US09120296B2

A method of applying graphics to a set of articles with a graphic transfer assembly is disclosed. The method includes a step of selecting an article from a set of articles comprising different types of articles. After selecting a last that may be associated with the article, the last may be attached to a last assembly of the graphic transfer assembly. With the article attached to the graphic transfer assembly, a deformable membrane may apply graphics to curved portions of the article.
US09120295B2

Chitosan films that have been treated with a polyhydroxyalkyl compound and washed, and laminates made from the films are provided. This treatment lessens the film shrinkage. The films and laminates can be used to make a variety of finished articles that can be used to provide protection from hazardous chemical and biological agents.
US09120291B2

A textile semi-finished product for a textile fiber composite structure is produced by a method wherein roving pieces (2, 4, 7, 10, 11, 12) with a defined length and width are deposited at a defined position depending on the end product and overlapping. The roving pieces (2, 4, 7, 10, 11, 12) are arranged and fixed with one end at a defined angle to a reference axis adjacent to one another on a plastically deformable flat carrier material (1, 6). After depositing a first row of roving pieces (2, 4, 7, 10, 11, 12), the depositing of the roving pieces (2, 4, 7, 10, 11, 12) in following rows takes place such that the ends of the roving pieces that are in each case not connected to the carrier material (1, 6) overlap the previously deposited roving pieces (2, 4, 7, 10, 11, 12) in the manner of roof tiles or scales, the roving pieces not being connected to one another to ensure a mutual displaceability.
US09120288B2

The pattern forming method of the invention includes (i) forming a film using an actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition containing a resin (P) having a repeating unit (a) represented by the following general formula (I), a compound (B) capable of generating an organic acid upon irradiation with actinic rays or radiation, and a nitrogen-containing organic compound (NA) having a group capable of leaving by the action of an acid, (ii) exposing the film, and (iii) developing the film after the exposure using a developer including an organic solvent to form a negative type pattern, in the general formula (I), R0 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, and each of R1, R2, and R3 independently represents a linear or branched alkyl group.
US09120285B2

A sheet feeder of a corrugated paperboard box making machine includes a sheet feed table, feed rolls, an adjusting mechanism, a main unit, and a backing roller. The adjusting mechanism holds support plates pivotally supporting both ends of a first feed roll opposed to a second feed roll having an axis fixed to the main unit so as to allow an axis of the first feed roll to move with respect to the main unit. The support plates support a first backing roller via a connecting member connecting the support plates so that the first backing roller contacts with an outer peripheral surface of the first feed roll.
US09120271B2

A maintenance method and apparatus based on reliability centered maintenance, applied for example to a military aircraft, include the following steps performed in a feedback manner: i) performing RCM; ii) feeding outcomes derived from performing the RCM to an update process; iii) performing the update process to provide update data for performing the RCM; and iv) inputting the update data into the performing of the RCM. The method can carry out a maintenance action selected by and/or or at a time and/or extent specified by the performing of the RCM; the outcomes that are fed to the update process including outcomes from the maintenance action that is carried out. The maintenance method thereby can provide a continuously updating RCM process.
US09120269B2

A device and a method are described for feeding a material layer onto a construction platform, or onto at least one material layer located on the construction platform, for producing an object, which is mounted to linearly move relative to a material reservoir and the construction platform along a motion plane. A circulating band is stretched around at least two molded bodies and contacts the molded bodies at least in segments. A drive circulates the band around the at least two bodies. The band has a band segment which can be fixedly in position relative to at least one body in the longitudinal section around the at least two molded bodies. At least the segments contact the material stored in the material reservoir during the linear motion from the material reservoir to the construction platform so that at least a part of the material is stripped off from the material reservoir and is applied as the material layer to the construction platform to compress the material layer.
US09120265B2

A nanoimprint lithography method includes the following steps. First, a first sacrifice layer, a second sacrifice layer and a nanoimprint resist are formed on a substrate. The nanoimprint resist includes a hyperbranched polyurethane oligomer, a perfluoropolyether; a methylmethacrylate, and a diluent solvent. Second, a master stamp with a first nanopattern formed by a number of projecting portions and gaps is provided, and the first nanopattern is pressed into the nanoimprint resist to form a second nanopattern in the nanoimprint resist. Third, the second nanopattern is transferred to the substrate.
US09120264B2

A disclosed injection molding machine includes an ejector rod that is used to protrude a molding product from a mold, a driving source that moves the ejector rod in an axial direction of the ejector rod, a controller that controls the driving source, a position detector that detects the position of the ejector rod, and an operations unit that receives an input operation input by a user, wherein the controller sets up a current position of the ejector rod, which is detected by the position detector when the operations unit receives a first button operation operated by the user, to be a waiting position of the ejector rod after protruding the ejector rod or to be a protruding position of the ejector rod.
US09120238B2

To allow trimming body hair by pulling as well as pushing with the same hair trimmer device (1), its comb unit (6) is positioned over the trimming head (16) in at least two different positions (8, 9), one (8) pulling and one pushing position (9). In particular, in the different comb positions (8, 9), the tips (20) of the comb unit's fins (13) point in the direction of the respective movement. Preferably, the comb unit (6) is removably attached. In a preferred embodiment, the trimming head (16) includes shaving means (18) besides trimming means (19).
US09120235B2

In electric scissors, a rotating motion of a motor (21) is converted into a linear motion, and a link mechanism (A) is operated to open and close blades (11, 12) by the linear motion. The electric scissors includes a current control unit (110) that controls an electric current value to the motor (21), and a detection unit (120) that detects that an angle between the blades (11, 12) becomes a predetermined angle. The current control unit (110) changes an upper limit of the electric current value to be supplied to the motor (21) when the detection unit (120) detects that the angle between the blades (11, 12) becomes the predetermined angle.
US09120233B2

The systems and methods are directed to mechanical arms and manipulators, and more particularly, to optical distance sensors in use for approach, grasping and manipulation. The system may include a manipulator having an arm and a multi fingered end-effector coupled to the distal end of the arm. The end-effector may include an optical proximity sensor configured to detect the distance to an object prior to contact with the object. The end-effector may include an optical proximity sensor configured detect a measurement of force applied to the object by the manipulator post contact with the object. The measurement of force may be a range of force measurements including a minimum, a maximum and a measurement between or within the minimum and the maximum.
US09120219B1

A tool case includes a case, a cover, and a buckle plate. The case has a bottom, a front, a rear, and two side walls. A positioning fringe is formed on an inner face of the rear wall. The cover is pivotally disposed on the case and has a combination recess near the rear wall. The combination recess has a blocking fringe and two lateral fringes. The buckle plate is slidably disposed on the two lateral fringes. The buckle plate has a abutting margin near the blocking fringe and a positioning margin near the positioning fringe. Two slots are formed on the abutting margin to define a resilient portion whose free end has buckle element to buckle to the blocking fringe. Thus, the buckle plate tends to move toward the rear wall to make the positioning fringe buckle to the positioning margin.
US09120216B2

A working component for mating with multiple shaft ends includes a body portion and a clamping portion which is connected to the body portion and suitable for mounting the working component to the shaft ends. The body portion has a work piece processing area for acting on the work piece to be processed and the clamping portion has a mounting hole with a longitudinal axis Y. The clamping portion includes a support portion and a mating portion which are overlapped along the direction of the longitudinal axis Y.
US09120212B2

A ratchet includes multiple ratchet teeth defined in the outer periphery thereof and a coated layer is coated along the outer periphery of the ratchet. A sand blasting device is used to blast sands to remove a part of the coated layer to define a circular endless opening on the coated layer, and the ratchet teeth protrude the coated layer from the openings.
US09120211B2

A ratchet wrench includes a head. A gear wheel, a first pawl, and a second pawl are disposed in a chamber defined in the head. The gear wheel has an outer periphery thereof including a plurality of teeth extended circumferentially outwardly therefrom. The first and second pawls each include a lateral side thereof including third and fourth plurality of teeth respectively extended outwardly therefrom. The first and second pawls are disposed one above the other. The first and second pawls are respectively biased by first and second biasing mechanisms. The first and second pawls are alternatively engaged with the gear wheel when it is operably turned.
US09120200B2

A polishing slurry can include zirconia particles. The polishing slurry can be used to polish conductive and insulating materials, and is particularly well suited for polishing oxide materials as well as metals. The characteristics of the zirconia particles can affect the polishing of workpieces. By selecting the proper characteristics, the polishing slurry can have a good material removal rate while still providing an acceptable surface finish. The zirconia particles can be used as a replacement for, or in conjunction with, ceria or other abrasive particles. The content of zirconia particles in the polishing slurry may be less than a comparable polishing slurry having silica or alumina particles.
US09120199B2

A polishing liquid composition that makes it possible to provide a polished substrate surface on which scratches and/or waviness are reduced, without impairing productivity, is provided, and further, a method for manufacturing and polishing a substrate using this polishing liquid composition is provided. The polishing liquid composition contains an abrasive, a water-soluble polymer, and water, wherein the water-soluble polymer has a sulfonic acid group, and has an aromatic ring in each of a main chain and a side chain. The method for manufacturing a substrate, and the method for polishing a substrate, include performing polishing by supplying the above-described polishing liquid composition to a surface to be polished of a substrate to be polished, bringing a polishing pad into contact with the surface to be polished, and moving the polishing pad and/or the substrate to be polished.
US09120197B2

A handheld power tool and a removable accessory, which is changeable without requiring extra tools, include various elements. For example, the handheld power tool includes a platen having an aperture therein and a locking mechanism coupled with the platen. The locking mechanism includes a cam member. The removable accessory includes a tab that fits into the aperture and that is engagable by the cam member to bias the removable accessory into abutting contact with the platen to securely couple the removable accessory with the tool.
US09120193B2

Disclosed is a method and apparatus for polishing an edge of an article involving providing at least one carrier including: first and second opposing surfaces defining a groove, the first and second opposing surfaces being spaced apart in a first direction to receive the edge; and magnetic field generator configured to provide a magnetic field in the groove to stiffen magnetorheological (MR) fluid disposed in the groove to provide at least one polishing zone; receiving the edge in the polishing zone; and driving relative motion between the at least one carrier and the edge in a second direction substantially transverse to the first direction.
US09120189B2

The invention provides a method of making a piece of metal reinforcement for mounting on the leading or trailing edge of a composite turbine engine blade, the method comprising the steps consisting in positioning two metal sheets (1) on either side of a core (2), in shaping the sheets (1) on the core (2) by hot isostatic compression, and in cutting the sheets (1) in order to separate the reinforcement along at least one line of cut and in order to release the core. The core (2) has projecting sacrificial zones (13), with the sheets (1) being cut along the sacrificial zones (13) without degrading the remainder of the core (2).
US09120185B2

A workpiece support apparatus is provided with a plurality of support members. The support members support a workpiece. Each support member moves along a moving path to a machining position while the support member is held at a first holding position for supporting the workpiece or a second holding position which is spaced apart from the first holding position. At least one support member is displaced from the first holding position to the second holding position or from the second holding position to the first holding position along a machining trajectory, before the support member arrives at the machining position whenever each support member is moved to the machining position.
US09120173B2

A method of bonding a first component (10) comprising a titanium-containing alloy to a second metal component (12), wherein a coating layer (14,16) is applied to each of the first and second components in the region to be bonded. The coating layers (14,16) comprise a precious metal. An intermediate metallic layer (18) is interposed between the coating layer (14) of the first component and the coating layer (16) of the second component. The respective coating layers are held in contact with the intermediate layer (18) and the coating layers and the intermediate layer are heated to initiate melting of at least one of said layers so as to form a bond between the first and second components by brazing.
US09120169B2

A method for fabricating a flip-chip semiconductor package. The method comprises processing a semiconductor device, for example a semiconductor chip and processing a device carrier, for example a substrate. The semiconductor device comprises bump structures formed on a surface thereof. The substrate comprises bond pads formed on a surface thereof. Processing of the semiconductor chip results in heating of the semiconductor chip to a chip process temperature. The chip process temperature melts solder portions on the bump structures Processing of the substrate results in heating of the substrate to a substrate process temperature. The method comprises spatially aligning the semiconductor chip in relation to the substrate to correspondingly align the bump structures in relation to the bump pads. The semiconductor chip is then displaced towards the substrate for abutting the bump structures of the semiconductor chip with the bond pads of the substrate to thereby form bonds therebetween. A system for performing the above method is also disclosed.
US09120156B2

A rhombus-shaped cutting insert has opposing upper and lower surfaces, and a peripheral side surface extending therebetween having alternating obtuse and acute corner surfaces separated by four relief surfaces. The cutting insert is removably secured in an insert receiving pocket of a tool holder and indexable about a central axis. A nose cutting edge is formed at the intersection of one of the upper and lower surfaces with each of the two acute corner surfaces. One of the upper and lower surfaces has an engagement surface having a single primary and four secondary engagement elements. The primary and secondary engagement elements or portions thereof, exhibit mirror symmetry about primary and secondary engagement planes. The primary engagement plane contains the central axis and intersects each nose cutting edge, and each secondary engagement plane does not contain the central axis and forms an acute engagement angle with the primary engagement plane.
US09120145B2

There is disclosed an oil type release agent for metal casting includes 0-7.5% by mass of water consisting of one or two kinds of water selected from distilled water, ion-exchange kinds of water, tap water and water includes any one of aforementioned kinds of water and electrolyte(s) dissolved in any one of aforementioned kinds of water, and 0.3-30% by mass of a solubilizing agent, a spray method using the oil type release agent, and an electrostatic spray apparatus.
US09120141B2

A fastener dispensing apparatus includes a body that defines a punch path and at least partially surrounds a punch that includes forward and rearward portions. The punch reciprocates between retracted and advanced positions in which the tip of the forward portion extends from an end of the punch path to drive a fastener towards the workpiece. A fastener feed path extends transverse to the punch path and is defined by a surface of the body, the fastener feed path receives an elongate carrier of fasteners. A fastener feeding device sequentially feeds fasteners along the fastener feed path and into alignment with the end of the punch path. An actuator is drivable by the reciprocal movement of the rearward portion of the punch. An engagement member engages the carrier and is moveable relative to the body.
US09120139B2

The present invention provides a method of forming a solid projection having excellent mechanical properties on a metal member without supplying thermal energy from the outside, and a projection-forming device and a metal part having a projection manufactured thereby. The means for solving the problems is characterized in that the means is comprised of the processes of pressing the distal end 13a of the processing jig 13 having the hole-opening and a cavity 13b at the distal end against the surface of the metal member workpiece 111 and rotating the metal member workpiece 111 and the processing jig 13 in the direction relatively counter to the other to generate friction heat causing thereby plastic flow into the cavity through the hole-opening 13b.
US09120137B2

A stamping apparatus includes a lower die defining a cavity, with a land portion surrounding the cavity. A movable upper die includes a drawing punch that corresponds to the cavity. A binder movable towards the land portion of the lower die engages an edge portion of the blank, wherein the land portion of the lower die and the movable binder each include a plurality of beads that crimp the edge portion of the blank when the movable binder engages the edge portion of the blank. The plurality of beads are oriented orthogonal to a terminal edge of the edge portion. By orienting the plurality of beads in this manner, the crimped edge portion of the blank is allowed to move inboard towards the cavity when the blank is engaged by the drawing punch before being constrained by a throat portion defined by the binder and the lower die.
US09120130B2

A sorting apparatus comprising a frame, a sorting surface assembly, a roller control assembly, a first movable cam surface adjustment assembly and a drive assembly. The sorting apparatus is configured, through adjustment of the sorting surface by the roller control assembly, to separate small particles and articles, such as fruit berries, based on the relative size thereof.
US09120123B2

A spray nozzle 10 for a laser deposition apparatus comprises an array of nozzle apertures 16 arranged side-by-side, and a powder supply chamber 18 in fluid communication with the nozzle apertures 16. In use the powder supply chamber 18 supplies powder to the nozzle apertures 16 under pressure so as to cause a wide powder stream to be discharged from the array of nozzle apertures 16. When used with a laser deposition apparatus 100, a relatively wide coating of a uniform thickness can be deposited.
US09120111B2

A rotary sprinkler including a rotatable nozzle turret with automatic matched precipitation to an arc of rotation, a nozzle purge feature, and/or a flow shut off valve coupled to a variable flow nozzle outlet.
US09120108B2

A device for dispensing liquids in the form of foam. The device including a container and a foam engine having a gas inlet, a liquid inlet and a foam discharge. The device also including a vent comprising a switchable valve between the environment and the interior of the device container.
US09120107B1

Femtoliter to milliliter volumes of one or a plurality of different liquids are accurately transported, dispensed and/or treated where the fluids are energized purely electrokinetically or in a hybrid mode where auxiliary coordinated energy sources including but not limited to pneumatic, piezoelectric; peristaltic; ultrasonic; thermal; gravitational, acoustic are employed concurrently or sequentially to transport liquids for various purposes from diverse devices to targets of all types being made of a conductive, non-conductive or semiconductive materials. Liquids in nested Gaussian surfaces or common liquid handling devices (e.g., syringes, pipettes, pumps) or more complicated devices (Nanoscreen's syringes or Roche's polypipetter) can be energized by use of one source of energy and also by electric induction or conduction of lumen or targets or both and are optionally concurrently or sequentially combined with non electrical energy to effect highly accurate volumetric and spatial liquid transport with active or passive flight direction yielding non touch or touch liquid sample placement, parallel dispensing, with or without filtration, SPE, LC, or other treatment technologies and for scientific instrument introduction for IBF, MALD, DESI, DART and other sample introduction and for drug delivery, diagnostics, manufacturing of products, product tagging, sample preparation or related applications.
US09120087B2

The present invention includes a catalyst for a fuel cell which contains a transition element core, and a surface layer that contains at least one selected from the group including platinum, a platinum-transition element alloy, and a combination thereof, and that exists on the surface of the core. The catalyst being prepared without a surfactant.
US09120078B2

The invention provides a process for the preparation of an olefinic product, the process comprising reacting an oxygenate feedstock in the presence of formulated oxygenate conversion catalyst particles to produce the olefinic product, the formulated catalyst particles comprising a combination of at least a molecular sieve having one-dimensional 10-membered ring channels and a matrix wherein a Group II metal species has been added to the catalyst particles after the combination of said molecular sieve and the matrix. Further a process for the manufacture of formulated oxygenate conversion catalyst particles, comprising combining of at least a molecular sieve having one-dimensional 10-membered ring channels and a matrix to form catalyst particles, and adding a Group II metal species to the catalyst particles after the combination of said molecular sieve and the matrix; and also oxygenate conversion catalyst particles comprising a combination of at least a molecular sieve having one-dimensional 10-membered ring channels, a further molecular sieve having more-dimensional channels, a matrix, and a Group II metal species.
US09120075B2

Apparatus for the removal of exhaust gases are provided herein. In some embodiments, an exhaust apparatus may include a housing defining an inner volume, an inlet and an outlet formed in the housing to facilitate flow of an exhaust gas through the inner volume, wherein the inlet is configured to be coupled to an exhaust outlet of a semiconductor process chamber to receive the exhaust gas therefrom, and wherein the exhaust gas can flow through the inner volume substantially free from obstruction, an ultraviolet light source to provide ultraviolet energy to the exhaust gas present the inner volume during use, wherein the ultraviolet light source provides sufficient energy to at least partially decompose the exhaust gas, and a conduit coupled to the outlet and configured allow at least some ultraviolet energy provided from the ultraviolet light source to travel directly along an axial length of the conduit.
US09120074B2

The disclosure provides a laminate paper comprising a treated inorganic core particle, in particular treated titanium dioxide (TiO2) particle, having improved dispersability, prepared by a process comprising: (a) heating a slurry comprising porous silica treated inorganic core particle and water at a temperature of at least about 90° C.; and (b) adding a soluble alumina source to the slurry from step (a) while maintaining the pH at about 8.0 to 9.5 to form an alumina treatment on the porous silica treated inorganic core particle; wherein the treated inorganic core particle does not comprise dense silica or alumina treatments, and has silica present in the amount of about 7% to about 14% and alumina present in the amount of about 4.0% to about 8.0%; and wherein the particle to particle surface treatments are substantially homogeneous.
US09120063B2

A stirrer having a motor; a hollow shaft that is drivable via the motor and is provided with at least one additive outlet opening, via which an additive passed through the hollow shaft can be discharged; and a rotor arranged on the hollow shaft and having rotor blades, characterized in that a second rotor having rotor blades is provided on the hollow shaft at a distance from the first rotor, and in that the at least one additive outlet opening is provided between the two rotors, wherein the rotors are designed and drivable such that, during operation, a negative pressure and a centrifugal force are generated in the intermediate space defined between the rotors.
US09120061B2

A process for a stream of substances containing at least one valuable substance including (A) amino acids, (B) carboxylic acids, and (C) inorganic salts includes: (1) treating the stream by nanofiltration to obtain a retentate enriched with valuable substance (A); (2) treating the permeate of step (1) by electrodialysis in order to obtain a concentrate enriched with valuable substance (C); (3) treating the diluate of step (2) using a system (3) of two stages (4) and (5) which are directly or indirectly interconnected, wherein (4) one treatment is performed by reverse osmosis and (5) one treatment is performed by electrodialysis, whereby a concentrate enriched with valuable substance (B) is obtained, (6) at least a portion of the retentate of step (4) is directly or indirectly supplied to step (5) and (7) at least a portion of the diluate of step (5) is directly or indirectly supplied to step (4).
US09120053B2

The present invention pertains to a polyolefin-composite hollow-fiber membrane and a manufacturing method for the same, said polyolefin-composite hollow-fiber membrane having: a homogenous membrane layer formed from polyolefins having a metal flow rate measured in accordance with JIS K7210 code D of 1.0 g/10 minutes, or less, and an Mw/Mn ratio of not more than 4.0; and a porous membrane layer which is formed from polyolefins having an Mw/Mn ratio of 8.0-12.0. The present invention also pertains to a hollow-fiber membrane module which is equipped with the polyolefin-composite hollow-fiber membrane. The present invention enables the provision of a polyolefin-composite hollow-fiber membrane, a manufacturing method for the same and a hollow-fiber membrane module; the polyolefin-composite hollow-fiber membrane has excellent solvent resistance and gas permeability, and when used in the deaeration of dissolved gas in a drug solution, can suppress leakage of the drug solution to a high degree, and can efficiently reduce the amount of dissolved gas.
US09120050B2

Systems and methods associated with providing a concentrated product gas utilizing a vacuum swing adsorption process are provided. In one embodiment, the system includes first and second sieve beds, a scavenger pump, and a controller. In one embodiment, the method includes: separating one or more adsorbable components from a source gaseous mixture via first and second sieve beds in alternating and opposing filling and purging cycles of a vacuum swing adsorption process to form the concentrated product gas and pressurizing the concentrated gas for delivery to a user. Other embodiments include selectively controlling a variable restrictor based at least in part on a desired output setting to selectively provide flow between the first and second sieve beds such that the flow for at least one output setting is different from the flow for at least one other output setting in relation to corresponding filling cycles.
US09120046B2

This disclosure describes examples of a filter media for use in filter devices, e.g., pulse filter cartridges found in power generating systems. Embodiments of the filter media include a base media and a membrane, which partially covers one or both sides of the base media. In one embodiment, the membrane covers a membrane area of at least one side of the base media, wherein the membrane area is less than a total area of the side on which the membrane is disposed.
US09120037B2

Adsorptive bed devices include a scaffold in housing having a stress absorbing rigid structure and open cells filled with adsorptive beads. The scaffold restricts movement of the plurality of adsorptive beads, absorbs compressive stress induced by a hydraulic pressure gradient along a direction of liquid flow and transfers a portion of the induced compressive stress to the housing. In one embodiment the adsorptive bed in packed into a chromatography column, and in another embodiment the adsorptive bed is sealed in a monolithic block.
US09120031B2

Embodiments of the invention provide a composition of a particulate coformulation which includes particles containing an active substance and an additive, wherein each particle contains a relative additive concentration increasing radially outwards from a particle center to a particle surface along a finite gradient. In one example, the particle surface is an additive-rich surface without a distinct physical boundary between the particle center and the particle surface. The relative additive concentration may have a continuous rate of change across the finite gradient. In some examples, an active substance: additive ratio of the particle surface is sufficiently low to form a protective surface layer around the active substance. Generally, the particle surface is free of the active substance.
US09120021B2

An interactive system adapted for lean-based control of ride or video game experiences. The system includes a vehicle seat and a motion base with a vehicle base upon which the vehicle seat is mounted. The system includes an actuator assembly moving the vehicle base and seat. A control system interprets sensor input signals and generates control signals to operate the actuator assembly to move the vehicle base and seat. Force sensors positioned in the vehicle seat sense forces applied by the passenger to the vehicle seat and transmit sensor data signals to the control system. The control signals operating the driver assembly are generated based on the sensor data, which is output from left and right sensors provided in a bench of the vehicle seat as well as in a front and a back support to provide X and Y-axis values based on passenger leaning in the vehicle seat.
US09120015B2

An electronic device (1) has hold parts (1R, 1L) constituting respective right and left side parts of the electronic device 1 and being available to be held by a user. Operating sticks (3R, 3L) are provided on the respective hold parts (1R, 1L). A rear touch panel (21) is provided on the rear surface of the electronic device (1). The rear touch panel (21) is provided in at least an area located further upward than a positions P opposite from the operation sticks (3R, 3L). This layout of the rear touch panel (21) allows a user to smoothly operate the rear touch panel (21) while holding the hold parts of the electronic device.
US09120014B2

The systems and methods described herein attempt to provide data capture and analysis in a non-intrusive fashion. The captured data can be analyzed for qualitative conclusions regarding an object's actions. For example, a system for analyzing activity of an athlete to permit qualitative assessments of that activity comprises a first processor to receive activity-related data from sensors on the athlete. A first database stores the activity-related data. A second database contains pre-identified motion rules. A second processor compares the received activity-related data to the pre-identified motion rules, wherein the second processor identifies a pre-identified motion from the pre-identified motion rules that corresponds to the received activity-related data. A memory stores the identified pre-selected motion.
US09120013B1

The present invention relates generally to interactive advertising and more specifically to computer games allowing advertisers to market their products, prize giveaways, coupons and the like using a game of chance in an interactive manner. To play the game, a gamer may use for example a mobile device's image capturing means for scanning at least one coded advertising image within a coded frame for which an interactive game application animates a dynamic array of game frames and randomly selects a game frame from the dynamic array for display. The randomly selected game frame may comprise of multimedia content for vouchers, prizes, giveaways, that may be redeemed for cash or other prizes.
US09120005B2

A device for limiting rotation of a wheel, such as a wheel on a skateboard, comprising a physical stop secured against one wheel of the skateboard. Multiple physical locks may be used, each secured against single wheel. The physical stop may comprise a block of resilient material placed in a semi-compressed state into the gap between the skateboard deck and the wheel such that the block exerts pressure on the wheel sufficient to prevent the wheel from freely rotating. Alternately, the physical stop may comprise a holder at least partially surrounding the wheel and at least one protrusion from the holder adjacent a rolling surface of the wheel, where the protrusion is capable of functioning as a chock and substantially preventing the wheel from rolling against a surface.
US09120004B2

Sports stadium (1) with a turf field (100) and a surrounding spectators stand (3). The turf field (100) comprises a plurality of turf modules (101) supported on a fixed support base (105). The turf modules are movable on the fixed support base, thereby being removable from the fixed support base. The fixed support base (105) exhibits an aperture (111) constituting access to a storage room (107) below the fixed support base (105). The storage room is adapted for storage of the turf modules. A lift (115) is arranged to move turf modules through the aperture (111). An associated method is also described.
US09120000B2

A catching apparatus has a bent steel frame and a mesh work mounted to the frame. The catching apparatus has an upper portion that defines the target or gathering zone, and a lower portion that defines a pouch or sling into which objects caught in the upper portion collect. The apparatus has side openings permitting objects caught therein to be retrieved.
US09119998B1

An adjustable shaft and hosel assembly allows for dependent and independent adjustment of a golf club's face angle, loft angle, and lie angle. The adjustable shaft and hosel assembly comprises a shaft sleeve and a tubular adjustment piece, which may be a shim or a wheel, that encircles at least a part of the shaft sleeve and is disposed within a hosel bore.
US09119996B2

A handheld golf tee marker transport device including a handle with an adjustable grasping mechanism at the base is provided. The adjustable grasping mechanism can be used to lift and position a plurality of golf tee marker geometries. The device eliminates the need for a user to bend over to pick up a tee marker or to place a tee marker on a tee box.
US09119991B2

The present invention provides a golf ball resin composition comprising (A) an ionomer resin component and (B) a compound having an anionic part within a molecule thereof, wherein with respect to a metal ion contained in the golf ball resin composition, (A) the ionomer resin component and (B) the compound having the anionic part within the molecule thereof, following coordinate energies obtained by ab initio molecular orbital calculation method using a basis function B3LYP/6-31G(d) satisfy the following expression: 0.3≦(A−C)/(B−C)≦0.6, wherein coordinate energy A is the coordinate energy between the metal ion and the anionic part of (B) component, coordinate energy B is the coordinate energy between the metal ion and the carboxyl ion of (A) component, and coordinate energy C is the coordinate energy between the metal ion and the olefin of (A) the ionomer resin component.
US09119989B1

An exercise machine handle system which provides a unique handle and rotatable handle hub configuration to aid in performing a variety of exercises. The exercise machine handle system generally includes one or more handle assemblies each having a mounting bracket adapted to be removably secured to an exercise machine and including an upwardly-extending mounting hub shaft. A handle hub having a pair of curved handles extending in opposite directions therefrom is rotatably securable around an upper end of the handle hub shaft into a variety of locked positions. A third curved handle extends from an upper end of the handle hub in a similarly rotatably securable position. By removably securing one or more handle assemblies to an exercise machine, a user can benefit from a wide range of exercises supported by the adjustable handle assemblies.
US09119988B2

According to an embodiment of this invention, a treadmill is disclosed with a conveyor belt, two assistance devices, and at least a first control member. The two assistance devices are respectively arranged at a side of the conveyor belt with each assistance device comprising a handrail and two supporting bars, and each supporting bar couples to the handrail via a connecting assembly. The first control member is used to lock or release the connecting assembly, so as to adjust the distance between the two handles of the two assistance devices.
US09119985B2

The resistance band system of the disclosure includes one or more resistance bands, and a pair of handles which secure the ends of the one or more resistance bands. Each handle locks onto one of the ends of each resistance band. The handle is adapted to grip the resistance band with greater force when force is applied to the resistance band, such as when it is in use. The handle unlocks to release the ends of one or more of the resistance bands from the handles for changing of one or more of the resistance bands.
US09119984B2

An abdominal/back muscle exercise device includes a base, a knee support, and an ankle support. Additionally, the abdominal/back muscle exercise device may include a steady post. The ankle support may include a T-bar, a telescoping inner horizontal support shaft, an inner vertical support shaft and an ankle padding. The knee support may include a telescoping upright tube, a knee support inner shaft, a knee radial pivot lock bracket, a knee cushion and an upper leg support rest.
US09119982B2

