US09619945B2

A method, system and computer program product for assisting a user in handling a vehicle service issue. A profile is created by a navigation system that stores preferences of the user, such as vehicle and vehicle service preferences (e.g., tire brands). The navigation system polls the vehicle sensors in the automobile diagnostic system periodically to interpret a status. If there has been a change in the status of a sensor (e.g., change in tire pressure) and if the change represents a service issue to be addressed, then a service issue has been identified. The navigation system then determines a change in the route the vehicle is currently traveling to reach a service destination (e.g., Discount Tire® store) to address the service issue (e.g., low tire pressure) taking into consideration the user's preferences (user's profile specified the Discount Tire® chain to handle all service issues relating to tires).
US09619929B2

A graphics processing apparatus and method of graphics processing is disclosed. Obscuration identification circuitry is configured to receive graphics fragments from rasterization circuitry and to identify an obscuration condition if a received graphics fragment, in combination with at least one previously received graphics fragment, will obscure at least one further previously received graphics fragment. Process killing circuitry is configured to prevent further processing occurring in the graphics processing apparatus with respect to the at least one further previously received graphics fragment if the obscuration identification circuitry identifies the obscuration condition.
US09619922B2

There is provided a system and method of distribution caching for direct lights in a scene. The system including a memory and a processor configured to execute a rendering software application to shoot a plurality of rays through a scene that includes a plurality of lights, generate a plurality of cache points at different locations throughout the scene based on the shooting of the plurality of rays, compute a list of lights for each cache point from the plurality of cache points, the list of lights including lights from the plurality of lights that provide illumination at a location of the cache point, and store the plurality of cache points in a memory. The processor may further be configured to execute the rendering software application to render the scene using the cache point database.
US09619918B2

To provide assemble programmable and fixed function pipe-line parts of a 3D graphics processor, combining flexibility of programmable pipeline for each stage and small gate size and speed of fixed function pipeline. The graphic processor couples a programmable unit with the texture sampling unit 16 and the fixed function unit 17 in parallel. The arbiter unit 18 and the texture sampling unit 16 are directly connected and the arbiter unit 18 and the fixed function unit 17 are also directly connected.
US09619913B2

An animation can be selected. Pieces of the documents that pertain to the selected animation can be extracted from the document closure for the web page in which the animation appears. A composite data structure can be created therefrom. The winning set of @keyframes rules referenced by the animation-name property of a style rule (the virtual winning rule) can be computed and represented in a data structure. The winning animation properties can establish the timing properties to preview and edit the animation in a user interface without running the whole application. The data structure represented in the visual preview can be edited by applying user gestures to the animation displayed in a preview user interface (UI). The user changes can be mapped to changes to property values in the data structure and the underlying documents.
US09619911B2

Various arrangements for organizing virtual objects within an augmented reality display are presented. A display may be provided and configured to present a virtual field-of-view having multiple virtual objects superimposed on a real-world scene. Priorities may be assigned to multiple regions of the virtual field-of-view based on real-world objects present within the real-world scene. A priority of a region of the multiple regions may be based on one or more real-world objects identified in the region. The multiple virtual objects may be displayed within the virtual field-of-view arranged based on the prioritized multiple regions.
US09619909B2

A computer-implemented system and method for generating and placing cluster groups is provided. A set of clusters each having one or more documents is maintained. A portion of the clusters is assigned to two or more spines. The cluster spines are ordered by cluster length. Those cluster spines that are unique are identified in decreasing cluster length order and placed. One or more of the remaining spines are placed in relation to at least one of the placed unique spines. At least one of the remaining clusters is placed in relation to one or more of the unique placed spines. Groups of clusters are displayed. Each group includes two or more of one such unique placed spine, the remaining spines placed in relation to that placed unique spine; and the remaining clusters placed in relation to the unique placed spine.
US09619905B2

A method of image reconstruction corrected for attenuation is provided for use with radioemission-based imaging, such as SPECT and PET. This method includes collecting measured emission projection data. The emission projection data, a reconstruction of the emission projection data, and a priori organ information are collectively analyzed to generate a body region estimate of the imaged subject. Each voxel of the body region estimate is then homogenously assigned an attenuation coefficient to generate an initial attenuation map estimate. An initial emission assumption is also generated based on a reconstruction of the emission projection data. The initial emission assumption and initial attenuation map estimate are then processed and refined to produce an image reconstruction.
US09619900B2

Systems and methods are provided for determining a test item rendering anomaly. A test item is provided to a first test item rendering system that is configured to generate a first graphical representation of the test item. The test item is provided to a second test item rendering system that is configured to generate a second graphical representation of the test item. A first digital pixel image of the first graphical representation is captured, and a second digital pixel image of the second graphical representation is captured. Pixels of the digital pixel images are processed, where the processing includes comparing the digital pixel images to determine an extent to which the second digital pixel image differs from the first digital pixel image. An indication for the test item is provided when the second digital pixel image differs from the first digital pixel image by more than a threshold amount.
US09619890B2

One embodiment of the invention provides a computer-implemented method of annotating images in a data set comprising a first set of images which initially have annotations and a second set of images which initially do not have annotations. The method comprises the steps of determining spatial correspondences for all pairs of images in the data set, wherein each spatial correspondence represents a mapping of a location in a first image to a corresponding location in a second image. For each mapping, the method further comprises calculating a connection strength between the location in the first image and the corresponding location in the second image. The method further comprises iteratively propagating information across images in the data set using the connection strengths of the mappings as weights for propagating the information, augmented by an estimate of propagation accuracy, wherein the propagated information is used to provide annotations to images which do not initially have annotations, and wherein each iteration performs a propagation across all images in the data set.
US09619889B2

Various methods and systems are provided for correcting contrast banding artifacts across multiple acquisitions in reconstructed images. In one embodiment, a method for computed tomography imaging comprises generating an original image comprising multiple subvolumes, segmenting the original image into different structures for each subvolume, selectively applying a mask-based correction through each area of subvolume that includes continuous structures to generate an updated image, and performing streak correction between the original image and the updated image to generate a final image. In this way, image quality may be improved without adjusting anatomical structures in an image.
US09619883B2

The disclosure provides computer systems, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, and methods for determining the presence of a skin indication in a subject. In some aspects the method includes acquiring a hyperspectral imaging data set from a region of interest of a human subject using a hyperspectral imager, and applying the hyperspectral imaging data set against a classifier including a two layered media model, the two layered media model including a first layer of a modeled human tissue overlying a second layer of the modeled human tissue, where the two layered media model has been trained by application of simulated data across a set of optical and geometric properties associated with the presence or the absence of a skin indication, where the two layered media model computes tissue reflectance R from the modeled human tissue by a relationship provided herein.
US09619867B2

Technologies are generally described to correct color smear in an image generated using a sequential color system. In some examples, a correction system for see-through displays may use inertial movement data to compute the relative motion of the visual backdrop to correct color amplitudes and reduce or eliminate motion-caused color smear. A system according to embodiments may compute the angular motion of the background from inertial inputs, compute the pixel-angle equivalent motion time, and apply sequential color balancing across a time that corresponds to the pixel-angle motion time.
US09619865B2

A method for scaling on a display device, including: obtaining an electronic document (ED) identifying multiple graphical features; generating, before receiving a request to scale the ED on the display device, multiple resolution-independent (RI) versions of the multiple graphical features; adding, before receiving the request to scale the ED on the display device, the multiple RI versions to a RI display list; receiving the request to scale the ED on the display device specifying a resolution; and generating, in response to the request, a scaled ED for the display device by rendering the multiple RI versions of the multiple graphical features in the RI display list at the resolution.
US09619864B2

An image processing apparatus includes a high-frequency component translating unit, a high-frequency component extracting unit, a detail-gain generating unit and an image output unit. The high-frequency component translating unit extracts and translates first high-frequency components of an input image to generate a first image. The high-frequency component extracting unit extracts second high-frequency components to generate a second image. The detail-gain generating unit stores a conversion table and generates detail gains respectively associated with input pixels in the input image according to pixel values of the input pixels and the conversion table. The image output unit calculates a weighted superposition of the first image and the second image and generates a high frequency component of an output image according to the weighted superposition and the detail gains.
US09619863B2

In accordance with an example embodiment a method, apparatus and computer program product are provided. The method comprise assigning weights to at least one first feature and at least one second feature. The at least one first feature may be associated with a first image and the at least one second feature may be associated with a second image. The weights are assigned based on a distance of the at least one first feature and the at least one second feature from a central portion of the corresponding one of the first image and the second image. The method further includes registering the first image and the second image based at least on the assigned weights to determine transforms between the first image and the second image. The first image and the second image may be based on the determined transform.
US09619852B2

A method for authenticating a user using a user device connected to a communications network, the method comprising an implicit phase, wherein said implicit phase comprises performing at least one task within a workflow, said at least one task necessary to move forward within said workflow; storing information associated with said performing of at least one task; comparing said stored information with a stored user profile; and determining whether said authentication of said user is successful or unsuccessful based on said comparing.
US09619839B2

A method and system for viewing and trading futures and other tradeable objects. The invention includes improved user interfaces for use with trading systems that allows users to more efficiently execute and manage trades. A dynamic price ladder allows a trader to see price gaps while remaining in a dynamic mode. The “sticky cells” feature prevents user errors which can occur when the display updates causing the cell under the mouse pointer to move up or down. Particular portions of the display can be color coded to provide a user with a easy way to determine market trends. A static working order screen allows a trader to visually see working orders from closest to furthest away from the market and can also allow for orders to be cancelled.
US09619833B2

A user may create a wish/gift list and send the list to recipients, who have the option of accepting the list. Content being viewed or recorded by recipients who have accepted the list is scanned to determine whether the content is relevant to one or more items on the list. If so, an alert is displayed on a recipient device, which can be the same device as the displayed content. The recipient may select the alert to purchase the item(s) or obtain additional information about the item(s) for a subsequent purchase.
US09619831B1

A service provider may receive transaction information from a plurality of merchant devices for a plurality of point of sale (POS) transactions conducted between buyers and merchants. The service provider associates the transaction information with respective buyer profiles. The service provider may subsequently receive an indication of a first item selected by a particular buyer for a current POS transaction being conducted with a particular merchant. The service provider may determine a particular buyer profile to associate with the current transaction. Based at least in part on the particular buyer profile or the other buyer profiles, the service provider may determine a second item that has been purchased frequently together with the first item. The service provider sends a communication to the particular merchant to indicate that the particular merchant may wish to offer the second item to the particular buyer for inclusion in the current transaction.
US09619828B2

A customer with a customer device performs a search for reviews of a particular software product of interest to the customer. The customer is then presented with entries from reviewers that have the same device as the customer, or a device on which the product is expect to run or operate in a manner similar to how it runs on the customer's device.
US09619816B1

A method of determining and optimizing the location of a new insurance agency is disclosed to increase market penetration of underrepresented markets. The method comprises the use of a scoring algorithm to rank various geographic regions or related zip codes. The scoring algorithm may be implemented by a location modeling system based on variables selected by a user. In addition, the various ranked geographic regions or related zip codes may be analyzed for proximity to natural or man made perils.
US09619814B2

A computer implemented method of analyzing and graphically representing the correlation of a plurality of transaction items, the method comprising the steps of: retrieving data associated with groups of the transaction items, correlating a plurality of groups of transaction items in a dimensionally reduced manner, creating a tree hierarchy which classifies the groups of transaction items in a hierarchy according to a defined user understandable factor, wherein the tree hierarchy is linked to the groups of transaction items, and graphically representing the correlated groups of transaction items and tree hierarchy to enable interaction between the correlated groups of transaction items and the linked tree hierarchy.
US09619813B2

A method, system and graphical user interface for a messaging system is disclosed. In accordance with some embodiments, the method includes receiving a first set of messages in a respective thread. Messages in the respective thread have been received from a plurality of users. The method also includes providing the first set of messages in the respective thread of messages; receiving a user input, associated with a message in the first set of messages in the respective thread of messages, requesting to forgo providing subsequent messages in the respective thread of messages; subsequent to receiving the user input, receiving a second set of messages in the respective thread; and, in accordance with the user input, forgoing providing the second set of messages in the respective thread of messages.
US09619811B2

The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for measuring influence of a user may identify what level of engagement the user drives to content when the user shares content with other users, such as via encoded links. A high influencer may be a user who drives a high level of engagement with content when the user shares content. A low influencer may be a user who does not drive a high level of engagement, or otherwise drives a low level of engagement with content when the user shares content.
US09619808B2

A digital signage network employs a common data model and a subscription system to disseminate data gathered from a plurality of data sources to a number of displays. The network nodes interact with each other as content sources, content consumers, or both, with some systems acting as consumers to upstream sources and acting as sources to downstream consumers. The presentation of the data on a digital signage display allows for real-time binding of live data to provide a rich display effect.
US09619806B2

Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods and computer program products for providing a system for a peer-to-peer transfer of funds for a specified purpose. An exemplary apparatus is configured to: receive information from a user relating to a peer-to-peer transfer of funds, wherein the information comprises a recipient and a specified use; identify at least one recipient account for the recipient; receive information associated with a transaction; determine the transaction qualifies for the specified use; and apply funds associated with the peer-to-peer transfer to the transaction. The specified purpose may be use at a specific merchant, use to purchase a specific product, or other types of specified uses. Computer program products and methods are also provided.
US09619801B2

The invention provides Users of Retail Payment and Identification instruments with the ability to review transaction details and approve transaction by capturing UVM in User controlled environment and Issuers of these instruments with the ability to positively authenticate Users in Issuer controlled environment. The invention accounts for real time legacy or non-legacy processing systems to provide an authorization request from POA to Issuer Host. The invention introduces two UPAAS components—User Gateway and User Application. The UPAAS User Gateway is implemented in an Issuer controlled environment enabling interface between Issuer legacy Host and UPAAS User Applications. The UPAAS User Application can be implemented on any device supporting communication protocol such as TCP/IP without any hardware changes enabling the User to login to UPAAS User Gateway, review and approve or decline a specific transaction in real time by entering UVM, such as PIN, for User authentication purposes.
US09619800B1

A system and method that keeps check of financial transactions by maintaining distinct records for a plurality of devices associated with a financial account, in conjunction with performing authentication further to inputting transaction data from a point of sale, the system comprising a communication portion that inputs transaction data received from the point of sale, the transaction data including an account number and one of a CVV number and an expiration date; a device identification portion that identifies a particular device, from which the transaction originated, out of the plurality of devices based on the account number and one of the CVV number and the expiration date; and an authentication portion that performs authentication processing based on a comparison process that utilizes the transaction data, the authentication portion generating an authentication result, and the authentication portion outputting the authentication result. Other transaction data may be used in lieu of the one of a CVV number and an expiration date.
US09619798B2

Systems and methods are provided for providing and funding an emergency prepaid card. According to one aspect, a request for emergency funds is received by a payment network from a customer and a first session between the payment network and a financial institution is established. A debit order for a first account is submitted, a transaction to fund a second account is authorized, an issue code is generated, and the issue code is provided to the customer. A second session is established between the payment network, a merchant, and a gift card activator, wherein the issue code and an emergency prepaid card number are provided to the gift card activator, the second account is funded and associated with the card number, and the card number is activated. According to another aspect, the card number is associated with a credit balance from the gift card activator rather than the second account.
US09619795B2

Retrofitted vending systems including a card reader and a vending machine in communication with the card reader are disclosed. The systems may include a spacer positioned between the card reader and the vending machine that is adapted for mounting the card reader to the vending machine. Wireless communication device are also disclosed. The wireless communication devices may be electronically coupled to the vending machine and may include a bracket configured for attachment in the spacer and a wireless communication board fastened to the bracket.
US09619787B2

A computing device can access a calendar entry having an associated time and an associated location, in a calendar application. The computing device can dynamically determine an estimated travel time to the location associated with the calendar entry. The computing device can provide an alarm indication for the calendar entry at a time based on the estimated travel time.
US09619786B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for shape based scheduling of events for a task in a calendaring and scheduling (C&S) system. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for shape based scheduling of events for a task in a C&S system is provided. The method includes defining a shape for a range of days in a calendar view of a C&S system executing in memory of a host computer. The method further includes superimposing the shape over the range of days in the calendar view. The method yet further includes determining a block of time for each of the days in the range upon which a portion of the shape has been superimposed. Finally, the method includes scheduling at least one event for each block of time determined for each of the days in the range upon which a portion of the shape has been superimposed.
US09619783B2

A mechanism is disclosed for generating a composite email for an email conversation. The composite email includes content automatically extracted from a plurality of the emails in the email conversation, and may be generated in response to a user accessing just one of the emails in the email conversation. A mechanism is also disclosed for discovering and recovering lost emails in an email conversation. A mechanism is further disclosed for automatically moving emails from one container to another after an email has been read. These and other advantageous email generating, manipulation, and organization mechanisms are disclosed herein.
US09619780B2

A method for improving information exchange in a social network environment. Actions (e.g., copying) being performed on an electronic object (e.g., e-mail) are detected. Furthermore, the entry of the electronic object in a social networking website is detected thereby identifying an association between this electronic object and this social networking website. Rule patterns are identified based on these detected actions and these associations. Indications of these associations are stored in terms of concept nodes in a hierarchical tree using the identified rule patterns. Social networking feeds of interest are then searched using the hierarchical tree as well as a current electronic object of a user (e.g., status message on a social networking feed, e-mail). The user would then be provided an opportunity to repost an information nugget from the current electronic object in one or more of these social networking feeds of interest.
US09619774B2

A method, programmed medium and system are disclosed which provide increased secure tracking of materials and products through the use of a unique coding scheme. The coding scheme contains a unique security code identifier issued by a sole certification agency, and includes a non-coded scheme for public information, and a coded scheme for private information regarding the sourcing and development of materials and products. The disclosure provides for full tracking of a product throughout the supply chain by only certified participants. The disclosed system allows for increased secure tracking of materials and products, and allows for access to greater amounts of information at various stages of manufacture and/or assembly regarding a given material or product.
US09619768B2

Multiple elements of information relating to a locate and marking operation are integrated so as to provide an enhanced positive response to one or more entities associated with requesting the locate and marking operation (e.g., an excavator, a home owner or property owner, other contractor). The locate and marking operation is performed by a locate technician in response to at least one locate request ticket by applying at least one physical locate mark on ground, pavement, or other surface to indicate a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area, wherein at least a portion of the dig area is planned to be excavated or disturbed by an excavator during excavation activities.
US09619767B2

Embodiments of the invention provide a uniquely accountable mechanism to provide emergency responders with accurate and verifiable data regarding the location and operational readiness of emergency equipment immediately upon notification of an emergency. The invention tracks, records, and establishes workflows to maintain emergency medical equipment, such as automated external defibrillators (AEDs), by non-technical, non-healthcare providers for use by emergency responders in pre-hospital, pre-EMS medical emergencies. The unique and verifiable data obtained from this process is used as part of an emergency notification system that provides emergency responders, such as sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) responders, in an organizational setting, with immediate and accurate information identifying the nearest operationally ready medical device at the time of the emergency, which information has heretofore never been available to emergency responders such as SCA responders.
US09619766B2

A method and system is provided to manage and track changes in enterprise architectures. The invention provides a hierarchical visual management tool to manage and update relational information within an enterprise in a controlled fashion. The relationship may be maintained in a database and displayed via graphical user interface. Enterprise assets are categorized into such categories as goals, customer values or requirements, capabilities, resources, and the like. A hierarchy is constructed so that relationships between these various categories are identified and captured using the invention. Weights may be assigned to each element of the categories so that any proposed change to an enterprise architecture may be viewed so that a value can be ascertained and compared between other values of other proposed changes. In this manner, tracking and management of evolutionary changes to an architecture may be accomplished using relational information.
US09619765B2

Disclosed herein is a computer-implemented method of monitoring a situation by generating an overall similarity score between a received data stream and a case in case-based reasoning (CBR) the method comprising: receiving a data stream comprising information on a monitored situation; generating a plurality of parallel data streams, wherein each of the generated plurality of data streams is dependent on the received data stream; generating, for each of the generated data streams, a similarity score for a feature of a case, wherein each similarity score is generated in dependence on a comparison between information in the generated data stream and stored information on the feature of a case, and each of the similarity scores is generated in dependence on a comparison with stored information on a different feature of the same case; and generating an overall similarity score between the received data stream and the case in dependence on the generated similarity scores.
US09619758B2

Provided in the present invention are a method and apparatus for labeling training samples. In the embodiments of the present invention, two mutually independent classifiers, i.e. a first classifier and a second classifier, are used to perform collaborative forecasting on M unlabeled first training samples to obtain some of the labeled first training samples, without the need for the participation of operators; the operation is simple and the accuracy is high, thereby improving the efficiency and reliability of labeling training samples.
US09619756B2

A method for managing and automating user customization of a device based on observed user behavior is disclosed. First, the method collects data on the user's activities on a device for a period of time. Second, the method learns about the user's behavior for routine repetitive operations by analyzing the user's activities data. Third, the method generates automation settings of the device based on the user's behavior for routine repetitive and predictive operations, and then presents the automation settings of the device to the user for customization of the device. These automation settings help to make the device operate more efficiently and more conveniently for the user, because they help perform the user's own routine repetitive operations.
US09619751B2

Technologies are described herein for providing intelligent delivery of actionable content. Metadata that describes user activities at a computer system is analyzed to determine a need for actionable content. Actionable content is dynamically delivered to one or more client consoles when need for actionable content is presented. The actionable content may be presented in a number of forms, including links to, or the delivery of, video, text and/or image content. Actionable content may also include links or deliverable environments for enabling automatic engagement of a specific application scenario. The discovery and delivery of the actionable content may be improved by the use of one or more feedback mechanisms.
US09619747B2

A system for prospectively identifying media characteristics for inclusion in media content is disclosed. A neural network database including media characteristic information and feature information may associate relationships among the media characteristic information and feature information. Personal characteristic information associated with target media consumers may be used to select a subset of the neural network database. A first set of nodes, representing selected feature information, may be activated. The node interactions may be calculated to detect the activation of a second set of nodes, the second set of nodes representing media characteristic information. Generally, a node is activated when an activation value of the node exceeds a threshold value. Media characteristic information may be identified for inclusion in media content based on the second set of nodes.
US09619743B1

The present invention provides a radio frequency identification device comprising an antenna module and a substrate module. The antenna module has a flexible substrate having an antenna circuit forming thereon. A first surface of the flexible substrate further has a first and a second electrical connecting pads coupled to the antenna circuit, wherein the antenna circuit does not pass through a space between the first and second electrical connecting pads. The substrate module comprises a RFID chip and at least one passive element electrically coupled to a substrate having a pair of third electrical connecting pads. A conductive adhesive formed between the first and second electrical connecting pads and the third electrical connecting pads is utilized to couple the antenna module with the substrate module.
US09619740B2

One or more image processing apparatuses, one or more image processing methods and one or more storage mediums are provided herein. In at least one embodiment, an image processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire one or more objects, a check unit configured to perform check processing for checking whether to combine an object with another object, for each of a plurality of objects acquired by the acquisition unit, and a determining unit configured to determine, based on a result of the check processing for each of the plurality of objects, whether to perform the check processing for checking whether to combine an object with another object, for an object acquired subsequently to the plurality of objects by the acquisition unit.
US09619708B2

A method for detecting a main subject in an image comprises the steps of: (i) computing a plurality of saliency features from the image (14) with a control system (20); (ii) generating a spatial weight map for each of a plurality of image segments of the image (14) with the control system (20); (iii) adjusting the plurality of saliency features via the spatial weight map to generate a plurality of adjusted saliency features; (iv) combining at least two of the plurality of adjusted saliency features to generate a saliency map of the image (14); and (v) extracting the main subject from the saliency map of the image (14). Additionally, the plurality of saliency features can include at least two of a sharp/blur saliency feature, a spectral residual saliency feature, a color spatial distribution saliency feature, and one or more color contrast saliency features.
US09619699B2

The present invention discloses a method and a system for enhancing accuracy of human counting in at least one frame of a captured image in a real-time in a predefined area. The present invention detects human in one or more frames by using at least one human detection modality for obtaining the characteristic result of the captured image. The invention further calculates an activity probability associated with each human detection modality. The characteristic results and the activity probability are selectively integrated by using a fusion technique for enhancing the accuracy of the human count and for selecting the most accurate human detection modality. The human is then performed based on the selection of the most accurate human detection modality.
US09619696B2

In one embodiment, a method for detecting faces in video image frames is implemented on a computing device including: comparing current image frames to previously processed image frames to determine similarity, if a current image frame and a previously processed image frame are dissimilar, comparing a location within the current image frame for at least one detected facial image to a location within an associated image frame for at least one most recently stored facial image stored in a most recently used (MRU) cache, if the compared locations are dissimilar, comparing the at least one detected facial image to the at least one most recently stored facial image stored in the MRU cache to determine similarity, and storing the at least one detected facial image in the MRU cache if the at least one detected facial image and the at least one most recently stored facial image are not dissimilar.
US09619686B2

Eliminate or reduce the impact of glare in printed information tag recognition applications using single- and multi-pose external illumination coupled with intelligent processing. A shelf imager can acquire shelf images for printed information tag localization and recognition. An external illuminator can provide at least one illumination condition/pose for shelf image acquisition in addition to lighting associated with the enclosed environment. A glare region of interest (ROI) detector can analyze all or a portion of the acquired shelf images for glare to determine whether additional images need to be acquired using different illumination conditions provided by the single- or multi-pose external illuminator or whether full or portion of acquired images need to be analyzed by a printed information tag locator and recognizer. A printed information tag locator and recognizer can analyze all or a portion of the acquired images to localize and recognize data printed on the printed information tags.
US09619677B2

A method for communication, intended in particular for the purpose of a configuration, calibration, parameterization, interrogation or even a test or diagnosis, between a master device and a slave product including at least a processing unit and a direct current power supply line or input, and, if necessary, at least one output line and/or output interface. The method includes transmitting to the product data that can be interpreted by the processing unit thereof, the data being transmitted via the power supply line and by modulating the supply voltage.
US09619673B1

Embodiments disclosed herein can allow a user of mobile device in a network environment to switch between using public network services and using private network services. To access private network services, a virtualization cloud client application running on mobile device connects to a virtualized device hosted in virtualization cloud and brokers access to private network services as well as local device functions. Embodiments disclosed herein provide a system, method, and computer program product for capturing touch events for a virtual mobile device platform and relaying the captured touch events to the virtual mobile device platform while ensuring that movements and speed of touch events are accurately represented at the virtual mobile device platform.
US09619665B2

The present invention relates to a method and system for adding dynamic labels to a file and encrypting the file, after having the file be converted and added at least one label related to information about the file and user, the file is encrypted for reading after decryption. First, transferring at least one file by a file upload unit; converting the file from the file upload unit into PDF format by a first file conversion unit, and adding at least one label corresponding to information about the file and its users via a label-adding unit; encrypting the file from the first file conversion unit by an encryption unit to form an encrypted file, and then generating a decryption key corresponding to the encrypted file; saving the encrypted file and the decryption key respectively in a first storage unit and a second storage unit.
US09619657B2

Implementation manners of the present disclosure provide a method and an apparatus for storing a redeem code and a method and an apparatus for verifying a redeem code. The method for storing a redeem code includes: generating a random value, and determining an index of the random value according to an order in which the random value is generated; generating a number pair according to the random value and the index of the random value, mapping the number pair to a string, and generating a redeem code according to the string; and determining a storage location of the random value according to the index of the random value, and saving the random value at the determined storage location.
US09619654B2

Methods and systems for application monitoring through collective record and replay are disclosed herein. The method includes recording a number of execution traces for an application from a number of user devices at a runtime library, wherein the number of execution traces relates to non-deterministic data. The method also includes replaying the number of execution traces to determine whether a behavior of the application creates a security risk.
US09619647B2

A method provides access to an integrated circuit which may comprise a storage containing an unalterable first security key and a memory containing a second security key. The method may comprise: checking the second security key by comparing the first security key and the second security key, if the second security key is valid, providing access to the integrated circuit, optionally depending on the validity of an access key, and if the second security key is invalid, enabling erasing the memory, and storing in the memory a new second security key which corresponds to the first security key. Erasing the memory may be followed by checking the erasing for completeness.
US09619642B2

Systems and methods for testing to tell computers and humans apart and generating said tests are described. To generate a test, a selection of a range of characters at least including the 8-bit ASCII character range is received. Each character in the selected range of characters is tested to determine if the character has a glyph in the selected font, if the character is a whitespace character, and if the character leaves a visible impression. From all the characters in the selected range of characters that pass the tests, a plurality of characters is selected for a challenge, and a larger set of characters (that includes the plurality of characters from the challenge) is selected for a response. An image is generated that includes the challenge and the response, and a solution threshold is calculated based on the location of the challenge characters within the generated response.
US09619637B2

A portable memory storage device is provided for interfacing with a computer system. During operating system startup, fields relating to the operating system are prompted for. The portable memory storage device retrieves from memory therein data for populating said fields and provides same to the computer system.
US09619636B2

One feature pertains to a computing device that includes an input interface, a communication interface, and a processing circuit that is adapted to receive a request from an application to authorize an action and generate a dynamic access code associated with the action. The processing circuit also transmits a message to a secondary display device that includes information data associated with the action and the dynamic access code for display on a display of the secondary display device. The processing circuit authorizes the action received from the application if the dynamic access code is entered into the input interface. Multiple, unique dynamic codes may also be associated with different actions the application may make requests for, which are also transmitted to the secondary display device for display.
US09619629B2

A system for transferring verified media data. The system comprising: an item of content storing the media data, and having an associated serial number; a computing device including a first storage device and a network interface; a secure copying application program; a secure copy of the media data generated by the secure copying application program and stored on the first storage device; a verification server including a serial number database and having a network connection to the computing device through the network interface, wherein the secure copying application program generates the secure copy after verifying the serial number is valid and active by communicating with the verification server; and a portable copy of the media data, including license information, generated from the secure copy by the secure copying application program.
US09619624B2

The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for identifying unknown drug targets via adverse event data. An analyzer receives an identification of a first drug having one or more unknown target proteins and identifies a second drug related to the first drug. The analyzer retrieves, from an adverse event database, a first side effect profile associated with the first drug, and a second side effect profile associated with the second drug. The analyzer generates a third side effect profile comprising a subset of the first side effect profile not shared by the second side effect profile, and identifies a third drug having a fourth side effect profile comprising the third side effect profile. The analyzer retrieves a list of one or more target proteins of the third drug not targeted by the second drug, and presents the retrieved list as potential target proteins of the first drug.
US09619623B2

A casing adapted to use with a mobile device for monitoring health condition of a user is provided. The casing includes (a) a memory unit, (b) a sensor unit at a surface of the casing, (c) a plurality of health parameter measuring sensors embedded within the sensor unit for measuring raw health parameters data of the user, (d) a processor which is activated from a sleep mode based on a user input including contacting at least one predetermined sensor surface on the casing for a predetermined period, and (e) a power unit for controllably supplying power to the sensors and the processor upon detecting the user input. The processor (i) initializes and configures the sensors, and (ii) receives the raw health parameters data from the sensors. The casing further includes a communication unit for communicating the raw health parameters data to a mobile device for processing.
US09619621B2

A method according to an aspect of the present invention includes receiving data through a wired connection from a medical device, transmitting the data to an intermediary device, formatting a message including the received data for transmission to a medical data server, and receiving a command from the medical data server. Commands from the medical data server can be used for the authentication, configuration, and control of the medical device, intermediary device or another device operating in conjunction with the present invention, as well as to achieve other purposes. This method can be practiced automatically to allow a medical device for a patient or other subject to be monitored without requiring the patient to manually enter information.
US09619617B2

A method. The method includes, at a computing system, receiving information associated with an asset. The method also includes determining a location of the asset based on the received information, and determining a status of the asset based on the received information and/or the determined location of the asset. The determining of the location and the determining of the status are performed by the computing system.
US09619613B2

