US09673229B2
An array substrate, a method for manufacturing the same and a display apparatus are provided. The array substrate comprises: a substrate (1); a common electrode (2) and a pixel electrode (10) sequentially formed on the substrate (1) and insulated from each other; a thin film transistor comprising a gate electrode (4), an active layer (7), a source electrode (8a) and a drain electrode (8b), wherein the drain electrode (8b) is electrically connected with the pixel electrode (10); a common electrode line (5) disposed in a same layer as the gate electrode (4); and an insulating layer (3) between the gate electrode (4) and the common electrode (2), wherein the common electrode (2) is connected with the common electrode line (5) through a through hole in the insulating layer (3).
US09673228B2
A display panel is provided, which includes a substrate and a first metal layer on the substrate. The first metal layer includes a gate electrode and a gate line connecting to the gate electrode. A first insulation layer is disposed on the first metal layer. A planarization layer is disposed on the first insulation layer. An opening, overlapping the gate electrode, is defined by sidewalls of the planarization layer and a surface of the first insulation layer. An active layer is disposed on the opening and the planarization layer. A second metal layer is disposed on the semiconductor layer, and includes a source electrode contacting the active layer and a data line connecting to the source electrode. The planarization layer and the first insulation layer are disposed between the data line and the gate line.
US09673227B1
The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a TFT substrate and a structure thereof. The method for manufacturing the TFT substrate uses a connection semiconductor (42) that is formed in a semiconductor layer and is subjected to N-type heavy doping to connect a first semiconductor (41) and a second semiconductor (43) so as to connect the first TFT and the second TFT in series. The N-type heavily doped connection semiconductor (42) substitutes a connection electrode that is formed in a second metal layer in prior art techniques for preventing the design rules of the connection electrode and the second metal layer from being narrowed due to the connection electrode being collectively present on the second metal layer with signal lines of a data line and a voltage supply line and for facilitating increase of an aperture ratio and definition of a display panel. The present invention also provides a TFT substrate structure, which has a simple structure and possesses a high aperture ratio and high definition.
US09673225B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide an array substrate, a fabrication method thereof and a display device. The array substrate comprises a driver IC and pixel units, wherein each port of the driver IC is connected to a plurality of pixel units through a connecting structure, each connecting structure comprises a connecting line connected between a port of the driver IC and a plurality of pixel units, at least some of the connecting structures also comprise resistance regulating units for changing the total resistance values of the connecting structures, and the resistance regulating units are connected in series with the respective connecting lines; and/or the resistance regulating units are connected in parallel with parts of the respective connecting lines, so that the differences among resistance values of connecting structures can be reduced, and in turn the display effect of a display panel is improved.
US09673222B2
Methods and semiconductor structures formed from the methods are provided which facilitate fabricating semiconductor fin structures. The methods include, for example: providing a wafer with at least one semiconductor fin extending above a substrate; transforming a portion of the semiconductor fin(s) into an isolation layer, the isolation layer separating a semiconductor layer of the semiconductor fin(s) from the substrate; and proceeding with forming a fin device(s) of a first architectural type in a first fin region of the semiconductor fin(s), and a fin device(s) of a second architectural type in a second fin region of the semiconductor fin(s), where the first architectural type and the second architectural type are different fin device architectures.
US09673219B2
A vertical semiconductor device (e.g. a vertical power device, an IGBT device, a vertical bipolar transistor, a UMOS device or a GTO thyristor) is formed with an active semiconductor region, within which a plurality of semiconductor structures have been fabricated to form an active device, and below which at least a portion of a substrate material has been removed to isolate the active device, to expose at least one of the semiconductor structures for bottom side electrical connection and to enhance thermal dissipation. At least one of the semiconductor structures is preferably contacted by an electrode at the bottom side of the active semiconductor region.
US09673205B2
A nonvolatile memory embedded in an advanced logic circuit and a method forming the same are provided. In the nonvolatile memory, the word lines and erase gates have top surfaces lower than the top surfaces of the control gate. In addition, the word lines and the erase gates are surrounded by dielectric material before a self-aligned silicidation process is performed. Therefore, no metal silicide can be formed on the word lines and the erase gate to produce problems of short circuit and current leakage in a later chemical mechanical polishing process.
US09673198B2
A semiconductor device has active regions with different conductivity types. A substrate has a PMOS region and an NMOS region. A first active region is in the PMOS region. A second active region is in the NMOS region. A semiconductor layer is on the first active region. A first gate electrode crosses the first active region and extends on the semiconductor layer. A second gate electrode is on the second active region. An upper end of the first active region extends to a level lower than an upper end of the second active region. A lower end of the first active region extends to a level lower than a lower end of the second active region.
US09673196B2
A method including providing a semiconductor substrate including a first semiconductor device and a second semiconductor device, the first and second semiconductor devices including dummy spacers, dummy gates, and extension regions; protecting the second semiconductor device with a mask; removing the dummy spacers from the first semiconductor device; and depositing in-situ doped epitaxial regions on top of the extension regions of the first semiconductor device.
US09673191B2
A bipolar complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (BiCMOS) device is disclosed. The BiCMOS device includes a CMOS device in a CMOS region, a PNP bipolar device in a bipolar region, and a spacer clear region defined by an opening in a common spacer layer over the CMOS region and the bipolar region, wherein a sub-collector, a selectively implanted collector, and a base of the PNP bipolar device are formed in the spacer clear region. The PNP bipolar device further includes a collector sinker adjacent to the spacer clear region and electrically connected to the sub-collector of the PNP bipolar device. The BiCMOS device can further include an NPN bipolar device having a sub-collector, a selectively implanted collector and a base in another spacer clear region.
US09673189B2
An electrostatic discharge (ESD) unit is described, including a first device, and a second device coupled to the first device in parallel. In an ESD event, the first device is turned on before the second device is turned on. The second device may be turned on by the turned-on first device to form an ESD path in the ESD event.
US09673188B2
A method of fabricating a laterally diffused metal-oxide-semiconductor (LDMOS) transistor device having a bipolar transistor for electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection includes doping a substrate to form a body region of the LDMOS transistor device in the substrate, the body region having a first conductivity type, forming a doped isolating region of the LDMOS transistor device in the substrate, the doped isolating region having a second conductivity type and surrounding a device area of the LDMOS transistor device in which the body region is disposed, forming a base contact region of the bipolar transistor, the base contact region being disposed within the body region and having the first conductivity type, and doping the substrate to form an isolation contact region for the doped isolating region that defines a collector region of the bipolar transistor, to form source and drain regions of the LDMOS transistor device in the substrate, and to form an emitter region of the bipolar transistor within the body region.
US09673185B2
A method of manufacturing a stacked semiconductor package includes forming a semiconductor package, the semiconductor package having one or more semiconductor chips on an upper surface of a printed circuit board (PCB), and a mold layer covering the upper surface of the PCB, marking the semiconductor package with an identification mark by scanning a laser of a laser supply apparatus onto the semiconductor package, controlling a focus level of the laser, and performing laser drilling on the mold layer of the semiconductor package to form openings.
US09673182B2
A method of forming a package on package (PoP) structure includes forming a first die package, and bonding an external connector of a second die package to a solder paste layer of the first die package. The forming the first die package includes forming a contact pad over a substrate, attaching a metal ball with a convex surface to the contact pad, and applying a solder paste layer over a distal end of the metal ball and leaving at least a portion of the metal ball without solder paste. The forming the first die package also includes attaching a semiconductor die to the substrate, and forming a molding compound between the semiconductor die and the metal ball, where the solder paste layer has a first portion extending above an upper surface of the molding compound and a second portion extending below the upper surface of the molding compound.
US09673167B2
This invention relates to a method for bonding of a first contact area of a first at least largely transparent substrate to a second contact area of a second at least largely transparent substrate, on at least one of the contact areas an oxide being used for bonding, from which an at least largely transparent interconnection layer is formed with an electrical conductivity of at least 10e1 S/cm2 (measurement: four point method, relative to temperature of 300K) and an optical transmittance greater than 0.8 (for a wavelength range from 400 nm to 1500 nm) on the first and second contact area.
US09673155B2
An apparatus and method for a frequency based integrated circuit that selectively filters out unwanted bands or regions of interfering frequencies utilizing one or more tunable notch or bandpass filters or tunable low or high pass filters capable of operating across multiple frequencies and multiple bands in noisy RF environments. The tunable filters are fabricated within the same integrated circuit package as the associated frequency based circuitry, thus minimizing R, L, and C parasitic values, and also allowing residual and other parasitic impedance in the associated circuitry and IC package to be absorbed and compensated.
US09673146B2
Provided are methods of void-free tungsten fill of high aspect ratio features. According to various embodiments, the methods involve a reduced temperature chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process to fill the features with tungsten. In certain embodiments, the process temperature is maintained at less than about 350° C. during the chemical vapor deposition to fill the feature. The reduced-temperature CVD tungsten fill provides improved tungsten fill in high aspect ratio features, provides improved barriers to fluorine migration into underlying layers, while achieving similar thin film resistivity as standard CVD fill. Also provided are methods of depositing thin tungsten films having low-resistivity. According to various embodiments, the methods involve performing a reduced temperature low resistivity treatment on a deposited nucleation layer prior to depositing a tungsten bulk layer and/or depositing a bulk layer via a reduced temperature CVD process followed by a high temperature CVD process.
US09673145B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit layout structure includes a first active region, a second active region isolating from the first active region, a gate structure straddling the first active region and the second active region, and a plurality of conductive structures. The first active region at two opposite sides of the gate structure respectively forms a first source region and a first drain region. The second active region at two opposite sides of the gate structure respectively forms a second source region and a second drain region. The conductive structures include a plurality of slot-type conductive structures and one island-type conductive structure. The slot-type conductive structures are respectively formed on the first source region, the first drain region, the second source region and the second drain region. The island-type conductive structure is formed on the gate structure.
US09673137B2
A die package having a plurality of connection pads, a die substrate supporting a plurality of connection elements, a first lead having a first metal core with a first core diameter, and a dielectric layer surrounding the first metal core, the dielectric layer having a first dielectric thickness that varies along its length and/or the dielectric layer having an outer metal layer at least partially surrounding the dielectric layer, for selectively modifying the electrical characteristics of the lead.
US09673135B2
A semiconductor device having substantially minor-symmetric terminals and methods of forming the same. In one embodiment, the semiconductor device includes a semiconductor switch having a control node and a switched node, the switched node being coupled to first and second output terminals of the semiconductor device, the first and second output terminals being positioned in a substantially minor-symmetric arrangement on the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device also includes a control element having first and second input nodes and an output node, the first and second input nodes being coupled to first and second input terminals, respectively, of the semiconductor device and the output node being coupled to the control node of the semiconductor switch, the first and second input terminals being substantially center-positioned on the semiconductor device.
US09673132B2
An interconnection structure and method disclosed for providing an interconnection structure that includes conductive features having reduced topographic variations. The interconnection structure includes a contact pad disposed over a substrate. The contact pad includes a first layer of a first conductive material and a second layer of a second conductive material over the first layer. The first conductive material and the second conductive material are made of substantially the same material and have a first average grain size and a second average grain size that is smaller than the first average grain size. The interconnection structure also includes a passivation layer covering the substrate and the contact pad, and the passivation layer has an opening exposing the contact pad.
US09673131B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards techniques and configurations for integrated circuit package assemblies including a glass solder mask layer and/or bridge. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes one or more build-up layers having electrical routing features and a solder mask layer composed of a glass material, the solder mask layer being coupled with the one or more build-up layers and having openings disposed in the solder mask layer to allow coupling of package-level interconnect structures with the electrical routing features through the one or more openings. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
US09673127B2
Embodiments described herein relate to silicone-based thermal interface materials which include a thermally conductive material and a silicone-based polymeric material having a solubility parameter that is not less than 9.09 cal1/2 cm−3/2.
US09673124B2
A device and method for localizing underfill includes a substrate, a plurality of dies, and underfill material. The substrate includes a plurality of contacts and a plurality of cavities separated by a plurality of mesas. The plurality of dies is mounted to the substrate using the plurality of contacts. The underfill material is located between the substrate and the dies. The underfill material is localized into a plurality of regions using the mesas. Each of the contacts is located in a respective one of the cavities. In some embodiments, the substrate further includes a plurality of channels interconnecting the cavities. In some embodiments, the substrate further includes a plurality of intra-cavity mesas for further localizing the underfill material. In some embodiments, outer edges of a first one of the dies rest on first mesas located on edges of a first one of the cavities.
US09673121B2
Disclosed is a carrierless chip package for integrated circuit devices, and various methods of make same. In one illustrative embodiment, the device includes an integrated circuit chip comprising an exposed backside surface defining a plane, a plurality of wire bonds that are conductively coupled to the integrated circuit chip, each of the plurality of wire bonds being conductively coupled to a conductive exposed portion, a portion of the conductive exposed portion being positioned in the plane defined by the backside surface, and an encapsulant material positioned adjacent the integrated circuit chip and the plurality of wire bonds.
US09673089B2
An improved interconnect structure including a dielectric layer having a conductive feature embedded therein, the conductive feature having a first top surface that is substantially coplanar with a second top surface of the dielectric layer; a metal cap layer located directly on the first top surface, wherein the metal cap layer does not substantially extend onto the second top surface; a first dielectric cap layer located directly on the second top surface, wherein the first dielectric cap layer does not substantially extend onto the first top surface and the first dielectric cap layer is thicker than the metal cap layer; and a second dielectric cap layer on the metal cap layer and the first dielectric cap layer. A method of forming the interconnect structure is also provided.
US09673086B2
A method of producing a bonded wafer in which wafers each having a cutout portion are used as a bond wafer and a base wafer, and either or both of settings of an ion implanter with which ions are implanted and conditions of the ion implantation are adjusted in the step of implanting the ions such that a cutout portion of either or both of the bond wafer and the base wafer after bonding is located at within a range of 0±30° or 180±30° from a position at which separation of the bond wafer begins in the step of separating the bond wafer. This method can inhibit the occurrence of large fault defect that may be generated on a surface of a thin film right after the separation, when a thin film such as an SOI layer is formed by the ion implantation separation method.
US09673076B2
A device for transferring articles between an atmospheric pressure environment and a vacuum environment includes a transfer housing having an atmospheric transfer port, a pumping port, a vacuum transfer port, and a venting port disposed in a circumferentially-spaced relationship. The vacuum transfer port is in communication with the vacuum environment and the atmospheric transfer port is in communication with the atmospheric pressure environment. The device can include a carrier disc rotatably disposed within the transfer housing, the carrier disc having a pocket formed in a sidewall thereof for holding an article. The device may further include an air bearing associated with the transfer housing and configured to expel gas to maintain a gap between the transfer housing and the carrier disc.
US09673068B2
A method for processing a substrate with a porous film having a porous structure formed on a surface layer thereof includes the following a) and b) steps. The a) step is a step of mixing a first processing solution containing water with gas to generate droplets of the first processing solution and injecting the droplets of the first processing solution to the porous film. In addition, the b) step is a step of, after the a) step, mixing a second processing solution which is an organic solvent having higher volatility than the first processing solution with the gas to generate droplets of the second processing solution and injecting the droplets of the second processing solution to the porous film.
US09673067B2
A substrate processing apparatus has a substrate rotating device 10, 20 for holding and rotating a substrate W, a cleaning device 41 configured to clean a substrate W which is rotated by the substrate rotating device 10, 20 at predetermined rotating speed, a movement device 42 configured to move the cleaning device 41 between a cleaning position P3 and a separate position P2, and a control unit 64. The control unit 64 controls the movement device 42 so that the cleaning device 41 located at the separate position P2 starts moving toward the cleaning position P3 before a rotating speed of the substrate W held by the substrate rotating device 10, 20 reaches the predetermined rotating speed and the cleaning device 41 reaches the cleaning position P3 after a rotating speed of the substrate W reaches the predetermined rotating speed. Therefore, it is possible to improve the throughput in the substrate cleaning step.
US09673046B2
The invention provides a nonpolar or semipolar GaN substrate, in which a nitride semiconductor crystal having a low stacking fault density can be epitaxially grown on the main surface of the substrate, and a method for manufacturing an M-plane GaN substrate by forming a mask pattern having a line-shaped opening parallel to an a-axis of a C-plane GaN substrate on an N-polar plane of the C-plane GaN substrate, growing a plane-shape GaN crystal of which thickness direction is an m-axis direction from the opening of the mask pattern by an ammonothermal method, and cutting out the M-plane GaN substrate from the plane-shape GaN crystal.
US09673043B2
There is provided a technique including: (a) forming a thin film containing a predetermined element, oxygen and carbon on a substrate by performing a cycle a predetermined number of times, the cycle including: (a-1) supplying a source gas containing the predetermined element, carbon and a halogen element having a chemical bond between the predetermined element and carbon to the substrate; (a-2) supplying an oxidizing gas to the substrate; and (a-3) supplying a catalytic gas to the substrate; (b) removing a first impurity from the thin film by thermally processing the thin film at a first temperature higher than a temperature of the substrate in (a); and (c) removing a second impurity different from the first impurity from the thin film by thermally processing the thin film at a second temperature equal to or higher than the first temperature after performing (b).
US09673040B2
A method for fabricating semiconductor device is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: providing a substrate having a high-k dielectric layer thereon; forming a first work function layer on the high-k dielectric layer; and forming a first oxygen-containing layer on the first work function layer.
US09673032B1
A sample sprayer includes a first conduit for conducting a liquid sample, a second conduit surrounding the first conduit to define an annular passage for conducting a gas, a sprayer tip in which a fluid interaction region receives the liquid sample and the gas. The sprayer tip is configured to produce a sample spray by contact between the liquid sample and the gas in the fluid interaction region and emit the sample spray from the orifice. An adjustable positioning device is configured to translate the first conduit along the longitudinal axis in response to adjustment of the positioning device, wherein an axial position of the first conduit is adjustable relative to the orifice.
US09673030B2
Described herein are computer-readable storage mediums, methods and systems useful for analyzing samples via mass spectrometry. Aspects described herein include methods for normalizing mass spectrometry data that include providing a reference set of mass spectrometry data obtained from a first external standard sample having one or more isotopic standards, wherein the reference set of mass spectrometry data comprises one or more m/z intensity ratios. Methods described herein are useful for reducing errors based on instrument response and ionization efficiencies and improve reproducibility of data from instrument to instrument and from day to day.
US09673028B2
Systems and methods for arc handling in plasma processing operations are disclosed. The method includes providing current with a power supply to a plasma load at a first voltage polarity and energizing an energy storage device so when it is energized, the energy storage device applies a reverse polarity voltage that has a magnitude that is as least as great as the first voltage polarity. When an arc is detected, power is applied from the energy storage device to the plasma load with a reverse polarity voltage that has a polarity that is opposite of the first voltage polarity, the application of the reverse polarity voltage to the plasma load decreases a level of the current that is provided to the plasma load.
US09673026B2
Systems and methods for performing edge ramping are described. A system includes a base RF generator for generating a first RF signal. The first RF signal transitions from one state to another. The transition from one state to another of the first RF signal results in a change in plasma impedance. The system further includes a secondary RF generator for generating a second RF signal. The second RF signal transitions from one state to another to stabilize the change in the plasma impedance. The system includes a controller coupled to the secondary RF generator. The controller is used for providing parameter values to the secondary RF generator to perform edge ramping of the second RF signal when the second RF signal transitions from one state to another.
US09673024B2
A particle-optical arrangement comprises a charged-particle source for generating a beam of charged particles; a multi-aperture plate arranged in a beam path of the beam of charged particles, wherein the multi-aperture plate has a plurality of apertures formed therein in a predetermined first array pattern, wherein a plurality of charged-particle beamlets is formed from the beam of charged particles downstream of the multi-aperture plate, and wherein a plurality of beam spots is formed in an image plane of the apparatus by the plurality of beamlets, the plurality of beam spots being arranged in a second array pattern; and a particle-optical element for manipulating the beam of charged particles and/or the plurality of beamlets; wherein the first array pattern has a first pattern regularity in a first direction, and the second array pattern has a second pattern regularity in a second direction electron-optically corresponding to the first direction, and wherein the second regularity is higher than the first regularity.
US09673022B2
A system for reviewing a wafer, the system may include a memory unit that is configured to store information about locations of a set of suspected defects that are located at multiple dice of the wafer; electron optics that is configured to obtain images of reference elements, wherein the reference elements are located within a first reference die of the wafer; and a processor that is configured to: compare the first sub-set of suspected defects to a first sub-set of reference elements to provide a first evaluation result; and select, in response to the first evaluation result, a source of a second sub-set of reference elements. The electron optics is further configured to obtain images of a second sub-set of reference elements that are located within a second reference die of the wafer when it is determined that the second reference die is the source of the second sub-set of reference elements. The processor is further configured to compare the second sub-set of suspected defects to the second sub-set of reference elements to provide a second evaluation result.
US09673009B2
Disclosed embodiments relate to a direct current relay. In some embodiments, a direct current relay is capable of reducing noise by attenuating an impact generated between a fixed core and a moving core during an ‘ON’ operation, and by attenuating an impact generated between a shaft and a middle plate during an ‘OFF’ operation.
US09673007B2
An integrated circuit for demagnetizing an inductive load includes a first switch to control current supplied by a voltage supply to the inductive load. A Zener diode includes an anode connected to a control terminal of the first switch and a cathode connected to the voltage supply. A second switch includes a control terminal and first and second terminals. A temperature sensing circuit is configured to sense a temperature of the first switch and to generate a sensed temperature. A comparing circuit includes inputs that receive a reference temperature and the sensed temperature and an output connected to the control terminal of the second switch.
US09673005B2
The invention provides a switchgear that is capable of increasing a degree of freedom of a position of a moving arcing contact in a circuit breaker, does not require dimension management of components and a mechanism for adjusting a position of the moving arcing contact, and is capable of simplifying fabrication of components and assembly of devices and reducing cost. The switchgear according to the invention includes: a circuit breaker that is configured of a fixed arcing contact installed at a fixed-side conductor and a moving arcing contact installed at a moving electrode that opens and closes with respect to the fixed arcing contact; a linear motor that generates drive force for operating the moving arcing contact; a position detecting device that detects a position of a moving element of the linear motor; a contact detecting device that detects a contact state between the fixed arcing contact and the moving arcing contact; and a control device that sets a moving range of the moving arcing contact by controlling a voltage and a phase to be supplied to the linear motor based on the contact state between the fixed arcing contact and the moving arcing contact, which is detected by the contact detecting device, and position information of the moving element of the linear motor, which is detected by the position detecting device.
US09672995B2
Methods, apparatus, and systems are provided for a selectivity device for a circuit breaker. The invention includes a modular assembly adapted to be coupled to a load conductor assembly. The modular assembly includes a tripping plunger including a cam surface adapted to interact with a breaker tripping mechanism; an armature coupled to the tripping plunger; a yoke adapted to generate a magnetic field in response to an electric current in the load conductor assembly and disposed to apply a magnetic force proportionate to the electric current on the armature; and a spring assembly adapted to counter-balance the magnetic force up to a predefined tripping current in the load conductor assembly. Numerous additional aspects are disclosed.
US09672993B2
An electrical storage device includes a casing that has an opening, an electrode assembly that is placed inside the casing, a terminal plate that is electrically connected to the electrode assembly, and a holder that is provided to surround the terminal plate, the terminal plate having a step or a slope in an area in which the terminal plate comes in contact with the holder.
US09672988B2
A high-voltage pulse discharge capacitor of an elongated structure comprises a capacitor body. The capacitor body comprises several high-voltage capacitor parallel units and a high-voltage capacitor core pack. The several high-voltage capacitor parallel units are mutually connected in parallel. The high-voltage capacitor parallel units connected in parallel are then connected as a whole with the high-voltage capacitor core pack in parallel. The high-voltage capacitor parallel unit comprises two capacitor core packs. The two capacitor core packs are mutually connected in parallel. The capacitor core packs connected in parallel are wrapped with a PP film and purple copper foil at an outer side integrally. The purple copper foil is connected to axial faces located at a head and a tail of a combination integral of the two capacitor core packs. Using a preceding parallel connection mode enables the capacitor to provide greater current when discharging electricity, reduces heat generated by internal resistance when the capacitor discharges the electricity, and prolongs a service life of the capacitor.
US09672976B2
A device may include a multiple inductive coils arranged concentrically for operating according multiple modes of wireless power transfer. The device may include multiple layers of magnetic shields to protect device components from the effects of the magnetic field used for power transfer. Construction and material of multiple layers of shields may be based on addressing individually the different parameters of the multiple modes of operation and based on the combined effect of the layers in each mode of operation. In some examples, the device may include first and second ferrite shields each having different magnetic properties.
US09672975B2
This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for wireless power transfer. In one aspect, an apparatus for wirelessly transmitting power is provided. The apparatus includes a first conductive structure configured to generate a first magnetic field based on a first current received from a power source. The apparatus further includes a second conductive structure configured to generate a second magnetic field based on a second current from the power source. The apparatus further includes a controller configured to determine a respective coupling coefficient between each of the first and second conductive structures and a third conductive structure configured to receive power via the first or the second magnetic field. The controller is further configured to adjust the first or second current applied to the first and second conductive structures based at least in part on the coupling coefficients.
US09672965B2
A reactor includes a laminated core formed by laminating soft-magnetic ribbons in a lamination direction. The laminated core has a gap formed across a magnetic path direction in the laminated core. The laminated core also has a flat facing surface that faces the gap and a pair of flat side surfaces that are respectively on opposite sides of the facing surface in the lamination direction. The laminated core further has a pair of first corner curved surfaces that are formed between the facing surface and the pair of side surfaces. Each of the first corner curved surfaces has a width in the lamination direction greater than the thickness of each of the soft-magnetic ribbons. For each of the first corner curved surfaces, a length of the first corner curved surface in the magnetic path direction is greater than the width of the first corner curved surface in the lamination direction.
US09672956B2
A high-frequency signal line includes a linear signal line and a first ground conductor provided at a dielectric body to extend along the dielectric body. The first ground conductor includes a first main surface and a second main surface opposed to each other in a direction of lamination. A strip-shaped protrusion extending along the signal line is provided on the second main surface of the first ground conductor.
US09672943B2
A system and method for containing plasma and forming a Field Reversed Configuration (FRC) magnetic topology are described in which plasma ions are contained magnetically in stable, non-adiabatic orbits in the FRC. Further, the electrons are contained electrostatically in a deep energy well, created by tuning an externally applied magnetic field. The simultaneous electrostatic confinement of electrons and magnetic confinement of ions avoids anomalous transport and facilitates classical containment of both electrons and ions. In this configuration, ions and electrons may have adequate density and temperature so that upon collisions ions are fused together by nuclear force, thus releasing fusion energy. Moreover, the fusion fuel plasmas that can be used with the present confinement system and method are not limited to neutronic fuels only, but also advantageously include advanced fuels.
US09672925B2
A device includes a memory and a read/write (R/W) unit. The memory includes multiple gates coupled to a common charge-trap layer. The R/W unit is configured to program and read the memory by creating and reading a set of electrically-charged regions in the common charge-trap layer, wherein at least a given region in the set is not uniquely associated with any single one of the gates.
US09672915B2
A storage device includes a nonvolatile memory device and a memory controller configured to control the nonvolatile memory device in response to a request from a host. The memory controller is configured to employ state information related to the confidence level of a power supply to determine a reliability level with respect to an access operation of the memory device and to perform a reliability guarantee operation corresponding to the determined reliability level.
US09672905B1
A method for storing data in a storage system having solid-state memory is provided. The method includes determining portions of the solid-state memory that have a faster access rate and portions of the solid-state memory that have a slower access rate, relative to each other or to a threshold. The method includes writing data bits of erasure coded data to the portions of the solid-state memory having the faster access rate, and writing one or more parity bits of the erasure coded data to the portions of the solid-state memory having the slower access rate. A storage system is also provided.
US09672900B2
In a semiconductor memory device, static memory cells are arranged in rows and columns, word lines correspond to respective memory cell rows, and word line drivers drive correspond to word lines. Cell power supply lines correspond to respective memory cell columns and are coupled to cell power supply nodes of a memory cell in a corresponding column. Down power supply lines are arranged corresponding to respective memory cell columns, maintained at ground voltage in data reading and rendered electrically floating in data writing. Write assist elements are arranged corresponding to the cell power supply lines, and according to a write column instruction signal for stopping supply of a cell power supply voltage to the cell power supply line in a selected column, and for coupling the cell power supply line arranged corresponding to the selected column at least to the down power supply line on the corresponding column.
US09672899B2
A memory device may include a first inverter, a second inverter, and a control transistor. The control transistor is electrically connected to each of an output terminal of the first inverter and an input terminal of the second inverter for controlling an electrical connection between the output terminal of the first inverter and the input terminal of the second inverter.
US09672890B2
A semiconductor memory apparatus includes a plurality of cell arrays; and a use information storage block configured to determine whether a data write operation has already been performed for the plurality of cell arrays, and generate a plurality of control signals, wherein the semiconductor memory apparatus is configured to control a refresh operation for the plurality of cell arrays according to the plurality of control signals.
US09672880B2
A radiation upset detector is provided. The radiation upset detector includes at least one radiation sensitive memory initialized with at least one respective known-signature word; and at least one radiation hardened logic circuitry communicatively coupled to the at radiation sensitive memory to check the known-signature word at at least a kHz rate to detects errors. Responsive to detecting an error in the known-signature word in the radiation sensitive memory, the radiation hardened logic circuitry sends an action command. At least one of: a memory size of the memory; a number of circuits in the logic circuitry; a clock rate for the checking the known-signature word; and at least one corruption threshold is selected based on system reliability requirements of the protected system including at least one of: an overall operational reliability requirement of the protected system; a probability of detection success; false alarm rates; and a required speed of detection.
US09672875B2
Apparatuses and methods for providing a program voltage responsive to a voltage determination are described. An example apparatus includes a memory array comprising a plurality of access lines. The example apparatus further includes a memory access circuit coupled to the memory array. The memory access circuit is configured to, during a memory program operation, provide an inhibit voltage to the plurality of access lines. The memory access circuit is further configured to, during the memory program operation, provide a program voltage to a target access line of the plurality of access lines responsive to a determination that an access line of the plurality of access lines has a voltage equal to or greater than a threshold voltage. The threshold voltage is less than the inhibit voltage.
US09672872B2
A semiconductor device enabling expansion of a noise margin. For example, in a memory area in which each memory cell MC is coupled to a word line WLA for a first port and a word line WLB for a second port, and a plurality of memory cells MC are disposed in a matrix shape, each word line is disposed in the order of WLA0, WLB0, WLB1, WLA1, WLA2. Further, a pitch d2 between WLA-WLA and between WLB-WLB is made smaller than a pitch d1 between WLA-WLB. As such, the word lines of an identical port are disposed at the pitch d2 on one of both sides of a certain word line and the word lines of different ports are disposed at the pitch d1 on the other.
US09672865B2
Methods and systems described herein provide for visualizing content across different time segments of a media asset. Information about content within a particular time segment of a media asset is retrieved. This content information is generated by processing user-generated messages corresponding to the particular time segment. Content descriptors are generated based on the received content information corresponding to the particular time segment. A timeline is generated, independently of presenting a media asset, wherein the timeline visually associates content descriptors with their corresponding time segments of the media asset. When these content descriptors are selected by a user, the user-generated messages corresponding to the content descriptor at the corresponding time segment are displayed to the user.