Compositions comprising are provided wherein RF is a fluorine containing moiety comprising (CF3)2CFCH2(CF3)CH—, (CF3)2CFCH2((CF3)2CF)CH—, (CF3)2CFCH2((CF3)2CH)CH—, (CF3)2CHCH2((CF3)2CF)CH—, ((CF3)2CFCH2)2CH—, (CF3)2CFCH2CF—, (CF3)2CF—, (CF3)2CH—, CF3—, or CnF2n+1—, n being an integer from 2 to 20; R1 is F or H; R2 comprises (CF3)2CF—, (CF3)2CH—, CF3—, F, or H; and R3 comprises (CF3)2CF—, (CF3)2CH—, CF3—, F, or H, such compositions can produced according to processes, and utilized to prevent combustion utilizing systems.
US09119980B2

A fire protected steel structure with at least one fire protection panel covering the steel structure. The panel includes a perforated metal plate (14) and an inner expanding fire protecting layer (12) with a thickness (t1) on an inside of the perforated metal plate (14) and an outer expanding fire protecting layer (13) with a thickness (t2) on an outside of the perforated metal plate (14). The fire protecting layers extend through the perforated metal plate (14). Releasable mechanical fasteners for removable attachment of the at least one fire protection panel to the steel structure is provided. Furthermore, the invention concerns a panel for fire protection of a steel structure.
US09119977B2

The present invention relates to an oxygen breathing device, in particular for providing oxygen to passengers or crew of an aircraft, the device comprising an oxygen source for providing pressurized oxygen, a valve connected to the oxygen source via a pressure line, a control unit for controlling said valve, and at least one nozzle for dispensing the oxygen passing through said valve. In particular, the present invention relates to an oxygen breathing device comprising a measuring unit for determining the mass flow rate of oxygen passing through said nozzle. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for supplying oxygen to a person, in particular a flight passenger, using an oxygen breathing device.
US09119976B2

The invention relates to an oxygen breathing device that includes an oxygen source, in particular a chemical oxygen generator or an oxygen pressure tank, at least one oxygen mask connected via an oxygen supply line to said oxygen source, and a flow control unit adapted to receive a signal indicating ambient pressure or to detect ambient pressure and to control the flow of oxygen through the oxygen supply line depending on said ambient pressure. In some embodiments, the flow control unit is adapted to provide a low oxygen flow at a first ambient pressure and provide a higher oxygen flow at a second ambient pressure which is lower than said first ambient pressure.
US09119974B2

The present invention relates to skin care compositions, including cosmeceuticals, for topical application, and more particularly, a skin cream, comprising exosomes and cell culture medium conditioned by cells grown in two-dimensional culture. Also included are methods of making and using such compositions and kits comprising the skin cream therein.
US09119966B2

One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a system that can provide an electric waveform for neural stimulation or nerve block. The system can include a first circuit component configured to provide a self-oscillating, voltage-boosted electric waveform. In some instances, the first circuit component can provide a “pause” waveform (e.g., with a period (T) that includes a swing time (ts) in which the waveform varies in a biphasic manner and a pause time (tp) in which the waveform has a constant amplitude). The system can also include a second circuit component configured to ensure that the oscillating signal is charge-balanced across at least one period of the self-oscillating, voltage-boosted electric waveform.
US09119963B1

The electric device for producing successive positive and negative electric charges includes a thyristor-based electrical pulse generator for providing alternating positive and negative pulses with relatively small currents. The potential alternates between positive and negative charge current, and the small current is applied, in the form of sparks, to a body under treatment. A cup-shaped electrode is mounted in the distal end of a handle for application to the body. The treatment device is carried in a case for portability.
US09119955B2

A system and method for focusing ultrasound into a target tissue is disclosed. The method calculates a pressure field for an array of transducer elements to generate an unaberrated pressure field matrix and causes the transducer elements to apply focused ultrasound to generate a respective aberrated pressure field at a focus location in a target tissue and surrounding volume. MR-ARFI images are acquired of the focus location and surrounding volume, a magnitude of the aberrated pressure field is measured that is generated by the applied focused ultrasound at respective focus locations in the target tissue and surrounding volume based on the MR-ARFI images, an aberration for the transducer elements is determined from the pressure field matrix and the MR-ARFI images of the focus location and the surrounding volume using a magnitude least-squares method, and a corrective phase/amplitude adjustment is applied to the transducer elements based on the determined aberrations.
US09119953B2

Devices, systems and instructing methods for treating medical conditions in patients include a handheld non-invasive nerve stimulation device. The device includes a container filled with electrically conductive fluid and one or more energy transmitters surrounded by the conductive fluid. The container comprises a contact surface configured for contacting the outer skin surface of a neck of a patient for delivering electrical impulses from the energy transmitters through the conductive fluid and the patient's neck to the vagus nerve. The electrical impulses are sufficient to treat the medical condition of the patient.
US09119942B1

A guidewire manipulation device includes a housing sized to be supported by a hand of a user, the housing having a distal end and a proximal end; a rotation member rotationally disposed within the housing; a locking assembly coupled to the rotation member, the locking assembly configured to selectively transfer rotational movement of the rotation member to rotational movement of a guidewire; a handle coupled to the housing and configured to be operable by the hand of the user; and a drive system coupled to the handle, the drive system configured to apply alternating clockwise motion and counter-clockwise motion to the guidewire by causing the rotation member to rotate.
US09119935B2

Dilators and sheaths for use in minimally invasive vascular therapy are disclosed. In some embodiments, the dilators include a slot that accesses a guidewire lumen within the dilator. These slots facilitate rapid exchange of one dilator for another. In another embodiment, a dilator is sufficiently stiff to facilitate entry, but also designed to facilitate placement of the dilator along a tortuous path.
US09119933B2

A modular respiratory system to which different parts can be added in a convenient way enabling such upgraded respiratory system to deliver the most comfortable respiratory conditions at an acceptable cost of ownership.
US09119932B2

A delivery device (20, 22) for and a method of delivering a substance to the nasal airway (1) of a subject, in particular the posterior region of the nasal airway, the delivery device comprising: a closure unit for causing the closure of the oropharyngeal velum of the subject; and a delivery unit for delivering a gas flow entraining a substance to one of the nostrils of the subject at such a driving pressure as to flow around the posterior margin of the nasal septum and out of the other nostril of the subject, wherein the delivery unit comprises a nosepiece (30, 40, 58, 82, 102, 132) which includes an outlet through which the gas flow is in use delivered to the one nostril and a sealing member for sealing the one nostril to the outlet such as in use to prevent the escape of the gas flow through the one nostril.
US09119930B2

The inhalation therapy device according to the invention comprises a nebulizer chamber which accommodates an aerosol generator that emits aerosol into the nebulizer chamber. A valve that has a valve seat, a resilient valve member and a valve member positioning means is arranged at an opening of the nebulizer chamber. The valve member positioning means can be moved out of a first position and into a second position so as to position the valve member on the valve seat in such a manner that in the first position, the valve member, in a flow-free state, is positioned on the valve seat in a pre-tensioned manner and in a second position, is spaced apart from the valve seat.
US09119929B2

A mask with cushion that has an outer film is disclosed. The film may be self-skinning or a film formed about or glued to the cushion body. In another form the cushion may be formed with at least a portion having a plurality of adjacent voids having a honeycomb-like structure.
US09119926B2

A subglottic suctioning system with a tracheal tube having a ventilation lumen, a cuff inflation lumen, and a suction lumen are disclosed which may help reduce the incidence of ventilator associated (or acquired) pneumonia. The suction lumen communicates with the space in the trachea above the cuff where secretions accumulate. The suction lumen has a valve on the proximal end for connection to a source of vacuum. The valve is adapted to interrupt the supply of vacuum to the suction lumen to allow for the introduction of a rinsing fluid in its place and to automatically re-establish the connection to the source of vacuum upon completion of rinsing. The rinsing fluid aids in maintaining an open suction lumen and may include medicaments and mucolytic agents to enhance or promote healing or to alter the properties of the mucus to make removal easier. The user may easily and repeatedly alternate suction and rinsing fluid through the suction lumen, i.e., the user may “pulse” the line to loosen, break up and remove secretions and deposits that may partially or completely block or clog the suction lumen.
US09119925B2

This disclosure describes improved systems and methods for efficiently configuring respiratory settings and/or parameters in a ventilatory system. Specifically, the present methods and user interface provide an efficient and consistent means for configuring ventilatory settings for a new patient. Specifically, the ventilator may be preconfigured with appropriate parameter settings based on an institution-specific protocol, a physician-specific protocol, or other suitable protocol or specification. Indeed, the present disclosure provides an institution and/or physician with increased control over routine ventilatory settings by pre-configuring the ventilator with these routine settings. Further, the present disclosure provides increased assurance as to the consistency of the routine ventilatory settings by eliminating repeated data entry by clinicians, decreasing the chances of error.
US09119923B2

Systems and methods for detecting developing faults in a flow generator or ventilator during therapeutic use thereof are provided. The motor current may be measured to estimate the torque input by the motor, while the output torque from the impeller may be determined (e.g., as inferred from the motor control system model and/or by consulting a lookup table). One or more transducers may collect data useful in determining the input and output torques. A difference between the input (to the motor) torque and the output (from the impeller) torque may be calculated. The difference, optionally filtered using a low-pass filter to reduce noise, may be compared to a predetermined threshold once or over a period of time to detect gross failures and/or developing failures. Once a failure or developing failure is detected, a user may be alerted and/or the flow generator may be placed into a “service required” mode.
US09119914B2

A method is disclosed for priming a kit for use in a therapeutic apheresis procedure with previously-collected blood prior to flowing the patient's whole blood into the inlet line of the kit, as part of a procedure in which a selected blood component is separated from a patient's whole blood, and replaced with a previously-collected blood component. The operator enters into the controller of the separation device the hematocrit value of the previously-collected blood. Then, in response to prompts by the controller, the operator enters a target hematocrit value for the previously-collected blood and an identification of the portion of the kit to be primed. The identified portion of the kit is automatically primed with the previously-collected blood. The patient is then connected to the inlet line of the kit in response to a prompt from the controller and the therapeutic procedure is commenced.
US09119904B2

Guide wire devices fabricated from a linear pseudo-elastic Ni—Ti alloy and methods for their manufacture. The Ni—Ti alloy that includes nickel, titanium, and about 3 atomic % (at %) to about 30 at % niobium (Nb). Cold working the Ni—Ti alloy stabilizes the alloy's martensitic phase and yields a linear pseudo-elastic microstructure where reversion to the austenite phase is retarded or altogether blocked. The martensitic phase of cold worked, linear pseudo-elastic Ni—Ti—Nb alloy has an elastic modulus that is considerably higher than the comparable cold worked, linear pseudoelastic binary Ni—Ti alloy. This yields a guide wire device that has better torque response and steerability as compared to cold worked, linear pseudoelastic binary Ni—Ti alloy or superelastic binary Ni—Ti alloy.
US09119898B2

The present invention relates to A bioresorbable implant comprising: a bioresorbable porous layer including a biopolymer foam and defining first pores, a bioresorbable porous three-dimensional mesh made from a microbial cellulose and defining second pores, wherein the bioresorbable porous layer is disposed in the bioresorbable porous three-dimensional mesh. The invention also relates to a method of making a bioresorbable implant.
US09119888B2

This invention includes methods for cleaning and sterilizing tissue harvested for implant with shock waves by submerging the harvested tissue in a volume of fluid in a holding vessel including a shock wave applicator with a focal volume in the volume of fluid, and applying a pressure shock wave pulses to the harvested tissue from the shock wave applicator in sufficient amounts to eliminate biological contaminants in the harvested tissue.
US09119886B2

A pharmaceutical composition comprising a conjugate of a cytokine and a tumor targeting moiety (TTM) and a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient, wherein the cytokine is present in an amount which does not induce a negative feedback mechanism.
US09119876B1

Pharmaceutical compositions comprising epinephrine, methods of administration, and methods of making the same. Compositions may comprise at least one of an active agent, a pH raising agent, an antioxidant, a transition metal complexing agent, a pH lowering agent, a tonicity regulating agent, optionally a preservative, and optionally a solvent.
US09119869B2

Isolated MUC17, Muc3 or MUC3 derived polypeptides and polynucleotides encoding the same are described. The MUC17, Muc3 or MUC3 derived polypeptides, polynucleotides, and pharmaceutical compositions can be used to treat gastrointestinal tract diseases and disorders including, inflammatory bowel disease and its associated colitides, for example, Crohn's Disease.
US09119866B2

The present disclosure discloses simple and efficient glycan- or carbohydrate-based processes or methods for the rapid identification of biological markers and therapeutic targets especially glycan-related targets of infectious diseases, cancers, autoimmune diseases, allergies, inflammation, toxicity, obesity and/or other disorders of humans, animals, plants and other organisms. Therefore, novel methods and products for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of such diseases obtainable based on these therapeutic targets can be developed.
US09119861B2

An adhesive patch is provided in which piroxicam is formulated as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesic. In particular, provided is a piroxicam-containing transdermally absorbable adhesive patch in which an absorption promoter to piroxicam is formulated to achieve high anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects without inhibiting releasing of these drugs. The piroxicam-containing transdermally absorbable adhesive patch contains piroxicam as a medicinal component and oxybuprocaine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof as an absorption promoter. In the piroxicam-containing transdermally absorbable adhesive patch, the content of piroxicam is from 0.1% to 5% by weight to the total weight of a drug-containing plaster and the content of oxybuprocaine or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is from 1% to 30% by weight to the total weight of the drug-containing plaster.
US09119858B2

The invention features methods and compositions feature lapatinib and/or rapamycin for treating or preventing a cardiac condition induced by anthracycline treatment.
US09119857B2

HslVU is the proteasome-related system composed of HslV peptidase and HslU chaperone. It is involved in intracellular proteolysis. The presence of HslVU homologs in pathogenic microbes and its absence in human makes it an antimicrobial drug target. The functional HslVU complex forms when HslV dodecamer is flanked at both ends by HslU hexamers. In the HslVU complex, intercalation of C-termini residues of HslU subunits into the clefts between adjacent HslV subunits results in allosteric activation of HslV. We identified small molecules capable of activating HslV peptidase in the absence of its natural activator HslU. Quinazoline and chromone derivatives were suggested by ligand docking to bind at the HslU C-termini intercalation pockets in the HslV. This was confirmed by HslV activation assays with these compounds that gave ED50 in sub-micromolar range. The results showed that small, extracellular non-peptidic molecules can activate the HslV peptidase which in turn would initiate intracellular proteolysis.
US09119847B2

The present invention discloses a method of treating neurodegenerative disorder comprising administering an effective amount of an alkaloid which is a bisbenzylisoquinline alkaloid isolated from the traditional Chinese medicinal herb Nelumbo nucifera. The pharmaceutical composition thereof for treating Huntington's disease is also disclosed.
US09119843B2

Method of using dopamine reuptake inhibitors, e.g., sydnonimine derivatives, for the management of diabetic symptoms and associated complications or conditions, such as hyperglycemia and diabetic neuropathy.
US09119838B2

Compositions and methods for providing infant nutrition with partially hydrolysed proteins and non-digestible oligosaccharides for use in induction of oral tolerance against native dietary proteins.
US09119835B2

Provided herein are compositions for the administration of chromium that include at least two components: a hydrophilic chromium complex and a lipophilic chromium complex, and methods of using the same. Also provided are compositions for the administration of chromium that include a first “fast-acting” chromium complex and a second “slow-acting” chromium complex, wherein the first chromium complex is absorbed more quickly than the slow-acting chromium complex, and methods of using the same. Also provided herein are methods for treating, preventing, and improving conditions associated with cardiometabolic syndrome, by identifying a subject in need of treatment, prevention, or improvement of a condition associated with cardiometabolic syndrome, and providing a therapeutically effective amount of a composition comprising a fast-acting chromium complex and a slow-acting chromium complex, to the individual.
US09119834B2

A high level replication fowl adenovirus (FAdV) isolate capable of reaching a viral titer of at least 3 log 10 is described. Said FAdV is a non-pathogenic strain of fowl adenovirus serotype 4, identified as FAdV-4 ON1. Additionally, the present disclosure also provides a viral vector comprising the fowl adenovirus, which has inserted an exogenous nucleotide sequence coding for at least one antigenic site of a disease of concern, as well as a method for obtaining said viral vector and an immunogenic composition comprising the same.
US09119833B2

The present disclosure relates to methods of modulating aquaporin channels. Particularly, the disclosure provides methods of modulating aquaporin channels in a tissue of a mammal by administering relaxin.
US09119826B2

The present invention provides a kit for the dietary management of cardiovascular patients with cardiovascular disease who are deficient in blood Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) levels, the kit including a diagnostic assay for determining blood levels of EPA, DHA and Docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and a pharmaceutical grade prescription medical food omega-3 fatty acid formulation containing about 90% or more omega 3 fatty acids by weight including a combination of EPA, DPA and DHA in a weight ratio of EPA:DHA of from 5.7 to 6.3, wherein the sum of the EPA, DHA and DPA are about 82% by weight of the total formulation and about 92% of the total omega 3 fatty acid content of the composition. The kit may further contain instructions for use of its components.
US09119824B2

The present invention provides methods and compositions for the use of IL-22 to promote thymic growth following thymic insult. In particularly preferred embodiments, the present invention provides methods of using therapeutic IL-22 compositions for treating patients with thymic atrophy and alterations in bone marrow derived white blood cells, including cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, patients exposed to radiation (i.e. cancer therapy, nuclear disaster, terrorist attack, etc.), patients with HIV infections/AIDS, patients with organ transplantation, aging patients, and the like. In a further embodiment, therapeutic IL-22 compositions are contemplated as a prophylactic to boost immune response when additional T-cell function is needed, i.e. to boost immune response during vaccination.
US09119822B2

A method of treating a movement abnormality associated with the pathology of a neurological movement disorder, such as Parkinson's disease or Restless Leg(s) Syndrome by administering a therapeutically effective amount of a PDE7 inhibitory agent. An aspect of the invention provides for the administration of a PDE& inhibitory agent in conjunction with a dopamine agonist or precursor, such as levodopa. In another aspect of the invention, the PDE7 inhibitory agent may be selective for PDE7 relative to other molecular targets (i) known to be involved with the pathology of Parkinson's disease or (ii) at which other drug(s) that are therapeutically effective to treat Parkinson's disease act.
US09119821B2

Methods for treating or preventing an inflammatory response comprising administering a diastereomer or diastereomeric mixture of methionine sulfoximine (MSO). The MSO may be L-methionine S-sulfoximine (LSMSO), L-methionine R-sulfoximine (LRMSO), or diastereomeric mixture of LSMSO and LRMSO. Methods include those for treating liver failure associated with an inflammatory response.
US09119804B2

A mutated Bordetella strain comprising at least a mutated ptx gene, a deleted or mutated dnt gene and a heterologous ampG gene is provided. The attenuated mutated Bordetella strain can be used in an immunogenic composition or a vaccine for the treatment or prevention of a Bordetella infection. Use of the attenuated Bordetella strain for the manufacture of a vaccine or immunogenic composition, as well as methods for protecting mammals against infection by Bordetella are also provided.
US09119796B2

Razors comprising a shaving aid comprising a soap base and a pyrithione source.
US09119793B1

The present disclosure relates to dosage forms, e.g., swell, float and bioadhesive, and methods that enhance the absorption of doxycycline in the gastrointestinal tract. The oral dosage forms control the spatial and temporal delivery of doxycycline in the gastrointestinal tract. This controlled spatial and temporal delivery provides a site and rate of release, respectively, of the doxycycline into the gastrointestinal tract that enhances the amount of the doxycycline absorbed into the bloodstream.
US09119792B2

Controlled-release preparations of oxcarbazepine and derivatives thereof for once-a-day administration are disclosed. The inventive compositions comprise solubility- and/or release enhancing agents to provide tailored drug release profiles, preferably sigmoidal release profiles. Methods of treatment comprising the inventive compositions are also disclosed.
US09119790B2

The invention concerns a co-processed additive for a solid-dose pharmaceutical composition, the additive comprising from about 50% to 99.5% by weight of at least one pharmaceutical compression aid and from about 0.5% to 50% by weight of at least one pharmaceutical lubricant, the melting point of said compression aid(s) being higher than the melting point of said lubricant(s). The co-processed additive may be in the form of a physically bound composite whereby the lubricant is associated with the surface of the compression aid particles.
US09119789B2

The invention relates to stable glutamate-buffered G-CSF formulations having a pH of from 3.5 to 4.8. The invention further concerns lyophilisates and powders obtainable from such formulations, and to pharmaceutical kits containing such lyophilisates and powders.
US09119788B2

The invention relates to a method for producing particles with a length-width ratio of less than about 1.4 from a pharmaceutical substance, which method includes the following stages, that is: (a) provision of a melt of the pharmaceutical substance; (b) production of droplets of the melt by spraying into a processing chamber; (c) repeated guiding of solid particles past sprayed droplets in the processing chamber with the aid of a process gas jet which is guided in a defined way and whose temperature is fixed, depending on the solidification point of the melt, so that at least some of the droplets come into contact with particles and solidify thereon; (d) removal of particles from the processing chamber as a function of the particle size. The invention further relates to particles of pharmaceutical substances and the use thereof.
US09119787B2

Microparticle-bioactive agent based treatments for local treatment of diseased tissues/organs are disclosed.
US09119783B2

Disclosed herein are methods of treating pulmonary disorders comprising administering to the patient an effective dose of a nebulized liposomal amikacin formulation for at least one treatment cycle, wherein: the treatment cycle comprises an administration period of 15 to 75 days, followed by an off period of 15 to 75 days; and the effective dose comprises 100 to 2500 mg of amikacin daily during the administration period.
US09119780B2

A triggerable composition for two-stage, controlled release of a functional active chemical includes a trigonelline ester of a functional active with at least one hydroxyl group configured to release the functional active through a hydrolysis reaction upon contact with an aqueous medium, and an encapsulation material for encapsulating the trigonelline ester including a functional active, the encapsulation material triggerable to release the trigonelline ester upon the occurrence of an environmental stimulus. In other aspects, a viscous liquid or an absorbent article includes a triggerable composition for two-stage, controlled release of a functional active chemical, the composition including a trigonelline ester of a functional active with at least one hydroxyl group configured to release the functional active through a hydrolysis reaction upon contact with an aqueous medium, and an encapsulation material for encapsulating the trigonelline ester including a functional active.
US09119778B2

The present invention is directed toward respirable dry particles for delivery of divalent metal cation salts and/or monovalent cation salts to the respiratory tract and methods for treating a subject having a respiratory disease and/or infection.
US09119768B1

A dry type half bath apparatus with feet massage function is provided, which includes a main body comprising a door that opens and closes for a user's entering and leaving; a chair disposed in a rear inner portion of the main body for the user's sitting thereon; at least one far-infrared generater disposed in the main body and illuminating far-infrared to skin of the user sitting on the chair; and a feet massaging device disposed in a front inner portion of the main body for receiving the user's feet and massaging sole, top, and ankle of the feet.
US09119764B2

A bead massage device is provided, which includes a vessel for receiving a plurality of beads submerged in a bath. The vessel includes at least one inner wall that drives the beads so that the beads are moved when contacting a human limb inserted into said vessel. The vessel is rotatably mounted and preferably removable so that it can be easily cleaned and disinfected.
US09119763B1

The invention is a sex toy to provide sexual pleasure. More specifically, the invention is directed to a hand-portable sex toy. The sex toy is powered by a pleasure drive assembly located in a housing. The pleasure drive assembly comprises an electric motor, first and second gear assembles, and a cross-shaft with a plurality of discs attached thereto. The electric motor has a through shaft with first and second opposite ends which are respectively operably coupled to first and second gear assemblies. The first and second gear assemblies are operably coupled to the cross-shaft. Upon activation of the motor the discs are rotated to provide sexual pleasure. A flexible cover such as, but not limited to, an elastomeric cover is stretched at least partially over the rotating discs. In normal use the sex toy is inserted into a woman's vagina to provide pleasure.
US09119762B2

A walking assist device evaluates the degree of asymmetry between a left motion oscillator, which is a waveform signal indicative of the time-dependent change form of an output of a left hip joint angle sensor, and a right motion oscillator, which is a waveform signal indicative of the time-dependent change form of an output of a right hip joint angle sensor. In order to reduce the degree of asymmetry, the value of at least one of a left bending coefficient, a left stretching coefficient, a right bending coefficient, and a right stretching coefficient is adjusted.
US09119761B2

A system for remote ischemic preconditioning that includes a cuff, and actuator, and a controller that operates the actuator according to a treatment protocol. The treatment protocol includes a plurality of treatment cycles that each comprise cuff actuation, an ischemic duration, cuff release, and a reperfusion duration.
US09119758B2

A lip enhancement and enlargement device includes a suction element and a lip shaper coupled to the suction element. Each type of lip shaper includes one or more features that allow the device to shape and contour lips. A lip shaper may include one or more contouring elements that change the shape of an upper lip, for example. A lip shaper may also include shaping and contouring elements that form a fuller, unitary lip lobe or two fuller, lip lobes. Lip enhancement and enlargement kits and methods are also disclosed.
US09119749B2

An absorbent article is disclosed which is designed to protect both a wearer's penis and scrotum from any bowel movement waste. The absorbent article includes a liquid-impermeable outer cover with a first absorbent and a second absorbent longitudinally positioned on the outer cover. The first absorbent has a first end and a second end, and the second absorbent has a first end and a second end. The second end of the first absorbent is spaced apart from the first end of the second absorbent. A liquid permeable bodyside liner covers the first absorbent and the second absorbent. The absorbent article further includes a fenestrated flap disposed between the first and second absorbents. The fenestrated flap has a first end which is bonded directly to the outer cover. A method of forming the absorbent article, a method of securing the absorbent article onto a body, and a method of removing the absorbent article from a body are also disclosed.
US09119748B2

An electronic discriminating device incorporating a non-contact electronic sensor array, a controller, and a signaling device that may indicate the presence of urine and/or bowel movement is disclosed. In particular, the electronic discriminating device can discriminate between an insult of urine only and an insult containing bowel movement. The device can then generate different alerts based on the type of insult. The electronic discriminating device may also emit a signal at or near the opening of an absorbent article or transmit the alert wirelessly to a radio, computer device, or smartphone.
US09119747B2

The invention relates to a method for producing an absorbent disposable incontinence diaper (2), having a main part (4) comprising an absorption element (12), comprising a front region (6) having front side longitudinal edges (26), a rear region (8) having rear side longitudinal edges (25) and a crotch region (10) arranged there between and placed between the legs of a user, and having rear side sections (20) joined to the rear region (8) and front side sections (22) joined to the front region (6) on both sides, which extend in a transverse direction (30) of the disposable incontinence diaper (2) beyond the side front and rear longitudinal edges (25, 26) of the main part (4) and are spaced apart from one another in a longitudinal direction (18) of the disposable incontinence diaper (2), the rear and front side sections (20, 22) being connectable detachably to each other in order to apply the disposable incontinence diaper (2), characterized in that for the purpose of contouring leg opening regions (38) on both sides of the disposable incontinence diaper (2), the rear side sections (20) and/or the front side sections (22) are formed by a severing operation of side section webs (44, 72) that are supplied endlessly and are contoured in the process, and an endlessly supplied main part web (40) is folded in transversely with respect to the plane of the web and transversely which respect to the machine direction (42) before the endlessly supplied side section webs (44, 72) are joined, in that the side section webs (44, 72) are then joined onto the main part web (40), the severing operation (52) covering the side section webs is then carried out on both sides, so that the combination comprising the main part web (40) and joined side section webs (44, 72) can then be accelerated in the machine direction (42) and unfolded in the process, wherein the front and rear side sections (20, 22) can be spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction (18).
US09119745B2

A dispenser for sticky articles and a sticky article, A sticky article comprising: a skin-adherent cover, a first and a second handle and a first and a second protective element, the cover comprising: a side comprising skin-adhesive material, an opposite side and edges; the protective elements protective of the cover, each protective element extending to or beyond all edges of the cover, the first said protective element adhering to the cover opposite side and the second said protective element coupled to the cover side comprising skin-adhesive material, said first handle coupled to the first protective element and said second handle coupled to the second protective element, said first protective element configured to adhere to the cover less than the cover adheres to skin, wherein the article is configured to allow detachment of said second element and second handle from said cover when said first and second handles are pulled apart.
US09119739B2

A catheter configured to carry one or more stents and having an inflatable balloon for expanding a stent surrounding the balloon. The catheter is characterized in having a positioner for moving the one or more stents relative to the balloon from a first position in which the stent does not surround the balloon to a second position in which the stent surrounds the balloon. Also disclosed is a method for deploying a stent at a desired location in the vascular system.
US09119736B2

A stent is formed from a wire that in cross-section includes an outer member having a lumen and a radiopaque core member partially filling the lumen. A substance for elution through openings formed through the outer member fills the portion of the lumen not filled by the radiopaque core member. In a method of forming the stent, a composite wire including an outer member and a dual core member is shaped into a stent pattern. The dual core member includes a first core member and a second, radiopaque core member. The shaped composite wire is processed to remove the first core member from the outer member without adversely affecting the outer member and the second core member. The portion of the lumen that was occupied by the first core member may be filled with a substance for elution through openings from through the outer member to the lumen.
US09119733B2

A prosthetic component suitable for trialing or long-term implantation is provided. The prosthetic component includes at least one sensor for measuring a parameter of the muscular-skeletal system or a biological parameter is disclosed. The prosthetic component comprises a conductive material. Electronic circuitry and sensors are housed within the prosthetic component. Data from the prosthetic component can be transmitted to a remote system. The prosthetic component can comprise steel, titanium, cobalt, an alloy, or other conductive material. At least a portion of the conductive material comprising the prosthetic component is coupled to ground to shield the sensor from parasitic coupling that can affect measurement accuracy. The prosthetic component can have an opening in the shield to allow sensing or transmission of data.
US09119728B2

An intervertebral implant for placement in the intervertebral space between two adjacent vertebral bodies is provided. The implant comprises a hollow cage and a porous core received within the cage. The cage comprises a superior surface configured to contact a first vertebral body, an inferior surface configured to contact a second vertebral body, and an outer wall extending between the superior surface and inferior surface. The outer wall comprises an exterior surface defining the outer perimeter of the implant, and an interior surface defining an inner (hollow) space or void. The porous core is received within the inner space or void, and preferably fills the void. The core comprises a carbonaceous matrix comprising a continuous phase having a surface and defining a plurality of open spaces throughout said matrix. Suitable carbonaceous matrices are selected from the group consisting of carbon foam, graphite foam, and combinations thereof. Methods of making and using the same, along with kits to facilitate such use are also provided.
US09119724B2

A reverse hip prosthesis comprising an acetabular cup for implanting in a previously implanted acetabular cup. The acetabular cup is secured to the previously implanted acetabular cup using an o-ring. The acetabular cup has a stem extending from the center of a concave portion thereof and an acetabular ball is attached to the stem, preferably by means of a Morse taper. A femoral implant is provided with a femoral cup attached to the proximal end thereof. The femoral cup has a stem which can be constructed in a modular fashion with several stem lengths in order to accommodate the various sizing requirements of different patients. After implantation of the acetabular cup and ball and the femoral cup, the members are assembled together so that the femoral cup can articulate on the acetabular ball. As the femoral cup is articulated, the edge of the femoral cup moves into a space located between the acetabular cup and the acetabular ball and thereby becomes constrained, thus reducing the likelihood of dislocation during extreme ranges of motion.
US09119723B2