Methods and systems are disclosed for sensing and assessing a patients responses to tests using a device that may include tactile input, voice input, still image analysis, and responses to visual and auditory stimuli. In one example, a method includes obtaining interactive clinical assessment data using a remote client device and a computer-based control device, the method including providing on a display of a remote client device one or more test prompts for conducting an interactive clinical assessment, each displayed test prompt instructing a user to perform an action using the remote client device in response to the test prompt, and providing on the display of the remote client device one or more potential responses of actions that may be performed in response to the test prompt.
US09619605B1

A method and system are provided for automatically enforcing a schematic layout strategy applied to a group of schematically represented circuit objects of an electronic circuit design. A circuit editing tool electronically renders schematic representations of circuit objects responsive to user input. A layout object acquisition unit coupled to the circuit editing tool actuates responsive to user input to selectively apply a predetermined layout strategy to at least one group of circuit objects for generating a corresponding layout object. The predetermined layout strategy includes a defining set of placement and interconnection routing schemes for the grouped circuit objects, one relative to the other. A layout object management unit coupled to the layout object acquisition unit and circuit editing tool adaptively reconfigures the layout object in accordance with the layout strategy thereof responsive to an editing operation being imposed on at least one circuit object within the layout object.
US09619602B2

A method and system are provided for tuning parameters of a synthesis program for a design description. The method includes (a) ranking individual parameter impact by evaluating a design-cost function of each of the parameters. The method further includes (b) creating a set of possible parameter combinations that is ordered by an estimated-cost function. The method additionally includes (c) selecting, from the set of possible parameter combinations, top-k scenarios having best estimated costs to form a potential set, and running at least some of the top-k scenarios in parallel through the synthesis program. The method also includes (d) repeating steps (b)-(c) for one or more iterations until at least one of a maximum iteration limit is reached and an exit criterion is satisfied.
US09619590B2

A method for uncertainty estimation for nonlinear inverse problems includes obtaining an inverse model of spatial distribution of a physical property of subsurface formations. A set of possible models of spatial distribution is obtained based on the measurements. A set of model parameters is obtained. The number of model parameters is reduced by covariance free compression transform. Upper and lower limits of a value of the physical property are mapped to orthogonal space. A model polytope including a geometric region of feasible models is defined. At least one of random and geometric sampling of the model polytope is performed in a reduced-dimensional space to generate an equi-feasible ensemble of models. The reduced-dimensional space includes an approximated hypercube. Probable model samples are evaluated based on data misfits from among an equi-feasible model ensemble determined by forward numerical simulation. Final uncertainties are determined from the equivalent model ensemble and the final uncertainties are displayed in at least one map.
US09619583B2

An illustrative embodiment of a computer-implemented method for predictive analytic queries includes creating a user-defined predictive analytics query using a set of syntactic grammar that defines a correct syntax of the user-defined predictive analytics query including a created set of predictive analytics by-example vocabularies and a set of subject-specific by-example vocabularies forming a set of by-example vocabularies, wherein the set of syntactic grammar defines semantics of each syntactically correct predictive analytics query using the by-example vocabularies such that predictive analytics queries can be expressed with semantic precision using this constrained Natural Language Processing (cNLP) approach. The computer-implemented method further generates a predictive analytic model and runtime query, using the user-defined predictive analytics query, executes the runtime query using the predictive analytic model to create a result, and returns the result to the user.
US09619582B1

The subject matter of this specification can be implemented in, among other things, a computer-implemented method including receiving a partial query term from a user. The method further includes providing the partial query term to multiple data provider modules. Additionally, the method includes receiving a set of search suggestion items responsive to the partial query term and receiving information identifying a category for each search suggestion item. The method further includes rendering a representation of each search suggestion item, and receiving a user selection identifying one of the search suggestion items from the user interface. And, the method includes rendering a status bar indicating the user selection.
US09619567B2

An input and processing system allows user input information such as user affinity to efficiently determine user characteristics from content as well as novel input of commands such as copy/paste on a small mobile device screen among other computing devices. A client/server is also made more efficient due to the enhanced gathering of information. Also disclosed is a system for rapid presentation of information such as barcodes at barcode scanners. A system can request multiple barcodes, coupons or the like by detecting a signal from a scanner that information presented has been read.
US09619555B2

The present invention is directed to a computerized system and process for natural language query and reporting comprising a processor, memory, and a query interface configured for receipt of a data source selection. The processor searches and retrieves over a network unstructured data based on the received data source selection, parses the unstructured data into data blocks and stores the data blocks in a local database. The processor semantically parses the data blocks and stores the resulting data in a structured database.A report module is configured to iteratively receive keyword input and instantiate a subject node, the node representing a subset of data blocks of the structured database having the input keywords. The report module creates a taxonomy based on the input keywords, with descendant levels representing a subset of data blocks of the subject node, the subset of data blocks having the input keywords combined with other words in the data blocks. The report module further associates a keyword selector with the subject node, the keyword selector presenting an interface for additional user keyword input.
US09619549B2

Storing and/or accessing data in a transactional database, with use of the following technique: (i) selecting a set of base tables in a transactional database; and (ii) creating a factless materialized query table, having maximum sparsity, for the set of base tables. The set of base tables includes at least two base tables. The set of base tables includes a set of keys including at least two distinct primary keys. The factless materialized query table includes one record associated with each record in the set of base tables. Each record in the materialized query table includes a value for every primary key in the set of base tables.
US09619543B1

In one aspect, a method includes determining whether a volume selected for replication is a linked clone, determining if a base file associated with the linked clone exists at a replication site and generating the base file associated with the linked clone at the replication site if a base file does not exist at the replication site.
US09619542B2

The present application is directed towards systems and methods of hunting for a hash table entry in a hash table distributed over a multi-node system. More specifically, when entries are created in an ASDR table, the owner node of the entry may replicate the entry onto a non-owner node. The replica can act as a backup of the ASDR table entry in the event the node leaves the multi-mode system. When the node returns to the multi-node system, the node may no longer have the most up to date ASDR table entries, and may hunt to find the existence of the value associated with the entry. Responsive to receiving a request for an entry that may be outdated on the node, the node sends a request down a replication chain for an updated copy of the ASDR table entry from one of the replicas. Responsive to receiving the replica copy of the entry, the node responds to the client's request for the entry.
US09619535B1

Approaches for a user-driven warehousing approach are provided, wherein usage patterns for business intelligence applications are gathered, for example in an automated recording fashion, allowing the automated scheduling of jobs in a manner that prioritizes jobs that populate the most-used tables and scheduling those jobs in a manner to ensure that the data is up-to-date prior to when it is generally accessed. The usage pattern analysis also allows for the automated identification of more focused data marts for particular situations. The usage pattern analysis also provides for automated data warehouse/data mart creation and customization based on usage patterns that may be used as a seed, as well as for on-the-fly latitudinal analysis across prepackaged domain-specific applications.
US09619530B2

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for displaying one or more data sets to a user. These mechanisms and methods for displaying one or more data sets to a user can enable enhanced data security, more relevant data display, reduced processing, etc.
US09619529B2

Method and systems of visually depicting rendering data are provided. rendering data pertaining to rendering, by a display engine, of display objects in a display zone for a selected frame is accessed. Then, for the selected frame, a heat map is generated based on rendering data corresponding to the selected frame, the heat map containing a plurality of heat objects, each heat object corresponding in proportional size and location to a different display object in the display zone, each heat object displayed in a color having an intensity proportional to an amount of computational resources taken by the display engine to render the corresponding display object. Finally, the heat map is displayed.
US09619526B1

Method and systems personalizing the search results presented to a user in an electronic marketplace. A search query is received and a set of search results related to the search query are obtained. Individual entries of the search results are associated with a category type. The search results are sorted in a number of category groups according to the category type. An entry from each category group is selected and scores are determined for the selected entries. A highest scored entry is assigned to a highest available position in a resultant search result set. The scores for the entries that remain unassigned are increased. For the category group corresponding to the assigned entry, another entry is selected and scored. A highest entry score is assigned the next highest position. The process may continue recursively until all, or a threshold number, of entries have been assigned to the resultant list.
US09619524B2

A method of establishing personalized limits on a search responsive to a key word query in an enterprise search system is described that includes receiving an object types access history for a particular user. Applying this method, the object types access history includes records of object types selected from search results returning multiple object types and records of object types selected via interfaces other than search results. The method continues with determining and storing in computer readable memory a personalized scope of object types. The personalized scope of object types sets a limit on object types initially returned by an enterprise search system for the particular user in response to key word queries by the particular user that do not specify object types to search.
US09619510B2

Data processing unit produces first access target information. Location information obtaining unit obtains first location information indicating the identifier of a data storage device specified by a user, as well as indicating the location of a user-specified directory within the data storage device. Location information producing unit produces second location information indicating the location of a directory that is placed below the user-specified directory and uniquely assigned to the data processing unit. Access target information producing unit produces second access target information, using the location indicated by the second location information as a reference location. Access unit makes access to the target data file in the data storage device.
US09619509B2

A method facilitates auditing of database transactions by maintaining logical consistency between a source database table and a shadow database table. A bulk command is received that specifies edits to a plurality of rows in the source database table. The bulk command is executed on the source database table. The shadow database table is queried to obtain an indication of the plurality of rows edited by the bulk command. The indication is stored as part of an audit trail for the source database table.
US09619502B2

Various ways of storing data in tabular form such that some records are stored in a row oriented manner and some data is stored in a column oriented manner. The records respectively stored in the row and column oriented manners may, or may not, overlap (in whole or in part. Some embodiments accomplish this dual orientation of data by: (i) using a range partition; (ii) using a union all view command; and/or (iii) using a first table, a staging table and a materialized query table.
US09619494B2

A computer implemented method for generating a set of updates for a database comprising multiple records including erroneous, missing and inconsistent values, the method comprising using a set of partitioning functions for subdividing the records of the database into multiple subsets of records, allocating respective ones of the records to at least one subset according to a predetermined criteria for mapping records to subsets, applying multiple machine learning models to each of the subsets to determine respective candidate replacement values representing a tuple repair for a record including a probability of candidate and current values for the record, computing probabilities to select replacement values for the record from among the candidate replacement values which maximise the probability for values of the record for an updated database.
US09619492B2

In one embodiment, a method for data migration includes: receiving intermediate data and corresponding key value-row location information mapping list; importing each row of the intermediate data to a corresponding row of a target data table, where each row of the target data table has a target physical row ID; and establishing, by a computer processor, a target index of the target data table based on the target physical row IDs and the key value-row location information mapping list. With the method or system of this invention, the efficiency of reestablishing a data index after data migration can be improved.
US09619488B2

A computing device having adaptable image search and methods for operating an image recognition program on the computing device are disclosed herein. An image recognition program may receive a query from a user and a target image within which a search based on the query is to be performed using one or more of a plurality of locally stored image recognition models, which are determined to be able to perform the search with sufficiently high confidence. The query may comprise text that is typed or converted from speech. The image recognition program performs the search within the target image for a target region of the target image using at least one selected image recognition model stored locally, and returns a search result to the user.
US09619486B2

Digital image data including discrete photographic images of a variety of different subjects, times, and so forth, are collected and analyzed to identify specific features in the photographs. In an embodiment of the invention, distinctive markers are distributed to aid in the identification of particular subject matter. Facial recognition may also be employed. The digital image data is maintained in a database and quarried in response to search requests. The search requests include criteria specifying any feature category or other identifying information, such as date, time, and location that each photograph was taken, associated with each photograph. Candidate images are provided for review by requesters, who may select desired images for purchase or downloading.
US09619484B2

When a first map application initiates a search of a first geographic database associated with the first map application, for geographic data or when the first geographic database does not return at least a portion of the geographic data in response to the search, the first map application initiates a search of a second geographic database for at least the portion of the geographic data. The second geographic database is associated with a second map application. If the second geographic database includes the portion of the requested data, the first map application displays the geographic data, which is received from the first database, the second database, or a combination thereof. The first map application also requests that a user input the portion of the geographic data not included in the first geographic database, which may then be added to the first geographic database.
US09619475B2

A method and an electronic device for determining the reliability of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) is provided. The method includes receiving a selection of a displayed URL, detecting a reliability of the selected URL, and providing a safety level of the URL based on the detected reliability.
US09619467B2

A dynamic classification dictionary is built for use in profiling and targeting users for additional relevant content. Behavioral data is gathered from user activity, and user documents and actions are categorized. Author-generated document classification information is analyzed and assigned a first taxonomic noun to characterize the document. User-generated tags characterizing a portion of the document are assigned a second taxonomic noun. Search terms that resulted in the user accessing the document are identified and assigned a third taxonomic noun. Attributes related to the manner in which the document was accessed are evaluated and assigned a fourth taxonomic noun. The document is processed using pattern rules to extract a fifth taxonomic noun. The taxonomic nouns are aggregated into a composite set of taxonomic nouns, and the dynamic classification dictionary is built by storing the composite set of taxonomic nouns.
US09619463B2

Techniques, a system and an article of manufacture for translation decomposition and execution. A method includes decomposing a document associated with a document translation request into two or more document parts based on meta-data of the document and content of the document, estimating translation complexity between a source language and a target language for each of the two or more document parts, classifying the two or more document parts based on the estimated translation complexity of each part and meta-data corresponding to each part, assigning each of the two or more document parts to a particular individual amongst a set of translators for translation based on the classification of each part and one or more variables associated with the set of translators, assembling each translation output for the two or more document parts to form a final output, and formatting the final output.
US09619460B2

One or more words are received. A set of frequency of occurrence values of the received word(s) within a set of domain tables is determined. A domain table in the set of domain tables is associated to the received word(s), based on the set of frequency of occurrence values meeting a threshold value. A word-sense of the received word(s) is determined based on a corresponding word-sense in the associated domain table and/or corresponding domain dictionary.
US09619457B1

A computer-implemented technique can include obtaining a training corpus including pairs of (i) documents and (ii) corresponding abstracts. The technique can include identifying a set of entity mentions in each abstract and each corresponding document based on their respective part-of-speech (POS) tags and dependency parses. The technique can include clustering the sets of entity mentions referring to a same underlying entity to obtain clusters for each document and each corresponding abstract. The technique can include aligning specific abstract entity mentions to corresponding document entity mentions to obtain a set of aligned abstract and document entities. The technique can include labeling the set of aligned entities as salient and unaligned entities as non-salient to generate a labeled corpus. The technique can also include training features of a classifier using the labeled corpus to obtain a trained classifier.
US09619454B2

The present invention relates to a method for controlling an electronic spreadsheet on a handheld touch device, comprising an operation procedure, a display procedure and a recovery procedure. The operation procedure comprises: receiving a selection touch control signal for selecting cells, determining selected cells in an electronic spreadsheet according to the selection touch control signal, calculating according to a preset processing method, and storing the calculation result. The display procedure comprises: receiving a first touch control signal for controlling movement of an electronic spreadsheet from an initial position of the electronic spreadsheet to an interim position, moving the electronic spreadsheet from the initial position of the electronic spreadsheet to the interim position according to the first touch control signal to expose a blank area, querying whether the calculation result exists or not, and if yes, displaying the calculation result in the blank area. The recovery procedure comprises: receiving a second touch control signal for controlling movement of the electronic spreadsheet from the interim position to the initial position of the electronic spreadsheet, and moving the electronic spreadsheet to the initial position of the electronic spreadsheet according to the second touch control signal to cover the blank area. The calculation result can be displayed clearly by using the method, thereby facilitating use by users.
US09619453B2

In various embodiments, methods, systems, and non-transitory computer-readable media are disclosed that allow developers to place popup or list pickers as components of a document using a desktop integration framework. The popup or list pickers can be tied to model metadata allowing a pick list to be dynamically generated when the document is rendered. This allows workbook developers to leverage existing Model layer metadata combined with simple workbook configuration to easily create powerful Search and Select user interfaces for choosing values for ADF Table cells.
US09619449B2

Techniques for encoding node locations are provided. In some examples, a node in a hierarchy such as a document object model (DOM) may be expressed as a location path from the root node of the hierarchy to the node. Each node on the location path may be encoded using a mapping between the type and/or index of the node and a set of characters such as ASCII characters. The encoding of each node on the path be concatenated to form the encoded location path. The encoding seeks to minimize the length of the encoded location path. For example, in an embodiment, a single ASCII character may be used to encode both the type and the index of a node. In an embodiment, breakpoint locations may be encoded using methods provided to reduce storage and computing resource required.
US09619446B2

Systems and techniques for producing graphical user interfaces on handheld mobile devices include generating a markup language code defining a graphical user interface component for display on the handheld mobile device and rendering the generated markup language code to produce the graphical user interface component. In some cases, the graphical user interface component includes at least one adaptable attribute based on a selection made by a user. In other cases, a graphical user interface component is generated using static markup language code or a combination of static and dynamically generated markup language code. Graphical user interface components defined by markup language codes can be displayed in an overall graphical user interface along with components that are native to the device and/or that are defined by an application development platform.
US09619442B2

A method, system and computer-usable medium are provide for managing the Open Channel for IMS command correctly the UICC to have knowledge about the specific status codes the ME received from IMS. This knowledge allows the UICC to make a smarter decision on what it attempts to do to access IMS. Accordingly, the UICC is provided with detailed information about the status codes from the IMS service to allow the UICC to make an informed decision. If the UICC does not have such knowledge, it is possible that the UICC will send potentially unwanted commands to the ME to establish access to IMS.
US09619441B2

A user command selecting a whole or part of a discrete document of the fragmented document is received at a computing device. The fragmented document includes a group of discrete documents connected by a set of links, each link being located within one discrete document and connecting to another different discrete document. An edit command to edit the selected whole or part of the discrete document is received. Each other discrete document connected to the selected whole or part of the discrete document is accessed by a link within the selected whole or part of the discrete document. The accessed discrete documents are edited according to the edit command.
US09619438B2

Techniques pertaining to embedding fonts in a PDF document are disclosed. A processing component executing a PDF application programming interface (API) may be operative to identify each character in a PDF file associated with an un-embedded font. The PDF API may store a bitmap representation for each identified character in the PDF file associated with the un-embedded font. The PDF API may then create a bitmap font character from the bitmap representation for each identified character in the PDF file associated with an un-embedded font and replace each reference to a character in the PDF file associated with an un-embedded font with a reference to its corresponding bitmap font character.
US09619421B2

A flash memory drive comprising: a male USB connector; a female USB connector; a flash memory chip to store file data; a computing processor, operatively connected to the flash memory chip, to manage transfers of data to and from the flash memory chip; and a changeover switch, operatively connected to the computing processor, to connect the computing processor to one of the male USB connector and the female USB connector; wherein there is no data communication link between the male USB connector and the female USB connector when the changeover switch is connected to one of the male USB connector and the female USB connector.
US09619404B2

Methods, apparatus and computer program products implement embodiments of the present invention that include defining, in a storage system including receiving, by a processor, metadata describing a first cache configured as a master cache having non-destaged data, and defining, using the received metadata, a second cache configured as a backup cache for the master cache. Subsequent to defining the second cache, the non-destaged data is retrieved from the first cache, and the non-destaged data is stored to the second cache.
US09619402B1

The present disclosure provides a device comprising a memory translation buffer configured to manage (i) a first request for a first search in a page table, wherein the first request is responsive to a first null result of a search for a first address translation in a translation look-aside buffer (“TLB”) and (ii) a second request for a second search in the page table, wherein the second request is responsive to a second null result of a search for a second address translation in the TLB. The memory translation buffer is also configured to compare a virtual memory address of the first request to a virtual memory address of the second request and, based on a result of the comparing the virtual memory address of the first request to the virtual memory address of the second request, access the page table to perform the second search.
US09619398B1

In one embodiment, a method includes receive a translation vector, selecting a translation entry from a plurality of translation entries, and determining whether the translation entry is associated with a first identifier class or a second identifier class. The translation vector includes a first identifier, a second identifier, and a virtual memory identifier. The first identifier is associated with a first identifier class, and the second identifier is associated with a second identifier class. The translation vector is received from a translation module including a memory configured to store the plurality of translation entries. Each translation entry from the plurality of translation entries including a virtual memory identifier. The translation entry is selected from the plurality of translation entries of the translation module based on the virtual memory identifier of the translation vector. The determining whether the translation entry is associated with the first identifier class or the second identifier class is based on a shared indicator associated with the translation entry.
US09619395B2

An information processing device includes a main control circuit including a central arithmetic processor that executes first processing through a first program, a sub-control circuit that executes second processing independently of the first processing, a primary storage circuit, and a secondary storage circuit. The secondary storage circuit has a slower access speed than the primary storage circuit. The secondary storage circuit stores a second program used for third processing executed once the first processing and the second processing are both complete. The main control circuit further includes a cache memory having a faster access speed than the secondary storage circuit and a cache controller. In a situation in which the second processing is not yet complete at a completion time of the first processing, the cache controller executes pre-reading of the second program from the secondary storage circuit and stores the second program into the cache memory.
US09619381B2

In at least one embodiment, multiple controllers implement collaborative management of a non-volatile hierarchical storage system. In the storage system, a first controller receives health reports from at least second and third controllers regarding health of multiple storage units of physical storage under control of the second and third controllers and maintains a health database of information received in the health reports. In response to a health event and based on information in the health database, the first controller modifies logical-to-physical address mappings of one or more of multiple storage units under its control such that data having greater access heat is mapped to relatively healthier storage units and data having less access heat is mapped to relatively less healthy storage units. Thereafter, the first controller directs write requests to storage units under its control in accordance with the modified logical-to-physical address mappings.
US09619380B2

A data writing method for a memory storage apparatus having a first buffer memory, a second buffer memory and a rewritable non-volatile memory module is provided, and the transmission bandwidth of the first buffer memory is larger than the transmission bandwidth of the second buffer memory. The method includes: receiving a write command and first data thereof; determining whether the first data belongs to the successive big data; if the first data belongs to the successive big data, temporarily storing the first data into a first data buffer area of the first buffer memory, writing the first write data from the first data buffer area to the rewritable non-volatile memory module; and if the first data does not belongs to the successive big data, temporarily storing the first data into a second data buffer area of the second buffer memory.
US09619368B2

A method of testing software uses a debugger and a breakpoint handler. The debugger inserts a breakpoint in a target application and enters at least one filtering condition associated with the breakpoint in a data structure. When during execution the target application encounters a breakpoint at an address, the target application transfers execution to the breakpoint handler. The breakpoint handler uses the address to retrieve filtering conditions from the data structure, executes code for evaluating the filtering condition, and transfers execution back to the target application if the filtering condition is not met.
US09619365B2

A streams manager monitors data tuples processed by a streaming application represented by an operator graph. The streams manager includes a tuple breakpoint mechanism that allows defining a tuple breakpoint that fires based on resource usage by the data tuple. When the tuple breakpoint fires, one or more operators in the operator graph are halted according to specified halt criteria. Information corresponding to the breakpoint that fired is then displayed. The tuple breakpoint mechanism thus provides a way to debug a streaming application based on resource usage by data tuples.
US09619353B2

In one embodiment, a system includes a storage subsystem having an array of storage devices; a receiving component for receiving an error message; a determining component for determining that the error message indicates that a storage device has failed; a collecting component for collecting an array record having storage device characteristics of the failed storage device; a collating component for collating a candidate record having a plurality of candidate entries; a comparing component for comparing storage device characteristics of the failed storage device of the array record with the storage device characteristics of each of the candidate entries; and an identifying component for identifying a first candidate storage device having storage device characteristics that match the storage device characteristics of the failed storage device or a second candidate storage device having storage device characteristics most similar to the storage device characteristics of the failed storage device.
US09619348B2

According to an aspect of an embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes a save unit, a stopping unit and a reserve power supply unit. The save unit saves, in a device including an uninterruptible power supply device, first information including information stored in a memory allocated to a virtual machine operated by the information processing apparatus and information stored in a register allocated to the virtual machine at a time of a power outage. The stopping unit stops the virtual machine when the save of the first information is completed. The reserve power supply unit supplies power needed for the processing performed by the save unit and the stopping unit at the time of the power outage.
US09619343B2

According to embodiments of the present invention, a metadata file is transferred from the first system to the second system and a database on the second system is initialized based on the metadata file. An image, including information of the first system to be restored, is transferred from the first system to the second system, and restoration of the information to the second system based on the image is initiated. Prior to completion of the restoration, one or more log files indicating actions performed on the first system relating to the information to be restored is transferred from the first system to the initialized database on the second system. In response to completion of the restoration, the actions of the log files are performed to synchronize the restored data on the second system with the first system.
US09619342B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide efficient and cost-effective systems and methods for backing up and recovering a virtual machine and application data therein. Embodiments of the present invention can be used to satisfy near-zero RPOs by providing more recovery points for backups in virtual machine environments, while also providing increased granularity for recovery (i.e., single virtual disk, single file, etc.) and maintaining central management capabilities and back up efficiencies offered by virtual machine-level backups.
US09619338B2

A method and/or computer program product recovers files that are generated by an application running on a client-server system that comprises a back-up client with a client back-up tool and a server with a server back-up tool. Application files are backed up on the server, and then restored to a back-up client based on file usage behavior of the application and their priority, and file stubs are created for remaining files. File usage behavior of the application performing data recovery and regular data processing after said restore process are monitored and analyzed, and files in different types of priority classes are classified based on file usage behavior. Existing file stubs at the back-up client are replaced with corresponding file content from the back-up server during runtime of the application based on predetermined criteria.
US09619331B2

In one embodiment, I/O operations may be swapped from an original storage unit to a replacement storage unit in a manner which can reduce or eliminate delays caused by copying of data from the original storage unit to the replacement storage unit. A point-in-time snap copy relationship between the original storage unit and the replacement storage unit of storage locations is established and I/O operations are swapped from the original storage unit to the replacement storage unit. The I/O operations are resumed, accessing the replacement storage unit instead of the original storage unit in the input/output operations issued by the at least one host. Other aspects are described.
US09619330B2

An imminent state reset of a data storage device is detected. In response to determining volatile data of the data storage device could be lost in response to the state reset, the volatile data of the data storage device is stored to a backup memory of the data storage device together with first header data that facilitates recovering the volatile data. The backup memory includes non-volatile, solid-state memory. In response to determining the volatile data would not be lost in response to the state reset, second header data is stored in the backup memory. After the state reset, a recovery of the volatile data from in the backup memory is attempted if the first header data is detected, or a host device is alerted if neither the first header data or second header data is detected.
US09619328B2

A data storage device for storing N-symbol codewords. The device implementing a method including: reading q-level memory cells to obtain a read signal having N signal components; detecting the memory cell level corresponding to each component using a first correspondence criterion dependent on reference signal levels; identifying unreliable components; detecting, for each unreliable component, the next-most-closely corresponding memory cell level according to the first correspondence criterion; defining a set of ordered codeword vectors having N symbols corresponding to respective components of the read signal ordered according to a signal level, wherein the symbol values in each ordered codeword vector correspond to one combination of detected memory cell levels; defining, for each read signal, candidate initial vectors having intersected the ordered codeword vectors and plurality of initial vectors; and detecting, if the candidate initial vectors contains a vector, the codeword corresponding to that read signal that depends on the candidate initial vectors.
US09619325B2

A method renews data in a flash memory which is organized in memory units and whose memory units which have been written to are error-protected using ECC words. The memory units which have been written to are test-read in regularly activated test-reading cycles, and either individual memory units which have been written to or all memory units which have been written to are renewed on the basis of the ECC error states which have occurred in a test-reading cycle.
US09619315B1

A method is provided for performing first line triage of network issues after receiving an indication of an error in a computer network. At least one software agent in a network element of the computer network is queried. The software agent(s) are embedded in the source code for processes running on the network element. Data from the software agent(s) are received in response to the query.
US09619306B2

An information processing device can execute a program composed of a plurality of modules including a self-module that is under the management of a module management unit and the other module that is not under the management. The module management unit 7 performs registration of a function to be notified of by a signal when an exception occurs in a program. When the signal is received if an exception occurs, exception processing is executed. At the time of loading a certain module in a process, if a function of the other module is already registered, the module management unit stores information of the function, and performs function registration to execute the exception processing with a function of the self-module instead. The same signal as the signal that the registered function receives is transmitted to the stored function of the other module.
US09619293B1

Disclosed aspects manage a shared pool of configurable computing resources. A triggering event is detected. The triggering event may be related to a resource utilization on a host of the shared pool of configurable computing resources. Based on a set of profile data, it is determined to perform an event response. The event response includes initiating a resource action or initiating an asset action. The resource action may include distributing a set of dynamically-assigned resources. The asset action corresponds to a set of assets (e.g., migrating a set of virtual machines). To change the resource utilization on the host, the event response is performed.
US09619288B2

A system for deploying big data software in a multi-instance node. The optimal CPU memory and core configuration for a single instance database is determined. After determining an optimal core-memory ratio for a single instance execution, the software is deployed in multi-instance mode on single machine by applying the optimal core-memory ratio for each of the instances. The multi-instance database may then be deployed and data may be loaded in parallel for the instances.
US09619284B2

In one embodiment, a policy manager may receive operating system scheduling information, performance prediction information for at least one future quantum, and current processor utilization information, and determine a performance prediction for a future quantum and whether to cause a switch between asymmetric cores of a multicore processor based at least in part on this received information. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09619270B2

The current document is directed to methods and systems for moving executing virtual machines between host systems in a virtual data center. In described implementations, remote-direct memory access is used for transferring memory contents and, in certain implementations, additional data between the host systems to facilitate live migration of virtual machines. To provide increased efficiency, transfer of the contents of a shared memory page from a source host system to target host system during migration of a virtual machine is deferred until the relocated virtual machine attempts to write to the shared memory page.
US09619259B2

A system and method for providing quality of service during live migration includes determining one or more quality of service (QoS) specifications for one or more virtual machines (VMs) to be live migrated. Based on the one or more QoS specifications, a QoS is applied to a live migration of the one or more VMs by controlling resources including at least one of live migration network characteristics and VM execution parameters.
US09619250B2

A computerized system and method for creating interactive electronic books over a computerized network. The system includes an effects library module having a plurality of interactive effects wizard modules configured to automate code generation for an effect, the effects include performing a mathematical function on user input; animating a graphic on a trigger; playing an author uploaded audio file on a trigger; and scrolling a user view on a trigger other than a usual scroll trigger; triggering code generated by an interactive effects wizard module; delaying operation of code generated by an interactive effects wizard module; requesting a user input and storing the same in memory; operating a user interface effect; changing a display characteristic of a displayed object; selecting a displayed item; sending data on a trigger; controlling the display of media by a user; randomizing an effect, and etc.
US09619248B2

Described herein are systems, methods, and software for translating data requests in a data processing cluster. In one example, a method of operating a cache service to interface between a virtual machine cluster and job data associated with a job executed by the virtual machine cluster includes identifying a request initiated by the virtual machine cluster to access at least a portion of the job data in accordance with a first distributed object access protocol. The method further includes in response to the request, accessing at least the portion of the job data in accordance with a second distributed object access protocol, and presenting at least the portion of the job data to the virtual machine cluster in accordance with the first distributed object access protocol.
US09619244B2

The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for upgrading electronic devices. For example, described herein are ways to upgrade components of an electronic device. The techniques may include receiving, at an electronic device (such as a smart phone or tablet computer), a plurality of files for upgrading a component of the electronic device. The electronic device may select a file of the plurality of files that is indicative of being configured to upgrade the component to a next version of a chronological sequence of versions of the component. The electronic device may also upgrade the component using the selected upgrade file. Also, the electronic device may repeat automatically, without human intervention, the selecting and the upgrading until the component is upgraded to a target version of the sequence of the versions.
US09619240B2

Techniques described herein generally include methods and systems related to manufacturing a chip multiprocessor having multiple processor cores. An example method may include receiving performance or reliability information associated with each of the multiple processor cores, wherein the received performance or reliability information is determined prior to packaging of the chip multiprocessor, and storing the received performance or reliability information such that stored performance or reliability information is used to adjust an operating parameter of at least one of the multiple processor cores of the chip multiprocessor.
US09619234B2