US09672861B2
There is provided an optical recording medium including: three reproduction layers, wherein reflectance R1, R2, and R3 of the three reproduction layers on a side of a surface irradiated with reproduction light is equal to or greater than 5%, and wherein any absolute value of a difference delta R between two selected from the reflectance R1, R2, and R3 is equal to or less than 7%.
US09672848B2
Devices having air bearing surfaces (ABS), the devices including a near field transducer (NFT) that includes a disc configured to convert photons incident thereon into plasmons; and a peg configured to couple plasmons coupled from the disc into an adjacent magnetic storage medium, wherein at least one of a portion of the peg, a portion of the disc, or a portion of both the peg and the disc include a multilayer structure including at least two layers including at least one layer of a first material and at least one layer of a second material, wherein the first material and the second material are not the same and wherein the first and the second materials independently include aluminum (Al), antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi), boron (B), barium (Ba), calcium (Ca), cerium (Ce), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), erbium (Er), gadolinium (Gd), gallium (Ga), germanium (Ge), gold (Au), hafnium (Hf), indium (In), iridium (Ir), iron (Fe), lanthanum (La), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), niobium (Nb), osmium (Os), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), rhenium (Re), rhodium (Rh), ruthenium (Ru), scandium (Sc), silicon (Si), silver (Ag), strontium (Sr), tantalum (Ta), thorium (Th), tin (Sn), titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), tungsten (W), ytterbium (Yb), yttrium (Y), zirconium (Zr), or combinations thereof.
US09672843B2
Method of improving audio signal in the spectral domain starts by receiving audio signal that includes signals from sources including speech source and music source. Audio signal is tuned for output by sound output device. Portions of audio signal are analyzed in a spectral domain to determine whether adjustments are required. Analyzing portions of audio signal includes determining whether anomaly is present in frequency band of audio signal in spectral domain by using at least one metric. Metrics include band energy ratios, spectral centroid, spectral tilt, spectral flux, spectral variance, absolute thresholds, and relative thresholds. Audio signal is adjusted to improve audio signal in spectral domain when audio signal is determined to require adjustments. Adjusting audio signal includes adjusting values of the metric in frequency band that is determined to include anomaly to correspond to clustering of metric values for audio signal in spectral domain. Other embodiments are also described.
US09672838B2
Improved methods for coding an ensemble of pulse vectors utilize statistical models (i.e., probability models) for the ensemble of pulse vectors, to more efficiently code each pulse vector of the ensemble. At least one pulse parameter describing the non-zero pulses of a given pulse vector is coded using the statistical models and the number of non-zero pulse positions for the given pulse vector. In some embodiments, the number of non-zero pulse positions are coded using range coding. The total number of unit magnitude pulses may be coded using conditional (state driven) bitwise arithmetic coding. The non-zero pulse position locations may be coded using adaptive arithmetic coding. The non-zero pulse position magnitudes may be coded using probability-based combinatorial coding, and the corresponding sign information may be coded using bitwise arithmetic coding. Such methods are well suited to coding non-independent-identically-distributed signals, such as coding video information.
US09672830B2
A voice signal encoding and decoding method, device, and codec system are provided. The coding method includes: encoding an input voice signal to obtain a broadband code stream, where the broadband code stream includes a core layer bit stream and an extension enhancement layer bit stream (101); compressing the core layer bit stream to obtain a compressed code stream (102); and packing the compressed code stream and the extension enhancement layer bit stream to obtain a packed code stream (103). The core layer bit stream is compressed, and the compressed code stream and the extension enhancement layer bit stream are packed, thereby reducing transmission bandwidth occupied by the input voice signal. Since the broadband voice encoding is performed on the input voice signal, a broadband voice code stream is transmitted by using narrowband transmission bandwidth, thereby improving the cost performance of voice signal transmission.
US09672822B2
Techniques for interacting with a portion of a content item through a virtual assistant are described herein. The techniques may include identifying a portion of a content item that is relevant to user input and causing an action to be performed related to the portion of the content item. The action may include, for example, displaying the portion of the content item on a smart device in a displayable format that is adapted to a display characteristic of the smart device, performing a task for a user that satisfies the user input, and so on.
US09672807B2
The present disclosure relates to a positioning method and apparatus in a three-dimensional space of reverberation. The method includes the following steps: constructing a three-dimensional space frame surrounding a point sound source and a sound receiver, and acquiring barycentric coordinates of the three-dimensional space frame; establishing an X-Y coordinate system by using the barycentric coordinates as the origin; determining a vector from the sound receiver to the barycentric coordinates and a facing angle between the sound receiver and the barycentric coordinates according to the established X-Y coordinate system; and obtaining reverberation intensity through calculation according to the vector from the sound receiver to the barycentric coordinates and the facing angle between the sound receiver and the barycentric coordinates, and using the reverberation intensity as a control parameter.
US09672805B2
A crosstalk cancelation technique reduces feedback in a shared acoustic space by canceling out some or all parts of sound signals that would otherwise be produced by a loudspeaker to only be captured by a microphone that, recursively, would cause these sounds signals to be reproduced again on the loudspeaker as feedback. Crosstalk cancelation can be used in a multichannel acoustic system (MAS) comprising an arrangement of microphones, loudspeakers, and a processor to together enhance conversational speech between in a shared acoustic space. To achieve crosstalk cancelation, a processor analyzes the inputs of each microphone, compares it to the output of far loudspeaker(s) relative to each such microphone, and cancels out any portion of a sound signal received by the microphone that matches signals that were just produced by the far loudspeaker(s) and sending only the remaining sound signal (if any) to such far loudspeakers.
US09672798B1
A drum shell wrap is disclosed that includes at least two layers of an acrylic film and a plurality of layers of polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
US09672795B2
A wet ink texture engine and associated method. The wet ink texture engine may run in the context of any application on any device, service, or general endpoint capable of receiving ink input. For example, the wet ink texture engine may be used in the context of a note application that receives input in the form of writing or drawing. The wet ink texture engine reduces, minimizes, or eliminates lag between receiving the input and displaying the input to improve inking experience for the user.
US09672781B2
A level shifter circuit has a plurality of channels for providing signals to a capacitive load and has circuits for sharing charge stored in the capacitive load between the channels. A first pair of channel clock generating circuits are coupled respectively to a first pair of channels. A second pair of channel clock generating circuits are coupled respectively to a second pair of channels. A pair of switches couple the first pair of channels together and the second pair of channels together, respectively, for sharing charge between the channels. A single resistor is coupled in circuit with all of the channels for controlling a slope of charge sharing between channels.
US09672779B2
Disclosed is a liquid crystal display device, a backlight module, and a backlight drive circuit. The backlight drive circuit comprises a booster circuit, a light-emitting unit, a circuit for automatic adjustment of current, and a controller. The current flowing through an LED will be altered by the circuit for automatic adjustment of current when extending an adjustable range of the controller, so as to reach the adjustable range of the controller.
US09672775B2
Disclosed are method and circuit for synchronizing input and output synchronization signals, which can synchronize an output synchronization signal based on frequency change of an input synchronization signal and limit input and output periods, thereby preventing flickering, a backlight driver of a liquid crystal display device using the same, and a method for driving the backlight driver. The method for synchronizing input and output synchronization signals, includes generating an output synchronization signal whose output period is set based on a comparison result between an input period of an input synchronization signal and a previous output period of the output synchronization signal, and limiting the output period of the output synchronization signal within a predefined limit range from the previous output period.
US09672770B2
A pixel circuit is disclosed, comprising: a driving module, an energy storage module, an electroluminescence module, a data voltage write module and a threshold compensation module, the threshold compensation module being connected with a compensation voltage input end, a first end of the energy storage module and at least one control signal input end, adapted to compensate the voltage of the first end of the energy storage module as a sum of the startup threshold of the driving module and the compensation voltage accessed by the compensation voltage input end in response to the control signal accessed by the connected control signal input end.
US09672768B2
A luminance-chrominance calibration production line includes: a rail; multiple stations disposed along the rail and including multiple first darkroom stations; multiple image acquisition apparatuses respectively disposed in the first darkroom stations and for capturing different color images sequentially displayed by a to-be-calibrated LED display module loaded on the rail to acquire color image data; and a rail computer system for controlling a transport movement on the rail and controlling the to-be-calibrated LED display module to display the different color images, and being signally connected to the image acquisition apparatuses to obtain the color image data. By using multiple image acquisition apparatuses to collect various color image information of LED display module in pipelined manner, calibration efficiency is improved, data collection is accurate, data collection error caused by using different image acquisition apparatuses to calibrate different LED display modules is avoided and calibration manpower is reduced.
US09672759B2
Probe data including points with geographic locations and heading angles are identified for a geographic area. A translation is performed on the points in the probe data in a predetermined direction orthogonal to the corresponding heading. The translated points are aggregated according to a location grid. The aggregated points are analyzed from the location grid according to the heading. A potential location for a center of a roundabout road formation is determined based on the analysis.
US09672754B2
A method for generating recommendations for achieving goals is described. The method includes receiving a goal for a user account. The goal is associated with an activity that is trackable via a monitoring device. The method further includes receiving tracking data associated with the monitoring device. At least part of the tracking data is associated to the activity. The method includes receiving geo-location data associated with the monitoring device. The geo-location data is correlated to the tracking data. The method includes analyzing the received tracking data and geo-location data to characterize a current performance metric for the activity and generating a recommendation for the user account. The recommendation identifies the current performance metric and a suggested action and location for increasing the current performance metric to achieve the goal.
US09672751B1
The invention provides a three-dimensional apparatus for problem solving, learning and presentation for modeling, teaching and illustrating exemplary problem solving or thinking. Some embodiments provide a puzzle-like form. Another preferred embodiment of the present invention provides for the building of a problem or topic or situation specific or custom learning or problem solving or investigatory or presentation aid. Embodiments of the invention may also incorporate or use electronic, digital, electro-mechanical, mechanical, electric or other devices, processors, controllers, or mechanisms, or input or output to or from such or similar elements, and wired or wireless or other networks or interfaces.
US09672750B1
A wing protection system for increasing avoidance of grounded aircraft utilizes a first wing clamp and a second wing clamp to attach to an aircraft wing. The first wing clamp and the second wing clamp are connected to a central support that is used to mount and house an electronics assembly; the electronics assembly including a plurality of sensors, a processor, and a peripheral alert system. The plurality of sensors detects objects approaching the grounded aircraft, while the peripheral alert system provides a visual and audible alert to the presence of the grounded aircraft; the processor receiving signals from the plurality of sensors and dictating appropriate action of the peripheral alert system. A linear actuator is slidably coupled to the first wing clamp, allowing the wing protection system to be fitted to several types of aircraft. A surveillance camera can also be provided for video surveillance of the grounded aircraft.
US09672742B2
A detecting device is mounted in a parking lot including parking regions, and can communicate with a cloud server and one mobile terminal entering the parking lot. The cloud server stores an electronic map of the parking lot. The detecting device includes a distance sensor and a positioning device. The distance sensor detects occupied information of each parking space of each parking region and transmits the occupied information to the cloud server. The positioning device detects an original location of one mobile terminal entering the parking lot and transmits the original location to the cloud server, so that the cloud server can update the electronic map to indicate the occupied information and the original location.
US09672722B2
The methods, systems, and apparatuses described in this disclosure enable the identification of an alarm condition and the termination of a connection between an MTA and one or more telephony devices. An alarm condition can be identified at an MTA through the monitoring of feedback received from an alarm interface, and the MTA can respond to the identification of the alarm condition by terminating a connection to a telephony device for which communications are not routed through a corresponding alarm interface. An interface between the MTA and alarm interface may route communications to and from a telephony network through a first pair of wires and may receive feedback from the alarm interface through a second pair of wires.
US09672720B2
A method and apparatus for visually indicating the connections between optical interfaces is provided. The optical interfaces may include multi-wavelength optical interfaces and uni-wavelength optical interfaces. The optical interfaces may reside within optical nodes contained within an optical network.
US09672719B1
A method for detecting an event occurring during operation of a vehicle includes receiving indications of a plurality of variables from an installed device communicatively coupled to the mobile device via an internal communication link. The method further includes analyzing the received indications of the plurality of variables to detect the event occurring during the operation of the vehicle. Still further, the method includes, upon detecting the event, initiating: (i) a first communication session between the mobile device and an entity outside of the vehicle, and (ii) a second communication session between the mobile device and the installed device, wherein the mobile device forwards content communicated via the first communication session to the installed device via the second communication session such that the installed device presents the content to the vehicle operator. In one aspect, air pressure wave sensor and accelerometer data may trigger automatic crash notifications to emergency responders.
US09672712B1
A water-powered residential fire suppression and alarm system is provided. The system comprises a sprinkler head, a water-powered alarm, a fire-resistant transfer line assembly, and a housing assembly. The sprinkler activates upon excessive heat. An unclosable channel connects the alarm with the sprinkler head. The transfer line assembly includes a fire-resistant transfer line connected the alarm and to a multi-port coupling. The multi-port coupling also connects to an existing water fixture. The transfer line assembly is unclosable. The housing assembly has a housing with a vertical span of about 3-12 inches. The sprinkler head and alarm are mounted to the housing assembly and the transfer line assembly is connected to the housing assembly. The transfer line assembly connects to the sprinkler head directly as well as through the alarm. When water is provided to the coupling and the sprinkler head activates, water flows through the transfer line, activating the alarm.
US09672711B2
A method of preventing the theft of packaged products from a building, in which the method includes the steps of incorporating an electronic device into the packaging material for the packaged product, and configuring the electronic device to activate an alarm if the packaged product is removed from the building prior to deactivation of the electronic device. In a particular embodiment, the method further includes configuring the electronic device to impair the function or appearance of the packaged product if the packaged product is removed from the building prior to deactivation of the electronic device.
US09672705B2
Systems and methods of the disclosed embodiments provide a sensor to detect a side from which a door or window is being opened, and a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor to determine the side from which the door or window is being opened, and to generate a security exception based on the determination of the side from which the door or window is being opened.
US09672704B2
A textual notification device includes a display for presenting either emergency information or non-emergency information received at the network interface of the textual notification device. The textual notification device also includes an alert mechanism for generating an alert signal alerting occupants to the presentation of emergency information. The textual notification device can be incorporated in an emergency system that includes an emergency panel and a secondary system. The emergency panel provides the emergency information to the textual notification device for display. The secondary system provides the non-emergency information to the textual notification device for display. In one embodiment, the emergency system includes an addressable channel enabling the separate addressing of the display and the alert mechanism(s).
US09672691B2
A wagering game system and its operations are described herein. In embodiments, the operations can those for moving an object across a plurality of browsers on a display device of a wagering game machine. The method can include presenting a first browser area and a second browser area on the display device, and presenting the object in the first browser area, wherein the object is owned by a first player account. The method can include detecting, by the wagering game machine, player input directing movement of the object toward the second browser, and moving the object from the first browser area to the second browser on the display device, in response to the player input. The method can also include transferring ownership of the object from the first player account to a second player account, in response to moving the object to the second browser.
US09672686B2
In one embodiment, a system and method to transfer money may include a mobile device associated with a player, a location server designed to: track a device position of the mobile device and track a vessel position, and a mobile gaming management server designed to: receive a fund transfer request from a gaming server for the mobile device, the fund transfer request including a fund amount; determine if the fund amount can be transferred to the mobile device based on the device position and the vessel position; and transfer the fund amount to the mobile device if it is determined that the fund amount can be transferred to the mobile device.
US09672682B2
Provided is a presentation effect device capable of providing a new presentation effect in which it is possible to change the state where a player can visibly recognize an object to be visibly recognized to the state where a player can visibly recognize the object without any movable member. A presentation effect device is provided with a plate-like panel, an accommodation space partitioned by the plate-like panel, the accommodation space for accommodating an object to be visibly recognized, and an illumination device for illuminating the object to be visibly recognized by a signal from the outside, wherein the plate-like panel is composed of a beam splitter for dividing incoming light into reflection light and transmitted light.
US09672673B1
In a system of locks, typically lockers for temporary use, but also including long-term lockers and locks in office furniture, each electronic lock has an access terminal for entry of a user's code. The electronic locks each have a processor and a programmable memory to receive inputs for setting and resetting access codes for the lock. The system includes a smartphone or other hand-held computer device, with a program for control of lock access. When locks of the system are to be set as to permitted access, or operating parameters of locks are to be adjusted, or for downloading information from the lock, information is entered into the smartphone and downloaded to a portable electronic data key. The data key is then touched to contacts of each lock to be affected, whereby the locks are set or the locks provide audit data to the smartphones.
US09672672B2
A keyless padlock having a padlock body, a shackle, a locking mechanism located in the body and associated with the shackle to lock the shackle to the body in a locked condition and to release at least a part of the shackle in an unlocked condition, the locking mechanism including a signal receiver, at least one control assembly and at least one actuator, the locking mechanism being unlocked upon verification of a signal including an unlock code transmitted by a mobile computing device.
US09672669B1
The key fob case is a case that is adapted for use in with an automobile key fobs. The key fob case is a rigid case with a lid. When not in use, the automobile key fob is placed inside the key fob case to prevent inadvertent operation of the buttons on the automobile key fob. The key fob case is closed with the lid, which is a hinged transparent cover that fits the rigid case. The key fob case also has a switched light for use in darkness. The key fob case comprises a container, a cover, a hinge, and a light.
US09672660B2
A system and method for offloading augmented reality processing is described. A first sensor of a server generates a first set of sensor data corresponding to a location and an orientation of a display device. The server receives a request from the display device to offload a combination of at least one of a tracking process and a rendering process from the display device. The server generates offloaded processed data based on a combination of at least one of the first set of sensor data and a second set of sensor data. The second set of sensor data is generated by a second sensor at the display device. The server streams the offloaded processed data to the display device.
US09672656B1
To render features on a digital map, a position and orientation of a virtual camera relative to a plane of the digital map is determined. The plane is tilted so that a plane of a viewport of the digital map is not parallel to the plane of the digital map, where the viewport delimiting a view of the digital map. Map features are selected for inclusion in the view of the digital map in accordance with the determined position and orientation of the virtual camera. A level-of-detail (LOD) is determined for each of the map features in accordance with a distance between the virtual camera and the map feature. The map features are rendered, using a rendering engine, in accordance with the determined LODs.
US09672640B2
Methods and systems are proposed herein for performing manual matching of generated digitally reconstructed radiographs with acquired verification images efficiently without intensive processing and/or memory consumption or hardware requirements. According to one aspect of the claimed subject matter, a system is provided that includes a computing workstation, communicatively coupled to both a data storage device and an image acquisition device. Real time images acquired by the image acquisition device are presented to the user along with one or more digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRRs)—generated using dynamically selected rendering techniques—from previously acquired image data. The user is able to verify the DRRs as a match to the real time image, or, alternately, to dynamically generate additional DRRs more suitable by actuating a portion of the generated DRR. Based on the user actuation, a new DRR is generated and presented to the user for verification.
US09672639B1
Implementations of the present disclosure relate to methods for reconstruction for bioluminescence tomography based on a method of multitask Bayesian compressed sensing in the field of medical image processing. The method includes the following operations. Firstly the high order approximation model is used to model the law of light propagation in biological tissues, then the inner-correlation among multispectral measurements is researched based on multitask learning method and incorporated into a reconstruction algorithm of bioluminescence tomography as prior information to reduce ill-posedness of BLT reconstruction, and then on this basis, three-dimensional reconstruction of bioluminescent source is realized. Compared with other reconstruction algorithms for BLT, the correlation among multispectral measurements is incorporated into the disclosure and the ill-posedness of BLT reconstruction is reduced. The bioluminescent source can be reconstructed and located accurately using the proposed algorithm, and computational efficiency can be greatly improved.
US09672618B1
A Dyslexia screening and management system and process for individual user, community and group in general are described. An electronic media based tests for reading, writing, drawing, spelling and listening skills, family drawing, and letter writing test, which uses text, audio, video, and gaze movement to detect a set of symptoms of having dyslexia is described. Multi-modal, language-independent screening test modules have been developed, which gives indications of further dyslexia diagnosis tool. The multimedia retrieval framework is presented to accelerate and ease the process of testing dyslexia at the global level, and to identify and auto assess potential dyslexic patterns and to accumulate huge collection of multimedia test data for in-depth clinical dyslexia pattern analysis.
US09672596B2
A filtering unit applies a filter for suppressing a high-frequency component to a second image generated by performing image processing including at least enlargement processing on a first image captured by using an endoscope. An image reducing unit generates a third image by performing reduction processing on the second image to which the filter has been applied. A filter setting unit sets a characteristic of a filter based on information on a maximum frequency component that can be reproduced in at least the first image and information on a maximum frequency component that should be reproduced in the third image.
US09672586B2
This patent application focuses on partitioning the computation to perform the image processing on the DSP, communicate the results to the GPU in an optimized manner, and use the GPU to render 3D information to the display. This invention solves the problem of seamlessly merging live streams from plural automotive cameras into a 3D display that can be rotated to see different view points. This purpose is achieved by partitioning the computation task between a digital signal processor (DSP) for image processing and a graphics processing unit (GPU) for rendering and display. This invention also includes meta data structures for communication of results from the DSP to the GPU.
US09672574B2
In one embodiment, a social-networking system authenticates a user of a mobile device, receives a request from the mobile device to install a software application, transmits data to the mobile device comprising the software application and an installation identifier (ID), receives another request including the installation ID from the mobile device to authorize the software application, evaluates the installation ID for validity, and transmits yet another response to the mobile device in accordance with the evaluation.
US09672573B2
Described above is a system for allocating variable compensation to a group of individuals. The system displays objective financial statistics associated with individuals, and subjective factors to be set by a user, where the system can convert subjective factors set by the user into a value. The user can then select base and variable compensation values for each individual. Other details are described herein.
US09672571B2
A system and method are disclosed herein to determine an insurance premium discount based on telematics data. The system includes a computer memory and a processor in communication with the computer memory. The computer memory stores data indicative telematics data received from a sensor within a vehicle, including at least one of geo-position information of the vehicle and vehicle kinematics data. The processor is configured to identify safety events and associated safety event locations based on the telematics data. The processor is further configured to display to the driver indications of the safety events on a map display along with indications of safety events associated with other drivers.
US09672570B1
At least a system for providing telematics data associated with a vehicle being driven by a driver is described. The vehicular telematics data may be obtained by tracking the movements of a wireless communications device of a driver of the vehicle. The telematics data may provide, among other things, speed, acceleration, deceleration, times of operation, duration of operation, mileage driven per day, and day of the week the vehicle has been used. At least a system for determining risk behavior of a driver is also described. While a vehicle is being driven, data is obtained related to the position and movement of a wireless communications device. The data may indicate the type of behavior exhibited by the driver while the vehicle is being driven.
US09672559B2
A user interface for displaying retail search results is disclosed. The system and methods allow users to search for a plurality of retail items while simultaneously viewing a plurality of search results for each of the plurality of retail items. This interface allows users to easily compare the search results for each retail item, and to purchase a plurality of retail items simultaneously. In one example of the present disclosure, users may enter a plurality of retail items into a shopping list. The system may then display multiple results for each item on the shopping list in a carousel-like user interface, so users may view a plurality of results for a plurality of items simultaneously.
US09672552B2
Queries against search engines like the Google Search Appliance, Elastic Search and other readily available search engines to provide meaningful content for the purpose of supporting eCommerce websites. In particular, methods that provide for an intelligent abstraction to know when and how to generate a set of queries, the set of queries including one or more queries that are relevant to the searchable content are disclosed. In addition, the methods also can determine if a query against the search engine is even required and may redirect the use to other dynamic or static content outside the search index utilized by the search engine to satisfy the queries.
US09672549B2
Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for providing customer service help. The system first receives, from a user device, contact information associated with the user device, wherein the contact information is received via a customer service terminal having a user interface configured to wirelessly receive data from the user device when the user device is within a distance of the customer service terminal. In response to receiving the contact information, the system then identifies a customer service representative associated with the customer service terminal. The system then sends the contact information to a remote device associated with the customer service representative. The customer service representative can then initiate a customer service communication between the user device and the remote device in order to provide customer service help to the user associated with the user device.
US09672541B2
According to various embodiments, techniques and mechanisms described herein facilitate the editing of computer programming tags associated with a website. A user interface displaying a representation of a website may be presented on a display screen. The representation may include a plurality of webpage identifiers that each identifies a respective webpage associated with the website. The representation may also include a plurality of active tag indicators that are each associated with a respective one of the webpages. Each active tag indicator may identify a respective portion of computer programming code included in the respective webpage with which the active tag indicator is associated. User input indicating an editing action to be performed with respect to one or more of the computer programming code portions may be received, and a message identifying the editing action may be transmitted via a communications interface.
US09672536B2
Methods and systems provide customized electronic cards, such as customized vCards. Each vCard can be customized, such as with respect to a particular recipient. Thus, desired specific information can be provided to the recipient and not provided to anyone else who receives a vCard from a user. In this manner, a unique communication between the user and the recipient can be defined. Different vCards, each containing some common information and some unique information, can be communicated to different recipients.
US09672534B2
Preparing a content package by determining a requesting user profile based on the requesting user identity. This includes calculating an inclusion value for a content file based on at least one factor. The factor may be a social networking factor. The social networking factor is based on a profile attribute linking the requesting user identity to at least one friend user identity and a content rating attribute linking the content file to the friend profile. Other factors are a content aging factor based on a content age value and a request length factor based on a content length value. The calculated inclusion value is compared to an inclusion condition. If the calculated inclusion value satisfies the inclusion condition, incorporating the content file into the content package.
US09672530B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, receiving a search query from a user; determining that a voting user interface (VUI) is to be provided based on the search query, the VUI enabling the user to submit one or more votes in a vote-based campaign; receiving search results that are responsive to the search query; and transmitting instructions to display the search results and the VUI.
US09672529B2
An advertisement translation device is a device for translating an advertisement text displayed in a display area of a predetermined size in advertisement content, and displaying the translated advertisement text in the display area. The advertisement translation device includes: an advertisement text obtainment unit which obtains the advertisement text; a linguistic information obtainment unit which obtains linguistic information indicating a target language into which the advertisement text is to be translated; a translation unit which create translated text candidates by translating the advertisement text into the target language indicated by the linguistic information; and a selection unit which selects and outputs as a translated text, at least one of the translated text candidates a full text of which is displayable in a predetermined character size in the display area.
US09672525B2
The usefulness of content (target content), such as advertisements, may be increased by determining additional content and providing such additional content in association with the content. The target content may be text, a Web page, a URL, a search query, etc. The additional content might be related suggested queries (e.g. “Try a search for ——————”), news articles (or excerpts or summaries thereof), reviews (or excerpts or summaries thereof), advertisements, user group messages, etc.
US09672515B2
A method of conducting a financial transaction by a purchaser over a communications network is provided where the purchaser does not transmit his or her “real” payment card information over the network but instead secure payment application software is provided which allows for the transmission of a pseudo account number that is cryptographically processed for purposes of responding to an authorization request based on the real account number.
US09672511B2
A mobile device having: a position determination device configured to determine a location of the mobile device; a transceiver configured to communicate with a transaction terminal via near field communication; a communication device configured to communicate with at least one server over internet; a memory storing a plurality of data items and a set of instructions of a mobile application; and at least one microprocessor coupled with the memory to execution the instructions of the mobile application. The mobile application is configured to: communicate the location of the mobile device, using the communication device, to the at least one server over internet; determine, via communications with the at least one server based on the location of the mobile device, an order of data items; and communicate, using the transceiver via near field communication, with the transaction terminal in accordance with the order of the data items.
US09672508B2
A system, apparatus, and method for processing payment transactions that are conducted using a mobile device that includes a contactless element, such as an integrated circuit chip. The invention enables the updating, correction or synchronization of transaction data maintained by an Issuer with that stored on the device. This is accomplished by using a wireless (cellular) network as a data communication channel for data provided by an Issuer to the mobile device, and is particularly advantageous in circumstances in which the contactless element is not presently capable of communication with a device reader or point of sale terminal that uses a near field communications mechanism. Data transferred between the mobile device and Issuer may be encrypted and decrypted to provide additional security and protect the data from being accessed by other users or applications. If encryption keys are used for the encryption and decryption processes, they may be distributed by a key distribution server or other suitable entity to a mobile gateway which participates in the data encryption and decryption operations.
US09672506B2
A product identification apparatus includes a storage device which stores a dictionary including reference data of each of a plurality of products stored in association with identification information of the product, an imaging section which captures image data of a target product, and a processor which performs a dictionary registration process. The processor extracts reference data of the target product from the image data captured by the imaging section. The storage device adds the extracted reference data to previously stored reference data in association with the identification information of the target product. Alternatively, the storage device stores the extracted reference data in association with the identification information of the target product when no reference data is previously stored in association with the identification information of the target product.
US09672505B2
A method is provided for verifying an authenticity of a payment terminal, implemented by using of a device for verifying authenticity. The method includes: transmitting to the payment terminal a request for obtaining a piece of identification data by using of a contactless communications interface; receiving a response, through said contactless communications interface and coming from the payment terminal, to said request for obtaining a piece of identification data; comparing a field of said response with at least one piece of pre-recorded identification data; when the field includes a piece of identification data identical to said at least one piece of pre-recorded identification data, for issuing an assertion of authenticity of said payment terminal; when the field comprises a piece of identification data different from said at least one piece of pre-recorded identification data, issuing a piece of information on absence of authentication of the payment terminal.
US09672496B2
Methods, apparatuses and systems directed to detecting objects in user-uploaded multimedia such as photos and videos, determining the location at which the media was captured, inferring a set of users of a social network who were physically present at the time and place of capture, and pushing remarketing content to the set of inferred users for the detected objects, or alternatively, the competitors of the detected concepts.
US09672491B2
A system and method for monitoring remote employees, having a computer for a user to perform job related tasks, wherein the computer is enabled to record various data regarding the user's use of the computer, and a network to transmit the various data to a storage unit, to allow the data to be accessed by an employer.
US09672488B1
An assessment construction tool is provided for developing and executing assessments of various operational aspects of a business entity. Both application-level and project-level assessments may be constructed, and the assessments include a mechanism for applying scores associated with answers derived from conducting the assessment to multiple assessment process categories of the business entity.
US09672485B2
A system is provided that designs a supply chain network. The system identifies a service level agreement metric definition. The system further generates a grid including cells, where the grid is located over a representation of a geographical region. The system further computes a service level agreement metric for each cell of the grid using the service level agreement metric definition. The system further selects cells that have the largest service level agreement metrics and that have not been previously selected. The system further positions a supply chain network resource at a center of the selected cells. The system further computes a service level agreement based on the service level agreement metric of the selected cells.