A posterior stabilized knee orthopaedic prosthesis assembly includes a tibial bearing, a primary femoral component, and a revision femoral component. Each of the primary and revision femoral components is configured to separately articulate with the tibial bearing. However, each of the primary and revision femoral components has different geometry. The primary femoral component includes a posterior cam having a posterior cam surfacing including a concave cam surface and a convex cam surface. The revision femoral component includes a posterior cam having only a convex cam surface.
US09119719B2

A method includes positioning an anchor deployment manipulator at least partially within a lumen of a sleeve of an annuloplasty ring, the sleeve having a lateral wall shaped to define the lumen, and the lumen extending longitudinally along a length of the sleeve. A portion of the sleeve that contains a distal end of the deployment manipulator is placed into an atrium in a vicinity of an annulus of an atrioventricular valve. An anchor is deployed from the distal end of the deployment manipulator through the lateral wall of the sleeve into cardiac tissue, while the distal end of the deployment manipulator is positioned such that a central longitudinal axis of the deployment manipulator through the distal end of the deployment manipulator forms an angle of between 45 and 90 degrees with the lateral wall of the sleeve at a point at which the anchor penetrates the lateral wall.
US09119715B2

A system for delivering a medical implant includes an expandable member at least partially positioned inside the medical implant and operable to radially expand at least a portion of the medical implant to an expanded condition, first and second grasping mechanisms each adapted to grasp a portion of the medical implant, and a displacement mechanism operatively coupled to the first and second grasping mechanisms and configured to move the first and second grasping mechanisms between an inner position in which the first and second grasping mechanisms are relatively close to one another, and an outer position in which the first and second grasping mechanisms are relatively distant to one another. The movement of the first and second grasping mechanisms from the outer position to the inner position at least partially collapses the medical implant from the expanded condition to enable the medical implant to be repositioned if necessary.
US09119707B2

A garment for stimulation of a wearer's sensory motor system. The garment includes a main body portion that includes an anterior portion and a posterior portion and at least one sensory motor stimulation member associated with the main body portion. The garment is configured to be worn over at least a portion of the wearer's torso and is form-fitting when worn by the wearer. The at least one sensory motor stimulation member contacts the wearer's skin when the garment is worn and is fabricated of an elastomeric material that causes the garment to stimulate the cutaneous nerve receptors in the wearer's skin contacted by the at least one sensory motor stimulation member.
US09119701B2

A surgical system comprises a pressurized irrigation fluid source; an irrigation line fluidly coupled to the pressurized irrigation fluid source; a hand piece fluidly coupled to the irrigation line; an irrigation pressure sensor located at or along the pressurized irrigation fluid source or irrigation line; and a controller for controlling the pressurized irrigation fluid source. The controller controls the pressurized irrigation fluid source based on a reading from the irrigation pressure sensor and an estimated flow value modified by a compensation factor.
US09119699B2

A surgical system comprises a pressurized irrigation fluid source; an irrigation line fluidly coupled to the pressurized irrigation fluid source; a hand piece fluidly coupled to the irrigation line; an irrigation pressure sensor located at or along the pressurized irrigation fluid source or irrigation line; and a controller for controlling the pressurized irrigation fluid source. The controller controls the pressurized irrigation fluid source based on a reading from the irrigation pressure sensor and an estimated flow value modified by a compensation factor.
US09119687B2

A method of manufacturing a functionalized implant, in particular a dental implant, is provided, including first providing a substrate for the implant and applying a highly porous, hydrophilic coating which contains at least one of the following materials for functionalization: zirconium or titanium or zirconium alloy or titanium alloy, zirconium oxide or titanium oxide, calcium phosphate, calcium titanate or calcium zirconate. Further provision is made for a functionalized implant, in particular a dental implant.
US09119675B2

A transverse fixation device is disclosed. The device includes one or more connecting bodies disposed substantially between two elongate rods. Each connecting body includes a receptacle that is capable of engaging with the two elongate rods. A c-ring comprising an outer surface having a spherical curvature is also included. A third rod may be inserted into the c-ring. A clamp included in the connecting bodies may then be disposed about the c-ring and third rod to allow the connecting bodies to slidingly engage with the third rod.
US09119672B2

Systems and devices for providing dynamic stabilization of one or more spinal motion segments are provided. The systems include a connecting element between two or more bone anchor assemblies that can be attached to two or more vertebral bodies of at least one spinal motion segment. The connecting element includes a first end, a second end, an intermediate resilient element and a sheathed tether extending from the first end to the second end and through the resilient intermediate element.
US09119670B2

Systems and methods for surgical guidance and image registration are provided, in which three-dimensional image data associated with an object or patient is registered to topological image data obtained using a surface topology imaging device. The surface topology imaging device may be rigidly attached to an optical position measurement system that also tracks fiducial markers on a movable instrument. The instrument may be registered to the topological image data, such that the topological image data and the movable instrument are registered to the three-dimensional image data. The three-dimensional image data may be CT or MRI data associated with a patient. The system may also co-register images pertaining to a surgical plan with the three-dimensional image data. In another aspect, the surface topology imaging device may be configured to directly track fiducial markers on a movable instrument. The fiducial markers may be tracked according to surface texture.
US09119667B2

An identification device adapted to be attached to a tool comprising a holder formed as a curved stratum having a C-shaped cross-section, the stratum having at least one opening thereon, and the internal surface of the holder being micro-etched; an identification tag placed within the holder; and hardening material for fixing the identification tag within the holder.The identification device is created from a holder, shaped as a curved stratum having a C-shaped cross-section and at least one opening thereon, micro-etching the internal surface of the holder; and fixing an identification tag within the holder by a hardening material. Fixing the tag within the holder may comprise placing the holder within a container; filling the holder to about half the height with a hardening material; placing the identification tag within the holder; filling the holder with the hardening material; and hardening the hardening material.
US09119666B2

A surgical apparatus for positioning within a tissue tract accessing an underlying body cavity is adapted to tissues having different thicknesses. The surgical apparatus includes an anchor member and a flexible sleeve integrated with the anchor member. The anchor member defines at least one longitudinal port for reception of a surgical instrument. The surgical apparatus defines an adjustable length to accommodate tissues with different thicknesses.
US09119665B2

A surgical access device includes a body having a first member and a second member relatively movable between open and closed configurations. Each member is positionable within an opening in tissue to provide access to an interior space of a patient. Each member includes a top surface, a bottom surface, a leading end, and a trailing end. The top surfaces are positioned in close cooperative alignment when the first and second members are in the closed configuration. The trailing ends are positioned in close cooperative alignment when the first and second members are in the open configuration. In the open position, the first and second members define a passage therethrough to permit access to the interior space for passage of a surgical instrument therethrough.
US09119656B2

A thromboembolic removal system for treating ischemic stroke, including a guide and occlusion catheter, a delivery and aspiration catheter, an aspiration pump, a thromboembolic receiver, and a thromboembolic separator.
US09119641B2

A device and a method for guiding an instrument, tool or implant with respect to a three-dimensional body. The device includes a rod shaped member with a central axis, a rear end, a front end and a length L2. A first targeting element is fixed to the rod shaped member coaxially to the central axis. The first targeting element has a first center, and is arranged on the rod shaped member with the first center at a distance A1>0 from the rear end. A second targeting element with a second center is fixed to the rod shaped member coaxially to the central axis with the second center at a distance A2
US09119640B2

To provide a bone cutting device capable of selectively cutting only a bone easily and quickly, the device of the present invention is adapted to cut a bone by irradiating with a laser beam and includes a light source for emitting a laser beam of 1000 to 1500 nm with a peak output of 10 to 70 W/cm2.
US09119634B2

An intra-cardiac mapping system is based on locating the ports through which blood flows in or out of the heart chambers. For many procedures, such as ablation to cure atrial fibrillation, locating the pulmonary veins and the mitral valve accurately allows to perform a Maze procedure. The location of the ports and valves is based on using the convective cooling effect of the blood flow. The mapping can be performed by a catheter-deployed expandable net or a scanning catheter. The same net or catheter can also perform the ablation procedure.
US09119628B1

Methods and devices for improved precision in finding one or more nerves and then interrupting the transmission of neural signals through the target nerve. The treated nerve can be rendered incapable of transmitting neural signals for a select duration of time, where such a duration can be on a temporary basis (e.g., hours, days or weeks) or a longer term/permanent basis (e.g., months or years). One embodiment of the apparatus includes a precise energy source system which features energy transfer elements that are capable of creating areas of nerve destruction, inhibition and ablation with precision.
US09119626B2

Introducer sheaths for use with embolic coil devices and methods for making and using the same. An example introducer sheath assembly may include an introducer sheath having a proximal end, a distal end, and a body portion defined therebetween. The body portion may include two or more bends formed therein. An embolic coil device may be disposed within the introducer sheath.
US09119614B2

A suture retention device is provided for retaining a suture. The device has a locked state and an unlocked state. In the locked state, a spring biases a first gripping surface and second gripping surface together to enmesh a suture to prevent the suture from sliding through the device. In the unlocked state, an actuator may be engaged to bias the spring and separate the first and second gripping surfaces to allow the suture to freely slide through the device.
US09119611B2

A corner protector for position about a corner of an equipment sterilization tray includes a base portion having a perimeter and a first concave recess. A first wall portion extends from a first portion of the perimeter of the base portion and comprises a second concave recess. A second wall portion extends from a second portion of the perimeter and comprises a third concave recess wherein the first and second wall portions are substantially perpendicular to each other. A connecting portion extends from a third portion of the perimeter wherein the connecting portion connects the first and second wall portions to form a continuous wall.
US09119610B2

A medical table provides the functionality needed for hip and knee arthroplasty at a cost that is acceptable for smaller patient care centers. Such a table can use a sliding mechanism to maintain traction during positioning of a patient's leg. The table also can utilize a knee arthroplasty attachment to provide for precise knee positioning, such as by using a sliding assembly attached to a spar of the table. The table can include a pair of actuators providing for both lateral tilt and trendelenburg motions, which reduces the complexity from previous tables. The table also can include a removable power/control module, which allows for quick and easy replacement of damaged components.
US09119609B2

A medical device for collecting cells includes a rotatable drive wire having a proximal portion, a distal portion, an offset portion of the distal portion, and a head member attached to the offset portion. The drive wire is coupled to an axially translatable rack member via a rotation mechanism that converts axial translation of the rack member into rotation of the drive wire. The offset portion of the drive will rotate eccentrically relative to the longitudinal axis of the drive wire to increase the diameter of the rotation of the head portion. The head portion can contact an inner surface of the body cavity to collect cells, and the eccentric rotation of the head member can limit trauma experienced by the patient relative to traditional scraping of a cell collection brush.
US09119605B2

A synthetic polymer based adhesive formulation that has properties substantially simulating selected properties of fibrin glue, and methods of making and using the same. The adhesive formulation includes a discrete acid solution and discrete base solution that when combined form a synthetic polymer based adhesive that substantially simulates selected properties of fibrin glue. The discrete acid solution includes a polymer and a cross-linking agent precursor. The discrete base solution includes a polymer and a base.
US09119598B2

A physiological monitoring system may process a physiological signal such a photoplethysmograph signal from a subject. The system may determine physiological information, such as a physiological rate, from the physiological signal. The system may use search techniques and qualification techniques to determine one or more initialization parameters. The initialization parameters may be used to calculate and qualify a physiological rate. The system may use signal conditioning to reduce noise in the physiological signal and to improve the determination of physiological information. The system may use qualification techniques to confirm determined physiological parameters. The system may also use autocorrelation techniques, cross-correlation techniques, fast start techniques, and/or reference waveforms when processing the physiological signal.
US09119589B2

Photon counting detectors are sparsely placed at predetermined positions in the fourth-generation geometry around an object to be scanned in spectral Computer Tomography (CT). Optionally, integrating detectors are placed between the two adjacent ones of the sparsely placed photon counting detectors in the fourth-generation geometry. Furthermore, the integrating detectors are placed in the third-generation in combination to the sparsely placed photon counting detectors at predetermined positions in the fourth-generation geometry.
US09119581B2

The present invention concerns a tape magazine especially for a hand-held device for analyzing a body fluid with a test tape that can be unwound from a storage unit and wound onto a waste unit where the waste unit can be driven in order to wind forward the test tape. The invention provides that a lock which keeps the test tape under tension is integrated in the tape magazine at least on the storage unit. The present invention also concerns a hand-held device with such a tape magazine. The present invention also concerns a hand-held device with a mechanical drive for the test tape and a disposable hand-held device with polymer-based electronic components.
US09119580B2

A detection device for detecting a blood count parameter in a blood vessel, comprising a transmitter to inject a first transmit signal of a first frequency into the blood vessel and a second transmit signal of a second frequency into the blood vessel, a receiver to receive a first receive signal at the first frequency and a second receive signal at the second frequency, a loss detector to determine a first loss value on the basis of the first transmit signal and the first receive signal at the first frequency, and to determine a second loss value on the basis of the second transmit signal and the second receive signal at the second frequency, and a processor to determine a first frequency shift of the first loss value relative to a first reference loss value, determine a second frequency shift of the second loss value relative to a second reference loss value, and determine the blood count parameter on the basis of the first frequency shift and the second frequency shift.
US09119575B2

A panoramic tomography X-ray apparatus including an image information processing part, a display part, and a position setting part. The image information processing part retrieves a frame image information from a storage part and superimposes overlapped portions of images along a tomographic plane corresponding to a dental arch to generate a panoramic tomographic image. The display part displays the panoramic tomographic image generated by the image information processing part. The position setting part sets, in a median portion including a median line of an object, the position of the tomographic plane regarding depth direction of the object.
US09119564B2

Sizing an internal body structure in a patient includes guiding a sizing mechanism via a wire guide to a target location within the internal body structure, inflating a balloon of the sizing mechanism at the target location, and injecting a contrast fluid into the internal body structure. The inflated balloon blocks a flow of the injected contrast fluid to indicate that a size of the inflated balloon is accordant with a size of the body structure. Related apparatus is also disclosed.
US09119555B2

Method for correcting an acquired medical image of a patient showing a representation of an internal body structure, the acquired image having been acquired in a medical imager having a radiation source and a radiation detector spaced from one another along an image-taking direction, and between which the patient is disposed. One obtains, from the acquired image, a corrected image taking into account a position of the internal body structure along the image-taking direction.
US09119550B2

Magnetic resonance and ultrasound parametric image is fused or combined. MRI and ultrasound imaging are used to acquire the same type of parametric images. Fused data is created by combining ultrasound and MRI parametric data at times for which both types of data are available. Rather than sacrificing rate, fused data is created for times for which MRI data is not acquired. A curve representing the values of the parameter over time is fit to the available MRI and ultrasound data of each location, resulting in fused data at times for which MRI data is not available.
US09119543B2

A system (10) and a method for deep brain stimulation are provided. The system (10) comprises a probe (11) and a processor (14). The probe (11) comprises an array of sensing electrodes (12) for acquiring signals representing neuronal activity at corresponding positions in a brain and an array of stimulation electrodes (12) for applying stimulation amplitudes to corresponding brain regions. The processor (14) is operably coupled to the sensing electrodes (12) and the stimulation electrodes (12) and is arranged for performing the method according to the invention. The method comprises receiving (21) the acquired signals from the sensing electrodes (12), processing (22) the acquired signals to find at least one brain region with atypical neuronal activity, based on the acquired signals determining (23) a spatial distribution of stimulation amplitudes over the array of stimulation electrodes (12), and applying (24) the spatial distribution of stimulation amplitudes to the array of stimulation electrodes (12) in order to stimulate the at least one region with atypical neuronal activity.
US09119536B2

A pressure gauge for determining at least one pressure value describing a pressure of a fluid flowing in a pulsating manner in a phase of the pulsating flow, includes a pulse wave characterizer. The pulse wave characterizer is configured to obtain transmit time information of a pulse wave, and amplitude information of the pulse wave. The pressure gauge additionally includes a pressure value determiner configured to obtain a first pressure value describing a pressure of the fluid in a first phase, on the basis of the transmit time information and while using a mapping. The pressure value determiner is further configured to obtain a second pressure value describing a pressure of the fluid in a second phase, on the basis of the first pressure value and the amplitude information while using a mapping.
US09119534B2

An optical apparatus is disclosed. The optical apparatus includes an optical scanning module and a rotation axis module. The optical scanning module is used to provide an optical signal for optical tomography. The rotation axis module and the optical scanning module are integrated. When the rotation axis module rotates, the rotation axis module makes the optical scanning module to perform a rotation scanning process to an object.
US09119528B2

Systems and methods for providing sensitive and specific alarms indicative of glycemic condition are provided herein. In an embodiment, a method of processing sensor data by a continuous analyte sensor includes: evaluating sensor data using a first function to determine whether a real time glucose value meets a first threshold; evaluating sensor data using a second function to determine whether a predicted glucose value meets a second threshold; activating a hypoglycemic indicator if either the first threshold is met or if the second threshold is predicted to be met; and providing an output based on the activated hypoglycemic indicator.
US09119524B2

A rack insert for a dishwasher rack includes a plurality of undulated wire members disposed successively along a loading direction of a dishwasher. Each undulating wire member includes first and second ends and extends across a majority of a width direction of the dishwasher rack. Each undulating wire member includes a plurality of curves and a tine integrally formed at each of the first and second ends. Each tine extends upward in a vertical direction of the dishwasher.
US09119519B2

A dishwasher comprises a wash chamber, a water circulation system for passing water into and out of the wash chamber, and a water-collecting sump member (12) which is fastened in a water-tight manner to an opening (14) in a lower end portion of the wash chamber. The sump member is a self-contained molded plastic unit comprising an upper portion which constitutes an interface for connecting the sump member in a water-tight manner to said opening (14), and a lower portion comprising a water collecting receptacle, wherein said upper portion comprises at least one integral fitting for connecting the sump member to a water inlet conduit and/or a drain conduit of the dishwasher.
US09119516B2

A device and method for regulating the pressure between a floor cleaning implement (22) and a floor, wherein the floor cleaning implement (22) is coupled to a floor cleaning machine (10). The device of one embodiment comprises a cantilevered arm (28) coupled to the floor cleaning machine (10) and a sensor (30) coupled to the cantilevered arm (28) and positioned to sense deflection or other deformation of the cantilevered arm (28). An actuator (26) is coupled between the cantilevered arm (28) and cleaning implements (22). The actuator (26) is also coupled to the sensor (30) and adapted to receive signals from the sensor (30) to cause actuation of the actuator (26). When pressure other than a predetermined amount causes the cantilevered arm (28) to deform, the sensor (30) senses this deformation and cause the actuator (26) to actuate in a direction that allows the cantilevered arm (28) to return to a position in which the pressure is within the predetermined amount.
US09119512B2

A remote-controlled, autonomous, or semi-autonomous vacuum cleaner for raised floor environments is especially configured to clean tight, hard-to-reach areas, such as the space between the floor and the raised panels of a raised access floor system and a control module for remotely operating the vacuum cleaner. The vacuum includes a body, a power source supported by the body, a vacuum module supported by the body, the vacuum module being configured to intake air and exhaust air, and a drive module supported by the body. The body includes an outer casing having channels formed therein, with the channels being configured to divide and channel exhaust flow and to direct exhaust flow in multiple directions.
US09119509B2

A hand dryer apparatus includes a high-pressure airflow generator that generates a high pressure airflow, a control circuit that controls the high-pressure airflow generator, a power connecting unit that connects a commercial power source to the control circuit, a main body that forms a hull by housing the high-pressure airflow generator, the control circuit, and the power connecting unit, and nozzles that are formed in the main body and blows out the high pressure airflow created by the high-pressure airflow generator; further includes a panel composing a part of the main body and is detachable by a tool, and switching units that are housed in the main body and can switch a setting of the hand dryer apparatus, and enables access to the power connecting unit and the switching unit by removing the panel.
US09119497B2

The present invention relates to a window treatment mounting assembly, and a kit which includes a window treatment mounting assembly and a window treatment or modular fabric components thereof. In one preferred aspect, a window treatment mounting assembly for mounting a window treatment over a window is provided, where the mounting assembly comprises a longitudinally elongated channel beam for releasably retaining the window treatment; a resiliently compressible retention member for releasably coupling the window treatment to the channel beam in a friction fit; and at least one mounting bracket for supporting the channel beam in a mounting position adjacent the window.
US09119494B2

Apparatus for donning or wearing socks, and method of using such apparatus. The apparatus includes: a substantially horizontal base; an elongated U-shaped, semi-cylindrical caddy on which a sock positioned inside out is fittable and into an interior of which a foot is insertable; and a tilt unit coupled to the caddy and pivotally connected to a head portion of the base. The base is T-shaped and is configurable by an elongated main portion and two spaced, forwardly positioned head portions. The tilt unit is insertable within an interspace between the two head portions. The tilt unit is pivotally connected to the two head portions by at least one coupled horizontally disposed pin which is substantially perpendicular to the main portion. The tilt unit and the caddy are able to be tilted about a horizontal axis during a sock donning operation.
US09119488B2

A system for controlling advancement of and access to product housed within a device. Systems and devices include a pushing assembly having a track, a pusher, and a stop for restricting forward movement of the pusher when the stop is engaged. The device also includes a door assembly that has an open position and a closed position, an engaging mechanism that engages the stop when the door assembly is in the open position, and a blocker mechanism that restricts consumer access to product located behind the door assembly.
US09119484B2

A travel lap seat is disclosed, having a harness and a lap portion. The harness has a first portion that secures the lap seat to an adult, and a second portion that secures a child to the lap seat so that the child sits upon the lap portion when the adult is seated. The harness can also be used as a child carrier. The lap portion may be detachable or stowable, and may be attached to a back portion. The back portion and lap portion may form a single, monolithic unit.
US09119483B1

A child restraint system includes an infant carrier and a base adapted to be mounted on a passenger seat in a vehicle in a vehicle mode. The infant carrier is also configured to be mounted on a stroller frame in a stroller mode. The infant carrier includes a seat shell and a carrying handle coupled to the seat shell.
US09119482B2

The present invention describes a baby carrier rocking device. In one embodiment, the device includes a housing with an imbedded motor, MP3 player, and related components. The housing may feature various shapes and designs, and comprises an aperture at the top portion thereof. The aperture is adapted to hold a first end of an elongated arm therein. The second end of the elongated arm is adapted to rock a baby carrier. In operation, the motor actuates the elongated arm so that it extends upward at a regular interval, contacting a baby carrier and thereby pushing the same in a rocking motion. Each time the elongated arm is extended upward, it falls back down via gravity. In this way, the present invention provides parents or caregivers with a hands-free way to rock a baby carrier.
US09119479B2

The present invention provides a body support assembly comprising a layer having a passage, a pump positioned to create a flow of fluid through the passage, a sensor that detects a parameter and produces a signal, and a controller coupled to the sensor and programmed to control the flow of fluid based on the signal. Preferably, the layer comprises visco-elastic foam. In one embodiment, the parameter corresponds with a firmness of the layer (e.g., a temperature of the layer). A heat exchanger can be used to alter (e.g., heat or cool) a temperature of the fluid. The present invention further provides a method of controlling a firmness of a body support comprising sensing a sensed value of a parameter (e.g., temperature) of the body support, establishing a desired value of the parameter, comparing the sensed parameter to the desired value, and adjusting the parameter.
US09119474B2

A bench with a height adjustable top assembly that functions both as a massage platform when in the raised position and a bench for seating when in the lowered position and is designed with the aesthetic characteristics of furniture that can be left in place when not in use as a massage platform. The massage platform is raised into position by lifting the ends of the massage platform top assembly. The manual power assist assembly provides assistance when raising the top assembly. When not in use as a massage platform the top assembly can be lowered to rest on the base assembly and can be used for seating. Further, a portion of the top assembly massage platform can be raised providing a back rest with multiple reclining positions.
US09119471B2

A shelving system includes a support post having a mounting surface and a plurality of vertically spaced retention members extending from the mounting surface. A shelf includes a bracket member configured for coupling to a first of the vertically spaced retention members. A support bracket includes an attachment portion configured for coupling to a second of the vertically spaced retention members adjacent the first vertically spaced retention member and a support portion configured for coupling to the bracket member.
US09119466B2

A table leg assembly with an intermediate beam to removably support elements on the table leg assembly.
US09119465B2

A collapsible table structure comprises a tabletop and a plurality of folding leg assemblies pivotally attached thereto. Each leg assembly comprises a first leg and a second leg connected to each other at a pivot coupling defining an unintruding common axis for movement between an open condition generally resembling an X-shaped configuration and a closed condition wherein the legs, as well as the tabletop, are generally parallelly disposed in a common plane. Each leg is formed by at least two telescopically connected leg sections freely movable through and transversely of the unintruding common axis in moving between extended and retracted positions relative to each other. Each leg includes a locking mechanism for retaining a lower leg section in an extended position. The table structure further includes means for releasing the locking mechanism to facilitate collapsing of the table to its closed condition.
US09119462B2

An oral cleaning implement can be produced by stapling at least one bristle filament and/or one or more bristle tufts into a tuft hole. Staples used for said stapling may be produced from plastic material by extrusion technology. Said staples may have a cavity formed along one of its axis and optional one or more recesses at its side faces.
US09119453B1

The modular luggage transport system attaches to a wheeled piece of luggage on front and back sides, via straps with connectors. A hinged base plate and hinged toe plate pivot down to allow additional pieces of luggage to rest on the hinged base plate. Straps with connectors are then connected, securing the additional pieces of luggage to the wheeled piece of luggage for transportation to a desired location as needed.
US09119443B2

A method of making a sheet-form loop-engageable fastener product includes placing a layer of staple fibers on a first side of a substrate, needling fibers of the layer through the substrate to form loops extending from a second side of the substrate, removing end regions from at least some of the loops to form stems, and forming loop-engageable heads at free ends of at least some of the stems.
US09119441B2

A tongue for a skate boot and a skate boot having a tongue comprising at least one exposed structural molded foam body, and a plurality of apertures and/or grooves defined therein along a longitudinal axis. The tongue can also be releasably connected to the skate boot to allow a skate owner to change the tongue for another tongue more adapted to the skate owner's specific needs in different circumstances.
US09119440B2

The invention relates to an insole, and to an article of footwear provided with such an insole, with application to the design of shoes wherein an improvement in comfort is sought.The insole includes a principal portion 1 designed to accommodate the pressure of a user's foot, comprising at least one deformable cavity 2, 5 filled with a compressible, fluid-permeable material 3, 6 and provided on the one hand with at least one inlet E1, E2 for fluid intake and on the other hand with at least one outlet S1, S2, S3 for exhausting the fluid. Further, the thickness of the principal portion, in the non-deformed state of the cavity, is substantially constant, with the possible exception of the perimeter of the cavity and/or the possible exception of the inlets and/or outlets.
US09119437B2

A shoe having a hinge member incorporated between a footbed toe plate and footbed arch plate allowing the shoe to be configured as a flat or heeled shoe. The footbed toe plate and footbed arch plate are rotatably joined via one or more hinge pins inserted through interlaced teeth of each plate. A spring-biased hinge lock extending between the plates is controlled by a spring-biased pin having a notch for selectively receiving the hinge lock such that the hinge lock disengages the footbed arch plate allowing the footbed arch plate to rotate relative to the footbed toe plate. The heel block includes a spring-biased heel lock extending into a removable heel and is controlled by a spring-biased pin having a notch for selectively receiving the hinge lock such that the hinge lock disengages the heel allowing the heel to be removed from the heel block.
US09119433B2

A protective helmet for successive impacts includes a head cap adapted to surround and move with a wearer's head and an outer shell which surrounds the head cap. An energy absorbing flexible liner predominantly comprised of radially oriented foam columns is attached to both the head cap and outer shell. The liner establishes a preset initial relative position and spacing between the head cap and the outer shell and compliantly absorbs energy imparted to the outer shell during a helmet impact to enable the outer shell to move linearly and angularly relative to the head cap during the helmet impact and to be returned to the initial relative position with the head cap following the impact.
US09119426B1

A removable elastic piece is placed in the waistband of a garment to allow the garment to be worn throughout pregnancy. An elastic band covers the expanding belly of the wearer and holds the garment up. The elastic band can be removed from the garment in early pregnancy or postpartum when it is not needed.
US09119425B2

A garment for preventing inflammations of the skin between the thighs comprises first portions of the elastic tubular member which have a first thickness. Second portions of the elastic tubular member have a second thickness greater than the first thickness. The first and second portions of the elastic member have an elastic characteristic in a circumferential direction. The first and second portions of the elastic member are interspersed along the surface of the garment to promote the exposure of the thighs underneath the garment to the air. A first gripping member or members is disposed along the inner circumference of the tubular member proximate the top of the tubular member. A second gripping member or members disposed along the inner circumference of the tubular member proximate the bottom of the tubular member.
US09119424B2

The bottom clothes have: a main body part 10 that covers at least each buttocks part; and a band-like first tightening part 20, 20 and a band-like second tightening part 30, 30 both of which are disposed in pairs on left and right sides of the main body part 10 and have tightening forces stronger than that of the main body part 10, wherein the first tightening part 20, 20 is disposed on a rear center side from a top D of the buttocks part and extends vertically from a main body upper part E to a gluteal fold F, and the second tightening part 30, 30 is disposed below the top D of the buttocks part, covers at least an upper section of the gluteal fold F and extends upward from a lower end part of the first tightening part 20, 20 upward to a side.
US09119415B2

The invention concerns mainly a non-solid fermented food product containing ferments comprising about 5·107, in particular more than about 108 bifidobacteria per gram of food product fermented for a shelf lifetime of at least 30 days, in particular of at least 35 days.
US09119369B2

The present invention relates to a Lactuca sativa seed designated 79-163 RZ, which exhibits resistance to downy mildew (Bremia lactucae Regel.) races B1:1 to B1:28, and which has an extraordinary high number of red-colored, oakleaf-shaped leaves of substantially equal size. The present invention also relates to a Lactuca sativa plant produced by growing the 79-163 RZ seed. The invention further relates to methods for producing the lettuce cultivar, represented by lettuce variety 79-163 RZ.
US09119368B2

The present invention relates to a Lactuca sativa seed designated 41-122 RZ, which may exhibit resistance to downy mildew (Bremia lactucae Regel.), and which may have leaves with a solid main vein, narrow base leaves, and thick, strongly blistered, dark green mature leaves. The present invention also relates to a Lactuca sativa plant produced by growing the 41-122 RZ seed. The invention further relates to methods for producing the lettuce cultivar, represented by lettuce variety 41-122 RZ.
US09119364B2

The present invention is in the field of plant breeding and aphid resistance. More specifically, the invention includes a method for breeding soybean plants containing quantitative trait loci that are associated with resistance to aphids, Aphis glycines. The invention further includes method for monitoring the introgression quantitative trait loci (QTL) conferring aphid resistance into elite germplasm in a breeding program.
US09119349B2

A concave for a harvester combine is provided, the concave comprising a first longitudinal member comprising a plurality of first longitudinal member wire guide grooves substantially at the same height position relative to a bottom of the first longitudinal member; a second longitudinal member comprising a plurality of second longitudinal member wire guide grooves substantially at the same height position relative to a bottom of the second longitudinal member; a first transverse member and a second transverse member substantially parallel to one another affixed to the first longitudinal member and the second longitudinal member; and a plurality of module members affixed to the first and second transverse members.
US09119344B2

