The Mg concentration of the portion 15 is made lower than that of the portion 14.

In an active-type electroluminescent (EL) display, a conductor interconnecting a cathode (55) of an EL panel (30, 40) and a connection terminal of a signal input substrate (35) has a multilayer structure formed of a cathode material and a conductive material used in a thin-film transistor forming step. The conductor may be formed of a conductive material used in a thin film transistor forming step. A metal material for a gate electrode or drain electrode is preferably used as the conductive material. The connection conductor structure can reduce the electrical resistance of the connection conductor, thus preventing a decrease in display intensity of an EL display.

In a semiconductor device, typically an active matrix display device, the structure of TFTs arranged in the respective circuits are made suitable in accordance with the function of the circuit, and along with improving the operating characteristics and the reliability of the semiconductor device, the manufacturing cost is reduced and the yield is increased by reducing the number of process steps. A semiconductor device has a semiconductor layer, an insulating film formed contacting the semiconductor layer, and a gate electrode having a tapered portion on the insulating film, in the semiconductor device, the semiconductor layer has a channel forming region, a first impurity region for forming a source region or a drain region and containing a single conductivity type impurity element, and a second impurity region for forming an LDD region contacting the channel forming region, a portion of the second impurity region is formed overlapping a gate electrode, and the concentration of the single conductivity type impurity element contained in the second impurity region becomes larger with distance from the channel forming region.

The present invention is a method and apparatus for effectuating commerce in claimant-driven individual pollution credits which allows gas utility consumers to claim pollution credit when reducing their pollution levels while employing energy efficiency measures, which has value. Such reduced pollution credit is given value by a third-party, thus, individuals, government agencies and related parties, working in concert with a third-party identify the need, establish ownership, calculate the pollution credit value, and create a new market that has economic value and environmental benefit.

A process for the recovery of ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene, and heavier hydrocarbon components from a hydrocarbon gas stream is disclosed. The stream is cooled and is thereafter expanded to the fractionation tower pressure and supplied to the fractionation tower at a lower mid-column feed position. A distillation stream is withdrawn from the column below the feed point of the stream and is then directed into heat exchange relation with the tower overhead vapor stream to cool the distillation stream and condense at least a part of it, forming a condensed stream. At least a portion of the condensed stream is directed to the fractionation tower at an upper mid-column feed position. A recycle stream is withdrawn from the tower overhead after it has been warmed and compressed. The compressed recycle stream is cooled sufficiently to substantially condense it, and is then expanded to the pressure of the fractionation tower and supplied to the tower at a top column feed position. The quantities and temperatures of the feeds to the fractionation tower are effective to maintain the overhead temperature of the fractionation tower at a temperature whereby the major portion of the desired components is recovered.

An antenna device of an interrogator which constitutes an automatic identification system by exchanging information with an IC tag attached to an object to be identified by electromagnetic coupling is disclosed. The antenna device comprises an antenna element, and a capacitor connected in series to the antenna element and having a variable capacitance to maintain a predetermined resonance frequency. The predetermined resonance frequency is maintained by switching taps on an antenna coil. Alternatively, the predetermined resonance frequency is maintained by switching taps on a tapped inductor or by a variable inductor.

An apparatus for imaging one or more selected fluorescence indications from a microfluidic device. The apparatus includes an imaging path coupled to least one chamber in at least one microfluidic device. The imaging path provides for transmission of one or more fluorescent emission signals derived from one or more samples in the at least one chamber of the at least one microfluidic device. The chamber has a chamber size, the chamber size being characterized by an actual spatial dimension normal to the imaging path. The apparatus also includes an optical lens system coupled to the imaging path. The optical lens system is adapted to transmit the one or more fluorescent signals associated with the chamber.

A variety of methods for driving electro-optic displays so as to reduce visible artifacts are described. Such methods include (a) applying a first drive scheme to a non-zero minor proportion of the pixels of the display and a second drive scheme to the remaining pixels, the pixels using the first drive scheme being changed at each transition; (b) using two different drive schemes on different groups of pixels so that pixels in differing groups undergoing the same transition will not experience the same waveform; (c) applying either a balanced pulse pair or a top-off pulse to a pixel undergoing a white-to-white transition and lying adjacent a pixel undergoing a visible transition; (d) driving extra pixels where the boundary between a driven and undriven area would otherwise fall along a straight line; and (e) driving a display with both DC balanced and DC imbalanced drive schemes, maintaining an impulse bank value for the DC imbalance and modifying transitions to reduce the impulse bank value.

A social graph is built which includes interactions, sharing activity, and connections between the users of the open Web and can be used to improve ad targeting and content personalization. Sharing activity between two users will affect ads or content that both users will be presented while surfing the Web. This sharing activity includes sending of links, sending of videos, sending of files, cutting and pasting of content, sending text messages, and sending of e-mails.