A circuit arrangement and program product selectively predicate instructions in an instruction stream by determining a first register address from an instruction, determining a second register address based on a value stored at the first register address, and determining whether to predicate the instruction based at least in part on a value stored at the second register address. Predication logic may analyze the instruction to determine the first register address, analyze a register corresponding to the first register address to determine the second register address, and communicate a predication signal to an execution unit based at least in part on the value stored at the second register address.
US09619233B2

A computer architecture allows for simplified exception handling by restarting the program after exceptions at the beginning of idempotent regions, the idempotent regions allowing re-execution without the need for restoring complex state information from checkpoints. Recovery from mis-speculation may be provided by a similar mechanism but using smaller idempotent regions reflecting a more frequent occurrence of mis-speculation. A compiler generating different idempotent regions for speculation and exception handling is also disclosed.
US09619231B2

A central processing unit (CPU) having an interrupt unit for interrupting execution of instructions, a plurality context defining register sets, wherein each set of registers having the same number of CPU registers, a switching unit for coupling a selected register set within the CPU, wherein the switching unit switches to a predetermined register set of the plurality of context defining register sets upon occurrence of an exception, and a control register configured to control selection of a register set of the plurality of context defining register initiated by an instruction and further operable to indicate a currently used context.
US09619230B2

Predictive fetching and decoding for selected instructions (e.g., operating system instructions, hypervisor instructions or other such instructions). A determination is made that a selected instruction, such as a system call instruction, an asynchronous interrupt, a return from system call instruction or return from asynchronous interrupt, is to be executed. Based on determining that such an instruction is to be executed, a predicted address is determined for the selected instruction, which is the address to which processing transfers in order to provide the requested services. Then, fetching of instructions beginning at the predicted address prior to execution of the selected instruction is commenced. Further, speculative state relating to a selected instruction, including, for instance, an indication of the privilege level of the selected instruction or instructions executed on behalf of the selected instruction, is predicted and maintained.
US09619225B2

A data processing apparatus comprises a processing circuit and instruction decoder. A bitfield manipulation instruction controls the processing apparatus to generate at least one result data element from corresponding first and second source data elements. Each result data element includes a portion corresponding to a bitfield of the corresponding first source data element. Bits of the result data element that are more significant than the inserted bitfield have a prefix value that is selected, based on a control value specified by the instruction, as one of a first prefix value having a zero value, a second prefix value having the value of a portion of the corresponding second source data element, and a third prefix value corresponding to a sign extension of the bitfield of the first source data element. Bitwise logical instructions are also described.
US09619215B2

A method for reducing a compile time of a source program includes receiving, by a compiler hosted on a computer, the source program. The compiler may have a compile time that depends non-linearly on a size of a function in the source program. The method involves identifying a source function in the source program and splitting the source function in to two or more target functions having sizes smaller than a size of the source function. The method further includes compiling the source program with the two or more target functions having sizes smaller than a size of the source function replacing the source function in the source program.
US09619213B2

Systems and methods are provided for a mobile medical application operating environment and automated/semi-automated systems for creating application software for the operating environment. In the operating environment, all data storage and communication with external devices relating to sensitive medical data and operations is handled by a data manager application concurrently running with the medical application on a mobile device. Multiple medical applications can be run concurrently on the mobile device with reduced risk of data failure, thereby simplifying the design and release process for mobile medical applications.
US09619208B2

An apparatus to facilitate management of agile software development projects includes a feature profile module, a task profile module, a resource profile module, an implementation tracking module, a resource planning module, and an feature tracking module. The feature profile module stores, for each feature, a status, priority, set of tasks, and work allotted. The task profile module stores, for each task, an amount of work to complete it, a status, and a development period. The resource profile module calculates, for each resource, an available and total work capacity for the resource during a development period. The implementation module calculates, for each development period, the total work planned for and completed during the development period. The resource planning module calculates a total available work capacity of the plurality of resources for each uncompleted development period. The feature tracking module calculates, for each feature, an amount of work completed and in progress.
US09619196B2

A dual emission type display panel has a front viewing surface and a rear viewing surface. The dual emission type display panel includes a substrate, first, second, and third top emission pixel units, and first, second, and third bottom emission pixel units. The substrate has first and second unit regions. The first, second, and third top emission pixel units, and the first, second, and third bottom emission pixel units are located on the substrate. A first top emission pixel unit, a first bottom emission pixel unit, a second top emission pixel unit, and a second bottom emission pixel unit are located in each first unit region. A third top emission pixel unit, a third bottom emission pixel unit, a second top emission pixel unit, and a second bottom emission pixel unit are located in each second unit region.
US09619192B2

A printing apparatus includes: a receiver that externally receives a power-off command; a job execution portion that executes a job; a burden information obtaining portion that obtains burden information upon receipt of the power-off command by the receiver, the burden information relating to a burden to be imposed on a system of the printing apparatus for executing one or more jobs in a queue stored on the printing apparatus; and a processor that performs either of the following operations depending on the burden information obtained by the burden information obtaining portion: turning off the printing apparatus after making the job execution portion execute at least one, or all of the one or more jobs in the queue; and turning off the printing apparatus without making the job execution portion execute any job in the queue.
US09619191B2

A display processing apparatus includes a gloss-control plane generating unit configured to generate gloss-control plane data for specifying a type of a surface effect applied to a recording medium and an area in a recording medium to which the surface effect is applied; an obtaining unit configured to obtain replacement information that is used to replace a type of the surface effect that is not available in a device configuration with a type of the surface effect that is available in the device configuration; a replacing unit configured to replace the type of the surface effect designated by the designation information with the type of the available surface effect using the replacement information obtained by the obtaining unit; and a preview image generating unit configured to generate a preview image based on the gloss-control plane data having an area to which the available surface effect is to be applied.
US09619190B2

A printing system includes an image forming apparatus, a server, and a mobile device. The image forming apparatus includes an identification information sending section that sends identification information via radio waves. The server includes a print data managing section that manages print data in association with user information. The mobile device includes an identification information receiving section that receives the identification information. The mobile device transmits to the server the user information and the identification information associated with the user information. The server performs a specific operation for causing the image forming apparatus corresponding to the identification information associated with the user information to execute a print job based on print data managed in association with the user information transmitted.
US09619189B2

An information processing apparatus that includes an information processing unit; an information acquisition unit that acquires a set of operational information which varies along with operation of the information processing unit; a reception unit that receives an input operation for requesting an external service providing entity to provide a maintenance service for the information processing apparatus; a communication unit that includes a function of communicating with the service providing entity via a communication line, and that, in response to the input operation, transmits a signal for requesting the provision of the maintenance service, as well as the set of operational information, to the service providing entity.
US09619182B2

An order and elements constituting the order are hierarchically managed such that the order is in the uppermost level and the subsequent elements obtained hierarchically in the subsequent descending (higher to lower) steps are in the respective levels provided in descending (higher to lower) order. The range of the levels based on the level to which the element read by the bar code being the identifier of each element of the order is previously set as the range of the levels to be displayed as the candidates of the reprinting-target elements. Further, the bar code is previously printed on the printed material.
US09619176B2

A memory controller, a storage device (SD), a server virtualization system, and an SD recognizing method performed in the server virtualization system are provided. The memory controller includes a processor configured to generate a plurality of different pieces of identify device (ID) data in response to an identify device command received from a host so that the host recognizes a single physical SD as a plurality of physical storage devices (SDs), and a host interface which transmits the generated plurality of pieces of identify device data to the host.
US09619172B1

Example embodiments of the present invention relate to a method, a system, and a computer program product for transitioning between replication technologies. The method includes performing continuous data protection in a data protection environment, transitioning from continuous data protection to changed block tracking in the data protection environment, and performing changed block tracking in the data protection environment.
US09619168B2

Technologies are generally described for virtual machine memory deduplication protection through memory deduplication masking. In some examples, a virtual machine manager (VMM) that receives data to be written to memory may initially write the data to entries in a temporary shadow paging table and then subsequently opportunistically update the memory and an associated hardware-assisted paging (HAP) table. Upon receiving a read request for the received data before the data has been written to the memory, the VMM may check the HAP table and determine that the requested data is not available from the memory. Upon determining that the received data is not available from the memory, the VMM may respond to the read request by sending the received data stored in the shadow paging table entries.
US09619166B2

Embodiments relate to controlling a temperature of a solid state memory device using queue depth management by monitoring an operating temperature of each of a plurality of solid state drives of the solid state memory device. Based on a determination that the operating temperature of one of the plurality of solid state drives exceeds local device threshold values, the method includes receiving an indication that one or more local measures have been taken by the solid state memory device. Based on a determination that the operating temperature of one of the plurality of solid state drives exceeds a secondary global threshold value, the method includes reducing a queue length for the solid state memory device.
US09619161B2

The present invention relates to a storage system of a computer and, more particularly, to a storage system and method having a security storage device including a secured disk area, wherein the existence or absence of the secured disk area cannot be known through the application of an operating system in a deactivated state, and the secured disk area can be activated and used only by a digital key and password when a user's password is input through an application including the digital key.
US09619159B2

Systems and methods are provided for managing memory associated with a mobile electronic device by using a combination of one or more selections input by a user. The user may enter these selections through an interface displayed on a mobile electronic device. The user interface may be integrated into at least a portion of the operating system software of the mobile electronic device, or the user interface may be included in an application installed on the mobile electronic device. The application, in certain instances, presents a virtual user interface provided by an external electronic device. Memory may be managed on a mobile electronic device according to various settings. Data managed on a user's electronic device may be moved or copied to one or more other electronic devices according to the user settings.
US09619154B2

A storage apparatus has a tiered pool including a plurality of storage tiers formed by a plurality of real page groups having different input/output performance and provides a virtual volume to which a storage area is allocated by a real page unit. At a time point before new data to be written to the virtual volume occurs based on a data object, if a real page is allocated to a write destination virtual page which is a write destination of the new data, a host computer transmits a change command to change the real page allocated to the write destination virtual page to a real page in a storage tier having predetermined performance to the storage apparatus. The storage apparatus changes the real page allocated to the write destination virtual page to a real page in the storage tier having the predetermined performance according to the change command.
US09619153B2

A method to increase memory scalability using a table-specific memory cleanup is provided. The method may include determining whether a specific table within a set of tables is a candidate for elimination. The method may also include unloading a plurality of respective metadata associated with the specific table in response to the determination that the specific table is a candidate for elimination, whereby unloading the plurality of respective metadata includes temporarily deactivating the table. The method may further include creating a point-in-time snapshot copy of the respective metadata associated with the specific table. The method may also include saving the created point-in-time snapshot on a disk. The method may include detecting an access of the specific table. The method may also include constructing a plurality of respective table metadata structures using the saved created point-in-time snapshot, whereby the constructing is in response to detecting the access of the specific table.
US09619142B2

An apparatus and a method for editing display information in an electronic device with a touch screen are provided. The method includes, when a first editing event occurs when a first touch is held, determining a service status of the electronic device and storing an object of a first touch point and service status information.
US09619138B2

An approach for enabling users to view an image of a location from different fields-of-view is described. A field-of-view generator causes a rendering of a user interface element representing a field-of-view. The field-of-view generator further processes one or more interactions with the user interface element to determine one or more parameters for specifying the field-of-view. The field-of-view generator further determines a portion of at least one panoramic image that is visible in the field-of-view based, at least in part, on the one or more parameters. Still further, the field-of-view generator causes a rendering of the portion of that at least one panoramic image.
US09619136B2

A method and apparatus is provided for more easily selecting a desired one of a plurality of corresponding link entities displayed on a touch screen. The method includes verifying the number of link entities which exist within a touch region of a predetermined size around a touch point, and if the number of the link entities which exist within the touch region of the predetermined size is greater than or equal to a threshold value, displaying a window which enlarges and displays contents displayed on the touch region of the predetermined size by a certain magnification, and then waiting for touch and selection of one of the corresponding link entities enlarged and displayed on the window.
US09619134B2

To provide an information processing device capable of ensuring not to execute processing not intended by a user in a case of stopping an ongoing operation after selecting an object (for example, in selecting again an object other than the object already selected, or the like). In a case where one of a user's designated position is included in a determination area based on the position of one of the plurality of objects displayed in a screen, an object moving unit moves the one object based on the one designated position. In a case where the object moving unit moves first and second objects, a collision determination unit determines whether or not the first and second objects have collided. A processing executing unit executes processing relevant to the first and second objects based on a result of determination by the collision determination unit.
US09619130B2

A method and apparatus that incorporate teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, presenting at a display of a computer device a first graphical user interface depicting a game space of a gaming application, receiving a detected stimulation from a mobile communication device associated with a second graphical user interface depicting a virtual peripheral controller for capturing control information for controlling the gaming application, detecting a request to swap between the computer device and mobile communication device presentation of the first graphical user interface depicting the game space and the second graphical user interface depicting the virtual peripheral controller, and presenting at the display of the computer device an adaptation of the second graphical user interface depicting the virtual peripheral controller responsive to the detected request to swap. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
US09619128B2

Some implementations may include a computing device to generate a presentation including a plurality of slides. The presentation may be generated based on an input file that includes commands from a presentation markup language. The commands may specify details associated with the presentation. The details may include a title and a background image associated with each of the plurality of slides, one or more points to be included in each of the plurality of slides, and a style associated with the each of the plurality of slides.
US09619125B2

Systems, methods, and devices for addressably programming notification devices are provided. The system includes at least a notification device connected to a mobile communication device via a communication link. The mobile communication device includes a wireless transceiver configured to establish communication with the notification device, and a configuration list that includes location information associated with the notification device and an address associated with a network connecting the notification device to a control panel. The mobile communication device also includes a memory that stores the configuration list, and a processor in signal communication with the memory and that executes a plurality of instructions that, upon execution, accesses the configuration list and assigns an address to the notification device.
US09619120B1

Aspects of the subject technology relate to scaling an application window. A method includes determining a first window size for an application, and instructing the application to render at the first window size. The method also includes determining a second window size for the application, scaling the first window size to the second window size based on a scale value, and displaying the scaled application at the second window size. The scaling allows a full-screen view of the application to be displayed on a smaller window, or allows shrinking the application window to a size below a normal minimum window size. Inputs to the scaled window are also scaled so that the application continues to behave as if rendered at the first window size.
US09619116B2

An out-space actuator is selected to access an out-space user interface for a document editor program. An out-space actuator is associated with an in-space user interface having a displayed document. When the out-space actuator is selected, an out-space user interface is displayed that includes an expanded feature selection surface. The out-space user interface may be used to display one or more status panes for providing status information about a document being edited in the in-space user interface. Application features for affecting changes to a given document's status may be exposed in the out-space interface in proximity to associated status information. An out-space communication user interface (UI) component may be temporarily displayed in the document in-space user interface to communicate document status information that is presently available in the out-space user interface. A message bar may be displayed in the in-space user interface for communicating information from the out-space user interface.
US09619109B2

Content that is significant to a user may be determined. An indication that a user finds content within a document significant may be received. In response to the received indication, the document may be analyzed to identify a set of topics associated with the content of the document. From the set of topics, a subset of topics responsible for the user finding the document significant may be identified. A user profile associated with the user may be updated based on the subset of topics.
US09619108B2

One exemplary embodiment involves, on a computer device, displaying a graphical user interface for editing electronic content and displaying representations of a fixed number of layers available for use in the electronic content. Representation of ones of the layers that are not used are graphically distinguished from representations of ones of the layers that are used. In response to receiving input at the computer device, an editing feature for editing a layer of the electronic content is provided.
US09619106B2

A method for a computer system includes determining a plurality of positions of portions of a hand of a user simultaneously placed upon a user interface device of the computer system, retrieving a set of display icons in response to the plurality of positions of the portions of the user hand, displaying the display icons from the set of display icons on a display relative to the plurality of positions of the portions of the user hand; while displaying the display icons on the display, determining a user selection of a display icon from the display icons, and performing a function in response to the user selection of the display icon.
US09619102B2

Provided are a method and apparatus for presenting images, a mobile terminal and a computer storage medium. The method includes: an instruction to present images in a folder is received; a predefined number of images are loaded to a screen of a device so as to be presented thereon, the predefined number is the quantity of images capable of being presented by the screen of the device; an instruction to move a display interface forward is received; it is determined in real time whether images presented on the screen of the device are hidden beyond the screen of the device after the display interface is moved forward, if Yes, memory space of images hidden beyond the screen of the device are recovered and images, as many as images with their memory space recovered, arranged behind the predefined number of images presented on the screen of the device in the folder are loaded to the screen of the device so as to be presented thereon. Through the disclosure, memory occupation and CPU consumption of presentation of a large number of images can be reduced to the most extent so that the large number of images are presented rapidly, efficiently and smoothly on a device, thereby improving greatly operation efficiencies of the device and applications.
US09619096B2

One or more embodiments provide an input device including a multi-level driver and an operating method thereof. The input device includes a sensor board that includes at least one loop. The input device also includes at least one multi-level driver that includes a plurality of drivers, and is configured to output, to the at least one loop, a signal generated based on signals output from the plurality of drivers.
US09619089B2

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a capacitive touch panel, a manufacturing method of the capacitive touch panel and a display device using this capacitive touch panel. The capacitive touch panel includes a color filter substrate and an array substrate disposed oppositely, the array substrate comprising touch sensing lines and touch scanning lines crossing each other disposed thereon; the color filter substrate is provided with touch sensing auxiliary electrodes over intersections of the touch sensing lines and the touch scanning lines; and the touch sensing auxiliary electrodes are connected with the touch sensing lines.
US09619088B2

According to an aspect, a touch detecting device includes: a first drive area and a second drive area each including drive electrodes and detection electrodes, the drive electrodes extending in a first direction, being arrayed in a second direction intersecting with the first direction, and being applied with a drive signal, the detection electrodes extending in the second direction, being arrayed in the first direction, and outputting a detection signal. Application of the drive signal to the drive electrodes in the second drive area is stopped at a timing to apply the drive signal to the drive electrodes arranged in a first predetermined area included in the first drive area, and application of the drive signal to the drive electrodes in the first drive area is stopped at a timing to apply the drive signal to a second predetermined area included in the second drive area.
US09619087B2

According to an aspect, a display device includes: a display unit that has a plurality of scanning signal lines to which a scanning signal is applied; a shift register that has a plurality of transfer circuits configured in a plurality of stages that perform a shift operation for temporarily storing a shift signal that has been input and sequentially transmitting the stored shift signal to a subsequent stage in synchronization with a clock signal having a discontinued period, and outputs the scanning signal to a scanning signal line corresponding to a transfer circuit that maintains the shift signal; and a signal line that transmits a holding potential signal for maintaining a potential of the shift signal to a transfer circuit that maintains the shift signal in the discontinued period of the clock signal.
US09619084B2

A touch screen system configured to detect a displacement of a cover sheet when pressure or force is applied to the cover sheet upper surface. A light source and photodetector are configured to be in optical communication by reflection of light from the light source from the lower surface of the cover sheet. A displacement of the coversheet changes the amount of reflected light that falls upon the detector. The detector signal can be used to measure the amount of displacement, as well as the time-evolution of the displacement. The touch-screen system can be interfaced with a touch-sensitive display unit to form a display system having both pressure-sensing capability and touch-sensing capability.
US09619075B2

An embedded display panel and a terminal with touch function and a touch detection method are disclosed. The display panel includes an up substrate, a down substrate, and a liquid crystal layer between the up substrate and the down substrate. In addition, a touch electrode layer is formed between the liquid crystal layer and the up substrate, and the touch electrode layer includes a plurality of electrodes arranged in a matrix. A driving selector is arranged between the up substrate and the down substrate, and each of the electrodes is connected to the corresponding driving selector via lead wires. A touch controller is arranged outside a space defined by the up substrate and the down substrate. The touch controller is connected to the driving selector via a signals selection line and a scanning signal line, and a number of the signal selection line and the scanning signal line is less than the number of the lead wires. The touch controller is configured for transmitting selection signals to the driving selector via the signal selection line, and driving selector is configured for selecting at least one of the lead wires to be connected with the scanning signal line in response to the selection signals. In this way, the number of the lead wires needed to connect with the touch controller may be greatly reduced.
US09619074B2

Provided is a conversion method for key operations on a non-touch screen terminal unit, involving the steps of: detecting a click action on a target key on the terminal unit, and acquiring the ID information of the target key; searching position information corresponding to the ID information in a preset profile according to the ID information; and, generating a touch screen event at the position indicated by the position information on the display screen of the terminal unit. With the present method, application programs developed for touch screens can run on non-touch screen terminal units compatibly, and thereby the compatibility of the terminal units is improved.
US09619073B2

A touch screen driver and method for driving the same are disclosed. The touch screen driver includes a Tx driving circuit which sequentially supplies a pair of out-of-phase composed of a first driving signal and a second driving signal which has a phase difference of 180° with respect to the first driving signal and the second driving signal driving signals to Tx lines, wherein the first signal and the second signal are simultaneously supplied to the adjacent Tx lines, respectively; and an Rx driving circuit which samples a charge of the touch sensor received through the Rx lines coupled with the Tx lines and converts the sampled charge into digital data.
US09619064B2

Embodiments disclosed herein include a device with an integrated acoustics function that includes a patterned touch screen cover, an acoustic thin film, a plurality of electrodes, and a substrate. In some embodiments, the substrate is coupled to the acoustic thin film and reduces heat loss from the acoustic thin film through the substrate. The acoustic thin film may be coupled to the patterned touch screen cover and conducts an oscillating electrical current provided by the plurality of electrodes, thereby acting as a nano-scale acoustic generator. In still some embodiments, the patterned touch screen cover provides an array of microspeakers and a viewing area, where the array of microspeakers is disposed around a perimeter of the patterned touch screen cover.
US09619060B2

A display device, and a method of operating and manufacturing the display device may receive input light from an object to be scanned that is positioned in front of a display for displaying an image, and may perform scanning of the object to be scanned.
US09619054B2

An active stylus includes a pen body defining an accommodation chamber and a through hole unit, a control device mounted in the accommodation chamber and including a circuit board capable of outputting a signal to a touch control device of a touch screen being touched by the active stylus and elastic conductive members electrically connected to the circuit board and exposed to the outside of the through hole unit, and a rotating barrel rotatably mounted on the pen body around the through hole unit and including control zones movable with the rotating barrel relative to the pen body to change the contact condition between the elastic conductive members and the pen body for causing the circuit board to output one of a series of control signals to the touch control device in executing a corresponding operating function.
US09619049B2

One-handed operation of a wearable computing device is provided. An indicator is displayed on a graphical user interface of a wearable computing device. A directional displacement of an interface device is determined, wherein the interface device is removably connected to a finger of a user of the wearable computing device. An association is made between the indicator and a graphical user interface object based, at least in part, on the directional displacement of the interface device. A graphical user interface is modified to visually indicate the association between the indicator and a graphical user interface object. In response to determining that a force exerted by a surface in contact with the interface device exceeds a threshold, a graphical user interface object is activated.
US09619048B2

According to an aspect, a display device includes a display unit, a detecting unit, and a control unit. The display unit stereoscopically displays a display object. The detecting unit detects a first object and a second object in a three-dimensional space where the display object is displayed. The control unit changes the display object when a case is detected in which the display object is located between the first object and the second object in the three-dimensional space.
US09619047B2

An optical finger navigation (OFN) device for use in handheld portable devices is presented. The OFN device may include a light source, a sensor, a lens holder integrated with a light guide system and a molded lead frame. The lens holder may include a lens receiving region for receiving the lens, a light guide system for directing light emitted by the light source towards the navigation surface. The light guide system may include a slanted wall that may be coated with a light reflective material.
US09619043B2

A computer keyboard includes position sensors such as capacitive sensors on each of the keys for monitoring positions of fingertips on the keys. A processor receives an indication of contact of a finger on a surface of a key, including an identity of the key and an indication of a position of the contact on the surface. The processor also receives an indication of a motion gesture comprising displacement of the position of the contact on the surface of the key. Using the identity of the key and the indication of the motion gesture, an input from a human operator is determined.
US09619041B2

An apparatus performs a biometric authentication by acquiring matching data detected at a time of a biometric authentication and including a matching biometric data, a manner of holding and a posture of a terminal. A processor performs a process including acquiring matching data detected at a time of a biometric authentication and including a matching biometric data, a manner of holding and a posture of the terminal, and performing a matching process. The matching process compares the matching data and registered data including registered biometric data related to manners of holding and postures of the terminal, to extract the registered data including the manner of holding and the posture similar to those included in the matching data, and judge a successful biometric authentication when a similarity of the registered biometric data included in the extracted registered data with respect to the matching biometric data is a threshold value or greater.
US09619040B2

An operation device has a resistive-film touch panel, a human detector, a vibrator, and a displacement adjustor. The human detector detects human presence near the device by using a human sensor. The vibrator vibrates a piezoelectric element previously provided at an edge of the touch panel when human presence is detected near the device, to set a predetermined point on the touch panel to which the resulting vibration conducts as a virtual touch point. The displacement adjustor adjusts a displacement by making a measured position value corresponding to the virtual touch point equal to a previously set reference position value corresponding to the touch point.
US09619036B2

System and methods for controlling a user experience are described. In an aspect, an interface can comprise an interface device for rendering content to a user, a sensor having a gesture zone associated therewith configured to detect a dexterous gesture of a user within the gesture zone and generate a sensor signal representing the dexterous gesture. A processor may be provided in communication with the sensor and the interface device, wherein the processor receives the sensor signal, analyzes the sensor signal to determine a control action associated with the detected dexterous gesture of the user, and configures the user interface based upon the determined control action of the user.
US09619029B2

A system that controls a haptic effect experienced at a trigger is provided. The system receives a haptic effect definition including haptic data. The system further receives trigger data including at least one of: a position of a trigger of a peripheral device; or a range of the trigger of the peripheral device. The system further determines whether a trigger condition is reached based on the received trigger data. The system further sends a haptic instruction and the haptic effect definition to the peripheral device when the trigger condition is reached. The system further causes a haptic output device (or multiple haptic output devices) to produce haptic effects that are based on the haptic effect definition at the peripheral device in response to the haptic instruction.
US09619024B2

A virtual inputting device comprises: a signal collection unit including a bioelectrical sensor for collecting bioelectrical signals and an acceleration sensor for collecting acceleration signals; a signal preprocessing unit for performing preprocessing for the bioelectrical signals and the acceleration signals collected by the signal collection unit; a signal segmentation unit for performing segmentation processing for the preprocessed bioelectrical signals and acceleration signals so as to obtain a plurality of gesture segments; a feature extracting unit for extracting feature values from the bioelectrical signals and the acceleration signals for respective gesture segments; a feature combination unit for combining feature values extracted from the feature extracting unit to form a combined feature vector; a gesture recognition unit for performing gesture recognition based on the combined feature vector; and a character mapping unit for obtaining characters corresponding to the recognized gesture according to a predetermined mapping relationship between characters and gestures.
US09619020B2

A computer system can be controlled with non-contact inputs, such as eye-tracking devices. A visual indicator can be presented on a display to indicate the location where a computer function will take place (e.g., a common cursor). The visual indicator can be moved to a gaze target in response to continued detection of an action (e.g., touchpad touch) by a user for a predetermined period of time. A delay between the action and the movement of the visual indicator can allow a user time to “abort” movement of the visual indicator. Additionally, once the visual indicator has moved, the visual indicator can be controlled with additional precision as the user moves the gaze while continuing the action (e.g., continued holding of the touchpad).
US09619017B2

A method includes analyzing data associated with an image captured by a camera to determine a visual orientation and/or eye gaze movement of a user of a computer. Upon detecting that the visual orientation indicates that the user is visually oriented toward a display device associated with the computer, a wireless connection from the computer to a computer input device and from the computer input device to the computer is established or maintained. Upon detecting that the visual orientation indicates that the user is not visually oriented toward the display device associated with the computer, the wireless connection is terminated. Another method accomplishes similar objectives using proximity sensors.
US09619014B2

This disclosure describes systems, methods, and apparatus for reducing power consumption and improving performance on a computing device. A method includes scheduling, with a driver on the computing device, one or more activity times that indicate when the driver will be active and storing the one or more activity times that indicate when the driver will be active. When a request to suspend a system of the computing device is received, the stored activity times are accessed to identify when the driver will be active, and a determination is made whether any of the one or more activity times is scheduled to occur within a suspend time window. If the driver will not be active during the suspend time window, suspension of the system is initiated.
US09619012B2

A method and an apparatus for a power assertion management are described. A power assertion indicator may be maintained for a device component having a power level. The power assertion indicator can indicate whether the power level of the device component is allowed to be lowered. A power assertion request may be sent from a first process to prevent lowering the power level of the device component before a data processing task is completed. A second process can receive a request from the first process to perform operations for the data processing task. The power level of the device component may not be allowed to be lowered before the second process completes the operations for the data processing task. The power level of the device component may be lowered after the data processing task is completed.
US09619010B1

A processing device of a mobile device determines an activity level for a hardware component of the mobile device based on activity information associated with the hardware component. The processing device computes a score for the hardware component based on the activity level and a power consumption value of the hardware component, wherein the power consumption value indicates an amount of power used by the hardware component. The processing device determines whether to deactivate the hardware component based on the score.
US09619003B2

The present invention provides a communication system including a relay device that is capable of simplifying the configuration of a control device for controlling a device based on relay information and reducing cost of the whole system, the relay device and a method for controlling power supply. A GW device includes first to fourth communication parts respectively connected to communication buses, which are connected to ECUs respectively. The GW device receives a message transmitted from each of ECUs, extracts signal information S1 to S5 related to equipment in the vehicle included in the message from the received message, collects the extracted signal information S1 to S5 to create a message (ID4), and transmits the created message to a power supply control device. The power supply control device controls on/off of the ECUs and each of loads based on signal information included in the message received from the GW device.
US09618990B2

A power management method is suitable for an electronic device including a controller, a processor and a battery, and includes following steps. A first power is provided to the electronic device by a power adapter, and a maximum value of the first power is smaller than a maximum value of a rated consumed power of the electronic device. A power state of a second power of the battery is obtained by the controller. A control signal is generated according to the power state, and the processor adjusts an operation performance of the processor based on the control signal. The operation performance of the processor is continuously adjusted according to the power state.
US09618981B2

A capacitive input device has a sensor electrode pattern disposed on a first side of a substrate. The sensor electrode pattern comprises a plurality of sensor electrode elements disposed on the first side of a first substrate. A plurality of routing traces is disposed along a first edge of the sensor electrode pattern on the first side of the substrate and configured to communicatively couple at least some of the sensor electrodes with a processing system. A pair of guard traces is disposed in the same layer as and brackets the plurality of routing traces. A guard overlaps the routing traces, is disposed proximate the routing traces on the first side of the substrate, and ohmically couples the pair of guard traces with one another. A second insulator is disposed between the routing traces and the guard. The second insulator and the first insulator are disposed in the same layer.
US09618973B2

Methods and apparatus relating to provision and/or utilization of a mechanically embedded heating element are described. An embodiment includes a heating element which is thermally coupled to an adhesive. The adhesive bonds a first item and a second item. The heating element is capable of being heated in response to application of power and the heated heating element causes the release of a bond by the adhesive to allow for physical separation of the first item and the second item. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.
US09618968B2

Mobile computing devices that include an exterior housing and a port. The housing is configured to form a guide portion of the port. More particularly, the port includes a cavity formed in the housing. The cavity includes interior walls that extend inward from an exterior wall of the housing. The port further includes a connector that is positioned in the cavity. The connector is positioned such that the walls of the cavity form the guide of the connector. The port is further constructed to prevent the ingress of water and/or debris into an interior of the housing.
US09618958B2

A current generator includes a first current generation circuit configured to generate a first current having a first current noise which depends on a change in a supply voltage, a second current generation circuit configured to generate a second current having a second current noise which depends on the change in the supply voltage, and a current subtracting circuit configured to generate a third current with the first current noise and the second current noise removed by subtracting the second current from the first current.
US09618948B2

