6865 results about "Improved method" patented technology

Various embodiments for improved power devices as well as their methods of manufacture, packaging and circuitry incorporating the same for use in a wide variety of power electronic applications are disclosed. One aspect of the invention combines a number of charge balancing techniques and other techniques for reducing parasitic capacitance to arrive at different embodiments for power devices with improved voltage performance, higher switching speed, and lower on-resistance. Another aspect of the invention provides improved termination structures for low, medium and high voltage devices. Improved methods of fabrication for power devices are provided according to other aspects of the invention. Improvements to specific processing steps, such as formation of trenches, formation of dielectric layers inside trenches, formation of mesa structures and processes for reducing substrate thickness, among others, are presented. According to another aspect of the invention, charge balanced power devices incorporate temperature and current sensing elements such as diodes on the same die. Other aspects of the invention improve equivalent series resistance (ESR) for power devices, incorporate additional circuitry on the same chip as the power device and provide improvements to the packaging of charge balanced power devices.

A piston-type infusion pump is provided having an improved method of occlusion detection. The infusion pump includes processing circuitry for controlling the drive mechanism to infuse medication to a patient, including a sensor to track the position of the syringe plunger, thereby metering the amount of medication dispensed to the patient. The processing circuitry also includes a force sensor for providing signals indicative of the presence of occlusions along the infusion path. The operation of the drive mechanism causes delivery of medication to the patient. The infusion pump is constructed to be watertight.

Improved methods and systems for position acquisition and/or monitoring are disclosed. The position acquisition and/or monitoring can be performed with improved intelligence so that data acquisition, transmission and/or processing is reduced. As a result, the position acquisition and/or monitoring is able to be performed in a power efficient manner.

Improved approaches to providing on-line appointments over a network are disclosed. The network is, for example, a global computer network such as the Internet. One of the improved approaches provides various notifications to requestors pertaining to appointments with individuals or businesses (e.g., service providers). In one implementation, the notifications can be provided by electronic mail. Another of the improved approaches allows notifications pertaining to requested appointments to be provided to service providers that have not previously registered to receive on-line appointments.

This invention is directed to an improved method for preventing deposition residue buildup on the internal surfaces of an ALD reactor chamber. In an ALD deposition process, the surfaces of a substrate are treated with an initiating precursor generating a labile atom reactive with a deposition precursor. Excess initiating precursor is removed from the reactor and the substrate surface then is exposed to a deposition precursor reactive with the labile atom under conditions for generating a fugitive reaction product containing the labile atom and leaving a deposition product. The process is repeated generating alternate layers of initiation and deposition precursor reaction products. The improvement in the ALD process resides in passivating the internal surfaces of the reactor by removing labile atoms reactable with either the initiating or deposition precursors prior to effecting ALD deposition.

Improved methods and apparatuses for removing residue from the interior surfaces of the deposition reactor are provided. The methods involve increasing availability of cleaning reagent radicals inside the deposition chamber by generating cleaning reagent radicals in a remote plasma generator and then further delivering in-situ plasma energy while the cleaning reagent mixture is introduced into the deposition chamber. Certain embodiments involve a multi-stage process including a stage in which the cleaning reagent mixture is introduced at a high pressure (e.g., about 0.6 Torr or more) and a stage the cleaning reagent mixture is introduced at a low pressure (e.g., about 0.6 Torr or less).

Improved method of and apparatus for aggregating data elements in multidimensional databases (MDDB). In one aspect of the present invention, the apparatus is realized in the form of a high-performance stand-alone (i.e. external) aggregation server which can be plugged-into conventional OLAP systems to achieve significant improments in system performance. In accordance with the principles of the present invention, the stand-alone aggregation server contains a scalable MDDB and a high-performance aggregation engine that are integrated into the modular architecture of the aggregation server. The stand-alone aggregation server of the present invention can uniformly distribute data elements among a plurality of processors, for balanced loading and processing, and therefore is highly scalable. The stand-alone aggregation server of the present invention can be used to realize (i) an improved MDDB for supporting on-line analytical processing (OLAP) operations, (ii) an improved Internet URL Directory for supporting on-line information searching operations by Web-enabled client machines, as well as (iii) diverse types of MDDB-based systems for supporting real-time control of processes in response to complex states of information reflected in the MDDB. In another aspect of the present invention, the apparatus is integrated within a database management system (DBMS). The improved DBMS can be used to realize achieving a significant increase in system performance (e.g. deceased access/search time), user flexibility and ease of use. The improved DBMS system of the present invention can be used to realize an improved Data Warehouse for supporting on-line analytical processing (OLAP) operations or to realize an improved informational database system, operational database system, or the like.

The present invention provides methods to promote the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells. In particular, the present invention provides an improved method for the formation of pancreatic endoderm, pancreatic hormone expressing cells and pancreatic hormone secreting cells. The present invention also provides methods to promote the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells without the use of a feeder cell layer.

An improved method of and apparatus for real-time continual nanometer scale position measurement by beam probing as by laser beams and the like, both fixed and oscillating or scanning, over an atomic and other undulating surface such as gratings or the like, relatively moving with respect to the probing beams; and providing, where desired, increased detection speeds, improved positioning sensing response, freedom from or relaxed requirements of strict control on probing oscillation amplitude, and multi-dimensional position measurement with focused beam probes and the like.