US09672484B2
The present disclosure facilitates interfacing between a sales management system and a project planning system. In some embodiments, the system includes an interface and schedule engine, both executing on a server. The interface can parse a sales order from the sales management system into products and project tasks within the products. The products can also include at least one of a labor product, a parts product, and an agreements product. The schedule engine can generate schedule tasks corresponding to the project tasks, determine a performance order of the schedule tasks, and combine the schedule tasks into schedule phases based on the performance order. The schedule engine can determine a performance order of the schedule phases and combine the schedule phases into a schedule component based on the performance order. The interface can transmit the schedule component to the project planning system for execution.
US09672477B1
An exam scheduling device comprises a notification module configured to determine notifications for display to a scheduler in the process of scheduling an exam for a patient. The notifications presented to a particular scheduler may be selected based on one or more exam parameters associated with a patient, for example. Thus, only those notifications that are relevant to the exam parameters associated with a particular patient's exam are presented to the scheduler, and the scheduler is required to respond to only those notifications that a scheduling administrator has determined require a response.
US09672474B2
Variables of observation records to be used to generate a machine learning model are identified as candidates for quantile binning transformations. In accordance with a particular concurrent binning plan generated for a particular variable, a plurality of quantile binning transformations are applied to the particular variable, including a first transformation with a first bin count and a second transformation with a different bin count. The first and second transformations result in the inclusion of respective parameters or weights for binned features in a parameter vector of the model. In a post-training phase run of the model, at least one parameter corresponding to a binned feature is used to generate a prediction.
US09672465B2
According to one exemplary embodiment, a method for solving combinatorial optimization problems is provided. The method may include receiving a plurality of problem instance parameters associated with a graph. The method may also include determining a dynamic path change indicator exists. The method may then include initializing the graph based on the determining the dynamic path change indicator does not exist. The method may further include inserting a placeholder node and at least one placeholder node edge based on the determining the dynamic path change indicator exists. The method may also include reinitializing the graph with the inserted place holder node and the at least one placeholder node edge. The method may then include initializing the reinitialized graph. The method may further include executing a hybrid algorithm on the initialized graph or on the reinitialized graph, wherein the hybrid algorithm comprises an ant colony optimization algorithm and a genetic algorithm.
US09672450B2
An image recording apparatus according to this invention analyzes image data to be printed, and generates sequence information for defining the moving range of each scanning motion of a recording head and the conveyance amount of a recording medium. The apparatus divides a recording area defined by the generated sequence information into areas so that the processing amounts of a plurality of processing units capable of parallelly executing processes are equal to each other, distributes data of the divided areas to the processing units, and causes each of the processing units to generate recording image data. The apparatus performs recording by controlling driving and a scanning motion of the recording head and conveyance of the recording medium based on the recording image data obtained by the processing units.
US09672441B2
Enhanced contrast between an object of interest and background surfaces visible in an image is provided using controlled lighting directed at the object. Exploiting the falloff of light intensity with distance, a light source (or multiple light sources), such as an infrared light source, can be positioned near one or more cameras to shine light onto the object while the camera(s) capture images. The captured images can be analyzed to distinguish object pixels from background pixels.
US09672432B2
An image generation device that enhances visual recognizability between a recognized 3D (three-dimensional) object and a substitute image synthesized in an area of a 3D object image which is a photographed image of the 3D object includes an image synthesis section that recognizes a 3D object present in the peripheral area of a vehicle and outputs 3D object attribute information indicative of attributes of this 3D object, determines a 3D object image area as an image area of the 3D object in the photographed image based on position information included in the 3D object attribute information, outputs at least one of a substitute image of the 3D object applied with a color based on the color information and a substitute image of the 3D object under a specified directional posture of the 3D object specified based on type information and directional posture information and generates a bird's-eye view image with a substitution image in which the substitution image outputted from a substitution image output section is synthesized at the position of the 3D object image area.
US09672428B2
There is provided a system and method for grouping a plurality of individuals, each individual of the plurality of individuals having a corresponding transactional segment, the system comprising a memory storing a group identification application, a processor for executing the group identification application to identify an o-space center of a first group, wherein the o-space center is an intersection of a plurality of transactional segments, obtain a non-parametric lower-body orientation probability distribution for each of the plurality of individuals, based on the o-space center, and determine that a first plurality of individuals from the plurality of individuals belong to the first group based on the non-parametric lower-body orientation probability distribution of each individual of the plurality of individuals, wherein each of the first plurality of individuals has a corresponding one of the plurality of transactional segments that intersect with one another.
US09672426B2
An intelligent monitoring system for care place is illustrated. The system includes a thermal camera capturing a thermal image of the care place; an image processing unit obtaining user's position and number of user according to region in which temperature is higher than a preset temperature in the thermal image; a temperature recording unit extracting and records user's temperature from the thermal image. When there is only one user, a abnormal event determining unit of the system determines whether an abnormal event occurs according to user's temperature changing rate. When there are several users, the abnormal event determining unit determines whether the abnormal event occurs according to both of the temperature changing rates of the users and an average temperature of the users. If the abnormal event occurs, the warning unit generates a warning signal.
US09672422B2
A pupil detection device includes an identification unit that identifies a pupil region from a captured image of an eye, an extractor that extracts a contour of the pupil region identified by the identification unit, a selector that selects a plurality of points on the contour of the pupil region extracted by the extractor, a center calculator that calculates a center of a circle passing through the plurality of points selected by the selector, and a pupil detector that detects a center of the pupil region from the center of a circle calculated by the center calculator.
US09672417B2
In one aspect, a computer implemented method of motion capture, the method includes tracking the motion of a dynamic object bearing a pattern configured such that a first portion of the patterns is tracked at a first resolution and a second portion of the pattern is tracked at a second resolution. The method further includes causing data representing the motion to be stored to a computer readable medium.
US09672391B2
An information medium reading device may include a magnetic head to read magnetic datum and output an analog magnetic signal; an image sensor to take a photo of image datum and output an analog image signal; an analog switch unit to select one of the analog magnetic signal and the analog image signal and output the selected one; an analog front-end unit having an analog/digital (A/D) conversion function for converting an analog signal to a digital signal, while using a voltage according to a black reference voltage at the time of image reading, as a bottom voltage, within a predetermined converted voltage range; a level adjustment unit to make a level adjustment; and a timing control unit. The analog magnetic signal may be input into the analog front-end unit, and an A/D conversion may be carried out for converting an analog signal to a digital signal.
US09672386B2
In accordance with one embodiment, a digital multi-function peripheral comprises an interface, a data storage section, a memory and a processor. The interface connects an external memory device. The processor holds the authentication information of a user who connects the external memory device, generates a hash value from the information containing the authentication information of the user who connects the external memory device in a case where the state of connection of the external memory device with the interface meets a data saving condition, stores the data obtained by encrypting the data in the external memory device using the generated hash value in the data storage section, and erases the data in the external memory device.
US09672384B2
The instruction code including an instruction code stored in the area where the encrypted instruction code is stored in a non-rewritable format is authenticated using a specific key which is specific to the core where the instruction code is executed or an authenticated key by a specific key to perform an encryption processing for the input and output data between the core and the outside.
US09672371B2
This invention discloses a system and method for selective erasure, encryption and or copying of data on a remote device if the remote device has been compromised or the level of authorization of a roaming user in charge of the remote device has been modified.
US09672368B2
A system and method for providing selective control of information shared from a first device to a second device. The system includes a connection detector to detect a short-range communication between the first device and the second device; a security setter to set or acquire a security setting; a disconnect detector to detect whether the short-range communication between the first device and the second device is terminated; and a wiper to perform data management of information shared via the short-range communication between the first device and the second device based on the security setting.
US09672366B1
Techniques for clipboard monitoring are disclosed. In one embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method including identifying text that has been copied from an application to a clipboard; copying the identified text to a cache separate from the clipboard; replacing the identified text in the clipboard with a delayed clipboard object; in response to a reference call from the delayed clipboard object, analyzing the copied text for sensitive data; and in response to determining that the copied text includes sensitive data, providing a response to the reference call from the delayed clipboard object that does not include the copied text.
US09672362B2
In accordance with these and other embodiments of the present disclosure, an information handling system may include a processor and a basic input/output system (BIOS) comprising a program of instructions executable by the processor and configured to cause the processor to initialize one or more information handling resources of the information handling system. The BIOS may be further configured to authenticate a signature of a BIOS driver associated with an information handling resource of the information handling system, and, in response to authenticating the signature of the BIOS driver, extracting a vendor public key from the BIOS driver and storing the vendor public key to a key database of the BIOS, wherein the vendor public key may be used by an operating system to authenticate one or more signed operating system drivers signed with a private key corresponding to the vendor public key.
US09672360B2
Secure computer architectures, systems, and applications are provided herein. An exemplary system includes a legacy environment which is an off-the-shelf computing system, a trusted environment device that communicates with a network, and at least one peripheral that is communicatively coupled with the trusted environment device or having an authentication module.
US09672359B2
A global response network collects, analyzes, and distributes “cross-vector” threat-related information between security systems to allow for an intelligent, collaborative, and comprehensive real-time response.
US09672349B2
A cloud service system may activate features or functionality based on agreement of at least two parties such as a system administrator and a compliance officer to mitigate compliance, security, or privacy impact on the service. The controllers may make the “enable feature” decision independently, but still have equal say in the outcome. In some examples, pre-established profiles may be provided to a controller such as a compliance officer to make decisions by selection on his/her behalf at a particular level of risk acceptance and/or to meet a particular regulatory standard/certification.
US09672317B2
Method and System for determining a next task in an Electronic Design Automation Flow, computer system and computer program product. One or more parsers configurable to identify one or more associated pre-defined data characteristics may be executed by a processor on a task output. Selected values obtained from the parser execution may be used to make a decision about the appropriate next action to be performed in the EDA flow. Selected values may provide suggestions or decisions about the appropriate next action to be performed in the EDA flow. Input for an associated task in the EDA flow may be suggested by the selected result values.
US09672316B2
Integrated circuits are manufactured using a direct write lithography step to at least partially form at least one layer within the integrated circuit. The performance characteristics of an at least partially formed integrated circuit are measured and then the layout design to be applied with a direct write lithography step is varied in dependence upon those performance characteristics. Accordingly, the performance of an individual integrated circuit, wafer of integrated circuits or batch of wafers may be altered.
US09672313B2
Methods for identification and partial re-routing of selected areas (e.g., including critical areas) in a layout of an IC design and the resulting device are disclosed. Embodiments include comparing design data of an IC device against criteria of manufacturing processes to manufacture the IC device; identifying in the design data a layout area based, at least in part, on proximity of metal segments, interconnecting segments, or a combination thereof in the layout area; performing partial re-routing in the layout area to substantially meet the criteria, wherein at least one interconnecting element is shifted or extended; and integrating the partial re-routing into the design data for use in the manufacturing processes.
US09672304B2
Examples of dynamic online energy forecasting are provided herein. An energy forecast request is received. An initial energy forecast is calculated in response to the request. One or more of a plurality of energy forecast model instances are selected as candidate forecast model instances. At least one of the candidate instances are transformed into an improved forecast model instance having greater accuracy than the candidate forecast model instance. The transformation is accomplished by determining alternative values for at least some parameters of an energy forecast model of the candidate forecast model instance. An improved energy forecast having a greater accuracy than the initial forecast can then be calculated using the improved forecast model instance.
US09672300B2
A pattern generation method for generating a pattern of a cell used to generate a pattern of a mask using a computer, includes obtaining data of pattern of the cell, calculating image of the pattern of the cell to obtain an evaluation value of the image by repeatedly changing a parameter value of an exposure condition when the mask which has the pattern of the cell is illuminated to project image of the pattern of the cell onto a substrate to expose the substrate, and a parameter value of the pattern of the cell, and determining parameter value of the pattern of the cell when the evaluation value satisfies a predetermined evaluation standard.
US09672299B2
One embodiment of the present invention discloses a method, computer program product, and system for a method of determining the credibility of a visualization. Visualization data is received from an electronic device. The visualization data is compared to a plurality of visualization credibility criteria to determine a level of credibility for each of the visualization credibility criteria. The credibility of the visualization is rated based on the level of credibility for each of the visualization credibility criteria.
US09672294B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for partial data report generation with data costing notification. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for partial data report generation with data costing notification is provided. The method includes registering a call back for an operation specified by a plug in to a diagnostic tool. The method also includes responding to invoking the plug in by generating markup with data provided by different operations of the plug in, and also with at least one hyperlink in lieu of data known to be temporally costly, the hyperlink comprising a textual indication of a temporal cost of retrieving the data known to be temporally costly and an address of an operation programmed to retrieve the data.
US09672289B1
Information related to apparently successful matches between two entities is collected, and culled based on a later indication that the match failed. Matches between two entities may be generated based on comparative information with other entities who appear to share some characteristics or preferences. Matches may be based on actual actions, in contrast to expressed preferences. Actual actions may be taken into account in addition to expressed preferences. Generation of matches may take into account geographical and/or temporal proximity and/or likelihood of receiving a response, in addition to other attributes of an entity. Matching algorithms may be updated based on entity input. Potential matches may be presented to third party entities for evaluation.
US09672286B2
Systems and methods are provided in which a content guide includes one or more tags associated with a single user, a group of users or a channel subscribed to by users that enables the retrieval of content for subsequent viewing and which can be supplemented by recommendations and data from other sources.
US09672283B2
Information is obtained from the Internet is combined with processed and rated information from social networking services by a structured and social data aggregator providing highly relevant search results. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a product information crawler, which crawls the Internet in search of web pages relevant to a requested subject or product. The product information crawler conveys captured web pages to a structured data extractor, which extracts product information. A social networking crawler crawls social networking services in search of social network information to the requested subject or product. The processed product information and processed social network information is conveyed to an information aggregator, which merges the information and stores it in a data store that can be queried by a user. A user would then be able conduct a single search about a subject or product, and retrieve highly relevant structured product information enhanced by social networking information.
US09672277B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for presenting real-time search results. In one aspect, a method includes presenting real-time search results in response to a query; and automatically updating the real-time search results.
US09672270B2
A non-transitory processor-readable medium storing code to cause a processor to receive, from a first electronic device via a first mode, a signal representing a first data set associated with a first communication at a first time. The code causes the processor to define a second data set associated with the communication in a second mode. The code causes the processor to send a signal representing the second data set to a second electronic device at a second time after the first time. The code causes the processor to receive, from the second electronic device via the second mode, a signal representing a third data set associated with a second communication, at a third time after the second time. The code causes the processor to send, to the second electronic device, a signal including an instruction to present, on a display, the second data set with the third data set.
US09672268B2
A computer implemented method of obtaining a dataset which answers a main query from a relational database comprises providing a first real result table and one or more further real result tables. The first real result table contains a first dataset obtained from the database which answers a first subquery that forms part of the main query, and the or each further real result table contains a respective further dataset obtained from the database which answers a respective further subquery that forms part of the main query. A dataset is obtained from the first and one or more further real result tables which answers the main query. The computer implemented method obtains a dataset which answers a main query in a reliable and consistent manner.
US09672267B2
A hybrid data management/storage system is provided which includes two or more integrated or connected data management systems. An external application and/or user interacts with the hybrid data management/storage system using a unified interface. Incoming raw data may be directed to be stored in any of a plurality of data management systems based on the incoming data object having one or more of a number of predefined characteristics, including for example size and/or data type. Metadata corresponding to all incoming data objects may be stored in a particular data store, regardless of whether the incoming object's raw data is stored in a different one of the plurality of data stores.
US09672264B2
Systems and methods for performing server replication and verification are disclosed. The method includes replicating data related to a first server and generating metadata for a replicated copy that provides attributes of the replicated copy; storing the metadata at a replication server; providing the metadata from the replication server to a second server to verify that a replication operation has been successful; using the metadata to locate the replicated copy and perform verification at the second server without involving the first server; and storing at the replication server, an indication of the results of the verification performed at the second server.
US09672260B2
A method for updating a storage element may include receiving a first set of data from a first device that operating in a structure. The first set of data corresponds to a first data type interpretable by the first device. The method may also include translating the first set of data into a second set of data of a second data type interpretable by a second device operating in the structure but not by the first device. The first set of data and the second set of data are associated with a first portion of information associated with occupancy properties of the structure. The method may then include storing the second set of data in a storage element that includes a second portion information associated with the occupancy properties of the structure.
US09672257B2
A database system is described that includes components for storing time-series data and executing custom, user-defined computational expressions in substantially real-time such that the results can be provided to a user device for display in an interactive user interface. For example, the database system may process stored time-series data in response to requests from a user device. The request may include a start time, an end time, a period, and/or a computational expression. The database system may retrieve the time-series data identified by the computational expression and, for each period, perform the arithmetic operation(s) identified by the computational expression on data values corresponding to times within the start time and the end time. Once all new data values have been generated, the database system may transmit the new data values to the user device for display in the interactive user interface.
US09672250B2
A select query or a data referencing a calculation scenario is received by a database server from a remote application server. The specified calculation scenario is one of a plurality of calculation scenarios and it defines a data flow model that includes one or more calculation nodes. Each calculation node defines one or more operations to execute on the database server. Thereafter, the database server instantiates the specified calculation scenario and executes the operations defined by the calculation nodes of the instantiated calculation scenario to result in a responsive data set. This data set is then provided by the database server to the application server. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.
US09672241B2
According to embodiments of the present invention, methods, systems and computer-readable media are presented for accessing data within a database object, wherein an element of the database object is stored among a plurality of different storage regions with each storage region being associated with first and second range values indicating a value range for element values within that storage region. One or more element values within a storage region are identified residing outside a range of values of remaining elements within that storage region. Each identified element value is mapped to a second value. The first and second range values are determined for the storage region in accordance with the range of values of the remaining elements within that storage region. The storage region is scanned in accordance with a comparison of a requested value to at least one of the determined first and second range values of those storage regions.
US09672239B1
A TCAM database is partitioned into a plurality of sections. A set of rules to be stored in the TCAM database is analyzed to identify respective subsets of rules that match respective possible bit value combinations corresponding to a subset of bits in the rules, and to identify, in the subsets of rules, two or more subsets that share one or more rules. Then, it is determined whether two or more subsets that include shared rules can be written to a same section in the TCAM database, without exceeding a maximum number of rules that can be written to the same section, when one or more duplicates of one the the shared rules is omitted from the TCAM database. When it is determined that two or more subsets can be written to the same section, the two or more subsets are written to the same section in the TCAM database.
US09672233B2
A method of searching shared files stored on a shared storage includes providing a search functionality in the shared storage having a set of search indexes to perform a search based on a search term; providing an event stream of update events associated with the shared files in the shared storage; processing the event stream to generate a processed event stream; and responding to update events in the processed event stream by indexing files referenced in the update events in the processed event stream where the indexing is performed to maintain a predetermined level of quality of service at the shared storage.
US09672229B2
A selection of relevant data from a plurality of transport activity related data to an interface of a predetermined user, located at a location and at a moment in time, wherein the selection occurs on the basis of four parameters being a vehicle identification parameter, a user-related qualification, a location and a time.
US09672226B2
Various embodiments relate to a method to identify an object comprising: receiving an image, the image having an object in front of a background; segmenting the image into a segmented image using a segmentation technique, the segmented image having a foreground component showing at least a part of the object and a background component showing at least a part of the background; determining at least one property of the foreground component of the segmented image; and matching the at least one property of the foreground component with a database of identified objects having the corresponding at least one property to identify the object.
US09672224B2
A map customization module builds a customized map for a user based on the user's interest and historical activities. A database stores processed map data including layer data, element data and/or tile data related to maps. The map customization module obtains the necessary processed map data from the database and combines the map data with the user's interests to generate a customized map. The map customization module recognizes the user's interests based on explicit user input and/or implicit user input.
US09672222B1
A write instruction which affects original data is received via a virtual file system; the original data is read-only on a remote device. The original data is received from the remote device and the write instruction is applied to the original data in order to obtain changed data. The changed data is stored in a buffer in the virtual file system. The changed data is copied from the buffer to a differencing file, where deletion of the changed data from the buffer is independent of completion of copying from the buffer to the differencing file.
US09672215B2
The computer retrieves a list of the data elements contained in a database. The computer performs a static and dynamic analysis on the list to determine which data elements have been active in a static or dynamic Structured Query Language (SQL) statement, then removes active data elements from the list. The computer performs a dependency test to determine which data elements on the list are depended on by data objects not on the list and removes those data elements which are depended on. The computer analyzes application code to extract SQL statements and determine whether data elements on the list are active in application code SQL. Any data elements on the list which are active in application code SQL are removed from the list and the remaining data elements on the list are sorted in descending order based on size.
US09672212B1
Users of a client computer having non-conventional input devices interact with a host computing platform with the same user experience as if he or she was operating the client computer natively. This is achieved by having the non-conventional input devices of the client device appear local to the applications that are running on the host platform, even though the host computing platform may not be equipped with drivers for the non-conventional input devices.
US09672211B1
Providing unique prompts for script, comprising sequencing, by a processor, at least one script in a design order having at least one prompt, identifying, by the processor, duplicate prompts of the at least one prompt, identifying, by the processor, unique prompts of the at least one prompt, translation tagging, by the processor, the identified unique prompts and replicating, by the processor, the translation tagged unique prompts to the identified duplicate prompts.
US09672205B2
The invention relates to information extraction systems having discriminative models which utilize hierarchical cluster trees and active learning to enhance training.
US09672198B2
The invention relates to a method, to a client device, to a server, to a computer system and to a computer readable medium, where the computer system stores a folder arrangement comprising one or more folders. In the method changes having occurred in the folder arrangement are determined; and the method comprises determining which changes relate to which folder and updating at least one folder with respect to changes.
US09672196B2
A computer-implemented method of providing specialized media on a website is disclosed. The method includes producing campaign media which is delivered to a user through a third-party provider. After the user has received the campaign media, and upon indication of a request from the user to access a website controlled by a content provider, specialized media on a website controlled by the content provider may be provided. Providing the specialized media may be done based on the campaign media previously delivered to the user through the third-party provider.
US09672191B2
Disclosure for representing one or more numbers as a geometric counting mechanism that comprises an arrangement of geometric shapes and decoding the geometric counting mechanism into the represented number or numbers is provided. Decoding a geometric counting mechanism includes at least identifying a container geometry, determining a primary multiplier, a secondary multiplier, and an additive component value based on the geometric shapes identified in the geometric counting mechanism and their locations in the arrangement. The geometric counting mechanism can be decoded in a clockwise and/or counterclockwise manner, therefore one geometric counting mechanism can represent more than one number.
US09672188B2
The present invention relates to a method for compiling code for a multi-core processor, comprising: detecting and optimizing a loop, partitioning the loop into partitions executable and mappable on physical hardware with optimal instruction level parallelism, optimizing the loop iterations and/or loop counter for ideal mapping on hardware, chaining the loop partitions generating a list representing the execution sequence of the partitions.
US09672184B1
Methods and systems for rapid configuration, calibration, and deployment of a modular robot workcell
A method operable by a computing device is provided. The method may include receiving a request for a given task to be performed by a modular reconfigurable workcell. The method may also include determining one or more peripherals required to perform the given task. The method may also include determining an optimal placement of the one or more peripherals based on the given task, wherein the one or more peripherals are coupled to the workcell in a fixed geometric configuration based on the determined optimal placement. The method may also include determining a first calibration of the one or more peripherals based on the orientation of the one or more peripherals relative to the workcell, and determining a second calibration of the one or more peripherals based on the optimal placement of the one or more peripherals with respect to each other.
US09672181B2
A system includes a bus system, such as a LIN bus system. A number of components are connected to the bus system. A first component of the components is configured to detect a direction of a current to detect a location of the first component in the bus system. Each of the components can have a unique address.
US09672180B1
A system comprises a first cache controller and at least a second cache controller. The first cache controller and the second cache controller each include a cache memory interface, an inter-cache controller communication link configured for bidirectional communication with the other cache controller, a first peripheral interface, a second peripheral interface, and logic circuitry. The first peripheral interface communicates with a first host device and the second peripheral interface communicates with a second host device. The first host device and the second host device are each connected to the first and second cache controllers by the first and second peripheral interfaces. The logic circuitry loads a cache command from a cache command memory of the first host device, loads a cache command from a cache command memory of the second cache controller, and performs the cache commands.
US09672171B2
A computing system and a method are specified. The computing system has a plurality of components which are configured to use a resource exclusively jointly, an activity monitoring unit which records a number of activities of a component on the resource and an interrupting unit which is configured to interrupt access of the components for use of the resource when the number of activities of the component reaches an activity threshold, so that an assignment strategy can assign the exclusively jointly used resource to another component.
US09672169B2
A memory module such as a DIMM includes two separate memories with corresponding data, address and control interfaces. Each separate memory core includes plural memory banks for corresponding portions of the data interface. The separate interfaces include separate byte strobes and control signals. The two memories may be separately powered or share power connection. The two memories may be disposed on a single semiconductor integrated circuit or separate semiconductor integrated circuit. The two memories may be connected to two external memory interfaces of a single data processor or to separate data processors.
US09672168B2
Provided is a method of driving a system-on-chip (SOC). The method includes adding a first transaction to a list, allocating the first transaction to a first slot, determining whether a second transaction is redundant, and adding the second transaction to the list and allocating the second transaction to the first slot when it is determined that the second transaction is redundant. Accordingly, the SOC can increase outstanding capability and enhance performance of a system interconnection.
US09672159B2
A data processing system 2 incorporates a translation buffer unit 24, 26, 28 and a translation control unit 30. The translation buffer unit responds to receipt of a memory access transaction for which translation data is unavailable in that translation buffer unit by issuing a request to the translation control unit to provide translation data for the memory access transaction. The translation control unit is responsive to disabling or enabling of address translation for a given type of memory access transaction to an issue invalidate command to all translation buffer units which may be holding translation data for that given type of memory access transaction. When the translation control unit receives a request for translation from the translation buffer unit for a memory access of the given type for which memory address translation is disabled, then the translation control unit responds to returning global translation data to be used by the translation buffer for all memory access translations of that given type.
US09672151B1
A storage system comprises a shared storage environment that includes a storage array having at least one storage volume shared between first and second host devices. The storage system further comprises a server associated with the storage array, at least first and second clients associated with the respective first and second host devices, and a first block cache arranged between the first client and the storage array. The server is configured to coordinate operations of the first and second clients relating to the storage volume shared between the first and second host devices in a manner that ensures coherency of data stored in the first block cache. The server may comprise a storage block mapping protocol (SBMP) server and the first and second clients may comprise respective SBMP clients. The block cache is illustratively implemented using a VFCache or other type of server flash cache.
US09672145B2
Examples are disclosed for allocating a block of persistent storage or accessing a block of persistent storage based on a storage service string that includes a universally unique identifier and associated metadata.
US09672140B1
Various embodiments of systems and methods to provide processing of special requests at dedicated application containers are described herein. In one aspect, an application instance is downloaded and deployed in an application runtime, at a dedicated application container, to process service requests. In another aspect, the dedicated application container starts a proxy process, independently from the application runtime to intercept incoming service requests. The regular service requests are passed by the proxy process to the application runtime for processing by the executing application instance. In yet another aspect, the proxy process executes special service requests directly to access the dedicated container landscape.
US09672136B2
A crosstalk emulator for a cable, preferably a xDSL telecommunication cable, represented by several emulation paths each comprising a first segment (L1a/L4a) serially connected to a second segment (L1b/L4b) on a printed circuit board PCB. The first and second segments of a same emulation path form an angle, e.g. of about 90 degrees, at their junction point. All the emulation paths have a same length and preferably run in parallel over the PCB. As a result, each emulation path crosses only once (X21) any other emulation path at a cross-point. Furthermore, the area occupied by the crosstalk emulator on the PCB is reduced with respect to a matrix topology, whereby the present topology can easily be extended to large numbers of couplings, allowing design guidance for a passive coupling emulator with a large amount of coupling elements (CP) at the cross-points.
US09672131B2
A method includes receiving a signal indicating a loss of power, starting a timer, the timer configured to expire after a specific time period, copying, by a distributed storage system having volatile memory configured as a write cache, write cache data from the volatile memory to a solid state device, upon receiving the signal indicating the loss of power to the storage system, configuring, the solid state device as both a read cache and the write cache, performing a health test on the storage system upon receiving the signal indicating the loss of power, and determining the loss of power as a false alarm if the timer expires and the storage system passes a health test on the storage system.
US09672128B2
Provided is a multi-core device. The multi-core device includes: a plurality of cores outputting a test response value by receiving a test pattern value; a majority analyzer outputting a value corresponding to a majority of the test response value by analyzing the test response value; and a determination unit determining a core outputting a test response value different from the value corresponding to the majority among the plurality of cores.
US09672117B1
Example embodiments of the present invention relate to a method, a system, and a computer program product for performing data replication and backup. The method comprises performing a first data replication of a production site storage to a replication site storage and performing a first backup of the production site storage to a production site backup storage. A second data replication then may be performed from the production site backup storage to a backup site backup storage.
US09672114B2
This document relates to preserving input data. One example includes obtaining a request that a service perform processing on input data to produce an output representation of the input data. This example also includes applying criteria to the request, and preserving the input data responsive to determining that the criteria are met.
US09672106B2
A method for implementing erasure coding, including identifying a plurality of storage units, determining a number of storage unit failures to be tolerated, organizing data within the plurality of storage units as a matrix of rows and columns for computing one or more parity data, configuring the matrix to include one or more additional rows having preset values, computing the one or more parity data from the matrix that corresponds to the number of storage unit failures to be tolerated, wherein the one or more parity data comprises a row parity, a first diagonal parity, and a second diagonal parity, wherein the one or more additional rows having the preset values are used to compute the first diagonal parity and the second diagonal parity; and wherein the first diagonal parity comprises a different slope from the second diagonal parity.
US09672104B2
A memory system includes a nonvolatile memory device including a first memory area formed of memory blocks which store n-bit data per cell and a second memory area formed of memory blocks which store m-bit data per cell, where n and m are different integers, and a memory controller configured to control the nonvolatile memory device. The memory controller is configured to execute a read operation, and to execute a read reclaim operation in which valid data of a target memory block of the second memory area is transferred to one or more memory blocks of the first memory area, the target memory block selected during the read operation. The read reclaim operation is processed as complete when all the valid data of the target memory block is transferred to the one or more memory blocks of the first memory area.
US09672102B2
Technology for programming a page of memory in a NAND memory device is disclosed and described. In an example, a method includes applying initial programming pulses for lower page programming of the page and pre-reading data of the lower page. The method also includes determining whether to apply an error recovery operation to the data of the lower page. Data indicative of secondary programming pulses to be used for programming upper page data are stored and the upper page data is programmed based on the secondary programming pulses and the data of the lower page.
US09672087B2
Exemplary embodiments of present invention relate to an error detecting apparatus for a gate driver improving a reliability of a display apparatus, a display apparatus having the error detecting apparatus, and a method of detecting an error of the gate driver using the error detecting apparatus. An exemplary embodiment discloses an error detecting apparatus including an error detecting part configured to receive a gate signal of a gate driver and determine whether a status of the gate driver is in a normal status or an error status based on the gate signal, a memory configured to store the status of the gate driver, and a signal outputting part configured to selectively output a clock signal and an error signal based on the status of the gate driver stored in the memory.
US09672080B2
Aspects of the present disclosure involve systems and methods that enable the dynamic execution of code library calls using external system data. A processing device processes unstructured data to generate structured data that optionally may be filtered. The processing device uses the structured data and one or more parameter groupings to execute various commands associated with a code library of an external system.