An appliance control system includes: a sensor (3) that detects environmental data of a surrounding environment; a plurality of appliances (2) as control targets; a remote controller including: a display unit (15) that displays a list of the appliances (2); an input unit (16) that receives an operation of controlling the appliances (2); a storage unit (13) that stores a threshold value in the environmental data for each of the plurality of appliances (2); and a processing unit (12) that gives higher priority to an appliance in which the environmental data has exceeded a threshold value, the priority being concerned with a display order of the appliance (2) on the display unit (15).
US09618943B2

At a time when control of a flow rate adjusting valve is initiated from a fully closed state in order to make a measured flow rate equal to a target flow rate, an initial value of a driving signal is set as a parameter by making use of at least one of the type, pressure, and temperature of a fluid.
US09618941B2

A system and a method for controlling a tool pivotably mounted to an articulated boom connected to a work machine having a control unit. The solution: 1) determining the direction a predetermined point of the boom or the tool is moving to, i.e. the moving direction, and 2) controlling orientation of the tool as a function of one or several predetermined dependencies, the predetermined dependencies defining at least the orientation of the tool in relation to the moving direction. According to an example the work machine is a forest machine.
US09618937B1

An example method may include i) determining a first distance between a pair of feet of a robot at a first time, where the pair of feet is in contact with a ground surface; ii) determining a second distance between the pair of feet of the robot at a second time, where the pair of feet remains in contact with the ground surface from the first time to the second time; iii) comparing a difference between the determined first and second distances to a threshold difference; iv) determining that the difference between determined first and second distances exceeds the threshold difference; and v) based on the determination that the difference between the determined first and second distances exceeds the threshold difference, causing the robot to react.
US09618926B1

Methods, systems, and devices for determining a machining process in a CAM system where the determining is based on CNC machine capabilities, user defined process constraints, and CNC machine configurations.
US09618925B2

A multi-editing mode LOGIC BLOCK object editor is disclosed for creating and modifying LOGIC BLOCK objects that are incorporated into control strategies for process control systems (both distributed and discrete). The editor includes an RPN text editing mode wherein logic incorporated into a LOGIC BLOCK is represented by a list of text instructions. The editor also includes a graphical function block diagram editing mode wherein LOGIC BLOCK logic is defined via instruction shapes dragged/dropped from a pallet and connected via GUI line connection actions by a user. The editor supports automated transitioning between the text and graphics modes wherein conversion of text-to-graphics and graphics-to-text is performed without user intervention. Furthermore, synchronization procedures are performed when LOGIC BLOCK objects are opened in the editor and when transitioning between editing modes to track and/or maintain synchronous status between graphical and text representations of LOGIC BLOCK logic.
US09618918B2

This disclosure concerns estimating the number of people within building-based device networks. Increasingly, local area network (LAN) devices are capable of sensing people (e.g. smart appliances). Features of building layout, and physical arrangement of devices provide that only a subset of sensor data patterns can be accounted for by a single user (e.g. simultaneous activation of a smart TV and a motion sensor). Over time, a central controller (e.g. LAN gateway) can gather these building-specific sensor patterns and learn single occupant characteristics for a network (e.g. features or boundaries of single occupant capability). In one embodiment, the central controller generates a single occupancy criterion (e.g. a building-specific test), comprising single occupant characteristics, operable to test a subset of sensor data for single occupancy. The central controller divides devices into a minimum number of groups, such that each group satisfies the single occupancy criterion and estimates the number of occupants accordingly.
US09618909B2

A system, method, and safety unit provide safety assurance for a multiple redundant system controlling a plant or complex. A unit active line (UAL) status indicates the presence of at least one redundant active unit within the system. A safety verification line (SVL) status verifies the powered down status of all redundant units not active within the system. A safety unit is associated with a vital supervision card (VSC) and vital power bus and the safety unit controls switchable connections from the vital power bus to the UAL and the SVL. Based on verification of UAL and SVL status, system control includes energizing the UAL.
US09618905B2

Disclosed in the present application is a horologe, a timekeeping system thereof including: a winding mechanism powering the second hand, minute hand and hour hand; a mechanical transmission wheel train engaged with the winding mechanism and driving the second hand, minute hand and hour hand to operate, wherein the mechanical transmission wheel train comprises a tourbillion mechanism driving a second wheel connected with the second hand to rotate; an accuracy control device, wherein the timekeeping motor of the accuracy control device drives the rotation of the rotor and the timekeeping accuracy of the timekeeping motor is controlled by a quartz crystal oscillator; and an electronic transmission wheel train connected to the rotor. The horologe disclosed in the present application can solve the problem that the timekeeping accuracy of the mechanical horologe is poor.
US09618902B2

Provided is an apparatus and method for generating a hologram pattern with a reduced amount of computation. The apparatus may include a reference depth layer setting unit configured or having a capacity to set a reference depth layer using data associated with a three-dimensional (3D) object, a first hologram pattern generating unit configured to generate a first hologram pattern corresponding to the 3D object in the reference depth layer, and a second hologram pattern generating unit configured to generate a second hologram pattern in a hologram plane using the first hologram pattern.
US09618898B2

In one example, a printer includes a printer housing, a photoconductor to apply toner to a print substrate, a developer to apply toner to the photoconductor, a light source to expose parts of the photoconductor to light, and a toner container to supply toner to the developer. The toner container housing is integrated into the printer housing as a load bearing structure or as an exterior feature, and/or the light source is integrated into the toner container as a single sub-assembly within the printer housing.
US09618894B2

An image forming apparatus having a compact size includes a printing medium supplying unit to hold printing media and to supply a printing medium, an image forming unit disposed above the printing medium supplying unit to form images on a printing medium, and a printing medium feeding part substantially formed in a letter “C” shape, having a part which extends to the image forming unit and which is inclined in a downward direction along a printing medium moving direction to feed the printing medium from the printing medium supplying unit to the image forming unit.
US09618893B2

An image formation device includes: an image formation unit configured to perform image formation processing of forming a print image based on a print job on a medium using developers of different colors; a misregistration check image formation unit configured to control the image formation unit to cause the image formation unit to form a misregistration check pattern on the medium; a misregistration correction amount input unit configured to receive input of an amount of misregistration correction to be applied to the image formation unit; and a controller configured to correct misregistration in the image formation processing by the image formation unit, based on the amount of misregistration correction received by the misregistration correction amount input unit.
US09618891B1

A photoconductive drum assembly according to one embodiment includes a photoconductive drum rotatable about a rotational axis in first and second rotational directions. A spring brake has a coiled portion wrapped around a portion of the photoconductive drum at its axial end and around the rotational axis of the photoconductive drum. The spring brake has a first arm and a second arm. The first arm is positioned to flex in an unwinding direction causing the coiled portion to unwind upon the first arm receiving a force in the first rotational direction. The first arm is positioned to flex in a winding direction and to push the second arm in an unwinding direction relieving winding of the coiled portion caused by the flexing of the first arm in the winding direction of the first arm upon the first arm receiving a force in the second rotational direction.
US09618881B2

An intermediate transfer member that includes biaryl polycarbonates, an optional polysiloxane, and an optional conductive filler component.
US09618873B2

An image forming apparatus includes a main body, a moving member movable while supporting an image forming portion having an image bearing member, between a position inside the main body and a position outside the main body so that at least a part of the image forming portion is removably mountable on the moving member as a cartridge, and an exposure device configured to expose the image bearing member with light through an exposure opening provided in the moving member. In addition, a shielding member is provided in the moving member to shield the exposure opening, and a holding mechanism holds the shielding member in a shielding position for shielding the exposure opening while the moving member is moved and holds the shielding member in a non-shielding position for opening the exposure opening when the moving member is in the inside position.
US09618871B2

An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying member, a driving device, a charging member, a cleaning member, a voltage applying device, a torque detector for detecting the torque of the driving device, a storage for storing a predetermined torque value Tc, and a control portion. The control portion obtains as Ton the torque when the charging voltage is applied to the charging member and obtains as Toff the torque when no charging voltage is applied to the charging member. Let the torque observed when no charging voltage is applied at an early stage of use of the image carrying member be represented by Toff(0), then, when the relations Toff(0)
US09618866B2

A developer includes a binder resin, a releasing agent; and a brilliant pigment. A peak endothermic amount of the developer measured using a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) in a second temperature rising process is in a range from 6.20 to 14.40 J/g.
US09618853B2

An immersion lithographic apparatus is disclosed in which at least a part of the liquid supply system (which provides liquid between the projection system and the substrate) is moveable in a plane substantially parallel to a top surface of the substrate during scanning. The part is moved to reduce the relative velocity between that part and the substrate so that the speed at which the substrate may be moved relative to the projection system may be increased.
US09618849B2

The present invention is a pattern forming method of forming a pattern on a substrate using a block copolymer, the pattern forming method including the steps of: forming a film of a block copolymer containing at least two kinds of polymers on the substrate; heating the film of the block copolymer; irradiating the heated film of the block copolymer with ultraviolet light in an atmosphere of an inert gas; and supplying an organic solvent to the film of the block copolymer irradiated with the ultraviolet light.
US09618847B2

The invention relates to a method for preparing a relief printing plate from a printing plate precursor wherein at least an end of the precursor is attached to a leader forming a composite printing form precursor that securely mounts the precursor in a treatment processor. The present method advantageously allows for all or substantially all of the area of the precursor to be utilized for forming the relief surface suitable for printing.
US09618844B2

Described is a reagent that enhances acid generation of a photoacid generator and a composition containing such reagent.
US09618829B2

A method and device for holding an electronic device, such as a suitably-equipped cellular phone, having a video recording feature, or simply a camera, at a desired elevation for filming or photographing. The device includes a frame for holding the electronic device and a vertical support serving as a monopod, such as a golf alignment stick. The frame may be a two-part adjustable frame comprising two interlocking, opposing, L-shaped elements.
US09618826B2

An automatic focus adjustment method for transmitting, from a camera main body side to a lens side, a driving amount of a focus operation member configured to drive a lens, the automatic focus adjustment method includes, when a driving amount according to defocus of an object is transmitted, transmitting a driving permissible time of the focus operation member according to a control method of automatic focus adjustment as well. On the camera main body side, the driving permissible time is acquired according to the set control method of the automatic focus adjustment. On the lens side, drive control of the focus operation member is switched so that a driving time of the focus operation member satisfies the driving permissible time.
US09618816B2

A liquid crystal display device includes an array substrate and a color filter substrate, a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines formed on the array substrate such that the gate lines and the data lines intersect each other to define a plurality of pixel regions, a plurality of thin film transistors formed at respective intersections of the gate lines and the data lines, a liquid crystal layer interposed between the array and color filter substrates, and a plurality of repair patterns formed on the first substrate. Each of the plurality of the repair patterns crosses a corresponding one of the data lines, and is along and adjacent to a corresponding one of the gate lines, such that the repair pattern includes protruding ends that protrude from the corresponding data line to repair a defect on the pixel regions.
US09618814B2

An LCD panel applied to a curved screen includes display sections, each of which includes pixel units. Each pixel unit includes a primary sub-pixel, a secondary sub-pixel, a common electrode, and a sharing capacitance sheet. An area of the sharing capacitance of each display section is adjusted using a sharing capacitance sheet. So a ratio of the charging voltage on the secondary sub-pixel to the charging voltage on the primary sub-pixel in the central display section is between the ratio of the charging voltage on the secondary sub-pixel to the charging voltage on the primary sub-pixel in the first display section and the ratio of the charging voltage on the secondary sub-pixel to the charging voltage on the primary sub-pixel in the second display section. Therefore, the brightness of the curved screen on display is improved. The quality of the curved screen on image display is improved as well.
US09618813B2

According to one embodiment, a display device includes an insulating substrate, a thin-film transistor including a semiconductor layer formed on a layer above the insulating substrate, a gate electrode which at least partly overlaps the semiconductor layer, and a first electrode and a second electrode which are electrically connected to the semiconductor layer, and a light shielding layer formed between the thin-film transistor and the insulating substrate to at least partly overlap the semiconductor layer, the light shielding layer electrically connected to the gate electrode.
US09618812B2

Provided are a liquid crystal display and a method of fabricating the liquid crystal display. The liquid crystal display comprises: a substrate; a signal electrode on the substrate; a first light-blocking pattern on the signal electrode and having a trench extending to and exposing at least part of the signal electrode; and a second light-blocking pattern on the trench of the first light-blocking pattern and covering the signal electrode, wherein the second light-blocking pattern comprises at least one metal layer.
US09618811B2

A multiple circuit board includes a board having a plurality of product regions respectively corresponding to a plurality of array boards and an out-of-product region, out-of-product wires provided in the out-of-product region, waveform wires electrically connected to the out-of-product wires and extending to depict waveforms to alternately pass inside and outside of the respective product regions, circuit elements provided in respective display regions of the plurality of product regions, scanning circuits provided adjacent to the respective display regions of the plurality of product regions, and a plurality of scanning lines extending from the scanning circuits to both sides in each of the product regions and connecting to the circuit elements at one side and connecting to the waveform wires inside the product region at the other side.
US09618804B2

The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device and an array substrate of the same. The multiple pixel electrodes located at a same column allow lights having a same color to pass through. Each data line passes around at least one column of the multiple pixel electrodes row by row, and when each data line passes around two adjacent rows of the multiple pixel electrodes, opening directions are opposite. Pixel electrodes located at odd rows are connected with a same data line, pixel electrodes located at even rows are connected with a same data line, and pixel electrodes located at odd rows and even rows are respectively connected with different data lines. The present invention can reduce a bias generated at an edge of the color resist in order to improve a light leakage phenomenon when displaying.
US09618802B2

According to one embodiment, an apparatus for manufacturing a display device, includes: a first holding section configured to hold a first substrate; a second holding section configured to hold a second substrate; a turning section configured to turn the first holding section such that the first substrate and the second substrate face each other; an elevation unit configured to elevate the second holding section and attach the first substrate and the second substrate via an adhesive layer; and a first radiation section configured to radiate ultraviolet rays from at least one direction of an inclined lower side of an opening of a space between the first substrate and the second substrate and an inclined upper side of the opening toward the opening.
US09618797B2

According to one embodiment, a liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate including an outer peripheral wiring which is formed along an outer periphery of an active area that displays an image, and which has a first reflective surface, a second substrate including a reflective layer which is formed by a plurality of segments that are mutually spaced apart, and which has a second reflective surface opposed to the first reflective surface, a sealant formed of a photosensitive resin material, which surrounds the active area, is formed along the outer peripheral wiring, and attaches the first substrate and the second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer held in a cell gap in an inside surrounded by the sealant.
US09618779B2

A liquid crystal display (LCD) viewing angle control method, an LCD panel and an LCD are disclosed. The method is applied in the LCD panel comprising an array substrate and a color filter substrate which are arranged opposite to each other. The method comprises the following steps of: arranging a first planar transparent electrode (13) in the color filter substrate of the LCD panel and a second strip transparent electrode (17) in the array substrate of the LCD panel, and forming a fringe electric field between the array substrate and the color filter substrate through the first planar transparent electrode (13) and the second strip transparent electrode (17); and controlling the display viewing angle of the LCD panel by controlling the formed fringe electric field. Moreover, the method can achieve a simple production process of the LCD panel.
US09618771B2

A method for determining a progressive ophthalmic lens, comprising determining first, second and third intermediate values of regression as the strongest regression that can be applied on the front surface of the lens while keeping a mean sphere value in at least a portion of the lower part of the rear surface of the lens less or equal to, respectively, first, second and third predetermined values; and determining a value of regression (d) for the front surface as the maximum value among the first, second and third intermediate values of regression.
US09618764B2

A 3D observation device with glassless mode, where an observation hole in which two polarization plates having different polarization directions are arranged left/rightward and a monitor on which an image for a left eye and an image for a right eye are connected to form a 3D image box. The vertical rotation axis are provided on both left and right surfaces of the 3D image box and the vertical rotation bars that are linked with the rotation axis, and a support bar is provided on a lower part of the vertical rotation bar. Further, a viewer can view separately with glassless mode an image for a left eye through a left polarization plate of the observation hole and an image for a right eye through a right polarization plate of the observation hole in which the image for a left eye and the image for a right eye are overlapped.
US09618763B2

According to one embodiment, a liquid crystal optical device includes first and second substrate units and a liquid crystal layer. The first substrate unit includes a first substrate having a first surface and a first side extending in a first side direction, and first electrodes provided on the first surface. The second substrate unit includes a second substrate having a second surface, and second electrodes provided on the second surface. The liquid crystal layer includes liquid crystal molecules provided between the first and second substrate units. A first angle in a first rotation direction from the first side direction to the first direction is less than 90 degrees and more than 0 degrees. A second angle in the first rotation direction is different from the first angle. A third angle in the first rotation direction is different from the first and second angles.
US09618757B2

Using a stereoscopic image display device 10 formed by arranging plural cubic corner bodies 12 in a plane state such that shaft centers thereof are parallel to each other, each of the bodies 12 having three reflective planes 17-19 perpendicular to each other and a reflected light outlet 11 a provided at a corner of the planes 17-19, and placing a half mirror 14 on a light entrance plane of the bodies 12, an image is formed by letting a light from an object 26 in the light entrance plane of the bodies 12 and recursively reflecting the light off the bodies 12; and reflecting the recursively reflected light off the half mirror 14 and letting the light out from the reflected light outlet 11a to outside. Accordingly, a stereoscopic image, i.e., a real image of the object can be observed when the device 10 is viewed from a front side.
US09618743B2

An adaptive optical imaging system for imaging an object including a first polarization sensitive spatial light phase modulator and a second polarization sensitive spatial light phase modulator and a polarization adjustment device that converts the polarization of light that has passed through the first modulator before it irradiates the object and converts the polarization of the reflected light before it passes through the second modulator.
US09618737B2

An illuminator for an imaging system using a spatial light modulator has first color laser light directed by a dichroic element to a first annular band on a rotatable member. The first band includes phosphor segments that respond to illumination by the first color light to emit second and third color light along a first path back to the dichroic element for output, and a light transmitting or reflecting segment that transmits or reflects the first color along the same or a second path back to the dichroic element for output. The output light is directed to a second annular band on the same or a different rotatable member. The second band includes filter segments corresponded to respectively selectively filter output light generated by the first band segments.
US09618735B2

A microscope (10) includes an objective system (30) and a zoom system (32). The microscope (10) furthermore has a manually rotatable rotary wheel (108) for adjusting the magnification of the zoom system (32), the rotary wheel (108) being rotatable within a predetermined maximum rotation range. The rotary wheel (108) includes a first engagement element (162, 164). In addition, at least one second engagement element (130 to 136) is movably mounted on a housing (100) of the microscope (10). This second engagement element (130 to 136) is movable between a deactivated and an activated position, being in engagement with the first engagement element (162, 164) in an activated position. The position of the second engagement element (130 to 136) is determined by the respective objective (44, 52) currently received in the beam path.
US09618729B2

A camera lens includes, lined up from the object side to the image side, a first lens with positive refractive power, a second lens with negative refractive power, a third lens with negative refractive power, a fourth lens with positive refractive power, and a fifth lens with negative refractive power. The camera lens satisfies specific conditions.
US09618720B2

A molding system includes a flexible cable carrier body that defines a sealing opening that provides access to an interior channel. A continuous length of the flexible cable carrier body is wrapped about a spool for storage and for ease of dispensing at a work site. The continuous length of the cable carrier body is cut to desired custom lengths during installation at the work site. An insertion tool having a plow and feeder channel can facilitate payoff of the fiber/cable into the cable carrier body.
US09618717B2

An objective of the disclosure is to improve workability in extracting optical fibers in an optical fiber unit in which a bundle of optical fibers is bundled by bundling members, and to suppress/prevent an increase in transmission loss even when tension is applied to the bundling members. This optical fiber unit includes: a plurality of optical fibers; and at least three bundling members that bundle the optical fibers into a bundle. A first bundling member, among the plurality of bundling members, is arranged along a length direction of the bundle of optical fibers so as to be wound on an outer circumference of the bundle of optical fibers. The first bundling member is joined with a second bundling member at a contact point where the first bundling member contacts the second bundling member, and is joined with a third bundling member, which is different from the second bundling member, at a contact point where the first bundling member contacts the third bundling member. The first bundling member's winding direction with respect to the bundle of optical fibers is reversed at the contact point with the second bundling member and at the contact point with the third bundling member.
US09618715B1

An optical fiber adapter according to the present disclosure includes a main body, an inner housing, an elastic shutter member and a spring. The main body has an axial accommodation room defined by a first wall, a second wall, a third wall and a fourth wall. The accommodation room has opposing first and second openings in the axial direction. The inner housing is placed within the accommodation room and includes a hollow cylinder extending from the front surface of a flange. The shutter member is positioned within the accommodation room and includes a base portion, a shutter plate and a connecting portion. The connecting portion connects the base portion with the shutter plate. The shutter plate extends from the connecting portion and arrives in front of an opening of the hollow cylinder. The shutter plate is movable with respect to the base portion. The spring is positioned within the accommodation room to push the shutter member toward the first opening of the accommodation room.
US09618714B2

An architected system of distribution of power and information using copper wire for power distribution and fiber optic for communication of information. The architected system is comprehensive for connections and upgrades related to the function, installation, terminations at every junction of a 3 wire plus light system. The archetected system enables each powered device in a smart home, smart office, or smart industrial installation with respect to a permanent and adaptable framework for an network foundation and structure. The architected system may include: wire, connectors, housings, devices, extension cords, appliance termination points, central processing, central power distribution, and a software methods for reliable data distribution.
US09618712B2

An optical bench includes a substrate having a trench therein, and a light emitting device within the trench. The optical bench further includes a light receiving device optically connected to the light emitting device. The optical bench further includes at least one active circuit electrically connected to the light emitting device. The optical bench further includes a waveguide in the trench, wherein the waveguide is optically between the light emitting device and the light receiving device. The optical bench further includes an optically transparent material between the light emitting device and the waveguide.
US09618708B2

A first transmissive diffraction grating includes a multiplexed transmission region; a second diffraction grating includes multiple demultiplexed transmission regions that are spatially displaced from one another and characterized by average corresponding grating-normal vector direction, grating wavevector magnitude, and grating wavevector direction. The demultiplexed transmission regions differ with respect to at least one of those parameters. The gratings are arranged such that each one of multiple optical signals at corresponding different wavelengths co-propagating to the multiplexed transmission region along a multiplexed beam path would: (i) be transmissively, dispersively diffracted by the first diffractive optical element; (ii) propagate directly, without any intervening reflection, between the multiplexed transmission region and a corresponding one of the demultiplexed transmission regions; (iii) be transmissively, dispersively diffracted by the second diffractive optical element; and (iv) propagate from the corresponding demultiplexed transmission region along a corresponding one of multiple demultiplexed beam paths.
US09618704B2

A fiber optic connector inner housing employing a front-loading retention feature for receiving and retaining a ferrule holder, and related fiber optic connectors, cables, and methods are disclosed. In one example, the inner housing has an opening extending therethrough and at least one bayonet locking mechanism that includes an insertion slot, a rotation slot, and a retention slot disposed in an interior surface of the opening. A ferrule holder having a key portion is inserted into the opening such that the key portion is received by the insertion slot. The ferrule holder is next rotated in the rotation slot and released such that a bias member within the inner housing moves the key portion of the ferrule holder into the retention slot, thereby retaining the ferrule holder in the inner housing and preventing accidental removal of the ferrule holder from the inner housing.
US09618699B2

Embodiments herein describe disposing a waveguide adapter onto an SOI device after the components on a silicon surface layer have been formed. That is, the waveguide adapter is disposed above optical components (e.g., optical modulators, detectors, waveguides, etc) formed in a surface layer. In one embodiment, a waveguide in a bottom layer of the waveguide adapter overlaps a silicon waveguide in the surface layer such that the silicon waveguide and the waveguide in the bottom layer are optically coupled. The waveguide adapter also includes other layers above the bottom layer (e.g., middle and top layers) that also contain waveguides which form an adiabatic optical system for transmitting an optical signal. At least one of the waveguides in the multi-layer adapter is exposed at an optical interface of the SOI device, thereby permitting the SOI device to transmit optical signals to, or receive optical signals from, an external optical component.
US09618697B2

A light-emitting device includes a photoluminescent layer that emits light containing first light, a light-transmissive layer located on or near the photoluminescent layer, a low-refractive-index layer and a high-refractive-index layer. A submicron structure is defined on the photoluminescent layer and/or the light-transmissive layer. The low-refractive-index layer is located on or near the photoluminescent layer so that the photoluminescent layer is located between the low-refractive-index layer and light-transmissive layer. The high-refractive-index layer is located on or near the low-refractive-index layer so that the low-refractive-index layer is located between the high-refractive-index layer and the photoluminescent layer. The submicron structure includes at least projections or recesses and satisfies the following relationship: λa/nwav-a
US09618695B2

An optical signal processing apparatus using a planar lightwave circuit (PLC) with a waveguide-array structure includes a PLC board including a waveguide-array structure, a cylinder lens for collimating optical signals emitted and output from the PLC board into parallel beams, a condenser lens for condensing, for each channel, optical signals output by passing through the cylinder lens, and a light receiving element for receiving optical signals condensed on at least one channel from the condenser lens and converting the optical signals into electrical signals, wherein the PLC board divides an optical signal input thereto into a plurality of different optical signals and outputs the optical signals at different propagation angles.
US09618693B2

A sensor system having a multi-pass interaction region is disclosed. The system includes an input region, a multi-pass region, and an output region. The input region is configured to receive emitted light. The multi-pass region is coupled to the input region and is configured to absorb portions of the emitted light according to a specimen proximate the multi-pass region. The output region is coupled to the multi-pass region and is configured to provide interacted light from the multi-pass region.
US09618687B2

Provided is a light-emitting unit that includes: a light-guide section having a light entering surface; and a plurality of light sources opposed to the light entering surface of the light-guide section and arrayed in a first direction, and each having an anisotropy in emission intensity. A pattern shape of light applied from any of the light sources to the light entering surface has a shape anisotropy, and the light sources are each disposed to allow a longitudinal direction of the pattern shape to be inclined relative to the first direction.
US09618685B2

Disclosed herein is a light guide plate formed by injection molding of an aromatic polycarbonate resin that is a polymer of an aromatic dihydroxy compound and a diaryl carbonate. The aromatic dihydroxy compound and the diaryl carbonate are present in a mole ratio of about 1:1.02 to about 1:1.35, and the aromatic polycarbonate resin has a weight average molecular weight from about 10,000 g/mol to about 18,000 g/mol and includes about 5 mol % to about 30 mol % of terminal hydroxyl groups relative to total moles of terminal groups. The light guide plate formed of the aromatic polycarbonate resin can reduce a yellowing phenomenon upon injection molding, can exhibit low color deviation under high temperature and high humidity conditions, and can secure excellent properties in terms of discoloration resistance, and brightness quality (brightness uniformity), and the like.
US09618674B2

A light guide panel, back light assembly and display apparatus are provided. According to an aspect of the inventive concept, there is provided the light guide panel which includes a top surface, a bottom surface, and four side surfaces, and one of the four side surfaces may be a light incident surface.
US09618669B2

Electronic devices may be provided with displays that have polarizers. A polarizer may have a polymer layer that has a portion covered with a dichroic dye to form a polarized region and a portion that is free of dichroic dye to form an unpolarized region. The unpolarized region may be formed by masking the polymer layer during a dye coating process. Masks may be formed from polymers. The shape of the mask may define the shape of the unpolarized region. The mask may be left in place within the polarizer or may be removed from the polarizer during fabrication. Unpolarized regions may also be formed by light bleaching, chemical bleaching, and material removal techniques. Bleached areas may be chemically stabilized. A moisture barrier layer may be incorporated into the polarizer to help prevent the unpolarized region from reverting to a polarized state.
US09618665B2

Provided are a colored composition which enables the formation of a pattern having excellent heat resistance and excellent solubility in solvents and has inhibited color migration; and a cured film, a color filter, a method for producing a color filter, a solid-state image sensor, and an image display device, each of which uses the colored composition.The colored composition includes a polymer anion having a repeating unit containing a weakly nucleophilic anionic structure, and a dye having a cationic structure, in which the weakly nucleophilic anionic structure represents an anionic structure produced by dissociating an organic acid having a lower pKa value than the pKa value of sulfuric acid.
US09618658B2

A functional sheet with protective films obtained by laminating protective sheets includes aromatic polycarbonate onto a functional layer that is a polyvinyl alcohol polarizing layer or a photocromic layer or any combination thereof and having the protective films adhere to the protective sheets. The protective films have at least two or three layers i.e., a base layer composed of a polypropylene that has a melting point higher than the glass transition temperature of an aromatic polycarbonate; an adhesive layer composed of a heat plastic polyolefin elastomer composed of a polyolefin that has a melting point from a temperature that is 15° C. lower than the glass transition temperature of the aromatic polycarbonate to a temperature that is lower than the glass transition temperature and a styrene-olefin-styrene co-poly-elastomer; and a middle layer composed of a polyolefin resin between the base layer and the adhesive layer.
US09618656B2

An antiglare film that includes light-transmitting substrate and a diffusion layer, the diffusion layer having a surface roughness on a surface thereof and being formed on at least one side of the light-transmitting substrate, wherein the diffusion layer contains a cured product of a binder component and organic fine particles (A) dispersed in the cured product of the binder component, and the following expression is satisfied: |NA−nb|>|nA−nb|>0 where NA represents a refractive index of the organic fine particles (A) before the organic fine particles (A) are introduced into the diffusion layer, nA represents a refractive index of the organic fine particles (A) in the diffusion layer, and nb represents a refractive index in the cured product of the binder component.
US09618654B2

This film-forming composition includes, for example, a polymer, crosslinking agent and light-diffusing agent that contain a triazine ring-containing repeating unit structure such as that represented formula (17), and is able to provide cured films with good light diffusing properties. Furthermore, this film-forming composition, which includes the same polymer, crosslinking agent and fine inorganic particles having a cross-linkable functional group, is able to provide cured films with good high temperature and high humidity resistance.
US09618649B2

A method of detecting an overall dimension of a plate-shaped workpiece to be processed on a processing machine by a contactless-acting sensor includes moving the workpiece by a motion device of the processing machine in a predetermined direction until the sensor detects a first workpiece edge by a first change of state, detecting a first position of the workpiece where the first change of state happens by an evaluation device connected to the sensor, moving the workpiece by the motion device in a direction toward a second workpiece edge until the sensor detects the second workpiece edge by a second change of state, detecting a second position of the workpiece where the second change of state happens by the evaluation device, and determining an overall dimension of the workpiece by a determination of a distance between the first position and the second position of the workpiece.
US09618640B2

Methods, systems, and devices for conducting a seismic survey. The system includes at least one seismic sensor configured to supply a signal responsive to reflections of acoustic energy from an earth surface; and at least one processor configured to: mitigate sensor offset from a sequence of samples representative of the signal by filtering the sequence of samples using a symmetrical-in-time finite impulse response (FIR) filter. The FIR filter may approximate a sinc-in-frequency filter. The at least one processor may be configured to process the sequence of samples using a plurality of filter stages that are rectangular in time. The length of one filter stage of the plurality of filter stages may be different than the length of another filter stage of the plurality of filter stages.
US09618637B2

Embodiments relate to marine acoustic vibrators that incorporate one or more piston plates that act on the surrounding water to produce acoustic energy. An example marine acoustic vibratory may comprise: a containment housing; a piston plate; a fixture coupled to the containment housing; a spring element coupled to the piston plate and the fixture; and a driver coupled to the piston plate and the fixture and configured to move the piston plate back and forth.
US09618634B2

An arrangement for detecting neutrons. The arrangement includes a first detector including helium that includes at least some Helium-3. The arrangement includes a second detector including helium that includes at least some Helium-4. The amount of all helium of the second detector is the same as the amount of all helium in the first detector. An associated method for providing the arrangement.
US09618631B2