A reel mower has a drive and mounting system for easily and quickly installing a turf grooming attachment. A pair of bearing supports on opposite sides of the reel mower frame provides laterally spaced stub shafts between which the through shaft of the attachment can be nested. A pair of identical clamps releasably couples the opposite ends of the through shaft of the attachment to the adjacent stub shafts. Installation and removal of the clamps is sufficient to install or remove the attachment without requiring disassembly or lateral movement of the bearing supports or of the stub shafts rotatably journalled therein.
US09125333B2

Barrier layers for use in electrical applications. In some embodiments the barrier layer is a laminated barrier layer. In some embodiments the barrier layer includes a graded barrier layer.
US09125332B2

A semiconductor package includes a semiconductor die with a plurality of solder bumps formed on bump pads. A substrate has a plurality of contact pads each with an exposed sidewall. A solder resist is disposed opening over at least a portion of each contact pad. The solder bumps are reflowed to metallurgically and electrically connect to the contact pads. Each contact pad is sized according to a design rule defined by SRO+2*SRR−2X, where SRO is the solder resist opening, SRR is a solder registration for the manufacturing process, and X is a function of a thickness of the exposed sidewall of the contact pad. The value of X ranges from 5 to 20 microns. The solder bump wets the exposed sidewall of the contact pad and substantially fills an area adjacent to the exposed sidewall. The contact pad can be made circular, rectangular, or donut-shaped.
US09125330B2

The present disclosure relates to a conductive connection structure, and more particularly to a pin structure and pin connection structure thereof. The pin structure is disposed at least one side of an anisotropic conductive film. A plurality of conductive particles is distributed over the interior of the anisotropic conductive film. The pin structure comprises: a plurality of columns which are interspaced, wherein, the conductive particles are in the periphery of the columns. The pin structure and pin connection structure provided by the present disclosure use a pin structure comprising a plurality of columns which are interspaced. When the anisotropic conductive film is used to laminate pin structures, spacing between adjacent columns can contain the conductive particles so as to reduce the number of conductive particle that flow between the left-and-right adjacent pin structures, thereby reducing incidence of short circuit of the left-and-right adjacent pin structures.
US09125326B1

One embodiment of a method of providing ventilation to electronic equipment comprises receiving exhaust air flow from first electronic equipment positioned next to a ventilation structure; directing the exhaust air flow out of exhaust fan assembly of the ventilation structure; receiving cold air from an intake fan assembly of the ventilation structure; and directing the cold air to an intake vent of second electronic equipment positioned next to the ventilation structure.
US09125316B2

A chip card holder includes a single tray, a first latching member, and a second latching member and can accommodate two chip cards. The tray defines a receiving groove and includes a first latching end, a second latching end and two limiting plates. The first latching member and the second latching member are slidably engaged with the tray. When the first latching member abuts against the first latching end and the second latching member abuts against the second latching end, the first latching member, the second latching member and the two limiting plates are configured for positioning two chip cards. The first latching member and the second latching member can be slid relative to the tray to abut against the limiting plates also positioning and holding a single chip card.
US09125314B2

A printed circuit board includes: an insulating substrate, and a patterned conductive layer having a signal line and fixed on the insulating substrate, where signal lines on different planes of the patterned conductive layer are electrically connected to a via hole through a pad. An inner wall of the via hole is formed of a conductive bar and an insulating bar that penetrate the via hole; the pad is at an edge of the via hole and is connected to the conductive bar; the pad has an unclosed structure. In the printed circuit board according to the present invention, the size of the pad is significantly reduced by arranging the pad at partial edge of the via hole, thereby effectively improving a layout density of the patterned conductive layer, hence reducing the size of the printed circuit board, and satisfying the market demand for smaller electronic products.
US09125309B2

Provided is an epoxy resin allowing a cured product that is less changed in terms of heat resistance due to thermal history and has low thermal expansion, the epoxy resin having high solvent solubility. The epoxy resin is a polyglycidyl ether of a naphthol-novolac resin including, at predetermined proportions, a trimer and a dimer that have specific structures.
US09125308B2

A semiconductor device includes a first printed circuit board, a flat cable having electrical wires and a coating film which covers the electrical wires except for both ends, one end of each of the electrical wires is connected to the first printed circuit board, and a second printed circuit board connected to other end of each of the electrical wires. The flat cable is bent in such a manner that the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board face each other. A flat surface is formed in a portion of the coating film.
US09125300B2

An electronic device includes a housing and a chip. The housing includes a main body and a supporting portion. The main body has an inner surface and an outer surface, and an opening disposed on the outer surface. The supporting portion is disposed on the inner surface, and has a heat dissipating chamber that communicates with the opening. The chip is disposed on the supporting portion, and the heat generated by the chip is transmitted via the housing.
US09125281B2

A method for controlling a voltage transformer for operating a switchable load having at least one inductance and a switch, which is activated by a digital control device. When the switch is closed, a magnetizing current flows through the inductance. When the switch is open, a demagnetizing current flows through the inductance. The method comprises the steps of measuring the demagnetizing time of the inductance and, when a maximum value of the demagnetizing time of the inductance is exceeded, storing such an occurrence as a fault. The load is disconnected by the control device when a predetermined maximum frequency of faults is exceeded.
US09125278B2

A system and method are disclosed for determining a pixel capacitance. The pixel capacitance is correlated to a pixel age to determine a current correction factor used for compensating the pixel drive current to account for luminance degradation of the pixel that results from the pixel aging.
US09125275B2

A lighting system includes a light source included in an array of light sources to emit illuminating light, a sensor Included in the array to sense environmental light from an environment, and a controller operatively connected to the sensor and the light source to analyze the environmental light sensed by the sensor to at least one of detect and generate data relating to a condition of the environment. The data is transmittable in a data light defined by a data wavelength defined relative to the illuminating light. The controller receives the data included in the data light using the sensor and analyzes the data included in the data light and to control the transmission of the data light from the light source. The plurality of light sources emit the illuminating light in a plurality of directions. The sensor receives the environmental light from a plurality of directions.
US09125263B2

An LED lighting device 1 lights LED blocks 4a and 4b which correspond to a plurality of functions of an illuminator such as headlights and are connected in series. The LED blocks 4a and 4b are connected in series with a current converting unit 5. While the LED blocks 4a and 4b are supplied with a current Ia from a single DC/DC converter unit 3, the LED block 4b is supplied with a current Ib that passes through conversion by the current converting unit 5 and that differs from the current Ia the DC/DC converter unit 3 outputs. Thus, the LED blocks 4a and 4b are each lit with appropriate brightness.
US09125256B2

In general, according to one embodiment, an illumination device includes a light emitting unit, a connection unit, a containing unit, and a second sealing unit. The light emitting unit includes a first substrate, a second substrate, an organic electroluminescent element, and a first sealing unit. The organic electroluminescent element is provided between the first substrate and the second substrate. The first sealing unit seals circumferential edge portions between the first substrate and the second substrate. The connection unit supplies power to the organic electroluminescent element. The containing unit has a space being airtight in an interior of the containing unit. The containing unit contains the light emitting unit inside the space. The second sealing unit is provided in the containing unit. The second sealing unit seals between a portion of the unit extending outside the containing unit and the containing unit.
US09125244B2

An induction cooktop appliance includes a housing having an air intake opening and an air exhaust opening, the air intake opening and the air exhaust opening defining an air cooling circulation path, an induction cooktop disposed on top of the housing, electronics for the induction cooktop disposed within the housing, and a vent tube having a first end and a second end, the vent tube being disposed in the cooling air circulation path and configured to segregate air entering the air intake opening from air exiting the air exhaust opening.
US09125241B2

A heater (A1) includes a substrate (1), a heating resistor (2) formed on the substrate (1) and an electrode (3) electrically connected to the heating resistor (2) and containing a metal component. The heater (A1) further includes a diffusion prevention layer (4) which is held in contact with at least part of the electrode (3) and prevents the metal component from diffusing from the electrode (3). By preventing the diffusion of the metal component from the electrode (3) to the heating resistor (2), the separation of the heating resistor (2) and the electrode (3) is prevented.
US09125240B2

Methods, apparatuses and computer readable media are described that configure wireless circuitry of a wireless communication device. The wireless communication device establishes a connection to a first wireless network using first and second receiving signaling chains. In response to detecting a radio frequency tune-away event, the wireless communication device reconfigures only one of the radio frequency signaling chains to receive signals from a second wireless network when a set of receive signal conditions for the second wireless network is satisfied. The wireless communication device reconfigures both of the radio frequency signaling chains to the second wireless network when the set of receive signal conditions is not satisfied.
US09125236B2

An apparatus and methods are provided for opportunistically conducting data communications on multiple wireless channels. In these methods, a device is engaged in data communications with a second device and receives a conflicting communication demand requiring action on one or more channels other than the data-communication channel (e.g., to conduct a channel scan, to issue or receive a beacon). The device arranges a schedule of channel switches to satisfy the communication demand and advises the second device of the schedule, and may explicitly invite the second device to implement the schedule. To the extent the second device does so, the data communications continue on the other channels. The devices may be participating in a synchronized peer-to-peer communication environment that requires their attendance on the data-communication channel and that is not associated with the other channels.
US09125230B2

Method of switching dual subscriber identity modules (SIMs) of an electronic device includes predetermining a number of sequences. Each of the sequences represents a combination of a number NUM1 of a first state value, and a number NUM2 of a second state value. The first state value represents that the SIM is available, and the second state value represents that the SIM is unavailable. When a connected base station transfers a phone call to the SIM of the electronic device and the connected base station is not the default base station, a probability of missing the phone call of the SIM with each of the sequences is calculated. Based on the calculated probabilities, an optimized sequence is determined. The optimized sequence has a minimum probability and corresponds to a maximum ratio of NUM2 to NUM1. According to the optimized sequence, a standby time of the electronic device is divided.
US09125228B2

Architecture that allows a user to control the way a connection is made to a destination. A destination can be tagged with an attribute that defines how the connection to that destination should be routed. For example, a phone address book allows the user to not only enter the usual call recipient information such as name and telephone number, but also to add an attribute in the form of a network identifier associated with a network that should be used when connecting to the destination. Where multiple networks are associated with the destination, the phone subsystem, recognizing that the destination now has multiple network IDs for connecting the call, can prompt the user to select the desired network pathway. The user can also tag the destination with a protocol that should be employed. Thus, not only will the phone be connected according to the network, but according to the protocol.
US09125224B2

A system includes an access point and one or more remotes. The access point is configured for receiving signals, and for transmitting signals comprising contention frames, contention grants, and data frames. The one or more remotes include a first remote configured for receiving signals, and configured for transmitting signals comprising contention requests and data frames. The first remote is configured for transmitting one of the contention requests within a selected period of time after receiving one of the contention frames from the access point. The access point is configured for transmitting one of the contention grants to the first remote after receiving one of the contention requests from the first remote. The first remote is configured for transmitting one of the data frames within a selected period of time after receiving one of the contention grants from the access point.
US09125218B2

A method of handling a first random access procedure on a Primary Cell (PCell) for a mobile device when a second random access procedure on a Secondary Cell (SCell) is ongoing or is about to start is disclosed. The method comprises selectively initiating the first random access procedure on the PCell according to a result of the second random access procedure after the mobile device completes the second random access procedure on the SCell, wherein the first random access procedure is triggered by a pending scheduling request of the mobile device and the second random access procedure is triggered by need of synchronization on the SCell.
US09125215B2

According to the known IEEE 802.11s Draft Standard for WLAN Mesh Networking, version D5.0, the size of an information element is restricted to a length of 255 octets. Due to the definition of an MCCAOP advertisements element as a general information element this restriction is a major drawback leading to a maximum of 62 MCCA reservations to be advertised by an MCCAOP advertisements element. Although this number of reservations might be sufficient in the majority of situations, it is easily imaginable that there are situations which could require an advertisement exceeding this limit of 62 MCCA reservations. According to the disclosure, an MCCAOP advertisement—which is a set of MCCAOP reservations that needs to be advertised—is split over multiple MCCAOP advertisements elements. This may advantageously allow advertising more than 62 MCCAOP reservations to neighboring mesh nodes in a wireless mesh network which is configured to use MCCA.
US09125212B2

In a wireless communication system, a mobile station performs communication by means of first and second wireless communication schemes, and a base station communicates with the mobile station. The base station estimates communication loads of the first and second wireless communication schemes on the basis of a number of times communication is performed by an automatic call from the mobile station and a maximum number of times communication is able to be performed by the automatic call. The base station notifies the mobile station of one of the first and second wireless communication schemes having the low communication load estimated, and the mobile station uses the one of the first and second wireless communication schemes notified by the base station in a standby state caused by the automatic call.
US09125200B2

A method, implemented by one or more processors, for scheduling traffic streams in a communication network includes determining, via a processor, a plurality of sets of one or more cell characteristics. Each set of cell characteristics in the plurality of sets of cell characteristics corresponds to a different cell in a plurality of cells. The method also includes determining, via a processor, a first set of one or more traffic characteristics corresponding to a first traffic stream, selecting, via a processor, a first cell from the plurality of cells based on (i) the plurality of sets of cell characteristics and (ii) the first set of traffic characteristics, and assigning, via a processor, the first traffic stream to the first cell for an entire duration of the first traffic stream.
US09125184B2

Methods and arrangements for resource allocation in a telecommunication system in which aggregation of component carriers is applied. The size of the resource allocation field is determined based on the transmission bandwidth of a selection of component carriers. The selection of component carriers comprises the component carrier on which the resource allocation message is monitored and the component carriers which are cross-scheduled from said component carrier. The resource allocation message comprising the resource allocation field with the determined size is transmitted to the user equipment over a particular component carrier of the selection of component carriers. Furthermore, with only one size of the resource allocation field a smaller number of code word sizes needs to be monitored by the UE. This leads to a smaller number of blind decodings performed in the UE. The present invention enables a more tailored approach when determining the size of the resource allocation field to avoid too high overhead but also a too coarse resource allocation.
US09125180B1

A computer-implemented technique includes initiating, at a first computing device including one or more processors, communication with a second computing device via a short-range wireless communication protocol. The technique includes receiving, at the first computing device, a set of information from the second computing device via the short-range wireless communication protocol, the set of information including a port address for communication with a first application currently executing in a foreground at the second computing device via another wireless communication protocol. The technique also includes automatically configuring, at the first computing device and in response to receiving the set of information from the second computing device via the short-range wireless communication protocol, communication between a second application at the first computing device and the first application executing at the second computing device via the other wireless communication protocol using the set of information.
US09125160B2

A method for setting a sleep mode in a wireless power receiver that may receive wireless charging power from a wireless power transmitter is provided, including receiving wireless charging power from the wireless power transmitter, measuring a charging voltage based on the received wireless charging power, if the measured voltage reaches a preset first voltage, measuring a duration for which the measured voltage is maintained, and transitioning to the sleep mode if the duration exceeds a preset time.
US09125146B1

Approaches enable a service such a network optimization service of a computing device (e.g., a mobile phone, table computer, etc.) or other electronic device to monitor certain conditions of the device, such as device location, to determine a region in which the device is operating in. The device location can be used to determine a region in which the device is operating, and based at least on that region, a group of frequencies (e.g., a band group) including at least a subset of band frequencies and technologies that the device supports can be determined. The device can then search bands/technologies from the band group to determine a network provider (e.g., a public land mobile network (PLMN)) from which to gain telecommunication service access.
US09125142B2

A node apparatus for forming a wireless ad-hoc network, including: a recognition possibility determination unit that determines whether or not a gateway apparatus connecting the wireless ad-hoc network to other network can be recognized; an adjoining node detection unit that detects other node apparatus which is the source of a received packet as an adjoining node; a channel switching unit that switches, when the recognition possibility determination unit determines that the gateway apparatus cannot be recognized, the channel used for reception of packets transmitted in the wireless ad-hoc network successively to each of a plurality of channels; and a channel selection unit that selects a channel to be used for communication in the wireless ad-hoc network based on the number of adjoining nodes detected by the adjoining node detection unit in each of the plurality of channels.
US09125137B2

Disclosed is a method for applying an extended access barring (EAB), the method performed by a machine type communication (MTC) device and comprising: recognizing, by an upper layer of the MTC device, a change from being operated in an override low priority to being operated in a low priority; informing, by the upper layer, a lower layer that the priority has been changed; and determining, by the lower layer, whether to apply the EAB, to handle at least one of an attach request, a tracking area update request, and a service request. If the EAB is applied, a RRC connection is barred.
US09125136B2

A solution for locating unprotected access points is provided. Particularly, a wireless network access point providing an access to a network over a wireless connection maintains a location structure comprising an indication of a geographical position of each one of a set of unprotected access points in proximity of the access point, each unprotected access point providing the access to the network at least partially unconditionally. A mobile station submits a request to access the network to the access point when the mobile station is within a transmission range thereof, receives the indication of the geographical position of at least part of the unprotected access points in response to a denial of the access from the access point, and outputs directions towards one of the unprotected access points according to the corresponding geographical position.
US09125135B2

Systems and methods are disclosed for using multiple configuration groups having corresponding configuration identity (CID) parameters to configure a transmission channel and a reception channel for a user equipment device in a cellular communication network. In one embodiment, a user equipment device in a cellular communication network obtains CID values for CID parameters for a number of configuration groups. Each of the configuration groups includes one or more transmission channel or reception channel parameters. For each of the configuration groups, the user equipment device configures the parameters in the configuration group based on the CID value obtained for the CID parameter for the configuration group. In this manner, the transmission channel and the reception channel for the user equipment device are configured based on multiple CID values rather than a single physical layer cell identifier for a cell in which the user equipment device is located.
US09125134B2

Out of band (OOB) communication facilitates femtocell operation. One or more proximity agent provides out of band communication with nodes (e.g., mobile client devices) to provide assistance in or otherwise facilitate femtocell discovery, reselection, and/or interference mitigation. Out of band communication techniques provide for low power discovery, association, and communication as compared to corresponding femtocell or cellular network communication techniques. An OOB proximity agent is provided in association with a femtocell to provide transmit power level control with respect to the femtocell. In operation, if a client device searches for and finds an OOB proximity agent, it will find a femtocell, thereby avoiding a need to aggressively search for femtocells.
US09125132B1

Multiple mobile devices can request or wait for acknowledgement from a device associated with a mobile telecommunications network. Embodiments of the present invention include creating and broadcasting a single acknowledgment to multiple mobile devices. Mobile devices can be associated with identifiers that include sets of characters. In order to acknowledge more than one device with one broadcast, subsets of characters from more than one identifier can be included in one value. One acknowledgement is broadcast to multiple devices. The devices are able to identify the unique subsets of characters and compare them to portions of identifiers. Multiple devices can recognize acknowledgement based on a shared value that is broadcast to the devices.
US09125112B2

A first wireless access network node receives common radio resource configuration information of a second wireless access network node. A data offload request is sent to the second wireless access network node to perform a data offload for a user equipment (UE) attached to the first wireless access network node.
US09125107B1

Disclosed herein is a method for determining the location of a mobile station with greater accuracy than serving base station location and yet preferably without the consumption of network resources typical of satellite-based location determination. The method is applicable in a scenario where a mobile station is ping-ponging (or has just been ping-ponging) between two non-coterminous wireless coverage areas. According the method, in that scenario, the location of the mobile station will be approximated conveniently as the location of overlap between the two wireless coverage areas, since it is most likely that the mobile station resides in that overlap area.
US09125105B2

Provided is a communication method of a coordinator in a wireless networks system that uses a reservation-based media access control (MAC). The communication method includes receiving, from a source device, a frame that requests a reservation resource for a relay device, to enable a frame that the source device transmits to a destination device to be relayed via the relay device, and allocating the reservation resource for the relay device, in response to the request.
US09125101B2

A technique for setting the transmission powers of individual D2D (device-to-device) transmitters using a distributed power control technique is described. Each individual D2D transmitter learns the interference levels that it imposes on an eNB (evolved Node B) and on D2D receivers other than its partner D2D receiver. The D2D transmitter is then able to adjust its transmission power accordingly. Such managing of interference temperature via distributed power control enables the network to maximize its reuse of time-frequency resources.
US09125091B2

Technology is discussed for self-optimization approaches within wireless networks to optimize networks for energy efficiency, load capacity, and/or mobility, together with new, supporting channel state measurements and handover techniques. New, Channel State Information-Reference Signals (CSI-RSs) for yet-to-be-configured Cell-IDentifications (Cell-IDs) can be used to determine whether adjacent transmission cells can provide coverage for transmission cells that can be switched off for energy efficiency during formation of a Single Frequency Network (SFN). New approaches are also discussed to facilitate mobility within such a network. The new CSI-RSs and mobility approaches can also be used to split up such a SFN when changing load demands so require. Additionally, such new approaches can be used to create a SFN with a common Cell-ID where high mobility is required, such as near a roadway, and to break it up where high capacity is required, such as during a period of traffic congestion.
US09125082B2

A multi-carrier communication system such as an OFDM or DMT system has nodes which are allowed to dynamically change their receive and transmit symbol rates, and the number of carriers within their signals. Changing of the symbol rate is done by changing the clocking frequency of the nodes' iFFT and FFT processors, as well as their serializers and deserializers. The nodes have several ways of dynamically changing the number of earners used. The selection of symbol rate and number of earners can be optimized for a given channel based on explicit channel measurements, a priori knowledge of the channel, or past experience. Provision is made for accommodating legacy nodes that may have constraints in symbol rate or the number of carriers they can support. The receiver can determine the correct symbol rate and number of earners through a priori knowledge, a first exchange of packets in a base mode that all nodes can understand, or an indication in the header of the data packet which is transmitted in a base mode of operation that all nodes can understand.
US09125078B2

A method and apparatus for setting Reverse Link CQI Reporting Modes in an access terminal is provided, comprising determining a value for CQIReportingMode received as a parameter in a transmitted message and setting the reverse link CQI reporting mode of the access terminal based on CQIReportingMode value. The CQIReportingMode value is indicative of a reporting mode selected from a plurality of reporting modes.
US09125069B2

When one base station forms a plurality of cells that use different frequency bands, a handover caused by movement between cells can be successfully performed with a high probability. A radio base station adapted to communicate with a radio communication terminal, comprising: a communication unit which performs a first communication with the radio communication terminal by using a first frequency, wherein the communication unit performs a second communication with the communication terminal by using a second frequency that is different from the first frequency; and a controller which performs a control, of at least one of a first power of the first communication and a second power of the second communication, based on a first power-related quality of the first communication and a second power-related quality of the second communication.
US09125065B2

A transmitting device includes a partial data selector to select partial data divided from data to be transmitted over each of access networks based on a data transmission rate of each of the access networks; an identification information insertion unit to respectively insert identification information for measuring a data reception time interval into two or more partial data among the partial data selected for a particular access network of the access networks; a communication unit to transmit the two or more partial data with the inserted identification information to a receiving device through the particular access network; and a controller to acquire transmission state information of the particular access network based on at least one of a data transmission time interval and a data reception time interval.
US09125063B2

The disclosure discloses a method and an apparatus for transforming a working mode in a Cognitive Radio (CR) system, which are used for solving the technical problem that a subsystem maliciously occupies the spectrum resources which are temporarily unused by other system in a system adopting a CR technology. In the disclosure, a network side measures the demand degree of each cell on borrowed spectrum and sets a conditions of enabling and disabling the CR working mode to determine whether to perform working mode transformation on the cell and specify a network allocation method for a mobile terminal in a corresponding working mode, so as to coordinate the allocation of the spectrum resources, and avoid the abuse of the borrowed spectrum resources; the CR working mode of the cell with low demand degree is disabled by the network side; the borrowed spectrum resources of the cell are released; and therefore, more borrowed spectrum resources are available to the other cells having a higher demand degree on the borrowed spectrum, and the overall performance of the system is improved.
US09125061B2

A method of allocating bandwidth is provided which involves for each sector of a plurality of sectors in a cell, using a respective subset of a total bandwidth; wherein for any two adjacent sectors, the respective subsets only partially overlap. A scheduling method is provided which involves for each sector, scheduling users for transmission on the respective subset of the total bandwidth by: for a given transmitter, allocating a respective fraction of capacity associated with the available bandwidth to each of at least two users selected from a plurality of users by performing an optimization for a selected scheduler design, the optimization selecting the at least two users and the optimization determining for each user the respective fraction of capacity; generating and transmitting a signal in which each of the at least two users has the respective fraction of capacity.
US09125055B1

Systems and methods system for a user accessing an unsecure Wifi access point are provided. In an embodiment, the present invention requests that the customer perform authentication of the access point to which he is connected. On initial connection to the access point, the customer provides his username/password and chooses a memorable information element (e.g., image or phrase). A site specific cookie is delivered to the customer device after a successful authentication. On subsequent connections, the site specific cookie is validated and the MAC address of the customer device is used to retrieve the memorable information element. If the customer recognizes his memorable image, he confirms that he is on a bona fide access point. In a further embodiment, if the customer connects at a location and/or time of day which breaks a previously observed pattern, MAC authentication is not accepted and a full authentication (e.g., user/password) is required.
US09125054B2

In a base station, a configurable radio unit allows for communication with a baseband processor that satisfies a CPRI standard while allowing personalization and customization by the end user in order to prevent undesired usage and/or access by other users/competitors. The radio module is programmable to allow for specific designation of the location, lengths, and types of signal and control information within CPRI basic frames. By being configured to allow for the adjustment of these parameters, the radio module can be commonly and mass produced while allowing for end users of the processors to personalize their use without additional hardware components, such as FPGA circuits. In addition, by generating a container frame, the radio module can allow for asynchronous communication between the CPRI standard and an employed communication scheme.
US09125045B2

Systems and methods for effecting delayed delivery of data. There are received, at a scheduler, from a plurality of mobile computing devices, a plurality of requests for transmission of data objects. Responsive to the requests, communication is made to at least one of the devices at least one offer for a delayed transmission deadline of at least one data object. There is received, at the scheduler, at least one response to the at least one offer, and there is determined a scheduling priority of transmissions based on the at least one response.
US09125027B2

The formation of a wireless device group for use in the shared resource computing environment involves establishing a wireless communication connection between a host wireless interface device and each of one or more dependent wireless interface devices, in which each dependent wireless interface devices is configured to not directly communicate with a computing device. Another wireless communication connection is established between the host wireless interface device and the computing device when the host wireless interface device is within a host connection distance of the computing device.
US09125023B2

In a communication system for conducting wireless communication between communication units mounted in vehicles, workload information indicating a workload of a driver of each vehicle is generated. When a communication request for requesting communication is transmitted from the communication unit of a first vehicle, it is determined whether the workload of a driver of the first vehicle and the workload of a driver of a second vehicle are lower than a predetermined level. When the workload of the driver of the first vehicle and the workload of the driver of the second vehicle are determined lower than the predetermined level, an incoming call is notified to the driver of the second vehicle.
US09125022B2

Embodiments infer position information using captured content items. A computing device such as a mobile computing or a cloud service analyzes one or more content items to generate information describing the content items. For content items that include photographs, for example, the photographs are processed to identify faces, objects, places, text, etc. The generated information is compared to reference content items (e.g., image comparison), user data (e.g., calendar data, contact information, etc.), and/or public data (e.g., address information, event information, etc.) to identify at least one match. Location information associated with the matched reference content items, user data, and/or public data is obtained. A position is determined for the content items based on the location information obtained from the matched reference content item, user data, and/or public data. In some embodiments, the obtained location information is used to refine a position determined using a beacon-based positioning service.
US09124998B2

Providing personalized content comprises discovering personal information using an electronic device. Services information related to the personal information is obtained using the electronic device. Personalized content is provided based on applying the services information to the personal information.
US09124997B2

An apparatus and a method for remote control at a mobile communication terminal includes a display unit that outputs a remote control screen when a remote control event occur; a communication unit either transmits or receives a remote control signal to or from an object terminal as well as data for storage when a remote control event occurs; a remote control processor processes the remote control signal received from the communication unit, and controls either the transmitting or receiving of data for storage; and a controller controls the remote control processor according to the received remote control signal, so as to transmit a storage data transmission or reception request message to the object terminal in response a respective on of a transmission or a reception request for the data for storage.
US09124994B2

Disclosed herein, among other things, are apparatus and methods to provide improved control of hearing assistance devices and hearing assistance applications. The present apparatus and method can be deployed on a hearing aid, a device in communication with the hearing aid, or on both. In one embodiment a programmable control, including, but not limited to a button or switch or sensor or microphone is adapted to provide control of the function or settings of the hearing aid. In one embodiment, a programmable control for a device including, but not limited to a button or switch or sensor or microphone is adapted to provide wireless control of the function or settings of the hearing aid. In various embodiments, a programmable control for the hearing aid and a programmable control of the device are used to provide wireless control of the function or settings of the hearing aid.
US09124981B2

Systems and methods for classification of audio environments are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of classifying an audio environment comprises sampling the audio environment to obtain sampled audio data in accordance with a first time interval, computing features of the sampled audio data, inferring an audio cluster identifier from the features of the sampled audio data in accordance with a second time interval, and updating an audio environment model using the features of the sampled audio data in accordance with a third time interval.
US09124976B2

A treble and bass headphone structure comprises: a headphone back cover; a headphone support frame contacted with the headphone back cover; a dynamic bass sound unit contacted with the headphone back cover; a partition contacted with the dynamic bass sound unit; a headphone front cover contacted with the partition; a film ribbon tweeter sound unit entered and accommodated in an accommodating slot of the headphone front cover from the headphone front cover; and a soft ear-cover contacted with the headphone front cover;wherein the headphone front cover covers up the headphone back cover.
US09124970B2

Systems and methods for automatically controlling an electronic device based on whether or not a headset is in a listening position are described. The existing wired stereo headset conductors may be used to provide power to a sensor and hardware subsystem within the headset. In some aspects, a sensor-enabled headset or headphones can sense whether each earbud of the headset is placed in the user's ears and communicate that information to an electronic device.
US09124968B2

A reflector and an electronic system produce a diffuse way by creating time delays in accordance with a number sequence. An acoustical passive reflector incorporates a series of wells in its surface to transform an acoustical wave into a series of acoustical waves having a time difference based on a number sequence. The electronic signal conversion system converts a signal into a series of signals having a time difference based on a number sequence. This can be used in an audio speaker system having N×N array of speakers where N is an odd prime number, arranged to be driven by the electronic signal conversion system in which the signal is converted into a series of signals centered on the signal with at least one signal being timed to precede the signal and at least one signal to follow the signal and the signal being arranged to be sent to the central speaker in the N×N array.
US09124962B2

In a wind noise suppressor, a divider divides the frequency band an input sound into a first frequency band having a possibility that wind noise is included and a second frequency band having a frequency higher than a frequency of the first frequency band, a calculator calculates a probability that the input sound includes wind noise from feature parameters of a sound in the first frequency band, a suppressor suppresses wind noise included in the first frequency band in accordance with an intensity calculated from the probability, and an adder mixes and outputs the sound in the second frequency band divided by the divider and the sound in the first frequency band by which wind noise is suppressed by the suppressor.
US09124957B1

A system for selecting communication routes based on multiple criteria is disclosed. The system can dynamically update route ranking criteria without loading new data tables. Further, the system can be implemented in the context of a route ranking system that provides a list of routes for processing or completing a call. The list of routes can be generated in a ranked order to facilitate attempts to route the call based on the predefined routing criteria. Further, the route ranking system can determine the list of routes based on one or more criteria including, for example, margins, call type, and vendor ratings, to name a few. Advantageously, modifications can be made to values associated with the routing criteria without requiring the loading of new tables associated with the routing criteria. These modifications can be associated with an expiration condition thereby enabling increased flexibility in determining the list of routes.
US09124953B2