US09672076B2
A system includes a CPU; an accelerator; a comparing unit that compares a first value that is based on a first processing time period elapsing until the CPU completes a first process and a second processing time period elapsing until the accelerator completes the first process, and a second value that is based on a state of use of a battery driving the CPU and the accelerator; and a selecting unit that selects any one among the CPU and the accelerator, based on a result of comparison by the comparing unit.
US09672074B2
Methods and systems to compute cost efficiency of virtual machines (“VMs”) running in a private cloud are described. Methods and systems compute a cost efficiency value for each VM in the private cloud based on cost of the VM in the private cloud, cost of similar VMs in the private cloud, price of similar VM running in the public cloud, and the cost of similar VMs running in one or more private clouds in the same geographical area. When the cost efficiency of a VM is greater than a cost efficiency threshold, the methods generate an alert and recommendations for moving the VM to a lower cost public cloud.
US09672073B2
Distributing work in a distributed computing environment that includes multiple nodes. An individual node can receive a work assignment, which can then be divided into a plurality of work units. A first work unit can then be distributed to a first worker node. At least a portion of the first work unit can be re-distributed to a second worker node in response to determining that the first worker node has experienced a failure condition with respect to the first work unit.
US09672069B2
A system may be configured to allow for the specification of parameters for a desired virtual machine. The parameters may be provided in an arbitrary fashion (e.g., as opposed to the selection of pre-configured parameters). The system may cause the virtual machine to be provisioned, as a zone, on a physical machine and/or on a logical domain (“LDOM”) of a cloud system. The arbitrary fashion of the specification of the virtual machine may allow for enhanced flexibility based on users' needs, and the use of zone-based virtualization may enhance the efficiency of cloud-based virtual machine provisioning.
US09672064B2
The following relates generally to computer system efficiency improvements. Broadly, systems and methods are disclosed that improve efficiency in a cluster of nodes by efficient processing of tasks among nodes in the cluster of nodes. Assignment of tasks to compute nodes may be based on learned CPU capabilities and I/O bandwidth capabilities of the compute nodes in the cluster.
US09672050B2
A method of determining a layout of a user interface (UI) that composites elements from a plurality of applications, each of the plurality of applications having a respective UI client engine, the method comprising: receiving, from one of a plurality of UI client engines, a request to change layout parameters; negotiating, between the plurality of UI client engines, changes to the layout parameters to determine negotiated layout parameters; and transmitting the negotiated layout parameters to a UI rendering engine, as a component tree structure, for rendering to a display. A UI system, electronic device and computer program product are also provided.
US09672045B2
According to an aspect, a system for checkpoint acceleration in a simultaneous multithreading (SMT) processor includes circuitry of a processor core of the SMT processor to execute one or more threads in a processing pipeline. The processing pipeline includes a completion stage followed by a checkpoint stage. The system also includes a checkpoint accelerator disposed between the completion stage and the checkpoint stage. The checkpoint accelerator includes a backlog queue that stores a list of next-to-complete groups of instructions from the one or more threads anticipated to complete in an upcoming cycle. The checkpoint accelerator also includes a selection control that drives one or more of the next-to-complete groups of instructions from the backlog queue to the checkpoint stage based on one or more completion indicators that identify which of the next-to-complete groups of instructions actually completed.
US09672042B2
A processing system comprises a processing device; a first instruction set encoded in a first encoding space and comprising one or more first instructions; a second instruction set encoded in a second encoding space different from the first encoding space and comprising two or more orthogonal second instructions; and an instruction encoder arranged to encode and encapsulate subsets of the second instructions in instruction containers, each instruction container sized to comprise a plurality of the second instructions.
US09672027B2
An information processing apparatus includes a storage unit that stores combination information relevant to combinations of different types of first programs that can be installed in a device, the combination information including memory consumption amounts of the combinations; a receiving unit that receives an install target first program and device information relevant to the device; and a determining unit that determines validity of installing the install target first program in the device by determining, by referring to the combination information, a predicted memory consumption amount corresponding to a first combination including the install target first program and an existing first program that is installed in the device and indicated in the device information, and by comparing the predicted memory consumption amount with a device memory consumption amount of the device indicated in the device information.
US09672017B2
A system may include an application programming interface (API) layer, a cache layer, and an object storage/access layer. The API layer may expose an interface to store a business object and an interface to retrieve the business object, and may transmit a request to store the business object and a request to retrieve the business object, and the cache layer may cache the business object and transmit the request to store the business object and the request to retrieve the business object. The object storage/access layer may receive the request to store the business object and, in response to the request to store the business object, to invoke a serialization method exposed by the business object to store the data associated with the object in a data structure. The object storage/access layer may also receive the request to retrieve the business object and, in response to the request to retrieve the business object, to invoke a deserialization method of the business object to deserialize the data associated with the business object in the data structure.
US09672006B2
Described herein are frameworks, devices and methods configured for enabling display for facility information and content, in some cases via touch/gesture controlled interfaces. Embodiments of the invention have been particularly developed for allowing an operator to conveniently access a wide range of information relating to a facility via, for example, one or more wall mounted displays. While some embodiments will be described herein with particular reference to that application, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to such a field of use, and is applicable in broader contexts.
US09671998B2
A device capable of operating according to a wireless communications protocol, the device being configured to: receive audio data from an audio data source; generate volume control data for controlling the playback volume of the audio data; encapsulate the audio data and volume control data in a broadcast packet; and broadcast the packet in accordance with the wireless communications protocol.
US09671995B2
An NFC-enabled digital apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a touch screen display and a near field communication (NFC) module comprising an NFC antenna and an NFC controller. In response to tagging between the NFC-enabled digital apparatus and the external NFC terminal, an NFC communication channel is established between the NFC enabled-digital apparatus and the external NFC terminal for data communication therebetween.
US09671992B2
A flexible display device monitoring system includes a display layer that is configured to flex into a plurality of flexed orientations. A sensor layer is coupled to the display layer and is configured to flex with the display layer into the plurality of flexed orientations. The sensor layer includes a plurality of sensors that each generate stress data in response to the sensor layer being flexed. A stress monitoring engine is coupled to the sensor layer and receives the stress data from the plurality of sensors when the sensor layer is flexed. The stress monitoring engine determines that the stress data exceeds a stress threshold and, in response, activates an alert system that may provide a vibration alert, a sound alert, or a visual alert. Visual alerts may include activating a relative portion on the display layer that corresponds to sensors that provided sensor data that exceeded the stress threshold.
US09671990B2
An image forming apparatus includes a setting unit configured to set whether to use personal setting information stored for each user, and a reflection unit configured to reflect a setting value changed by an authenticated user to personal setting information of the authenticated user, in a case where using the personal setting information has been set by the setting unit, and to reflect the setting value changed by the authenticated user to common setting information shared by a plurality of users, in a case where not using the personal setting information has been set by the setting unit.
US09671988B2
An image forming apparatus includes a storage portion, a preview image generating circuit, an output image generating circuit, a data information obtaining circuit, and a display circuit. The storage portion stores image data that is an output target. The preview image generating circuit generates a preview image from the image data based on an output setting. The output image generating circuit generates an output image from the image data based on the output setting. The data information obtaining circuit obtains data information from output image data of the output image, and discards the output image data from which the data information was obtained. The display circuit displays the data information together with the preview image.
US09671984B2
An embodiment of this invention solves memory shortage that occurs in enlargement processing of an image because a web application holds data of an image or the like not as binary data but as character string data. In the embodiment, a processor in an information processing apparatus executes a program including a first program layer with an instruction set to be interpreted and executed by the processor and a second program layer with an instruction set interpreted in advance by a unit other than the processor in the following way. That is, the first program layer draws an image, and divides and enlarges the drawn image using a memory. Image data of each of a plurality of images obtained by the division and enlargement is output from the second program layer to an external device.
US09671983B2
An information processing device may receive, from a server, identification information for identifying an image file being stored in the server and status information indicating a print process status of the image file, display a first screen indicating these information, and send a change instruction to the server. The change instruction may be for changing status information of a designated image file into a first status indicating where a print process for an image file has not been performed. The information processing device may send print instruction information and authentication information to a printer. The print instruction information may be for causing the printer to acquire print data from the server. The authentication information may be used by the printer to acquire the print data from the server.
US09671977B2
In one embodiment, a method for managing data includes receiving migration information that describes movement of data stored to a direct access storage device (DASD) during a data migration operation that causes at least one portion of the data to be moved from a first location in a first tier of a multi-tier file system to a second location in a second tier of the multi-tier file system, determining whether to swap data usage statistics for the second location with data usage statistics for the first location, and swapping the data usage statistics for the second location with the data usage statistics for the first location when the determination is to swap the data usage statistics. Other systems, methods, and computer program products for managing data in a multi-tier file system are described according to more embodiments.
US09671973B2
Technologies are generally described for systems, devices, and methods effective to operate a memory device. A memory controller may compress initial data to produce compressed data. The memory controller may select a storage block in the memory device. The memory controller may identify one or more positions of defective cells in the selected storage block. The memory controller may manipulate the compressed data based on the identified one or more positions to produce manipulated data. The memory controller may store the manipulated data in the selected storage block.
US09671971B2
Provided are a method, system, and computer readable storage medium for managing access to a storage device. A logical-to-physical mapping indicates for each logical address a physical address in the storage device having current data for the logical address and version information indicating whether there is a prior version of data for the logical address. In response to the logical-to-physical mapping indicating that there is no prior version of the data for a target logical address of a write, including information on the target physical address and the physical address indicated in the logical-to-physical mapping in checkpoint information. The version information for the target logical address is updated to indicate that there is a prior version of data. Data for the write is written to a target physical address. The logical-to-physical mapping for the target logical address is updated to indicate the target physical address.
US09671964B2
A method of securely erasing a non-volatile semiconductor mass memory has a plurality of physical memory units assigned either to a first memory area which can be addressed via an interface of the semiconductor mass memory or to a second memory area which cannot be addressed via the interface, and a controller that changes assignment of the memory units to the first memory area and to the second memory area according to an algorithm that produces wear leveling upon receiving a command to overwrite memory units assigned to the first memory area via the interface.
US09671960B2
A rate matching technique may be configured to adjust a rate of cleaning of one or more selected segments of the storage array to accommodate a variable rate of incoming workload processed by a storage input/output (I/O) stack executing on one or more nodes of a cluster. An extent store layer of the storage I/O stack may clean a segment in accordance with segment cleaning which, illustratively, may be embodied as a segment cleaning process. The rate matching technique may be implemented as a feedback control mechanism configured to adjust the segment cleaning process based on the incoming workload. Components of the feedback control mechanism may include one or more weight schedulers and various accounting data structures, e.g., counters, configured to track the progress of segment cleaning and free space usage. The counters may also be used to balance the rates of segment cleaning and incoming I/O workload, which may change depending upon an incoming I/O rate. When the incoming I/O rate changes, the rate of segment cleaning may be adjusted accordingly to ensure that rates are substantially balanced.
US09671949B2
Disclosed herein are a method and apparatus for controlling a user interface in an electronic device. Content details are displayed and scrolled at an initial scroll speed. An object is detected within a predetermined distance from an electronic device without touching the object. The initial scroll speed is reduced in accordance with the distance of the object.
US09671942B2
The generation of characters within computer animations is a labor intensive and expensive activity. Whereas prior art approaches have sought to reduce this loading by providing reference avatars, these do not fundamentally overcome the intensive steps in generating these reference avatars, and they provide limited variations to the businesses employing them. Accordingly the invention provides the user with a simple and intuitive mechanism to affect the weightings applied in establishing the physical characteristics of an avatar generated using an inheritance based avatar generator. The inheritance based generator allowing, for example, the user to select a first generation of four grandparents, affect the weightings in generating the second generation parents, and subsequently affect the weightings in generating the third generation off-spring avatar from these parents, therein providing a wide range of avatars from an initially limited set of avatars. Accordingly the invention provides animators with a means of rapidly generating and refining the off-spring avatar to provide the character for their animated audio-visual content.
US09671941B1
A computing device can utilize a recognition mode wherein an interface utilizes graphical elements, such as virtual fireflies, to indicate recognized or identified objects. Fireflies can be displayed near an input element to indicate that a recognition mode is available. When a user selects the input element, the fireflies can appear to emanate from the input element and disperse across the display screen. As objects are recognized, fireflies can create bounding boxes around those objects, or otherwise appear proximate those objects, to indicate recognition. The fireflies can again disperse as the objects fall out of view, and can begin moving towards new objects as features of those objects are identified as potential object features. A subsequent selection of the input element to exit recognition mode can cause the fireflies to appear to retreat to their original location in, or near, the input element.
US09671933B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for providing electronic distribution of filtered calendars. The disclosed systems and methods may include receiving control data. The control data may be configured to indicate a portion of master calendar data a user designates to transmit. Furthermore, the disclosed systems and methods may include filtering the master calendar data based on the control data to create filtered calendar data and transmitting the filtered calendar data.
US09671931B2
Described herein are methods and systems for visually deemphasizing a displayed persona. At least one embodiment takes the form of a method carried out by a user-interface (UI)-management device. The UI-management device identifies a persona region of a displayed persona and identifies a user-interface-focus location. The UI-management device then makes a persona-deemphasize determination based on the identified persona region and the identified user-interface-focus location. In response to making the persona-deemphasize determination, the UI-management device visually deemphasizes the displayed persona.
US09671929B2
A method for resolving and operating POI stacks in a virtual environment displayed on an image screen surface, automatically scales, upon selecting a first POI stack with a first quantity of POI's contained in the POI stack, the representation of the virtual environment such that POI's contained in the first POI stack are displayed on the image screen surface such that individual POI's, when correctly positioned in the virtual environment, maintain a minimum size and a minimum distance to respective neighboring POI's, and, if the minimum distance cannot be maintained, a partial quantity of the quantity of POI's of the first POI stack is combined in at least one second POI stack on the basis of the respective position of the individual POI's in the virtual environment. A corresponding system is also described.
US09671921B2
An object is associated with one or more controls in a software application. An object associated with a control determines the operation of the data entry user interface when the data entry user interface is being employed to enter data into the control. More particularly, the object may communicate interface e characteristics to a component that is responsible for providing the user interface to the user. Such a component may be, for example, a shared software module that renders the user interface on a display, receives input data from the user through the user interface, and routes the entered data to a designated destination. Alternately, the object itself may create a user interface having the specified characteristics.
US09671913B2
A device is described. In an example, a device comprises a capacitance sensor layer and a conductive grounded layer. The conductive grounded layer is placed under the capacitance sensor layer in a direction opposite to a targeted sensing direction of the device. The distance between the capacitance sensor layer and the conductive grounded layer is configured to remain within a threshold over a range of deformation. In other examples, a method for manufacturing a device and a module are discussed along with the features of the device.
US09671909B2
The present invention provides a mutual capacitance one glass solution touch panel and a manufacture method thereof. A first through hole and a second through hole are formed at an isolation layer of the touch panel. A first sub electrode pattern of the touch panel is electrically connected to a fourth sub electrode pattern of the touch panel via the first through hole, and a third sub electrode pattern of the touch panel is electrically connected to a second sub electrode pattern of the touch panel via the second through hole as touch control test is performed. According to the aforesaid arrangement, the present invention is capable of reducing the wire resistance of the transmission signals in the electrode patterns to raise the touch control sensitivity.
US09671905B2
A display device with a touch detection function includes, a plurality of display elements performing display operation based on a pixel signal and a display drive signal, a touch detection element detecting an external proximity object based on a touch detection drive signal, a scan drive section performing display scanning by sequentially supplying the pixel signal and the display drive signal to the plurality of display elements in a time-divisional manner, and the scan drive section supplying the touch detection drive signal to the touch detection element, and a touch detection circuit performing touch detection by sampling a detection result from the touch detection element with a period shorter than a period of the display scanning. The scan drive section supplies the touch detection drive signal to the touch detection element in a touch detection operation period different from a display operation period for performing the display scanning.
US09671898B2
Devices and methods are provided that facilitate improved input device performance. The devices and methods utilize a first substrate with proximity sensor electrodes and at least a first force sensor electrode disposed on the first substrate. A second substrate is physically coupled to the first substrate, where the second substrate comprises a spring feature and an electrode component. The electrode component at least partially overlaps the first force sensor electrode to define a variable capacitance between the first force sensor electrode and the electrode component. The spring feature is configured to facilitate deflection of the electrode component relative to the first force sensor electrode to change the variable capacitance. A measure of the variable capacitance may be calculated and used to determine force information regarding the force biasing the input device.
US09671881B2
An electronic device that accepts an input and executes operation includes: a first detection unit that detects a touch position on a first surface among surfaces included on the electronic device; a second detection unit that detects a touch operation on a second surface different from the first surface among the surfaces included on the electronic device; and a control unit that sets a reference position on the first surface or the second surface in response to the touch operation on the second surface, and controls the operation of the electronic device on the basis of a relative positional relationship between the reference position and the touch position on the first surface.
US09671877B2
A passive stylus with a deformable tip is described herein. In one embodiment, a thin annular body configured to be hand-held with a chisel shaped tip disposed at the first end of the body is provided. The chisel shaped tip includes a deformable material such that the chisel shaped tip is operable to interface with a touch a sensitive surface with a detectable surface area when a first pressure is exerted on the body and translated to the chisel shaped tip. The chisel shaped tip is operable to interface with the touch sensitive surface with a second detectable surface area, this one different from the first detectable surface area, when a second pressure is exerted on the body and translated to the chisel shaped tip. The stylus may include a second tip on the back end for providing an erase function.
US09671876B2
Resolution of perspective in three dimensions is necessary for intermeshing real players into simulated environments during virtual training exercises. With the advent of high resolution image sensors the ability to sense position and orientation using image capture devices is possible. The combination of small sized sensors and image recognition tracking algorithms allows the tracking element to be placed directly on the device whose perspective is desired. This provides a solution to determining perspective as it provides a direct measurement from the center axis of the observer. This invention employs a perspective tracking device to determine a point-of-gaze or a point-of-aim in a three-dimensional space to a high degree of accuracy. Point-of-gaze may be used to determine views for head mounted displays and aim-points for weapons. The invention may operate in an unconstrained space allowing simulation participants to operate in a larger, open environment. Areas of interest in the environment are bounded by area of interest markers which identify the region and its physical constraints.
US09671871B2
An apparatus and a method of recognizing a gesture uses an infrared ray. The apparatus for recognizing a gesture, includes a sensing unit which detects a gesture using an infrared sensor to obtain a sensing value from the sensing result; a control unit which performs gesture recognition to which an intention of a user is reflected in accordance with a predetermined recognizing mode based on the obtained sensing value; and a storing unit which stores the predetermined recognizing mode when the gesture recognition set in advance by the user is performed. The predetermined recognizing mode includes a first recognizing mode in which the gesture is directly recognized and a second recognizing mode in which the gesture is recognized after recognizing a hold motion for determining start of the gesture recognition.
US09671870B2
A flexible display device includes a display, a bending sensor configured to detect a bending of the flexible display device, and a controller configured to control the display so that a graphical user interface (GUI) appears in response to detection of the bending of the flexible display device.
US09671867B2
An interactive control device includes a display device, and a method is for operating the interactive control device. The method includes: displaying graphical information on the display device; receiving sensor information; activating a control action if on the basis of the sensor information it is ascertained that a body part of a user is located within an activation region that is spatially defined relative to a display region of a control element on the display device with which the control action is associated; the received sensor information including user information that is evaluated prior to an activation of the control action in order to ascertain a control intention for the at least one control element; and the information represented on the display device being adapted as a function of the ascertained control intention such that the at least one control element is represented in a manner optimized for the activation of the control action associated with the control element. The control device may be arranged as a component of a motor vehicle console so as to be able to implement the control method.
US09671866B2
A system is configured to provide haptic stimulation to a user. In one embodiment, the haptic stimulation is provided to the user in conjunction with the performance of one or more control gestures through which the user controls, for example, a game, a real world component or piece of equipment, and/or other entity. In one embodiment, the haptic stimulation is provided to the user in conjunction with control of virtual equipment by the user.
US09671855B2
Disclosed are examples of apparatuses including memory devices and systems comprising memories sharing a common enable signal, wherein the memories may be put into different power modes. Example methods for setting the different power modes of the memories are disclosed. In some examples, different power modes may be set by issuing memory group-level commands, memory-level commands, or combinations thereof.
US09671839B2
Acoustics management at an information handling system provides reduced acoustic noise with limited performance impact by dynamically changing power dissipation as a function of cooling fan speed and ambient temperature so that preemptive power restrictions prevent excessive thermal conditions that lead to excessive cooling fan speeds and associated acoustics. A maximum cooling fan speed of less than an available maximum is set and maintained by reducing power dissipation unless power dissipation reaches a minimum, after which the minimum power dissipation is maintained and cooling fan speed is allowed to increase.
US09671834B2
Retractable screen (1) and keyboard (2) assembly for tables, comprising a supporting structure provided with a frame (3) defining a housing (4), and with a supporting frame (5) on the table, the screen (1) being able to rotate from a position in which it is stowed inside the housing (4) and flush with the supporting frame (5) to an elevated use position, a platform (6) arranged in the housing (4) on which the keyboard (2) rests, means for guiding (G) the platform (6) vertically from a lower position which leaves space for the stowed screen (1) and an upper use position, and further comprising a base (7) for the screen (1) which can rotate about a fixed axis (Γ) in relation to said frame (3), the screen (1) being mounted on said base (7), the screen (1) and base (7) assembly being able to rotate about said axis (Γ) from the stowed position to the use position.
US09671833B2
In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a method may include sliding a slider slidably coupled to the structural member and mechanically coupled to the structural member by an ejection spring with an ejection spring force configured to bias the slider in a first position relative to the structural member in absence of a force other than the rejection spring force, wherein the sliding is in a direction opposite the ejection spring force and away from the first position, and wherein the structural member defines at least a portion of a bay for receiving an information handling resource. The method may also include engaging the slider with a release latch mechanically coupled to the structural member, such that when engaged with the release latch, the slider is biased in a second position away from the first position.
US09671832B2
The present invention relates to a smart equipment and the display control method of the soft-operation interface thereof, wherein the display controlling method of the soft-operation interface of the smart equipment comprising: sensing the action changing information of the smart equipment by the gravity sensor; according to the action changing information, adjusting the soft-operation interface arrangement of the smart equipment on its display screen. By using the present invention, it is convenient for users to carry out one-hand operation on the smart equipment, and the convenience for the users is improved.
US09671831B2
An electronic apparatus includes: a fixed bracket; an arm base that is rotatably coupled to the fixed bracket; a movable arm that is coupled to the arm base and tilts with respect to the arm base; a movable device that is coupled to the movable arm, and that rotates with respect to the movable arm and is landed on a mounting face; an arm elastic body that is provided on the arm base, and biases the movable arm in a rising direction in which the movable arm is raised against the mounting face; and a base elastic body that is provided on the fixed bracket, and biases the arm base in the rising direction of the movable arm.
US09671816B2
One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for assigning power management classifications to a process, transitioning a computing environment into a connected standby state based upon power management classifications assigned to processes, and transitioning the computing environment from the connected standby state to an execution state. That is, power management classifications, such as exempt, throttle, and/or suspend, may be assigned to processes based upon various factors, such as whether a process provides desired functionality and/or whether the process provides functionality relied upon for basic operation of the computing environment. In this way, the computing environment may be transitioned into a low power connected standby state that may continue executing desired functionality, while reducing power consumption by suspending and/or throttling other functionality. Because some functionality may still execute, the computing environment may transition into the execution state in a responsive manner to quickly provide a user with up-to-date information.
US09671814B2
A lever device in which a lid is mounted to an opening portion of a lever member without dropping down therefrom and with a good visual quality is disclosed. The lever device comprises a lever member swingably supported in a fixed system, an opening portion provided in the lever member to open in a radial direction, and a lid that is engaged to the opening portion to cover the opening portion therewith, wherein the lid is provided with a thin portion. Deflections are generated in such a manner as to concentrate on the thin portion of the lid.
US09671810B2
A system and method for providing power is disclosed. A variable direct current (DC) power source provides a variable DC voltage. A configurator dynamically converts the variable DC voltage to a selected DC voltage to provide the power. A set of switches combines the solar voltage with a substantially constant DC voltage. A control unit controls the set of switches and the configurator to provide the combined voltages at a selected voltage level.
US09671807B2
Plural power storage systems 10 are provided in a power system. The power storage systems 10 are connected to a management system 60 via a communication network CN1. The power storage systems each include a power storage device 11, 12, and a control device 100 for controlling the power storage device. The control device stores performance information about the power storage system including the control device, location information indicating a location in the power system of the power storage system including the control device, and order information indicating an order of operation allocated to the power storage system including the control device. When a disturbance occurs in the power system, the control device performs a predetermined compensation operation based on the location information and the order information, and then returns to a preset stand-by state.
US09671785B1
An object-detection system suitable for use in an automated vehicle includes a transceiver, and object-detector, and a controller. The transceiver is suitable to install on a host-vehicle. The transceiver is used to receive an indicated-location of an object proximate to the host-vehicle. The object-detector is suitable to install on the host-vehicle. The object-detector is used to detect a relative-location of the object relative to the host-vehicle. The controller is in communication with the transceiver and the object-detector. The controller determines a confirmed-location of the object relative to the host-vehicle based on the indicated-location and the relative-location. Determining the confirmed-location of the object allows for selecting from a variety of optimized algorithms to better track subsequent expected motion of the object, and reducing the risk of unnecessary or erratic action by the host-vehicle caused by hacking of the wireless-transmission or deliberate malicious content in the wireless-transmission.
US09671783B2
A method is described for aiding the piloting of an airplane by ensuring availability of an automatic pilot that is normally controlled as a function of speed information of the airplane when the speed information is lost. The method includes detecting a loss of the speed information of the airplane. In response to the detection of the loss of the speed information, the method includes determining flight data of the airplane being independent from the speed information of the airplane, determining control parameters from the flight data, and controlling the automatic pilot based on the control parameters and without the speed information of the airplane. The automatic pilot includes an automatic piloting system or a flight director.
US09671780B2
Examples described herein involve a playback device performing one or more playback device actions based on locations of one or more physical contacts on an external surface of the playback device. A processor of the playback device may receive from an array of proximity sensors underlying an external surface of the playback device, location data indicating a physical contact at a location on the external surface. Based on at least the location, the processor may identify a playback device action from a plurality of playback device actions, and cause at least the playback device to perform the identified playback device action. The playback device may further include at least one orientation sensor from which the processor may also receive orientation data indicating an orientation of the playback device. The processor may identify identify the playback device action also based on the orientation of the playback device.
US09671764B2
The present invention is to provide a control system including a sensing device capable of periodically driving a corresponding operation device based on a trigger policy, wherein the sensing device and the operation device have the same trigger policy stored therein. The control system is characterized in that the trigger policy at least includes a trigger code, a time data (such as “after 15 minutes”) and an operation data (such as “turn on a lamp”). When the sensing device detects a sensing signal, the sensing device generates and transmits a trigger instruction to the operation device. When the operation device determines that a trigger code carried in the trigger instruction matches with a second identification code stored therein, the operation device calculates an expiration time of the time data based on the current time, and then executes an action corresponding to the operation data at the expiration time.
US09671757B1
A smartwatch assembly may include a dial portion having a plurality of apertures extending therethrough and a circuit board having a plurality of LED modules disposed thereon. The plurality of LED modules may be oriented to emit light toward the plurality of apertures of the dial portion. The circuit board may include a control module configured to illuminate the plurality of LED modules in response to an alert and a communication module configured to interface with an electronic device wirelessly and to receive the alert. Methods of making a smartwatch assembly may include disposing a dial portion having a face plate and a plurality of hour-mark apertures extending through the face plate in a watch casing and disposing a circuit board having a plurality of LED modules disposed thereon in a watch casing, the plurality of LED modules corresponding to the plurality of hour-mark apertures.
US09671753B2
In an image forming apparatus, a duct portion provided on a side surface of a partition wall member on a first space side includes first and second internal passages. The first internal passage allows air that has flowed in from a first air passage to flow and guides the air to a second air passage. The second internal passage allows air that has flowed in from a second air passage to flow and guides the air to a second space via a communication port formed in a partition wall member. A first blower provided in the first space sucks air from the first air passage and blows out the air to the first internal passage. A second blower provided in the second space sucks air from the second air passage and blows out the air to the second space through the second internal passage and the communication port.
US09671752B2
An optical writing device adopting a low cost and simple structure can obtain temperatures of light emitting elements. The device comprises a plurality of light emitting elements arranged linearly in a main scanning direction. The amount of light emitting of the light emitting elements changes by self-generated heat. The light emitting elements are divided into a plurality of groups. Each of the groups includes a prescribed number of light emitting elements. The device comprises a control unit for calculating the amount of heat generation of the light emitting elements for each of groups from clock time t0 to clock time t0+Δt. The control unit calculates the temperature for each of the groups at the clock time t0+Δt, based on the amount of heat generation from the clock time t0 to the clock time t0+Δt and the temperature at the clock time t0.
US09671741B2
An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming section that electrophotographically forms an image on a sheet; and a sheet feeding path including a first sheet feeding path that conveys a sheet to the image forming section, and a second sheet feeding path provided continuously with the first sheet feeding path. Unjamming is allowed to be performed by separating the apparatus at a boundary between the first sheet feeding path and the second sheet feeding path, and by pulling out the first sheet feeding path. The apparatus further includes: a jam detection section that detects an occurrence of a jam in the sheet feeding path; and a jam clearing section that determines a procedure for unjamming in accordance with a state of a sheet on the sheet feeding path when a jam occurs, and the jam clearing section makes a request to perform unjamming according to a determined procedure.
US09671736B2
A unit moving apparatus includes a unit provided to a main body in such a manner so as to be attached to and pulled out from the main body, a main-body guide portion provided to the main body and configured to guide the unit while restricting rotation of the unit at a time of attaching and pulling out the unit, a pull-in unit configured to apply a pulling force to the unit to pull the unit into the main body, and a unit restriction portion configured to restrict rotation of the unit in such a manner that the units rotates within an angle smaller than an angle to which the main-body guide portion restricts the unit's rotation when a rotation moment is generated by the pulling force of the pull-in unit applied to the unit and a load applied to the unit in a direction opposite to an attachment direction.
US09671733B2
A fixing device and An image forming apparatus include: a first pressure roller having an elastic layer in a surface layer section; a fixing belt wound on the elastic layer of the first pressure roller; a second pressure roller that presses the elastic layer of the first pressure roller via the fixing belt, the second pressure roller forming a fixing nip portion between the fixing belt and the second pressure roller; and a guide member that guides the fixing belt in such a manner as to separate the fixing belt from a protruding portion of the elastic layer, the protruding portion being formed on an entrance side of the fixing nip portion in a sheet conveying direction.
US09671728B2
An image processing apparatus comprises an image decoloring unit, an image forming unit, a heater and a control unit. The image decoloring unit decolors an image formed on a sheet with a decolorable color material by heating the sheet. The image forming unit forms an image on a sheet with a decolorable color material. The heater thermally fixes the image formed by the image forming unit on the sheet. The control unit carries out a control processing so that the formation of an image with a decolorable color material is different before and after a specified time elapses from the moment the image decoloring unit completes a decoloring processing.