A novel method of making a crystal block array (configured for coupling with photodetectors as part of an integrated detector module useful in advanced PET scanner systems) is disclosed herein. The novel method comprises a series of cutting, polishing, and assembling steps that utilize reflective sheet material. The crystal block arrays disclosed herein may be of various dimensions and geometries and are amenable to mass production.
US09618630B2

A radiation detection system comprising a detection grid of wavelength shifting fibers with a volume of scintillating material at the intersecting points of the fibers. Light detectors, preferably Silicon Photomultipliers, are positioned at the ends of the fibers. The position of radiation is determined from data obtained from the detection grid. The system is easily scalable, customizable, and also suitable for use in soil and underground applications. An alternate embodiment employs a fiber grid sheet or layer which is comprised of multiple fibers secured to one another within the same plane. This embodiment further includes shielding in order to prevent radiation cross-talk within the grid layer.
US09618629B2

An apparatus is for a detector assembly configured to receive a signal from a scintillation detector. The apparatus includes a controller assembly including a controller analysis section. The controller analysis section includes a microprocessor assembly, and a memory assembly operatively coupled to the microprocessor assembly, the memory assembly tangibly storing microprocessor-executable code. The microprocessor-executable code to be read by the microprocessor assembly. The microprocessor-executable code is configured to urge the microprocessor assembly to execute an operation for: (A) establishing an energy calibration using features in a spectrum associated with known gamma radiation from radioactive decay or other nuclear processes; and (B) adjusting a gain to be applied by the detector assembly based on the known energy features and thus maintain the energy calibration. With a known energy calibration, the equivalent energy of the single photoelectron peak is inversely related to the light collection efficiency and the detector sensitivity.
US09618623B2

A satellite receiver module (101) for telecommunication equipment includes circuitries (102, 103) configured to: receive timing information from one or more satellites, run at least a part of master-end functions of a synchronization protocol suitable for synchronizing master and slave clock-times over a data transfer network, and convert the timing information into timing messages that are accordant with the synchronization protocol. The satellite receiver module further includes a data interface (104) including a connector (105) for detachably attaching to a body device of the telecommunication equipment and for transferring a bit stream carrying the timing messages to the body device. Because the timing information received from the one or more satellites is converted into the timing messages that are accordant with the synchronization protocol, the timing information can be transferred among other possible digital data, e.g. location information, from the satellite receiver module to the body device.
US09618622B2

An optical object sensing device for a motor vehicle, having an emitter unit for emitting an emission light beam and having a receiver unit for receiving a reception light beam, and having an electronic evaluation device for detecting an object external to the vehicle in a vicinity of the motor vehicle as a function of the reception light beam. The emitter unit includes an emitter for generating the emission light beam, a controllable micromirror by which the emission light beam can be panned at least in a first panning direction, and an emission lens arranged behind the micromirror in the emission beam path, where at least along the first panning direction, the emission lens is configured as a concave-convex lens with a concavely curved surface, which faces towards the micromirror, and with a convexly curved surface.
US09618620B2

A method for measuring and registering 3D coordinates has a 3D scanner measure a first collection of 3D coordinates of points from a first registration position and a second collection of 3D coordinates of points from a second registration position. In between these positions, the 3D measuring device collects depth-camera images. A processor determines first and second translation values and a first rotation value based on the depth-camera images. The processor identifies a correspondence among registration targets in the first and second collection of 3D coordinates based at least in part on the first and second translation values and the first rotation value. The processor uses this correspondence and the first and second collection of 3D coordinates to determine 3D coordinates of a registered 3D collection of points.
US09618615B2

A vehicle obstacle detection device comprises: a radar unit provided between a back surface of a bumper and a wheel and configured to detect an obstacle by transmitting a radio wave through the bumper; and a misdetection prevention member for preventing misdetection in the radar unit by suppressing the occurrence of an own-vehicle's wheel reaching wave which is a part of a transmission wave and which passes between a transmitter section of the radar unit and the back surface of the bumper and reaches the wheel of the own vehicle.
US09618613B2

A radio communication apparatus includes a radio transmitting/receiving unit having a directional antenna and a storage unit storing reference image data and captured image data obtained by an imaging unit. The imaging unit has an optical axis oriented in the same direction as the radio wave direction of the directional antenna and captures an image related to a line of sight of the other opposed radio communication apparatus. The radio communication apparatus further includes an image processing unit comparing the reference image data with the captured image data and a control unit detecting, from the comparison result, and informing that an obstacle is traveling toward the aforementioned radio wave direction.
US09618599B2

Responses of voltage and current probes are characterized or corrected. A voltage probe method includes measuring output of the voltage probe and a first output of a through, in response to an input signal applied to the through, with the voltage probe connected, measuring a second output of the through with the voltage probe disconnected, and characterizing the response of the voltage probe using the output of the voltage probe and the first and/or second outputs. A current probe method includes measuring output current of the current probe and first output current of a through, in response to an input signal applied to the through with the current probe connected in series, measuring second output current of the through with the current probe disconnected, and characterizing the response of the current probe using the output current of the current probe and the first and/or second output currents of the through.
US09618592B2

A device includes: a static magnetic field generating device including static magnetic field generating sources generating a homogeneous magnetic field in a space; gradient magnetic field generating sources superimposing a gradient magnetic field on the homogeneous magnetic field, and conductor rings arranged between the static magnetic field generating sources and the gradient magnetic field generating sources in a pair of arranging regions on both sides in a direction of the homogeneous magnetic field in a region where the homogeneous magnetic field is generated (imaging region), respectively, the conductor rings being separated from each other and making a pair. The conductor rings are mechanically connected to the gradient magnetic field generating device or the static magnetic field generating device. This provides an MRI device 1 capable of reduction in vibration with suppression of the image quality deterioration of the tomographic images.
US09618590B2

An MRI-compatible tip assembly for an MRI-compatible medical device includes a first tubular member, a second tubular member, a ring electrode, and a tip electrode. The tip electrode proximal end is secured to the first tubular member distal end. The second tubular member distal end is inserted through the ring electrode and is secured to the first tubular member proximal end. When assembled, the tip assembly is a substantially rigid structure. Each tubular member has a recessed portion for a tracking coil.
US09618587B2

An improved two-wire hall-effect speed sensor circuit includes two separate voltage regulation circuits. The voltage regulator circuits, hall plates, signal processing circuits, and output stage are implemented on an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). In addition to a supply terminal and a return terminal, the ASIC includes an intermediate terminal. Both voltage regulation circuits may be aided by capacitors, one between the supply terminal and the return terminal, the other between the intermediate terminal and the return terminal. The speed sensor circuit is suitable for use with non-twisted wires, enabling use of a common supply wire for multiple sensors, thus reducing the number of terminals required on the controller and on connectors.
US09618574B2

In an embodiment, a method includes causing a test floor system to insert a DUT (device under test) into a DUT receptacle. This is performed in a manner that couples the DUT to an electrical interface of the DUT receptacle and that encloses the DUT inside the DUT receptacle to facilitate testing of the DUT. Also, the method includes causing the test floor system to transport the DUT receptacle that encloses the DUT to a tester of the test floor system and to insert the DUT receptacle into a DUT testing module of the tester. Further, the method includes causing the test floor system to determine identification information of the DUT. Furthermore, the method includes, based on the identification information, sending a test routine to the DUT testing module to perform on the DUT.
US09618571B2

A detection circuit for a relative error voltage, including: a first current mirror, a second current mirror, a third current mirror, a current sink and resistors R1, R2 and R3. A voltage signal to be detected V1 accesses the first current mirror via the resistor R2, and a voltage signal to be detected V2 accesses the second current mirror via the resistor R3; a mirrored-end of the first current mirror is connected to the current sink, and a mirroring-end thereof is connected to a mirrored-end of the third current mirror; a mirrored-end of the second current mirror is connected to the current sink, and a mirroring-end thereof is connected to a mirroring-end of the third current mirror; the current sink is grounded via the resistor R1; and the third current mirror converts double-ended currents of the first and the second current mirrors to single-ended currents to output as voltage signals.
US09618570B2

In an embodiment, a testing apparatus includes an air mixing chamber, a docking unit, and a DUT (device under test) test execution unit. The air mixing chamber includes a first air inlet operable to receive a first air flow, a second air inlet operable to receive a second air flow, and an air outlet operable to output a mixed air flow. The docking unit is operable to receive and to securely hold a DUT (device under test) receptacle including an electrical interface, an air flow interface, and a DUT coupled to the electrical interface. The DUT receptacle is configured to enclose and hold inside the DUT. The docking unit is operable to couple to the electrical interface and to the air flow interface. The docking unit is operable to receive and to send the mixed air flow to the DUT receptacle. A DUT test execution unit is coupled to the docking unit. The DUT test execution unit is operable to perform a test on the DUT that is inside of the DUT receptacle.
US09618567B2

Disclosed is in particular a device (2) for stressing an integrated circuit (1) including an electronic chip (10) mounted in a housing (12), the device including a source (20) of thermal stress. The device (2) also includes a thermally conductive coupling member (22), designed to be thermally coupled to the source (20) of thermal stress during the stressing operation. The coupling member (22) includes an end (220) whose geometry is suitable for being introduced into an aperture with a predefined geometry, to be made in the housing (12) of the integrated circuit (1) so as to thermally couple a coupling face (222) of this end (220) with a face (102) of the electronic chip (10).
US09618566B2

In the systems and methods, an identifier is generated for a printed circuit board (PCB), chips are connected to the PCB, and corresponding sets of programmable bits on the chips are programmed to match specific sections of the identifier. Due to the generation of the identifier and the programming of the corresponding sets of programmable bits on the chips to match specific sections of the identifier, the validity of the chips can be verified at any time during product life. For example, for each chip, its set of programmable bits can be read and, then, a determination can be made as to whether that set of programmable bits is indeed programmed to match a specific section of the identifier. Operation of the PCB can be allowed when all the chips are determined to be valid and prohibited when any of the chips are determined to be invalid (e.g., previously used).
US09618565B2

A test system (and methodology) suitable for testing a resonant sensor circuit configured to drive a sensor resonator with a negative resistance. Example embodiments include a test sensor resonator setup configured to simulate a sensor resonator with a selectable loss factor Rs, and includes, in a single-ended configuration, a first oscillator signal source that generates a first oscillation signal, coupled to a first controllable resistor that provides a controlled resistance R1 that simulates a selectable sensor resonator loss factor Rs, which together generate a first oscillation voltage signal based on the controlled resistance R1. A DUT resonant sensor circuit is coupled to receive the first oscillation voltage signal at a first input, and generate a negative resistance −Ra that substantially counterbalances the resistance R1 (corresponding to sustained oscillation). A differential configuration includes first and second oscillator signal sources, coupled to first and second controllable resistors R1 and R2.
US09618560B2

An apparatus and methods are provided that more accurately detect the onset of thermal runaway in a device and timely control it. According to one embodiment, changes in stand-by current and temperature of a transistor device are measured and are used to be compared to some thresholds to trigger the device to respond before the onset thermal runaway. According to another embodiment, stand-by current is measured and is compared to some thresholds to trigger the device to respond before the onset thermal runaway.
US09618557B2

A diagnostic circuit arranged to measure an electrical characteristic in a drive circuit of a coil of a fluid injector and compare the measured electrical characteristic with another electrical characteristic to determine whether a PN junction is working to discharge electrical energy in the coil of the fluid injector, in particular a selective catalytic reduction dosing injector.
US09618555B2

A method for impedance measurement using chirp signal injection is provided. The method includes injecting at least one chirp signal into the three-phase AC system, and collecting at least one response to the at least one chirp signal. The method further includes transferring the at least one response from abc coordinates to dq coordinates. At least one impedance is calculated based on the at least one response to the at least one chirp signal.
US09618552B2

A method and apparatus is disclosed herein for measuring radio-frequency energy. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises one or more antennas, a wideband radio frequency detector (e.g., a logarithmic amplifier (LogAmp)) coupled to the one or more antennas to measure ambient RF energy, wherein the wideband radio frequency detector has an analog output indicative of RF input power received by the one or more antennas, and an analog-to-digital converter coupled to the wideband radio frequency detector to convert the analog output to a digital value, the digital value being applied to a calibration function, to provide a number representing RF energy.
US09618551B2

System and method for calibrating a step attenuator. N attenuation measurements of a step attenuator may be received, where the step attenuator includes M series-connected attenuation sections. Each attenuation section may be configured to switchably provide a respective level of attenuation, where N is greater than M, and where the step attenuator may be modeled via M+1 coefficients, including a coefficient for a no-attenuation state and respective coefficients for the attenuation sections. Values of the coefficients may be determined via least squares estimation using the N attenuation measurements, thereby calibrating the step attenuator.
US09618549B2

A spectrum analyzer contains a number of improvements that adapt it to common commercial uses. The spectrum analyzer is capable of automatically wirelessly receiving and synchronizing frequency spectrum data collected from multiple remote spectrum analyzers with respect to frequency, time and location. A selector function is used to create composite frequency data sets from multiple frequency data sets while allowing retroactive identification and examination of the original frequency data. An improved non-linear graphical display of the frequency spectrum data is created by automatically expanding the resolution of frequency axis for frequency ranges having signals of interest and contracting the resolution of the frequency axis of frequency ranges having no signals of interest.
US09618542B2

A sensor includes a core, first and second windings, an integrating amplifier circuit and a DC balancing circuit. The first and second windings are wrapped around the core. The integrating amplifier circuit has a first input coupled to the first winding, and an output operably coupled to the second winding. The DC balancing circuit is operably coupled between the output of the integrating amplifier circuit and the first input of the integrating amplifier circuit.
US09618540B2

A current sensing module and a power conversion apparatus and an electronic apparatus using the same are provided. The current sensing module is suitable for detecting a first load current flowing through a first load. The current sensing module includes a sampling stage circuit and an output stage circuit. The sampling stage circuit couples across the first load and selectively exchanges coupling nodes between the sampling stage circuit and the first load by a multiplex switching means, so as to sample the first load current flowing along a first direction or a second direction, and thus generate a sampling signal. The output stage circuit is coupled to the sampling stage circuit and switches coupling nodes between the output stage circuit and the output terminal of the sampling stage circuit, so as to generate a current indication signal indicating the magnitude of the first load current according to the sampling signal.
US09618537B2

A shunt resistance type current sensor includes a bus bar, a circuit board disposed to oppose the bus bar, a shunt resistance part in the bus bar, connection terminals which electrically connect the bus bar and the circuit board, and a voltage detector which is mounted on the circuit board and detects a voltage applied to the bus bar to detect a magnitude of current to be measured flowing through the bus bar. The connection terminal is formed integrally with the bus bar as an extending piece extended from an edge part of the bus bar, an area of the connection terminal reduced in its plate thickness than that of the bus bar is set in a range from a tip side thereof, and the tip side of the connection terminal penetrates the circuit board and connects with the circuit board.
US09618530B2

There is provided a coherence length measurement device (10) that calculates a coherence length Lc based on a spectrum v calculated by an FFT device (9) and performs, in case where the coherence length Lc is shorter than an FFT gate width Gw, a setting change to shorten the FFT gate width Gw and a pulse width Pw, and the FFT device (9) performs frequency analysis on a received signal outputted from an A/D converter (8) by a unit of an FFT gate following the setting change to calculate the spectrum v of the received signal.
US09618525B2

A module for a laboratory sample distribution system, a laboratory sample distribution system comprising such modules, and a laboratory automation system comprising such a laboratory sample distribution system are presented. A magnetic coupling enhancer is provided in order to increase magnetic coupling between adjacent modules.
US09618519B2

A method for obtaining information about proteinuria and/or nephropathy from urine samples is provided for evaluating a urine sample that includes detecting proteins in the urine sample with two types of detection reagents that differ in reactivity to at least one urinary protein; and based on an indicator calculated using the results of the detection with the two types of detection reagents.
US09618518B2

The current invention relates to a magnetic immunodiagnostic method for the demonstration of antibody/antigen complexes of blood group and phenotype. Such a method involves the research and/or identification of antibodies or antigens, preferably anti-antigen antibodies or antigens of a blood group. This method implements a suspension of magnetic particles coated with an antibody anti-glycophorin A that can recognize and specifically magnetize erythrocytes. The invention also includes a device and kit for carrying out one such method.
US09618511B2

Aspects of the invention relate to methods and compositions for treating Alzheimer's disease (AD). In some embodiments, the invention provides methods for screening and identifying compounds that selectively inhibit the targeting of the insulin-Akt signaling pathway by Aβ oligomers.
US09618506B2

An assay method and device can perform at least one (e.g., at least two) assays on a single aliquot of a sample liquid. The device can mix a sample liquid with assay reagents including magnetically susceptible particles. The device is configured to create a sample liquid-air interface with the sample liquid. The magnetically susceptible particles can be located (via an applied magnetic field) at the liquid-air interface when a second liquid contacts the interface to form a liquid-liquid interface. The magnetic particles travel across the liquid-liquid interface to the second liquid. The magnetically susceptible particles are configured to transport an analyte across the interface into the second liquid. An assay for the analyte is performed in the second liquid. An assay for another analyte can also be performed in the sample liquid.
US09618505B2

The invention generally provides two-component molecular biosensors. In particular, the invention provides molecular biosensors having peptide epitope binding agents that bind a target antibody. The molecular biosensors are useful in several methods including in the identification and quantification of target molecules.
US09618495B2

A carbon quantifying cell (20) configured to receive a fluid is provided, including two or more electrodes (22) positioned at least partially in the fluid, and meter electronics (21) configured to place an electrical oxidization, polarization, and/or adsorption program across the two or more electrodes (22) and at least partially oxidize carbon materials in the fluid, apply an AC voltage of a predetermined amplitude across the two or more electrodes (22), measuring the resulting AC current across the two or more electrodes (22), wherein a ratio of amplitudes and a phase angle difference provides information for calculating a fluid impedance, receive an electrical response of the fluid to the electrical oxidization, polarization, and/or adsorption program, quantify the carbon materials in the fluid using the electrical response, and detect interfering materials in the fluid using the fluid impedance.
US09618488B2

A mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising a separation device arranged and adapted to emit an eluent over a period of time. The separation device preferably comprises a Capillary Electrophoresis (“CE”) separation device. The mass spectrometer further comprises a nebuliser and a target. Eluent emitted by the separation device is nebulised, in use, by the nebuliser wherein a stream of analyte droplets are directed to impact upon the target so as to ionise the analyte to form a plurality of analyte ions.
US09618470B2

Methods and systems are provided for an engine coupled temperature-based humidity sensor. Degradation of the humidity sensor may be determined while flowing gasses into an engine intake air downstream of a humidity sensor and upstream of a compressor, indicating humidity sensor degradation when relative humidity readings change by less than a threshold while temperature at the sensor changes greater than a second threshold.
US09618456B2

A humidity indicating card includes a humidity indicator and a security device.
US09618455B2

A clam-shell luminometer that, when closed, completely encloses an assay reaction mixture-containing reaction vessel and some portion of a reaction carousel or ring. The luminometer includes first and second portions that are coupled to each other, a photomultiplier tube, and plural fiber optic bundles that are optically coupled to the photomultiplier tube. First ends of the fiber optic bundles are disposed adjacent to the reaction vessel in the second portion so that the fiber optic bundles completely surround the perimeter or periphery of the reaction vessel.
US09618450B2

An optical sensor may include multiple optical emitters configured to emit light into a fluid sample via an optical pathway. Light from the emitters can cause fluorescence from the sample and/or scatter off of the sample. Scattered and fluoresced light can be received by an optical detector in the sensor via the optical pathway, and used to determine at least one characteristic of the fluid sample. A second optical detector can provide reference measurements of the amount of light emitted to the sample. In one example, the optical detector can detect scattered and fluoresced light simultaneously. In another example, light is emitted and detected alternatingly. The sensor can be part of a system that includes one or more controllers configured to control the emitting and detecting of light to and from the fluid sample. The controller can use detected light to determine at least one characteristic of the fluid sample.
US09618446B2

A wellbore tool for determining a speed of sound of a fluid sample, such as a hydrocarbon sample or a wellbore fluid, is described herein. The wellbore tool includes a photoacoustic system for analyzing the fluid sample. The photoacoustic system includes a laser system that generates a laser pulse, an interface disposed between the fluid sample and the laser system, and an acoustic detector that receives an acoustic pulse that is generated in response to absorption of the laser pulse. The acoustic pulse is generated when the laser pulse is absorbed by the fluid sample or the interface. This acoustic pulse then moves through the fluid sample and is detected by the acoustic detector. The acoustic pulse is then used to determine a speed of sound of the fluid sample.
US09618441B2

A method for determination of pore-size distribution in a porous material called evapo porometry (EP) is capable of determining pore sizes from approximately the nanometer scale up to the micron scale. EP determines the pore size based on the evaporative mass loss at constant temperature from porous materials that have been pre-saturated with either a wetting or non-wetting volatile liquid. The saturated porous material is placed in an appropriate test cell on a conventional microbalance to measure liquid mass loss at a constant temperature as a function of time. The mass-loss rate is then related to the pore-size distribution. The microbalance permits measuring the mass as a function of time. The slope of the mass versus time curve is the evaporation rate. The evaporation rate is related to the vapor pressure at the interface between the liquid in the porous material and the ambient gas phase. The vapor pressure in turn is related to the pore diameter.
US09618417B2

Improved gas leak detection from moving platforms is provided. Automatic horizontal spatial scale analysis can be performed in order to distinguish a leak from background levels of the measured gas. Source identification can be provided by using isotopic ratios and/or chemical tracers to distinguish gas leaks from other sources of the measured gas. Multi-point measurements combined with spatial analysis of the multi-point measurement results can provide leak source distance estimates. These methods can be practiced individually or in any combination.
US09618416B2

A crosstalk correction coefficient of a multi component force detector provided in a rolling resistance testing machine is calibrated. A method of calibrating a multi component force detector provided in a rolling resistance testing machine including a spindle shaft to which a tire is attached, a running drum with a simulation road surface on which the tire is pressed, and a rotation torque meter provided in a rotation shaft of the running drum; in which, in performing a process of calculating a force acting on the tire from a measurement value of the multi component force detector by using a crosstalk correction coefficient that corrects an influence of crosstalk occurring in the multi component force detector, the crosstalk correction coefficient is calibrated by using a rolling test data including a rotation torque measured by the rotation torque meter and a force measured by the multi component force detector.
US09618414B2

A device for determining a pressure and a method for manufacturing the same, having a housing including a cavity, a sensor device including a first sealing structure which engages with the housing so that an opening of the cavity is closable with the aid of the sensor device, in which the sensor device is configured for determining a pressure which is applied to the cavity, and a sealing device situated between the housing and the sensor device and configured for pressing the first sealing structure on the housing by exerting a contact force on the sensor device.
US09618413B2

A high pressure media storage vessel including a wall made of at least one layer with barrier and piezoelectric properties.
US09618408B2

A system includes a magnetostrictive sensor having a sensor head including a driving pole. The driving pole includes a driving coil that may receive a driving current and may emit a magnetic flux portion through a rotary structure. The sensor head also includes a sensing pole including a sensing coil that may receive the magnetic flux portion and may transmit a signal based at least in part on the received magnetic flux portion. The received magnetic flux portion is based at least in part on a force on the rotary structure. The sensor head also includes a temperature sensor disposed on the sensor head. The temperature sensor may measure a temperature of the rotary structure.
US09618406B2

A sensor element (1) includes a substrate (2) and a strain-sensitive element (3) which is preferably applied to the substrate by means of thin-film technology and is used for measuring the deformation of the substrate (2) when pressure is applied or a force is introduced, the strain-sensitive element (3) including XAlOyN1-y, wherein X is a metal with a high melting temperature in the range of greater than 1400° C. and 0
US09618403B2

Strain sensors are provided that include a flexible substrate, a sheet affixed to the flexible substrate, and two or more microelectrodes printed at spaced locations onto either the sheet or the flexible substrate, wherein the sheet includes a carbon nanotube network, the sheet having a top side and an opposing second side. The two or more microelectrodes are printed at spaced locations onto the top side of the sheet or onto a side of the flexible substrate facing the second side of the sheet. Methods are provided for fabricating a strain sensor wherein the sheet is arranged between the printed microelectrodes and the flexible substrate or wherein the second side of the sheet is arranged atop or across the printed microelectrodes. Methods are also provided for measuring strain in a structure via the strain sensors affixed or integrated therein.
US09618401B2

The technology provides an external device for estimating a core body temperature of a human subject. The wrist monitor device includes a casing sized and shaped to fit onto a wrist of a human subject. The casing has a first face and a second face. In addition there is a cavity in the casing that houses a heat trap. The heat trap has an opening oriented to receive incoming thermal energy from the skin and a shell of a thermal-insulation material that has an inner thermal energy-reflective surface. Detected temperature data is compiled in a database and used to estimate whether an identified individual has a core body temperature indicative of a fever.
US09618400B2

In one aspect, a temperature detection circuit includes a first circuit configured to provide a first signal and a comparator circuit configured to provide a warning signal in response to the first signal if a temperature reaches a temperature value. The first signal enables determination of a parameter of a magnetic sensor.
US09618397B2

A multi-stage temperature indicating device having a first elongate housing and an indicator assembly, the indicator assembly being slidably positioned in a first bore of the first elongate housing and having a middle indicator stem and an inner indicator stem. The multi-stage temperature indicating device also has a means for urging an inner indicator stem, to a second set stroke, out of the middle indicator stem, and for sliding the middle indicator stem, to a first set stroke, out of the first elongate housing.
US09618389B2

Apparatuses and methods are provided that minimize the effects of dark-current pulses. For example, in one embodiment of the invention, a method is provided where a first pixel is struck (i.e., a primary pixel). Pixels struck within a fixed time frame after the primary pixel is struck are referred to as secondary pixels. After a short fixed time frame has expired, the number of primary and secondary pixels is added. If the count exceeds a threshold, the primary pixel was activated by the first (or early) photon from a true gamma event. If the threshold is not met then it is likely the primary pixel generated a dark pulse that should be ignored.
US09618388B2

An adjustment circuit for measuring an optical parameter is disclosed. The adjustment circuit includes an optical sensing module for detecting an optical signal and converting the detected optical signal into a voltage signal; an amplification module for amplifying the voltage signal; an A/D conversion module for converting the amplified voltage signal into a digital signal; a control module for analyzing the digital signal for generating an analyzed result; a signal generating module for outputting a frequency square wave signal according to the analyzed result; and an adjustment module for adjusting an amplification factor of the amplification module according to the frequency square wave signal. The circuit of the present disclosure is easy, and an automatic measurement can be implemented.
US09618385B2

Provided is a measuring apparatus capable of measuring a vibration amount weighted with characteristics of vibration transmission to a human ear and capable of evaluating correctly an electronic device having a vibrator.A measuring apparatus 10 configured to evaluate an electronic device 100 that transmits vibration sound to a human ear by pressing a vibrator 102 held in a housing 101 thereto, including an ear simulator 50 that mimics a human ear, and a vibration detection unit 55 disposed on a periphery 52 of an artificial ear canal 53 formed in the ear simulator 50.
US09618384B2

An acoustic measurement system for detecting locked blade assemblies in a gas turbine having a plurality of blade assemblies. The system includes at least one acoustic sensor for detecting acoustic energy generated as a result of movement of the blade assemblies during a turning gear operation. In addition, the system includes a housing for holding the acoustic sensor, wherein the housing is mounted to an outer diffuser of the gas turbine. The housing also includes a rotatable joint for enabling rotation of the acoustic sensor. Further, the system includes a data acquisition unit that detects an absence of acoustic energy wherein the absence of acoustic energy is indicative of locked blade assemblies. The blade assemblies are locked due to wedging of a sealing pin between the blade assemblies. The acoustic energy is detected in a frequency range of approximately 0.9 kHz to 10 kHz.
US09618359B2

Various systems and methods for improving map and navigation data are described herein. An electronic navigation system for improving map and navigation data comprises a database access module to access a database of physiological information to obtain a biometric value, the biometric value associated with a location and a time; a processing module to determine whether the biometric value violates a threshold; and a display module to display a notification on a map when the threshold is violated, the map including an area around the location associated with the biometric value, and the notification displayed proximate to the location associated with the biometric value.
US09618353B2

A device 20 for requesting a vehicle to a location associated with the device. The device 20 comprises input means 126 arranged to generate a vehicle request upon receipt of a user input, said device 20 being arranged to allow at least a second vehicle request to be generated using the input means before the vehicle associated with a first vehicle request has departed from the location associated with the device. The device 20 is arranged, for each vehicle request, to generate a message indicative of the status of the vehicle request and to display the generated message on a display 124. The device is arranged to stop displaying the message on the display 124 when the requested vehicle departs from the location.
US09618351B1

Methods and apparatuses for power saving during sensor-assisted Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation using a mobile device are presented. The methods may include receiving location improvement data for a geographic location, the location improvement data including a value corresponding to improvement in accuracy for location data for the geographic location. The mobile device may utilize the location improvement data to determine whether to utilize inertial sensors in the mobile device to improve the accuracy of the position fix.
US09618348B1

A loading machine may include a position sensor associated with a bucket. The position sensor may be configured to generate position and orientation data of the bucket. The loading machine may also include a computer including a spotting location module in communication with, at least, the position sensor. The spotting location module may be configured to: receive the position and orientation data of the bucket generated by the position sensor; determine a spot point based on the received position and orientation data of the bucket; store the spot point; and associate the stored spot point with a subsequent location when the loading machine relocates.
US09618341B2

Visual codes are scanned to assist navigation. The visual code may be a Quick Response (QR) code that contains information useful to calibrating a variety of navigation-based sensors such as gyroscopes, e-compasses, and barometric pressure sensors. In an embodiment, an imaging device, an gyroscope, and a processor are elements of a system. The processor is coupled to the imaging device and the gyroscope. The processor causes the imaging device to scan a visual code. Based on scanning the visual code, the processor causes the gyroscope to be calibrated.
US09618336B2

There is provided a measuring device that includes a first measuring unit that measures a distance between a measurement reference point and an intersection of a plane and a line passing through the measurement reference point, a calculator that calculates angles formed by the plane and the intersection; and a second measuring unit that measures an object using data of the distance or the angles.
US09618329B2

An optical inspection probe for obtaining and providing images of an object to be inspected. The optical inspection probe comprises an imaging assembly for capturing an image of an object and an illumination assembly for producing a light beam directed toward the object. The optical inspection probe is configured such that the light beam converges to a focal point at a first focal plane.
US09618319B2

Volumetric distribution of a micromechanical parameter of a biological tissue, such as viscoelastic parameter or tissue stiffness, is determined, with microscopic resolution, from optical data representing light scattered by sequential layers of the tissue and, optionally, displayed to visualization. A particular layer of the tissue is defined through coherence-gating of light received at the optical detector. Coherence-gating is achieved with the use of an interferometer the sample arm of which contains the tissue, illuminated with defocused light, and an optical length of a reference arm of which is repeatedly adjusted, within a coherence length of used light, to ensure that each of the sequential optical interferograms represents light scattered only by a particular tissue layer a position of which is re-defined through the tissue via such adjustment.
US09618311B2

A blast treatment method for blasting an object includes: a step in which an explosive is detonated inside a pressure vessel (30) which has an elasto-plastic metal, thereby imparting to the pressure vessel (30) an initial load wherein the primary and secondary stress generated in at least a portion of the pressure vessel becomes high enough to be in a plastic region exceeding the elastic region, thereby generating a shakedown state in the pressure vessel (30); and a subsequent step in which a treatment explosive (50) is detonated within the pressure vessel (30), thereby blasting the object (10).
US09618299B1

An arm is attached to a mounting body at a first attachment. The arm is configured and arranged to move between an open position and a closed position. The arm has a first surface that in combination with a second surface on the mounting body forms a cavity for holding a fixed blade knife in a locked position when the arm is attached to the mounting body at a second attachment.
US09618291B1