The method for transmitting video data encoded in a scalable video stream representing said video data in a plurality of layers, comprises, for at least one layer: a step of obtaining (317) pre-encoded macroblocks of said scalable video stream representing said video data in a plurality of layers, a step of grouping (319) macroblocks, used for inter layer prediction, of the pre-encoded macroblocks obtained by the obtaining step, into first groups of macroblocks, a step of grouping (319) macroblocks, not used for inter layer prediction, of the pre-encoded macroblocks obtained by the obtaining step, into second groups of macroblocks, a step of estimating a loss variability over a network, a step of selecting (331) groups of macroblocks from the first and second groups of macroblocks based on the loss variability estimated by the estimating step and a step of transmitting (333) the groups of macroblocks selected by the selecting step over the network.
US09124948B2

Computer-implemented systems and methods are provided for defining ad space in a video. For example, a computer can receive an identification of a video and an advertisement space definition that includes a time stamp for the advertisement space in the video and an advertisement length. The computer can receive a request to view the video. The computer can determine an advertisement to play in the advertisement space such that the advertisement is not longer than the advertisement length included in the video's advertisement space definition. The computer can provide access to the video, and when the video reaches the time stamp, the advertisement is played in the advertisement space.
US09124947B2

An adaptive bit rate system uses adaptive streaming to deliver content to client devices capable of adaptive bit rate streaming. Techniques for averting or inhibiting ad skipping by an adaptive bit rate client device that receives media chunks from the adaptive bit rate system may include techniques for both live content and on demand content. Techniques include modifying a buffer size for access to trick plays and/or constructing a manifest file with limited content based on ad breaks.
US09124946B1

A plug and play method of viewing live and recorded contents includes the steps of: requesting information of a capturing device by a remote control center; sending an accessing request from an Internet-enabled receiving device to the remote control center through Internet; verifying whether the information of the capturing device matches with the accessing request from the receiving device by the remote control center; and establishing a communication channel between the capturing device and the receiving device to enable contents captured by the capturing device to be transmitted to the receiving device in a live manner through Internet.
US09124938B2

A virtual channel table for broadcasting protocol and a method for broadcasting by using the virtual channel table includes identification information identifying and permitting discrimination of active and inactive channels contained in the virtual channel table. At a receiver, the virtual channel table transmitted from the transmitting side is parsed, thereby determining whether the current received channel is an active or inactive channel.
US09124935B2

A television signals receiver for receives and stores television signals encoded at a variable data rate. Time information is generated based on the time of receipt of the signals that defines the duration of the television signals when output in decompressed form at a substantially constant data rate. The received signals are then written to a file on a hard disk (13) in received order together with the time information. The time information of signals stored in the file is monitored and old signals are deleted from the file such that the file stores signals corresponding to a predetermined period of time.
US09124932B2

The present invention provides systems and methods for providing television schedule information to a viewer, and for allowing the viewer to link, search, select and interact with information in a remote database, e.g., a database on the internet. The television schedule information can be displayed on a variety of viewer interfaces, such as televisions screens, computer monitors, PCTV screens and the like. The television schedule information may be stored on the viewer's computer, television, PCTV, or a remote server (e.g., a website), or the television schedule information may be downloaded from a remote database to the viewer's computer, television or PCTV.
US09124929B2

A method for communication, including distributing over a communication network multiple channels of digital content, which are encrypted using different, channel-specific control words, and transmitting over the communication network, different, channel-specific entitlement control messages from which the control words are derivable such that each of the different channel-specific control words is derivable from any of the different channel-specific entitlement control messages by authorized receivers of the channels on the communication network. Related methods and apparatus are also included.
US09124905B2

A method includes: storing, via a network storage device, information related to the playback history of a content playing device; receiving, via a network digital video recorder scheduler, a request to record requested content; receiving, via a network digital video recorder, the requested content in a first format and the requested content in a second format; and storing, via the network digital video recorder, only one of the requested content in the first format or the requested content in a second format based on the information related to the playback history.
US09124904B2

Provided is an apparatus and method of modifying a user interface based on a network condition. The apparatus includes a communication unit, a contents replaying unit, a determination unit, and an interface modification unit. The communication unit communicates with a server through one or more wired/wireless communication methods. The contents replaying unit provides a user interface screen for selecting contents and replaying contents selected by the user. The determination unit determines whether or not network connect with the server is necessary for the replaying of the contents displayed on the user interface screen for selecting the contents. The interface modification unit modifies the user interface screen for selecting the contents according to whether or not the network connection is necessary.
US09124902B2

Provided are a method of interpolating an image by determining interpolation filter coefficients, and an apparatus for performing the same. The method includes: differently selecting an interpolation filter, from among interpolation filters for generating at least one sub-pel-unit pixel value located between integer-pel-unit pixels, based on a sub-pel-unit interpolation location and a smoothness; and generating the at least one sub-pel-unit pixel value by interpolating, using the selected interpolation filter, pixel values of the integer-pel-unit pixels.
US09124897B2

A motion vector coding unit executes processing including a neighboring block specification step of specifying a neighboring block which is located in the neighborhood of a current block; a judgment step of judging whether or not the neighboring block has been coded using a motion vector of another block; a prediction step of deriving a predictive motion vector of the current block using a motion vector calculated from the motion vector of the other block as a motion vector of the neighboring block; and a coding step of coding the motion vector of the current block using the predictive motion vector.
US09124893B2

Provided are a method and apparatus of encoding a video by compensating for a pixel value and a method and apparatus of decoding a video by compensating for a pixel value. The method of encoding the video includes: encoding image data; decoding the encoded image data and generating a restored image by performing loop filtering on the decoded image data; determining a compensation value corresponding to errors between a predetermined group restored pixels in the restored image and corresponding original pixels, and a pixel group including a restored pixel to be compensated for by using the compensation value; and encoding the compensation value and transmitting the encoded compensation value and a bitstream of the encoded image data.
US09124892B2

Provided are a method and apparatus of encoding a video by compensating for a pixel value and a method and apparatus of decoding a video by compensating for a pixel value. The method of encoding the video includes: encoding image data; decoding the encoded image data and generating a restored image by performing loop filtering on the decoded image data; determining a compensation value corresponding to errors between a predetermined group restored pixels in the restored image and corresponding original pixels, and a pixel group including a restored pixel to be compensated for by using the compensation value; and encoding the compensation value and transmitting the encoded compensation value and a bitstream of the encoded image data.
US09124890B2

In one embodiment, the method includes determining a motion vector of a current image block equal to a motion vector of an image block based on a reference picture index indicating a reference picture for the image block. For example, the motion vector of the current image block may be equal to the motion vector of the image block if the reference picture index indicates a long-term reference picture for the image block.
US09124871B2

An image coding method is provided for coding, on a per-block basis, pictures each including slices. The method involves estimating a current motion vector which is a motion vector of a current block to be coded and specifies a reference block included in a reference picture; generating a prediction image block by allocating a value of an inside pixel to an outside pixel, the inside pixel being a pixel located inside an associated slice, the outside pixel being a pixel located outside the associated slice and included in the reference block specified by the current motion vector, and the associated slice being a slice included in the reference picture and corresponding to a current slice to be coded which includes the current block; subtracting the prediction image block from the current block to generate a difference image block; and coding the current motion vector and the difference image block.
US09124867B2

A control point detector detects controls points, with which moving images are associated with a region of a panoramic image, by detecting feature points between the panoramic image and a frame of part of the moving images. An alignment processing unit adjusts the alignment of the moving images relative to the panoramic image, based on the control points. A mapping processing unit maps the panoramic image and a still image frame of the moving images the alignment of which adjusted by the alignment processing unit, onto a three-dimensional (3D) panoramic space as textures. A 3D image generator generates a 3D panoramic image, when the three-dimensional panoramic image is viewed in a specified line of sight. When a moving image reproduction unit receives instructions to reproduce the moving images in the 3D panoramic image, the moving image reproduction unit reproduces the moving images.
US09124861B2

The invention relates to a display connector with a 4K image resolution. It primarily comprises a first connector, a second connector and a third connector. The present invention is a connector for a display to support high specification images with quad full high definition (QFHD). The third connector is used to connect an existing video playback device merely having the playback function of full high definition (FHD). Then the FHD image data is upscaled through an electrically connected image upscaling module of the first connector, and QFHD image signals with an ultra-high definition resolution is displayed through an electronic display device. Accordingly, the QFHD image signals with the ultra-high definition resolution can be displayed without upgrading the hardware of the player or computer so as to dramatically reduce the required cost of upgrading the hardware.
US09124859B2

An image processing apparatus for processing moving image files each including moving image data and identification information relating to continuity of time between the moving image file and other moving image file is arranged to perform an editing process for deleting at least a portion of the moving image data included in the moving image file, and change the identification information of the moving image file in accordance with the editing process, wherein in accordance with the editing process being preformed, identification information of at least one of the plurality of moving image files is changed to a predetermined value for discriminating that there is no continuity between the moving image file to which the editing process is performed and a moving image file which has continuity of time with the moving image file to which the editing process is performed.
US09124852B2

A low-cost portable digital video player receives proprietary compressed data from a source such as a personal video recorder (PVR), and displays the data on an integral display. A rewritable non-volatile memory of the player stores the data and a media decoder of the player transforms and decompresses the data. According to one embodiment the decoder transforms the data to a non-proprietary format, prior to storing the data. According to a second embodiment, the memory stores the data in the proprietary format, and decoder transforms and decompresses the data in response to an instruction from a user input device, and transfers the decoded data to a display. A cradle for the player provides communications to the PVR, a power supply and optionally further storage capacity.
US09124850B1

An apparatus including a first module and a second module. The first module may be configured to receive video and audio content and process the video and audio content for distribution with video and audio encoding to various media platforms based upon a plurality of predefined settings. The second module may be configured to generate a single-page user interface through which a user may set the predefined settings.
US09124843B2

The present invention relates to a device management system including a peripheral device, a management server configured to manage device information of the peripheral device, and a terminal communicable with the management server. In the device management system, the management server registers key obtaining information received from the terminal while associating the key obtaining information with device identification information of the peripheral device and an authentication key managed by the management server. The management server determines whether the key obtaining information, from the terminal, that is registered while being associated with the device identification information contained in an obtaining request received from the peripheral device matches the key obtaining information contained in the received obtaining request.
US09124842B2

An image recording apparatus 1 generates halftone image data regarding black, cyan, magenta, and yellow from a multi-tone color image. Magenta is a target color component that has a lower ink density than that of the other color components. In generating halftone image data regarding magenta, the sum of the sizes of black, cyan, and magenta dots formed at a target pixel position is made smaller than or equal to a threshold dot size. If the hue of the pixel of interest is within a hue range in which magenta coloration is strong, it is determined that the threshold dot size is a corrected threshold dot size larger than the reference threshold dot size. It is thus possible to suppress overlapping of dots of a plurality of color components and to thereby improve color reproduction of the target color component while suppressing poor color reproduction and cockling.
US09124829B2

Providing for analog averaging of optical black pixels of an image sensor is described herein. By way of example, optical black pixel signals can be output by a row of pixels and provided in a parallel manner to a readout circuit. The readout circuit can include an averaging circuit that, when activated, generates an analog average of signals received at the readout circuit. The analog average can be sampled at any suitable signal output of the readout circuit, or multiple samples can be acquired to mitigate temporal noise, improve yield, and so on. By utilizing analog averaging, optical black pixel information can be obtained much more quickly than with digital counterparts, and optical black pixels can be fully utilized, as well as utilized more flexibly, in generating the black pixel output. Further sensor die size can be reduced, by replacing digital adders, dividers or shifters with the averaging circuit.
US09124823B2

A method of focusing an image sensor includes scanning a first portion of an image frame from an image sensor a first time at a first rate to produce first focus data. A second portion of the image frame from the image sensor is scanned at a second rate to read image data from the second portion. The first rate is greater than the second rate. The first portion of the image frame is scanned a second time at the first rate to produce second focus data. The first focus data and the second focus data are compared, and the focus of a lens is adjusted in response to the comparison of the first focus data and the second focus data.
US09124820B2

A method and apparatus is provided for processing acquired document data, using distributed scan management protocols, according to a security classification of the data. A scanning device through which the document data is acquired includes a distributed scan management service that implements a distributed scan device protocol and a distributed scan processing protocol. In embodiments of the invention, the distributed scan device protocol and the distributed scan processing protocol are implemented using Web services. The distributed scan management service is configured to receive information for post scan processing instructions. The scanning device also includes a scan service configured to scan a document and generate scan data based on the document scan. The scanning device further includes a security handler service that is configured to identify a security classification for the scan data, and perform one or more actions, associated with the security classification, for the scan data.
US09124810B2

In order to establish a lighting intensity of an inspection apparatus, an inspection board is installed in an inspection apparatus. Then, a width of a histogram of a captured image acquired through a camera of the inspection apparatus is adjusted to avoid from a dark region and a bright region. Thereafter, a lighting intensity of the inspection apparatus is adjusted by adjusting the histogram to be near a middle of a graph. Thus, a setting time of an inspection condition stored in a job file may be reduced to increase the user's convenience, and measurement error due to mis-establishment may be reduced to enhance inspection precision.
US09124799B2

In a focus position control apparatus, a control unit performs, when a size changing amount of an object image is larger than a predetermined amount during control for driving a focus lens according to a distance change of an object image in an optical axis direction based on a determination result of a determination unit, a following driving operation corresponding to the distance change as a driving control, and limits the following driving operation corresponding to the distance change when the size changing amount of the object image smaller than the predetermined amount. The predetermined amount is changed according to an imaging parameter and an object status.
US09124790B2

The lens apparatus includes a first lens barrel and a second lens barrel disposed on an image side further than an object side end portion of the first lens barrel so as to allow a movement of the first lens barrel in an optical axis direction, a positioning member attached to one lens barrel of the first and second lens barrels, and an elastic member disposed between the first and second lens barrels to bias the first lens barrel toward an object side. Another lens barrel of the first and second lens barrels is brought in contact with the positioning member with a biasing force from the biasing member, and thereby the first lens barrel is positioned with respect to the second lens barrel in a state where a movement of the first lens barrel on the image side due to an external force is allowed.
US09124776B2

A system that displays a user interface for medical personnel to monitor and/or control the delivery medications such as anesthesia to a patient during a medical procedure. The system may gather patient data and other information from one or more patient monitors, one or more remote patient record information systems, one or more remote medical databases, and analyze various data to provide information for or to enable control of the administration of at least one medication or drug to a patient during a medical procedure such as an operation.
US09124754B2

A method for position calibration of a spot of a known geometry of an optical sensor is disclosed. The method may include providing a position calibration patch on a sheet at a position which is known with respect to a reference position on the sheet, along a scan path of the spot of the optical sensor across the sheet. The patch may include at least two adjacent blocks of different colors. The method may also include obtaining a sampling of the position calibration patch using the optical sensor. The method may further include determining from the sampling a relative coverage of the spot over the color blocks of the position calibration patch, and based on the known geometry of the spot and on the determined relative coverage, determining the position of the spot of the sensor with respect to the reference position.
US09124753B2

An information processing apparatus includes: multiple optical propagation paths configured to propagate light; a photoelectric conversion element configured to perform photoelectric conversion on light propagated through each of the multiple optical propagation paths at mutually different partial areas in a photoelectric conversion area; and an estimating unit configured to estimate illuminance or color temperature to be obtained at the photoelectric conversion element, using an electric signal corresponding to light propagated through each of the optical propagation paths.
US09124746B2

An image-reading device may include a reading unit and a control device. The control device may be configured to detect a candidate point for an edge of the document on each of a pair of parallel detection lines, obtain a tilt angle of a straight line extending between the detected candidate points in the read data and classify the obtained tilt angle into a plurality of range groups. Further, control device may be configured to count the number of obtained tilt angles in each of the plurality of range groups. Also, each of the range groups may be associated with a predetermined angle and when the count of one of the range groups meets predetermined criteria, the control device may assign the predetermined angle of the range group whose count meets the predetermined criteria to be a tilt angle of the document.
US09124737B2

A multi-core processor is used in a portable device that has first and second image sensors spaced from each other for capturing images of a scene from slightly different perspectives. The multi-core processor has a first image sensor interface for receiving data from the image sensor, a second image sensor interface for receiving data from the second image sensor, multiple processing units and, the four processing units and the first and second sensor interfaces being integrated onto a single chip. The processing units are configured to simultaneously process the data from the first and second image interfaces to generate stereoscopic image data.
US09124734B2

A mouse having a scanning function is provided. The mouse may include a case, a cover, a scan button, and a scanner. The scanner may include a housing, a glass module, a mirror module, a camera module, a lighting module provided in the housing, spaced apart from the camera module, and a barrier provided in the housing, at a position corresponding to a front side of the lighting module, to block light reflected from an inside of the housing.
US09124725B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide optimization of telephone services through telephone calling plan/card analysis. The least expensive rate is found for telephone calls at any given time and/or date, either through static pre-entry of data, or through dynamic querying of rates via a web-based look-up table, and places calls according to an optimized calling plan. Specifically, in a typical embodiment, an outgoing/target telephone number for an intended telephone call is captured, and a corresponding destination geographic region is identified. Based on the geographic region, a calling plan resulting in a lowest price for the telephone call is identified. This is typically accomplished by consulting at least one table (e.g., call information table) that associates (among other things) calling plans and/or calling cards with geographic regions. Once a calling plan and/or calling card is identified/selected, a corresponding set of dialing instructions will be obtained from the table and used to make/place the telephone call.
US09124717B2

A method of delivering an audio and/or visual media file including, for example, one or more of full or partial master recordings of songs, musical compositions, ringtones, videos, films, television shows, personal recordings, animation and combinations thereof, over the air wirelessly, from one or more servers to an electronic device with or without an Internet connection, said method comprising transmitting and audio and/or visual media file in compressed format to said electronic device, and wherein the electronic device is effective to receive said audio and/or visual file and playback said audio and/or visual content on demand by a user.
US09124707B2

Methods, products, apparatuses, and systems may provide at least multiplexed audio for a plurality of conferences. A conference attendee may simultaneously listen to the plurality of conferences via the multiplexed audio. Audio corresponding only to a respective conference of the plurality of conferences may be provided to another conference attendee having access to the respective conference. The multiplexed audio may be blocked from one or more other attendees. In addition, a conference operation may be implemented at any time to add a conference, delete a conference, select a subset of conferences, and/or rejoin conferences.
US09124699B2

Methods and systems for scheduling a communication between parties are presented. A system includes a wait-list module configured to determine and display information to a first party attempting to communicate with a second party. The system includes a wait-time prediction module configured to determine, based on the information determined by the wait-list module, an estimated wait time before the first party can be allowed to communicate with the second party. The system also includes a scheduling module configured to schedule a time when the first party can be allowed to communicate with the second party, wherein the scheduled time is determined by one of the first party and the second party based at least on the estimated wait time.
US09124696B2

A communication center has agents operating at workstations and enabled to interact with customers, a router for routing incoming transactions from customers to agents, and routing rule sets associated with specific customers. Individual ones of the rule sets include one or more contact constraints set by the customer associated with the rule set.
US09124680B2

A mobile electronic communications device 100 is at least partially covered or encased in a composite housing 123, 134, 168 and 188. The composite housing can have at least one conductive housing portion 220 and 223 comprising a conductive material and at least one non-conductive housing portion 224 and 226 comprising a non-conductive material. Preferably, the non-conductive housing portion is positioned in proximity to an antenna 202, a battery door 194 or cover for a battery 126, in the mobile electronic communications device.
US09124679B2

A passively re-radiating cell phone sleeve assembly capable of receiving a nested cell phone provides signal boosting capabilities and provides a radar enablement. Signal boosting is enabled by use of an additional antenna, a pass-through repeater, dual antenna isolation capability and other features.
US09124674B2

System and methods for connection pooling for video streaming in content delivery networks (CSNs) are provided. An embodiment method for connection pooling in a content delivery network (CDN) by a proxy server includes receiving, from a client, a request for media content, sending, to a control server, a query to locate an origin media server having the media content if the media content is cache-missing, receiving, from the control server, information regarding the origin media server having the media content requested by the client, and forwarding the request for the media content to the origin media server having the media content using a reusable connection from a pool of the reusable connections between the proxy server and the origin media server if the reusable connection is unoccupied.
US09124670B2

Transactional and non-transactional data for maintaining session state is described. In a session, a server instance receives, from a client, a request to execute transactional commands and non-transactional commands. The server instance sends at least one first directive executable at the client to store, in a first set of information, one or more first items representing one or more particular transactional commands that are open but not yet committed. The first set of information is maintained separately from a second set of information including one or more second items representing one or more particular non-transactional commands that have been processed. Based on committing one or more particular transactional commands, the server instance sends at least one second directive executable at the client to purge, from the first set of information, the one or more first items without purging, from the second set of information, the one or more second items.
US09124657B2

Illustrative embodiments disclose sharing an area of a computer system screen. A first computer system configures a sharing session for sharing a region of the screen with a second computer system. The first computer system assesses information on performance of the sharing session, determining from the information a minimum size of the region based on the assessment, and then selects the region to share based on the assessment and a designation by a user.
US09124656B2

A method and apparatus for distributing picture mail to a frame device community is described. The present invention comprises one or more interconnected frame devices. Each frame device has a display region (e.g. an LCD) surrounded with a border region modeled to resemble a traditional picture frame. The border region may be comprised of wood, plastic, or any other aesthetically pleasing compound. Each frame device is configured to connect to an interconnection fabric to periodically obtain image data from a centralized repository and then display that data according to criteria established by an authorized user. The data repository is populated with image data via the image collection process. In one or more embodiments of the invention, the user may specify filter criteria which establishes what network addresses (e.g. picture mail address) are authorized to populate the data repository.
US09124649B1

Methods and systems provide indirect and temporary access to a company's IT infrastructure and business applications. The methods/systems involve establishing an access control center (ACC) to control the access that technical support personnel may have to the company's IT infrastructure and business applications. Thin client terminals with limited functionality may then be set up in the ACC for use by the technical support personnel. The thin client terminals connect the technical support personnel to workstations outside the ACC that operate as virtual desktops. The virtual desktops in turn connect the technical support personnel to the IT infrastructure and business applications. An ACC application may be used to automatically establish the connection between the thin client terminals and the virtual desktops and the virtual desktops and the IT infrastructure and business applications.
US09124640B2

A computing device includes a security control module to monitor and control security of the operating system and security of one or more applications executing within the operating system. The security control module transmits to a remote security server a policy identifier, which identifies a security policy that applies to the operating system and to the applications. The security control module receives from the remote security server a unique cryptographic key. The security control module periodically retrieves from the security server a set of commands selected by the remote security server according to the security policy and current conditions. The security control module executes each command. Each command either modifies execution of an executable program or process, collects information, or performs an action that modifies data associated with the operating system, data associated with the security control module, or data associated with the one or more applications.
US09124627B2

Dynamic resolution of Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) address objects in policy definitions is provided. In some embodiments, dynamic resolution of Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) address objects in policy definitions includes receiving a network policy that includes a domain name (e.g., the network policy can include a network security rule that is based on the domain name); and periodically updating Internet Protocol (IP) address information associated with the domain name by performing a Domain Name Server (DNS) query. In some embodiments, dynamic resolution of Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) address objects in policy definitions includes dynamically performing a first local Domain Name Server (DNS) lookup for a first VSYS using a first DNS server on a first domain name for implementing a network policy based on the first domain name; dynamically performing a second local DNS lookup for a second VSYS using a second DNS server on the first domain name for implementing the network policy based on the first domain name; in which the network policy includes a network security rule that is based on the first domain name, and the network policy includes a network security rule that is based on the second domain name.
US09124615B2

A device receives content that includes embedded authentication code, and provides the content for display. The device generates a request to authenticate the content based on execution of the embedded authentication code, and provides the request to a server device that authenticates the content based on the request. The device receives, from the server device, an indication indicating that the content is authenticated, when the content is authenticated. The indication includes a portion of an identifier associated with the device. The device provides the indication and the portion of the identifier associated with the device for display.
US09124614B2

Methods and apparatuses may be provided for utility meters or other devices with communications prioritization. The methods and apparatuses may include receiving first information addressed to or from a first network device of the one or more network devices; determining that the first network device is either (i) battery-powered or associated with a limited power source, or (ii) associated with wireless communications; and based upon the determination that the first home device is either (i) battery-powered or associated with a limited power source, or (ii) associated with wireless communications, identifying the first information as higher priority. The identification of the first information as higher priority may result in the utility meter or other device processing of the first information ahead of one or more second information designated as lower priority.
US09124612B2

According to various embodiments, techniques are described for managing data within a multi-site clustered data intake and query system. A data intake and query system as described herein generally refers to a system for collecting, retrieving, and analyzing data. In this context, a clustered data intake and query system generally refers to a system environment that is configured to provide data redundancy and other features that improve the availability of data stored by the system. For example, a clustered data intake and query system may be configured to store multiple copies of data stored by the system across multiple components such that recovery from a failure of one or more of the components is possible by using copies of the data stored elsewhere in the cluster.
US09124611B2

A system and method for communicating, browsing, verifying and routing data in storage operation systems using network attached storage devices is provided. In some embodiments, the system may include a management module and a media management component connected to the management server, which interoperate with network attached storage devices to provide the communicating, browsing, verifying and routing functions.
US09124607B2

A scalable architecture is disclosed for delivery of real-time information over a communications network. Embedded into the architecture is a control mechanism that provides for the management and administration of users who are to receive the real-time information. In the preferred embodiment, the information being delivered is high-quality audio. However, it could also be video, graphics, text or any other type of information that can be transmitted over a digital network. Preferably, there are multiple channels of information available simultaneously to be delivered to users, each channel consisting of an independent stream of information. A user chooses to tune in or tune out a particular channel, but does not choose the time at which the channel distributes its information. Advantageously, interactive (two-way) information can be incorporated into the system, multiple streams of information can be integrated for delivery to a user, and certain portions of the information being delivered can be tailored to the individual user.
US09124599B2

In a network synchronization system, setting information synchronized among plural information processing apparatuses contains at least user information; user operating policy information; first equipment group information that prescribes a first equipment group to which the information processing apparatus belongs; and equipment operating policy information. The information processing apparatus includes a user authentication unit; a storage unit that stores the setting information and second equipment group information that prescribes a second equipment group to which the information processing apparatus belongs; and an operating policy generation unit that generates an applied operating policy to be applied to a login user. The operating policy generation unit generates, when the second equipment group information is contained in the first equipment group information, the applied operating policy in accordance with the equipment operating policy information corresponding to the first equipment group information in preference to the user operating policy information corresponding to authenticated user information.
US09124594B2

A data center determines whether requested content is available at the data center. The content is available when the content is both present at the data center and current. When the requested content is available at the data center, the data center returns the requested content to the browser. When the requested content is locally unavailable at the data center, the requested content is retrieved from an origin server. When retrieval of the content is delayed, the request is prioritized and placed in a queue for handling by the origin server based on the priority of the request. A status page may be communicated to the browser to inform a user of the delay and provide alternate content and status information related to the request determined as a function of the request or the current state of the origin server.
US09124586B2

System for access to an application distributed over a network of nodes deployed on a communication architecture (A), by a client (C) connected to this architecture. It comprises a server (S) having means for providing on the request of the client information about a set of nodes of the network (Np) taking into account the topology of the network within the communication architecture. It furthermore comprises at least one relay device (R) able to receive the information and at least one mediation device (M) suitable for establishing communications between the client (C) and at least some of the nodes of the set which are determined on the basis of the information provided by the relay device or devices (R).
US09124585B1

Mapping network addresses in logs of network activity to corresponding host computers includes generating lists of known-dynamic addresses, static addresses and other-dynamic addresses from network addresses appearing in the logs. The static addresses and other-dynamic addresses are assigned to host computers having respective first host identifiers, and the known-dynamic addresses are associated with corresponding host computers having respective second host computer identifiers contained in dynamic address assignment activity. For the static and other-dynamic addresses, the first host identifiers are obtained, and first address-to-host bindings are created for address-based lookups of first host identifiers using respective addresses. For the known-dynamic addresses, the second host computer identifiers and log-time information from the dynamic address activity are used to create second address-to-host bindings usable to perform address-based lookup of second host identifiers and corresponding use-time information using respective addresses to which the second host identifiers are bound.
US09124584B2

A system and method are provided for providing content to a user terminal based on the location of the user terminal within a specific range. If the user is proximate the boundary of the range, the user is prompted to make a decision concerning purchase or authorized use of the content. User options can be, before leaving the range, to purchase the content, to end the current session or leave the range with less than full functionality of the content, and to return to operating the user terminal within the range.
US09124581B2

An industrial automation system comprising a digital fingerprint that is allocated to a unit requesting access to the automation system and which is based on one or more parameters of a communication between the unit and a fingerprint-determining component of the automation system, wherein the industrial automation system additional comprises the fingerprint-determining component which, during the operation of the automation system, grants the requesting unit access to the automation system and compares the determined fingerprint of the requesting unit with a stored fingerprint.
US09124578B2

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a service opening method and system, and a service opening server. The method includes: receiving a service request from a third-party application, where the service request carries type and parameter information of the requested service; querying, according to the type information of the service, a service directory to obtain an access address and authentication type information of the requested service; when it is determined that the invoking of the service needs an authorization of an end user, obtaining an authorization notification message of the end user according to the type information of the service and the parameter information of the service; and forwarding, the service request to a capability server, and forwarding, to the third-party application, a service response message returned by the capability server. The control of the end user on the authorized service is ensured to the greatest extent.
US09124576B2

A valid duration period for a digital certificate is established by a process that includes assigning numeric values to certificate term. The numeric value assigned to each certificate term is representative of the valid duration period. The method continues by identifying one certificate term, which may include requesting a user to select a certificate term. The method may include transmitting the requested certificate term to a server. The certificate term requested is sent via a certificate request. The server is configured to convert the numeric value associated with the requested certificate term into a duration counter value. The method may also include a certificate server receiving from the server, the certificate request including the duration counter value. The method may conclude with transmitting the signed certificate request to a client device capable of generating the digital certificate with the requested certificate term.
US09124560B1

A content server provides a browser of a client with encrypted content and with obfuscated browser-executable code for decrypting and displaying the content within the browser. Both the encrypted content and the obfuscated browser-executable code are generated based at least in part on an identity of the user requesting the content, and thus are different from encrypted content and obfuscated browser-executable code provided to other users. Further, in one embodiment the browser-executable code provided by the server changes periodically, such as weekly, thereby rendering ineffective any malicious software tools that obtain decrypted content by calling expected functions of the code. In one embodiment, the obfuscated browser-executable code for a user is pre-computed before that user makes a request for content.
US09124557B2

Systems and methods are described for transmitting data over physical channels to provide a high speed, low latency interface such as between a memory controller and memory devices with significantly reduced or eliminated Simultaneous Switching Output noise. Controller-side and memory-side embodiments of such channel interfaces are disclosed which do not require additional pin count or data transfer cycles, have low power utilization, and introduce minimal additional latency. In some embodiments of the invention, three or more voltage levels are used for signaling.
US09124551B2