Improved methods for synthesis of oligonucleotides and other phosphorus-linked oligomers are disclosed. The methods include the use of aromatic solvents, alkyl aromatic solvents, halogenated aromatic solvents, halogenated alkyl aromatic solvents, or aromatic ether solvents to achieve deprotection of protected hydroxyl groups.

Improved methods and systems for passivating a surface of a high-mobility semiconductor and structures and devices formed using the methods are disclosed. The method includes providing a high-mobility semiconductor surface to a chamber of a reactor and exposing the high-mobility semiconductor surface to a gas-phase chalcogen precursor to passivate the high-mobility semiconductor surface.

This invention relates to providing a system for improved methods of promoting, forming and managing Internet-based communities on the Internet through and within standard web pages without requiring the installation of additional software on a user's computer or on web sites where the system is implemented by using the latest software tools, presentation techniques and Internet communication methods. Additionally, this invention provides real time monitoring of user counts to all visitors and web page owners when a page with the embedded URL is accessed. In particular, this invention permits web page visitors to initiate and participate in anonymous ad hoc chat sessions initiated from a selected web page. Additionally, this invention provides a web-based location which permits Internet users to join and participate in Internet-based communities and the related activities such as messaging other members, participating in member chat sessions and web resource sharing without the need to install software.

Disclosed are improved methods of making and using immobilized arrays of nucleic acids, particularly methods for producing replicas of such arrays. Included are methods for producing high density arrays of nucleic acids and replicas of such arrays, as well as methods for preserving the resolution of arrays through rounds of replication. Also included are methods which take advantage of the availability of replicas of arrays for increased sensitivity in detection of sequences on arrays. Improved methods of sequencing nucleic acids immobilized on arrays utilizing single copies of arrays and methods taking further advantage of the availability of replicas of arrays are disclosed. The improvements lead to higher fidelity and longer read lengths of sequences immobilized on arrays. Methods are also disclosed which improve the efficiency of multiplex PCR using arrays of immobilized nucleic acids.

The present invention provides a system and method for input of images containing faces for accessing, linking, and or visualizing multiple similar facial images and associated electronic data for innovative new on-line commercialization, medical and training uses. The system uses various image capturing devices and communication devices to capture images and enter them into a facial image recognition search engine. Embedded facial image recognition techniques within the image recognition search engine extract facial images and encode the extracted facial images in a computer readable format. The processed facial images are then entered for comparison into at least one database populated with facial images and associated information. Once the newly captured facial images are matched with similar “best-fit match” facial images in the facial image recognition search engine's database, the “best-fit” matching images and each image's associated information are returned to the user. Additionally, the newly captured facial image can be automatically linked to the “best-fit” matching facial images, along with comparisons calculated, and/or visualized. Key new use innovations of the system include but are not limited to: input of user selected facial images for use finding multiple similar celebrity look-a-likes, with automatic linking that return the look-a-like celebrities' similar images, associated electronic information, and convenient opportunities to purchase fashion, jewelry, products and services to better mimic your celebrity look-a-likes; health monitoring and diagnostic use by conveniently organizing and superimposing periodically captured patient images for health professionals to view progress of patients; entirely new classes of semi-transparent superimposed training your face to mimic other similar faces, such as mimic celebrity look-a-like cosmetic applications, and or facial expressions; intuitive automatic linking of similar facial images for enhanced information technology in the context of enhanced and improved organization, classification, and fast retrieval objects and advantages; and an improved method of facial image based indexing and retrieval of information from the web-crawler or spider searched Web, USENET, and other resources to provide new types of intuitive easy to use searching, and/or combined use with current key-word searching for optimized searching.

An improved method for detecting truth or deceit (15) comprising providing a video camera (18) adapted to record images of a subject's (16) face, recording images of the subject's face, providing a mathematical model (62) of a face defined by a set of facial feature locations and textures, providing a mathematical model of facial behaviors (78, 82, 98, 104) that correlate to truth or deceit, comparing (64) the facial feature locations to the image (29) to provide a set of matched facial feature locations (70), comparing (77, 90, 94, 100) the mathematical model of facial behaviors to the matched facial feature locations, and providing a deceit indication as a function of the comparison (78, 91, 95, 101 or 23).

The immunoglobulins of the present invention are useful therapeutic immunoglobulins against mucosal pathogens such as S. mutans. The immunoglobulins contain a protection protein that protects the immunoglobulins in the mucosal environment. The invention also includes the greatly improved method of producing immunoglobulins in plants by producing the protection protein in the same cell as the other components of the immunoglobulins. The components of the immunoglobulin are assembled at a much improved efficiency. The method of the invention allows the assembly and high efficiency production of such complex molecules. The invention also contemplates the production of immunoglobulins containing protection proteins in a variety of cells, including plant cells, that can be selected for useful additional properties. The use of immunoglobulins containing protection proteins as therapeutic antibodies against mucosal and other pathogens is also contemplated.