A gun rest system includes a weighted substance and a rifle. A mount is provided and the rifle is positioned on the mount thereby facilitating the mount to restrain the rifle. The mount is substantially hollow such that a selected amount of the weighted substance is positionable within the mount. Thus, the mount absorbs recoil from the rifle when the rifle is fired.
US09618288B2

A firearm trigger assembly is disclosed. The disclosed assembly may include a trigger, a disconnect, and a hammer, each of which may be configured to be spring loaded when installed in a firearm receiver. Installation of the trigger assembly in a firearm receiver may include pivotally coupling the trigger and disconnect to the firearm receiver using a trigger pivot pin, and pivotally coupling the hammer to the firearm receiver using a hammer pivot pin. The trigger may include an integral sear feature configured to provide a mechanical stop to the hammer. The disconnect may be configured to be at least partially located in a disconnect slot located alongside or adjacent to the trigger sear feature when the disconnect is pivotally coupled to the trigger. The disconnect and hammer may each include integral cam features configured to buffer hammer contact during firearm recoil.
US09618280B2

A heat exchanger (10) comprises an alternating stacking of first plates (12) and second plates (14) provided respectively with first corrugations (16) separated by a first pitch (P1) and second corrugations (18) separated by a second pitch (P2), which is different from the first pitch (P1). Between the plates, first flow channels are defined having a first cross sectional area adapted to a first fluid (F1) which alternate with second flow channels having a second cross sectional area adapted to a second fluid (F2). The invention applies in particular to heat exchangers for motor vehicles.
US09618277B2

A thermal energy storage installation including a thermal energy storage tank and a spider diffuser system mounted in said tank. The TES tank comprises an outer wall having a generally cylindrical inner surface surrounding a hollow internal space in the tank. The spider diffuser system comprises a centrally disposed manifold structure that is disposed in vertically spaced relationship relative to a thermocline formed in a temperature stratifiable liquid in the space during operation of the tank. The manifold structure has an internal chamber and includes an opening for introduction of a said liquid into the chamber or discharge of a said liquid from the chamber. The spider diffuser system also includes a diffuser pipe assembly comprising a plurality of elongated diffuser legs. Each of the legs is attached to the manifold structure so as to extend generally radially outwardly from the structure and toward the inner surface of the tank. Each of the legs has an internal channel in fluid communication with the chamber. Each leg also has a plurality of apertures distributed along the length thereof, which apertures intercommunicate the channel with the space.
US09618275B1

A heat pipe with a capillary structure that consists of heat conductive capillary grooves in the condenser region that meet with a porous wick in the evaporator section. The embodiments include several structures of the interface at the junction of the porous wick and the capillary grooves. One such interface is a simple butt joint. Others have interlocking shapes on the wick and the grooves such as parts of the wick that fit into or around the grooves.
US09618272B2

This invention provides a temperature and humidity independent control air conditioning system, comprising a high temperature cooling unit, a low temperature cooling unit, a humidity processing unit, and an indoor unit, wherein the coolant with a first temperature provided by the high temperature cooling unit flows into the indoor unit and then its temperature becomes a second temperature; the coolant with a third temperature provided by the low temperature cooling unit flows into the humidity processing unit; the coolant with the second temperature is divided to the low temperature cooling unit. With this invention, temperature and humidity independent control can be realized with high efficiency.
US09618271B2

A device for the exchange of heat between a first and a second medium with pairs of trays stacked one on top of the other in a stacking direction is provided, wherein a first flow chamber that can be flowed through by a first medium is provided between the two trays of at least one pair of trays or several pairs of trays and a second flow chamber that can be flowed through by a second medium is provided between two pairs of trays adjacent to one another, wherein the first flow chamber has first flow path with flow path sections that can be flowed through consecutively in opposite directions for the first medium, which are separated from one another by a division wall arranged between the at least two trays of the at least one pair of trays, and wherein the second flow chamber has a second flow path for the second medium.
US09618267B2

Graphite is produced from powder as a carbon source by means of a graphitization furnace. The graphitization furnace is comprised of: an electrically conductive crucible including a hollow configured to house the powder; an electrode including a columnar shaft and a head provided at an end of the shaft, the head having a shape selected from the group consisting of a sphere, a hemisphere, a column with a rounded edge, a cone, and a cone with a rounded tip; and a power source configured to apply electric current to the powder through the crucible and the electrode.
US09618255B2

A personal safety system in the form of a refuge chamber includes at least one main room and a cooling device provided for cooling the ambient air of the main room in the form of a CO2 cooling system (10). The CO2 cooling system (10) has a heat exchanger (28) and a first and a second pressure reducer (20, 32) upstream and downstream of heat exchanger (28), respectively. The heat exchanger (28) has a plurality of alternatingly or cyclically usable cooling coils. A process is provided for the operation of such a refuge chamber.
US09618237B2

An air conditioner includes a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor heat exchanger, a converting unit, an accumulator, and injection module, a supercooling valve, and an injection valve. The injection module expands and vaporizes a portion of refrigerant flowing from the indoor heat exchanger to the outdoor heat exchanger in the heating operation. The supercooling valve is disposed between the injection module and the accumulator and is opened to direct the portion of the refrigerant vaporized in the injection module to the accumulator in the heating operation and then closed after a predetermined time passes. The injection valve is disposed between the injection module and the compressor and is opened when the supercooling valve is closed in the heating operation, thereby injecting the portion of the refrigerant vaporized in the injection module to the compressor.
US09618226B2

An air-conditioning system integrated with an application program (APP) of a smart portable device comprises at least an air-conditioning controller, an APP and a plurality of air-conditioning devices. The air-conditioning controller comprises a temperature sensor, provided for sensing an environment temperature so as to transmit a temperature signal. The APP is installed on a smart portable device such that the APP can transmit an operation signal to the air-conditioning controller according to the temperature signal via the smart portable device. The air-conditioning controller further transmits a control signal to the plurality of air-conditioning devices such that the air-conditioning devices can be operated according to the control signal.
US09618222B1

The SmartVent and Atmospheric Controller Apparatuses, Methods and Systems (“SmartVent”) transforms user desired environmental setting and SmartVent measurement inputs via SmartVent components into SmartVent adjustment messages and environmental change outputs. In one embodiment, a SmartVent system may include a self-regulating HVAC system, comprising a plurality of smart HVAC vents disposed in wireless communication with a remote computing device. Where the remote computing device a includes a memory and a processor disposed in communication with the memory, configured to record calibration data from each of said plurality of smart HVAC vents. The calibration data may include temperature and flow rate data from each of said plurality of smart HVAC vents. The system may generate calibration tables in accordance with the recorded calibration data and transmit instructions to each of the plurality of smart HVAC vents to optimize thermal conditions and energy efficiency of the HVAC system, in accordance with said calibration tables.
US09618218B2

Provided is an air conditioner which comprises multiple outdoor units, the air conditioner being configured so that, with the use of a low cost configuration, required refrigeration machine oil is supplied to all the outdoor units through refrigerant piping and so that the air conditioner has increased reliability. An air conditioner is provided with multiple indoor units and with four outdoor units which are connected to the multiple indoor units through refrigerant piping. A line of first refrigerant piping leading from the multiple indoor units is branched into two lines of second refrigerant piping, each of the two lines of second refrigerant piping is branched into two lines of third refrigerant piping, and the four lines of third refrigerant piping are respectively connected to the four outdoor units.
US09618212B2

An oven includes a compartment enclosed on all sides and defining an interior therein, a heating element operable to heat air within the interior of compartment, and a fan disposed in fluid communication with the interior of the compartment. The fan is operable to cause air to flow across the heating element and toward the front region of the compartment. The oven includes a plurality of profile elements disposed on a panel at the front region of the compartment. The profile elements are structurally configured to direct air received at the panel from the fan back toward the fan through the interior of the oven in a more uniform spatial distribution than would result from a flat panel.
US09618210B2

A user interface for an induction heating cooker, a method of controlling the same and an induction heating cooker thereof are provided. The user interface, if a drag touch signal of a drag touch from one position to another position on a display unit is sensed, is configured to change power levels of all of coils in operation to a predetermined reference power level and displays the changed power level. The induction heating cooker is configured to supply the coils with a power corresponding to the reference power level, thereby controlling all of the coils with one drag touch and enabling enhanced security while in a rapid manner.
US09618209B2

A fuel injector for a combustor of a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The fuel injector includes a gas outer tube, a gas inner tube, a liquid tube, and a heat shield. The gas outer tube and the gas inner tube form a gas fuel annulus. The gas inner tube and the liquid tube form a liquid fuel annulus. The liquid tube forms an air cavity. The heat shield extends within the liquid tube forming an insulating gap between the heat shield and the liquid tube.
US09618196B2

The present invention relates to the technical field of heating equipment, and particularly to a steam generator, comprising a shell and a heater fixed inside the shell, a gasification chamber for generating steam being formed between the heater and the shell, the gasification chamber being provided with a water inlet and a steam outlet. The gasification chamber comprises stepped or labyrinthic steam passages. As the gasification chamber inside the steam generator provided by the present invention comprises stepped or labyrinthic steam passages, heat both inside and outside the heating element is fully utilized, the steam passage is lengthened, and both the pressure and temperature are increased; consequently, high-temperature steam may be provided. Moreover, the time for ejecting steam is greatly shortened just several seconds from feeding water to ejecting steam, with high heat utilization efficiency. Moreover, the steam generator is small in size.
US09618189B1

A luminaire can comprise an optic that extends lengthwise within a linear cavity of a frame of the luminaire. The optic can comprise a diffuser, such as a sheet of diffusing acrylic material, for example. The optic can have edges located at opposing ends of the linear cavity. The luminaire can comprise a cover for each of the two ends of the linear cavity. The covers can cover the edges of the optic, so that at each cavity end, there is an overlap between the optic and the cover. The overlap can provide a gap that compensates for thermal expansion and contraction of the optic relative to the frame, which may have a metal composition. One or more magnets can removably attach the cover to the frame of the luminaire.
US09618187B2

An LED light fixture is provided and includes a housing with a circular main body portion with a rear wall. A plurality of fins integrally extends from an outer surface of the rear wall of the main body portion. A spindle with an internal bore integrally extends from the outer surface of the rear wall of the main body portion wherein the spindle is positioned among the fins. A light engine assembly is positioned within the main body portion and includes a plurality of LED light modules mounted to a printed circuit board. Each module comprises a LED and a lens extending from the printed circuit board, wherein the printed circuit board resides against an inner surface of the rear wall. An separate enclosure configured to enclose power management components is connected to a rear portion of the housing proximate the fins. The enclosure includes a housing wall arrangement and leads that extend through both an opening in the housing wall and the internal bore of the spindle, past the rear wall of the main body portion and to the printed circuit board.
US09618183B2

A light-emitting system for emitting light, comprising: (a) at least one light-emitting diode (LED) configured to emit LED light; (b) at least one optical element optically coupled to said at least one LED and configured to direct a first fraction of said LED light along a first optical path and a second fraction of said LED light along a second optical path; and (c) a color modification element disposed along said second optical path and configured to modify the spectrum of said second fraction of said LED light to emit modified light.
US09618181B2

A light emitting module includes a circuit board, a light emitting device mounted on the circuit board, and a lens dispersing light emitted from the light emitting device. The lens includes a lower surface formed with a concave section defining a light incident surface through which light enters the lens, an upper surface through which light exits the lens, and legs coupled to the circuit board and disposed farther outside the lens than an area of the upper surface. The light emitting device is disposed within the concave section of the lens.
US09618180B2

An area light source device has a transfer-molded optical member, and a light source disposed in a position facing at least one of end faces of the optical member. Light incident to the optical member from the light source is output through a light exit surface of the optical member. A cutting back clearance portion is provided in at least one of corner portions of the end face of the optical member.
US09618177B2

A ventilation structure of a light fixture for a vehicle comprising a light fixture for a vehicle at which a suction port and an exhaust port are provided; a tube member having an upstream side opening portion into which traveling wind, that is taken-in when a vehicle travels, is introduced, and a downstream side opening portion from which the traveling wind is discharged; and a communication tube, one end portion thereof is connected to the exhaust port of the light fixture for a vehicle, and other end portion thereof is connected between the upstream side opening portion and the downstream side opening portion of the tube member, the other end portion extends into an interior of the tube member and opens toward a downstream side in a direction of passage of the traveling wind.
US09618176B2

The invention relates to a ventilation system for vehicle lighting systems having a housing opening with a protruding opening wall and a ventilation body, which is fixed to the housing opening by engagement with an inner part. The ventilation body and the housing opening have walls for forming a ventilation duct with a plurality of direction changes between an edge of the ventilation body and an aperture of the housing opening, wherein an inner part and an outer part which surround the opening wall of the housing opening have walls, which respectively sectionally lie circumferentially sealingly against the opening wall of the housing opening, and wherein the ventilation body and the housing opening are formed such that the ventilation body can be brought from an unlocked position into a locked position or vice versa by rotation according to a predetermined angle of rotation relative to the housing opening.
US09618168B1

An LED tube lamp includes a glass tube, two end caps, a power supply, and an LED light strip. The glass tube includes a main body region, two rear end regions, and two transition regions connecting the main body region and the rear end regions. The end cap is disposed at one end of the glass tube and the power supply is provided inside the end cap. The LED light strip is disposed inside the glass tube and has LED light sources disposed thereon. The LED light strip includes a bendable circuit sheet mounted on inner surface of the glass tube. The bendable circuit sheet of the LED light strip is formed with a freely extending end portion at one end, and the freely extending end portion is electrically connected to the power supply. The glass tube and the end cap are secured by a hot melt adhesive.
US09618167B2

A lighting fixture can comprise a flexible substrate and an array of light emitting diodes (LEDs) coupled to the flexible substrate. In various embodiments, the array of LEDs can be disposed at one region of the flexible substrate, with another area of the flexible substrate free from LEDs. Light emitted from the LED array can be incident upon the area that is free from LEDs, and that area can manage the incident light to achieve a desired effect. Accordingly, the flexible substrate can filter, diffuse, refract, transmit, diffract, imprint information upon, or otherwise purposely manipulate light generated by associated LEDs The flexible substrate may be manipulated into different forms for different lighting fixtures styles and models and for different applications.
US09618162B2

A LED lamp for use in an existing light fixture having an electrical receptacle comprises an at least partially optically transmissive enclosure and a base having an external size that may be the same size or smaller than an external size of the electrical receptacle. A LED assembly is operable to emit light when energized through an electrical path from the base. The base comprises a universal mounting mechanism for mounting the lamp to the light fixture. A surge protector and an electrical connector are positioned at least partially in the base and are in the electrical path. A heat sink comprises a first portion in the enclosure for supporting the LED assembly and a second portion external of the enclosure for dissipating heat. The base is connected to the heat sink.
US09618155B2

A lubrication unit for delivering lubricant in a system and a method for controlling the unit. The lubrication unit includes a reservoir, a motor, and a pump. The lubrication unit has a flow rate sensor mounted downstream from the pump for measuring a flow rate of lubricant. The lubrication unit includes a control unit operatively connected to the flow rate sensor and the motor for controlling operation of the motor. The control unit includes an input selector for selecting at least one characteristic selected from a group consisting of a volume and a flow rate of lubricant pumped by the pump. The control unit adjusts motor speed to obtain the selected characteristic.
US09618153B2

An adjustable mounting clip for an electronic device, such as a cellular telephone or smart phone. The mounting clip may be adapted to be supported by a flexible support apparatus, such as a tripod. The mounting clip may support a variety of electronic device types with an automatically adjusting variable device receiver. The mounting clip may be adapted to retract into a compact stowed position when not in use.
US09618144B2

A duct includes a number of wall sections which are at least partly produced from fiber material and a binder agent. Together, the wall sections define a closed, elongate flow space. The wall sections which meet one another are united by the intermediary of at least one longitudinal fold or joint line. In the fiber material and the binder agent of the duct, there are disposed longitudinal rigidifying elements. On the outside of the duct, there are longitudinal bead-liked projections which include the fiber material and the binder agent.
US09618134B2

The present invention provides a lockout device and system that can be attached directly to open piping undergoing maintenance or repair and that can be directly under the supervision of the individual that is performing the maintenance.
US09618130B1

A multifunctional valve features a pumping function and a vacuuming function. The valve can be implemented in any closed container having a removable lid or a bag having a resealable zipper or any other similar sealable feature. The valve also features a tethered plug to additionally provide sealing. The valve incorporates a spacer or washer when used in thin walls to provide support. When the valve is used with a bag, the spacer or washer incorporates footing so that the valve does not collapse on its own when the valve is used in conjunction with a vacuum pump or a gas pump.
US09618124B2

The present invention relates to a mechanical seal assembly, comprising: a rotating seal ring (2) and a stationary seal ring (3), which define a sealing gap (4) thereinbetween, a shaft bush (6), on which the rotating seal ring (2) is arranged, a carrier ring (5), which is arranged on the shaft bush (6) and at least partly covers the rotating seal ring (2) on the outer circumference thereof, a first O-ring (8) and a second O-ring (9), which are arranged between the rotating seal ring (2) and the carrier ring (5) and define an interspace (15) on the outer circumference of the rotating seal ring (2) between the carrier ring (5) and the rotating seal ring (2), and at least one connecting opening (11), which connects the interspace (15) to an outer circumferential surface of the carrier ring (5).
US09618118B2

An air seal assembly for an aircraft control surface comprises a bulb-type air seal, a mounting bracket and a fastener. The bulb-type air seal has a hollow bulb portion, a T-shaped mounting extension, and a first through hole extending through the T-shaped mounting extension. The mounting bracket has a T-shaped channel configured to slidingly receive the T-shaped mounting extension of the air seal and a second through hole. The fastener has a head at one end and an opposite exposed end sized for extending through the first through hole in the T-shaped mounting extension and through the second through hole in the mounting bracket. The exposed end is accessible to tighten the fastener against the bracket to keep the air seal in place within the T-shaped channel.
US09618117B2

An oil seal has a lip seal member, a slinger and a dust cover. The slinger has a thread groove carrying out a pumping action toward a diametrically outer side. The dust cover achieves a dust shake-off action by a centrifugal force at the shaft rotating time, and a labyrinth seal action by forming a micro gap in relation to the lip seal member. The lip seal member has a main lip and a dust lip. The elastic dust lip has a first bellows portion receiving an atmospheric pressure by an inner surface and receiving an internal pressure between the lips by an outer surface, a second bellows portion receiving the atmospheric pressure by an outer surface and receiving the internal pressure between the lips by an inner surface, and a lip end. A pressure receiving area of the first bellows portion is greater than the second bellows portion.
US09618114B2

A hydraulic control system for a vehicle having a continuously variable transmission in which a torque transmitting capacity thereof is changed hydraulically, and an engagement device which is connected to the continuously variable transmission in series and in which a torque transmitting capacity thereof is changed hydraulically. The hydraulic control system comprises a selecting means that selects a command pattern for setting an engagement pressure of the engagement device out of a plurality of patterns when an initial pressure is lower than a steady pressure for a normal running of the vehicle. The selecting means is configured to select the command pattern in such a manner that the torque transmitting capacity of the engagement device does not exceeds the torque transmitting capacity of the continuously variable transmission, based on at least any of conditions of the initial pressure that is lowered to be lower than the steady pressure, and a rotational speed of the continuously variable transmission.
US09618099B2

A tensioner comprising a shaft, a base, a pivot arm pivotally engaged with the base, a pulley journalled to the pivot arm, a first spring urging a first damping member into a frictional engagement with the pivot arm, the first spring engaged with the base, the first damping member imparting a damping force greater in a first pivot arm direction than in a second pivot arm direction, and a second spring disposed in the pivot arm and urging a second damping member into a frictional engagement with a base surface, the base surface comprises an arcuate form having a radius that is variable from a minimum value to a maximum value.
US09618088B2

A multi-speed transmission in planetary design for a vehicle with a housing includes a first shaft provided as a drive and a second shaft provided as an output that is arranged axially parallel to the drive. Three planetary gear sets and additional shafts along with six shifting elements are provided, through which the actuation of several gears are realized. Machine elements are provided for the transfer of torque between the drive and the output. The first shaft is connectable, as a drive, to the sun gear of the third planetary gear set, to the planetary gear carrier of the second planetary gear set, to the planetary gear carrier of the third planetary gear set, and is connectable or connected to the sun gear of the first planetary gear set. The second shaft is connected or connectable, as a drive, to the first machine element and to the second machine element.
US09618086B2

Disclosed is a dual-clutch transmission, using two input shafts (1, 2) and two driving shafts (3, 18), realizing seven forward gears (D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, D7) and a reverse gear (R), eliminating a special reverse gear shaft for the reverse gear (R), and using eight synchronizers (S1, S2, S3, S4) to control the switching of all of the eight gears, namely the seven forward gears (D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, D7) and the reverse gear (R), wherein part of the gears share a driving gear, so that the quantity of total parts and the axial length of the transmission are reduced; since the diameters of driven gears (14, 15, 16) of low-speed gears are relatively large, engagement sleeves of the corresponding synchronizers (S2, S3) can be arranged on the inner sides of the driven gears (14, 15, 16) according to structural arrangement requirements, so that an axial space is greatly saved; and the reverse gear shaft and a gear thereon are eliminated, the saved space facilitates the arrangement of a gear shaft fork mechanism, the supporting point of a gear shift fork can be close to the centers of the driving shafts (3, 18) and a gear shift execution mechanism in the absence of obstructions of the reverse gear shaft and the gear thereon, which is beneficial to the force distribution of the shift fork mechanism.
US09618083B2

The invention relates to an adjustment mechanism that includes a set ring gears which are arranged coaxially towards a central axis and which each include a cylindrical toothing system, two eccentric wheels with beveloid gears which mesh with the cylindrical toothing systems of the ring gears, eccentric axes which are inclined at an angle towards the central axis, and a central shaft that is driven by a drive shaft onto which the eccentric wheels are mounted. The set of ring gears include a center ring gear that is circulating and two outer neighboring ring gears which are solidly fixed.
US09618082B2

A worm gear includes a worm formed with a through hole through which a shaft transmitting the rotation of a motor is inserted, and a worm wheel configured to mesh with the worm and transmit the rotation to an output shaft. Given that a normal pitch is denoted by E and a width of a recess in the direction of a worm axis by H, the worm is configured such that H/E≧0.6 (1) is met.
US09618078B2

A vibration isolator includes: a pair of opposing members fixed to a vehicle body of the vehicle to be located on both sides of a protrusion protruding from an outer circumferential edge of the power train in a direction perpendicular to the principal axes of inertia to oppose to each other in the direction about the principal axes of inertia; a precompressed part provided on part of each of the opposing members facing the protrusion to be precompressed by the opposing member and the protrusion in the direction about the principal axes of inertia; and a contacting part provided on part of each of the opposing members facing the protrusion to be spaced from the protrusion, and contacts the protrusion when the power train vibrates in the direction about the principal axes of inertia.
US09618074B2

A tubular-shaped shock absorbing member arranged at a side end portion of a vehicle, includes outer and inner wall portions each extending in a vehicle height direction and a vehicle front-and-rear direction, the inner wall portion being arranged on a center portion side of the vehicle, an upper wall portion connected to upper end portions of the inner and outer wall portions, a lower wall portion connected to lower end portions of the inner and outer wall portions, and a horizontal rib connected to the inner and outer wall portions. A distance between the upper and lower wall portions is decreased as approaching from the inner wall portion side to the outer wall portion side. A thickness of a part of the horizontal rib connected to the outer wall portion, is larger than a thickness of a part of the horizontal rib connected to the inner wall portion.
US09618073B2

A shock absorber comprising a tubular first portion in the form of a shock absorber casing telescopically receiving a tubular second portion in the form of a piston is disclosed. The first portion has an alignment member which encapsulates a friction element wrapped around said second portion. The alignment member is longitudinally movable in between a first stop bearing and a second stop bearing. The novel friction element has a plurality of tips or protrusions which extend, parallel to the longitudinal direction of the piston, towards the two stop bearings and which hit either of said bearings during the oscillatory back and forth movement of the alignment member during operation.
US09618068B2

In various embodiments, the present disclosure provides wet rotating disc engagement systems, e.g., a wet brake systems and/or wet clutch systems, for mobile platforms and/or stationary platforms, wherein the system comprises a plurality of first heat pipes having evaporator ends disposed within a plurality of first discs of the wet rotating disc engagement system and/or a plurality of second heat pipes having evaporator ends disposed within a plurality of second discs of the wet rotating disc engagement system. Additionally, condenser ends of the first and/or second heat pipes are disposed within oil retained within an oil reservoir of the wet rotating disc engagement system.
US09618064B2

In one aspect, a computer-implemented method for preventing centrifugal clutch lock-ups within a work vehicle transmission may generally include transmitting a signal associated with disengaging a clutch of the transmission, wherein the clutch includes a hydraulic actuator having a pressure relief valve. The method may also include monitoring a pressure of the hydraulic fluid supplied to the actuator relative to a predetermined pressure threshold and monitoring a rotational speed of a clutch can associated with the clutch relative to a predetermined speed threshold, wherein the speed threshold is defined relative to a lock-up speed associated with the clutch can. In addition, the method may include transmitting a lock-up signal associated with limiting the rotational speed of the clutch can and/or providing an indication that a clutch lock-up is likely to occur when the pressure exceeds the pressure threshold and the rotational speed exceeds the speed threshold.
US09618055B2

A constant-velocity joint includes an inner member. The inner member has holders that hold respective roller assemblies. Each of the holders has contact regions, which are held in abutment against an inner circumferential wall surface of an inner roller of a corresponding one of the roller assemblies, and non-contact regions, which are spaced from the inner circumferential wall surface of the inner roller. The contact regions are formed by first through fourth lobes, and the non-contact regions are formed by first through fourth recesses, for example. Hypothetical tangential lines L1 and L3, which are tangential to the first lobe and the third lobe, extend parallel to the longitudinal directions of respective guide grooves. Hypothetical tangential lines L2 and L4, which are tangential to the second lobe and the fourth lobe, extend perpendicularly to the longitudinal directions of the guide grooves.
US09618039B2

A sleeve bearing comprising a tubular body having an inner surface annularly about a longitudinal axis and an outer surface radially outward from the inner surface. The sleeve bearing includes a first side surface between the inner surface and the outer surface, and a second side surface between the inner surface and the outer surface. The sleeve bearing includes a first inner edge between the first side surface and the inner surface, and a second inner edge between the second side surface and the inner surface. The sleeve bearing includes lubricant reservoirs in the inner surface elongated along an elongation axis. An angle between the elongation axis and the inner edge is between 0 and 90 degrees. The lubricant reservoirs are in an interrupted pattern annularly around the inner surface so a portion of the inner surface between the first inner edge and the second inner edge is uninterrupted.
US09618032B2

The present invention relates to a vacuum absorber, wherein: the assembly of the respective components of the vacuum absorber can be improved and a smooth operation can be carried out; and the vacuum absorber can be firmly and easily attached to an attachment surface by a vacuum absorbing method and an adhesive method. To this end, the present invention provides a vacuum absorber comprising: a cover having a plurality of fixing pieces and a locking protrusion; a suction plate having a central shaft; and a height-adjusting member having an inner plate provided with a plurality of guide portions and an elastic locking piece, and a lateral plate, wherein a plurality of guide groove portions, into which the respective guide portions are inserted, and the locking protrusion sliding along the top of the respective guide portions are respectively protruded from the top of the inner side of the cover, a coupling groove portion is formed on the top of the suction plate, a coupling protrusion and a support portion having a shaft hole are formed on the inner plate of the height-adjusting member, and an adhesive member is attached to the bottom of the suction plate.
US09618018B2

The present disclosure relates to a hydraulic system for construction equipment, and more particularly, to a hydraulic system, in which an actuator is controlled by a pump/motor. The hydraulic system for construction equipment according to the present disclosure includes logic valves in first and second hydraulic lines provided to an actuator, respectively, and when it is desired to operate the actuator in a state where an operation of the actuator is stopped by closing the logic valves, a pressure difference may be resolved by increasing pressure in sections of a pump/motor and the logic valves in advance even if a load is applied to the actuator, and thus the actuator may implement a desired operation without being affected by the load. That is, it is possible to improve operation controllability of the actuator.
US09617999B2

A magnetic coupling, in particular a magnetic coupling pump, includes an inner rotor and an outer rotor which each carry magnets. Disposed between the inner and outer rotors is a double-wall containment shroud, which includes an outer shroud and an inner shroud. Each of the inner and outer shrouds includes a flange, a middle section and a bottom section, wherein a gap is disposed between the middle section and the bottom section. The inner shroud is connected by its flange to the flange of the outer shroud. The gap is filled at least in sections with a solid material.
US09617986B2

A hermetic compressor includes: a main bearing (126) which supports a main shaft (120) of a shaft (119); and a thrust ball bearing at an upper end portion of the main bearing (126). A rotor (116) is fixed to the main shaft (120) via a flange. A rotor core (117) has a magnetic center displaced upward relative to the magnetic center of a stator core (115) so that a downward magnetic attractive force is applied between the rotor (116) and the stator (114). Accordingly, a contact load between steel balls and upper and lower races in the thrust ball bearing is appropriately maintained.
US09617985B2

A compressor having a simplified structure includes a rotation shaft having a spiral groove formed in an outer circumferential surface of the rotation shaft, and a cap member that accommodates a lower portion of the rotation shaft so that the rotation shaft can rotate in the cap member. The cap member may be fixed to one of a stator and a frame such that the cap member does not rotate together with the rotation shaft. Through the simplified structure, oil stored in a sealing case can ascend, and noise caused by rotation of the rotation shaft can be reduced.
US09617980B2

A wind power generating system includes: a wind mill, an induction rotating machine coupled to a rotating shaft of the wind mill; a power converting device that supplies exciting current to the induction rotating machine; a heat medium circulating structure that circulates a heat medium that receives heat generated by the induction rotating machine; a heat accumulator that accumulates heat of the heat medium; a thermal power generator that converts, into electric power, the heat of the heat medium accumulated in the heat accumulator; and an armature control unit that controls the exciting current in accordance with electric power demand of an electric power system. The armature control unit performs one or both of power generation mode control in which the induction rotating machine is operated as a power generator and heat generation mode control in which the induction rotating machine is operated as a heat generator.
US09617978B2

A method for preventing a lateral oscillation of a tower of a wind power installation having at least two rotor blades with adjustable attitude angles includes determining a manipulated variable for setting the attitude angles on the basis of information about a pitch torque and a yaw torque of the head of the tower. In this context, a counteracting torque is generated which counteracts the pitch torque and the yaw torque without exciting a lateral oscillation of the tower if the attitude angles are set on the basis of the manipulated variable.
US09617967B2

Methods and systems are provided for closed-loop adjusting a laser intensity of a laser ignition device of a hybrid vehicle. The laser intensity applied over consecutive laser ignition events is decreased until a flame quality is degraded for a threshold number of cylinder combustion events. The laser intensity is then increased to improve flame quality and the closed-loop adjustment is reiterated.
US09617966B2

A high frequency plasma ignition device for the ignition of a fuel/air mixture in a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, having a series resonant circuit of an electric inductor and an electric capacitor connected in series, and a high frequency generator with a first electrical terminal and a second electrical terminal for the resonant excitation of the series resonant circuit, a first electrical contact point being provided in which one end of the capacitor and one end of the inductor are connected to one another electrically. An electrical connecting device connects the high-frequency generator to the inductor and to the capacitor such that an output signal of the high-frequency generator is applied to the series resonant circuit. An electric voltage is applied across the capacitor for igniting a plasma between free ends of a first and second electrode. An electric voltage is further applied to maintain the plasma after ignition.
US09617963B2