A method for providing multi-touch, multi-user interactive control system using mobile devices. The method includes establishing socket connections with the mobile devices and receiving messages representing multi-touch user actions from the mobile devices through the socket connections. The messages are translated into predetermined parameters, and transmitted to an application for performing actions corresponding to the multi-touch user actions. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.
US09124550B1

Systems and methods for a distributed multi-processing security gateway establishes a host side session, selects a proxy network address for a server based on network information, and using the proxy network address to establish a server side session. The proxy network address is selected such that a same processing element is assigned to process data packets from the server side session and the host side session. The network information includes a security gateway network address and a host network address. By assigning processing elements in this manner, higher capable security gateways are provided.
US09124547B2

The present disclosure discloses a method and network device for enforcing uplink airtime fairness in wireless local area networks. The disclosed network device receives usage limits associated with transmissions from one or more client devices. The client devices transmit packets to the network device via one or more uplink wireless mediums. The disclosed network device further collects wireless medium usage times associated with the client devices, and calculates a size for transmission windows corresponding to the client devices based on the wireless medium usage times and the usage limits. The transmission windows can be TCP advertisement windows whose size determines a rate of transmissions permitted over the wireless medium. Then, the disclosed network device sets the transmission window to the calculated size.
US09124538B2

Some embodiments provide a method for a first managed forwarding element that implements logical forwarding elements of a logical network. The method receives a first packet from a second managed forwarding element. The first packet includes context information that indicates a logical network destination that maps to a physical destination connected to the first managed forwarding element. At the first managed forwarding element, the method dynamically generates a flow entry for processing subsequent packets received by the first managed forwarding element from the physical destination and sent to a source of the first packet. The method processes a second packet received by the first managed forwarding element from the physical destination with the dynamically generated flow entry. The dynamically generated flow entry specifies to send the second packet to the second managed forwarding element before logically forwarding the second packet through the logical network.
US09124537B2

A communication system includes a supervisory node (e.g., a headend) and one or more remote nodes (e.g., cable modems). The supervisory node or a remote node monitors a characteristic associated with the communication system. Remote node transmits an upstream communication among a plurality of physical upstream channels based on the characteristic. The average transmit power used to transmit the upstream communication among the plurality of physical upstream channels is no greater than the average transmit power that would be necessary to transmit the upstream communication using a single physical upstream channel at a lower data rate.
US09124532B2

Single user and multiuser MIMO transmission in a cellular network may be performed by a base station (eNB) transmitting either one, two, or more transmission layers. A user equipment (UE) receives a reference symbol from the base station. The UE processes the reference symbol with one or more of a plurality of precoding matrices to form a plurality of channel quality indices (CQI). The UE provides feedback to the eNB comprising one or more feedback CQI selected from the plurality of CQI and one or more precoding matrix indicators (PMI) identifying the one or more precoding matrices used to form each of the one or more feedback CQIs for two or more ranks.
US09124531B2

A data communication apparatus to be coupled to a first network and a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) network, includes a receiving unit which receives a data including header information indicating a destination and first header information used to identify a first Virtual Private Network (VPN) in the first network. The apparatus also includes a transmitter which transmits data having added thereto a MPLS header information used to identify one of the plurality of second VPNs in the MPLS network, the MPLS header information corresponding to both the header information indicating the destination and the first header information used to identify the first VPN in the first network included in the received data.
US09124515B2

Example embodiments relate to elephant flow detection in a computing device. In example embodiments, a computing device may monitor a socket for a given flow. The computing device may then determine whether the flow is an elephant flow based on the monitoring of the socket. If so, the computing device may signal the network that transmits the flow that the flow is an elephant flow.
US09124501B2

A server device that provides a client device with one or more data storage locations of one or more sets of information about one or more datasets. The one or more sets of information about the one or more datasets are to be provided by one or more network devices. Each of the sets of information about the datasets is described in a structured format. The server device includes a data storage location acquiring unit that acquires the data storage locations of the sets of information about the datasets from the corresponding network devices, a data storage location management unit that manages the acquired data storage locations of the sets of information about the datasets; and a data storage location providing unit that provides the client device with the acquired data storage locations of the sets of information about the datasets.
US09124498B2

A method and system identifies a cloud configuration for deploying a software application. A performance of a target application and workload is characterized. A set of benchmark applications is then deployed into at least one target cloud infrastructure. The target infrastructure is characterized using the set of benchmarking applications. The performance of the target application is represented with a set of bins each corresponding to a resource subsystem of a virtual machine and a performance score that is required to deploy the target application and meet the target performance. The bins are filled with performance values for selected target virtual machines. Using the filled bins, a set of virtual machines needed to satisfy the target cloud infrastructure is determined. A recommendation is provided for the set of virtual machines to use in deploying the software application.
US09124492B2

A packet relay apparatus includes a first packet processing circuit and a second packet processing circuit. The first packet processing circuit executes, discarding data packets from among data packets, and transferring the rest of the data packets to the second packet processing circuit, counting discard number of the data packets, determining whether or not the discard number is equal to or greater than a threshold and transferring, if the discard number is equal to or greater than the threshold, a discard number information packet including discard number information indicating the discard number to the second packet processing circuit. The second packet processing circuit executes discarding data packets from among the data packets, counting discard number of the data packets and collecting the discard number counted by the second packet processing circuit and the discard number indicated by the discard number information included in the discard number information packet.
US09124490B2

Performance metrics may be received from multiple data processing elements associated with a performance metric domain and a consolidated performance metric may be determined. Grouping the performance metrics into performance metric groups may be performed based on their respective associations with different aspects of the data processing elements.
US09124475B2

Embodiments of the claimed subject matter provide methods and apparatuses for interference cancellation. One embodiment of a method includes estimating, for an antenna in an antenna array including a plurality of antennas, interference parameters using analog signals received at the antenna on each of a plurality of subcarriers. Each interference parameter is associated with one of a plurality of symbols transmitted to one of a plurality of users on one of the plurality of subcarriers. This embodiment also includes canceling interference from analog signals received by the antenna on the plurality of subcarriers using the estimated interference parameters.
US09124468B2

A method, Bridge, and system in a Provider Backbone Bridge Network (PBBN) for enabling frames from a Higher Layer Entity attached alternatively to a Provider Instance Port (PIP) on an I-Component of a Backbone Edge Bridge or to a Customer Backbone Port on a B-Component of the Backbone Edge Bridge, to reach an intended entity in the PBBN. A Multiplexed Service Access Point (SAP) of a Service Instance Multiplex Entity handles the frames of the Higher Layer Entity, and is assigned a Service Instance ID (I-SID) value that is universally recognized to identify Layer 2 Control Protocols. The Service Instance Multiplex Entity utilizes the Multiplexed SAP to transfer frames between the PIP or the Customer Backbone Port and the entity in the PBBN.
US09124467B2

The invention refers to generating a digital signal from an analog signal, wherein the analog signal is amplified according to a gain control value before being converted to a digital value by means of an analog-to-digital converter, wherein a DC offset value of the analog signal is determined, and the gain control value is generated as a function of the dynamic range of the analog-to-digital converter and the DC offset value. The invention further refers to a corresponding circuit and a computer program.
US09124466B2

A computer enabled method and system that can expose distributed transaction services as web services from service architecture. The system comprise a web service description component to generate a web service description of a distributed transaction service based on a description of the distributed transaction service, wherein the web service description allows a client to access the distributed transaction service as a web service once a web service invocation request is received. The one or more transaction service gateway servers operate to maintain the web service description of the distributed transaction service, and provide the web service description of the distributed transaction service to the client.
US09124463B2

A device with an autonomous sleep characteristic, which is in communication with a host, is described. The device includes one or more communication subsystems. Each communication subsystem maintains a sleep activity indicator that indicates whether a corresponding communication subsystem is allowed to go to sleep. Each communication subsystem can autonomously enter a sleep state, when its sleep activity indicator indicates that the corresponding communication subsystem is, in fact, allowed to go to sleep. The device also includes a controller. The controller has a block memory which stores data written to the device from the host. The controller further includes a sleep state indicator that indicates a sleep state of each communication subsystem.
US09124457B2

Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems and/or methods of equalizing received wireless communication signals. For example, a device may include a pre-decoding equalizer to determine a plurality of filter weights by applying both a blind-equalization and a least-mean-squares (LMS) equalization to a wireless communication signal received over a wireless communication channel; a channel estimator to estimate a channel frequency response of the channel based on the filtering weights; and a turbo-equalization scheme including a decoder to decode the wireless communication signal and a turbo equalizer to equalize the decoded wireless communication signal using the estimated channel frequency response.
US09124454B1

Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with adaptively determining settings of a transmit equalizer are described. According to one embodiment, a method includes removing, from a signal received from a first device, a signal contribution of a transmit equalizer to produce a residual signal. The method includes generating revised tap coefficients based, at least in part, on the residual signal. The method includes providing settings that are based, at least in part, on the revised tap coefficients to the transmit equalizer in the transmitter of a second device that is across a channel on which the signal is provided.
US09124453B2

A receiver and reception method for estimating a channel in an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) system is provided. The receiver includes a delay estimator for estimating, from a signal received from a transmitter through multipaths, at least one of an average time delay of the multipaths and a time delay of one of the multipaths having a maximum power among the multipaths, a rotator for circular-rotating the received signal using the estimated delay, and a channel estimator for estimating a channel impulse response of the circular-rotated signal.
US09124446B2

Methods and apparatus to implement a remote terminal unit network are disclosed. An example method involves allocating, via a processor of a first remote terminal unit, a first time slot of a first frame of a first transmission schedule to the first remote terminal unit, the first remote terminal unit to be in communication with a second remote terminal unit in a network associated with a process control system and to be in communication with a host of the process control system, the first remote terminal unit to communicate first data over the network during the first time slot, and allocating, via the processor, a second time slot of the first frame to the second remote terminal unit, the second remote terminal unit to communicate second data over the network during the second time slot.
US09124439B1

Data communications are selectively routed via an appropriate wireless access network including wireless cellular networks and wireless LAN, according to presence status of a mobile station. A network system tracks the presence status of the mobile station, which may relate to its availability and willingness to communicate via a particular type of wireless access network such as wireless LAN. With this kind of presence status information for a mobile station as guidance for traffic routing, inbound data communication can be routed to, and outbound data communication can be sent from, the mobile station, all via the desired access network. When applied to wireless LAN such as Wi-Fi network, this presence based routing mechanism can effectively reduce traffic burden over the wireless cellular network for the wireless carriers while lowering the cost of communication for the end users under usage based data plans.
US09124435B2

An apparatus and method for setting up a session between devices in a mobile communication system. The method is for setting up a session in a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) of a mobile communication system that includes a first terminal and a second terminal. The method includes receiving a first message including Internet Protocol (IP)/Port information of the first terminal from a Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF), receiving a second message including IP/Port information of the first terminal and IP/Port information of the second terminal from a Proxy Call Session Control Function (PCSCF), and setting up a session to the PCEF and a session to the PCSCF, based on the IP/Port information of the first terminal included in the first message and the IP/Port information of the first terminal included in the second message. The first terminal is a mobile terminal and the second terminal is a relay terminal that transmits and receives packet data between the PCEF and the PCSCF.
US09124424B2

A system and method of dynamically altering the encoding, structure or other attribute of a cryptographic key, typically a license activation key, to render useless keys that have been created by illegal key generation “cracks”. An encoding/decoding engine provides a plurality of key obfuscation algorithms that may alter the structure, encoding or any other attribute of a given key. A changeable combination code is supplied to the encoding/decoding engine that specifies a subset of the algorithms to apply during the encoding or decoding phase. The encoding engine is used during key generation and the decoding engine used during key usage. The same combination code must be used during decoding as was used during encoding to recover the original key or a valid key will not be recovered. Thus, a system can be rapidly re-keyed by selecting a new combination of encoding/decoding algorithms. The selection of algorithms comprises a combination code. The new combination code will result in keys that are incompatible with any existing illegal key generators.
US09124421B2

This disclosure is directed to data prioritization, storage and protection in a vehicular communication system. A black box (BB) in a vehicle may receive data from an on-board unit (OBU) and a vehicular control architecture (VCA). The OBU may interact with at least one RSU that is part of an intelligent transportation system (ITS) via at least two channels, at least one of the at least two channels being reserved for high priority messages. The OBU may transmit ITS data to the BB via a secure communication channel, which may be stored along with vehicular data received from the VCA in encrypted form. In response to a request for data, the BB may authenticate a requesting party, determine at least part of the stored data to which the authenticated party is allowed and sign the at least part of the stored data before providing it to the authenticated party.
US09124417B2

An efficient encryption system for improving the computation speed of a garbled circuit is set forth. The garbled circuit includes a number of garbled Boolean gates having first and second garbled Boolean gate input wires. The system includes a first key ki on a first garbled gate input wire. A second key kj is also provided on a second garbled gate input wire. A programmable function is provided for combining the first key ki and the second key kj to obtain an encrypted output key. A method for expediting encryption and decryption of a garbled circuit having a number of encryptions for a garbled table of a garbled gate is also set forth. The method includes the steps of: forming the garbled table with a number of secret keys by applying a function to the secret keys to produce less than twice the number of secret keys as the number of encryptions for the garbled table, and evaluating the garbled table to decrypt an output key of the garbled table.
US09124416B2

For each of a plurality of delayed phases, one of the plurality of delayed phases being the same as a phase of a reference clock and the others of the plurality of delayed phases delayed with respect to the phase of the reference clock, test parallel data transmitted in synchronism with the reference clock is received in synchronism with a delayed clock having the delayed phase and an adjacent delayed clock having a delayed phase adjacent to the delayed phase of the delayed clock, respectively; and a phase range containing a delayed phase with which the test parallel data has been received correctly and for which the result of the comparison indicates a match is determined from among the plurality of delayed phases; and the phase of a receive clock to be used for reception of parallel data is determined from the determined phase range.
US09124409B2

Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate determining control region parameters related to a plurality of carriers and/or coordinated multiple point (CoMP) access points. Wireless devices can receive control region parameters related to the carriers or CoMP access points from a serving access point over control channel resources. Additionally or alternatively, wireless devices can assume all carriers or CoMP access points have substantially the same control region as indicated in a control format indicator channel from the serving access point or based on a configured value.
US09124405B2

A receiver receives payload data from a downstream signal, and includes a filter to receive the downstream signal, and including signalling data identifying downstream resources for the payload data, and an analog to digital converter to receive the downstream signal from the filter and to convert it into a sampled digital form. A demodulator demodulates the digital form of the downstream signal to recover the payload data and the signalling data. The signalling data includes a mode switch signal to indicate an active mode or a sleep mode for the receiver. A controller detects the mode switch signal to control the analog to digital converter to switch sampling rates in response thereto, and to control the filter to switch frequency bands. The frequency bands perform anti-alias filtering for respective sampling rates.
US09124402B2

An access point including a first transmitter and a second transmitter. The first transmitter is configured to (i) during a first window, transmit a first data stream to a first client station, and (ii) during a second window, transmit a second data stream to a second client station. The second transmitter is configured to: during the first window and while the first transmitter transmits the first data stream to the first client station, transmit a third data stream to a third client station; during a first portion of the second window and while the first transmitter is transmitting the second data stream to the second client station, refrain from transmitting a fourth data stream to a fourth client station; and subsequent to the first transmitter completing the transmission of the second data stream and during a second portion of the second window, transmit the fourth data stream to the fourth client station.
US09124401B2

A User Equipment (UE) for performing carrier aggregation is described. The UE includes a processor and instructions stored in memory that is in electronic communication with the processor. The UE determines an uplink control information (UCI) transmission cell in a wireless communication network with at least one frequency-division duplexing (FDD) cell and at least one time-division duplexing (TDD) cell. The UE also selects a first cell for FDD and TDD carrier aggregation. The UE further determines a set of downlink subframe associations for the first cell that indicate at least one UCI transmission uplink subframe of the UCI transmission cell. The UE additionally sends Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request Acknowledgement/Negative Acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information in the UCI transmission uplink subframe of the UCI transmission cell.
US09124398B2

A method and an apparatus are provided for generating feedback in a communication system. The method includes receiving information about first Evolved Node Bs (ENBs) and a threshold for the first ENBs, which are powered off at a specific time; measuring a channel status for each of second ENBs, which are subject to channel status measurement; selecting a third ENB having an optimal channel status from among the second ENBs, based on the measured channel statuses; generating first feedback information including a cell index and channel status information for the third ENB; measuring a channel status for each of the second ENBs, while the first ENBs are powered off; selecting a fourth ENB having an optimal channel status from among the second ENBs, based on the measured channel statuses; and generating second feedback information including a cell index and channel status information for the fourth ENB.
US09124395B2

Sounding mechanism for LTE-A systems under carrier aggregation is provided. A UE receives an uplink or downlink grant transmitted from an eNB over a primary carrier in a multi-carrier LTE-A system. The UE determines indicated carrier(s) and detects a triggering condition for aperiodic sounding transmission in the grant. The UE then selects UE-specific sounding reference signal (SRS) parameters. Finally, the UE transmits an aperiodic SRS (ap-SRS) over the indicated carrier(s) using the selected UE-specific SRS parameters. In one embodiment, the uplink or downlink grant is transmitted via a PDCCH carrying various DCI formats. Each DCI format contains a carrier indicator field (CIF) that indicates which carrier is used for ap-SRS transmission if cross-carrier scheduling is enabled. In another embodiment, DCI format 3/3A is transmitted via a PDCCH carrying a plurality of information fields, each field indicates if the UE should enable ap-SRS in a particular carrier.
US09124391B2

Mobility-based radio resource assignment methods, systems and devices can assign user equipment to different nonoverlapping groups of radio resources depending on mobility of the user equipment. The groups of radio resources are nonoverlapping in time, frequency and/or code. For example, the groups of radio resources can include different pilot symbol densities, link adaptation and/or scheduling algorithms. The radio resources may be Long Term Evolution (LTE) radio resources.
US09124387B2

Dynamic adaption of transmission rate for multiuser MIMO networks is disclosed. The invention controls a first communication device to transmit data at rates optimal determined under the condition that the channel is occupied by the first communication device, a second communication device to transmit data at rates optimal determined under the condition that the channel is shared by the first and second communication devices and a third communication to transmit data at rates optimal determined under the condition that the channel is shared by the first, second and third communication device.
US09124376B2

A communication device includes a network side communication unit that receives emergency information from an information broadcasting node; and a UE side communication unit that communicates a communication signal with user equipment (UE) through a radio base station. The UE side communication unit broadcasts a Secondary Notification signal including the emergency information, subsequent to broadcasting a Primary Notification signal providing notice of broadcasting of the emergency information, and individually transmitting a command signal for transition of an RRC protocol state or switching to another cell to the UE. The transition of the RRC protocol state is from a state where reception of the emergency information is disabled to a state where reception of the emergency information is enabled, and the other cell is such that the UE can receive the Secondary Notification signal, irrespective of the RRC protocol state of the UE.
US09124374B1

A transmitter module is disclosed, where the transmitter module includes optical sources, an optical multiplexer to multiple optical signals each output from optical sources, an optical detector to detect an output of the optical multiplexer, and a controller. The controller alternately superposes a dither signal on a bias current provided to the optical source, and the bias current is controlled based on a magnitude of the dither signal, which is detected by a configuration similar to the lock-in amplifier.
US09124372B2

An optical transmission system 1 includes an optical transmitter 10 and an optical receiver 200. The optical transmitter 10 includes, a multiplexed code sequence generation unit 90a arranged to multiplex a code included in the transmission code sequence to be time shifted, and an optical transmission unit 90b that converts a multiplexed code sequence into a light signal and transmit it. The optical receiver 200 includes, an optical reception unit 240 that receives and converts the light signal transmitted from the optical transmitter 10 into a code sequence, and a transmission code sequence regeneration unit 380 that regenerates the transmission code sequence by identifying a code based on a value of a plurality of codes each corresponding to one another included in the code sequence.
US09124369B2

An optical transceiver including a multi-direction variable transmitter including multiple outputs with different subcarriers being directed to different ones of the outputs to go to different directions in a network, and a multi-direction variable receiver for receiving multiple inputs thereby enabling transmission direction in a network with the transceiver at subcarrier granularity and avoiding entire super-channel granularity and enabling unused subcarriers to be utilized for traffic in other directions or destinations and making switching granularity finer for flexibility in the network.
US09124367B2

The present invention relates to a method and arrangement in a wireless communication system, e.g. an evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network, for improved scheduling and admission control of the uplink by providing an improved determining of power-related quantities, e.g. neighbor cell interference levels, for specific tones and providing more accurate recursive estimation of noise-related quantities, e.g. noise floor power estimates, for specific tones. The method and arrangement obtains a neighbor cell interference measure for each subset of tones from at least a noise floor measure for each subset of tones based on combined power quantities from the total uplink power per subset of tones and dividing said noise floor measure into sub noise floor measures for each subset of tones, said dividing dependent on the bandwidth of each subset of tones.
US09124357B2

Media access control is provided for an ultra-wide band medium. The media access control may employ a peer-to-peer network topology. The media access control may employ a reduced addressing scheme. Concurrent ultra-wide band channels may be established through the use of a pulse division multiple access channelization scheme. Multiple media access control states may be defined whereby each state may be associated with one or more of different channel parameter state information, different duty cycles, and different synchronization status.
US09124341B1

A notification device for sending a predetermined message regarding the delivery of a package to a recipient contact number is disclosed. The device may be programmed with one or more recipient contact numbers. When delivery of the package is imminent, a delivery driver or other operator may send a first message to the recipient contact number. When the driver arrives at the delivery address, the operator may send a second message to the recipient contact number.
US09124340B2

The proposed process makes it possible to noticeably and dynamically increase the operational frequency band of a wideband emission/reception device without performance degradation, this thanks to the implementation of a particular architecture and a judicious distribution of the technical constraints over the analogue and digital sub-assemblies of a user terminal.
US09124339B2

Methods and systems are provided for loop-through for multi-chip communication systems. Receiver circuitry, that is operable to receive one or more input feeds, may comprise a plurality of chips, each of which may be configurable to generate a corresponding output comprising one or more feed elements (e.g., channels) extracted from the input feed(s). However, only a first chip may be operable to handle reception and/or initial processing of the one or more input feeds, with each one of the remaining chips processing a loop-through feed generated by the first chip, in order to generate the corresponding output of that chip. The first chip generates the loop-through feed based on the one or more input feeds, such as after the initial processing thereof in the first chip. Generating the loop-through feed may comprise applying channelization (e.g., separately for each remaining chip), switching based processing, and/or interfacing based processing.
US09124334B2

In one embodiment, a receiver front end circuit can receive and process multiple radio frequency (RF) signals and output downconverted signals corresponding to these signals. In turn, multiple signal processors can be coupled to this front end. Specifically, a first signal processor can receive and process the downconverted signals to output a first signal obtained from content of a first RF signal, and a second signal processor can receive and process the downconverted signals to output a second signal obtained from content of a second RF signal. In addition, the apparatus may include a detection circuit coupled to the receiver front end circuit to detect presence of at least the second signal and enable the second signal processor responsive to the detected presence.
US09124331B2

The present invention provides a vehicle-mounted audio device including a casing, a tuner, an audio output unit, a housing chamber, an opening of the housing chamber, a housing, a lock mechanism, and a casing connector. The tuner is disposed in the casing. The audio output unit is for amplifying and outputting an audio signal supplied from the tuner. The housing chamber is defined in the casing. The opening is defined in a front panel of the casing. The housing is for accommodating a portable audio device. The housing is removably housed in the housing chamber through the opening. The lock mechanism is for selectively locking the housing in the housing chamber and unlocking the housing from the housing chamber. The casing connector is electrically connected to the audio output unit and disposed in the housing for disengageably connecting to an audio signal output connector of the portable audio device.
US09124325B2

This invention provides a terminal apparatus that can suppress the quality degradation caused by a propagation path variation when implementing a retransmission control method using non-adaptive HARQ in a wireless communication system utilizing the MIMO communication technique. In this apparatus, a number-of-retransmissions counting unit (105) counts a number of retransmission requests (L) for the same code word. A predetermined precoder designating unit (106) changes precoders between when the number of retransmission requests (L) is less than N and when the number of retransmission requests (L) is equal to or greater than N plus one. A PDCCH generation unit (211) determines, based on a result of comparison between the number of retransmission requests (L) for the same CW and the number of retransmission requests (N) established for the change of precoders, a precoder to be used by terminals, and further allocates, based on the determined precoder, resources to the plurality of terminals.
US09124324B2

A method of predistorting an input signal (902) for an amplifier is disclosed (FIG. 9). The method includes predistorting the input signal with a first set of parameters (FDPD) and a second set of parameters (CDPD) at a first time (904). The first set of parameters is updated at a second time (914). The second set of parameters is updated separately from the first set of parameters at a third time (920).
US09124317B1

In some aspects, the disclosure is directed to methods and systems for performing channel estimation between a beamformer and a beamformee. A beamformer can determine that a beamformee is configured to perform channel estimation for up to a pre-configured number of transmit spatial streams from the beamformer. The pre-configured number of transmit spatial streams can be less than a plurality of transmit spatial streams of the beamformer. The beamformer can determine a plurality of subsets of transmit spatial streams from the plurality of transmit spatial streams. The beamformer can send a plurality of sounding frames to the beamformee for channel estimation based at least on the determined plurality of subsets of transmit spatial streams.
US09124313B2

Disclosed is a data transmission system that transmits data by using relay. The relay may select a transmission terminal from among a plurality of terminals accessing a base station. The base station may transmit base station data to the relay during a first time slot, the transmission terminal may transmit terminal data to the relay. The relay may transmit the terminal data to the base station and may transmit the base station data to the transmission terminal during a second time slot.
US09124312B2

There is provided a communication device including a secure communication unit configured to perform secure communication with an external reader/writer device, the secure communication being secure close-proximity communication, a first communication unit configured to perform high-speed communication with the reader/writer device, the high-speed communication being close-proximity communication that is faster than the secure communication, a second communication unit configured to, when communication via the high-speed communication is disconnected, communicate with the reader/writer device with a communication mode that is different from a communication mode of the high-speed communication, a power transmission unit configured to receive power transmitted from the reader-writer device by power transmission, and a secondary battery configured to store the power received by the power transmission unit. The second communication unit may be configured to, when communication via the high-speed communication is disconnected, operate with the power stored in the secondary battery.
US09124301B2

A memory array and a method of writing to a unidirectional non-volatile storage cell are disclosed whereby a user data word is transformed to an internal data word and written to one or more unidirectional data storage cells according to a cell coding scheme. A check word may be generated that corresponds to the internal data word. In some embodiments, the check word may be generated by inverting one or more bits of an intermediate check word. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US09124291B2

A system for processing signals may be configured to detect occurrence of particular errors, comprising meta-stability events, during digital conversion to analog signals, and to handle any detected meta-stability event, such as by adjusting at least a portion of a corresponding digital output based on detection of the meta-stability event. The adjusting of the digital output may comprise setting at least the portion of the digital output, such as to one of a plurality of predefined digital values or patterns. The system may comprise a code generator for generating and/or outputting the predefined digital values or patterns. The system may comprise a selector for adaptively selecting, for portions of the digital output, between output of normal processing path and between predefined values or patterns.
US09124285B1

A system for the calibration of a programmable system-on-a-chip is described. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to a system that calibrates a programmable analog block in a system-on-a-chip without the use of external components.
US09124278B1

Methods and systems provide a memory cell and a memory cell system for data serialization. In an embodiment, a half-rate serialization procedure uses a half-rate differential clock to output full-rate serial data. In an embodiment, the memory cell system includes two memory cells each receiving a respective data stream. Each memory cell may be controlled by a respective clock, the clocks being substantially mutually exclusive such that the output of each memory cell becomes alternately tri-stated. Based on the principle of a transistor tri-state or hold mode, if clocks of two memory cells are substantially mutually exclusive, then a tri-stated node can be driven by either of the memory cells in a substantially mutually exclusive manner, effectively multiplexing input parallel data to output serial data. The memory cell system may include a combination of different types of memory cells.
US09124277B2

A clock signal generation system is provided that includes a clock signal generating circuit arranged to provide a first clock signal having a selectable first clock rate; a divider circuit connected to receive the first clock signal and arranged to generate, depending on a division factor, a second clock signal from the first clock signal, having a constant second clock rate and being synchronized with the first clock signal; and a controller module connected to the divider circuit and arranged to change the division factor when a different first clock rate is selected, to keep the second clock rate constant and the second clock signal synchronized with the first clock signal.
US09124274B2

A device for an electric hand-held device for detecting the hand-held device being clasped by a hand, has at least one transmitting electrode, which can emit an alternating electric field, and at least one receiving electrode, in which the alternating electric field can be coupled at least partially, wherein the at least one transmitting electrode and the at least one receiving electrode can be arranged on the hand-held device such that each of them is at least partially covered by the hand when the hand-held device is being clasped by the hand. When the hand-held device is being clasped by the hand, a first portion of the alternating electric field emitted by the transmitting electrode can be coupled via the hand into the receiving electrode, wherein at least the first portion of the alternating electric field is a characteristic representative of the hand-held device being clasped by the hand.
US09124269B2

A method for operating an output subassembly in which a first driver module is operated between a power supply connection on the output subassembly, and an output and is actuated via a first control input to connect the voltage to the output, wherein a second driver module is operated in parallel with the first driver module and is actuated, via a second control input, to connect a voltage to an output, where at an initial time a control circuit receives a command to switch the voltage to the output and the control circuit thereupon initially actuates the second control input for a predefined first length of time, so that the second driver module is operated with current limitation up to a maximum current and, after a predefined second length of time, measured from the initial time, the control circuit actuates the first control input when the command is in effect.
US09124268B2

A semiconductor device includes a signal input circuit suitable for synchronizing an input signal with a clock signal and receiving the clock signal as a power source when the input signal has a first phase, where the signal input circuit amplifies a swing width of the input signal based on a swing width of the clock.
US09124260B2

A flip-flop circuit (11a) includes: an input transistor (Tr19) having a gate terminal thereof connected to an SB terminal, a source terminal thereof connected to an RB terminal, and a drain terminal thereof connected to a first CMOS circuit and a second CMOS circuit; a power supply (VSS) which is connected to the first CMOS circuit or the second CMOS circuit and, when an SB signal is turned to be active, is connected to the RB terminal; and a regulator circuit (RC). With the arrangement, a compact flip-flop and a compact shift register employing the flip-flop are provided, without causing malfunction of the flip-flop and the shift register.
US09124253B2

Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for preserving duty cycle at voltage domain boundaries. One example apparatus includes a complement generation circuit configured to generate a complementary signal responsive to an input signal. The complement generation circuit is configured to operate in a first voltage domain. The apparatus also includes a compensation circuit configured to generate a compensated signal by compensating the input signal for a delay corresponding to the complement generation circuit. The compensation circuit is configured to operate in a second voltage domain. The apparatus also includes a phase mixing circuit configured to combine the complementary signal and the compensated signal to generate an output signal.
US09124247B2

To variably change the filter characteristic of a decimation filter in accordance with a sampling rate. A decimation filter 13 in a semiconductor device 1 sequentially inputs a signal sampled at a predetermined sampling rate fos, and calculates, for each input signal that is input within a predetermined period (a period for M+2N), a filter coefficient Cj for performing predetermined filtering processing in response to a trigger signal TR continuously applied, and furthermore sequentially multiplies the input signal by the calculated filter coefficient, accumulates a multiplication value within the predetermined period, and sequentially outputs the result. The predetermined period is made variable in accordance with a time interval at which the trigger signal is applied.
US09124242B2