US09671719B2
A layer thickness restriction portion and a developer rectifying portion are formed integrally by injecting a resin material into a mold, in which a gate portion is offset to one side with respect to a center position of the layer thickness restriction portion, through the gate portion.
US09671708B2
An electrostatic charge image developing toner includes a toner particle that has a sea-island structure including a sea portion containing a binder resin and an island portion containing a release agent and having at least two maximum values of distribution of a degree of uneven distribution B of the island portion shown by the following Equation (1): degree of uneven distribution B=2d/D Equation (1) in Equation (1), D represents an equivalent circle diameter (μm) of the toner particle obtained by cross section observation of the toner particle, and d represents a distance (μm) between the center of gravity of the toner particle and the center of gravity of the island portion containing the release agent obtained by cross section observation of the toner particle.
US09671707B2
Provided is an apparatus for heat treatment capable of heat-treating toner particles efficiently and uniformly while suppressing increase of coarse particles due to coalescence, to thereby enable stable toner production. The apparatus for heat-treating powder particles each of which contains a binder resin and a colorant includes: a cylindrical treatment chamber in which the powder particles are heat-treated; a columnar member (6) provided so as to protrude from a lower end part of the treatment chamber toward an upper end part thereof; a powder particle supply unit (2) for supplying the powder particles to the treatment chamber; a hot air supply unit (3) for heat-treating the supplied powder particles; and a collection unit (5) for collecting the heat-treated powder particles discharged outside the treatment chamber through a toner discharge port provided on the lower end part side of the treatment chamber. The hot air supply unit is provided so that the hot air is supplied along an inner circumferential surface of the treatment chamber. The powder particle supply unit includes multiple particle supply ports provided on an outer circumferential surface of the columnar member. The toner discharge port is provided in an outer circumferential portion of the treatment chamber so as to keep a rotation direction of the powder particles.
US09671696B2
Digital imageable flexographic printing elements for producing flexographic printing plates, which are developable using hydrocarbon-comprising washout media and which, between the photopolymerizable layer and the digital imageable layer, have a polar, ultrathin, oxygen-blocking barrier layer. Methods for producing flexographic printing plates using such digital imageable flexographic printing elements, by imaging, exposing, washing out, drying, and post-treating, the washout being formed by means of hydrocarbon-comprising washout media.
US09671692B2
A compound represented by formula (I): wherein R1 represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom or a C1-C6 alkyl group where a hydrogen atom can be replaced by a halogen atom, L1 represents a C1-C8 fluorinated alkanediyl group, X1 represents *—CO—O—, *—O—CO—, *—O—CO—O— or *—O— where * represents a binding site to L1, and R2 represents a C1-C18 hydrocarbon group in which a methylene group can be replaced by an oxygen atom, a carbonyl group or a sulfonyl group and in which a hydrogen atom can be replaced by a hydroxy group, or in which two hydrogen atoms can be each replaced by an oxygen atom forming one ketal structure together with a C1-C8 alkanediyl group bonded to the oxygen atom and a hydrogen atom in said ketal structure can be replaced by a fluorine atom.
US09671691B2
A resist composition includes (A1) a resin which includes a structural unit represented by formula (a4), a structural unit having a cyclic ether, and the resin has no acid-labile group, (A2) a resin having an acid-labile group, and an acid generator: wherein R3 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, and R4 represents a C1 to C24 saturated hydrocarbon group having a fluorine atom and a methylene group contained in the saturated hydrocarbon group may be replaced by an oxygen atom or a carbonyl group.
US09671690B2
A resist composition which generates an acid upon exposure and whose solubility in a developing solution changes under the action of an acid. The composition includes a base material component whose solubility in a developing solution changes under the action of an acid; an acid generator component which generates an acid upon exposure; and a photo-reactive quencher which contains a compound represented by the general formula shown below: in which Ra1 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms which may have a substituent; and Ra2 and Ra3 each independently represent an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms which may have a substituent. X− represents a counter anion.
US09671689B2
New photoacid generator compounds (“PAGs”) are provided that comprise a cholate moiety and photoresist compositions that comprise such PAG compounds.
US09671679B2
An apparatus including flash light circuitry configured to emit a flash of light; an optically transparent window, overlying the flash light circuitry, configured to transmit externally an emitted flash of light from the flash light circuitry; and at least one filter configured to reduce total internal reflection of the flash of light within the optically transparent window.
US09671677B2
A focal-plane shutter capable of stabilizing a curtain in continuous photographing action for suppression of variation in light exposure period is provided. The focal-plane shutter includes a base plate having a first opening, a blade receiving plate so arranged as to face the base plate and having a second opening formed in a position corresponding to the first opening, and a rear curtain that is arranged between the base plate and the blade receiving plate and moves between an open position where the first opening and the second opening are open and a closed position where the first opening and the second opening are closed to open and close the first opening and the second opening. The blade receiving plate has a protruding section in a position where the blade receiving plate overlaps with the rear curtain located in the open position when viewed along the optical axis direction, and the protruding section so protrudes toward the rear curtain as to allow the rear curtain to come into contact with the protruding section.
US09671673B2
According to embodiments of the present invention, an optical device is provided. The optical device includes a channel waveguide, and a plurality of optical elements arranged along at least a portion of the channel waveguide to interact with light propagating in the channel waveguide, wherein a period of the plurality of optical elements changes nonlinearly along the portion of the channel waveguide. According to further embodiments of the present invention, a method for forming an optical device is also provided.
US09671663B2
According to one embodiment, a liquid crystal display includes an array substrate provided with pixel electrodes including a first pixel electrode and a second pixel electrode aligning in a first direction, a first gate line placed on one side of the pixel electrodes in a second direction, a second gate line placed on the other side of the pixel electrodes, a source line extending along the second direction, a first pixel switch for switching connection of the source line with the first pixel electrode by a gate signal provided through the first gate line, and a second pixel switch for switching connection of the source line with the second pixel electrode by another gate signal provided through the second gate line, an counter-substrate provided with an common electrode, and a liquid crystal layer held between the substrates.
US09671662B2
The present invention discloses an array substrate and liquid crystal display panel, wherein in the array substrate, each pixel unit includes a first pixel electrode, a second pixel electrode and a third pixel electrode; and each pixel unit includes a first control circuit and a second control circuit; the first control circuit affects first pixel electrode to make first pixel electrode in a state corresponding to displaying a black image in 3D display mode; the second control circuit affects second pixel electrode to change the voltage of second pixel electrode. As such, the present invention can reduce color difference at large viewing angle, improve opening ratio in 2D mode, reduce signal cross-talk in 3D mode, and reduce the number of data line drivers to reduce the cost.
US09671658B2
A liquid crystal display includes a substrate, a plurality of signal lines, a gate driver, and a sealant. The substrate includes a display area and a peripheral area outside the display area. The signal lines are integrated with the substrate and include a clock signal line. The gate driver includes a stage located between the clock signal line and the display area. The stage is integrated with the substrate and is configured to apply a gate voltage to the display area. The sealant is distributed over part of the peripheral area. A seal region where the sealant is distributed includes a seal line, and the clock signal line is located within the seal line. The clock signal line is located further away from the stage than the other signal lines.
US09671656B2
There is provided a liquid crystal display including a pixel electrode including a first subpixel electrode and a second subpixel electrode. The first subpixel electrode includes a first cross stem portion positioned in a first subpixel region and first minute branches extending from the first cross stem portion, and includes first and second body portions that are positioned in a third subpixel region and separated from each other, and a plurality of first and second slit portions that extend from the first and second body portions, respectively. The second subpixel electrode includes a second cross stem portion positioned in a second subpixel region and second minute branches that extend from the second cross stem portion, and includes a third cross stem portion positioned in a third subpixel region and third minute branches that extend from the third cross stem portion.
US09671652B2
A liquid crystal panel includes a first substrate and a second substrate opposite to the first substrate, a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and an enclosure resin frame located between the first substrate and the second substrate to enclose and seal the liquid crystal layer. The enclosure resin frame surrounds the liquid crystal layer that is located in a displaying zone of the liquid crystal panel. The enclosure resin frame includes spherical supports arranged therein. The spherical supports include an inner layer and an outer layer. At least one of the outer layer and the inner layer is made of a heat-shrinkable material, or alternatively, the inner layer and the outer layer are both made of heat-shrinkable materials. Also provided are a manufacturing method of a liquid crystal panel and a liquid crystal displaying device.
US09671651B2
A display panel includes a first substrate and a second substrate disposed separately; a sealant disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; and at least one color resist layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; wherein, the at least one color resist layer and the sealant are disposed in an alternate arrangement, and are disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate in order to support the first substrate and the second substrate. A display device is also disclosed. Through replacing the spacers in the sealant with the color resist layer to support the first substrate and the second substrate, a display uneven phenomenon near the sealant of a narrow frame display panel is solved. In addition, because the color resist layer replaces the spacer, the cost of the spacer is saved so as to reduce the design cost.
US09671640B2
In an electro-optical device 100, a color filter substrate 20 is provided with colored pixels, which are: a red pixel 2(R) with a colored layer 28(R) formed inside a concave portion 25(R) formed in a first surface 20s of a light-transmissive substrate 20d, a green pixel 2(G) with a colored layer 28(G) formed inside a concave portion 25(G) formed in said surface, and a blue pixel 2(B) with a colored layer 28(B) formed inside a concave portion 25(B) formed in said surface. In addition, in the substrate 20d, a non-colored pixel 2(W), at which no colored layer is provided, is provided outside the concave portion 25(R), 25(G), 25(B) at a position where the thickness of the substrate 20d is greater than that at the colored pixels.
US09671633B2
There is provided a display device including a substrate, a black matrix disposed on one side of the substrate, a thin film transistor disposed on the other side of the substrate, a common electrode and a pixel electrode disposed on the thin film transistor and overlapping with each other with an insulating layer disposed therebetween, a roof layer formed to be spaced apart from the pixel electrode and the common electrode with a microcavity disposed therebetween, including a supporting member, and having an injection hole through which a portion of the microcavity is exposed, a liquid crystal layer filling the microcavity, and an overcoat formed on the roof layer so as to cover the injection hole and sealing the microcavity.
US09671632B2
A display device includes: a display panel including a display area in which an image is displayed and a pad area in which an image is not displayed; an intermediate frame member on which the display panel is disposed; and an upper frame member which covers the pad area and is coupled to the intermediate frame member. The intermediate frame member may define: a first side wall portion thereof extended along a first side of the display panel; and a second side wall portion thereof extended along a second side of the display panel, the second sidewall portion connected to the first side wall portion in the pad area and a height of the second side wall portion being less than a height of the first side wall portion. The upper frame member which covers the pad area is coupled to the second side wall portion.
US09671631B2
Electronic displays are physically reshaped and/or resized to meet custom specifications for special applications such as avionics, where Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) are not typically used. Customization includes cutting the physical display to specified dimensions to fit into a target opening, and resealing the display to preserve proper cell spacing and assure basic functionality. The sealing process may include improving the original seal, and/or providing additional seals.
US09671629B2
A display device and display system are disclosed, and the display device comprises: a liquid crystal display (LCD) provided with a backlight and an LCD panel (1), a first quarter-wave phase retardation film (2) disposed on one side of the LCD panel (1) away from the backlight, and a first liquid crystal phase retardation plate (3) disposed on one side of the first quarter-wave phase retardation film (2) away from the LCD panel (1); the LCD emits first linearly polarized light for type I information and second linearly polarized light for type II information; and when a voltage is applied to the liquid crystal phase retardation plate (3), emergent light, passing through and emitted from the first quarter-wave phase retardation film and the first liquid crystal phase retardation plate, of the first linearly polarized light and the second linearly polarized light, is converted into overlapped light of circularly polarized light in different rotation directions. The display device makes naked eye personnel unable to identify effective image information, so that the confidential display effect can be greatly improved.
US09671626B2
Methods and apparatus are described herein related to a see through head mountable device (HMD) configured to reduce glare originating from polarized light. Each eyeglass of the HMD is associated with a grid comprising a plurality of dynamically configurable polarization filters placed in the path of the light. A polarization analyzer module analyzes the polarization characteristics of a field of view and performs an optimization calculation. The polarization analyzer controls the said grid via a controller module in such a way that the filter state of each grid element can be addressed separately. The grid of polarization filters causes the polarization characteristics of the incident light to be adapted in such a way as to reduce glare and/or to provide a user of the said head mountable device with an enhanced visual perception of the field of view. The user of the described head mountable device has the option of selection between a plurality of polarization enhancement modes, such as horizontal or vertical polarization filtering only or a hybrid mode combining both horizontal and vertical polarization filtering on an individual basis for each grid element.
US09671619B2
A gaze direction tracking system for an ophthalmic lens comprising an electronic system is described herein. The gaze direction tracking system is part of an electronic system incorporated into the ophthalmic lens. The electronic system includes one or more batteries or other power sources, power management circuitry, one or more sensors, clock generation circuitry, control algorithms and circuitry, and lens driver circuitry. The gaze direction tracking system is utilized to determine pupil position and use this information to control various aspects of the ophthalmic lens.
US09671611B2
An optical cell may include a first port coupled to a second port by an optical path. The optical cell may also include a compensator disposed in the optical path. The compensator may be rotatable about an axis. Rotating the compensator about the axis may vary a distance that the optical path passes through the compensator thereby changing the optical path length of the optical path.
US09671606B2
An illumination optical system for an endoscope includes two light guides disposed in an insertion tube in a first direction to sandwich a center of the insertion tube therebetween; an observation window on a tip end face of the insertion tube; two concave lens parts having negative powers sandwiching the observation window at positions facing end faces of two light guides on the tip end face of the insertion tube. The end face of each of the two light guides has a smaller width in the first direction than a width in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; each of the two concave lens parts has a larger negative power in the first direction than a negative power thereof in the second direction; and of illumination light which has propagated through each of the two concave lens parts after being emitted from each of the two light guides.
US09671601B2
A method for autofocusing in microscopic examination of a specimen located at the focus of a microscope objective uses an autofocus beam path, the autofocus beam path being directed, via a deflection device arranged on the side of the microscope objective facing away from the specimen, toward the microscope objective, and from there onto a reflective autofocus interface in the specimen region. The autofocus beam path is reflected at the autofocus interface and directed via the microscope objective and the deflection device toward an autofocus detector. The deflection device comprises two regions spaced apart from one another in a propagation direction of the autofocus beam path. Each region reflects the autofocus beam path. The autofocus detector is arranged in a plane conjugated with the microscope objective pupil to acquire an interference pattern. The focus of the microscope is adjusted as a function of the acquired interference pattern.
US09671600B2
A light microscope having a sample plane for positioning a sample, and a light source for emitting illumination light, includes optical imaging means for guiding the illumination light into the sample plane. A detector device having a plurality of detector elements for detecting sample light coming from the sample. Adjacent detector elements are at a distance from one another which is smaller than an Airy-Disk produced by a point of the sample plane on the detector device. A scanning device has at least a first and a second optical arrangement simultaneously movable in a common direction for producing an illumination scanning movement and a detection scanning movement, which are opposite to one another. Sample regions spaced apart from one another can be examined simultaneously, such that both a beam path of the sample light from the sample plane to the detector device and a beam path of the illumination light from the light source to the sample plane run via the first optical arrangement and only one of these two beam paths runs via the second optical arrangement. Sample light can be imaged in a non-inverting manner and with an imaging scale of less than one. The invention is additionally directed to a corresponding microscopy method.
US09671598B2
In a 1-2nd lens group, an aspherical resin lens is disposed on the outermost enlargement side, an enlargement-side fixed lens group (second fixed lens group) as a fixed group is disposed, a moving lens group, which move when focusing is performed in response to the magnification change, is disposed further on the reduction side from the second fixed lens group. Even in a case where the second optical group is configured of one mirror, it is possible for a primary image to have appropriate aberration and to hereby reduce aberration of an image which is finally projected onto a screen through the second optical group.
US09671596B2
A plurality of imaging optical systems includes at least two imaging optical systems, and each imaging optical system includes an identical diaphragm member. Each imaging optical system includes in order from an object side, a front lens unit having a positive refractive power, a focusing lens unit having a negative refractive power, and a rear lens unit having a positive refractive power. The diaphragm member is disposed near the focusing lens unit. At the time of focusing, only the focusing lens unit moves on an optical axis. Each imaging optical system satisfies the following conditional expression (1), and the plurality of imaging optical systems satisfies the following conditional expressions (2) and (3). 0.5
US09671593B2
An imaging lens assembly is provided in the present disclosure. The imaging lens assembly includes 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; a fifth lens with positive refractive power; and a sixth lens with negative refractive power. The first lens, the second lens, the third lens, the fourth lens, the fifth lens and the sixth lens are arranged in sequence from the object side to the image side, and satisfy conditions provided in the present disclosure.
US09671586B2
Provided is an optical system having, in order from an object, a positive first lens group (G1), an aperture stop (S) and a second lens group (G2), wherein the first lens group (G1) includes, in order from the object, a negative lens component (L1), a positive lens component (L2) and a first lens component (L3, L4), the image side surface of which is a concave surface facing the aperture stop (S), the second lens group (G2) includes, in order from the object, a second lens component (L5, L6), the object side surface of which is a concave surface facing the aperture stop (S), and a positive lens component (L8) disposed closest to the image, the first lens component (L1) and the second lens component (L2) face each other sandwiching the aperture stop (S), and the following conditional expressions (1) and (2) are satisfied: 1.5
US09671578B2
A structured substrate for optical fiber alignment is produced at least in part by forming a substrate with a plurality of buried conductive features and a plurality of top level conductive features. At least one of the plurality of top level conductive features defines a bond pad. A groove is then patterned in the substrate utilizing a portion of the plurality of top level conductive features as an etch mask and one of the plurality of buried conductive features as an etch stop. At least a portion of an optical fiber is placed into the groove.
US09671570B2
An optical wavelength division multiplexor module (40) has a housing (44) having a front face (45) and a rear face (46). The wavelength division multiplexor module (40) comprises a short wavelength path terminal (41), a common optical terminal (42), and a long wavelength path terminal (43). The short wavelength path terminal (41) comprises a first fiber optic adapter (48), for engaging a fiber optic connector of a first patch cable (24), while the common optical terminal (42) comprises a second fiber optic adapter (48), for engaging a fiber optic connector of a second patch cable (26). The long wavelength path terminal (43) comprises a fiber optic connector (49) for directly engaging with a fiber optic adapter (48) carried on a modified optical test access switch (50). The short wavelength path terminal (41) and the common optical terminal (42) are both provided on the front face (45) of the housing (44), while the long wavelength path terminal (43) is provided on the rear face (46) of the housing (44).
US09671569B2
A cable sealing device including an attaching part securable to the cable; a fixation part adapted to be mountable on the attaching part; and a sealing part. The attaching part includes outer locking faces. The fixation part has inner abutment faces adapted to co-operate with the outer locking faces to axially and rotationally lock the fixation part relative to the attaching part. The sealing part includes an inner seal and an outer seal. The sealing part also includes a second securing arrangement that is configured to engage a first securing arrangement of the fixation part to axially and rotationally lock the sealing part to the fixation part.
US09671559B2
Disclosed herein are methods, structures, apparatus and devices to integrate polarization filters and power tap couplers on planar photonic circuits that advantageously provide a lower insertion loss to an optical signal and improved optical bandwidth as compared with contemporary designs wherein these two functions are implemented separately.
US09671555B2
A display device includes a display screen and a frame disposed around the display device, an infrared receiver and a light guide member, wherein the light guide member has a securing surface through which the light guide member is secured to the frame, the light guide member further including a receiving end and a light exiting surface, the receiving end formed at a display side of the display device, a width of the receiving end in a direction perpendicular to the frame to which the light guide member is secured is narrower than a width of the light exiting surface in the direction. Only a narrower portion of the light guide member can be seen when a human being looks at the display device, thus improving display effect of the narrow frame of the display device.
US09671551B2
A fiber optic cable includes a first optical fiber, a jacket, and a second optical fiber. The first optical fiber includes a glass core and cladding. The glass core is configured to provide controlled transmission of light through the fiber optic cable for high-speed data communication. The jacket has an interior surface that defines a conduit through which the first optical fiber extends. The jacket further has an exterior surface that defines the outside of the fiber optic cable. The second optical fiber is integrated with the exterior surface of the jacket.
US09671547B2
Provided are an illumination device capable of improving the uniformity in brightness of the illumination light, and a display device using the same. An illumination device is provided with: a plurality of light sources arranged in a row in one direction; and a light guide plate which has, along a side edge face, a light receiving face facing the light source, guides light entering through the light receiving face, and outputs illumination light from a light emitting surface disposed on the front surface; the light guide plate having a plurality of prisms and a plurality of prisms provided in an indented manner on the front or rear surface and arranged in a row along the longitudinal direction of the light receiving face; the prisms being formed spanning between the light receiving face and the opposing face opposite the light receiving face; and the prisms being formed, between adjacent prisms, deeper than the prisms within a predetermined range in the vicinity of the light receiving face.
US09671543B2
To reduce the crosstalk caused by the optical characteristic of the support film. A patterned retardation film comprising at least a support film (14) having optical anisotropy and a patterned retardation layer (12) disposed on the support film and having a first retardation region and a second retardation region, at least one of an in-plane slow axis direction and a retardation being different between the first and second retardation regions, wherein a variation in the in-plane slow axis direction of the support film is 3° or more.
US09671540B2
According to the present invention, there are provided a polarization filter and a sensor system. The polarization filter includes a circularly polarized light-separating layer having a cholesteric liquid crystalline phase fixed therein, in which the circularly polarized light-separating layer is a layer which selectively transmits one of the left-hand circularly polarized light and the right-hand circularly polarized light in the specific wavelength band, a λ/4 phase difference layer for light in the specific wavelength band is disposed on one of the surfaces of the circularly polarized light-separating layer, and the λ/4 phase difference layer includes a first phase difference region and a second phase difference region of which slow axis directions are orthogonal to each other. The sensor system includes the polarization filter, a light source which emits light having a wavelength in the specific wavelength band, and a light-receiving element which can detect light having a wavelength in the specific wavelength band. The polarization filter of the present invention can improve the sensitivity of a sensor system using polarized light, and the sensor system of the present invention has high sensitivity and is extremely cost effective.
US09671527B2
An optical lens assembly, which has an optical axis, includes, at least one dual molded lens element having two plastic parts with different colors. The dual molded lens element includes a transparent portion and a light absorbing portion, wherein the transparent portion has an optical effective region. The dual molded lens element has an outer diameter surface connecting a first side surface and a second side surface of the dual molded lens element, the transparent portion is arranged from an optical effective region of the dual molded lens element to the outer diameter surface and surrounds the dual molded lens element, thus the transparent portion is a part of the outer diameter surface, and the light absorbing portion is located on one of the first side surface and the second side surface of the dual molded lens element.
US09671521B2
Method and system for buried land mine detection through derivative analysis of laser interferometry
A method of detecting land mines includes pre-processing a raw laser interferometer image, processing pre-processed image by calculating one or more derivatives having one or more peaks, along vectors extending in at least two different directions, mapping the peaks of said derivatives to create a derivative map, and detecting an anomalous signature in the derivative map.
US09671517B2
The disclosure is concerned with a tool and method for imaging a formation through a substantially non-conductive medium. The tool includes one or more injection electrodes for injecting current through the substantially non-conductive medium and into the formation. The tool further includes one or more return electrodes for receiving current from the substantially non-conductive medium, the formation, or both. The tool also includes circuitry for determining a complex impedance based on the received current, determining a phase angle of the complex impedance, and determining a component of the complex impedance that is orthogonal to the phase angle.
US09671505B2
In the present invention, a battery box is provided on the lower side of a survey meter body so as to protrude downwardly. Four primary batteries are accommodated inside the battery box with inclined postures. A stepped structure is formed between the front surface of the battery box and the lower surface of the body. The survey meter can be held by a hand while an index finger, or the like, is hooked on the stepped structure. It is also possible to remove the battery box and dispose a plate-like secondary battery in an accommodation space.
US09671500B1
Methods and systems are provided for locating a vehicle. A locating device receives position data and determines an approximate position of the vehicle. A remote server reports a correction factor for each of a plurality of locations and a broadcast server broadcasts the correction factors over a wireless data stream. A receiver device receives the correction factors from the broadcast device and a correction device extracts a selected correction factor from the wireless data stream based on the location and the approximate position to determine a refined position of the vehicle.
US09671497B2
Systems and methods for synchronizing a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver with a GNSS signal are provided. In one example, a GNSS receiver may include one or more sets of 20 GNSS channels that are each configured to integrate a received GNSS signal over a 20 millisecond accumulation window to output a navigation message bit. The accumulation windows of the 20 GNSS channels may be delayed relative to other windows of the 20 GNSS channels by 1 millisecond. The GNSS receiver may identify one of the 20 GNSS channels having the correct synchronization with the GNSS signal based on the navigation message bits output by the 20 GNSS channels. The identified GNSS channel having the correct synchronization with the GNSS signal may be used to determine a location of the GNSS receiver.
US09671493B1
Described is system for optimizing visual inspection of radar targets. The system detects radar hits with a radar system comprising radar and a radar-cued camera. The camera has a current state comprising a current slew position and a current zoom level. The radar hits are stored, and a set of metrics are determined for each radar hit. A track value (TV) metric is determined that combines the set of metrics for each zoom level of the camera. The camera sends a set of commands based on the TV metric, such that the camera slews from the current state to a new state. The new state is a position of a radar hit with the largest TV metric and a corresponding zoom level. Given the new state, an image is captured and processed to generate captured tracks. The current state of the camera is updated to reflect the new state.
US09671483B2
A method for processing nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurement data includes: receiving, with a processor, NMR measurement data obtained from an NMR tool, the NMR measurement data being affected by a motion artifact and having a first echo train obtained with a long polarization time TWET and a second echo train obtained with a short polarization time TWTL that is shorter than TWET; and at least one of (i) reducing, with a processor, an effect on the NMR measurement data of the motion artifact using the first echo train and the second echo train and (ii) identifying, with a processor, the motion artifact using the first echo train and the second echo train; wherein the motion artifact is related to a magnetic field magnitude that varies in a volume of interest due to a motion of the NMR tool.
US09671482B2
An MRI method includes detecting movement of an object while a protocol is executed to capture an image of a region of the object, and outputting information indicating occurrence of the movement, based on a value of a movement amount.
US09671480B2
The MRI apparatus includes an image generating unit, an area setting unit, a slice condition determining unit and an imaging executing unit. The image generating unit images an object at a predetermined imaging position, and generates an image for positioning. The area setting unit sets a slab area and a slice area on a basis of a recommended value that is stored in a storage and corresponds to the predetermined imaging position, and to display the set slab area and the set slice area on the image for positioning, the storage storing the recommended value of a parameter concerning a slice condition for each of a plurality of imaging positions. The slice condition determining unit determines the slice condition on a basis of the slice area. The imaging executing unit executes an imaging of the slab area in accordance with the determined slice condition.
US09671478B2
An antenna (100), which is designed for exciting and/or detecting a magnetic resonance in an object (1) under investigation, comprises a conductor loop (10) with an inner conductor (11) and a primary shield conductor (12), which form at least one waveguide, wherein the primary shield conductor (12) is interrupted by a gap (13), and wherein a secondary shield conductor (14) is provided which surrounds the primary shield conductor (12), wherein a dielectric (15) is arranged between the primary shield conductor (12) and the secondary shield conductor (14) and at least the gap is covered by the secondary shield conductor (14). An antenna arrangement which comprises a plurality of such antennas, a magnetic resonance device, and a method for magnetic resonance imaging or magnetic resonance spectroscopy are also described.
US09671476B2
A method and a local coil for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system are provided. The local coil includes a hand coil having a plurality of rings, each made of a plurality of coil elements.
US09671472B2
A system includes a helically polarized magnet having a plurality of north and south poles circumferentially and helically patterned along a linear axis. Magnetic flux varies at different positions along a linear path in a direction aligned with the linear axis. A multi-axis magnetometer and/or magnetometer array is configured with at least two sensing coils to detect the position of the helically polarized magnet by sensing the magnetic flux variations at the different positions along the linear path.
US09671469B2
A voltage detection circuit for a secondary battery. A secondary battery is composed of a plurality of battery blocks (B1) to (B3), and is connected to a flying capacitor (C1) via input side sampling switches (SW1) to (SW3). The flying capacitor (C1) is connected to a differential amplifier circuit (10) via output side sampling switches (SWa) and (SWb). A feedback capacitor (C2) is connected to an inverting input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit (10) to form an integrator circuit, which reduces the capacitance of the flying capacitor (C1).
US09671468B2
Electrical battery apparatus embodiments are presented that generally involve incorporating sensing, computing, and communication capabilities into the one common component that a vast number of electronic devices employ—namely batteries. By integrating these capabilities into disposable and/or rechargeable batteries, new functionality and intelligence can be provided to otherwise stand-alone devices.
US09671466B2
An apparatus for testing an arc fault circuit interrupter includes an AC signal generator circuit configured to be capacitively coupled to an AC power line and to induce an AC signal thereon and a control circuit configured to control the AC signal generator circuit to selectively enable and disable generation of the AC signal responsive to a waveform of an AC power voltage of the AC power line.
US09671464B2
An integrated circuit has controller circuitry having coupled to a test clock and a test mode select inputs, and having state a register clock state output, a register capture state output, and a register update state output. Register circuitry has a test data in lead input, control inputs coupled to the state outputs of the controller circuitry, and a control output. Connection circuitry has a control input connected to the control output of the register circuitry and selectively couples one of a first serial data output of first scan circuitry and a second serial data output of second scan circuitry to a test data out lead. Selection circuitry has an input connected to the serial data input lead, an input connected to a test pattern source lead, a control input coupled to the scan circuitry control output leads, and an output connected to the scan input lead.
US09671463B2
A falling edge controller includes a controller having an inverted TCK (Test Clock) input, a TMS (Test Mode Select) input, a shift register control output, an update register control output, and a shift output; a shift register having a TDI (Test Data In) input, a shift register control input coupled to the shift register control output, address inputs, a select input, address and select outputs, and a TDO (Test Data Out) output; an update register having address and select inputs coupled to the address and select outputs, an update register control input coupled to the update register control output, address outputs coupled to the address inputs, and a select output coupled to the select input; and address circuitry having address inputs coupled to the address outputs, and having an enable output.
US09671458B2
A guided approach device for guiding together a first device (handler or tester) and a second device (including a test head for electronic components), including a latching device with a cylindrical pin socket for holding and fixing a front end of a catch pin. The latching device is connected to a linear displacement device such that the cylindrical pin socket may be displaced in a linear direction at least a short distance corresponding to a multiple of a length of a leading section of the catch pin, which may be inserted into the pin socket. Additionally or alternatively, the latching device is connected to a linear displacement device such that the latching element, a spring element and the pin socket may be displaced, with the catch pin engaged, in a linear direction by the linear displacement device, so that the first and second devices maybe moved relative to one another.