In a fuel injection valve, it is possible to obtain spray in which the penetrating force of injected fuel is suppressed.The fuel injection valve includes a valve seat that forms a gap with a valve body, the gap allowing fuel to pass therethrough, and multiple injection holes that are located further downstream from the gap. The fuel to which pressure is applied flows out from the injection holes.When the flow velocity of the fuel in the gap formed between the valve body and the valve seat is indicated by meters per second, the flow velocity is set to be greater than a value obtained by multiplying the square root of the pressure applied to the fuel by 28. In this manner, the flow velocity in the gap increases, and flow velocity distribution inside the injection hole is uniformized, thereby suppressing an increase in penetration.
US09617951B2

An air flow guide/diverter is disclosed for mounting to a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine. The air diverter directs cooling air to multiple locations on the cylinder head. The air diverter includes a main diverter shield having a proximal end extending from a cooling source to a distal end extending to the rear of the internal combustion engine. The air diverter includes a first arcuate member attached to the main diverter shield between the proximal end and the distal end of the main diverter shield, and a second arcuate member connected to the main diverter shield near the distal end of the main diverter shield. The air flow guide creates multiple channels of air to provide more efficient cooling with little added cost.
US09617944B2

A method of controlling a concentration of hydrocarbons in exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine includes sensing an oxygen percentage of the flow of exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine and determining a concentration of hydrocarbons in the flow of exhaust gas. An engine control module may then adjust the sensed oxygen percentage of the exhaust gas based on the determined concentration of hydrocarbons in the flow of exhaust gas to define a corrected oxygen percentage. The control module may then control at least one of a hydrocarbon injection rate for in-cylinder combustion of the internal combustion engine, and a hydrocarbon injection rate for a post combustion exhaust gas treatment process, based on the corrected oxygen percentage, to control the concentration of hydrocarbons in the exhaust gas.
US09617939B2

A method is provided for determining the velocity of a pintle assembly in a solenoid fuel injector during a closing stroke of the pintle assembly, such that a braking step is performed during the closing stroke, which includes operating an injector driver with a current regulator to establish a braking current in the solenoid coil. The velocity of the pintle assembly is derived from the duty-cycle of the current regulator during the braking step. A method of operating a solenoid fuel injector, in particular for gaseous fuel, using the so-determined pintle velocity is also provided.
US09617938B2

An abnormality diagnosis apparatus includes: an exhaust gas purification apparatus arranged in an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine and including a selective catalytic reduction catalyst; a supply apparatus supplying an additive such as ammonia to the exhaust gas purification apparatus; an EGR apparatus recirculating a part of exhaust gas from the exhaust passage at a downstream side of a position of supplying the additive to an intake passage; calculating means for calculating a NOx inflow amount into the exhaust gas purification apparatus using a parameter indicating an operating state of the internal combustion engine; diagnosing means for diagnosing an abnormality in the exhaust gas purification apparatus using the calculated NOx inflow amount as a parameter; and correcting means for, when a part of the exhaust gas is recirculated, increasingly correcting the calculated NOx inflow amount in accordance with an amount of the additive to be recirculated together with exhaust gas.
US09617934B2

A method for torque control of an internal combustion engine includes a pressure sensor that is associated with at least one, but at the most two cylinders of the internal combustion engine, whereby an cylinder internal pressure for the cylinder associated with the pressure sensor is detected. The method carries out an adjustment of injection characteristics for the injectors allocated to the individual cylinders of the internal combustion engine by way of a method which is independent from the detected cylinder pressure. A torque control for the internal combustion engine is performed based on the detected cylinder pressure.
US09617932B2

A transpiration fuel treatment apparatus, which can lower the internal pressure of a fuel tank in a relatively short time at the time of refueling, is provided. The transpiration fuel treatment apparatus comprises a fuel tank, a first sealing valve for sealing up a transpiration fuel within the fuel tank, and a second sealing valve for sealing up the transpiration fuel within the fuel tank at a position different from the position of the first sealing valve. The first sealing valve and the second sealing valve are opened before refueling of the fuel tank is started.
US09617928B2

Systems are provided for EGR mass and air mass estimation during steady state and transient operations. By utilizing a combination sensor comprising of a manifold absolute pressure sensing element and a differential pressure sensing element sharing a common pressure chamber with connections to the intake manifold, errors in EGR mass estimation may be reduced.
US09617915B2

A method of operating a combined cycle power generating system to increase the operating flexibility of the plant. The method also includes operating a thermal storage unit in a heat storing mode and in a heat releasing mode.
US09617909B2

Methods and systems are provided for controlling a condensate level in a charge air cooler. In one example, a method may include adjusting an air flow to a membrane in response to a condensate level in the charge air cooler.
US09617900B2

A deterioration diagnosis device for an exhaust gas purification apparatus which performs inducement processing when the internal combustion engine is operated at a lean air fuel ratio, measures, by means of air fuel ratio sensors, the air fuel ratio of exhaust gas flowing into the SCR catalyst and the air fuel ratio of exhaust gas flowing out from the SCR catalyst during a period while the inducement processing is performed, and diagnoses deterioration of the SCR catalyst based on a difference between the measured values of these sensors, wherein an amount of hydrogen produced by each of a three-way catalyst and an NSR catalyst is estimated based on the deterioration degree thereof, and an air fuel ratio of exhaust gas discharged from the internal combustion engine is feedback-controlled so that the air fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing into one of the three-way catalyst and the NSR catalyst in which the hydrogen production amount thus estimated is larger than that in the other becomes a target value.
US09617899B2

Various systems and methods are described for a particulate matter sensor coupled to an exhaust system of an engine. One example method comprises, during a measurement mode, generating a particulate flow rate based on the sensor and adjusting one or more engine operating parameters based on the flow rate. The method further includes, during a reduced contamination mode, heating the sensor to repel particulate from the sensor, and not adjusting the one or more operating parameters based on the sensor.
US09617896B2

A catalyst unit may include a carrier, a channel opening portion through which exhaust gas passes, a skin portion that is formed along a circumference and integrally formed with the channel opening portion, and a skin addition portion that is formed with a second thickness on an outside surface of the skin portion. A fabrication device of the catalyst unit may include a container, a masking member, and an elastic member, wherein plugging material flows through opened channels and does not contact the masking member. A manufacturing method of the catalyst unit may include covering the masking member and inserting plugging material into an opened channel. A channel corresponding to a dead zone is plugged and the catalyst coating layer is not formed in the plugged channels, thus reducing the cost of the catalyst.
US09617895B2

A device includes a pipeline section for an exhaust gas flow. The pipeline section has an inlet end, an outlet end, a rectilinear section and a protuberance having an opening for installing a metering device for a liquid additive (in particular urea/water solution) in the rectilinear section. The protuberance has a height and an extent and the extent is at least twice as large as the height. At least one respective disk-shaped honeycomb body is disposed at each of the inlet end and the outlet end. A central axis of the opening is oriented toward one of the disk-shaped honeycomb bodies. A motor vehicle having the device is also provided.
US09617893B2

In an internal combustion engine, a hydrocarbon feed valve and an exhaust purification catalyst are arranged in an engine exhaust passage. A first NOX removal method which reduces NOX contained in an exhaust gas by a reducing intermediate which is generated by injecting hydrocarbons from the hydrocarbon feed valve within a predetermined range of period and a second NOX removal method in which an air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing into the exhaust purification catalyst is made rich by a period which is longer than this predetermined range are used. The switching temperatures ST and ST0 of the exhaust purification catalyst at which temperature an NOX removal method is switched from the second NOX removal method to the first NOX removal method, are made lower if the amount of NOX in the exhaust gas flowing into the exhaust purification catalyst increases.
US09617885B2

A method is made available for monitoring a pressure sensor (18) in a pressure-controlled delivery and metering system for a liquid reactant of a catalytic converter, in particular of an SCR catalytic converter. The delivery and metering system is provided for delivering the reactant from a tank (10) and for metering the reactant via a pressure line (16) and a metering module (19). In order to monitor the pressure sensor (18) which is located in the pressure line (16), a flow rate measurement is carried out in the pressure line (16) and/or in a return path (17) taking into account the relationship between the pressure p and the corresponding flow rate v.
US09617877B2

A valve opening and closing timing control device includes: a driving-side rotating body coaxial with a rotational axis and rotated in synchronization with an internal combustion engine crankshaft; a driven-side rotating body coaxial with the rotational axis and integrally rotated with a valve opening and closing cam shaft; a connecting member screwed into the cam shaft for connecting the driven-side rotating body to the cam shaft and having a pump port to which a fluid is supplied, an advance angle port communicating with an advance angle chamber, and a retarded angle port communicating with an retarded angle chamber; a spool accommodated within a space of the connecting member to reciprocally move between advance angle, neutral, and retarded angle positions along the rotational axis; and an actuator causing a pressing force to act along rotational axis and operates the spool to be in the neutral, advance angle, or retarded angle positions.
US09617875B2

Within the process a supercharged first combustion chamber is followed by: a first turbine, a second combustion chamber, a second turbine, and a preheating heat exchanger. Primary bleed water vapor coming from the secondary process, or a mixture of the bleed water vapor and air coming from the supercharger, are preheated. Secondary-process feed water is vaporized in a waste heat boiler. The combustion gases are expanded in the second turbine to a pressure 0.5 bar lower than that of the surrounding atmospheric pressure. The remaining combustion gases are compressed by a combustion-gas supercharger to the surrounding atmospheric pressure.
US09617861B2

The invention relates to a guide vane arrangement and a method for mounting a guide vane. The guide vane arrangement has at least one guide vane having a radially inner journal, which engages in a borehole of a bushing. The bushing is disposed in a borehole of an inner ring segment. The journal is connected to the bushing in a rotation-resistant manner and a slide mounting is provided between the bushing and the inner ring borehole. For mounting the guide vane in an inner ring segment, the journal of the guide vane is introduced into the borehole of the bushing. Further, the journal is fastened to the bushing in a rotation-resistant manner, and the bushing is slide-mounted with the inner ring segment. The slide mounting is conducted prior to or simultaneously with or after the fastening of the journal to the bushing in a rotation-resistant manner.
US09617855B2

A reaction-type turbine according to the present invention is configured in that a portion of a rotary shaft module which penetrates through a side with an inlet portion of a housing has a diameter larger than the diameters of other portions. Thus, the pressurized area in which a working fluid applies pressure to a rotary shaft in the direction opposite to the working fluid flow direction increases, thus increasing force in the direction opposite to the working fluid flow direction. As a result, axial direction force applied to the rotary shaft in the working fluid flow direction may be reduced. Therefore, the reaction-type turbine of the present invention has the advantages of eliminating the necessity of installing a separate thrust bearing for supporting axial force in the working fluid flow direction.
US09617848B2

This application describes methods and apparatus for downhole monitoring in real-time. The method involves interrogating an unmodified optic fiber (102) arranged along the path of a well bore (106) to provide a distributed acoustic sensor and sampling data gathered from a plurality of sensing portions of the fiber. The sampled data is then processed to provide a real-time indication of the acoustic signals detected by the sensing portions of the fiber. The real-time indication provides information to an operator or controller of the downwell process with real-time feedback data regarding what is happening during the downwell process which allows the identification of any problems and adjustment of the process parameters.
US09617842B2

A method of completing a well includes, pumping treating fluid into a tool string in the well, displacing drilling mud within the tool string with the treating fluid, and treating an earth formation with the treating fluid.
US09617840B2

A downhole steam generation system may include a burner head assembly, a liner assembly, a vaporization sleeve, and a support sleeve. The burner head assembly may include a sudden expansion region with one or more injectors. The liner assembly may include a water-cooled body having one or more water injection arrangements. The system may be optimized to assist in the recovery of hydrocarbons from different types of reservoirs. A method of recovering hydrocarbons may include supplying one or more fluids to the system, combusting a fuel and an oxidant to generate a combustion product, injecting a fluid into the combustion product to generate an exhaust gas, injecting the exhaust gas into a reservoir, and recovering hydrocarbons from the reservoir.
US09617839B2

A method for forming extended wormholes in a subsurface formation comprising locating producer wells, injection wells, and guard wells in a field; determining a flux rate for a formation-dissolving fluid such as an acid, the flux rate being dependent upon different variables including the composition of the rock matrix making up the subsurface formation and the type of acid selected; injecting a guard fluid into the subsurface formation, through at least one guard well to form designed pressure boundaries and injecting the acid into the formation at a rate to reach the determined flux rate and thereby forming an extended network of wormholes through the subsurface formation in a defined direction or plane, with or without guard wells.
US09617833B2

Techniques for evaluating a fluid flow through a wellbore include identifying an input characterizing a fluid flow through a wellbore; identifying an input characterizing a geometry of the wellbore; generating a model of the wellbore based on the inputs characterizing the fluid flow and the geometry of the wellbore; simulating the fluid flow through the wellbore based on evaluating the model with a numerical method that determines fluid flow conditions at a first boundary location uphole and adjacent to a perforation of a plurality of perforations in the wellbore and at a second boundary location downhole and adjacent to the perforation; and preparing, based on the fluid flow conditions determined with the numerical method, an output associated with the simulated fluid flow through the wellbore for display to a user.
US09617832B2

Disclosed are expandable bullnose assemblies. One bullnose assembly includes a body and a bullnose tip arranged at a distal end of the body, a compression ring arranged about an exterior of the body and configured to axially translate with respect to the body upon being actuated, and a plurality of collet fingers coupled to and extending between the compression ring and the bullnose tip, each collet finger being pre-compressed such that each collet finger is predisposed to bow radially outwards, wherein, when the compression ring is actuated, the plurality of collet fingers move radially outward from a first diameter to a second diameter that is greater than the first diameter.
US09617826B2

A catch-and-engage tool conveyed with a well casing for use in a wellbore comprising an outer housing having flow ports therethrough, a functioning apparatus disposed within the outer housing comprising a movable member/sleeve and a holding device, a blocking apparatus disposed within the outer housing comprising a blocking member configured to block one or more flow ports in a first position, a seating apparatus positioned upstream of the blocking apparatus configured to form a seat in the tool. When a ball deployed into the well casing passes through the tool in a downstream direction and moves back in an upstream direction, the restriction element engages onto the holding device and moves the movable member such that a port in exposed to uphole pressure and the blocking member travels to a second position in a reverse direction unblocking flow ports and enabling fluid communication to the wellbore.
US09617825B2

A tool equalizes a packer or bridge plug before it can release the slips and sealing element of the packer or bridge plug with a reconfigurable grip tool. In one configuration the grip tool is latched only into the equalizing mechanism for the packer or bridge plug. Having equalized the pressure and while still latched to the equalization mechanism the tool is reconfigured with a force and locked into a second configuration. From that position the grip tool can latch and move the release mechanism for total release and retrieval to the surface. Release force undermines a ratchet lock for the slips to allow extension as the sealing element extends axially and radially retracts. If the slips fail to release with undermining of the ratchet lock then a set down force can be applied to re-engage the lower slip cone to push it from the lower slips for a release.
US09617818B2

A system, including an inner body, an outer body disposed about the inner body, and a grooved seal, wherein the grooved seal includes a sealing face and first and second side faces, wherein the first side face includes a first groove, the second side face includes a second groove, and the sealing face includes a third groove, wherein one of the inner body or the outer body includes an annular channel, and the grooved seal is disposed in the annular channel to seal an annular space between the inner body and outer body, wherein the sealing face seals against one of the inner body or the outer body, the first side face having the first groove seals against a first sidewall of the annular channel, and the second side face having the second groove seals against a second sidewall of the annular channel.
US09617804B2

The invention relates to a drill rod magazine for vertical storage of drill rod elements, having a box-like basic frame which has a support area, vertical side walls and at least one horizontal receiving shelf, which is designed to receive and hold the drill rod elements. The basic frame has a laterally open access area, via which the drill rod elements can be inserted into the basic frame. It is provided according to the invention that the side walls are arranged parallel to each other and each have at least one pivot bearing with a horizontally orientated pivot axis, the at least one receiving shelf is mounted pivotably with respect to the side walls, and the basic frame is designed to be collapsible, wherein the basic frame can be unfolded from a folded-up position into an operating position.
US09617794B2

A drill bit having a bit body with a longitudinal axis extending therethrough and a plurality of blades extending from the bit body is disclosed. Each blade has an outer face and at least one side wall. The drill bit has at least one junk slot, wherein each junk slot is defined by the bit body surface and the side walls of adjacent blades. At least one nozzle bore is formed in the bit body, wherein each nozzle bore has an intersecting surface between the bit body surface of a junk slot and an inner surface of the nozzle bore. At least one formation evacuation channel extends through the intersecting surface of at least one of the nozzle bores, wherein each formation evacuation channel has a base surface, and wherein the formation evacuation channel extends partially around the circumference of the nozzle bore.
US09617790B2

A downhole drilling motor comprises a first elastomer stator molded to an inner surface of a housing in a drillstring where the first elastomer stator has a first number of lobes. A dual purpose, helical shaped hollow member is positioned within the first elastomer stator, where the dual purpose hollow member has a second number of lobes formed on an external surface to form a first rotor. The second number of lobes is one less than the first number of lobes. A second elastomer stator is adhered to an inner surface of the dual purpose helical shaped hollow member, where the second elastomer stator has a second helical shaped cavity with the second number of lobes. A second helical shaped rotor is positioned within the second helical cavity, and has a third number of lobes one less than the second number of lobes.
US09617788B2

The present invention generally relates to a folding step stool that is, in one embodiment, mounted and stored within a cabinet. Children and short adults are typically not tall enough to readily access a kitchen or bathroom sink. Accordingly, many homes have a portable step stool located in the kitchen or bathroom. While effective, one problem with such a portable step stool is storage of the stool when not in use. Aspects of the present invention are directed to a folding step stool that may be mounted within an interior of a cabinet. When not in use, the entirety of the folding step stool may be disposed within an interior of the cabinet to permit closure of the cabinet door. Likewise, when needed, the cabinet door may be opened and the step stool may be deployed to provide one or more steps for use in accessing a counter or sink above the cabinet.
US09617787B2

The invention relates to a shading device for an architectural opening comprising a shade, a drive unit for extending and retracting the shade between a first and second end position, a spindle, a first end stop, stationary connected to the spindle near a first end of the spindle and at least one travelling nut, movably arranged on the spindle and operatively connected to the drive unit so as to move towards, respectively away from the first end stop as the shade is extended, respectively retracted. The travelling nut is articulated in circumferential direction into segments, with at least two segments being detachably connectable to each other at one of their ends.
US09617776B2

A motor driven door assembly is provided, the motor driven door assembly includes a door frame, a motor assembly connected to the door frame and having a motor directly connected to a first portion of a door hinge, and a door connected to the door hinge. The door hinge includes a second portion supported by a bearing assembly that carries substantially all of the door's weight, and the motor directly drives the door hinge to open or close the door.
US09617765B1

An automatically locking sash lock for a double-hung window including a handle and cover affixed to the exterior of a lock housing that contains a bolt and a pair of plungers, each of which defines at least one end with a biased face. The bolt and plungers are in mechanical communication through a pair of couplings that define a longitudinal groove for receiving the plunger and a finger for engaging the bolt. A method of locking a window is also provided.
US09617752B2

A tower structure for a wind power plant permits very high hub heights in a cooperation of internal prestress, guying, and a torsionally rigid tower shaft. The tower structure has a tower shaft, a foundation and a transition piece in a he region of an upper end of the tower shaft. Guy elements are inclined towards a longitudinal axis of the tower shaft, and extend radially outside an outer skin of the tower shaft. Tension members are radially inside the outer skin to prestress the tower shaft vertically at least in sections. The tower shaft is made of prestressed concrete in a region between the transition piece and the foundation. To control resonance behavior, prestressing and guy elements are acted upon with a variable tensile stress which varies and influences natural frequencies of the tower structure such that no interferences occur between excitation frequencies and the natural frequencies, and such that an aerodynamic absorption is also possible.
US09617748B2

A system, process and device include reusable rack that supports a number of prefabricated modular housing units, each of the plurality of prefabricated modular housing units includes: a modular unit electrical subsystem; a modular unit potable water subsystem; a modular unit wastewater subsystem; and a modular unit docking connector coupled to the respective modular housing unit and coupled to each of the respective modular unit subsystems. The rack supports the plurality of prefabricated modular housing units. The rack includes: a rack electrical subsystem; a rack potable water subsystem; a rack wastewater subsystem; and a plurality of locations for supporting the plurality of modular housing units. Each of the plurality of locations including a respective rack docking connector coupled to the rack and coupled to each of the respective rack subsystems.
US09617739B2

A system for supporting exterior panels on a substrate of a building structure. The system has a plurality of polymeric bracket members, and each of the bracket members have at least one anchor section, at least one web section and at least one support section. The polymeric bracket members provide a thermal break from the exterior panel to the substrate of the building structure. A plurality of exterior cladding units are held in place by the bracket members. A plurality of vents are disposed between the panels and the exterior panels, and a plurality of vents are also disposed between the panels and the substrate, thereby forming a ventilation system.
US09617738B2

An auxiliary securing support for attaching an exterior wall material to a building frame having a plurality of vertical frame members through a securing member includes a main body and a protrusion. The main body has an elongated shape, includes a planar portion to which the securing member is fixable, and is fixable to at least one of the vertical frame members. The protrusion protrudes in a direction crossing the planar portion so as to come into contact with an upper side portion of the exterior wall material and that has a length such that the protrusion is not exposed on an external surface of the exterior wall material.
US09617733B2

A curtain wall structure that can provide a continuous sealing plane through the use of a dual density gasket and that offers improved sealing and thermal insulation properties. The curtain wall structure also provides a structural reinforcement element assembly that is integrated into a mullion of the curtain wall structure to provide a better load bearing capacity. A curtain wall water drainage cross element assembly is also provided to prevent water from flowing vertically inside the curtain wall system. An expansion joint assembly is also provided and designed as two movable parts allowing provides a sound free vertical displacement of components by means of no direct metal to metal contact between sliding parts.
US09617730B1

An adaptive bearing energy absorber has at least one core post, two supporting boards, multiple first material layers, and multiple second material layers. Each one of the at least one core post is composed of at least one sliding unit. At least one of the at least one sliding unit of each one of the at least one core post is a sliding assembly. Each one of the at least one sliding assembly has two ends, at least one sliding block, and at least one sliding cover. The at least one sliding cover is slidable relative to the sliding block, and each one of the at least one sliding cover has at least one limiting flange protruding from the sliding cover to limit the sliding range of the at least one sliding block relative to the sliding cover.
US09617728B2

An acoustic panel for indoor use, where the panel is a molded synthetic foam and is designed to absorb sound waves. The acoustic panel can take the form of a barrier, partition, or screen, and can mimic the effect that soft furnishings would normally have. The acoustic panel can be designed to absorb unwanted noise.
US09617722B2

A manhole base assembly and a method for making the same, in which a non-cylindrical, low-volume concrete base is fully lined to protect the concrete against chemical and physical attack while in service. This lined concrete manhole base assembly may be readily produced using a modular manhole form assembly which can be configured for a wide variety of geometrical configurations compatible with, e.g., varying pipe angles, elevations and sizes. The form assembly is configurable to provide any desired angle and elevation for the pipe apertures using existing, standard sets of form assembly materials, and may also be used in conjunction with industry-standard cylindrical casting jackets for compatibility with existing casting operations. The resulting system provides for flexible construction of a wide variety of lined manhole base assemblies at minimal cost, reduced concrete consumption and reduced operational complexity. The modular nature of the production form assembly also facilitates reduced inventory requirements when various manhole base assembly geometries are needed.
US09617716B2

A work vehicle includes: a hydraulic pump driven by an engine; a rotational speed detection unit that detects an actual rotational speed of the engine; an exhaust gas purification device that purifies nitrogen oxide in exhaust gas discharged from the engine using a reducing agent solution stored in a reducing agent tank; a torque control unit that decreases output torque of the engine according to decrease of a detected remaining amount of the reducing agent solution; and a storage device that stores a threshold value not less than an engine rotational speed at which the hydraulic pump starts discharge, wherein when the actual rotational speed of the engine is not more than the threshold value, the torque control unit does not decrease the output torque of the engine regardless of the remaining amount of the reducing agent solution detected by the remaining amount detection device.
US09617715B2

A construction machine including an internal combustion engine controlled based on a torque command, an electric motor mechanically connected to the internal combustion engine, and an electric energy storage device that supplies electric power to the electric motor, the construction machine performing work by driving a hydraulic pressure generator using the internal combustion engine and the electric motor, the construction machine including: a speed control device that controls a speed of the electric motor based on a speed command; and a torque limiter that limits the torque command relative to a torque target, wherein the torque command is limited by the torque limiter in such a manner that a rate of change with time of the torque command is limited to be equal to or less than a predetermined value.
US09617693B1

An industrial mat having a supporting structure; an upper layer provided above the supporting structure for forming an upper surface of the mat, a lower layer provided below the supporting structure for providing a lower surface of the mat; and lifting elements attached to the upper layer, the lower layer or the supporting structure. The lifting elements include D-shaped members, O-shaped members, U-shaped members, eyelets, hooks, circular or polygonal rings, chains, or cables that are configured and dimensioned for attachment to attached to the supporting structure or the upper or lower layer with sufficient strength to provide certified overhead lifting of the mat for installation and reclamation thereof.
US09617686B2

A surfactant treated bleached softwood kraft pulp fiber, useful as a starting material In the production of cellulose derivatives including cellulose ether, cellulose esters and viscose, is disclosed. Methods for making the kraft pulp fiber and products made from it are also described.
US09617685B2

A process of making a paper or nonwoven article is provide. The process comprising: a) providing a fiber furnish comprising a plurality of fibers and a plurality of binder microfibers, wherein the binder microfibers comprise a water non-dispersible, synthetic polymer; wherein the binder microfibers have a length of less than 25 millimeters and a fineness of less than 0.5 d/f; and wherein the binder microfibers have a melting temperature that is less than the melting temperature of the fibers; b) routing the fiber furnish to a wet-laid nonwoven process to produce at least one wet-laid nonwoven web layer; c) removing water from the wet-laid nonwoven web layer; and d) thermally bonding the wet-laid nonwoven web layer after step (c); wherein the thermal bonding is conducted at a temperature such that the surfaces of the binder microfibers at least partially melt without causing the fibers to melt thereby bonding the binder microfibers to the fibers to produce the paper or nonwoven article.
US09617675B2

An embodiment of the present invention is directed to an automated laundry system. The system includes a number of perforated clothes drums, each of which holds a single load of laundry, and a washer/dryer unit. The washer/dryer unit includes a loading rack for queuing the drums for subsequent washing, a clothes washing component adapted to sequentially receive the drums from the loading rack and wash the respective loads of laundry therein, a clothes drying component adapted to sequentially receive the drums from the clothes washing component and dry the loads of laundry therein, and a holding rack for sequentially receiving the drums from the clothes drying component and holding the drums for a period of time.
US09617674B2

A washing machine including a drying function for drying laundry items received therein is provided. The washing machine may include an air circulating device that circulates air through a tub of the washing machine and heats air for re-supply to the tub, and an air discharge device that discharges a portion of moist air from the tub to an outside of the tub.
US09617667B1

A sinker equipped with lubrication oil channeling and separating structure is an element of a knitting machine which includes at least a dial, a sinker disc, an oil ejection nozzle to sprinkle lubrication oil and a yarn feeder. The dial includes a plurality of needle troughs to hold respectively a knitting needle. The sinker disc includes a plurality of sinker troughs to hold the sinker. The sinker includes a base located in the sinker troughs, a driving nub located above the base, a knitting portion located at a front end of the base, an oil sprinkling zone interposed between the base and the knitting portion, and a lubrication oil channeling and separating structure interposed between the knitting portion and the oil sprinkling zone. The lubrication oil channeling and separating structure includes a separating slot, a flow channeling portion and an oil blocking portion that are around the separating slot.
US09617666B2

A coffee yarn and a fabric using the same are provided herein and the fabric includes a plurality of coffee yarns and a plurality of weaving yarns. The coffee yarns are arranged in parallel and each one of the coffee yarns includes a yarn body and multiple coffee particles. The yarn body has a wavy strip shape and includes a plurality of bending sections and a plurality of non-bending sections. The coffee particles are embedded within the yarn body. A density of the coffee particles in the bending sections is greater than a density of the coffee particles in the non-bending sections. The weaving yarns are arranged in parallel and the weaving yarns are alternately weaved with the coffee yarns.
US09617665B2

Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to reinforcement materials for use in reinforcing flexible tank walls, and particularly to hybrid textiles and weaving patterns that have been found particularly useful with such hybrid textiles.
US09617664B2

The present invention relates to a polyester fiber that can be applied to a fabric for airbag, particularly, to a polyester fiber having an elongation of 0.4% or less at the stress of 1.0 g/d, an enlongation of 4.0% or less at the stress of 4.0 g/d, and an enlongation of 7.0% or less at the stress of 7.0 g/d, and an initial modulus of 105 to 130 g/d; a method of preparing the same; and a fabric for airbag prepared therefrom. Since the polyester fiber of the present invention decreases stiffness remarkably and secures superior mechanical properties by having a high strength, high elongation, and high shrinkage, it is possible to provide superior packing property, dimensional stability, and air-tight effect, and to protect passengers safely by minimizing the impact applied to the passengers, when it is used for the fabric for airbag.
US09617654B2

Provided are low friction coatings with improved abrasion, wear resistance and methods of making such coatings. In one form, the coating includes: i) an under layer selected from the group consisting of CrN, TiN, TiAlN, TiAlVN, TiAlVCN, TiSiN, TiSiCN, TiAlSiN and combinations thereof, wherein the under layer ranges in thickness from 0.1 to 100 μm, ii) an adhesion promoting layer selected from the group consisting of Cr, Ti, Si, W, CrC, TiC, SiC, WC, and combinations thereof, wherein the adhesion promoting layer ranges in thickness from 0.1 to 50 μm and is contiguous with a surface of the under layer, and iii) a functional layer selected from the group consisting of a fullerene based composite, a diamond based material, diamond-like-carbon and combinations thereof, wherein the functional layer ranges from 0.1 to 50 μm and is contiguous with a surface of the adhesion promoting layer.
US09617649B2

A porous structure (1) provided with a pattern that is composed of a conductive polymer, which comprises a porous body (2) and a pattern (3) that is composed of a conductive polymer and arranged on the porous body (2). The porous body (2) is preferably a gel, and a dopant may be added to the pattern (3) that is composed of a conductive polymer. If an agarose gel is used as the gel (2) and a PEDOT electrode (3A) is used as the pattern (3) that is composed of a conductive polymer in the porous structure (1) which is provided with the pattern (3) that is composed of a conductive polymer, the porous structure (1) can be used as an electrode for cell stimulation. The porous structure (1) provided with the pattern (3) that is composed of a conductive polymer can be produced by an electropolymerization method.
US09617647B2

A composition comprising at least one source of metal ions and at least one additive obtainable by reacting a polyhydric alcohol comprising at least 5 hydroxyl functional groups with at least a first alkylene oxide and a second alkylene oxide from a mixture of the first alkylene oxide and the second alkylene oxide or a third alkylene oxide, a second alkylene oxide, and a first alkylene oxide in aforesaid sequence, the third alkylene oxide having a longer alkyl chain than the second alkylene oxide and the second alkylene oxide having a longer alkyl chain than the first alkylene oxide.
US09617643B2

A method of plating a metal on a hydrophobic polymer, especially in the shape of small particles, involves: (a) contacting a surface of hydrophobic polymer substrate with a polycation such as poly(allylamine hydrochloride) to create a treated surface; (b) contacting the treated surface with a catalyst; and then (c) immersing the surface in a electroless metal plating bath to create a coating of metal on the surface. Metals include copper, silver, gold, nickel and cobalt. Catalysts are selected from compounds containing palladium, platinum, tin, copper, or nickel salts. Damaging surface treatments such as etching by plasma or acid are avoided.
US09617641B2