A filter includes a plurality of primary resonators connected to a serial arm, a plurality of secondary resonators connected to a parallel arm, a primary inductor connected to at least one of the plurality of primary resonators and a secondary inductor connected to at least one of the plurality of secondary resonators. The primary inductor is arranged so as not to be connected to a path between the secondary resonator to which the secondary inductor is connected in parallel and the primary resonator that is connected to the secondary resonator to which the secondary inductor is connected in parallel.
US09124238B2

Provided is a duplexer that can maintain isolation characteristics while being able to independently adjust the input/output ground inductances and the common ground inductance of the double-mode filter. The duplexer includes: a transmitting filter; a receiving filter; a package substrate that includes a first substrate, a die attach layer that is patterned onto the first substrate, a second substrate, and an inner layer located between the first substrate and the second substrate; a double-mode filter that constitutes a portion of the receiving filter; a common ground terminal that makes an input ground and an output ground of the double-mode filter commonly grounded, the common ground terminal constituting a portion of the die attach layer; an input-side ground terminal of the double-mode filter, the input-side ground terminal constituting a portion of the inner layer; and an output-side ground terminal of the double-mode filter, the output-side ground terminal constituting a portion of the inner layer and being formed separately from the input-side ground terminal.
US09124235B2

Exemplary media content management and presentation systems and methods are described herein. An exemplary method includes a media content presentation system linking together multiple media content instances, playing back or managing a playlist that includes the linked media content instances, and processing the linked media content instances as a block of linked media content instances within the playing back or managing of the playlist. Another exemplary method includes a media content presentation system playing back a media content instance for experiencing by a user, presenting a playback user interface in conjunction with the playing back of the media content instance, and providing, within the playback user interface, one or more media management tools configured for use by the user to manage the media content instance during the playing back of the media content instance. Corresponding systems and methods are also disclosed.
US09124234B1

Systems and methods for dynamically adjusting the gain in a receiver front end to have a desired amount of headroom, based upon a measurement of the signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the output of a digital to analog converter and the amount of degradation to the SNR due to previous adjustments to the gain.
US09124216B2

A power amplifier includes a first amplifier unit, a second amplifier unit, a first switching element, a second switching element and a third switching element. Each of the amplifier units includes a power supply terminal, a ground terminal, an input terminal, and an output terminal, and amplifies a signal received at the input terminal according to a voltage between the power supply terminal and the ground terminal, and outputs the signal from the output terminal. The first switching element is connected between the ground terminal of the first amplifier unit and the power supply terminal of the second amplifier unit. The second switching element is connected between the ground terminal of the first amplifier unit and a first reference voltage terminal. The third switching element is connected between the power supply terminal of the second amplifier unit and a second reference voltage terminal.
US09124212B2

A load characteristic estimating apparatus for a driving machine includes an action-command generating unit for generating an action command for a position and speed of a driving machine, a driving-force-command generating unit for generating a driving force command to cause an action of the driving machine to follow the action command, a driving unit for generating driving force corresponding to the driving force command and drive the driving machine, a sign determining unit for determining, based on driving speed of the driving machine, the state of the driving machine, a load-driving-force estimating unit for calculating, based on the driving force command, a load driving force signal, and a normal reverse-rotation-average calculating unit and a reverse-rotation-average calculating unit, configured to calculate a sequential average of the load driving force signal, respectively when the determination result is a normal and reverse rotation action.
US09124207B2

A control unit controls driving of a motor by controlling a first inverter unit and a second inverter unit, specifically by controlling on/off operations of FETs. The control unit functions as an abnormality detection device. The control unit detects a short-circuit abnormality between a first winding set and a second winding set or between the first inverter unit and the second inverter unit, before starting to control driving of the motor, based on phase current values detected by current detectors when a high-side FET of the first inverter unit and a low-side FET of the second inverter unit are turned on.
US09124206B2

Method for determining the position of a rotor in a brushless motor or in a stepper motor, said method including the following steps: applying a voltage in at least one powered phase of the motor; measuring, in an unpowered phase of the motor, the voltage induced by mutual inductance between phases; and determining said position and/or the speed of the rotor from said induced voltage.
US09124203B2

A motor includes a rotor having a magnet, a stator having two coils, and a controller configured to control excitations of the two coils. The stator includes first and second yokes excited by the coils, and first and second rotor detectors configured to detect a magnetic flux. The first yoke is arranged for each electric angle of 360°, and the second yoke shifts from the first yoke by an electric angle of 90°. The first rotor position detector is arranged at the same position as the first yoke. The controller generates an excitation switching signal for each coil based on detection signals from the first and second rotor position detectors, and excites a corresponding coil, and obtains first and second delay angles.
US09124193B2

A power adaptor (20) is provided, comprising an input (22) for connection to an AC power supply, and a resonant circuit (34) coupled to the input (22) that provides an output suitable for driving a load (50). The capacitance and inductance of the resonant circuit (34) are selected to provide a pre-determined change in effective voltage, and a corresponding pre-determined change in effective current, between the input (22) and the output (24) of the power adaptor (20).
US09124187B2

A control device of an insulation type DC/DC converter includes a shunt regulator that detects an error in output voltage at the secondary side of a transformer, a photocoupler that transmits the detected error voltage to the primary side of the transformer, and a DPWM control unit on the primary side that generates a control pulse signal having a pulse width at a duty ratio based on the error voltage. The DPWM control unit includes an A/D conversion circuit, an A/D output stabilization circuit, a dither circuit, and a DPWM circuit. The A/D output stabilization circuit is provided after the A/D conversion circuit, and the output end of the A/D output stabilization circuit is connected to the input end of the dither circuit.
US09124177B2

Systems and devices for smooth light load operation in a DC/DC converter are presented. The disclosed systems and methods enable smooth discontinuous conduction mode (DCM)/continuous conduction mode (CCM) transition. The disclosed systems and methods of smooth light load operation in a DC/DC converter may also avoid the generation of sub-harmonics during light load operation. In an example embodiment, a rising ramp is used to control the ON time of the converter oscillator, while a falling ramp controls the OFF time. During DCM operation, the minimum value of the falling ramp is clamped. The clamping of the falling ramp ensures a substantially similar level of the error amplifier output in both CCM and DCM and avoids disturbances caused by a difference in the error amplifier outputs between the modes.
US09124175B2

A load drive control device is provided, which includes a pulse generator for generating pulse signals with a duty ratio to drive an inductive load, a feedback setting section for setting the duty ratio for feedback, a detection setting section for setting the duty ratio for detection of a natural vibration frequency of the inductive load, a natural vibration frequency setting section for setting the natural vibration frequency of the inductive load based on an actual current value detected at setting the duty ratio for detection, and a selection section for selecting the feedback setting section as a duty ratio setting section at a normal time and for selecting the detection setting section as the duty ratio setting section when a condition for detecting the natural vibration frequency is satisfied.
US09124174B2

A method is described comprising conducting a first current through a switching transistor. The method also comprises conducting a second current through a pair of transistors whose conductive channels are coupled in series with respect to each other and are together coupled in parallel across the switching transistor's conductive channel. The second current is less than and proportional to the first current.
US09124170B2

A power factor correction device, and a controller and a total harmonic distortion (THD) attenuator used by same. The power factor correction device comprises a converter and a controller (320) connected to the converter to obtain an input voltage. The controller (320) comprises a THD attenuator (407) for automatic THD optimization. The converter comprises an input current detection resistor (3R8), a power switch tube (3NMOS) and an output circuit. The input current detection resistor (3R8), the power switch tube (3NMOS) and the output circuit form a feedback control loop to maintain a constant output voltage. A THD optimization function is built in the device so that the entire device is capable of being accurately offset to a designed voltage so as to be used for THD optimization, thereby dispensing with external manual adjustment and overcoming internal technical deviations while achieving high consistency.
US09124166B2

A brush direct current motor has a stator with a plurality of coils that correspond to N phases, a rotor with 2P magnet poles and a current converting device for converting direct current power to N phases current and carrying the N phases of alternating current for the coils of the stator. The current converting device has a plurality of first and second bars alternately arranged with transiting plates along a brush path. Resistors connect the transiting plates to one of the adjacent bars.
US09124165B2

An axial gap electrical machine employs unique architecture to (1) overcome critical limits in the air gap at high speeds, while maintaining high torque performance at low speeds, while synergistically providing a geometry that withstands meets critical force concentration within these machines, (2) provides arrangements for cooling said machines using either a Pelletier effect or air fins, (3) “windings” that are produced as ribbon or stampings or laminates, that may be in some cases be arranged to optimize conductor and magnetic core density within the machine. Arrangements are also proposed for mounting the machines as wheels of a vehicle, to provide ease of removing and installing said motor.
US09124164B2

The invention relates to an electric machine (10), in particular a generator for a motor vehicle, comprising an exciter system composed of a plurality of electrically excited salient poles. The salient poles can be designed within the stator (16) or rotor (20) in the form of electromagnetically excited poles (22, 23; 24, 25) which are axially and radially oriented on the periphery and are alternatively polarized in the peripheral direction. In order to improve performance and reduce the magnetic leakage flux, permanent magnets (66), which are secured by means of a magnetically non-excitable holding element (60), are inserted into interstices (74) between the alternating poles (24, 25). The holding element (60) is bilaterally mounted in pole grooves (92, 94), is radially, axially, and tangentially resilient, and has a wave-shaped (62) and/or bead-shaped (76, 78; 86) profile.
US09124159B2

A stator that includes stator windings wound around teeth. A rotor includes: a rotor core; rotor windings wound around main salient poles of the rotor; and a diode serving as a magnetic characteristic adjustment portion that causes magnetic characteristics produced on the main salient poles by electromotive forces induced in the rotor windings to differ in the circumferential direction of the rotor. The rotor has auxiliary salient poles that are each protruded from a side surface of each main salient pole in the circumferential direction. In each of rotor slots formed between the main salient poles adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction, the auxiliary salient poles adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction are connected to each other within the rotor slot. In each rotor slot, at least a portion of the rotor windings is disposed radially inside the auxiliary salient poles.
US09124156B2

The rotor for an electric rotating machine includes a rotor core fixed to a rotating shaft and formed with at least one magnet accommodating hole, a magnet accommodated in the magnet accommodating hole, a resin portion filled in the magnet accommodating hole accommodating the magnet, a first end plate fixed to the rotating shaft at one axial side of the rotor core, and a second end plate fixed to the rotating shaft at the other axial side of the rotor core. The axial fixing force of the second end plate against the rotating shaft is smaller than that of the first end plate. At least a part of the resin portion is present in an axial area between the magnet accommodated in the magnet accommodating hole and the first end plate, and the magnet is in direct contact with the second end plate.
US09124146B2

A channel connecting a first opening formed on one side surface of a rotor and a second opening formed on the other side surface of the rotor is provided, and a first distance from a rotating shaft to the center of the first opening and a second distance from the rotating shaft to the center of the second opening are differentiated. A differential pressure is generated between the first opening and the second opening provided in the rotor by the differentiating the distances from the center of the rotating shaft to the first opening and the second opening, a flow of air is generated by the differential pressure from one surface or the other surface of the rotor to the other surface or the one surface, whereby the stator in proximity to the rotor may be cooled.
US09124145B2

A power tool includes a casing with an inlet and an outlet extending in a radial direction of the casing, a motor installed within the casing between the inlet and the outlet. The motor includes a stator and a rotor with a shaft, an air passage being formed between a radially outer surface of the stator and an inner surface of the casing. The air passage extends in the axial direction of the casing. A heat dissipation device is arranged on the radially outer surface of the stator for absorbing heat from the stator, and is disposed in the air passage. A fan is fixed to the shaft of the rotor. Air flow generated by the fan enters the casing via the inlet and exits the casing via the outlet after passing through the air passage and the heat dissipation device.
US09124144B2

A radial gap motor/generator that may be air or liquid cooled. The motor/generator has a stator in radially spaced relation to at least one thin annular induction structure. The motor/generator has at least two spaced apart annular rings each having an inner surface and outer surface, the annular rings having a permanent magnet structure embedded between the inner surface and outer surface of the annular rings. The motor/generator has at least two spaced apart radial gaps, the first gap between the first annular ring and the induction structure and the second gap between the second annular ring and the induction structure, the stator being disposed between the gaps. The motor/generator may include multiple gaps and multiple annular induction structures to increase the overall power density of the system.
US09124143B2

Systems for providing electrical power to one or more wind turbine electrical components is provided comprising an electrical grid and an auxiliary power source for providing electrical power, and one or more wind turbines. Each of the wind turbines includes a wind turbine generator, one or more electrical components, a main voltage transformer for connecting the wind turbine generator to the grid and a switchgear arranged between the main voltage transformer and a point of connection to the grid. One or more switches for alternately connecting either said electrical grid or said auxiliary power source to the switchgears of the wind turbines are provided. The switchgears comprise a switchgear voltage transformer, the switchgear voltage transformer includes primary and secondary windings, the primary windings receiving power from the electrical grid or auxiliary power source, and the secondary windings delivering electrical power to the wind turbine electrical components.
US09124138B2

A power grid operation control system, device, and method for steadily operating a power grid while making the most of renewable energy. The power grid operation control system serves a power grid connected to a plurality of renewable energy and a plurality of thermal/hydroelectric power generators, and includes an automatic dispatching system, which controls the thermal/hydroelectric power generators, and a renewable energy generation control system, which controls the renewable energy. The automatic dispatching system controls the thermal/hydroelectric power generators by generating an automatic frequency control signal for correcting the power supply and demand imbalance of the power grid. The renewable energy generation control system determines an available connection capability and issues load instructions to ensure that the total power generation capacity of the renewable energy does not exceed the available connection capability.
US09124134B2

Method for avoiding voltage instability in an electrical grid of an offshore wind park, the offshore wind park electrical grid being connected at a first end of a high voltage alternating current (HVAC) transmission and the main land electrical grid being connected at a second end of the HVAC transmission, each of the wind turbines being connected to the wind park electrical grid, the method comprises determining a main land phase angle at or near the second end of the HVAC transmission; measuring an individual wind turbine phase angle at one or more wind turbines; determining the difference between each of the measured individual wind turbine phase angles and the main land phase angle; and determining whether the difference between one of the measured individual wind turbine phase angle and the main land phase angle exceeds a threshold phase angle difference.
US09124120B2

A wireless powering and charging system is described. Such a system comprises a radio frequency transmitter (typically a home-appliance sized unit on a desk or a shelf) and a receiver (typically a small mobile unit carried by the user). When the user is in range of the transmitter, charging or powering can take place in the mobile unit.
US09124116B2

A charge relay enhancer used in relaying a charge produced in a solar cell to a charger, and a solar cell system including the charge relay enhancer. The charge relay enhancer includes: a charge induction and pumping device inducing a charge by using a power voltage from among two power voltages of different polarities selected in response to a control signal, and pumping the induced charge; and a charge pathway selecting device relaying the charge input to an input terminal via two input/output terminals, to the charge induction and pumping device, receiving the charge pumped by the charge induction and pumping device via the two input/output terminals, and outputting the charge to an output terminal. Accordingly, as charges produced in a solar cell may be relayed to a charging device as much as possible, efficiency of relaying charges produced in the solar cell to the charging device may be maximized.
US09124114B2

According to one embodiment, a wireless power transfer system performs electrical power transfer and signal communication by magnetic field resonance. A power transfer apparatus includes a first resonator configured to resonate at a predetermined frequency and to switch a Q-factor between high and low, and a first controller configured to set the Q-factor of the first resonator high in the electrical power transfer, and to set the Q-factor of the first resonator low in the signal communication. The power reception apparatus includes a second resonator configured to resonate at the predetermined frequency and to switch a Q-factor between high and low, and a second controller configured to set the Q-factor of the second resonator high when performing the electrical power transfer and to set the Q-factor of the second resonator low when performing the signal communication.
US09124109B2

A console assembly and a system operable to provide visual identification of the charging state of an electronic device is provided. The console assembly and system includes a processor operable to processing the charging state of the electronic device. A light source is in communication with the processor. The light source is configured to change the character of light being emitted. The processor is operable to actuate the light source so as to change the character of the emitted light source to reflect the charging state of the electronic device.
US09124108B2

A battery testing and charging system that includes at least one battery testing device and at least one battery charging device, wherein the battery testing device is removable from the battery charging device and wherein the battery testing device may communicate with a plurality of battery charging devices. Also, a method of testing and charging a battery that may be implemented using, for example, the above-described battery testing and charging system.
US09124094B2

A method and circuit for detecting and clamping current in a ground fault circuit interrupter circuit. In accordance with an embodiment the circuit includes an amplifier connected to a switch, where in the amplifier has an input connected to a first conduction terminal of the switch through a resistor and another input connected to a second conduction terminal of the switch. An output of the amplifier is connected to a control terminal of the switch. The circuit may include a ground fault circuit interrupter engine having an input connected to the first conduction terminal of the switch and another second input connected to the second conduction terminal of the switch.
US09124090B2

A circuit breaker is configured to provide both AC and DC protected power. The circuit breaker is packaged in a housing that includes a tripping module, a DC power supply, an AC load terminal, and a DC load terminal. The tripping module senses and responds to electrical faults by interrupting power, and the DC power supply converts received AC power to DC power. In some embodiments, the circuit breaker may be configured as a main breaker of a circuit breaker panel, while in other embodiments the circuit breaker may be configured as a branch circuit breaker that occupies a single branch circuit breaker mounting location in a circuit breaker panel. Methods of assembling a circuit breaker are also provided, as are other aspects.
US09124088B2

The invention provides an electrostatic protection circuit that is effective in absorbing static electricity that is continuously input. The electrostatic protection circuit includes a circuit constituting a latch and a static electricity absorption circuit. When static electricity is input, the static electricity absorption circuit maintains its on state for a while at an output held by the latch circuit, and absorbs static electricity that is continuously input. When the static electricity has been absorbed, the output of the latch is inverted so as to turn off the static electricity absorption circuit, and the operation of absorbing static electricity ends. At this point in time, normal operation serving as an input terminal is performed.
US09124074B2

A spark plug includes an insulator and a metal shell arranged around the insulator and having a thread portion formed with a thread diameter of M12. The insulator has an engagement portion held on a step portion of the metal shell via a plate packing and a leg portion located to leave a clearance between the leg portion and an inner circumferential surface of the metal shell. Assuming that: L (mm) is a distance from a front end of the plate packing toward the front; and A (mm) is a size of the clearance, a site of the clearance where the size A becomes 0.5 mm or smaller is located at or rear of a position of 2.0 mm from the front end toward the front; and a relationship of A≧L×0.2+0.2 (mm) is satisfied within a range of 3.0≦L≦4.0.
US09124073B2

A spark plug, comprised of: an insulator having an axial bore extending in the direction of an axis, a first inner circumferential surface extending at a forward side of the axial bore, a second inner circumferential surface extending at a rear side of the axial bore and having a diameter greater than that of the first inner circumferential surface, and a ledge connecting the first inner circumferential surface and the second inner circumferential surface; a center electrode having a head supported by the ledge and extending in a space surrounded by the second inner circumferential surface, and a circular columnar leg extending continuously from the forward end of the head in a space surrounded by the first inner circumferential surface; and a seal material for holding the center electrode in the axial bore.
US09124066B2

Spatial mode conversion modules are described, with the capability of efficiently transforming a given optical beam profile, at one plane in space into another well-defined optical beam profile at a different plane in space, whose detailed spatial features and symmetry properties can, in general, differ significantly. The modules are comprised of passive, high-efficiency, low-loss diffractive optical elements, combined with Fourier transform optics. Design rules are described that employ phase retrieval techniques and associated algorithms to determine the necessary profiles of the diffractive optical components. System augmentations are described that utilize real-time adaptive optical techniques for enhanced performance as well as power scaling.
US09124064B2

The invention relates to an optically pumped ultrashort pulse microchip laser for generating a laser emission having femto- or picosecond pulses, comprising a substrate, an amplifying laser medium, a first resonator mirror that is at least partially transparent to optical pump radiation, and in particular a saturable absorber structure. The laser medium is applied to the resonator mirror and the substrate and subsequently reduced from the original material thickness to a thickness of less than 200 μm. In order to achieve satisfactory power absorption despite said low thickness, the optical pump radiation is coupled into the laser medium such that resonance occurs for the laser emission and excess intensity increases occur for the pump radiation.
US09124058B2

In a processing device the wire-ends are fed circularly to the peripherally arranged processing units. A loop-layer grasps a leading wire-end and lays it in a wire-loop. The wire is then advanced by a belt apparatus, and a loop-guide picks up a loop-end and moves upward until the wire-loop has attained the desired dimension and transfers the loop-end of the wire-loop to a holding element of a rotary star, which, by means of the loop-guide, is displaceable along a linear axle, depending on the length of the wire-loop.
US09124053B2

Implementations of the present disclosure provide a cable restraint and management apparatus comprising of a pliable material, a mechanism attached or embedded within said material that allows for an enclosed form and or open form of said material, and a cable attachment mechanism configured to attach an electronic cable, power cord, string, jewelry, clothing or any object with attached cordage requiring hanging or restraint.
US09124043B2

Electrical connector including a plurality of mating conductors. Each of the mating conductors extends between an engagement portion and an interior portion. The engagement portions of the mating conductors are configured to engage contacts of the mating connector. The engagement portions are located proximate to one another at a first nodal region. The interior portions are located proximate to one another at a second nodal region. The electrical connector also includes a first open-ended conductor electrically connected to the engagement portion of a first mating conductor of the plurality of mating conductors and extending from the first nodal region. The electrical connector also includes a second open-ended conductor electrically connected to the interior portion of a second mating conductor of the plurality of mating conductors and extending from the second nodal region. The first open-ended conductor is capacitively coupled to the second open-ended conductor.
US09124040B2

The invention relates to a PCB connector for fastening a first printed circuit board on a second printed circuit board. The PCB connector may have a longitudinal base body with a clamping and fastening device for tool-free fastening of the PCB connector on a printed circuit board. The clamping and fastening device has a put-through body and a spring body which is formed extendable upon putting-through the put-through body through the land. The base body is thus pressed against the printed circuit board by the spring body.
US09124030B1

A waterproof connector device includes a plug connector and a snap ring. The plug connector has a plug main body and a plurality of conductive terminals. The plug main body has a plugging column and a retaining portion extending from the bottom edge of the plugging column. The conductive terminals are disposed in the plug main body, and are inserted in the plugging column and partially exposed from the plugging column. The snap ring has an annular main body, a plurality of first snap arms and a plurality of second snap arms. The directions of extensions of the first snap arms and the second snap arms are substantially opposite. By this configuration, the first snap arms can detachably pass through the retaining portion for fixing the relative position of the snap ring and the plug connector. Additionally, the present disclosure also provides a waterproof connector device assembly.
US09124023B2

A heat and corrosive dust deflecting cover plate assembly with a heat or dust deflecting projection for protection from heat degradation of the connector of outlets, sockets, or jacks to which the cover plate assembly affixed and also affords protection from heat degradation of the electrical cord(s) or electronic cables connected to the outlet, or sockets, or connectors. The electrical outlet cover plate assembly includes base plate that includes a curvilinear deflective projection of a length to extend beyond a heat source placed below the cover plate assembly and attached by a screw or screws to wall outlets, sockets, or connectors. The base plate has openings for receiving the connectors into which the electrical or electronic cords or cables are plugged. Another embodiment of this cover plate assembly affords protection to electrical or electronic connectors and their associated electrical or electronic cords or cables from corrosive dust and other detrimental substances.
US09124016B2

A connector includes female terminals (10), a female terminal holder (20), male terminals (32) and a male terminal holder (40). The female terminal holder (20) includes a female terminal holding portion (50), and the female terminal holding portion (50) defines cavities (55) that open out in a direction perpendicular to a terminal fitting direction and includes female terminal locks (56, 57) configured to prevent separation of the female terminals (10) by contacting the female terminals (10) in the respective cavities (55) from behind. The male terminal holder (40) includes a male terminal holding portion (41) and a female terminal restraining portion (44) to be fit to the female terminal holding portion (50) to restrain the respective female terminals (10) from an outer side.
US09124015B2

An electrical connector assembly may include a yoke that includes an outer housing; and a central conductor provided within the outer housing, wherein the central conductor comprises at least three outwardly extending portions. A first outwardly extending portion and a second outwardly extending portion are operatively coupled to first and second power cables, respectively. A third outwardly extending portion comprises a tap configured to interchangeably interface with a sacrificial appendage and a grounding element. When the sacrificial appendage is installed on the tap, the sacrificial appendage is configured to be cut through to confirm that the electrical connector assembly is de-energized. When the grounding element is installed on the tap, the grounding element is configured for attachment to a grounded hot line clamp to ground the electrical connector assembly.
US09124012B2

A contactor including a bellows body, a fixed portion connected to one end of the bellows body, and a movable portion, connected to the other end of the bellows body, where the movable portion is configured to be depressed to compress the bellows body and to bring a connecting projection, projectingly provided on the bellow body, into contact with the bellows body itself.
US09124011B2

A connector includes: a socket having a rectangular socket fitting body provided with socket terminals; and a header having a rectangular header fitting body provided with header terminals. An opposite surface is provided at a portion of a sidewall surface on the outer side of the header fitting body that correspond to a protrusion in the longitudinal direction and is different from the portion where the header terminals are provided, the opposite surface facing at least one of both side surfaces of the corresponding protrusion in the width direction with the socket fitting body and the header fitting body fitted to each other.
US09124010B2

A coaxial cable connector including a connector body having a forward end, a rearward end, and a hollow cavity adjacent the forward end, the hollow cavity having an inward facing lip, a first insulator configured to fit within the hollow cavity in such a way that the inward facing lip resists removal of the first insulator from the hollow cavity, the first insulator having a central hole, a center conductor contact having a socket end and a pin end, the socket end located within the connector body toward the rearward end, the pin end passing through the central hole of the first insulator, a spring contact configured to fit into the socket end of the center conductor contact, and a second insulator having a central passageway, the second insulator having a first end and a second end, the first end adjacent the socket end of the center conductor contact.
US09123999B2

The invention relates to an imaging system having a reflect array for reflection of radiation such as millimeter-wave radiation. It can apply to imaging systems which operate over a wide range of wavelengths.
US09123996B2

A wireless IC device includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped dielectric body, a metal pattern that is provided on the surface of the dielectric body via a film and functions as a radiator, and a wireless IC element coupled to feeding portions of the metal pattern. The dielectric body has a laminated structure including a folded flexible dielectric layer. Surfaces of the dielectric layer which face each other after the dielectric layer has been folded are non-bonded surfaces.
US09123974B2

An electrochemical cell in one embodiment includes a negative electrode including a form of lithium, a positive electrode spaced apart from the negative electrode, a separator positioned between the negative electrode and the positive electrode, and an electrolyte including a load leveling agent in contact with the negative electrode.
US09123973B2

The present disclosure relates to an electrolyte for a lithium secondary battery capable of improving safety and reliability of the lithium secondary battery and a lithium secondary battery comprising the electrolyte. The electrolyte for a lithium secondary battery of the present embodiments comprises a non-aqueous organic solvent, a lithium salt, flame retarding materials of fluoroalkyl ether and phosphazene, and a solvent comprising at least one ester.
US09123966B2

An electrochemical apparatus (e.g. a battery (cell)) including an aqueous electrolyte and one or two electrodes (e.g., an anode and/or a cathode), one or both of which includes a Prussian Blue analogue (PBA) material of the general chemical formula AxP[R(CN)6-jLj]z.nH2O, where: A is a cation; P is a metal cation; R is a transition metal cation; L is a ligand that may be substituted in the place of a CN− ligand; 0≦x≦2; 0≦z≦1; and 0≦n≦5, one or both electrodes including a PBA coating to decrease capacity loss.
US09123960B2

The present invention provides a solid-state electrolyte battery using a cathode activating substance which functions as such in an amorphous state and has a high ionic conductivity and provides a cathode activating substance used for the same. This solid-state electrolyte battery includes a laminated body. In the laminated body, a cathode-side current collector film, cathode activating substance film, solid-state electrolyte film, anode potential formation layer and anode-side current collector film are stacked above a substrate in this order. The cathode activating substance film is made of LixMyPO4−zNz, i.e., a lithium complex oxide in an amorphous state.
US09123952B2

In an aspect, a negative electrode active material, a method of preparing the same, and a lithium secondary battery having the negative electrode including the negative electrode active material is provided. The negative electrode active material may include amorphous silicon oxide, crystalline silicon, carbon, metal silicide, spherical particles and whiskers.
US09123950B2

A battery module having first and second battery cells is provided. The first battery cell has a housing and first and second electrical terminals. The housing extends longitudinally along a first axis and vertically along a second axis. The housing has first, second, third and fourth ends. The first and second ends extend parallel to the first axis. The third and fourth ends extend parallel to the second axis. The first electrical terminal extends from the third end in a direction parallel to the first axis, and has first and second edges extending parallel to the first axis. The first edge is disposed closer to the first end than the second edge of the first electrical terminal. A distance from the second end of the housing to the second edge of the first electrical terminal is greater than a distance from the first end of the housing to the first edge of the first electrical terminal.
US09123938B2

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a nonaqueous-electrolyte battery that exhibits high charge/discharge performance, i.e. high input/output performance, over a long period of time. This nonaqueous-electrolyte battery, in which a nonaqueous electrolyte and a group of electricity-generation elements that each have a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator that isolates said positive electrode and negative electrode are sealed inside a battery case, is characterized in that the negative electrodes contain graphite having an edge/surface ratio (fe), as defined by the following equation, of 0.03-0.1. fe=(2B/La+T/d002)/(2B/d100+T/d002). In this equation, B represents the mean grain diameter of the graphite, T represents the grain thickness, La represents the a-axis crystallite size, d002 represents the spacing between (002) planes, and d100 represents the spacing between (100) planes.
US09123931B2

Redox flow battery systems having a supporting solution that contains Cl− ions can exhibit improved performance and characteristics. Furthermore, a supporting solution having mixed SO42− and Cl− ions can provide increased energy density and improved stability and solubility of one or more of the ionic species in the catholyte and/or anolyte. According to one example, a vanadium-based redox flow battery system is characterized by an anolyte having V2+ and V3+ in a supporting solution and a catholyte having V4+ and V5+ in a supporting solution. The supporting solution can contain Cl− ions or a mixture of SO42− and Cl− ions.
US09123913B2

An object of the present invention is to provide an organic EL element having high light extraction efficiency and to provide a lighting device and a display device provided using the organic EL element. The organic EL element 1 includes: a transparent substrate 2 having a refractive index of 1.8 or more; a stacked body 6 that is provided on the substrate 2 and includes at least one pair of electrodes 3 and 4 and an organic light-emitting layer 5 located between the pair of electrodes 3 and 4; and a porous light-scattering body 2a that is provided on a surface of the substrate 2, the surface being opposite to the stacked body 6.
US09123908B2