US09671451B2
A method for performing diagnostics on a transformer includes generating, by a voltage generator, an AC voltage and applying the AC voltage to a winding or phase of the transformer. Current flowing from the generator to the winding or phase is decomposed into a plurality of harmonic components. Respective magnitudes of the plurality of harmonic components are compared with corresponding magnitudes of harmonic components associated with one or more benchmark transformers of a known condition to determine whether the condition of the transformer matches the condition of one or more benchmark transformers.
US09671449B2
A system for detecting an electrical fault in an electrical installation including several electrical conductors, the system including at least two measurement modules, each measurement module including first radioelectric communication device, a sensor for measuring each electrical magnitude associated with a corresponding electrical conductor and a first clock defined by a first initial instant and a first clock frequency, each measured value being suitable for being associated with a first instant of measurement, determined with respect to the first initial instant and as a function of the first frequency, an acquisition unit, including second radioelectric means adapted for communicating with the first radioelectric communication device.
US09671440B2
There are provided a method and device for detecting a zero phase component. The device for detecting a zero phase component includes a meter chip of a sequential sampling method, a data acquiring unit configured to acquire sequential data on a plurality of phases from the meter chip, and a zero phase current value calculating unit configured to calculate an instantaneous current value for fault detection by summing instantaneous current values for each phase from the acquired sequential data, and calculate a zero phase current value using the calculated instantaneous current value for fault detection.
US09671435B2
A voltage measurement circuit including a current mirror having an input branch in series with a first resistive element between first and second nodes of application of said voltage, and having an output branch providing a current representative of said voltage.
US09671434B2
A sensor device for use in detecting current in a conductor is provided. The sensor includes a non-magnetic substrate defining an aperture structured to receive a conductor therein, a coil comprising a plurality of turns wound about at least a portion of the substrate, and a housing for enclosing the substrate and coil. The housing includes a dielectric material having a dielectric constant and positioned adjacent to the coil and at least partially within the aperture such that the dielectric material is disposed between the coil and the conductor when the conductor is received through the aperture and at least one spacer coupled to the aperture to facilitate maintaining a position of the coil relative to the conductor, wherein each of the spacers is positioned offset from the dielectric material such that each of the spacers does not radially extend between the coil and the conductor.
US09671425B1
A test apparatus that is usable with a switchgear cabinet is structured to mimic the operation of a circuit interruption device being received in the interior of the switchgear cabinet by providing a number of structures such as an engagement wall that engages a shutter assembly and moves it from a deployed state to an undeployed state. The engagement wall in the test apparatus has a number of openings formed therein that permit a number of electrical conductors and the relevant portions of the shutter assembly to be viewed from the exterior of the switchgear cabinet.
US09671424B2
Energy dissipation measurements in Frequency Modulation-Atomic Force Microscopy (FM-AFM) should provide additional information for dynamic force measurements as well as energy dissipation maps for robust material properties imaging as they should not be dependent directly upon the cantilever surface interaction regime. However, unexplained variabilities in experimental data have prevented progress in utilizing such energy dissipation studies. The inventors have demonstrated that the frequency response of the piezoacoustic cantilever excitation system, traditionally assumed flat, can actually lead to surprisingly large apparent damping by the coupling of the frequency shift to the drive-amplitude signal. Accordingly, means for correcting this source of apparent damping are presented allowing dissipation measurements to be reliably obtained and quantitatively compared to theoretical models. The methods are non-destructive and can be both easily and routinely integrated into FM-AFM measurements within vacuum environments where measurements exploiting prior art solutions cannot be performed.
US09671421B2
A micro-position gap sensor assembly including a structural housing and a flexible diaphragm fixedly attached forming a barrier against fluid ingress. The structural housing includes a shaft orthogonally attached to the flexible diaphragm, a first retainer including one or more standoffs, a second retainer, and a parallel plate gap sensor. The parallel gap plate sensor includes a non-contact sensor plate biased against a portion of the first retainer defining a plane of the non-contact sensor plate and receiving a biasing force in opposition of the first retainer from the second retainer, a target plate comprised of a conductive paramagnetic material. The parallel plate gap sensor is configured such that displacement of one of the target plate or the non-contact sensor plate changes a distance between the target plate and the non-contact sensor plate.
US09671417B2
There is provided an analyzer capable of stably supplying the cuvettes even if a great number of cuvettes is input to the storage section without thinking. The analyzer includes a storage section configured to store the plurality of input cuvettes, a take-out section configured to take out the cuvettes in the storage section from the storage section, and a vibration unit configured to vibrate the storage section to stimulate movement of the cuvettes in the storage section.
US09671409B2
A nanoscale calcinated silicate film fabricated on a gold substrate for highly effective, matrix-free laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS) analysis of biomolecules. The calcinated film is prepared by a layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition/calcination process wherein the thickness of the silicate layer and its surface properties are precisely controlled. The film exhibits outstanding efficiency in LDI-MS with extremely low background noise in the low-mass region, allowing for effective analysis of low mass weight samples and detection of large biomolecules including amino acids, peptides and proteins. Additional advantages for the calcinated film include ease of preparation and modification, high reproducibility, low cost and excellent reusability. Experimental parameters that influence LDI on calcinated films have been systemically investigated. Presence of citric acid in the sample significantly enhances LDI performance by facilitating protonation of the analyte and reducing fragmentation. The wetting property and surface roughness appear to be important factors that manipulate LDI performance of the analytes. This new substrate presents a marked advance in the development of matrix-free mass spectrometric methods and is uniquely suited for analysis of biomolecules over a broad mass range with high sensitivity.
US09671407B2
The present invention provides a device for isolating target biomolecules or cells from samples, particularly biological samples. In particular, the device comprises a loading mixture, which contains the biological sample and a first binding entity that specifically binds to the target biomolecule or target cell; and a micro-channel coated with a second binding entity that binds directly or indirectly to the first binding entity. Methods of capturing, detecting, and/or evaluating target biomolecules or target cells (e.g. cancer cells) in biological samples are also disclosed.
US09671406B2
The invention provides methods for predicting or determining the response of a mammalian tumor to a chemotherapeutic agent and for treating a mammalian tumor comprising detecting and quantifying the SPARC protein or RNA in a sample isolated from the mammal. The invention further provides kit for predicting the response of a mammalian tumor to a chemotherapeutic agent, comprising a means for the isolation of protein or RNA from the tumor, a SPARC protein or RNA detection and quantification means, control RNAs, and rules for predicting the response of the tumor based on the level of SPARC protein or RNA in tumor.
US09671405B2
The invention relates to detection and/or treatment of a subset of prostate cancer patients who may benefit from taxane treatment. The method comprises testing whether an androgen receptor (AR) splice variant is present in a test sample obtained from the patient, wherein the androgen receptor variant can be ARv5,6,7.
US09671404B2
The present invention relates to the use of myeloid cell biomarkers for the differential diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) or colorectal cancer (CRC). The present invention furthermore relates to monitoring the effect of a treatment against renal cell carcinoma (RCC) or colorectal cancer (CRC), and establishing a prognosis of the outcome of the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) or colorectal cancer (CRC). The present invention furthermore relates to panels of cellular biomarkers for use in the above methods, in particular multicolor panels for measuring said biomarkers.
US09671403B2
The present invention encompasses a method for detecting a target comprising a repeating epitope.
US09671398B2
The present invention relates to systems and methods for the rapid in situ determination of the existence of a hook effect and expansion of the dynamic range of a point of care immunoassay. For example, a system for identifying a hook effect and expanding the dynamic range of an immunoassay is provided that may include a primary sensor having first immobilized antibodies that may be configured to generate a first signal based on a presence or absence of a target analyte in a sample. The system may further include an attenuated sensor having second immobilized antibodies at a reduced concentration relative to a concentration of the first immobilized antibodies on the primary sensor and that may be configured to generate a second signal based on the presence or absence of the target analyte in the sample. The system may further include a processor configured to determine a presence of a hook effect in the immunoassay based on relative values of the first and second signals and optionally determine the target analyte concentration of the sample.
US09671396B2
The present invention provides solid supports comprising a surface bound array of dendrons and methods for using the same.
US09671392B2
The present invention relates to a multisensor array for detection of analytes in the gas phase or in the liquid phase, comprising at least two different chemo-selective compounds represented by the general formula (I) wherein the hetero atoms X1-X4 and the substituents R1-R4 are defined in the specification and the dashed bonds represent independently of each other either a single bond or a double bond. Said chemo-selective compounds are capable of individually changing physicochemical properties when exposed to analytes or analyte mixtures and these changes can be detected by a transducer or an array of transducers. The present invention does also relate to the use of at least two different chemo-selective compounds in a sensor array, a method for preparation of such sensor arrays and the use of said sensor arrays. Furthermore the present invention relates to methods for detecting and identifying analytes or mixtures thereof in the gas phase or in the liquid phase.
US09671390B2
The present invention relates to the discovery that the T1R receptors assemble to form functional taste receptors. Particularly, it has been discovered that co-expression of T1R1 and T1R3 results in a taste receptor that responds to umami taste stimuli, including monosodium glutamate. Also, it has been discovered that co-expression of the T1R2 and T1R3 receptors results in a taste receptor that responds to sweet taste stimuli including naturally occurring and artificial sweeteners. Also the present invention relates to the use of hetero-oligomeric taste receptors comprising T1R1/T1R3 and T1R2/T1R3 in assays to identify compounds that respectively respond to umami taste stimuli and sweet taste stimuli.
US09671387B2
The invention concerns a test system for carrying out blood sugar tests with a diagnostic tape cassette which comprises a windable analytical test tape for detecting an analyte and a cassette housing accommodating the test tape, and a test device which has a device housing for inserting and removing the tape cassette and a measuring unit for detecting the analyte on the test tape. According to the invention it is proposed that the tape cassette can be detachably fastened by positioning elements on a platform mounted in the device housing and that the measuring unit is rigidly attached on the platform or can be engaged therewith.
US09671382B2
Provided is a gas sensor comprising a gas-sensitive layer consisting of nickel oxide (NiO) doped with chrome (Cr) so as to selectively detect methylbenzene gas. The gas sensor, according to the present invention, has a gas-sensitive layer consisting of Cr-doped NiO. The gas sensor exhibits superior selectivity for methylbenzene gas when compared to other gases. The gas sensor can be easily and mass produced according to the production method of the present invention and is not affected by the microstructures of the material forming the gas-sensitive layer. The present invention relates to a gas sensor exhibits a negligible sensitivity of benzene, formaldehyde, and alcohol and exhibits significantly high selectivity and sensitivity of methylbenzene gas such as xylene and toluene when the NiO sensor material with a hierarchical structure favorable to gas dispersion and response is doped with Cr.
US09671370B2
A method and system for detecting material loss in a tubular. A method includes identifying a radial cross-sectional area of a tubular as having a loss of material in a wall of the tubular. Responsive to the identifying, an amount of voltage offset present in each of a plurality of measurement signals is determined. Each of the measurement signals provides measurement information for an arc section of the wall. For each of the measurement signals, a zero adjusted signal is produced by adjusting the measurement signal to remove the amount of voltage offset over a length of the tubular for which the identifying recognizes the loss of material. An assessment of wall material loss is produced for each arc section of the wall of the tubular based on the zero adjusted signals. An image of the wall of the tubular showing the wall material loss for each arc section is generated.
US09671369B2
A method and an apparatus for determining a mobility of ions. The method includes the steps of modulating an ion beam with an ion gate which is controlled by a modulation function for generating a modulated ion beam, of guiding the modulated ion beam through a drifting region, of measuring a signal of the modulated ion beam after the modulated ion beam has passed the drifting region and of calculating a correlation of the modulation function and the signal in order to determine the mobility of the ions. The apparatus includes the ion gate, the drifting region through which the modulated ion beam is guidable, a detector by which the signal of the modulated ion beam is measurable after the modulated ion beam has passed the drifting region and a calculation unit by which the correlation of the modulation function and the signal is calculable in order to determine the mobility of the ions. An autocorrelation of the modulation function is a two-valued function.
US09671366B2
One embodiment of the invention provides a system adapted and configured to generate a localized flow circulation zone. The system includes: a free-standing microfluidic pipette comprising three or more channels with exits separated from each other by an outer surface of the pipette; and a controller programmed to control fluid flows through each of the three or more channels to generate a localized recirculating fluid flow path outside the pipette. Liquid leaving the microfluidic pipette through at least one outlet channel exit is withdrawn through at least two inlet channel exits.
US09671362B2
Embodiments described herein provide for a pH sensor that comprises a substrate and an ion sensitive field effect transistor (ISFET) die. The ISFET die includes an ion sensing part that is configured to be exposed to a medium such that it outputs a signal related to the pH level of the medium. The ISFET die is bonded to the substrate with at least one composition of bonding agent material disposed between the ISFET die and the substrate. One or more strips of the at least one composition of bonding agent material is disposed between the substrate and the ISFET die in a first pattern.
US09671360B2
Disclosed is a method for manufacturing a biosensor comprising (a) forming an insulating layer in an electrode region; (b) coating the first photoresist layer on the insulating layer; (c) performing the first exposing process on the first electrode region through the first photomask; (d) removing unexposed area of the first photoresist layer except for the first electrode region using development; (e) coating the second photoresist layer on the first electrode region and the insulating layer after the step (d); (f) performing the second exposing process on the second electrode regions through the second photomask; (g) performing the third exposing process on the top portion of the second photoresist layer through a photomask with open areas in the shape of micro-sized wires connecting the second electrode regions; (h) removing the second photoresist layer except for the portions exposed in the steps (c), (f) and (g) using development.
US09671352B2
Provided are a reel-to-reel inspection apparatus and method. The reel-to-reel inspection apparatus includes: an unwinding unit configured to unwind a roll-shaped object; a first inspection unit configured to photograph a surface of the object discharged from the unwinding unit; a second inspection unit configured to photograph another surface of the object which has passed through the first inspection unit; a marking unit configured to indicate a mark on the object which has passed through the second inspection unit; and a winding unit configured to wind in a roll shape the object which has passed through the marking unit.
US09671349B2
A method and apparatus are provided for automatically detecting the type of replacement fluid loaded by the operator during a therapeutic exchange procedure and to provide a warning alarm if an incorrect fluid is used. After the operator connects the container of replacement fluid to the replacement fluid line of a single-use kit and enters into the controller an identification of the exchange procedure to be performed, the replacement fluid is flowed through a segment of the kit in proximity to a sensor associated with the hardware component that detects the type of fluid flowing through the segment. The controller verifies whether the replacement fluid detected in the segment corresponds to that appropriate for the selected exchange procedure, and notifies the operator in the event that an incorrect replacement fluid has been loaded.
US09671348B2
The present invention provides a method for measuring a component to be measured in a sample, comprising converting the component to be measured in the sample into hydrogen peroxide and measuring the formed hydrogen peroxide in the presence of an α-keto acid using an oxidative-coloring chromogen. The present invention also provides a method for suppressing the influence of a peroxide on a method of converting a component to be measured in a sample into hydrogen peroxide and measuring the formed hydrogen peroxide using an oxidative-coloring chromogen, the suppression method comprising using an α-keto acid. The measuring method and the suppression method of the present invention using an α-keto acid suppress the influence of a peroxide to give an accurate measurement of the component to be measured in the sample.
US09671342B2
An optical instrument monitors PCR replication of DNA in a reaction apparatus having a temperature cycled block with vials of reaction ingredients including dye that fluoresces in presence of double-stranded DNA. A beam splitter passes an excitation beam to the vials to fluoresce the dye. An emission beam from the dye is passed by the beam splitter to a CCD detector from which a processor computes DNA concentration. A reference strip with a plurality of reference emitters emit reference beams of different intensity, from which the processor selects an optimum emitter for compensating for drift. Exposure time is automatically adjusted for keeping within optimum dynamic ranges of the CCD and processor. A module of the beam splitter and associated optical filters is associated with selected dye, and is replaceable for different dyes.
US09671337B2
An objective lens system having a high numerical aperture, a large working distance, and low optical aberrations over a wide spectral band of wavelengths is disclosed. The objective lens system includes a first lens group, a second lens group, and a third lens group. The first lens group includes first and second positive meniscus lenses that are positioned at a distance from each other along an optical axis of the objective lens system. The distance may be dependent on a focal length of the objective lens system. The second lens group includes first and second meniscus lenses and a bi-convex lens. The third lens group includes a bi-concave lens and a doublet lens.
US09671335B2
A photonics integrated system is disclosed, comprising a substrate, an integrated interferometer integrated in the substrate and being configured for receiving radiation from a radiation source, and an integrated spectral filter integrated in the substrate and being configured for receiving radiation from the interferometer. The integrated interferometer has a period and the integrated spectral filter has a bandwidth such that the period of the integrated interferometer is smaller than the bandwidth of the integrated spectral filter. The integrated spectral filter has a periodic transfer characteristic with a period and the system has a bandwidth such that the period of the periodic transfer characteristic of the integrated spectral filter is larger than the bandwidth of the system.
US09671328B2
A system for classifying different types of sheeting materials of road signs depicted in a videostream compares estimated retroreflectivity values against known minimum retroreflectivity values for each of a plurality of colors. Once a road sign has been identified in the videostream, the frames associated with that road sign are analyzed to determine each of a plurality of colors present on the road sign. An estimated retroreflectivity for each of the plurality of colors present on the road sign is then determined. By comparing the estimated retroreflectivity for each of the plurality of colors against known minimum retroreflectivity values for the corresponding color for different types of sheeting materials, an accurate determination of the classification of the sheeting material of the road sign is established. Preferably, certain conditions of gross failure of the sheeting material are filtered out before classification of the sheeting material is determined.
US09671325B2
A particle measuring device includes: an optical resonator that reflects laser light back and forth between two facing reflective mirrors in order to amplify an energy of that laser light and form resonant laser light; a particle transport unit that transports particles in an aerosol to be measured across a beam path of the resonant laser light; a scattered light receiving unit that receives scattered light produced when the particles in the aerosol are irradiated by the resonant laser light; and a processor that receives light reception signals from the scattered light receiving unit, wherein the processor outputs light reception pulses according to the light reception signals and calculates time intervals between the light reception pulses that are temporally adjacent.
US09671322B2
An automated embedding machine includes at least a conveyor, a pouring station, and a cooling station. The conveyor is embodied and arranged to receive casting molds each having at least one histological sample arranged therein, and to transport them to the pouring station which fills each casting mold with an embedding medium heated to above its melting point, and then to the cooling station which cools the embedding medium of each casting mold to below its melting point. The disclosure furthermore relates to a method for embedding a histological sample.
US09671321B2
Disclosed are methods, compositions and kits for the isolation of exosomes from biological fluids and tissues. Volume-excluding polymers are used to precipitate exosomes from biological samples thereby allowing exosome isolation by low-speed (benchtop) centrifugation or filtration. Further fractionation of exosomes after precipitation is also described.
US09671315B2
An apparatus comprises an outer shell, a gauge ring, and a spring. The gauge ring is configured to rotate to a first position as a nut passes through an opening of the outer shell and contacts a bottom surface of the gauge ring, the first position permitting the nut to pass through the gauge ring and into a socket by aligning one or more gauge ring lobe slits with one or more outer shell lobe slits and one or more deformable lobes of the nut. The spring is configured to rotate the gauge ring to the second position after the nut passes through the gauge ring and into the socket, the second position preventing the nut from exiting the socket by preventing alignment of the one or more gauge ring lobe slits with the one or more outer shell lobe slits.
US09671310B2
A method and apparatus for measuring cluster gears for run-out employs a plurality of master gears, each engageable with one of the gears of the cluster and each supported on a fluid cylinder powered slide movable radially to a gear to be measured. As the gear to be measured is rotated, the radial motion of the slides is sensed and compared to maximum values by a computer. An additional master gear, having sections engageable with each gear of a cluster simultaneously on its own slide, may be provided to measure the total run-out of the cluster.
US09671296B2
There is provided a portable electronic device with one or more integrated temperature sensors (12) for measuring an ambient temperature, a compensator (25,26) for reducing the difference between a sensor output (Ts) and the ambient temperature (Ta) with the compensator (25,26) switching depending on environmental and/or handling conditions between a plurality of compensation modes selected dependent on measurements of one or more other integrated and/or external sensors.
US09671293B2
A temperature detection circuit and a temperature measurement circuit capable of detecting and measuring temperatures precisely are disclosed. The temperature detection circuit includes n temperature detectors (n is an integer of 2 or more), each of the temperature detectors being configured to output a detection signal of high level when a temperature of an object reaches a first value, and a temperature determination part configured to determine whether or not the temperature of the object has reached a second value based on a count of high-level detection signals.
US09671290B2
There is provided a temperature measurement method for measuring a temperature of an ultraviolet light transmittance member transmitting ultraviolet light. The method includes: detecting ultraviolet light transmitted through the ultraviolet light transmittance member using a spectroscopic measurement unit, and obtaining an absorption edge wavelength of the ultraviolet light transmittance member; and deriving a temperature of the ultraviolet light transmittance member on the basis of the obtained absorption edge wavelength.
US09671288B2
A solid-state photodetector with variable spectral response that can produce a narrow or wide response spectrum of incident light. Some embodiments include a solid-state device structure that includes a first photodiode and a second photodiode that share a common anode region. Bias voltages applied to the first photodiode and/or the second photodiode may be used to control the thicknesses of depletion regions of the photodiodes and/or a common anode region to vary the spectral response of the photodetector. Thickness of the depletion regions and/or the common anode region may be controlled based on resistance between multiple contacts of the common anode region and/or capacitance of the depletion regions. Embodiments include control circuits and methods for determining spectral characteristics of incident light using the variable spectral response photodetector.
US09671284B1
A circuit is provided. The circuit includes a single-photon avalanche diode. The circuit further includes a delay element comprising a first regulator and a second regulator, each of which is independently selectable based on a selection signal applied to a selection terminal of the delay element. The delay element is configured to receive, at an inverting section, an event signal indicative of an avalanche event in the single-photon avalanche diode. Furthermore, the delay element is configurable in one of two distinct delay resolution regimes, each corresponding to only one edge of the event signal being actively delayed by the delay element when one of the first regulator and the second regulator is enabled and the other one of the first regulator and the second regulator is turned off.
US09671278B2
An arrangement for detecting toilet flushing by utilizing an acoustically-based motion detector in a simple amplifier circuit. The detector is in contact with the toilet bowl, which acts as a resonant system. Upon detection of such flushing, a subsequent event, such as a cleaning or disinfecting a toilet, ventilating the surrounding area or releasing deodorant into the area, may be triggered. The mechanically resonant system with the provided circuit is capable of separating frequencies from the frequency of the flushing water in a specific bowl design and provides a high degree of immunity to unwanted ambient frequencies. In addition, the system consumes low power and is suitable for battery power operation.
US09671272B1
A dipstick adapter assembly for use with an oil pan includes a front fixture having an inner face, and a backing plate coupled to the front fixture opposite the inner face. A first fastener is applied through the front fixture and fixed to the backing plate with a bond to prevent rotation of the backing plate with respect to the first fastener. A second fastener is applied to the front fixture for application to the backing plate so as to engage the backing plate and move the backing plate toward and away from the front fixture.
US09671270B2
A flow meter includes a meter body having a longitudinal axis and including a fluid passageway and an outer surface, and a plurality of electronics housings supported on the meter body by a mounting member, wherein the mounting member includes a base, a tubular member having a passage extending therethrough for the passing of a transducer cable, and a bracket member coupled to the tubular member distal the base, the bracket member having a pair of elongate slots, each configured to allow for the passage of a transducer cable to one of the electronics housings.
US09671267B2
A method for determining the flow rates of a multi-component mixture in a pipe including a gas phase and a liquid phase comprising an emulsion of oil and water, the emulsion being either of the water continuous type or the oil continuous type, the method comprising the following steps: a. the flow rates of the individual components of the multi-component mixture are measured, b. the Reynolds number of the multi-component mixture is measured, c. the emulsion type of the liquid phase of the multi-component mixture is determined, and d. based on the results from steps b and c, a more accurate flow-rate of the individual components of the multi-component mixture and a fluid property of at least one of the components of the multi-component mixture are calculated. An apparatus for performing the method is also disclosed.
US09671265B2
A thermal mass dispersion flow rate sensing transducer and transducer assembly or instrument for improved functional life of the transducer without degradation in sensing accuracy. Several aspects of the transducer components and structure reduce thermal leakage within the transducer so the sensor (RTD) output signal is accurately transmitted to the signal processor, resulting in precise ΔT determinations and consequent precise determinations of mass flow rate of the fluid flowing in the conduit. Additionally, the same components and structure also have long life without appreciable degradation, thereby delaying any basis for the need for recalibration of the instrument.
US09671260B2
A magnetically inductive flow meter including a first electrode arrangement for galvanically contact detection of an induced voltage dependent on the flow velocity of the medium as a first measurement signal, and a second electrode arrangement for capacitive detection of an induced voltage as a second measurement signal, wherein by determining and evaluating characteristic parameters of the first and second measurement signals, diagnostic messages on the status of the medium and/or the flow meter are obtained, such as the content of gas bubbles in the fluid, electrode corrosion, electrical conductivity of the medium, damage to the electrically insulating interior lining of the measuring tube, deposits on electrodes, magnetic interference fields, electrode short-circuits and/or the fill level of the measuring tube.
US09671248B2
A method of calibrating an inertial unit having an inertial core with vibratory axisymmetric gyros, the method includes the steps of starting from a first position, causing the inertial core to pivot towards a second position about a pivot axis that is different from the sensing axes of the gyros and from a trisector thereof, while taking measurements of an angular orientation of the vibration of each gyro, the angular orientation being left free during pivoting; returning the inertial core to the first position; adjusting the angular orientation of the vibration of each gyro to a value corresponding to the second position; causing the inertial core to pivot towards the second position while once more taking measurements of the angular orientation of each gyro; and calibrating the inertial core as a function of the measurements taken.
US09671247B2
The present invention is concerned with a method of calibrating a vibrating gyroscope. The method comprises exciting a vibration along an excitation axis of a resonant structure wherein the excitation axis is positioned at a first angular position, sensing the vibration of the resonant structure on a first sensing axis of the resonant structure while the excitation axis is positioned at the first angular position, generating a first sensing signal indicative of the sensed vibration of the resonant structure on the first sensing axis, rotating the excitation axis in a continuous manner around the resonant structure to a second angular position, sensing the vibration of the resonant structure on a second sensing axis of the resonant structure while the excitation axis is positioned at the second angular position, generating a second sensing signal indicative of the sensed vibration of the resonant structure on the second sensing axis and adding the first sensing signal to the second sensing signal in order to derive a bias of the gyroscope.
US09671246B2
The invention relates to a navigation device (200) comprising a display (240) for displaying a digital map to a user, a processor (210) configured to access digital map data and cause a digital map to be displayed to a user using the display, and a user interface operable by a user to enable the user to interact with the apparatus. The user interface is arranged to allow a user to select a continuous region present in the digital map by providing one or more indications on the digital map displayed to the user. The processor (210) is arranged to determine digital map data relating to the selected continuous region, and to carry out one or more mapping or navigation operations using the determined digital map data. The processor may calculate a route using a path selected on the map by a user.
US09671236B2
Systems, methods, and apparatuses are described for updating navigational map data. A routing request is received from a user or device. From the routing request, a first map tile and a second map tile are identified. A new version of the first map tile is identified, and a compatibility matrix for at least the first map tile is accessed. An analysis of the compatibility matrix is performed to determine whether objects of the new version of the first map tile are compatible with the second map tile.
US09671233B2
A system and method for providing position information of a transit object to a computing device is provided. Global positioning satellite (GPS) information of a transit object can be periodically received. For each of some of the GPS information, one or more candidate points of a transit system can be identified based on the GPS information. Using the one or more candidate points, a most likely path of travel can be determined. Additional position points along the most likely path of travel can be extrapolated and transmitted to a computing device.
US09671230B2
In one embodiment of the present invention, a wait time client enables prediction of wait times (e.g., time required to checkout at a grocery store) based on crowdsourced wait data. In operation, the wait time application downloads predicted wait data from a server. The predicted wait data reflects measured wait times for one or more location, such as the ticket line at a movie theater. The wait time client then selects a wait time data point that corresponds to a location of a point-of-interest. Based on the selected wait time data point, the wait time client determines a predicted wait time at the point-of-interest. Advantageously, by leveraging crowdsourced, deterministically measured wait times, the wait time clients enables the incorporation of realistic and up-to-date predicted wait times into the trip planning process.
US09671223B2
Beforehand, the device characteristic patterns of each critical dimension SEM are measured, a sectional shape of an object to undergo dimension measurement is presumed by a model base library (MBL) matching system, dimension measurements are carried out by generating signal waveforms through SEM simulation by inputting the presumed sectional shapes and the device characteristic parameters, and differences in the dimension measurement results are registered as machine differences. In actual measurements, from the dimension measurement results in each critical dimension SEM, machine differences are corrected by subtracting the registered machine differences. Furthermore, changes in critical dimension SEM's over time are monitored by periodically measuring the above-mentioned device characteristic parameters and predicting the above-mentioned dimension measurement results. According to the present invention, actual measurements of machine differences, which require considerable time and effort, are unnecessary. In addition, the influence of changes in samples over time, which is problematic in monitoring changes in devices over time, can be eliminated.
US09671222B2
Measurement accuracy during determination of the thickness of rolling stock, in particular a rolling strip or a metal plate, is remotely measured using a base measurement value for the thickness obtained by a radiation measurement system having a radiation source and a radiation detector, both carried by a holding mechanism. A reference measurement value for the thickness is measured by an ultrasonic measurement head that is likewise arranged on the holding mechanism. The reference measurement value is used to eliminate the influence of errors on the base measurement value.
US09671220B2
A scanner is used for scanning an object, in particular one or more teeth (13, 14, 15) or a dental cast. An improved scanner comprises a carrier (2) on which a plurality of projectors (4) for projecting a pattern onto the object and a plurality of cameras (5) for recording the object are provided one beside the other in an array.
US09671218B2
A quick subpixel absolute positioning device and method are introduced. The method includes the steps of (A) capturing a real-time speckle pattern of a target surface; (B) providing a coarse-precision speckle coordinate pattern and a plurality of fine-precision speckle coordinate patterns, wherein the coarse-precision speckle coordinate pattern and the fine-precision speckle coordinate patterns include a coordinate value; (C) comparing the real-time speckle coordinate pattern with the coarse-precision speckle coordinate pattern by an algorithm and then comparing the real-time speckle coordinate pattern with the fine-precision speckle coordinate patterns to obtain a coordinate value, wherein each said coarse-precision speckle coordinate pattern corresponds to a set of fine-precision speckle coordinate patterns, and the fine-precision speckle coordinate patterns are obtained when the coarse-precision speckle coordinate pattern is captured again and then captured repeatedly according to a fixed fine-precision displacement distance. Accordingly, the subpixel positioning is attained by quick comparison and manifests high precision.
US09671216B1
The present invention is directed to a modulated which includes a semiconductor laser being driven by direct current for frequency tuning, and an AC current with two radio frequencies that can generate repump and Raman frequencies, such that only one laser is needed to produce all the frequencies required to operate an atom interferometer. The present invention is also directed to a method of double modulating a laser to produce all required frequencies for an atom interferometer.