In a method and system for securitizing contracts valued on an index, a special purpose entity (SPE) is provided and holds as substantially all of its assets a derivative contract with a contract dealer. The contract has an initial notional value and is tied to an index related to items traded by a multilateral transactional execution facility, such as futures contracts traded on an exchange. The held contract is also scalable so that the notional value can be increased on demand in exchange for a corresponding payment to the contract dealer and decreased on demand in exchange for a corresponding payment from the contract dealer. The SPE issues exchange tradable securities that derive value based on the value of the contract held by the SPE. To issue additional shares, assets are contributed to the contract dealer who increases the notional value of the contract held by the SPE. The increase in value of the contract supports the issuance of additional shares. Shares are redeemed by terminating some or all of the contract whereby the contract dealer reduces the notional value and provides a termination payment based on the amount of the termination and the value of the index. In one embodiment, investors purchase shares by providing to the contract dealer both a cash payment and a futures contract, the combination having a value corresponding to the value of the shares to be issued, and where the futures contract can then be used by the contract dealer to hedge the forward contract between the contract dealer and the SPE.

This invention provides method and system for measuring changes in the brain activity of an individual by functional brain imaging methods for investigative purposes, e.g., detecting and assessing whether an individual is being truthful or deceptive, and/or whether an individual has a prior knowledge of a certain face or object. The invention combines recent progress in medical brain imaging, computing and neuroscience to produce an accurate and objective method of detection of deception and concealed prior knowledge based on an automated analysis of the direct measurements of brain activity. Applying the paradigm developed from the deception model, and applying it to an individual viewing media information (e.g., audiovisual messages or movies, or announcements), the data is used to interpret the effect of the information on that individual. This permits the effective manipulation of the content of the media segments to achieve maximal desired impact in target populations or on specific individuals.

The present invention resides in an electronic gaming system comprising gaming parameters defining one or more gaming characters or entities, the system providing means whereby at least one skill type attribute is associated with a gaming character/entity, the system providing means whereby a changing aptitude level value is associated with the skill type attribute, the system providing for means, responsive to the gaming character electing to execute a gaming move using skill type attribute, reducing the aptitude level value by a predetermined amount. The present invention makes efficient use of memory, which in a mobile gaming platform such as a mobile phone is often limited by allowing for more involved and enhanced gameplay without substantially increasing the requirement for memory or processing power. Furthermore, the gaming system of the present invention provides for a compact and manageable gaming solution particularly suitable for mobile gaming.

A photovoltaic module-mounted AC inverter circuit uses one or more integrated circuits, several power transistors configured as switches, several solid-dielectric capacitors for filtering and energy storage, several inductors for power conversion and ancillary components to support the above elements in operation. The integrated circuit includes all monitoring, control and communications circuitry needed to operate the inverter. The integrated circuit controls the activity of pulse-width modulated power handling transistors in both an input boost converter and a single-phase or multi-phase output buck converter. The integrated circuit also monitors all power processing voltages and currents of the inverter and can take appropriate action to limit power dissipation in the inverter, maximize the available power from the associated PV module and shut down the inverter output if the grid conditions so warrant. The integrated circuit implements power line communications by monitoring the AC wiring for signals and generating communications signals via the same pulse-width modulation system used to generate the AC power. Communications is used to report inverter and PV module status information, local identification code and to allow for remote control of inverter operation.

A thermal interface material includes a matrix and a plurality of carbon nanotubes. The matrix includes a first surface and an opposite second surface. The carbon nanotubes are embedded in the matrix uniformly. The carbon nanotubes extend from the first surface to the second surface and each have two opposite ends. At least one of the two opposite ends of the carbon nanotubes is exposed out of one of the first and second surfaces of the matrix. The exposed ends of the carbon nanotubes being elastically bent/embedded in a phase change layer formed thereon.

An elastic wave device includes a supporting substrate, a high-acoustic-velocity film stacked on the supporting substrate and in which an acoustic velocity of a bulk wave propagating therein is higher than an acoustic velocity of an elastic wave propagating in a piezoelectric film, a low-acoustic-velocity film stacked on the high-acoustic-velocity film and in which an acoustic velocity of a bulk wave propagating therein is lower than an acoustic velocity of a bulk wave propagating in the piezoelectric film, the piezoelectric film is stacked on the low-acoustic-velocity film, and an IDT electrode stacked on a surface of the piezoelectric film.

A three-stage electronic ballast for metal halide lamps mainly comprises a step-up converter, a step-down converter and a full-bridge DC-AC converter, wherein the step-down converter operates an inductor in a continuous boundary current mode to achieve reducing power loss and enhancing efficiency. Equipped with a micro processor, the electronic ballast further possesses the function of power regulation. The electronic ballast can be added with various protective functions without complex control circuits and sensing elements, thereby becoming a high-quality and low-cost electronic ballast for metal halide lamps.