A light-emitting device comprises a first electrode, a second electrode, and a light-emitting active material contacting and separating the first and second electrodes. The device comprises a combination of a conjugated polymer and an electrolyte, said electrolyte comprising ions, allowing for electrochemical doping of the conjugated polymer. In the device, a ratio between the ions and the conjugated polymer is selected to allow for the formation of:(i) a doped region at the respective electrode interface, which allows for injection and transport of electronic charge carriers into and through the doped regions, respectively, at zero or low overpotential, and(ii) an effectively undoped region, separating the doped regions, wherein injected electronic charge carriers are recombineable under excitation of the conjugated polymer and the polymer is de-excitable under the emission of light. The ratio between the ions and the conjugated polymer is low enough for the undoped region to remain effectively undoped and free from said ions, as substantially all ions in the active material are locked up in the doped regions.
US09123906B2

An organic electroluminescence device is provided. The device comprises an anode base layer (110), a hole injection layer (120) on the anode base layer (110), a light emitting layer (130) on the hole injection layer (120), and a cathode electrode layer (140) on the light emitting layer (130). The material of the hole injection layer (120) is metal oxide or thiophene type compound. The hole injection layer (120) has advantages of improving the recombination probability of electron-hole and not being easily oxidized, so that the efficiency of the organic electroluminescence device is increased and the service life is prolonged. A method for manufacturing the organic electroluminescence device is also provided.
US09123903B2

An organic light emitting device that includes an anode, a cathode, an enhancement layer, and an emissive layer that includes homoleptic iridium complexes containing phenyl-imidazole ligands, which include at least one fused substituent. The enhancement layer also includes a new dibenzothiophene and dibenzofuran-containing compound that is useful as a material in an enhancement layer.
US09123902B2

A thiaxanthenothiaxanthene compound of Formula (I): wherein R1 to R10 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, an alkyl group, a substituted alkyl group, an alkoxy group, an alkylthio group, an alkenyl group, a substituted alkenyl group, an ethynyl group, a substituted ethynyl group, an aryl group, a substituted aryl group, a heteroaryl group, a substituted heteroaryl group, a trialkylsilyl group, a fluorohydrocarbon group, a cyano group and a halogen; and wherein the semiconductor of Formula (I) is predominantly crystalline or liquid crystalline. The compounds are designed to ensure air stability, good solubility, and high mobility.
US09123899B2

A semiconducting tetrahydroacridinoacridine compound of Formula (I): wherein R1 to R12 are as described herein. The compounds are designed to ensure air stability, good solubility, and high mobility.
US09123895B2

Photovoltaic cells with thiazole-containing polymers, as well as related components, systems, and methods, are disclosed.
US09123880B2

A laminated piezoelectric device comprising a device body 10 on which a number of piezoelectric layers 2 and internal electrodes 3, 4 are laminated, external electrodes 5, 6 electrically connected to the internal electrodes 3, 4 and formed on the surface of the device body 10, an insulation layer 7 and a resistance layer 8. The insulation layer 7 covers at least a portion wherein internal electrodes 3, 4 are exposed on the surface of the device body 10, where mechanical displacement is generated by applying voltage. The resistance layer 8 is formed to connect between external electrodes 5, 6 and has a lower electric resistance value than the insulation layer 7.
US09123873B2

Instead of forming contact holes the same way in both the non-image forming peripheral area (PA) and the image forming display area of a thin film transistor array panel, contact holes in the DA are formed to be substantially smaller than those in the PA for thereby improving an aperture ratio of the corresponding display device. In an exemplary embodiment, an inorganic gate insulating layer is not etched in the DA and only an inorganic first passivation layer among inorganic insulating layers positioned in the DA is etched to allow communication between the drain electrode and the corresponding field generating electrode. On the other hand, in the peripheral area, plural inorganic insulating layers such as the gate insulating layer, the first passivation layer, and the second passivation layer positioned on the gate wire and the data wire are simultaneously etched to form second contact holes and third contact holes exposing respective gate pads and data pads.
US09123872B2

A method of manufacturing package component for light emitting diode (LED) is disclosed. At least one LED is disposed on a substrate inside a photocuring resin, wherein the LED is covered completely by the substrate and the photocuring resin. Power is provided to the LED to make the LED emit plural light beams such that a portion of the photocuring resin is cured by the light beams to obtain a male mold. A separation process is performed to separate the male mold and the other portion of the photocuring resin, the LED and the substrate. A rollover process is performed to manufacture the female mold by the male mold, wherein the female mold has at least one accommodation space with a shape identical to that of the male mold. A forming process is performed to form a package component with a shape identical to that of the male mold.
US09123864B2

A semiconductor light-emitting element capable of increasing a strength of adhesion between an electrode and a protection film.The semiconductor light-emitting element includes a semiconductor structure having an n-type semiconductor layer and a p-type semiconductor layer. A transparent conductive film is disposed on the p-type semiconductor layer. An insulation film is disposed on the transparent conductive film. A p-side electrode layer is disposed on the insulation film. A protection film is disposed over the insulation film, and the protection film covers part of the p-side electrode layer.
US09123863B2

A group 13 nitride crystal has a hexagonal crystal structure and at least contains nitrogen atom and at least a kind of metal atoms selected from a group consisting of B, Al, Ga, In, and Tl. The group 13 nitride crystal includes a first region located at an inner side of a cross section intersecting a c-axis, and a second region surrounding at least a part of an outer periphery of the first region, having a thickness larger than a maximum diameter of the first region, and having a carrier density higher than that of the first region.
US09123861B2

A solar battery includes a transparent electrode and a collector electrode in this order on the surface of a light incident surface side of a photoelectric conversion layer. The collector electrode is formed in a predetermined region on the photoelectric conversion layer and a first transparent electrode of the transparent electrode is formed only in a region right under the collector electrode in contact with the photoelectric conversion layer and the collector electrode. A second transparent electrode of the transparent electrode is formed in a region on the photoelectric conversion layer where the collector electrode is not formed and on the collector electrode in contact with the photoelectric conversion layer or the collector electrode. The carrier concentration of the first transparent electrode is higher than the carrier concentration of the second transparent electrode.
US09123858B2

A method for manufacturing a photoelectric conversion device including a first process where a plurality of pixel electrodes are formed on a dielectric layer; a second process where a light receiving layer that includes an organic material is formed on the plurality of pixel electrodes; and a third process where a counter electrode is formed on the light receiving layer. The first process includes a film forming process of a pixel electrode material on the dielectric layer; a patterning process of the film of the pixel electrode material; and a heating process for heating the substrate at 270° C. after the patterning process. Such process forming a photoelectric conversion device of a solid-state imaging device which also includes a signal reading circuit formed on the substrate, the signal reading circuit capable of reading out the signal according to a quantity of electric charges collected in the first electrode.
US09123857B2

A thermoelectric material and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. The thermoelectric material includes a mixture of nano-thermoelectric crystal particles, micron-thermoelectric crystal particles and nano-metal particles.
US09123855B2

An underlayer is formed on a side wall 101a of a through hole 101 out of the side wall 101a of the through hole 101 and a substrate main surface, with a main surface having a low adhesion to a conductive layer disposed as an upper surface, and the conductive layer is formed on the substrate main surface and the side wall 101a of the through hole 101 on which the underlayer is formed, and the underlayer formed on the side wall 101a of the through hole 101 is selectively etched.
US09123854B2

An object of the present invention is to provide an EL display device having a high operation performance and reliability.The switching TFT 201 formed within a pixel has a multi-gate structure, which is a structure which imposes an importance on reduction of OFF current value. Further, the current control TFT 202 has a channel width wider than that of the switching TFT to make a structure appropriate for flowing electric current. Morever, the LDD region 33 of the current control TFT 202 is formed so as to overlap a portion of the gate electrode 35 to make a structure which imposes importance on prevention of hot carrier injection and reduction of OFF current value.
US09123852B2

A method of manufacturing a flexible display device for sensing bending that includes forming a lower electrode layer, which includes a plurality of lower electrodes spaced apart from each other on a substrate, forming an insulation layer on the lower electrode layer, forming holes in the insulation layer to expose at least a part of each of the plurality of lower electrodes, and forming an upper electrode layer, which includes a plurality of upper electrodes that are spaced apart from each other on the insulation layer and that fill the holes in the insulation layer. At least two conductive units including the lower electrode layer, the insulation layer, and the upper electrode layer are formed to face each other on a substrate of a non-display unit that is arranged near a boundary of the display device.
US09123843B2

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer laminate in which a plurality of semiconductor layers are laminated, the semiconductor layer laminate including a light receiving layer, the light receiving layer being grown by a metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy method, the light receiving layer having a cutoff wavelength of more than or equal to 3 μm and less than or equal to 8 μm, the semiconductor device having a dark current density of less than or equal to 1×10−1 A/cm2 when a reverse bias voltage of 60 mV is applied at a temperature of −140° C. Thereby, a semiconductor device which can receive light in a mid-infrared range and has a low dark current is provided.
US09123837B2

A semiconductor radiation detector includes a bulk layer of semiconductor material. On a first side of said bulk layer is an arrangement of field electrodes and a collection electrode for collecting radiation-induced signal charges from said bulk layer. A radiation shield exists on a second side of said bulk layer, opposite to said first side, which radiation shield selectively overlaps the location of said collection electrode.
US09123820B2

A semiconductor device (ST) includes a substrate (11), a gate electrode (12b), a gate insulating film (13b), an oxide semiconductor film (14b) including a channel part (14bc) formed in a position facing the gate electrode (12b), a source electrode (15bs), and a drain electrode (15bd). The source electrode (15bs) and the drain electrode (15bd) is arranged so as not to overlap with the gate electrode (12b) as viewed in the plane. A region adjacent to the gate electrode (12b) and the source electrode (15bs) and a region adjacent to the gate electrode (12b) and the drain electrode (15bd) are, in a region where the source electrode (15bs) and the drain electrode (15bd) does not overlap with the gate electrode (12b), processed such that resistance in a region of the oxide semiconductor film (14b) including a surface thereof is reduced.
US09123819B2

The embodiments of the disclosed technology provide a liquid crystal display, a thin film transistor array substrate and a method for manufacturing thin film transistor array substrate. The TFT array substrate comprises: a semiconductor layer, a source electrode and a drain electrode formed adjoining the semiconductor layer, a thin film transistor channel region being defined between the source electrode and the drain electrode; and an ohmic contact layer formed between the semiconductor layer and the drain electrode and between the semiconductor layer and the source electrode, wherein the material of the semiconductor layer is zinc oxide (ZnO) and the material of the ohmic contact layer is GaxZn1-xO, where 0≦x≦1.
US09123817B2

Example embodiments disclose transistors and electronic devices including the transistors. A transistor may include a charge blocking layer between a gate insulating layer and a gate. An energy barrier between the gate insulating layer and the gate may be increased by the charge blocking layer. The transistor may be an oxide transistor including a channel layer formed of an oxide semiconductor.
US09123815B1

A device with multiple vertical transistors includes a substrate and an electrically conductive gate structure including first and second edges opposite each other and including first and second reentrant profiles, respectively. A conformal electrically insulating layer maintains the reentrant profiles and is in contact with the gate. A conformal semiconductor layer maintains the reentrant profiles and is in contact with the insulating layer. First and second electrodes are in contact with first and second portions of the semiconductor and adjacent to the first and second reentrant profiles, respectively. A third electrode is in contact with a third portion of the semiconductor on a top of the gate structure. The first and third electrodes and the second and third electrodes define ends of first and second channels of first and second transistors, respectively. First and second lines, extending between the ends of the first and second channels, are not parallel.
US09123803B2

A semiconductor device includes: a P+ substrate; a P− epitaxial layer over the P+ substrate; a P-well and an N− drift region in the P− epitaxial layer and laterally adjacent to each other; an N+ source region in the P-well and connected to a front-side metal via a first contact electrode; an N+ drain region in the N− drift region and connected to the front-side metal via a second contact electrode; a gate structure on the P− epitaxial layer and connected to the front-side metal via a third contact electrode; and a metal plug through the P− epitaxial layer and having one end in contact with the P+ substrate and the other end connected to the front-side metal, the metal plug being adjacent to one side of the N+ source region that is farther from the N− drift region. A method for fabricating the semiconductor device is also disclosed.
US09123800B2

A semiconductor device includes: a first n− type epitaxial layer disposed on a first surface of an n+ type silicon carbide substrate including a current carrying region and termination regions positioned at both sides of the current carrying region; a p type epitaxial layer disposed on the first n− type epitaxial layer; a second n− type epitaxial layer disposed on the p type epitaxial layer; a first trench disposed in the current carrying region; a second trench disposed in each termination region; a gate insulating layer disposed in the first trench; a gate electrode disposed on the gate insulating layer; and a termination insulating layer disposed in the second trench, in which a side of the termination insulating layer contacts the p type epitaxial layer and the second n− type epitaxial layer.
US09123787B2

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide a V0 via unit cell with multiple keep out zones. The keep out zones are oriented concentrically and provide support for multiple sizes of through-silicon vias (TSVs). An off-center alignment between the V0 via unit cell and a probe pad is used to improve contact between the V0 vias and a probe pad. During a chip redesign, the TSV size may be changed without the need to revise the V0 mask.
US09123783B2

Integrated circuits and methods of forming integrated circuits are provided herein. In an embodiment, a method of forming an integrated circuit includes providing a base substrate having an embedded electrical contact disposed therein. An interlayer dielectric is formed overlying the base substrate, and a recess is etched through the interlayer dielectric over the embedded electrical contact. A protecting liner is formed in the recess and over an exposed surface of the embedded electrical contact in the recess. The protecting liner includes at least two liner layers that have materially different etch rates in different etchants. A portion of the protecting liner is removed over the surface of the embedded electrical contact to again expose the surface of the embedded electrical contact in the recess. An embedded electrical interconnect is formed in the recess. The embedded electrical interconnect overlies the protecting liner on sides of the recess.
US09123782B2

An amorphous silicon film formation method includes transferring a base in a process chamber, heating the base in the process chamber, setting a process pressure inside the process chamber, forming a seed layer on a surface of the base by flowing aminosilane-based gas in the process chamber under a process condition in which the aminosilane-based gas is not thermally decomposed and adsorbing the aminosilane-based gas onto the surface of the base, the process condition having a first temperature, and forming an amorphous silicon film on the seed layer by heating the base at a second temperature higher than the first temperature, flowing silane-based gas containing no amino group in the process chamber, and thermally decomposing the silane-based gas containing no amino group, wherein the forming of the seed layer and the forming of the amorphous silicon film are successively performed in the process chamber.
US09123781B2

Semiconductor devices and methods for forming the same in which damages to a low-k dielectric layer therein can be reduced or even prevented are provided. A semiconductor device is provided, comprising a substrate. A dielectric layer with at least one conductive feature therein overlies the substrate. An insulating cap layer overlies the top surface of the low-k dielectric layer adjacent to the conductive feature, wherein the insulating cap layer comprises metal ions.
US09123779B2

A semiconductor device having a multi-level interconnection structure including a plurality of interconnection layers stacked one on another on a semiconductor substrate is provided, and a production method for the semiconductor device. In the production method, forming each of the interconnection layers of the multi-level interconnection structure includes: forming a real interconnection and a dummy interconnection, forming an insulative film covering the real interconnection and the dummy interconnection, and planarizing a surface of the insulative film. The production method may include computing an in-plane distribution of an overall thickness of the multi-level interconnection structure to be expected when no dummy interconnection is formed; and defining a dummy present zone and a dummy absent zone. The dummy interconnection is formed in the defined dummy present zone outside the defined dummy absent zone in each of the interconnection layers.
US09123774B2

Provided is a semiconductor device, which includes a gate electrode crossing over a semiconductor fin disposed on a substrate, a gate dielectric layer disposed between the gate electrode and the semiconductor fin, a channel region having a three dimensional structure defined in the semiconductor fin under the gate electrode, impurity regions disposed in the semiconductor fin at both sides of the gate electrode and spaced apart from the gate electrode, a first interlayer dielectric layer covering an entire surface of the substrate, except for the gate electrode, first contact plugs passing through the first interlayer dielectric layer and contacting the impurity regions, and a second interlayer dielectric layer covering the gate electrode and partially filling a space between the gate electrode and the impurity regions to define an air gap between the gate electrode and the impurity regions.
US09123773B1

Methods of forming a T-shaped SBD using a single-mask process flow are disclosed. Embodiments include providing a substrate having STI regions; forming a hard mask layer over the substrate and the STI regions, the hard mask having an opening laterally separated from the STI regions; forming a recess in the substrate through the opening, the recess having a first width; forming spacers on sidewalls of the recess, with a gap therebetween; forming a trench in the substrate through the gap, the trench having a second width less than the first; removing the spacers; removing the hard mask layer; filling the trench and the recess with an oxide layer, forming a T-shaped STI region; forming another hard mask layer on a portion of the T-shaped STI region; and revealing a Fin by removing portions of the STI regions and the T-shaped STI region.
US09123770B2

An IGBT device includes one or more trench gates disposed over a semiconductor substrate and a floating body region of the first conductivity type disposed between two neighboring trench gates and between a semiconductor substrate and a heavily doped top region of the second conductivity type. A body region of the first conductivity type disposed over the top region has a doping concentration higher than that of the floating body region of the first conductivity type. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
US09123763B2

A package-on-package (PoP) structure comprises a first package and a second package. The first package comprises a first die, a second die, and a core material. The core material has a first surface and a second surface. A first redistribution layer (RDL) is on the first surface, and a second RDL is on the second surface. The first die is disposed in the core material between the first surface and the second surface. The second die is coupled to one of the first RDL and the second RDL. The second package comprises a third die and an interposer. The interposer has a first side and a second side. The third die is coupled to the second side of the interposer. The first package is coupled to the second package by first electrical connectors coupled to the second side of the interposer and the first RDL.
US09123757B2

A heating device 10 includes a ceramic base 20, a resistance heating element 22, and a hollow shaft 40. The ceramic base 20 includes a central portion 20a and a peripheral portion 20b. The resistance heating element 22 is designed in such a manner that the density of heating in the central portion 20a is 1.4 to 2.0 times that in the peripheral portion 20b. The hollow shaft 40 includes a first section 41 and a second section 42. The thickness tb1 of the first section 41 is 6 to 10 mm. The thickness tb2 of the second section 42 is 0.3 to 0.5 times the thickness tb1 of the first section 41. The length of the first section 41 is 0.4 to 0/8 times the overall length of the hollow shaft 40.
US09123753B2

QCA assemblies, in which basic cells are formed on the basis of graphene in order to provide a coupling field distribution in the form of an electrostatic field, a magnetic field, and the like which allows a unique association between field distribution and logic state. Moreover, the corresponding energy structure may be selected so as to allow operation of the QCA assemblies at ambient temperature. Hence, the signal processing capabilities of QCA assemblies may be obtained at significantly reduced complexity compared to conventional quantum-based QCA assemblies, which typically operate at very low temperatures.
US09123733B1

A method of manufacture of an integrated circuit packaging system includes: providing a sacrificial carrier assembly having a stack interconnector thereover; mounting an integrated circuit having a connector over the sacrificial carrier assembly with the connector over the stack interconnector; dispensing an underfill material between the sacrificial carrier assembly and the integrated circuit with the underfill material substantially free of a void; encapsulating the integrated circuit over the sacrificial carrier assembly and the underfill material; exposing the stack interconnector by removing the sacrificial carrier assembly; and forming a base array over the underfill material and the stack interconnector.
US09123732B2

Die warpage is controlled for the assembly of thin dies. In one example, a device having a substrate on a back side and components in front side layers is formed. A backside layer is formed over the substrate, the layer resisting warpage of the device when the device is heated. The device is attached to a substrate by heating.
US09123723B2

A line structure for repair may include a first line in a first direction, a second line parallel with the first line, the second line having side portions extending along a second direction from respective end portions and coupled to the first line, and a third line intersecting the first and second lines, wherein at least one portion of the second line is made of undoped poly-silicon.
US09123722B2

Some embodiments include methods of forming interconnects. A first circuitry level may be formed, and a first dielectric region may be formed over such first level. A second level of circuitry may be formed over the first dielectric region. An interconnect may be formed to extend through such second level. A second dielectric region may be formed over the second level of circuitry, and a third level of circuitry may be formed over the second dielectric region. The third level of circuitry may be electrically connected to the first level of circuitry through the interconnect. Some embodiments include constructions having interconnects extending from a first level of circuitry, through an opening in a second level of circuitry, and to a third level of circuitry; with an individual interconnect including multiple separate electrically conductive posts.
US09123706B2

Techniques are disclosed that enable interconnects, vias, metal gates, and other conductive features that can be formed through electroless material deposition techniques. In some embodiments, the techniques employ electroless fill in conjunction with high growth rate selectivity between an electroless nucleation material (ENM) and electroless suppression material (ESM) to generate bottom-up or otherwise desired fill pattern of such features. Suitable ENM may be present in the underlying or otherwise existing structure, or may be provided. The ESM is provisioned so as to prevent or otherwise inhibit nucleation at the ESM covered areas of the feature, which in turn prevents or otherwise slows down the rate of electroless growth on those areas. As such, the electroless growth rate on the ENM sites is higher than the electroless growth rate on the ESM sites.
US09123703B2

Methods and apparatus for forming a semiconductor device are provided which may include any number of features. One feature is a method of forming an interconnect structure that results in the interconnect structure having a co-planar or flat top surface. Another feature is a method of forming an interconnect structure that results in the interconnect structure having a surface that is angled upwards greater than zero with respect to a top surface of the substrate. The interconnect structure can comprise a damascene structure, such as a single or dual damascene structure, or alternatively, can comprise a silicon-through via (TSV) structure.
US09123692B2

By reducing the contact resistance between an oxide semiconductor film and a metal film, a transistor that uses an oxide semiconductor film and has excellent on-state characteristics is provided. A semiconductor device includes a pair of electrodes over an insulating surface; an oxide semiconductor film in contact with the pair of electrodes; a gate insulating film over the oxide semiconductor film; and a gate electrode overlapping with the oxide semiconductor film with the gate insulating film interposed therebetween. In the semiconductor device, the pair of electrodes contains a halogen element in a region in contact with the oxide semiconductor film. Further, plasma treatment in an atmosphere containing fluorine can be performed so that the pair of electrodes contains the halogen element in a region in contact with the oxide semiconductor film.
US09123683B2

Disclosed herein is a unit power module including: a first semiconductor chip having one surface on which a 1-1-th electrode and a 1-2-th electrode spaced apart from the 1-1-th electrode are formed and the other surface on which a 1-3-th electrode is formed, a second semiconductor chip having one surface on which a 2-1-th electrode is formed and the other surface on which a 2-2-th electrode is formed, a first metal plate contacting the 1-1-th electrode of the first semiconductor chip and the 2-1-th electrode of the second semiconductor chip, a second metal plate contacting the 1-2-th electrode of the first semiconductor chip and spaced apart from the first metal plate, a third metal plate contacting the 1-3-th electrode of the first semiconductor chip and the 2-2-th electrode of the second semiconductor chip, and a sealing member formed to surround the first metal plate, the second metal plate, and the third metal plate.
US09123682B2

A light-emission device includes a substrate and a G light-emission layer; an R light-emission layer, a B light-emission layer, and a wiring layer made of metal that are each arranged above the substrate. Each of the G light-emission layer, the R light-emission layer, and the B light-emission layer contains light-emission material. An amount of heat that the B light-emission layer generates upon light emission is greater than an amount of heat that the G light-emission layer generates upon light emission. Further, the B light-emission layer directly faces the wiring layer at a facing edge portion.
US09123678B2

An organic light emitting diode display including: a substrate; an organic light emitting diode on the substrate; a first thin film transistor coupled to the organic light emitting diode; and a first capacitor including a first capacitor electrode coupled to a first gate electrode of the first thin film transistor and a second capacitor electrode on the first capacitor electrode. The first capacitor electrode includes a protruding portion not overlapping the second capacitor electrode, and the second capacitor electrode includes a recess portion through which the first capacitor electrode is exposed.
US09123659B1

A method for manufacturing a finFET device is provided. Firstly, a first multiple layer structure and a second multiple layer structure are formed on a substrate in sequence. Then, a first sacrificial pattern is formed on the second multiple layer structure. A first spacer is next formed on a sidewall of the first sacrificial pattern. Subsequently, a portion of the second multiple layer structure is etched so as to form a second sacrificial pattern by using the first spacer as a hard mask. Next, a second spacer is formed on a sidewall of the second sacrificial pattern. After that, the first multiple layer structure is patterned by using the second spacer as a hard mask. Finally, the substrate is etched so as to form at least a first fin structure by using the patterned first multiple layer structure as a hard mask.
US09123655B2

A method of manufacturing a layer pattern of a semiconductor device, the method including forming an anti-reflective coating (ARC) layer on an etching object layer such that the ARC layer includes a polymer having an imide group; forming a photoresist pattern on the ARC layer; wet etching portions of the ARC layer exposed by the photoresist pattern to form an ARC layer pattern; and etching the etching object layer using the photoresist pattern as an etch mask to form the layer pattern.
US09123640B2

A memory device includes a stack of layers comprising a plurality of alternating layers of continuous electrically conductive material word line layers with layers of continuous electrically insulating material. A plurality of vias vertically extend through the stack of layers and a vertical bit line is disposed within each via. A layer of switching material separates the vertical bit line from the stack of layers, thereby forming an array of RRAM cells.
US09123631B2

A method for bonding a first wafer on a second wafer by molecular adhesion where the wafers have an initial radial misalignment between them. The method includes bringing the two wafers into contact so as to initiate the propagation of a bonding wave between the two wafers while a predefined bonding curvature is imposed on at least one of the two wafers during the contacting step as a function of the initial radial misalignment.
US09123629B2

The present disclosure relates to a chip package and a method for forming the same. The chip package comprises a carrier pad, a chip, and a plurality of second conductive bumps, and a molding compound. The carrier pad has a first surface with a plurality of first conductive bumps formed thereon. The chip has an active surface. One end of each of the plurality of second conductive bumps is electrically coupled to the active surface, and the other end of each of the plurality of second conductive bumps is electrically coupled to the first conductive bumps. The molding compound encapsulates the chip and completely fills space between the carrier pad and the chip. In the chip package and the method for forming the same according to the present disclosure, the first conductive bumps are formed on the first surface of the carrier pad by etching, which provides an electrical connection between the first conductive bumps and the active surface of the chip, and broadens a flow channel of the molding compound between the chip and the carrier pad so that the molding compound can completely fill the space between the chip and the carrier pad. Underfill before encapsulation is not needed and the package cost is thus lowered.
US09123627B1

One method disclosed herein includes removing at least a portion of a fin to thereby define a fin trench in a layer of insulating material, forming first and second layers of semiconductor material in the fin trench, after forming the second layer of semiconductor material, performing an anneal process to induce defect formation in at least the first layer of semiconductor material, wherein, after the anneal process is performed, the upper surface of the second layer of semiconductor material is substantially defect-free, forming a layer of channel semiconductor material on the upper surface of the second layer of semiconductor material and forming a gate structure around at least a portion of the channel semiconductor material.
US09123623B2

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor light emitting device having a multi-cell array, including: sequentially forming a first conductive semiconductor layer, an active layer and a second conductive semiconductor layer on a substrate; etching and removing portions of the second conductive semiconductor layer and the active layer so as to expose portions of an upper surface of the first conductive semiconductor layer corresponding to respective regions of the second conductive semiconductor layer spaced apart from one another; and separating light emitting cells by partially etching the exposed portions of the first conductive semiconductor layer, wherein the separating of the light emitting cells is not performed at an edge portion of the substrate.
US09123621B2

A solid-state image sensor may include a first substrate and a second substrate that are combined with each other. The first substrate may include a photoelectric conversion portion, a holding portion which holds a charge generated in the photoelectric conversion portion, a transfer portion which transfers the charge generated in the photoelectric conversion portion to the holding portion, and a first electrode connected to the holding portion. The second substrate may include a second electrode and an amplifier portion which is connected to the second electrode and amplifies a signal in the holding portion. The holding portion and the amplifier portion may be electrically connected to each other by a capacitance formed by the first electrode and the second electrode.
US09123616B2

A method of fabricating a semiconductor image sensor device is disclosed. A plurality of radiation-sensing regions is formed in a substrate. The radiation-sensing regions are formed in a non-scribe-line region of the image sensor device. An opening is formed in a scribe-line region of the image sensor device by etching the substrate in the scribe-line region. A portion of the substrate remains in the scribe-line region after the etching. The opening is then filled with an organic material.
US09123603B2

In a photoelectric conversion device capable of adding signals of photoelectric conversion elements included in each of photoelectric conversion units, each of the photoelectric conversion elements includes a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type for collecting a signal charge, a second semiconductor region of a second conductivity type is arranged between the photoelectric conversion elements arranged adjacent to each other and included in the photoelectric conversion unit, and a third semiconductor region of the second conductivity type is arranged between the photoelectric conversion elements arranged adjacent to each other among the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements and included in different photoelectric conversion units arranged adjacent to each other. An impurity concentration of the second semiconductor region is lower than an impurity concentration of the third semiconductor region.
US09123602B2

Embodiments of a hybrid imaging sensor that optimizes a pixel array area on a substrate using a stacking scheme for placement of related circuitry with minimal vertical interconnects between stacked substrates and associated features are disclosed. Embodiments of maximized pixel array size/die size (area optimization) are disclosed, and an optimized imaging sensor providing improved image quality, improved functionality, and improved form factors for specific applications common to the industry of digital imaging are also disclosed.
US09123600B2

A chip package has multiple chips that may be arranged side-by-side or in a staggered, stair step arrangement. The contacts of the chips are connected to interconnect pads carried on the chips themselves or on a redistribution substrate. The interconnect pads desirably are arranged in a relatively narrow interconnect zone, such that the interconnect pads can be readily wire-bonded or otherwise connected to a package substrate.
US09123597B2

A TFT array substrate includes a semiconductive oxide layer disposed on an insulating substrate and including a channel portion, a gate electrode overlapping the semiconductive oxide layer, a gate insulating layer interposed between the semiconductive oxide layer and the gate electrode, and a passivation layer disposed on the semiconductive oxide layer and the gate electrode. At least one of the gate insulating layer and the passivation layer includes an oxynitride layer, and the oxynitride layer has a higher concentration of oxygen than that of nitrogen in a location of the oxynitride layer closer to the semiconductive oxide layer.
US09123588B2

According to one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a thin-film transistor circuit substrate including forming an oxide semiconductor thin film above an insulative substrate, forming a gate insulation film and a gate electrode which are stacked on a first region of the oxide semiconductor thin film, and exposing from the gate insulation film a second region and a third region of the oxide semiconductor thin film, the second region and the third region being located on both sides of the first region of the oxide semiconductor thin film, forming an interlayer insulation film of silicon nitride including dangling bonds of silicon, the interlayer insulation film covering the second region and the third region of the oxide semiconductor thin film, the gate insulation film and the gate electrode, and forming a source electrode and a drain electrode.
US09123585B1

A method includes providing a structure having a substrate, a first electrically insulating layer overlying the substrate, a first semiconductor layer comprised of a first semiconductor material overlying the first electrically insulating layer, a second electrically insulating layer overlying the first semiconductor layer in a first portion of the structure and a second semiconductor layer comprised of a second, different semiconductor material overlying the second electrically insulating layer in the first portion. The method further includes growing additional first semiconductor material on the first semiconductor layer in a second portion of the structure to form a regrown semiconductor layer; forming fins; forming gate structures orthogonal to the fins and removing at least a portion of the first semiconductor layer in the first portion of the structure to form a void and filling the void with insulating material. Structures formed by the method are also disclosed.
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