US09671215B2
Wafer to wafer alignment which includes a first semiconductor wafer and a second semiconductor wafer. The first and second semiconductor wafers have selectively-activated alignment arrays for aligning the first semiconductor wafer with the second semiconductor wafer. Each of the alignment arrays include an alignment structure which includes an antenna connected to a semiconductor device. The antenna in each of the alignment arrays is selectively activated to act as a charge source or as a charge sensing receptor. The alignment arrays are located in the kerf areas of the semiconductor wafers. The semiconductor wafers are aligned when the charge sources on one semiconductor wafer match with the charge sensing receptors on the other semiconductor wafer.
US09671214B2
A discrete magnetic angle sensor device according to an embodiment includes a first magnetic field gradiometer and a second magnetic field gradiometer. The first magnetic field gradiometer and the second magnetic field gradiometer are of different types of a group of gradiometer types. An embodiment may improve an accuracy of a determination of a rotation angle.
US09671213B2
Methods and systems are disclosed for integrating LC circuits into a user's jewelry for controlling systems such as computer games. The resonant frequency of the circuit at each of multiple rings worn by the user may be adjustable. A secondary coil within each ring may be moved in relation to the magnetic field generated by a primary coil that may be part of another piece of jewelry, such as a watch or a bracelet, to generate control signals. The magnetic field may inductively couple and power the rings, which may each contain an LC tank circuit. If powered, each of these circuits may oscillate at its resonant frequency. A receiver system may comprise an antenna and a tuning circuit to detect a resonant frequency as an input to control moves of a character within a game, for example for use with heads-up displays (HUDs) for augmented reality applications.
US09671206B2
A detonator which, in response to a command, uses a first modulation process to generate a first signal and, in response to an event, uses a second modulation process to generate a second signal.
US09671203B1
Disclosed herein is a fire extinguishing bullet system for launching, which is capable of effectively extinguishing a fire generated at a place that is difficult to access by a person by loading a fire extinguishing bullet that generates a fire extinguishing gas having a fire extinguishing effect onto a projectile, throwing the fire extinguishing bullet loaded at a long distance from a firing point to a specific distance, and discharging the fire extinguishing gas after the fire extinguishing bullet reaches the firing point.
US09671199B1
A process for making steel armor products for use, for example as body armor. The steel armor product made has a compound curve and is made from a flat blank of armor steel by high-temperature annealing an armor steel blank to slightly above its austenitizing temperature, then followed by a slow, temperature-controlled cooling it, over-pressing the annealed blank to a first configuration so it springs back to a second configuration approximating the desired product shape when released from the press, and then heat-treating the product back to its austenitizing temperature, quenching it, and tempering it at a low temperature. The tool is conveniently made by lamination, using a series of thin plates of tool steel each cut to produce an approximation of the desired die.
US09671189B2
In at least one embodiment, a crossbow comprises a stock, a first limb, a first rotatable member, a second limb and a second rotatable member. A bowstring, a first power cable and a second power cable each extend between the first rotatable member and the second rotatable member. The first rotatable member and the second rotatable member are constructed and arranged to provide a left-off during draw of said bowstring in an amount of approximately 70%, 80%, 90% or 95% or more. The drawstring let-off reducing load on a latch assembly and/or a trigger assembly.
US09671188B2
A noise suppressor for mounting on a distal end of a rifle barrel. The suppressor is made up of an inner core component and an outer sleeve component which is received about the inner core component, creating a gas-receiving chamber between the two. The inner core component an internally threaded, barrel receiving end which receives and engages the exteriorly threaded end of the rifle barrel in overlapping fashion, an oppositely arranged exteriorly threaded end, and a central bore between the two ends which allows the passage of a bullet when the bullet is fired, firing of the bullet also setting off hot exhaust gases in the central bore. The inner core component has window openings for exhausting hot gases from the inner chamber into the surrounding outer chamber and also has an exterior longitudinal region forward of the central chamber, the exterior region having a series of longitudinally aligned, upwardly extending teeth formed therein for diverting the hot, high speed gases contacting the upwardly extending teeth.
US09671186B1
A trigger mechanism that gives a shooter a durable, adjustable, soft and gentle pull. In this design, the sear block remains, but the trigger mechanism is replaced with a new, softer action mechanism. This mechanism uses a tripper that attaches to a trip. The trip is a formed body that has a lower frame and a top bearing that sits against the bottom of the seer. When the trigger is pulled, it rotates the tripper forward, which causes the trip to rotate backwards. The backward movement of the trip causes the top bearing to roll off the bottom of the seer, causing the gun to fire. The rotation of the trip is smooth compared to the snapping action of the seer in the prior art designs. This smooth movement does not jar the action, making for a better shot.
US09671184B1
A firearm impingement apparatus that includes a gas flow control member that is operable to provide incremental adjustment of gas flow within the gas block of the firearm impingement apparatus wherein the gas flow control member is configured to provide calibrated rotational movement thereof. The gas flow control member further includes a first portion, second portion and third portion contiguously formed. The first portion includes a plurality of longitudinal indentations circumferentially disposed thereon. The second portion has a diameter that is less than that of said first portion and said second portion. A mounting member is present adjacent an opening of a channel and includes a control pin biasly mounted therein that is operable to engage the gas flow control member. The control pin engages the longitudinal indentations to provide calibrated rotational movement of the gas flow control member.
US09671183B2
A cleaning system and method for cleaning heat transfer surfaces in a boiler using a temperature measuring system for measuring and monitoring wall temperature of an annular wall of the tube of a lance of one or more sootblowers. Controlling a flow of steam or other fluid through the tube during the cooling portions of the strokes based on wall temperature measurements from the temperature measuring system. Infrared or thermocouple temperature measuring systems may be used. The steam or other fluid may be flowed at a default flowrate that may be substantially zero until the temperature measuring system indicates the wall temperature of the annular wall begins to exceed a predetermined temperature limit which may be the softening point of the annular wall. Then the steam or other fluid is flowed at a rate greater than the default flowrate.
US09671182B2
The present invention provides a copper alloy tube for heat exchangers which is tolerable to a high operating pressure of new cooling media such as carbon dioxide and HFC-based fluorocarbons, and is excellent in fracture strength, even if the tube is thinned, and a copper alloy tube for a heat exchanger which has a composition having specified amounts of Sn and P, has an average crystal grain size of 30 μm or less and has a high strength of 250 MPa or more of a tensile strength in the longitudinal direction of the tube improves the fracture strength as a texture in which the orientation distribution density in the Goss orientation is 4% or less.
US09671176B2
A heat exchanger is provided to efficiently transfer heat between air and a flow of refrigerant in a reversing air-sourced heat pump system. When the system is operating in heat pump mode, a flow of air is directed through the heat exchanger and is heated by the refrigerant. A portion of the flow of air is prevented from being heated by the refrigerant in a first section of the heat exchanger, and is used to sub-cool the refrigerant in another section of the heat exchanger after the remaining air has been heated by the refrigerant. The same heat exchanger can be used to cool a flow of air using expanded refrigerant when the system is operating in an air conditioning (cooling) mode.
US09671172B2
A fan includes an air movement implement including a blade and a motor that drives the air movement implement. The motor includes a rotor that includes an internal diameter heat exchanger and a heat pipe having a first end and a second end, the first end in thermal contact with the internal diameter heat exchanger and the second end in thermal contact with the blade.
US09671166B2
An acoustic energy-transfer apparatus including: an acoustic chest, the acoustic chest defining an inner chamber sized to receive a material to be processed; and an acoustic device positioned within the acoustic chest and oriented to direct acoustic energy towards the material to be processed. A method for drying a material, the method including: positioning a material in an acoustic chest including an acoustic device; and directing acoustically energized air from the acoustic device at the material within the acoustic chest.
US09671164B2
A system and method for at least partially drying seeds treated with a liquid. A supply of heated air is continuously fed to a drying chamber. Treated seeds enter one opening of the drying chamber and are forced around at least a portion of the internal perimeter of the drying chamber before exiting out a second opening. Another embodiment can treat the seeds during and/or after the seeds entering the drying chamber.
US09671159B2
A liquefier includes a Dewar having a storage portion and a neck portion extending therefrom. A hermetically isolated liquefaction chamber is disposed within the neck of the Dewar. One or more control components including a temperature and pressure sensor are coupled to a CPU and disposed within the liquefaction chamber for dynamic control of liquefaction conditions. A gas flow control is coupled to the CPU for regulating an input gas flow into the liquefaction chamber. A volume surrounding the liquefaction chamber may be adapted to provide a counter-flow heat exchange. These and other features provide improved liquefaction efficiency among other benefits.
US09671157B2
A refrigerator or liquid dispensing appliance adapted for receiving, storing, managing, processing and dispensing a liquid enhancement component for preparation of a finished beverage is disclosed. Delivery, processing and management of the liquid enhancement component includes loading a solid liquid enhancement component at a product interface, and managing the transfer of the liquid enhancement component through various systems of the invention including processing to provide a processed liquid enhancement component for discharging for preparing a finished beverage.
US09671145B2
A combined accumulator and receiver tank of a refrigeration system is described. The tank may have an accumulator portion positioned above a receiver portion. An accumulator/receiver pipe (AR pipe) connects the accumulator portion to the receiver portion. The AR pipe may have a valve that allows liquid refrigerant to flow from the accumulator portion to the receiver portion during a heating and/or defrost, and prevent the fluid flow when the refrigeration system is in a cooling cycle. In some embodiments, a side opening that is connected to the AR pipe is above an oil pick up orifice of an accumulator suction line pipe.
US09671144B1
Aspects of the disclosure provide a system and method for thermal-compression refrigeration. The refrigeration system includes a storage tank that stores a refrigerant condensate from a condenser, a mixing chamber that receives a refrigerant vapor from an evaporator and a portion of the refrigerant condensate from the storage tank, and produces a refrigerant mixture of the refrigerant vapor and the portion of the refrigerant condensate, and a first and second refrigerant compressors between the mixing chamber and condenser. The first and second refrigerant compressors each receives the refrigerant mixture from the mixing chamber, compresses the refrigerant mixture to produce a compressed refrigerant using thermal energy, and is capable of operating in a heater mode or a cooler mode.
US09671142B2
Disclosed embodiments include thermoelectric-based thermal management systems and methods configured to heat and/or cool an electrical device. Thermal management systems can include at least one electrical conductor in electrical and thermal communication with a temperature-sensitive region of the electrical device and at least one thermoelectric device in thermal communication with the at least one electrical conductor. Electric power can be directed to the thermoelectric device by the same electrical conductor or an external power supply, causing the thermoelectric device to provide controlled heating and/or cooling to the electrical device via the at least one electrical conductor.
US09671139B2
A centrifugal compressor for compressing a refrigerant vapor in a refrigeration cycle. The compressor comprises an impeller drive shaft (28) supported by first and second radial bearings (32) for rotation within the compressor housing and an impeller assembly including at least one centrifugal impeller wheel mounted on the impeller drive shaft to rotate with the impeller drive shaft. The first and second radial bearings are hydrodynamic fluid bearings in which the bearing fluid is the refrigerant vapor. The compressor further comprising a conduit (36) for supplying a portion of the refrigerant vapor from the impeller assembly to the first and second fluid bearings.
US09671138B2
The present invention provides a method for operating a plurality of independent, closed cycle power plant modules each having a vaporizer comprising the steps of: serially supplying a medium or low temperature source fluid to each corresponding vaporizer of one or more first plant modules, respectively, to a secondary preheater of a first module, and to a vaporizer of a terminal module, whereby to produce heat depleted source fluid; providing a primary preheater for each vaporizer; and supplying said heat depleted source fluid to all of said primary preheaters in parallel.
US09671132B2
The invention describes a tank comprising a water or solvent based solution, dispersion or emulsion. The tank comprises an electrical resistance heating element immersed in the solution, dispersion or emulsion. The electrical heating element is provided in the tank with an electrical current. The electrical resistance heating elements comprises a textile fabric and at least one electrical heating wire. The electrical heating wire is fixed onto the textile fabric and the electrical heating wire comprises metal filaments or metal fibers.
US09671115B2
A home appliance with a telescopic rack including a cavity with walls having an opposing set of ribs, a rack with opposing side edges, a slide coupled to an opposing side edge, and a brace coupled to the slide and capturing the opposing set of ribs.
US09671111B2
A selector valve and shutter mechanism for use with a gas burner unit is disclosed. The valve includes a pilot gas manifold which is in communication with two pilot flames and associated ODS for two different kinds of gas fuel. The shutter mechanism opens or closes an opening to a burner mixing chamber to thereby adjust the flow of air into the mixing chamber depending on the fuel selected, and preferably is in the form of a sleeve that in one approach is rotatably mounted on a part of the burner mixing chamber, with a part of the sleeve covering the mixing chamber opening in one orientation and opening it to airflow in another orientation. A first gear is mounted on the sleeve which is engageable with a second gear mounted on part of the valve which is rotatable to one position or another depending on the gas fuel selected, the sleeve thereby adjusting the airflow to the mixing chamber in response to the valve position. In another approach, the cover moves linearly along the burner tube between orientations. A novel selector mechanism having a manifold for gas flows and a plate-like element to adjust the manifold is also disclosed.
US09671102B2
One electrical lead from an LED package is soldered to an inner electrically conductive member positioned and electrically isolated from an outer electrically conductive member by electrically insulating material while a second electrical lead and a neutral lead from the LED are soldered to the outer electrically conductive member so that heat is transferred from an LED die within the LED package to the outer electrically conductive member and then to a thermally conductive outer casing with a thermal path that minimizes thermal resistance.
US09671086B2
An oxynitride orange-red fluorescent substance and a light-emitting film or sheet and a light-emitting device comprising the same are disclosed. The chemical formula of the oxynitride orange-red fluorescent substance is MmAaSixNyOz:dR in which the element M is one or more of the elements selected from Ca, Sr and Ba, the element A is Al or a mixture of Al with one or more of the elements selected from Ga, La, Sc and Y, the element R is one or more of the elements selected from Ce, Eu and Mn, 0.8≦m≦1.2, 1
US09671084B2
A plurality of LED light sources that are mounted on a front face of a mounting plate are separated from each other respectively being disposed in cells of a partitioning wall. Inner faces of the respective cells are made of a material of low reflectivity. With respect to a normal line direction of the mounting plate, light of the LED light source is viewed, as light being brighter the closer to a back side and darker the closer to a near side on the inner face, in a state of being given gradations by the inner face.
US09671081B2
According to the present disclosure, a first optical system includes a first light source and emits a first illumination light. A second optical system includes a second light source and emits a second illumination light. A controller controls turning-on/off of the first light source and the second light source. The first optical system and the second optical system are configured such that a first illumination standard is satisfied by the first illumination light and the second illumination light. The first optical system is configured such that a second illumination standard is satisfied by the first illumination light. The controller allows the turning-on of the first light source when the turning-on of the second light source is disabled, and prohibits the turning-on of the second light source when the turning-on of the first light source is disabled.
US09671077B2
An illumination unit for a motor vehicle includes at least one LED, a reflector defining a main light exit aperture, and a shading element with an opening provided between the reflector and the LED, with the light from the LED leaving through the opening and the shading element limiting the emission area.
US09671074B2
A lighted artificial tree as that includes a first trunk body, a second trunk body, a first electrical connector, and a second electrical connector. The first electrical connector is housed in the first trunk body, and the second electrical connector is housed in the second trunk body. The first trunk body is configured to couple to the second trunk body, causing the first and second electrical connectors to make electrical connection, the first electrical connector being rotationally locked to the second electrical connector.
US09671073B2
The present invention is directed to a surface mount circuit board indicator. In one embodiment the surface mount circuit board indicator includes a printed circuit board (PCB) having at least one light emitting diode (LED) die, one or more traces and at least one lens, a housing comprising at least one opening on a side along a perimeter of the housing, wherein the PCB is coupled to the housing such that a light output surface of the at least one LED die faces a same direction as the at least one opening and at least one alignment pin coupled to the housing.
US09671068B2
A pipeline leakage protection vault system includes a plurality of leakage protection vault modules and a central control unit adapted to be communicably configured to each other. Each module includes a retrofittable configuration adapted to include sub-modules coupled around the pipeline. Each sub-module includes a protective casing, spacer rings and a vault door. The protective casing is adapted to compliment the portion of the pipeline to be fitted to protect the fluid in event of leakage. Further, the spacer rings are adapted to be disposed circumferentially over the protective casing in spaced relationship from each other. The spacer rings includes a plurality of components adapted to monitor parameters associated with the pipeline to generate real time data related to the pipeline. Furthermore, the vault door disposed over the top protective casing and rest over the spacer rings covering the sub-module and withholding the fluid in case of leakage.
US09671061B2
An anti-spin mounting pole for holding a communications device mounted thereon generally stable relative to a desired position when the lower end portion of the resultant pole is installed in a concrete base, such anti-spin mounting pole formed from an elongated pole having a generally uniform cross-sectional configuration defining a nominal outer perimeter and having one or more compressed areas formed along the lower end portion of the pole to alter thereat the initial generally uniform cross-sectional configuration and effect an enhanced out-of-round condition defining an anti-spin portion that includes a pair of oppositely directed ears extending outwardly beyond the nominal outer perimeter of the elongated pole.
US09671057B2
A support plate is used for supporting an electronic device. The support plate includes a first plate member, a foldable portion, and a second plate member. The foldable portion is connected to the first plate member and the second plate member. The first plate member includes a combining portion far away from the foldable portion and a contact portion adjacent to the foldable portion. The second plate member includes at least one combined portion and a non-slip element attached on a side surface of the second plate member. The combining portion is foldable to combinedly position the combined portion, wherein the contact portion supports the second plate member and forms an included angle with the second plate member. Accordingly, the support plate can stably support the electronic device and can be expanded or received quickly.
US09671054B1
A device for semi-permanently sealing a leaking fluid delivery system comprising generally cylindrical resilient tubing comprising a material that permits delivery through a portion of a fluid delivery system at a first diameter and application to an interior wall of the fluid delivery system at a second diameter when exposed to temperature and pressure gradients, and further configured to undergo a change from the second diameter to a third diameter when exposed to reduced pressure to enable removal of the cylindrical resilient tubing from the fluid delivery system for replacement by a second length of generally cylindrical resilient tubing that permits delivery at a first diameter and application to an interior wall of the at least a portion of the fluid delivery system at a second diameter when exposed to temperature and pressure gradients.
US09671046B2
A cable hanger is disclosed. The cable hanger may include a first latch configured to suspend the cable hanger from a strut and a second latch configured to suspend the cable hanger from the strut. The cable hanger may also include a cable saddle to hold one or more cables. When the cable hanger is suspended by the first latch and not the second latch, a gap may be formed between the cable saddle and the strut such that the cable saddle is configured to receive the one or more cables through the gap. When the cable hanger is suspended by the second latch, the gap may be closed between the cable saddle and the strut to secure the one or more cables.
US09671045B1
An air hose supporting apparatus comprising a housing having a pair of sidewalls, a first end, a second end, a top surface and an air hose workstation surface engaging base located distal the top surface of the housing, an elongated air hose receptacle extending through the housing with the elongated air hose receptacle having an open end, a closed end, and an air hose supporting sidewall tapering from the open end to the closed end, and a means for maintaining the base to the air hose workstation surface.
US09671044B2
Linear pipe recovery/lay tensioners can include one or more pivot assemblies for rotatably moving an upper track away from a lower track to facilitate placement of a pipe segment between the two tracks. In addition, or alternatively, the tensioners can include one or more hydraulic cylinders that provide flexible suspension to the upper and lower tracks so the tracks can move and rotate as necessary due to differing pipe segment shapes. In addition, or alternatively, the upper and lower tracks include one or more gripping pads having one or more gripping members that can be sheathed by a compliant member until such time as the pipe segment compresses the compliant member causing the gripping member(s) to protrude from the compliant member and engage the pipe segment. Rotation of the tracks is controlled by a hydraulic pump capable of rotating the tracks at the same rate or at different rates.
US09671041B2
Embodiments of a valve device that reduces noise and vibration that may occur during low flow conditions in fluid couplings (e.g., valves and flow regulators). These embodiments utilize a plug and seat arrangement with geometry to prevent pressure differentials that cause the plug element to open and close in a cyclic pattern. In one embodiment, the valve device includes a seat element with an aperture and a plug element with a boss that extends into the aperture when the plug element contacts the seat element. The boss has an outer surface that forms a gap, which defines an annular area proximate the point of contact between the seat element and the plug element that is sized to reduce Venturi flow effects that cause the cyclic pattern to occur.
US09671031B2
An automatic, wireless electric valve designed to be installed on a main fluid pipe that receives wireless, remote open and close commands, and which comprises an external casing, an electric motor, an internal power supply, an inner pipe with an inlet, an outlet, and a disc, an inner clamp, a primary cogwheel that is attached to the electric motor by means of an axle, a secondary cogwheel that is attached to the rotation shaft, and an electronic control mechanism.
US09671027B2
A valve arrangement including a sealing element is provided. The valve arrangement includes a housing having a port. A rotary valve body includes an opening, and the rotary valve body is arranged within the housing. The port of the housing and the opening of the rotary valve body are alignable with each other via rotation of the rotary valve body in the housing. A sealing element is arranged within the port. The sealing element includes a seal body having a first axial end engaged against the rotary valve body and a second axial end including a resilient axially compressible portion that engages against a seat in the housing. The resilient axially compressible portion of the sealing element preloads the sealing element axially against the rotary valve body.
US09671022B2
The invention relates to known housing seals of two housing parts lying against each other, a first housing part (1) having a first sealing surface (6) and a second housing part (2) having a second sealing surface (7), which housing seals are equipped with a seal (15), which is inserted into a groove (10) in the first sealing surface (6) of the first housing part (1), wherein the groove (10) is covered by the second sealing surface (7) of the second housing part (2). According to the invention, in order to prevent crevice corrosion, the groove (10) has an opening (11) between the sealing surfaces (6, 7), which is used to ventilate the groove (10) having the inserted seal. The invention is intended for water pumps, in particular for auxiliary water pumps of motor vehicles.
US09671020B2
A central release unit for a hydraulic clutch actuator has a plastic cylinder housing which is produced by injection molding and which has at least one cylinder wall provided, on an outer circumference, with a reinforcement sleeve. The reinforcement sleeve can be fastened to the cylinder wall after the injection molding of the cylinder housing, for which purpose a snap-action connection is provided on a forward end, which faces away from the pressure connection piece, of the reinforcement sleeve. The connection is formed by a radially inwardly bent detent portion of the reinforcement sleeve and by a rib integrally formed on the outer circumference of the cylinder wall. The reinforcement sleeve has a main portion which adjoins the detent portion and which is of conical shape complementary to an outer circumferential surface, which is of conical form in the reinforcement region, of the cylinder wall.
US09671017B2
A transmission control device includes a converter that converts continuous accelerator positions detected by an accelerator pedal sensor into a stepped step position, and a controller that controls the gear ratio of a continuously variable transmission based on the converted step position. The converter creates a hysteresis regarding the converted step position, when the accelerator depression amount increases, and when the accelerator depression amount decreases. In the case where the step position reaches a predetermined position or greater, the controller executes kick-down control where the gear ratio is controlled to a low side.
US09671015B2
An abnormality detection device includes: a torque upper limit setting module that sets an upper limit of torque based on an allowable input torque for the continuously variable transmission, the upper limit of torque limiting an output torque of an engine; a determination torque calculation module that determines an acceleration requested by a driver based on an amount of operation of an accelerator, obtains a running resistance of a vehicle according to the requested acceleration, and calculates a determination torque for determining abnormality of the upper limit of torque based on the running resistance of the vehicle and a gear ratio of the continuously variable transmission; and an abnormality determination module that determines the upper limit of torque to be abnormal in the case where the upper limit of torque is less than or equal to the determination torque.
US09671013B2
It is configured to have a first hydraulic pump connected to a drive source, a second hydraulic pump connected to a rotor of the first hydraulic pump, a first regulator valve that regulates pressure of the hydraulic oil discharged from the first hydraulic pump to a third oil passage that connects a discharge port of the first hydraulic pump and a hydraulic actuator, a fourth oil passage that connects the second hydraulic pump and a lubrication system of the hydraulic actuator, a second regulator valve that regulates pressure of the hydraulic oil discharged from the first regulator valve to a pressure lower than a line pressure, and an one-way valve that is installed in a second oil passage connecting the second hydraulic pump and a reservoir and permits supply of hydraulic oil from the reservoir only to the second hydraulic pump.
US09671000B2
A device for controlling an electromotive linear drive configured as a furniture drive for adjusting movably mounted parts of reclining and seating furniture, consisting of at least one threaded spindle (4, 5) that can be driven via a worm gear for displacing a lifting element, and comprising a guide body (7) which is arranged in a rotationally fixed manner on the respective threaded spindle (4, 5) and on which a worm wheel (6) is rotatably mounted, a coupling sleeve (8) which is mounted in a rotationally fixed manner, but is axially displaceable on the respective guide body (7), from which the worm wheel (6) and the guide body (7) can optionally be connected or separated via a claw clutch, and in each case an actuation element which is provided for displacing the coupling sleeves (8) as well as a switching mechanism for driving the respective actuation element.
US09670987B1
A method of forming a chain having a plurality of links that are formed from separate link members is provided that includes press fitting one link member into another link member. The method may further comprise cooling or heating one link member before completing the pressing operation.
US09670984B2
A method for remanufacturing of a flywheel is provided. The flywheel has a damage area thereon. The method includes removing a portion of a material from a face of the flywheel containing the damage area to form a recessed portion, wherein the recessed portion has a ring shaped profile. The method also includes aligning an insert within the recessed portion of the flywheel, wherein the insert is ring shaped and is configured to fit within the recessed portion of the flywheel. The method further includes coupling the insert within the recessed portion of the flywheel.
US09670981B2
Motion-damping systems and methods that include motion-damping systems are disclosed herein. The motion-damping systems are configured to damp relative motion between a base structure and an attached component that define a gap therebetween. The systems include an at least substantially rigid tubular structure that defines an internal volume and extends within the gap. The systems also include a magnetic assembly and a magnetically active body. One of the magnetic assembly and the magnetically active body is located within the tubular structure and the other of the magnetic assembly and the magnetically active body is operatively attached to a selected one of the base structure and the attached component. The magnetic assembly is in magnetic communication with the magnetically active body such that a magnetic interaction therebetween resists motion of the attached component relative to the base structure. The methods include dissipating energy with the motion-damping system.
US09670973B2
The disclosure relates to a procedure for controlling torque transmission rate of a clutch. The clutch is in connection with a transmission and an electric machine, configured to receive torque from the electric machine by a couple half of the clutch, and configured to produce a torque guiding connection between a combustion engine and the transmission. According to the procedure, when the clutch is in a slipping condition, a shifting demand to the transmission to shift from a neutral position to a gear is detected. After detecting such a shifting demand, either a counter is started so that when the counter reaches a first count, the torque transmission rate of the clutch is being increased, or an event detection is actuated to detect an event that directly precedes the shifting process, so that when this event is detected, the torque transmission rate of the clutch is increased.
US09670972B2
In order to reduce torsional vibrations in a drive including a torque converter with a turbine and impeller, clutch slip speed of the drive is adjusted by manipulation of clutch pressure. This may be done in either closed loop mode or open loop mode by setting the clutch pressure to a predetermined value or continuously adjusting clutch pressure. Pressure is adjusted to produce a positively sloped function of sensed total torque of the clutch and turbine over the clutch slip speed. This produces extended service life of the drive train components, greater efficiency of the torque converter, and smoother operation of the drive.
US09670966B2
A tube yoke has a tube seat, lugs and stiffening ribs. The tube seat has a base, a wall and the stiffening ribs. The lugs project outwardly from the tube seat. Various designs of the tube yoke may be used to achieve different performance characteristics.
US09670965B2
A joint assembly including a first yoke and a second yoke is provided. A sleeve is coupled to the first and second yokes and a centering device engages the ends of the first and second yokes. The centering device is configured to maintain the angular positions of the first and second yokes relative to one another, and is substantially fixed from rotation during rotation of the first and second yokes.
US09670961B2
An instrumented bearing, which includes an outer race and an inner race between which a rolling chamber is delimited. Rolling bodies are disposed in the rolling chamber. The bearing additionally includes a member isolating the rolling chamber from the outside; and a measuring device including at least one sensor adapted to measure at least one operating parameter of the instrumented bearing. At least one measuring device can be mounted to the member isolating the rolling chamber from the outside.
US09670957B2
The invention provides a tilting-pad thrust bearing that requires less oil supply and a rotary machine having the same. A tilting-pad thrust bearing 100 comprises: multiple oil inlets 10 disposed in spaces between pads 6; multiple outflow guide grooves 12 each formed near the inner circumferential edge of the sliding surface of the pad 6 such that the outflow guide grooves 12 extend in a circumferential direction; and multiple inflow guide grooves 13 provided separately from the outflow guide grooves 12 and formed at the leading ends of the sliding surfaces of the pads 6 so as to be located more radially inward than the oil inlets 10. Each outflow guide groove 12 is open to the sliding surface and the trailing end surface of the pad 6. Each inflow guide grooves 13 is open to the leading end surface and the sliding surface of the pad 6.
US09670950B2
The present invention relates to a mechanism and method for rigidly mounting a handrail to the interior of an elevator cab. The mechanism includes a threaded rod having a pivoting member at one end for passing through an existing or new opening in an elevator cab wall. Upon passing through the wall, the pivoting member can rotate to provide a brace against the exterior of the elevator cab wall. A base portion having a number of grooves on its exterior surface and threads on its interior surface threads onto the rod to create a solid connection to the cab's wall. The handrail, having a base portion receiver, is then securely attached to the cab by sliding over it the sleeve and having set screw(s) inserted through the handrail's receiver at points adjacent to the corresponding grooves in the sleeve.
US09670939B2
An operation control system for a work apparatus equipped to a work vehicle includes a controller controlling the work apparatus. A first hydraulic valve and a second hydraulic valve control hydraulic pressure supply to the work apparatus. An operation unit provides an operation input signal to the controller. A first mounting base and a second mounting base are provided adjacently to each other in the operation unit. A first single-operation tool is formed mountable on the first mounting base and a second single-operation tool is formed mountable on the second mounting base. Further, a multi-operation tool is mountable so as to straddle both the first mounting base and the second mounting base.
US09670938B2
A method and device for transfer of thermal energy is described which comprise providing a vessel with a compressible fluid medium, subjecting the compressible fluid medium to a pressure gradient and exposing the compressible fluid medium to sound waves capable to induce fluctuations of density accompanied by establishing of pressure gradient waves propagating through the compressible fluid medium and transferring the thermal energy.
US09670937B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a centrifugal compressor, a heat exchanger integral with the centrifugal compressor and configured to transfer heat from a fluid pressurized by the centrifugal compressor to a cooling fluid flow, and a cooling fluid supply head of the heat exchanger comprising an integral flow control valve configured to regulate a cooling fluid flow rate through the heat exchanger.