The invention provides a method for providing an Au-containing layer onto a surface of a work piece, which method comprises: providing 510 a deposition fluid comprising Au(CO)Cl; depositing 520 the fluid on at least part of the surface of the work piece; and directing 530 a charged particle beam toward the surface of the work piece onto which at least part of the fluid is deposited to decompose Au(CO)Cl thereby forming the Au-containing layer on the surface of the work piece. By using Au(CO)Cl as a precursor for charged particle induced deposition, a gold Au layer may be deposited with a very high purity compared to methods known in the art.
US09617638B2

Disclosed are methods of depositing films of material on semiconductor substrates employing the use of a secondary purge. The methods may include flowing a film precursor into a processing chamber and adsorbing the film precursor onto a substrate in the processing chamber such that the precursor forms an adsorption-limited layer on the substrate. The methods may further include removing at least some unadsorbed film precursor from the volume surrounding the adsorbed precursor by purging the processing chamber with a primary purge gas, and thereafter reacting adsorbed film precursor while a secondary purge gas is flowed into the processing chamber, resulting in the formation of a film layer on the substrate. The secondary purge gas may include a chemical species having an ionization energy and/or a disassociation energy equal to or greater than that of O2. Also disclosed are apparatuses which implement the foregoing processes.
US09617628B2

An austenitic stainless steel having low nickel and molybdenum and exhibiting comparable corrosion resistance and formability properties to higher nickel and molybdenum alloys comprises, in weight %, up to 0.20 C, 2.0-9.0 Mn, up to 2.0 Si, 16.0-23.0 Cr, 1.0-5.0 Ni, up to 3.0 Mo, up to 3.0 Cu, 0.1-0.35 N, up to 4.0 W, up to 0.01 B, up to 1.0 Co, iron and impurities, the steel having a ferrite number of less than 10 and a MD30 value of less than 20° C.
US09617613B2

A base material of a ferrous material is heated to an AC1 point, which is a temperature to cause austenite appearance, or higher, and austenite appears in the base material 1a and 1b (S101). An amount of a strain assuming that an Mf point, which is a temperature where the base material becomes martensite completely, is decreased to be less than room temperature is introduced into the base material (S102). The all ferrous material becoming martensite on the occasion of cooling the ferrous material to room temperature is prevented. The base material is cooled to room temperature at a cooling rate where a line extrapolated a cooling curve of the base material intersects with a region where martensite is produced on the CCT diagram (S103). Austenite remains in the manufactured ferrous material at room temperature.
US09617602B2

Described herein are modified androgen receptor polypeptides that are resistant to inhibition by an androgen receptor inhibitor. Described herein are compositions, combinations, and kits containing the modified androgen receptor polypeptides and methods of using the modified androgen receptor polypeptides. Also described herein are methods of using the modified androgen receptor polypeptides as screening agents for the identification and design of third-generation androgen receptor modulators. Also described herein are third-generation androgen receptor modulators that inhibit the activity of the modified androgen receptor polypeptides. Also described are pharmaceutical compositions and medicaments that include the compounds described herein, as well as methods of using such androgen receptor modulators, alone and in combination with other compounds, for treating diseases or conditions, including cancers, such as castration resistant prostate cancers, that are mediated or dependent upon androgen receptors.
US09617600B2

The invention provides methods and kits useful for predicting or assessing responsiveness of a patient having B-cell lymphoma to treatment with anti-CD40 antibodies.
US09617598B2

Methods and compositions for amplifying the whole genome of a single cell are provided.
US09617594B2

Apparatus and methods for producing ultrashort optical pulses are described. A high-power, solid-state, passively mode-locked laser can be manufactured in a compact module that can be incorporated into a portable instrument for biological or chemical analyses. The pulsed laser may produce sub-100-ps optical pulses at a repetition rate commensurate with electronic data-acquisition rates. The optical pulses may excite samples in reaction chambers of the instrument, and be used to generate a reference clock for operating signal-acquisition and signal-processing electronics of the instrument.
US09617592B2

In one aspect the disclosure relations to means and methods for identifying a protein or a DNA encoding the protein, involved in the production of a product by a micro-organism. In the methods the micro-organism is cultured under different culture conditions each of which exhibit a different level of the product that is produced by the micro-organism. The genetic expression of the genes of the micro-organism is compared with the level of the product, and groups of DNAs are identified that are involved in the production of the product by the micro-organism.
US09617590B2

This disclosure describes, in one aspect, a method for preparing DNA molecule for sequencing. Generally, the method includes fragmenting the DNA molecule into double-stranded fragments; amplifying at least a portion of the double-stranded fragments; circularizing the fragments so that the first end of the fragment comprises a first loop connecting the strands and the second end of the fragment comprises a second loop connecting the strands; annealing a first sequencing primer to the first loop oriented to sequence at least a portion of one strand of the fragment; and annealing a second sequencing primer to the second loop oriented to sequence at least a portion of the other strand of the fragment. In another aspect, this disclosure describes a method for sequencing a DNA molecule. Generally, the method includes fragmenting the DNA molecule into double-stranded fragments; amplifying at least a portion of the double-stranded fragments; circularizing the fragments so that the first end of the fragment comprises a first loop connecting the strands and the second end of the fragment comprises a second loop connecting the strands; and sequencing at least one of the DNA strands.
US09617589B2

A microfluidic device includes a plurality of reaction wells; and a plurality of solid supports, and each of the solid supports has a reagent attached thereto. The reagent is attached to the solid support via a labile reagent/support bond such that the reagent is configured to be cleaved from the support via a cleaving operation.
US09617588B2

Polymorphisms are present throughout an organism's genome, and understanding which alleles are present in a particular organism's genome can be advantageous. When probing the identity of these alleles, one must minimize incorrect readings due to inefficiencies in the system. In hydrolysis probe applications, these inefficiencies may be due to over-activity of an exonuclease functionality that excises nucleotides from probes that are only partially, complementary to a region of a target. The present invention provides a mixture that contains a plurality of polymerases including one that has a 5′→3′ exonuclease functionality and one that lacks or substantially lacks it, each in a sufficient relative amount and concentration to increase efficiencies of the system.
US09617585B2

This invention provides novel compositions and processes for analyte detection, quantification and amplification. Nucleic acid arrays and libraries of analytes are usefully incorporated into such compositions and processes. Universal detection elements, signaling entities and the like are employed to detect and if necessary or desirable, to quantify analytes. Amplification of target analytes are also provided by the compositions and processes of this invention.
US09617582B2

A system and method for detecting a biomarker in exhaled breath condensate nanodroplets comprises noninvasively collecting exhaled breath condensate nanodroplets of a subject, and analyzing said nanodroplets utilizing immuno-quantitative polymerase chain reaction to detect one or more target biomarkers.
US09617578B2

An analyte sensor for measuring physiological parameters, a method for making the analyte sensor, and method of measuring a level of an analyte in a subject are disclosed. In one aspect, the analyte sensor includes a crosslinked, hydrophilic copolymer in contact with a surface of an electrode, and an analyte sensing component embedded within the crosslinked, hydrophilic copolymer. The crosslinked, hydrophilic copolymer has methacrylate-derived backbone chains of first methacrylate-derived units, second methacrylate-derived units and third methacrylate-derived units. The first and second methacrylate-derived units have side chains that can be the same or different, and the third methacrylate-derived units in different backbone chains are connected by hydrophilic crosslinks. The crosslinked, hydrophilic copolymer has an analyte permeability that is substantially temperature independent. The analyte sensor generates signals that are substantially temperature independent over a range of temperatures.
US09617574B2

Described herein is a process for producing saccharides and ethanol from biomass feedstock that includes (a) producing an enzyme composition by culturing a fungal strain(s) in the presence of a lignocellulosic medium, (b) using the enzyme composition to saccharify the biomass feedstock, and (c) fermenting the saccharified biomass feedstock to produce ethanol. The process is scalable and, in certain aspects, is capable of being deployed on farms, thereby allowing local production of saccharides and ethanol and resulting in a reduction of energy and other costs for farm operators. Optional steps to improve the biomass-to-fuel conversion efficiency are also contemplated, as are uses for byproducts of the process described herein.
US09617573B2

The present disclosure provides engineered transaminase polypeptides useful for the synthesis of chiral amine compounds under industrially relevant conditions. The disclosure also provides polynucleotides encoding the engineered transaminase polypeptides, host cells capable of expressing the engineered transaminases, and methods of using the engineered transaminases for the production of chiral amine compounds.
US09617572B2

This document describes biochemical pathways for producing pimelic acid, 7-aminoheptanoate, 7-hydroxyheptanoate, heptamethylenediamine, or 1,7-heptanediol by forming two terminal functional groups, comprised of carboxyl, amine or hydroxyl group, in a C7 aliphatic backbone substrate produced from chorismate or benzoate. These pathways, metabolic engineering and cultivation strategies described herein rely on the anaerobic benzoyl-CoA degradation pathway enzymes.
US09617569B2

Provided is a genetically engineered yeast cell with lactate production capacity, including an enzyme that catalyzes conversion of acetaldehyde to acetyl-CoA and an enzyme that catalyzes conversion of pyruvate to lactate, which activities are increased compared to a parent cell of the yeast cell, as well as a method of producing the genetically engineered yeast cell and method of producing lactate using the genetically engineered yeast cell.
US09617565B2

[Problem] To provide an alcoholic fermentation yeast having resistance to limonene, which is a fermentation inhibitor, and a method for producing ethanol using the alcoholic fermentation yeast. [Solution] An alcoholic fermentation yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Deposition No. NITE BP-890), which has resistance to limonene and can grow in the presence of limonene at a concentration of 0.1-0.5 wt %, and a method for producing ethanol using the alcoholic fermentation yeast.
US09617561B2

Novel simian adenovirus 41 and two isolates thereof are described. Various uses of these isolates, including construction of a recombinant vector which comprises simian adenovirus 41 sequences and a heterologous gene under the control of regulatory sequences are provided. A cell line which expresses simian adenovirus 41 gene(s) is also disclosed. Methods of using the vectors and cell lines are provided.
US09617560B2

The invention provides an adenovirus or adenoviral vector characterized by comprising one or more particular nucleic acid sequences or one or more particular amino acid sequences, or portions thereof, pertaining to, for example, an adenoviral pIX protein, DNA polymerase protein, penton protein, hexon protein, and/or fiber protein.
US09617555B2

Compositions and methods include genetically encoding and expressing a novel delta-9 desaturase in plant cells. In some embodiments, methods of expressing nucleic acids in a plant cell to take advantage of the delta-9 desaturase enzyme's activity, such that the percent composition of saturated fatty acids in plant seeds is decreased and there is a concomitant increase in Δ9 fatty acids. In other embodiments, amino acid sequences have delta-9 desaturase activity. Methods can involve expression of delta-9 desaturase in plant cells, plant materials, and whole plants for the purpose of increasing the amount of mono unsaturated fatty acids in whole plants, plant seeds, and plant materials, for example, seeds.
US09617549B2

The present invention provides cells that have been genetically manipulated to have an altered capacity to produce expressed proteins. In particular, the present invention relates to Gram-positive microorganisms, such as Bacillus species having enhanced expression of a protein of interest, wherein one or more chromosomal genes have been inactivated, and preferably wherein one or more chromosomal genes have been deleted from the Bacillus chromosome. In some further embodiments, one or more indigenous chromosomal regions have been deleted from a corresponding wild-type Bacillus host chromosome.
US09617547B2

ProblemThe purpose of the present invention is to provide: a stereo isomer of a novel CpG oligonucleotide, which has excellent stability; and a CpG oligonucleotide which has a capability of producing interferon-α (IFNα).SolutionThe present invention relates to an oligonucleotide which contains two to four sequences each represented by the formula 5′-X1X2CpGX3X4-3′ (formula (I)) and has a length of 14 to 32 nucleotides. In formula (I), CpG represents a non-methylated CpG residue having a phosphate skeleton modification, X1X2 represents any one of AA, AT, GA and GT, and X3X4 represents any one of TT, AT, AC and CG. The oligonucleotide has at least one phosphate skeleton modification at an S-form stereoisomer located at a site other than the CpG.
US09617544B2

The invention provides multifunctional supramolecular self-assembled nanoparticles (SSNPs) comprising a set of rationally designed components that collectively facilitate efficient intestinal absorption of siRNA. The nanoparticles can induce potent TNF-α silencing in macrophages. Single gavage of SSNPs in mice depleted systemic TNF-α production at an siRNA dose as low as 50 μg/kg, and protected the mice from lipopolysaccharide-induced hepatic injury.
US09617542B2

Disclosed is a dsRNA construct that relates to a method to control Lepidopteran moths via double-stranded RNA interference of the PBAN/Pyrokinin gene.
US09617535B2

Compositions and methods of treatments of cells are provided for altering the phenotype of a cell by administering an oligonucleotide complex to the cell, the complex having two strands and chemical modifications.
US09617527B2

The present invention relates to isolated polypeptides having glucoamylase activity and isolated polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides. The invention also relates to nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides as well as methods of producing and using the polypeptides.
US09617526B1

The invention is directed toward non-wild-type organophosphorus acid anhydrolases having three site mutations, method of production, and method of use to effectively degrade toxic chemical compounds such as (Ethyl({2-[bis(propan-2-yl)amino]ethyl}sulfanyl)(methyl)phosphinate (“VX”).
US09617506B2

Described are embodiments for expanding cells in a bioreactor. In one embodiment, methods are provided that distribute cells throughout the bioreactor and attach cells to specific portions of a bioreactor to improve the expansion of the cells in the bioreactor. Embodiments may be implemented on a cell expansion system configured to load, distribute, attach and expand cells.
US09617505B2

The cleaning agent for a diesel engine includes a mixed solution obtained by blending a solvent that exhibits solubility and has an ignition point of 238° C. or more, and lubricating oil such as mineral oil in a predetermined ratio. The solvent and the grease are selected such that the cleaning agent has a higher ignition temperature characteristic than the ignition characteristic of light oil, and an evaporation characteristic that takes eight minutes or more to vaporize 2.5 cc of the cleaning agent in a heated state at 120° C.
US09617501B2

A method of treating a fabric, where the method includes a washing step and a rinsing step. A multi-component fabric treatment system, wherein the system includes a first component comprising a detergent composition, and where the system further includes a second component comprising a softener composition.
US09617497B2

A lubricating oil composition for refrigerating machines contains a base oil and an additive in a form of a naphthalimide compound. A refrigerant used in a refrigerating machine in which the composition is used is unsaturated hydrofluorocarbon (unsaturated HFC) having a GWP of 1000 or less. When the present lubricating oil composition for refrigerating machines is used in refrigerating equipment such as an open-type automobile air-conditioner, an electric automobile air-conditioner, a gas heat pump, other air-conditioning equipment, a refrigerating machine, a vending machine, a showcase, a water-heating system and a refrigerating/heating system, it is possible to detect the leakage of a refrigerant with a long-lasting stability. Therefore, when an unsaturated freon refrigerant with a poor stability is used in the above-listed equipment, the present lubricating oil composition for refrigerating machines is significantly advantageous.
US09617494B2

A method for improving deposit control, while maintaining or improving demulsibility performance, in an engine lubricated with a lubricating oil by using as the lubricating oil a formulated oil that has a particular phenate/carboxylate detergent mixture present in a particular amount in the formulated oil. A lubricating engine oil having a composition including a lubricating oil base stock as a major component; and a phenate/carboxylate detergent mixture as a minor component. The lubricating oils of this disclosure are useful in marine crankcase systems, in particular, marine system oil applications for two-stroke marine diesel engines.
US09617486B2

A method of converting carbon containing compounds such as coal, methane or other hydrocarbons into a liquid hydrocarbon fuel utilizes a high pressure, high temperature reactor which operates upon a blend of a carbon compound including CO2 and a carbon source, a catalyst, and steam. Microwave power is directed into the reactor. The catalyst, preferably magnetite, will act as a heating media for the microwave power and the temperature of the reactor will rise to a level to efficiently convert the carbon and steam into hydrogen and carbon monoxide.
US09617484B2

Methods and apparatuses are provided for hydrotreating hydrocarbons. A method includes heating a start-up oil in a stripper liquid fraction heat exchanger during a start-up period, and heating a reactor with the start-up oil. The start-up oil is discharged from the reactor when the start-up period ends, and a standard operating period begins after the start-up period. A reactor effluent is produced by introducing a hydrocarbon stream into the reactor during the standard operating period, where hydrogen sulfide is produced from an organic sulfur compound in the hydrocarbon stream. Steam is produced in the stripper liquid fraction heat exchanger during the standard operating period.
US09617475B1

A liquid crystal composition includes at least one first compound represented by Formula I: wherein each of L1 to L8 are independently a hydrogen or a fluorine; is a cyclohexyl group, a phenyl group, tetrahydropyran, 1,3-dioxane, a fluorocyclohexyl group, a fluorophenyl group, fluorotetrahydropyran, or fluoro-1,3-dioxane; n is 0 to 2, and when n=2, each is independently a cyclohexyl group, a phenyl group, tetrahydropyran, 1,3-dioxane, a fluorocyclohexyl group, a fluorophenyl group, fluorotetrahydropyran, or fluoro-1,3-dioxane; each of R1 and R2 is independently a C1˜2 alkyl group; and R′ is hydrogen, a C1˜5 alkyl group, a C2˜5 alkenyl group, or a C1˜5 alkoxy group.
US09617471B2

Provided is a chemically and thermally stable phosphor having different light-emitting characteristics than a conventional phosphor and having high light-emitting intensity even when combined with an LED of 410 nm or lower. The phosphor comprises an inorganic compound in which an inorganic crystal including A element, D element, X element (A is one or more elements selected from Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba; D is one or more elements selected from Si, Ge, Sn, Ti, Zr, and Hf; and X is one or more elements selected from O, N, and F), and, if necessary, E element (where E is one or more elements selected from B, Al, Ga, In, Sc, Y, and La) includes Li element and M element (where M is one or more elements selected from Mn, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Dy, and Yb).
US09617467B2

A Light Emitting Diode (LED) fluorescent cover comprises the following components by weight: 90-96% of single-component solid silicone rubber, 3-8% of fluorescent powder and 1-2% of vulcanizer; and the preparation method includes the following steps: step 1): using mixed compound of the single-component solid silicone rubber, as well as the fluorescent powder and the vulcanizer as raw material to mix, standing for 2-4 h after mixing with open mill or internal mixer; step 2): controlling temperature, pressure and vulcanization time of vulcanizing machine according to size of the fluorescent cover mold, using the vulcanizing machine to carry out first vulcanization to the raw material that is obtained from the step 1) and placed in the fluorescent cover mold; step 3): with combined action of blower gun, taking the fluorescent cover out slowly; step 4): baking the semi-finished product in a closed space at a temperature of 150-200° C. for 1-2 h.
US09617464B2

In an embodiment of the disclosure, mixtures of different carbon length alcohols are used as the primary feedstock for Guerbet alcohols. Specifically, embodiments relate to a method of synthesizing mixed molecular weight additives from a mixture of primary alcohols comprising, receiving a mixture of primary alcohols having greater than two different chain length primary alcohols and reacting the mixture of primary alcohols in a single reactor to produce a mixture of at least five Guerbet alcohols. The mixture of Guerbet alcohols can then be used to produce an additive or surfactant composition comprising additives or surfactants of different molecular weights.
US09617459B2

This invention relates to water-based well drilling fluids. It has been found that cellulose based particles, which comprise cell wall material and their networks of cellulose based fibers and nanofibrils can be used to produce suspensions having viscosity and rheological properties particularly suitable for use as a drilling fluid. It is assumed that the organization of the cellulose fibrils, as it exists in the parenchymal cell walls, is at least partly retained in the cellulose based particles of the invention, even though part of the pectin and hemicellulose is removed there from. Breaking plant-based pulp down into this kind of cellulose based particles involves fewer and gentler processes than to break the pulp down further into cellulose nanofibrils, and therefore the present cellulose based particles can be produced much faster and at lower cost than completely unraveled cellulose nanofibrils. The well drilling fluids based on the cellulose material of this invention are stable over a wide range of operating temperatures.
US09617457B2

The invention relates to thermally conductive thermoplastic compositions with balanced processing capacity, i.e. with a balanced proportion of melt volume flow rate to heat distortion resistance, comprising a thermoplastic, an expanded graphite, at least one phosphorus compound, and also ethylene/alkyl (meth)acrylate copolymer.
US09617453B2

Substantially solvent-free aqueous polyurethane dispersions and methods of making and using the same are provided. The substantially solvent-free aqueous polyurethane dispersions are provided in a substantially solvent-free system of a prepolymer made by reacting at least one polyol, at least one polyisocyanate, at least one isocyanate-reactive compound comprising one or more ionic or potential ionic groups, and at least one isocyanate chain terminating agent.
US09617451B2

The present invention provides an adhesive composition having excellent strength in a cracked state, and is an adhesive composition characterized by containing a polyimide (A),a polyfunctional epoxy compound (B), an epoxy curing agent (C), and inorganic particles (D), the ratio of the polyimide (A) in a nonvolatile organic component being 3.0 wt % or more and 30 wt % or less, the ratio of the epoxy curing agent (C) in the nonvolatile organic component being 0.5 wt % or more and 10 wt % or less, and T/M being 400 or more and 8000 or less, where T is the total number of grams of the nonvolatile organic component, and M is the number of moles of epoxy groups in the nonvolatile organic component.
US09617441B2

An ink set including at least a yellow ink, a magenta ink, a cyan ink, and a black ink and that each contain water, a surfactant, and a colorant. When each of the surfactant contents in each of the total masses of the yellow ink, the magenta ink, the cyan ink, and the black ink is represented respectively by S1, S2, S3, and S4, S1 satisfies 1.0 mass %≦S1≦2.5 mass %, S1-S2 satisfies 0.1 mass %≦S1-S2≦0.8 mass %, S3-S2 satisfies 0.0 mass %≦S3-S2≦0.5 mass %, S3-S4 satisfies 0.2 mass %≦S3-S4≦1.2 mass %, and S3 and S4 are each 0.1 mass % or more.
US09617409B2

The present invention describes methods for preparing a pigment particle dispersion. Specifically, a premix composition including pigments, dispersants and a liquid carrier is milled by a solid milling agent to predetermined particle size. The solid milling agent is solubilized in the liquid carrier which eliminates the need for separating the solid milling agent from the dispersion.
US09617396B2

The invention relates to a method for in-situ synthesis of silicon nanoparticles in a thermosetting polymeric matrix, the thermosetting and thermoset matrices obtained in this way and a material including same. The method includes the following steps: a) forming an aqueous-phase/organic-phase inverse emulsion, wherein the aqueous phase includes at least a basic catalyst and the organic phase includes at least a non-cross-linked (co)polymer precursor chosen from an aliphatic, cycloaliphatic or aromatic epoxy resin precursor, a polyester-imide precursor, an unsaturated/epoxy polyester (co)polymer precursor, a polyether/epoxy (co)polymer precursor and a polyurethane precursor; b) introducing, into the inverse emulsion formed in step a), at least one silicon precursor forming a complete network whereof the rate of hydrolysis is greater than the cross-linking speed of the (co)polymer and c) stirring the mixture obtained in step b) and heating to a temperature between 20° C. and 70° C.
US09617393B2

The present invention relates to a method of producing lignin with reduced amount of odorous substances comprising the steps of: i) dissolving isolated lignin into an alkali solution; ii) adding to the solution C1-C4-alcohol in an amount of less than 30% by weight, based on the dry weight of the isolated lignin; and iii) re-precipitating lignin by acidifying the solution. The invention also relates to a lignin product with reduced odor obtained and/or obtainable by the method and to the use of the obtained lignin as a component in polymer blends, an additive or filler in building materials, as binding agent in adhesives, and/or for the production of a carbon fiber, especially in indoor applications.
US09617391B2

The present invention relates to a halogenated polysilane as a pure compound or mixture of compounds each having at least one direct Si—Si bond, whose substituents consist exclusively of halogen or of halogen and hydrogen and in whose composition the atomic ratio substituent:silicon is greater than 1:1.
US09617384B2

The invention relates to a seeded particle of polyamide (PA) powder composed of a shell made of PA-6, PA-12 or PA-6/12 and of a core made from PA-6, paA-11, PA-12 or PA-6/12, PA 6,12, PA-6,6, PA-8 or PA-4, the core and the shell being either of identical polyamide nature but of different molecular weight, or of different polyamide nature. The particle for which the shell has a melting temperature Tf1 and a crystallization temperature Tc1 and for which the core has a melting temperature Tf2 and a crystallization temperature Tc2, is characterized in that the difference in absolute value between Tf1−Tc1 and/or between Tf2−Tc2 is greater than the difference in absolute values between the melting temperature and the crystallization temperature of a particle of powder seeded by a mineral filler and for which the shell is made of PA6, PA12 or PA6/12.
US09617379B2

The present invention relates to a method for producing a carbonate compound and methacrylic acid or an ester thereof, containing a step (a1) of obtaining hexachloroacetone and hydrogen chloride from acetone and chlorine molecule, a step (a2) of obtaining a dialkyl carbonate and chloroform from hexachloroacetone and an alkyl alcohol, a step (b1) of obtaining 1,1,1-trichloro-2-methyl-2-propanol from chloroform and acetone, a step (b2+b3 or b4) of obtaining methacrylic acid or an ester thereof and hydrogen chloride from 1,1,1-trichloro-2-methyl-2-propanol and water or an alcohol, and a step (c1 or c2) of obtaining chlorine molecule by reacting hydrogen chloride with oxygen molecule.
US09617375B2

A method and system for oxygen molecule scavenging is disclosed. The system employs as a novel copolymer as the reducing agent for oxygen molecules. The copolymer is the polymerization product of cyclic aliphatic monomer and unsaturated functional polymer.
US09617372B2

A sulphur-comprising polyaromatic polyamine compound can be used as a monomer or prepolymer, when n is different from zero, in the synthesis of polyurea. The compound corresponds to the formula (I): H2N—Ar1—NH—CH2—CH(OH)—(CH2)m—O—Z1—O—(CH2)m—CH(OH)—CH2—[X]n—HN—Ar2—NH2 in which X represents the string: —HN—Ar3—NH—(CH2)—CH(OH)—(CH2)m—O—Z2—O—(CH2)m—CH(OH)—(CH2)— and in which n represents an integer equal to zero or different from zero; m, which are identical or different, represent an integer within a range from 1 to 10; Z1 and Z2, which are identical or different, represent a divalent bonding group comprising from 1 to 30 carbon atoms; and Ar1, Ar2 and Ar3, which are identical or different, each represent a phenylene group, at least one of these phenylene groups bearing one, two, three or four groups of formula —Sx—R in which “x” is an integer from 1 to 8 and R represents hydrogen or a hydrocarbon group which can comprise a heteroatom and which comprises from 1 to 10 carbon atoms.
US09617363B1

A method of making a low-fluoride reactive PIB composition includes (a) providing a modified C4 feedstock by way of blending a mixed C4 feedstock with a second feedstock having a lower LB/IsoB ratio; or providing a C4 feedstock with an LB/IsoB index of less than 10%; (b) feeding the modified C4 feedstock or the C4 feedstock with an LB/IsoB index of less than 10% to a CSTR with a homogeneous catalyst comprising BF3 and a modifier selected from alcohols, ethers and mixtures thereof; (c) polymerizing the modified C4 feedstock or the C4 feedstock with an LB/IsoB index of less than 10% in the reactor while maintaining the reactor at a temperature above −15° C. and utilizing a residence time less than 45 minutes to produce a crude PIB composition in a polymerization mixture; and (d) recovering a purified PIB composition from the polymerization mixture having a molecular weight, Mn, from 250 to 5000 Daltons and an alpha vinylidene content of at least 50 mol %. The crude PIB composition suitably has a fluoride content of less than 100 ppm and the purified PIB composition has a fluoride content of less than 20 ppm in preferred embodiments. In the most preferred embodiments, ammonium salts are used to neutralize the catalyst and fluoride salts are sublimed from the product at elevated temperatures.
US09617361B2

A modified polymer body 1 has a polymer body 2 composed of a polymer material containing a carbon-carbon double bond and first binding parts 3 and second binding parts 4 bound to the surface of the polymer body 2. The first binding parts 3 are such that an organic group 6 having a functional group is bound via an isocyanuric acid skeleton 5 to the surface of the polymer body 2. The second binding parts 4 are such that an organic group 7 having a functional group is directly bound to the surface of the polymer body 2 without interposing an isocyanuric acid skeleton 5.
US09617360B2

Process for the preparation of (co) polymers of conjugated dienes which comprises polymerizing at least one conjugated diene in the presence of a catalytic system comprising at least one bis-imine complex of cobalt having general formula (I) wherein: —n is 0 or 1; —Y represents a group —CR′R″— wherein R′ and R″, equal to or different from each other, represent a hydrogen atom; or a linear or branched C1-C20, preferably C1-C15, alkyl group; or a divalent aromatic group optionally substituted; —R1 and R2, equal to or different from each other, represent a hydrogen atom; or they are selected from a linear or branched Ci-C2o/preferably C1-C15, alkyl group optionally halogenated, cycloalkyl groups optionally substituted; or R1 and R2 can be optionally bound to each other to form, together with the other atoms to which they are bound, a cycle containing from 4 to 6 carbon atoms, saturated, unsaturated, or aromatic, optionally substituted with linear or branched C1-C20, preferably C1-C15, alkyl groups, said cycle optionally containing heteroatoms such as, for example, oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, silicon, phosphorous, selenium; R3 and R4, equal to or different from each other, represent a hydrogen atom; or they are selected from a linear or branched Ci-C20, preferably C1-C15, alkyl groups optionally halogenated, cycloalkyl groups optionally substituted, aryl groups optionally substituted; or R2 and R4 can be optionally bound to each other to form, together with the other atoms to which they are bound, a cycle containing from 3 to 6 carbon atoms, saturated, unsaturated, or aromatic, optionally substituted with linear or branched Ci-C2o, preferably C1-C15 alkyl groups, said cycle optionally containing other heteroatoms such as, for example, oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, silicon, phosphorous, selenium; or R1 and R3 can be optionally bound to each other to form, together with the other atoms to which they are bound, a cycle containing from 3 to 6 carbon atoms, saturated, unsaturated, or aromatic, optionally substituted with linear or branched C1-C20, preferably C1-C15, alkyl groups, said cycle optionally containing other heteroatoms such as, for example, oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, silicon, phosphorous, selenium; X1 and X2, equal to or different from each other, represent a halogen atom such as, for example, chlorine, bromine, iodine; or they are selected from linear or branched C1-C20 preferably C1-C15, alkyl groups, —OCOR5 groups or —OR3 groups wherein R5 is selected from linear or branched C1-C20, preferably C1-C15, alkyl groups.
US09617357B2

In accordance with the present disclosure, a method of preparing a solid support for a transition metal catalyst is disclosed. The solid support may have a unique morphology that may be derived from contacting the magnesium compound and an electron donor in the presence of a fluorinated organic compound to form the solid support. The solid support may be used to form an enhanced catalyst. The enhanced catalyst may be used, in combination with an organoaluminum compound, as a Ziegler-Natta (ZN) catalyst. The ZN catalyst including the enhanced catalyst may be used to form a UHMWPE.
US09617353B2

A method for protecting an electrical or electronic device against liquid damage, the method comprising a preliminary step of applying a continuous power plasma to the electrical or electronic device, followed by exposing the device to pulsed plasma comprising a compound of formula (I) where R1, R2 and R3 are independently selected from hydrogen, alkyl, haloalkyl or aryl optionally substituted by halo; and R4 is a group X—R5 where R5 is an alkyl or haloalkyl group and X is a bond; a group of formula C(O)O(CH2)nY where n is an integer of from 1 to 10 and Y is a bond or a sulphonamide group; or a group (O)pR6(O)q(CH2)t where R6 is aryl optionally substituted by halo, p is 0 or 1, q is 0 or 1 and t is 0 or an integer of from 1 to 10, provided that where q is 1, t is other than 0, for a sufficient period of time to allow a polymeric layer to form on the surface of the electrical or electronic device. Devices protected by this method are protected from contamination by liquids, in particular environmental liquids.
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