US09670933B2
A compressor control apparatus, and a refrigerator including the same are provided. The operation of two compressors may be controlled using an alternating current (AC) switch, thereby minimizing a number of components, as well as increasing compressor capacity and enhancing operation efficiency. A plurality of operation modes may be used to correspond to a load or freezing capacity using two compressors, and the two compressors may be operated in a separate or simultaneous manner using a drive including two (AC) switches, thereby simplifying the configuration of the system.
US09670932B2
In a fan, a housing includes decreased thickness portions and increased thickness portions arranged alternately in a circumferential direction. A distance between a central axis and an edge increases from an air inlet toward an air outlet. An inner circumferential surface has a minimum radius smaller than a distance between the central axis and an outermost portion of the edge. At a boundary between upper and lower housing portions of the housing, the inner circumferential surface has a radius greater than the distance between the central axis and the outermost portion of the edge. The increased thickness portions include component fastening structures defining a fastening structure arranged to fit the upper and lower housing portions to each other.
US09670926B2
A variable displacement pump includes a variable mechanism configured to change a volume-variation rate of each pump chamber by movement of a movable member; a biasing mechanism provided to bias the movable member in a direction that increases the volume-variation rate; at least one reduction-side control oil chamber to which oil is supplied from a discharge portion such that the reduction-side control oil chamber applies force to the movable member in a direction that reduces the volume-variation rate; at least one increase-side control oil chamber to which oil is supplied from the discharge portion such that the increase-side control oil chamber applies force to the movable member in the direction that increases the volume-variation rate; and a control mechanism configured to control a oil quantity which is supplied to each control oil chamber. The total number of the control oil chambers is three or more.
US09670922B2
A pump system includes a pump housing defining a plurality of pump bores, a plurality of pumping members, and a plurality of valves positioned within the pump housing. Each of the valves includes a valve body defining a plurality of inlets, arranged to receive a low pressure fluid, a suction valve coupled to the valve body and movable between a closed position and an open position, the suction valve including a suction valve closing member having a conical contact surface having a large diameter portion, and a first elastomeric member positioned adjacent the large diameter portion, and a discharge valve coupled to the valve body and movable between a closed position and an open position, the discharge valve including a discharge valve closing member having a conical contact surface having a large diameter portion, and a second elastomeric member positioned immediately adjacent the large diameter portion.
US09670915B2
A housing assembly for a side-by-side (SBS) piston pump may define a pump cavity enclosing first and second piston pumps having parallel longitudinal axes. The housing assembly may include a shroud partially or wholly separating the piston pumps to substantially reduce churning of lubricating fluid flow flowing around the piston pumps and pooling in a fluid intersection area between the piston pumps. The shroud may be a planar shroud plate extending between the piston pumps, or a curved shroud plate between the piston pumps and having sections partially encircling each of the piston pumps. The shroud may alternatively be first and second shroud portions extending inwardly from the cavity walls and directing the lubricating fluid flows the merge in a combined lubricating fluid flow area.
US09670912B2
A hydraulic electric power generation system for roadway installation has a plurality of fluid-filled compressible pump channels positioned for compression by a vehicle to drive the fluid in a channel outwardly through outlet sides of the channels. The channels are contained in a mat adapted for positioning of a roadway surface in a manner such that the channels are compressed by the tires of vehicles travelling on the roadway. An outlet manifold collected the fluid driven out through the outlet sides of the channels and directs it to through piping to a hydraulic motor and coupled electric generator. The fluid exiting from the motor passes to a sump, from which it can be returned to a mat manifold at inlet sides of the channels. The channels are provided with one-way valves to prevent backflow.
US09670909B2
A wind energy plant foundation is provided with a plurality of ready-made concrete foundation segments. The foundation segments have a plurality of first and second sheaths which serve to receive tension wires for bracing the foundation segments.
US09670903B2
Provided is a windmill device including a wind tunnel member with a wind tunnel passage and a windmill held rotatably inside the wind tunnel passage of the wind tunnel member. The windmill includes a hub serving as a rotation center, plurality of spokes extending radially therefrom, an approximately annular limb connecting outer ends of the plurality of spokes, and plurality of sailcloth pieces, each sailcloth piece being approximately triangular in shape, one side of each sailcloth piece left as a free end 24a not supported by any of the spokes and the limb. A ratio S2/S1 is 0.9 or more. S1 is a cross-sectional area of the wind tunnel passage. S2 is a wind catching area of the plurality of sailcloth pieces.
US09670895B2
A control device suitable for use in a vehicle (such as, for example, for a glow plug of a vehicle) includes an electrically conductive element having a first end in electrical connection with a first solder joint and a second end in electrical connection with a second solder joint. A center region of the electrically conductive element is in electrical connection with a vehicle power source. When a temperature at the first solder joint exceeds a threshold temperature and a temperature at the second solder joint is below the threshold temperature, electrical connection at the first solder joint is broken and electrical connection at the second solder joint is not broken.
US09670888B2
One embodiment is a filter element including an outer filter media and an inner filter media. The outer filter media is operable to remove particulates present in a flow of fluid and/or coalesce water contained in the flow of fluid. The inner filter media is operable to remove particulates from the flow of fluid, separate water form the flow of fluid, and remove particulates from the flow of fluid. Other embodiments include unique apparatus, devices, systems, and methods relating to fuel filters and filtration. Further embodiments, forms, objects, features, advantages, aspects, and benefits of the present application shall become apparent from the detailed description and figures included herewith.
US09670884B2
A coolant control valve that selectively supplies an EGR cooler with coolant may include a cylinder head having a first water jacket and a second water jacket, an EGR cooler that is disposed at one side of the cylinder head and is disposed on an EGR line that recirculates exhaust gas from an exhaust side to an intake side, a heater that is disposed at another side of the cylinder head and heats air through coolant that is supplied to the heater, and a coolant control valve that respectively controls coolant that is supplied from the first water jacket and the second water jacket, supplies the heater with the coolant, and selectively supplies the EGR cooler with the coolant depending on a temperature of the coolant.
US09670878B2
A cellular acoustic structure for a turbojet engine includes a closed wall. The closed wall includes at least two faces having acoustically transparent areas and acoustic reflective areas. The closed wall is filled with a plurality of cells, and the acoustic reflective areas are disposed within the closed wall so that an acoustic path of aerial sound vibrations travels through the acoustically transparent areas, penetrates inside the cells and reflects on the acoustic reflective areas. In particular, the acoustic path in some of the cells has a depth greater than a half of the thickness of the cellular acoustic structure.
US09670874B2
The present disclosure relates to a seal for an aircraft turbojet engine nacelle thrust reverser, the seal having body having a cross section with respect to a longitudinal axis of the seal that is substantially circular, and a base which is intended to be mounted in a seal support. The seal is notable in that the base of said seal has apertures spaced from each other.
US09670870B2
A method for producing a cast component may include providing an insert part including an insert body having a circumferential face; coating the circumferential face with an adapter layer made of silicon oxide; arranging the insert part in a casting mold; and positively locking a casting encapsulation of the insert part and the adapter layer with an aluminum alloy to produce the cast component, wherein the aluminum alloy has a magnesium proportion of at least 0.3% by weight.
US09670867B2
Methods and systems are provided for a direct injection fuel pump. In one example, pressure in a step chamber of the direct injection fuel pump may be regulated to a substantially constant pressure during an entire pump cycle including a compression stroke and a suction stroke.
US09670863B2
An apparatus and a method control an internal-combustion engine with a fuel injection valve for injecting fuel into an inlet port. In fuel injection control, injection field pressure at injection start timing is estimated from engine rotation speed and injection starting timing of the fuel injection valve. Since flow rate of the fuel injection valve fluctuates when a fuel accumulating space between a valve body and injection holes of the fuel injection valve changes by injection field pressure, a correction value to correct flow rate fluctuations is calculated based on injection field pressure at injection start timing. Fuel injection by the fuel injection valve is controlled by setting the result of adding the correction value to an injection pulse width calculated from intake air flow, engine rotation speed, etc., to final injection pulse width. Air-fuel ratio error is thereby reduced even when injection field pressure at injection timing changes.
US09670854B2
Systems and methods are provided. In one example, a method for an engine comprises adjusting an air charge estimate for a first cylinder based on a firing pattern of a second cylinder. In this way, cylinder air charge estimates may be improved in real-time for an arbitrary cylinder firing pattern, thereby improving engine efficiency.
US09670852B2
A method for operating a turbocharged engine is disclosed. In one example, during a first condition an engine operation is adjusted in response to a turbocharger expansion ratio exceeding a first limit and during a second condition an engine operation is adjusted in response to the turbocharger expansion ratio exceeding a second limit that differs from the first limit. Degradation of the engine may be reduced under some engine operating conditions by adjusting engine operation in response to the turbocharger expansion ratio.
US09670841B2
Systems and methods are provided for varying the exhaust gas recycle circuit of low emission gas turbines. In one or more embodiments, the systems and methods incorporate alternatives to the use of a direct contact cooler. In the same or other embodiments, the systems and methods incorporate alternatives intended to reduce or eliminate the erosion or corrosion of compressor blades due to the presence of acidic water droplets in the recycled gas stream.
US09670840B2
The present disclosure introduces a rotor assembly having a concentric arrangement comprising a rotating turbine portion, a cooling channel and an annular reinforcement wall. The concentric arrangement is configured to rotate around a common axis. Also introduced is a rotary engine comprising the rotor assembly, in which the cooling channel further functions as a rotating compressor portion. The rotary engine also comprises a stator assembly that itself comprises a static turbine portion positioned upstream of the rotating turbine portion, a static compressor portion positioned downstream of the rotating compressor portion, and a combustion chamber positioned downstream of the static compressor portion and upstream of the static turbine portion.
US09670833B2
An actuator comprising a drive, at least one rotatable threaded element and at least one output element driven in translation thereby is described, characterized in that the threaded element has at least two regions of differing pitch and a rotational axis of the threaded element is inclined relative to a translational axis of the output element.
US09670827B2
A pre-chamber is provided. In one embodiment, the pre-chamber is part of a two-stroke combustion engine having a cylinder head with a sparkplug receptacle that has a generally frustoconical shape, and the pre-chamber is coupled to the sparkplug receptacle. The pre-chamber may include a cooling jacket with a generally frustoconical shape and a combustion chamber having an upper zone and a lower zone, which may be narrower than the upper zone.
US09670819B2
A catalyst deterioration determination system determines deterioration of an exhaust gas purification catalyst on the basis of its oxygen storage capacity. The system includes a downstream oxygen concentration sensor having characteristics by which as rich gas components in exhaust gas increase, the oxygen concentration sensor outputs a measurement value of the oxygen concentration corresponding to a richer air-fuel ratio. The system performs a rich shift mode and a lean shift mode based on the measurement value of the oxygen concentration sensor. The rate of change of the exhaust gas air-fuel ratio in at least the lean shift mode is limited to a predetermined rate of change or lower, and the rate of change of the exhaust gas air-fuel ratio in the rich shift mode is set higher than the rate of change of the exhaust gas air fuel ratio in the lean shift mode.
US09670818B2
A reductant dosing system is disclosed as having a pump, and suction, discharge, and return passages. The system may also have a return valve, an air passage, and an air valve. The system may additionally have an air passage pressure sensor, a discharge passage pressure sensor, and a controller. The controller may be configured to calculate a first average pressure inside the discharge passage while the pump is off, the air valve is open, and the return valve is closed; and calculate a second average pressure inside the discharge passage while the pump is off, the air valve is open, and the return valve is open. The controller may also be configured to determine a pressure drop inside the discharge passage based on the first and second average pressures, and to determine that priming is successful based on the pressure drop and pressures of the discharge and air passages.
US09670813B2
The invention relates to a supply system for a medium, in particular for an exhaust-gas purification apparatus for the treatment of exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine, having a storage vessel for the medium, having a dosing device for dosing the medium, and having a provision line which comprises a feed line for the supply of the medium to the dosing device and a return line for returning the medium from the dosing device into the storage vessel. Flow can pass through the dosing device from a feed port to a return port of the dosing device. The provision line comprises an additional fluid connection between the feed line and the return line. The additional fluid connection opens out into the feed line upstream of the feed port of the dosing device and opens out into the return line downstream of the return port of the dosing device.
US09670812B2
An object of the present invention is to detect deterioration of a selective reduction type catalyst early and improve a detection precision in a deterioration detection system for an exhaust gas purification apparatus including a selective reduction type catalyst disposed in an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine, a reducing agent adding valve disposed in the exhaust passage upstream of the selective reduction type catalyst, and a NOx sensor disposed in the exhaust passage downstream of the selective reduction type catalyst. To achieve this object, in the deterioration detection system for an exhaust gas purification apparatus according to the present invention, during control for causing the reducing agent adding valve to add a reducing agent, the reducing agent adding valve is controlled in order to modify a reducing agent addition interval thereof while keeping an addition amount per fixed time period constant. Deterioration of the selective reduction type catalyst is then determined on the basis of a difference in a NOx purification ratio before and after modification of the addition interval.
US09670810B2
An exhaust gas purification system which can suppress a decrease in engine torque during a desulfurization process applied to a NOx storage reduction catalyst. The system includes a NOx storage reduction catalyst in an exhaust pipe of an engine, and a desulfurization process control unit that controls an amount of intake air introduced to the engine to enrich the exhaust gas, and performs a desulfurization process to the NOx storage reduction catalyst. The desulfurization process control unit is configured to gradually reduce an amount of intake air when the desulfurization process is commenced.
US09670803B2
A crankcase oil catcher configured for placement above a crankshaft and below a piston is described. In one particular example, the crankcase oil catcher has a contour that catches dispersed oil within the crankcase while directing the oil away from a casing wall and towards a crank sump along the contoured surface of the crankcase oil catcher. Inclusion of an aperture within the surface allows for passage of a connecting rod of the crankshaft while providing for a protruding lip around the perimeter of the aperture that prevents oil on the top surface from falling through the aperture.
US09670794B2
A steam valve includes: a valve main body which has, on the inside thereof, a flow path through which steam flows, and has a valve seat formed in a portion of the flow path; a valve body which comes into contact with the valve seat, thereby shutting off the flow path, and is separated from the valve seat, thereby opening the flow path; a valve shaft which is connected to the valve body, extends in an upward direction from the valve body, and moves up and down, thereby bringing the valve body into contact with the valve seat and separating the valve body from the valve seat; a hydraulic drive unit which is disposed to be separated in a horizontal direction from the valve main body, at a position which does not overlap the valve main body in a case of being viewed from above, and has a drive rod which is driven forward and backward by oil pressure; a first link unit which connects the drive rod and the valve shaft and transmits the forward and backward drive of the drive rod to the valve shaft, thereby moving the valve shaft up and down; a second link unit connected to the valve main body; and a connection unit which connects the second link unit and the first link unit and transmits a movement of the valve main body in the horizontal direction to the first link unit through the second link unit.
US09670789B2
A composite guide vane for a gas turbine structure is adapted to extend in a guide vane direction from a first housing towards a second housing of the gas turbine structure. The guide vane includes a guide vane length in the guide vane direction and the guide vane includes a first attachment portion with at least one first opening for attachment of the guide vane to the first housing. The first opening extends in a first opening direction which forms an angle with the guide vane direction. The guide vane includes a cover portion including a first material and a core portion which is at least partially enclosed by the cover portion.
US09670781B2
A turbine rotor blade is provided. The turbine rotor blade includes a root, a platform coupled to the root, and an airfoil extending from the platform. The platform has a leading edge, a trailing edge, a suction side edge, and a pressure side edge. The pressure side edge includes a first concave portion.
US09670778B2
The invention relates to a rotary piston engine (2) which operates as a pump, condenser or motor for a liquid or gaseous medium. The rotary piston engine (2) has a first gear (4) having a first central axis (I), a second gear (6) arranged opposite the first gear (4) and having a second central axis (II), and a drive shaft (8) having a third central axis (III) and a sliding plane (10, 12) fixedly connected to the drive shaft (8). The first central axis (I) and the second central axis (II) enclose an angle (α3) which is not equal to 180°. The third central axis (III) and at least one central axis (I, II) from the group comprising the first central axis (I) and second central axis (II) enclose an angle (α1, α2) which is not equal to 0° or 90°. The sliding plane (10, 12) and the central axis (I, II) are perpendicular to each other. The first gear (4) has a first end face (14) having a first has toothing (16) that h at least one first tooth (18), and the second gear (6) has a second end face (20) having a second toothing (22) that has at least one second tooth (24), wherein a first number of first teeth and a second number of second teeth differ from each other. The first tooth (18) and the second tooth (24) engage with each other in such a way that a working chamber (26) is formed by means of a meshing of the teeth (18, 24). A volume formed by means of the at least one working chamber (26) is changed by the meshing of the teeth (18, 24). The at least one working chamber (26) is delimited by a conically shaped inner wall (30) of a housing (28). The at least one working chamber (26) can be connected to a supply flow (40) and an outlet flow (42) for the medium. According to the invention, a component (4, 6) from the group comprising the first gear (4) and second gear (6) is coupled to the housing (28) such that a rotation of the drive shaft (8) causes only the components (4, 6) to tumble. The respective other components (4, 6) from the group comprising the first gear (4) and second gear (6) is coupled to the sliding plane (10, 12) such that the respective other component (4, 6) rotates and tumbles by means of a rotation of the drive shaft (8).
US09670777B2
A longwall mining system includes at least one face end roof support having a longitudinal length, and at least one near end roof support adjacent the face end roof support. The near end roof support has a longitudinal length substantially shorter than the face end roof support longitudinal length. There is also at least one face roof support adjacent the near end roof support, and the face roof support has a longitudinal length substantially shorter than the near end roof support longitudinal length. There is also a forward conveyor extending forward to and attached to the face end roof support, the at least one near end roof support, and the at least one face roof support, and a rearward conveyor extending rearward of and attached to the face end roof support, the at least one near end roof support, and the at least one face roof support. This creates an effective cave line at an angle to the coal face, that helps reduce the goaf pressure on the face end, thereby increasing the stability of the main gate roof support.
US09670776B2
A mining machine including a frame, a cutting head moveably coupled to the frame and pivotable about an axis that is substantially perpendicular to a first mine surface, and a first actuator for stabilizing the frame relative to the first mine surface. The first actuator is coupled to the frame and includes a first end extendable in a first direction to engage the first mine surface. The extension of the first actuator is automatically controlled based on measurements of at least one indicator of the force between the first actuator and the first mine surface.
US09670771B2
An electromagnetic telemetry signal generating assembly comprises a first section of drill string, a second section of drill string, a gap sub configured to insulate the first section from the second section, and a power source configured to provide a first voltage to a control circuit. The control circuit is configured to drive a second voltage between the sections of drill string. The gap sub provides a gap of at least 12 inches (30 cm). The second voltage may be different than the first voltage.
US09670770B2
A method of estimating fractures in an earth formation includes: disposing an acoustic tool in a cased borehole in an earth formation, the acoustic tool including a multipole acoustic transmitter and an acoustic receiver; transmitting an acoustic signal into the borehole; measuring deep shear wave (DSW) signals generated from shear body waves reflected in the formation in a far-field region of the formation around the borehole; and estimating at least a location and an orientation of a fracture in the formation based on the DSW signals.
US09670762B2
A method of fracturing a tight subterranean formation comprising: introducing a cement composition comprising cement and water into the tight subterranean formation thereby creating or enhancing a fracture in the tight subterranean formation, wherein the tight subterranean formation comprises at least one formation zone with a permeability of less than 1 millidarcy; allowing the cement composition to set within the fracture; and creating a permeable flow path within the set cement composition using pressure pulses. Another method comprises introducing a treatment fluid into the tight subterranean formation at or above the fracture gradient of the set cement composition to create or enhance a permeable flow path within the set cement composition.
US09670756B2
A method and system for completing a wellbore in a subsurface formation including first and second sand screens and intermediate tubular joint for gravel transport and/or gravel packing. The assembly provides transport conduits for carrying gravel slurry and packing conduits for gravel slurry placement. The method also includes running the sand screens and intermediately connected joint assembly into the wellbore, and gravel packing not only in the wellbore annulus behind the sand screens, but also behind the intermediate joint assembly to provide a reserve of packing sand behind the intermediate joint assembly to supplement or repack any annular packing sand in the annulus behind the sand screens that may be lost due to sand screen breach, partial collapse of tubular, or other shifting of the gravel pack sand. A wellbore completion apparatus and system is also provided that allows for placement of such gravel reserve.
US09670754B2
A method of producing oil and gas from a gathering manifold or a well. The method includes the steps of channeling field production into a sealed vessel through an inlet pipe, and permitting oil and gas components of the field production to separate naturally from water and other fluids within the vessel. The method further includes the steps of evacuating the separated oil and gas from the vessel via pipelines attached to the vessel at locations corresponding to the separated oil and gas, and pumping seawater into the vessel to pressurize the vessel and thereby aid in the production of oil and gas from the vessel.
US09670741B2
A threaded connection having a straight central axis, the connection including a plurality of pin threads, each pin thread having a root and a crest, and a box having a plurality of box threads, each box thread having a root and a crest. The crests of at least a portion of the box threads are curved so that when the pin threads are fully engaged with the box threads, there is a void between the roots of the pin threads and the corresponding curved crests of the box threads to reduce standoff caused by lubricant or other fluids becoming trapped between the threads as the connection is made up.
US09670731B2
An adjustable bent housing assembly for a deviated direction drill string having 1.5° adjustment increments between an index sub housing and mandrel has variances of less than 0.02° at 0.25 nominal degree increments between 0° and 3.00° of drill direction deviation.
US09670721B2
On large window and door openings frequently made today, the manufacturers of venetian blinds in particular cannot cover the whole opening with just one blind. Therefore, it is necessary to arrange two or more hangings. However, these must be guided on both sides, and therefore a lateral guide between the two jambs of the opening is necessary. Such a guide is, however, undesirable for aesthetic reasons. According to the invention a temporary guide is created for the edges which need not be guided in the jambs and does this by means of a guide arrangement which can be accommodated rolled-up above the elevating device and can be introduced into the door or window opening.
US09670715B2
A door body includes a door main body, an upper guided portion provided to an upper portion of the door main body, and a lower guided portion provided to a lower portion of the door main body. A guide member includes an upper guide portion, a lower guide portion, and a restricting portion. The upper guide portion supports the upper guided portion from below while restricting movement of the upper guided portion along the fore and aft direction. The lower guide portion supports the lower guided portion from below while restricting movement of the lower guided portion along the fore and aft direction. The upper guided portion is moved upwardly away from the upper guide portion in the expanded support state. The restricting portion restricts movement of the door main body in the first direction in the expanded support state, and restricts movement of the door main body in the second direction in the expanded support state.
US09670705B2
A device may limit opening of a sash hingedly coupled to a master frame, and includes: a bracket attached to the sash; a first arm having a first end pivotally coupled to the bracket; a second arm having a first end pivotally coupled to the first arm's second end; means for biasing the second arm into a retracted position; and a release assembly. The release assembly is secured to the master frame and includes a hook pivotable between a first position and a second position, which, in the first position, may be releasably received in an opening in the second end of the second arm when the second arm is in the retracted position, as the sash is closed and received within the master window frame The second arm is disengaged from the hook, permitting full opening of the sash, when the hook is pivoted into the second position.
US09670703B2
An opening-and-closing device for vehicle door includes: a close-latch mechanism; an electric-powered releasing mechanism; an association mechanism; a relay mechanism; an electric open/close unit; and a control unit. The relay mechanism switches from a connection state to a disconnection state by the operation of an association mechanism in a cancellation direction to allow returning a first ratchet stopped at a release position. The control unit reversely controls the electric open/close unit, operates a door to be opened toward a fully opened position, operate the association mechanism in a cancellation direction, and switches the relay mechanism to the disconnection state, upon detection of operational malfunction of the electric-powered releasing mechanism during closing of the door from the fully opened position to a fully closed position by closing operation of the electric open/close unit.
US09670693B2
A lock assembly includes a lock housing with an annular wall separating an end wall and a face. A core is received in an opening disposed in the face. The core defines a keyway disposed in rotational engagement with an end portion for actuating the lock assembly between locked and unlocked positions. A drive member is rotationally interconnected with the end wall of the housing. The drive member is disposed in driven engagement with the end portion of the core. An adapter defines a generally X-shaped slot and is fixedly attached to the end portion. A tail piece is received by the slot. The tail piece defines an elongated substantially flat appendage including a proximal end retained in the adapter and a distal end extending outwardly from the adapter. The proximal end is twisted relative to the distal end between generally 40 and 50 degrees.
US09670690B2
A parking system includes automated guided vehicles (AGVs) for moving automobiles to and from parking spaces in a parking facility. Each AGV is provided with a Hall effect sensor array. The parking facility has magnet arrays affixed to the floor of the parking facility. Each magnet array includes a plurality of magnets, with a specified arrangement of positive and negative poles of the magnets in the magnet array. The Hall effect sensor array senses the magnets and guides the AGV through the parking facility based on the position and alignment information determined by the Hall effect sensors.
US09670689B2
A cooling container comprises a container housing with a chilled water storage tank including a first interface for receiving chilled water. The chilled water tank has a plurality of straight pipes joined by elbows connections to provide a folded path, the full path length being greater than the length of the container housing, and a second interface for outputting the chilled water. A number of interfaces within the container housing are configured to receive a chiller module or a free cool unit.
US09670671B2
A roof access hatch, which utilizes thermal breaks is disclosed. This roof access hatch has a cover with a first metallic exterior surface spaced from a first metallic interior surface by at least a first insulation layer, where the first metallic exterior surface is thermally isolated from the first metallic interior surface. A first thermal break spans the insulation layer and is in contact with both the metallic exterior surface and the metallic interior surface. A frame supports the cover. This frame has a second metallic exterior surface separated from a second metallic interior surface by at least a second insulation layer, where the second metallic exterior surface is thermally isolated from the second metallic interior surface by a thermal break component. A non-metallic, thermally insulating gasket is disposed between the cover and the frame.
US09670669B2
Implementations of the present invention relate to systems, methods, and apparatus for constructing a building. More specifically, the present disclosure provides an interlocking wall system that can allow a builder to accurately position, orient, and/or secure various structural wall modules. Additionally, this disclosure provides systems and methods for securing one or more cladding layers to the building's envelope. Furthermore, implementations of the present disclosure can allow for quick and modifiable installation of utility and communication lines within the building.
US09670654B2
Apparatus and method for attaching a tap to a mounting surface (13) has a clamping assembly inserted through an aperture (11) in the mounting surface (13) and tightened from above the mounting surface (13). The clamping assembly has a pair of clamping arms (25, 27) that are mounted for pivotal movement from a collapsed position for passage through the aperture (11) to an operative position below the mounting surface (11). The clamping arms (25, 27) are operable on tightening the clamping assembly to engage in a first stage an underside of the mounting surface (13) remote from the fluid delivery device and to engage in a second stage a sidewall of the aperture (11) when continuing tightening. Thus a step change in an operating force is required that provides feedback to an installer that a required clamping force has been achieved.
US09670650B2
A fire hydrant water leak and theft detection system is connected to a dry barrel fire hydrant. The detector is connected to the upper barrel portion of the fire hydrant below the nozzle assembly and includes a pair of electrodes. A signal is generated when water in the upper barrel portion closes an electrical circuit between the two electrodes due to the conductivity of the water between the electrodes. The detection system sends a signal to a network system upon detection of water in the barrel portion and relays to remote monitoring locations.
US09670633B1
A protective flood barrier to protect a building and/or utility installation from flood waters that includes a continuous, water-tight base foundation surrounding and positioned in close proximity of the building; a plurality of removable structural stands adapted for placement on the base foundation wherein the structural stands have a proximal end situated adjacent the base foundation and a distal end; a sealing liner for placement on the structural stand; and a base seal for sealing the sealing liner to the base foundation.
US09670631B2
A modular combined pedestrian and vehicle barrier for a construction site and having upright post members with retention channels, spaced apart from each other, vehicle barrier members of predetermined length and height and having supports at each end, engagable with the channels on the posts, an intermediate fence rail extending between the posts adjacent to the upper extremity of the vehicle barrier members, and, personal fence panels located between the posts, and extending above the intermediate fence rails.
US09670626B2
A floor cleaning system and method for use thereof is disclosed for facilitating removal of waste materials. The system includes and the method relies upon use of a floor base, a floor covering, a substrate spacing the floor base and the artificial grass surfacing apart from one another, and at least one fluid-carrying structure. The floor base receives the waste materials. The floor covering is spaced above the floor base, and is at least in part permeable to the waste materials and in liquid communication with the floor base. The fluid-carrying structure is adapted to provide cleaning fluid to the floor base to rinse the waste materials received thereon. The cleaning fluid and waste materials flow along the floor base under the floor covering to facilitate evacuation thereof.
US09670623B2
A bonded fastener for a railway rail comprising: top and bottom generally horizontal plates bonded and separated by an insulating material wherein the top plate defines a rail bed; a plurality of clip housings wherein each clip housing houses part of a hold-down clip for attaching the rail to the bonded fastener; a plurality of anchor assembly areas wherein each anchor assembly area defines an opening through the bonded fastener for receiving an attachment device for attaching the fastener to a supporting surface; and one or more generally vertical barriers comprising part of the bonded fastener. Further, a first generally horizontal barrier may extend from the bonded fastener underneath each of the clip housings, and a second generally horizontal barrier may extend from the rail bed underneath the rail on each side of the bonded fastener.
US09670621B2
A coated paperboard is disclosed which includes a coating containing substantially no fluorochemical or wax, exhibiting good resistance to oil and grease, no tendency toward blocking, the coated paperboard being fully repulpable as well as compostable.
US09670612B2
A laundry treatment apparatus and a method for controlling a laundry treatment apparatus are provided. The method may include supplying alternating current at a predetermined first frequency to a compressor; measuring a first time a temperature of refrigerant discharged from the compressor; measuring a second time a temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor, when a predetermined first reference time has passed after the measuring the first time of the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor; and controlling the first frequency of the alternating current based on a difference between the temperature measured the first time and the temperature measured the second time.
US09670605B2
Provided is a fabric that is favorably used for a side cloth of a down wear, a down jacket, a futon, a sleeping bag or some other, and that is light, thin and high in tear strength and can further keep a low air permeability after washed. The high-density fabric of the present invention that can attain the purpose is a fabric including a synthetic fiber that has a fineness of 28 dtex or less, and having a total cover factor ranging from 1700 to 2200. In this fabric, multifilaments are present in each of which monofilaments are arranged in the form of two layers in at least one direction of warp and weft directions. Furthermore, the fabric has a cover factor ranging from 700 to 900 in at least one direction of the warp and weft directions which has the multifilaments present.
US09670598B2
A method of making indium tin oxide nanofibers includes the step of mixing indium and tin precursor compounds with a binder polymer to form a nanofiber precursor composition. The nanofiber precursor composition is co-formed with a supporting polymer to form a composite nanofiber having a precursor composition nanofiber completely surrounded by the supporting polymer composition. The supporting polymer composition is removed from the composite nanofiber to expose the precursor composition nanofiber. The precursor composition nanofiber is then heated in the presence of oxygen such as O2 to form indium tin oxide and to remove the binder polymer to form an indium tin oxide nanofiber. A method of making metal oxide nanofibers is also disclosed.
